Mish-Mosh Pish-Posh

I would start this by saying it's been an "abnormal" week if I felt I could actually fool anyone into thinking I have yet to experience a "normal" week since I got here. SO-let's try this again:

It's been a normally abnormal week. Monday, I started a preschool class with two four year olds and two one year olds. (Okay, so, the one year olds are more like innocent bystanders.) It was really fun! We're learning our letters and started with "F" (don't ask me, ask the makers of the Sonlight curriculum). Of course, I had the "teacher's pet" of a student that told me over and over that she ALWAYS helps her teacher and she's the teacher's helper and she just loves to help and why are we learning the letter F first? Then, there was the spunky one who just wants to cut and glue every last scrap of paper in sight. Ahhh... preschool.

I've started going with Heidi Merritt to something called "CPR". It's a course that she gives on purity and abstinence in the local villages of Lucinda and Balfate. Last Wednesday, we went to Lucinda and this Tuesday I went with her in the morning to meet with her group in Balfate. I really liked it, there are some younger girls so it's a good chance for me to make some connections, some friends! She also mentioned that I want to get together with some of them and practice my Spanish and they all seemed pretty excited! All I need is my MOTORCYCLE (oops, I'm getting ahead of myself here...). Well, anyways, I like going to the classes with her. It's good Spanish practice and a good way to get myself involved more with the Honduran community. Good stuff, and much needed. Heidi Merritt is one of my latest heroines!

After CPR I had my 1st Spanish class! There's a local girl who gives lessons to a lot of the missionaries and I just started classes with her this week. I REALLY liked it. She doesn't speak English so it's not just learning but it's also great practice. I'm excited about getting myself comfortable enough with it to actually start making some meaningful connections with the Hondurans.

After SPANISH CLASS I went to La Ceiba with a family (the Wards). They had to get their girls to the dentist and I had to do some shopping. I also had my first chance to eat a hamburger since I got here. I had Burger King for lunch and Wendy's for dinner, who knew!

Wednesday I woke up feeling miserable and tried to get through school. I ended up not being able to keep my head up, went to the hospital to get checked up, and realized I had a fever. Upon hearing the news, I gathered my meds, went home, and went back to bed. I stayed in my room all day Wednesday until later that night when my friend Joelle came and picked me up and took me to the house she's housesitting. Her & I hung out and she cooked for me and nursed me back to health! We had some good time of fellowship and prayer along the way...

By Friday morning I was up for doing school and feeling 100% better. Friday after school around 4pm Joelle (22yr old pediatric nurse short-termer from Richmond), Julia (18 yr old short-termer teaching at bilingual school and doing administrative work at the hospital), and I (17 yr old short.. just kidding) went to Balfate and did some fun stuff with the kids in Balfate. After which we enjoyed a Saturday night pizza dinner at the Younts house.

This morning, I went to the "Dump" with Joelle, Julia, and 2 girls from Balfate. It's an area in La Ceiba where all of these families live around the local dump and there's a church at the top of the hill that does a Bible lesson every week and feeds all the kids. The meals that they serve are packed with nutrients and I guess if you were to have more than 3 bowls a week you'd get sick from all the substinence. Cool beans! It was definitely an insightful experience. You're sure to see the smellier, less attractive side of missions during stuff like this. It's not fun and exciting to see malnourished kids walking around barefoot through streets full of rubbish. But, it's a blessing to be there and hold their hands and show them the love of Christ, and to see their joy.

I finished this crazy week with shopping in La Ceiba, and dinner with some girls at Joelle's house, where we are currently watching "Nacho Libre". You could definitely say it's been a full week full of a mish-mosh plethora of experiences, lessons, and activities.

TADAAAAHH! My abnormally normal week... or was it the other way around? I forget.