I can't believe how fast this school year has gone. It seems like yesterday that we were beginning the year. I have learned so much as a teacher and as a child of God.
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?" Isaiah 43:19
May was busy with the spring concerts, which went very well. (Below are a couple pictures from the High School concert.) The ending of the year has been filled with grades, lots of brownies, and organizing piles of papers. And in one week and I get to see my wonderful family!
Yes, I am coming back to Honduras in August. I am looking forward to no longer being a first year teacher. I know my students much better than when I started, and while I still have so much to learn, I feel like my feet are finally under me enough to start moving forward rather than just 'surviving' in the classroom. I am blessed to live in this community of teachers who have such a heart for living as an example of who Christ is to their students. It is an honor to share this mission in loving and teaching these kids.
8th and 9th grade band during the spring concert
So glad that mom and dad could "come" to the concert
End of the year note from one of my 5th grade classes. So sweet!
The original title of this post was "Has anyone seen February?" which was very appropriate, but it is now April and I didn't see March go past either. Since I have a lot to report, I will work backwards. Two weeks ago was our Spring/Easter break. My three roommates, the parents of one roommate, and I went to Roatan, an Island off the coast of Honduras. While the temperature was quite hot, the beauty of the clear Caribbean ocean and bright blue sky was refreshing. My favorite thing I did while there was snorkel. When you put on goggles and stick your head under water, you enter a different world. The fish we saw were so colorful, from red snapper, angel fish, parrot fish, yellow-tailed damselfish, horse-eye jacks, a barracuda and a lot of other sea life. We also had the breath-taking privilege of seeing a sea turtle come up for air right beside us!
One day we went to Little French Key, a small private island on which we could soak up the sun, go snorkeling, swimming or kayaking, eat a delicious meal of rice, shrimp and chicken, and the best part, there was a monkey and two baby jaguars that we got to hold!
The roommates enjoying French Key.
Isn't this little guy cute? He won't be for long!
I had the immense blessing of meeting up with Bob and Debi Cowan, a missionary couple who live on Roatan. I had met them briefly at a missionary retreat and had mentioned that I would be in Roatan for spring break. We exchanged numbers and Debi and I spent a wonderful afternoon walking and talking along the beach and through the little town. We saw dolphins (one of the resorts does dolphin shows), shared our love for cool looking rocks, found yaba ding ding (remains of pottery from the 1500's), went to a museum that told about the history of Roatan and then ate watermelon on her porch overlooking the ocean.
Kylee, Me, Debi and Bob getting ready to snorkel!
Bob and Debi run a store called Made In Roatan, which sells hand-made items such as jewelry and other crafts, and all of the purchase price goes to the artisans. This little shop is benefiting the precious lives of the poor on Roatan (I just spent some time reading the "Meet the Artists" section on their website, and my heart is touched). Please check out their website to learn more or buy something from them! http://made-in-roatan.com/
In March, I had the honor of helping at a Honduran missionary's retreat. The Honduran Fellowship of Missionaries and Ministries is run by the pastor and his wife of the church I attend, and I was asked to help out with worship. It ended up that I instead helped with the youth, 6th-12th grade, because one of the helpers couldn't make it. It was a blessing getting to know these kids and their stories through games, worship, talking about being rooted in Christ, small group time and maybe some more games!
The group attending the Honduran Fellowship of Missionaries retreat
In February, we took about 55 students to the Music Festival. This is similar to solo and ensemble contest in the States. The kids thought it was great because on Thursday morning we packed up 2 school buses and drove to San Pedro Sula, which was about 6 hours by bus, including a blown-out tire. We stayed at a nice hotel with a (small) pool, so the kids could let off steam by swimming. Friday was a day mostly for solos and smaller ensembles, and our students did an outstanding job. Saturday morning my band performed, and I must say I am quite proud of them. We received a "superior" rating of 33/35 points. Woohoo!
