So much has happened here since I last posted!

Let me start with my kids at school! My last post I told you about the boy who every day tells me he will do his homework, but he never does... until now!!!! Last week he did his homework every day, except for Thursday night, but he had 3 tests to study for, and he passed all three of those tests!!!! There were even some days last week that he did more than the homework I had given him! I gave him a note on Friday morning telling him he was a start for doing homework. He proudly hung his note in his office (the work stations each child has for a desk).

The young boy I talked about in my last post who continually lies and cheats... well last week he was at it again, telling me outlandish stories. And I stopped him and told him that I didn´t care what he had done in the past, and I didn´t care if the stories he had told before were true or not true or half true, all I was concerned with was from this point forward. I asked him to look me in the eye and tell me that he would from that day forward tell me the truth, even if the truth was I didn´t do my homework because I wanted to play with my friends or watch a movie. It took him several times because he would not look me in the eye, but he finally did it. Throughout the week when he would start to tell me something I would look at him and say remember what is our deal. And sometimes he just wouldn´t say anything... I guess no explanation is better than a lie. Then Friday I couldn´t believe it. I was looking at his English pace and questioning him about how he had pages where everything on them was wrong, and he said oh miss I just went through and marked anything so that my father would think my homework was done and then you would look and it would be that my homework was done, but really I had not done any of it correct.

I about fell over and my heart was jumping for joy! I know that this is what he does with his homework, and sometimes during the day to try and reach his goals, but I am trying to get him to understand that the goal is not just to complete a page, but to learn in the process.

Please contnue to pray for my special students... Krissia, Nicole, Mauro and Keene.

Well Gracie had puppies. The short version is... the birth started during the night of Thursday October 4-early morning of Friday October 5. The first puppy had been born by 1:30 am Friday October 5. I was gone all day at the teacher training in Tegucigalpa, and when I returned that evening there were now 3 puppies. I later found out from Angel, the man who does the yard work, he had come by to check on the dogs and he had found that one was dead, and had taken it away for me. Then there was one that would not eat and he died during the night of Saturday night. I had two that were healthy and eating.. but Gracie was becoming more and more nervous and agitated with the puppies. One of the puppies died on Monday and Gracie just isn´t cut out to be a mom. So I am now momma dog. I have one little chocolate colored puppy, that I have begun calling Samson. He was the first puppy born and he has survived Gracie and losing his sibling puppies. I set my alarm for every 3 hours during the night to wake up and feed him his homemade puppy formula in a bottle, and I come home from school at lunch time to feed him... right now I am at the internet in between feedings.

He and I are becoming very attached. He is the sweetest, tiniest, cutest little thing I have ever seen!

Thank you to Dr. Austin for helping me with what to do with him, and for proving the puppy recipe. And thanks to Annette for all the research she did on what to feed the puppy and how to care for the puppy.

He has grown, and continues to get pudgier, so I pray that he is healthy!

Things are good at the house, I have had to do more things on my own and it has been good for me. Having to ask people for help, getting help from the teachers and from other missionaries here. And even speaking Spanish with Angel and with Maria (maid). Being forced out of my comfort zone has been good for me. I will be happy with Annette is back though, it is nice having a friend to do all these things with, but I am making it on my own. Helping me to see that I can make it on my own when I come back next year and rent a house or an apt. in town.

So adios...I better start thinking about heading home... it is pouring down rain right now... and it is almost time for Samson to having another feeding.

Happy in Honduras!
Steph