Smell my armpit

I want to start by telling something that happened to me on the bus on the way to school last Thursday. It was a special day, we were going to celebrate Thanksgiving and go home early. One of my students gets on the bus and sits next to me, talking to his friends across the aisle. All of a suddent he turns to me, lifts up his arm closest to me, pulls back his shirt sleeve and tells me to smell. I understood but I thought, no, surely he´s not telling me to smell his armpit. So I kind of just stared at him. Then he repeated it. ¨Miss, smell here!¨ oh boy, well. i leaned just close enough to satisfy him but didn´t really smell anything. He then told me that he had put on his dad´s deodarant that day(a first grader) and he was so proud. I still smile about it whenever it comes to mind.

Today I volunteered at the last minute to teach the 4th grade sunday school class at church. The teacher didn´t come. I had to ¨wing¨it but i really enjoyed it and volunteered to teach the rest of this quarter as the teacher will be moving in january anyway. I am really excited. I gave the kids a memory verse for the week, which they havnt had awhile.

The women´s REcovery group is also going really well. Last Thursday was a night of testimonies and two women tearfully reconciled after a tense time they´d been having between each other. It was powerful to see forgiveness and repentance between them.
It is always exciting to experience what God is doing.
May you have a blessed week.

a Day at "the beach", in the mountains

Last sunday was also a beautiful day. There I am with my new wonderful friend Daneille after church. Beto and I were by some friends to a water park located just about 20 minutes. We ate whole fried fish and some of them went swimming. Even though it ws sunny at church it was cold, but when we got to the "beach"it was so warm, hence the boots with the tank top. The little girl is the daughter of our friends and the older boy their son, who i had in first grade last year, and the little boy the son of our pastor and his wife. Praise God for wonderful friends! and sun!

The last two days here have been absolutely beautiful, after having thought that the sun had died! I went for a long 2 hour walk in the afternoon up into the mountains and took some pictures.
This week we will have all of the kids come to our school Thursday from the local social work house, where they stay if they've been abandoned, orphaned or just cannot live in their families'house for whatever reason. They will put on a little program and our classes in turn will perform songs/poems for them, and then we will share a 'traditional"thanksgiving dinner /lunch together. All our kids are asked to bring donations of toys, clothes,shoes to give away to them.

Friday night all of us in our apartment complex will have a even more Traditional Thanksgiving dinner. I was going to be the one to bake the turkey but lucky for me we didn't go to the big city to get one. Two of the girls are vegetarians and turkey's are very expensive. We will have at least two other dinners elsewhere anyways. So I will be making something else.

I have been praying a lot lately for the other two girls in our apt. complex that are new to the school this year. One comes from a traditional Jewish background but now is practicing the religion of self. She is a lot of fun though, outspoken, easy to talk to. Today I passed her apt. on my way up to study for my theology class. She stopped me to ask what I was goig to study and it was a God appointment, for sure. We ended up talking for about 40 minutes and I got to share what I believe and why. I pray for more and more chances like that and I ask you to pray with me that she will open her heart to Christ this year.
The öther vegetarian"is having a really hard time. I am afraid she won't come back after Christmas. She teaches English in 3rd through 6th grade. Please pray for her also.
Thank you always for your prayers for the ministry here, and may it grow more and more.

P.S.

Beto has an appointment for his VISA at the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa November 30th. Please be in prayer that his request will be approved so he can come visit the States with me over the Christmas holidays.
Thank you!

Ministry

Sometimes, well, a lot of times, I feel like I'm not doing ministry, at least not not like I thought I'd be doing when I moved down here. I "just"teach first graders, math and English. It's a lot of work, paper work, grades, lesson plans, a lot of things that don't involve other people, which is where the majority of ministry takes place.
I've learned lately, however, that ministry is a loaded word, and God is showing me so many different ways to minister not only to my students but to all those around me.
First and foremost, prayer. I've noticed that the days I pray for my classes are more difficult days. Just more evidence of our real enemy out to destroy us. But the more I pray the more I love my students as well and see my job as a people job and not just teaching the lessons.
Ministry is listening to them, hugging them when they hurt, and being gentle and patient with them. I've recently taught them the song "This is the day, This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." They sing it so well without me now, and sometimes one of them will start singing it quietly during class and it makes me smile and gives me a peace.
Ministry is how I react when I'm frustrated (which usually only happens in a meeting), how I treat the other teachers, and how I live among the non-Christians in my apt. complex. God has given us opportunities to share our faith in conversations and we are praying for their salvation this year.
It is preparation as Beto and I are preparing to recieve our theology degrees. and making friends in the businesses we frequent.
these are all reasons I love living here in La Esperanza and growing in my faith as God leads. Being in ministry requires me to look at myself too and where I need to change. That's the most difficult part!
Thanks for your prayers. God bless you!