Leading up to Easter, my church did a "40 days of prayer" challenge, and we simply were asked to write down 1 or 2 things we were going to pray for and then meet God at the same time each day for 40 days to pray for those (and other) things. Most notably I have noticed God changing my perspective. In consistently bringing my prayers to God, I have slowly seen my prayers turn more "JOY" ful (Jesus first, Others second, Your self last) and the focus changing from an almost whining tone to "God, I know You've already won the victory and I'm just going to keep praying until I see it through" making me free from striving on my own, which just leaves me feeling frustrated, to just BEING in Jesus' Presence, being changed little by little in His presence, which is right where He wants us to be. Now the true challenge is continuing on this prayer journey, and while it isn't always easy, I am excited to see how God will answer prayers as I come before my Father to talk with Him and learn to lean on Him. Other things that have happened, but I shall just mention are: The busyness of school - handing out progress reports, report cards, dealing with discipline issues, and making lesson plans. School events- ALP hosted Knowledge Bowl, where many kids from the bilingual schools competed in answering academic questions. I got to help by reading questions and keeping score. We also put on an annual Family Fun day, with each grade participating by hosting an event or booth. It's basically a carnival that fills up the soccer field. Unfortunately that day was cold, windy, and rainy and I was not feeling well (standing outside in the cold always helps). In March, ALP had what is called a "cold day." In NW Ohio we have snow days, but you wouldn't think of having a cold day in Honduras. Because we live on a mountain, it actually can get pretty cold and none of the buildings have heat as well as being built of concrete blocks. The teachers were quite excited. I woke up to the girls in the apartment above me stomping around and hootin' and hollerin'. We quickly went and joined them, and then made chocolate chip pancakes to celebrate. I am still attending weekly Bible study through my church, and am continuously blessed by those connections. I am still helping with the Alive after-school program, playing guitar with the worship team at church, and attempting to learn Spanish with classes once a week and talking with the Honduran staff here at school. Last week ALP had to say good-bye to the Oliva family. Mrs. Oliva was the biology teacher and the lady from whom I got my bunny. I taught two of her kids music lessons, and was always impressed by her son's ability with rhythm. One of these days he will be a hot-shot drummer and I can say I got him started! I keep thinking Mrs. Oliva is walking down the hall or that I should go say hi to her, but I quickly remember that she is now in Texas. I am praying that in the craziness of moving a life of 13 years here and her family to totally new surroundings that they would find unexpected blessings to make the transition a good one. And last but not least, I'm loving that it's mango season here. :) As always, thank you for your prayers. They are always needed and always felt. As this quarter has been very busy and I am beginning to feel exhausted on all fronts, I ask specifically right now for prayer for strength and endurance that can only come from God.
January has been a whirlwind. After a refreshing time at home for Christmas break, we settled back into the groove here in Honduras. The second week back was the end of Quarter 2 (half way through the school year! wow). I have joined a Bible study up here on the mountain through my church. It is a blessing to connect with people outside of the Pinares staff during the week and be encouraged in the Word.
At the end of January, my parents and brother came down to visit me! It was great to show them where I live and teach and have them meet the people I talk about. On Saturday we went to Valle de Angeles, a small tourist village outside of Tegucigalpa.On the way back, I took them on the public transportation, the small busses called Rapiditos, which was an experience everyone should have! On Sunday we hiked up the mountain that I live on and saw the great view of the city and the surrounding mountains.
Also on Sunday, my family got to go with me to church and meet my church family. I also got to play a song for them during the service. Monday we went down the mountain to the park where Jesus (the statue) is and also a small zoo. We ate tons of good food, from the Honduran food in the cafeteria, to sharing meals with several families. It was a good time and I'm really glad they had the opportunity to come!
A few pics from their visit:
Eating good food in the cafeteria
Brad and me in Valle
A nice lady Brad befriended in Valle
View from Picacho (Jesus statue)
Continue to be in prayer for my students, especially as at the end of this month we are headed to San Pedro Sula (a city about 2.5 hours away) for the music festival. There is a ton of preparation going into it and many safety concerns as well. Thank you.
