Well, I'm just a fountain overflowing with exciting news.

March might end up being the best month of my life... Okay, a bit dramatic but, it's gonna be good. In March I'll start helping teach English at the public school in Lucinda and at the bilingual school. Both very exciting opportunities for me!

It's almost as if God is like sovereign and knows what's on my heart, knows the path of my future, and wants to guide me every step of the way, huh, weird. I feel like maybe I've read that somewhere or something.

Also, in March, I'm going to Costa Rica. Enough said-but I'll say more. I'm REALLY excited to have a little break, travel, be a tourist (huh, what? ew!). Really, I just think it's going to be a fun trip. SPRING BREAK! (I won't mention the fact that the next week, everyone's going to Guatemala while I do school :( ... oops!)

So there you have it- March.

February's turning out to be quite a winner too, actually. It's been just relaxing and everything's back in its place finally. The only complaint I have is that time's flying TOO fast.

Also, PRAISE GOD! He has been faithful (big shocker, I know) to provide the funds for me. I now only have $275 to raise. I'm just so ecstatic. And, SO grateful for all the support. Raising support has been (I'm giving myself permission to talk about it in past tense because I have no doubts that God can and will continue to provide the rest) the most FRUSTRATING and STRESSFUL and REWARDING and POWERFUL and overall bitterSWEET experience. I continuously got discouraged about that lingering dollar amount and God has pulled through over and over again. Glory to Him!

He is faithful.

It seems as if I'm faithful to always forget that He's faithful. Thankfully, He's faithful to remind me.

Short & Sweet

Well, I had an awesome birthday. I felt very loved & very at home.

The weekend of my birthday we had a family, the Faulls, visiting that used to serve here at Loma de Luz for 8 yrs. I really enjoyed meeting and fellowshipping with all of them. They're very sweet people with an obvious heart for the Lord and for the Hondurans. I felt blessed to be able to celebrate my birthday with them.

On Wednesday, we had our last English class. The students did their final projects which were small skits in English and took their tests. I haven't heard the grades, yet, from Cinthya but I trust those who did well were the ones who worked hard and those who didn't will hopefully continue to pursue learning English.

I'm thinking and praying about starting another beginner's class as the primary teacher. I definitely think it would be a good experience for me, but first I'd like to find someone who might want to partner with me in teaching; possibly even a Honduran who's already taken the class. I guess we'll see. You can all partner in praying with me about that. Thanks!

I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Tomorrow we're going to a waterfall in Lucinda that I've never been to before. So, that's exciting, not relaxing, I guess, but exciting... and fun.

Hasta luego!

It's Always Good News

Thursday is here! Have you ever heard someone say, "Thank God, it's Thursday."? I don't think so. Well, I DO thank God it's Thursday. Because, Thursday means tomorrow's Friday so just one more day until I can "thank God it's Friday"!

This week has gone by quite smoothly. Sammey did make a nice transition back into class. She seems to have really improved in both math and spelling, somehow, someway, over break. I'm very proud of her. She's catching onto mixed fractions like a PRO! Michaila ranked at an 11.7 spelling level. This means that she spells like someone who is 7 months into their junior year of high school! For a 6th grade, not so bad! I would actually make a bet that she is better at spelling than a few people in Staff Housing... not going to name any names, though.

The Faull girls are in town. They are the "phantom family". The family that I haven't STOPPED hearing about since I got here but have yet (or had yet, as of yesterday) to meet. They're just as fun and sweet as everyone said they are and we enjoyed having them, the Mckenney boys (Gabe & Nate), the Ward girl (Sammey & Sydney) and Renee over at Staff Housing last night to play Balderdash! I lost, miserably.

The Fields got back yesterday. Slowly but surely things are getting back to normal with the periodic arrivals of the last few families. I think the next one due is the Rumbaughs on like the 23rd and that should be the last of us!

I may start my OWN English class! Pray Pray Pray. I would LOVE to teach a class and get really excited just thinking about it. Right now, it is just a tentative opportunity. I'm hoping for the best, hoping for His will.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers regarding support. I have $1000 more to raise in order to finish my year here. As my faithful blog readers, I hope you realize how much I love it here and how much God is showing me of Himself. I ask that you be praying that the Lord would provide and be listening in the case that He might be putting it on your heart to support my mission here. I will keep you updated as support comes in.

God bless you all! (Picture posted: the champion speller!)

