Residency….

I have a temporary paper that gives me permission to be in the country until my actual residency card is ready. I paid all the fees and fines and got finger-printed and photographed a few weeks ago at immigration to get my residency card made. The card is supposed to be ready in 60 days. Honduras seems to count days and minutes at a different rate than I am used to, so I am not holding my breath for the 60 days, however we have to check back at immigration at that time to see if the card is there. I would be surprised if it was…but there are always surprises here!

Helen and Kayla

Helen Jackson from Restoration, and Kayla from Cory Wise’s church in Colorado were here for two weeks. They just left about a week ago. They taught dances to all the kids. From the tiny kinder kids through highschool. My kids loved learning the dance. Even the boys who tried to act like they didn’t like dancing …would come in every morning and ask what time they would dance with Miss Helen.

It was fun having them here, and great for the kids! Some of my kids really came out of their shell when they danced! One of my quietest boys was the best dancer. He did every move exactly right. As others were going right while Miss Helen moved left, Miguel was right with her, right on the beat. It was great to see them having fun!

I wanted to attach some pictures but am having trouble getting them to load.

Coloring Books and Stickers

Helen brought me some coloring books and stickers. The kids were so excited! The day we got the coloring books they all were working to finish their goals so they could color in the new books. Before this I didn’t have any coloring books in my room. One of my students has a coloring book and she will share it with the girls in class and they take turns coloring pictures. So this was a big excitement for the kids to have new coloring books.

The sheets of stickers I cut up into individual stickers to use as prizes. One of the advantages to putting me in 2^nd grade was to really help with their English. With me they have to speak English and all they hear from me is English. Unless we get to a communication breakdown then I put together some Spanish to communicate with some of my kids when we are in crisis. But I don’t have to remind myself to speak English and not Spanish….you got me, you got English! So now when they speak English in class they get a sticker, and when they speak Spanish they have to give me a sticker. They don’t like giving up those stickers!

It is really motivating some of them to learn new words in English. Moises, who hardly ever spoke English to me is coming to me now and saying “Miss como se dice (word) in English?” when he has a word he wants to use but doesn’t know how to say it in English. Now if I can break him of saying “como se dice” and instead “how do you say”. But it is fun seeing him learn new words and coming to get my dictionary to look words up when he wants to tell me something. Every time he does that I give him a sticker.

New Story books

When Helen came she had two suitcases which were coming for me, some were gifts from friends and family and a suitcase with things for my students from Lauren Calabrese. My class was the mission project for one of her boys’ class in school. When Helen flew there was an embargo and so they airlines were not allowing any extra suitcases. So my bags stayed in the U.S. but Jim grabbed out a few things and stuck in Helen’s bag. Paula got some flip flops and my kids got some great new books! Elaine told me that these books came from Lauren! Thank you Lauren!!!! I wish I could explain completely how much these books mean to the kids, but words can’t adequately describe their excitement! Can I say I have never seen kids so excited about books!

Words can’t describe their faces as they looked at the new books…Their laughter as I read to them. It was like Christmas morning excitement!

We have books in the classroom, but they have read each of them 20 times or more. So getting new books was so exciting! It isn’t like they can go to the library on Saturdays with their mom and look at books, or go to story hour at the library and hear new stories and see the books. So this was such a blessing for my kids. I got excited over one of them, Go Dog Go, it was one of my favorite books to read to Joshua. It is so much fun, and I love Dr. Seuss! I was putting the books away during our morning break and one of my girls heard me say “Oh I love this book!” She came over to see what I was so excited about and next thing I knew I had most of the kids all around me listening to me read Go Dog Go. Then they began to pick up other books from the stack and say “Miss read this one now!” So rather than being outside playing tag, or futbol, or swinging, they were sitting in the classroom listening to these new stories! All of them got a chance to read the new books, even if they hadn’t finished their goals, I gave them all the last 30 minutes of class that day to read books.

There are things like this which seem so simple, so common, but here they are extraordinary! New books, new books with stories which they have not heard before, and pictures they have never seen before. And without people like you sending these things from the states we wouldn’t have them to share with these kids!

They love the stories, and the pictures, but it also helps them with reading English.

Saying Good-Bye to missionaries

We had to say good-bye to two of the missionaries who have been here working at the school. Daniela came for the month of July. She was helping me in my class in the mornings and helping Sandra with 1^st grade in the afternoon. It was great having her here! I have had to readjust to giving Word Building Tests and answering questions and giving permission to score and permission to go to the bathroom and settle arguments at the same time, while keeping the chaos of 2^nd grade to a minimum. Oh I miss Daniela!

Haley also has returned to the U.S. Haley arrived at the end of May. She instantly fit into the school and Honduras! She helped two days a week with one of Jim Faber’s soccer teams. She taught all the P.E. classes at school and worked in the Learning Center. Paty and I drove her to the airport a week ago Saturday. We will all miss her greatly. She was so excited when I asked her if she would mind doing P.E. with the kids. She is very athletic and loves teaching P.E. and coaching. PERFECT! She is also a soccer player. PERFECT! While she was here she realized that she loves teaching! She is in her last year of Bible College and she plans to continue her education after graduating to get certification to teach.

Chapel Hike

We all went on the Chapel Hike one Saturday a few weeks ago. Some of the young athletic group first wanted to go and then when we learned that it was on flat ground and we did not have to carry the heavy back packs, we all decided to participate. It was a 5 mile hike, but on flat ground. They have had some hikes that were up mountains and carrying back packs full of food to give away in the villages. That would have been a no from me! But we all went on this easier hike and had a fun time. We hiked to a little town and met at the school where most of the people came to get bags of groceries. On the way back I got really tired and felt like I had jello legs…at one point I told Haley and Daniela I couldn’t feel my legs moving but I guess they were because I was not standing still. It is one of those things that I can say I did it, but don’t know that I would ever do it again.

No More B iting Dog! (or not)

I hadn’t seen the biting dog for more than a week, and the last few times I had walked by their house I hadn’t seen their other dog inside the gate. I have been watching and now they have moved. I am so happy! I typically carry a long PVC pipe and my dog zapper when I walk from my house to Annette’s. It is so nice now not carrying the crazy pipe, also known as my “dog stick”. Even though there are other dogs running loose in the neighborhood, as there are everywhere in Honduras, I feel so much better knowing that I don’t have to walk past the dog that bit me

However….I have seen him here twice this weekend. We are guessing that since they never kept him secured in this house, he is probably permitted to run free at their new home and he keeps coming back to where he thinks he lives.

I am even feeling bad for him now. I keep seeing him sitting in front of different houses on my street. I am sure he is hungry and will probably now just became a typicle Honduran street dog.

CAR!

Toyota Corolla. Jim Faber called me at school about a week ago, that he had found me a car. He is fast! I saw him on a Wednesday and told him that I was looking for a car, so if he knew of anyone selling a car or if he heard anything just to keep his eyes open for me. He jumped on the task and test drove a car on Thursday, took it the mechanic to be checked out and called me on Friday to tell me all about it. Last week I got money together from my savings and started the complicated procedure of wiring the money to a bank account here. Jim Faber has been wonderful helping me with getting the car and the paperwork. There is so much that has to be done – I had to get a “RTN Card” that registers me as a driver, and then the paperwork to transfer the vehicle. He did as much as he could and I will go to the bank to get the final paperwork completed to get the car in my name this week. I am excited about having a vehicle. It will give me more freedom to do things. It will also make errands much easier and faster. And I will be able to help out Lance and Annette when they have people overflow in their pick up truck and by giving rides to people at school.

Jim brought the car to me on Sunday. It was surreal as I drove Annette and I home after I picked up the car. I am so thankful that I have it, that there were so many people who helped me to get it, Jim Faber, Annette, Lance, and Elaine doing all the runs to the bank in the U.S.

wish I could attach some pictures...I will keep trying.

Celestino Student VISA

A few weeks ago Celestino had his VISA appointment to apply for his student VISA. He got his student VISA, so he will be going to the U.S. on Thursday to start school at TCC. We are all very excited for him. Although we will all miss him at the school!

Progress Reports

We gave out grades a few week ago. It was much less stressful for me than at the end of the first partial. Having never been a teacher before and having to face parents to explain grades and tell them the problems I am having with their children, I was very nervous the first time. I felt much better this time. I have had time to get to know some of my kids’ parents during this time too. And I had many good things to share with the parents, to encourage them and show them how their child was making progress. The first time I met with parents I heard a lot of “well my child doesn’t like you because you don’t speak Spanish” I was discouraged and in tears after the first meeting with parents. But this time I was prepared and I know that the kids are making progress in their Paces, their English understanding and speaking, and their behavior, so I was ready for any negative comments. But I didn’t have any this time. I was very thankful. I was able to share good stories with several of the families who have kids who have had behavior and/or academic challenges. I was glad I could encourage them. One of the dads said “he does have a good side.” I was glad that I had shared the stories with him about his son. So many times you only give the negative, the problems you are having, and forget about the days the student has good behavior, or goes out of his way to help another student, or is polite to the teacher. It is easy to focus on the negative, rather than being encouraging with the good.