Well, I'm back in Honduras! I had a pretty hectic trip here. Flew from Norfolk to Newark to San Pedro with Continental and everything worked like clockwork. Once I arrived in San Pedro I boarded the Hedman Alas (bus) for La Ceiba with two friends that I met up with in the airport. It was raining from the minute the plane landed so once we were picked up in Ceiba and started to drive to Balfate about 2/3 of the way in, we came to the "Plancha". The "Plancha" is where the road dips and, during rainy season, fills with water. When we got there at about 7:30pm, it was pretty high and there was even a current so we decided to turn back. We stayed the night in Ceiba that night, left in the morning, and when we re-arrived to the Plancha it was still kind of high. After waiting it out a few hours, we decided to go ahead and cross following two buses (the thought is that if you go behind buses, they pack down the sand for you). We got through fine but the truck following us got stuck and the passengers were a former MK of Loma de Luz and her boyfriend so, we asked the driver of a tractor to go and pull them out. It worked fine and we were FINALLY on our way! (To the right is a picture of the plancha on Monday-after it had gone down significantly.)

When I arrived at Staff Housing I had a not-so-pleasant surprise awaiting me. Some jokesters thought it would be funny to move all of my stuff into Louis' room and vice versa... ok, they were right, it was pretty funny. But, I spent the rest of the day moving stuff around and getting myself unpacked, watched a soccer game in the rain, and ate curry at Renee's! It was a good arrival all-in-all.

One week has passed since I got home. I haven't had much to do because most of my students are out of town so I only worked with Michaila this week. It was kind of fun having plenty of time to do school and goof off with her. A good transition back into the "daily grind". This week will prove more challenging as we work Sammey back into the schoolroom for the 1st time in over a month. But, we'll be glad to have her back and everything will work out once we get used to it, again.

I also had a really great week outside of the classroom. Monday I didn't do school because I had to go to Ceiba to go grocery shopping and get money out of the ATM for rent. I had a really good time finally being in La Ceiba stress-free. Wednesday we had two guys from Lucinda over for dinner. We ate egg burritos and laughed a lot and I got in some solid Spanish practice. Thursday we took Andrew (Louis' visitor friend) to the waterfall "Bejucal"... as a matter of fact, it was my frist time too! But, it was a little cold for me so, I just hung out in the hot springs and tried to make as little contact with the cold water as possible. Last night, on pretty short notice on my part, we all packed into the Mckenney's land cruiser and went to La Ceiba to see Avatar... it wasn't too awful! I was expecting to hate but, to be honest, I was kind of enchanted by the their cool little forest. I want someone to make an Avatar playground now... haha.

Well, signing off. Today I plan to do what I want when I want and not try to make myself too productive... isn't that what Saturdays are for?! ;) Wait, I guess I ruined that idea by updating my blog! Wink wink.

Lord Unto Me

I recently was scolded for my infrequent posting habits. I'm here to remedy that.

Right now I'm back in good ol' Chesapeake. I'm really enjoying this time to catch up with friends, relax with family, and get into the Christmas spirit.

Everybody warns you before you travel to a foreign country about "culture shock". I, personally, don't feel I've ever really experienced that in foreign countries, mostly just when I come back home from a trip to a foreign country. America is certainly an unusual place compared to the rest of the world. Infused with culture, yet culture-less. Organized chaos, civilized primitivism. Yes, an unusual place indeed.

I suppose the truth of the matter is that Honduras is not really a "foreign" country to me anymore. Before I came here, when I was talking about Chesapeake, I used the phrase "back home" preceding everything. I find that here in Chesapeake, when I'm talking about Honduras, I use the same phrase. Both places feel very much like home. And, I feel very blessed to be able to broaden my horizons in such a way that two very different places can both give me the feeling of contentedness and belonging.

Being back home has forced me to take a good, long look at the last 3 months and evaluate what has happened. Which, if you pay attention, is in fact very odd. When you're in high school and Christmas season comes do you take time to think about how you've changed since school started and what you've learned and what your favorite thing was? Pienso que no. But, when you've been living in Honduras and you come home and have to come up with an answer to all of those questions for nearly everyone you come in contact with-you have to come up with something. Therefore, I've spent a lot of thought on this review of my life in Honduras, (Yes, that's what's going on when I'm "umm"ing and "ahhh"ing after each question.) and here's what I've concluded (thus far).

I think that a good way to summarize the last 3 months would be with this:

"The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures."

Those three lines hit the nail on the head. Since I moved to Honduras the Lord has been my Shepherd. He has guided me, cared for me, and provided for me. In every situation, He is the One that I look to so that I don't get lost, the One I look to for protection.

And, I've found that life in Honduras has left me without any "wants". Everything I need, and want, he has provided. (All I have needed, Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.) I find this ironic because before moving to Honduras I was consumed with thoughts and preparations so that, once I got there, I would not be wanting of anything. As it turns out, God knows far better than I what the 'essentials' are. And, they are not a certain brand of face wash, cute clothes, or my favorite kinds of food. They are things that can only be given by His hand: edifying fellowship, loving relationships, a joyful spirit, etc.

Then there's that last sentence:

"He makes me lie down in green pastures." Oh, does He ever. Not only does the Lord guide me, not only does He provide for me, but He makes me happy. I know, it's not "Christianese" and not even a word that most Christians would use in relation to something God would give us as a gift. We much prefer the word, "joy". And, I understand, because I also have had times in my life that God has given me GREAT joy. Right now is even one of those times. But, I consider joy something that we have in all circumstances as Christians. I am filled with great joy even when experiencing strong suffering. However, what I've been given regarding life in Honduras... is happiness. I love where I live, I love the people I'm around, I love what I do. I'm just happy about my life. I have a lot of fun. So, God doesn't just provide for my every need and respond faithfully to my every cry, He makes me lie down in green pastures. He has brought me to a lush place that fulfills my needs and my wants, a place where I have joy and happiness.

I am truly blessed.

Inching

I'm inching toward my departure for home! I have mixed feelings but mostly I just feel excited to see family and friends for a while. I usually find upon returning to America that all the things they warn you about concerning "culture shock" are the most potent when you've been living in a low-maintenance culture (like Honduras) and return to the States for a while. But-that's the nature of traveling, I suppose.

It's a beautiful day today. Sunny and breezy. Certainly not typical December weather but beautiful, nonetheless.

This weekend I enjoyed a trip to La Ceiba to see the San Pedro Sula Chamber Orchestra play a Christmas set. They played The Four Seasons by Vivaldi, and some stuff by Piazolla, and Andrea Bocelli. It was really pretty and very well done. Definitely a talented group.

I'm looking forward to my last week before Christmas break. We have some Christmas events going on. I also plan on taking the bus out to Rio Esteban at some point to hang out with a friend, Delmy. She's in my English class and we've always kind of hit it off. Fun stuff!

Hasta luego

Jiggity Jig

Aquí es el problema con blogging:

Inevitably, if you happen to have some particularly exciting weeks, you're unable to take out time to blog. However, if you skip a few weeks of blogging because they were particularly exciting... when you do go to update your blog you are stuck with quite the dilemma. Do I bombard my readers with a really long update of exciting events? Or, should I draw out the updating process by sifting through everything and prioritizing what I think would be most interesting?

I'll standby to hear your input on this. In the meantime, I'll base this blog update solely on my instincts.

Since 10/17 (the time of my last update) I've spent a good chunk of time getting into the 'groove' of things here at Loma de Luz, and, as it turns out, I'm really enjoying the groove.

All with school is going great. I'm still trying to iron out the kinks in my preschool class but, things are coming together and it's working itself out. I also have started teaching an English class with one of the missionaries here. I LOVE it! We have about 10 Honduran students who are all very enthusiastic about the class.

Last weekend I took a mini-vacation to the Honduran island Roatan. I had the most fun I've had definitely in the last 3 months, if not in the last 3 years. We spent all weekend at the beach doing one thing or the other. Sometimes snorkeling, sometimes kayaking, going out to eat. We also were blessed to get 1/2 off of a 4hr. trip on a catamaran! We stayed in a beautiful, huge, perfect beach house paid for by a very generous doctor who has come to volunteer here for a few weeks. The group included all the inhabitants of staff housing as well as a missionary family and another doctor. We had a blast!

By the time we came back it was Tuesday evening. On Wednesday, I had one student in the morning from 8-12 and my English class from 1-3.

Finally, THANKSGIVING! On Thursday morning I went to the beach with a friend and proceeded to get stung by the mother of all jellyfish. After that I sat on my bed for an hour with ice packs on BOTH legs (yes, both) and took a little nap before getting ready for the feast. Woke up from the nap, made myself look a little less like I just got stung by a jellyfish and took a nap, and headed down to the Cabildo (building where we do all our community fellowship gatherings). The place was DOUSED in oranges and leaves and turkeys and all things Thanksgiving. I got the percolator going for the coffee and we feasted! The meal was GREAT. That night we played Capture the Flag in the rain... and settled into to our contented Christmas-is-coming dispositions.

The other day I helped my friends, the Mckenneys, spruce up their Christmas decorations. That was very effective at getting my spirit in the mood. Hannah Mckenney had her 12th birthday party Friday night which was tons of fun and the weekend carried on that way until today, Monday. A beautiful day here in Honduras, now I have to go recover my room from all this vacationing.

All my love.