I have some pictures from the last few weeks of school that I hadn't had a chance to post yet, so even though I'm not there right now, I think about my kids daily. So wanted to post some fun pictures!


Here is Nicole at the scoring table...she wasn't scoring though, she was posing for her picture :) She is a sweet girl! She is finishing up 5th grade, and will be entering 6th grade in February.





Here is a cute picture of Keene! T"his young boy is working hard to finish up his 6th grade paces and he will be graduating from 6th grade on Friday. Because the free public school only goes through the 6th grade, this is a milestone in your education career. They graduate just like our highschoolers do. Keene is a special boy! In many ways! If Ihad a centavo for every time I said "Keene sit down and get to work", "Keene do you have permission to be out of your seat?", "Keene what are you doing?!!!" I would be a rich lady!!!!! But I love him! He has a special place in my heart!




Here is Keene seeing a ball coming toward him! WATCH OUT KEENE!

Here is Anthony. When it gets cold in Honduras everyone pulls out their stocking caps, and gloves and scarves. He looked so cute with his cap on.



Here are three of the teachers at school....Merlynn, Patty and Henry. I miss you guys!!!!



This is Mr. Peter (our kids' pastor) and David. He just completed the 7th grade. David is Miss Lisette's son.


I love you Chepito! I miss hugging on my sweet little guy every day!


Two of our high school students taking math tests! Kasey and Charlie (Carlos)







Some of the 5th grade students working with Miss MaryCruz on their Espanol Paces.
(notice Mary Cruz with her cap and scarf)



First they're working, now they're posing! Aren't they cute!!!!



Mauro, looking all mean and tough in his winter cap!



Awww, what a sweet smile! Yea, he can only look mean and tough for a second, then his sweet smile comes out!

After Mauro posed for a picture Wilmer wanted in on the fun. So he borrowed Mauro's hat. Notice the lollipop stick hanging out of his mouth - busted! That's a demerit and get rid of the candy Wilmer! "What candy Miss? I don't have candy!" I have the picture to prove it Wilmer!

Prayer Request for Honduras

Today I was reading that on Monday the Vice President of the Congress of Honduras was murdered. He was also the current governor of the department (like our counties) of Cortes. He, along with an attorney, were murdered in a drive by shooting on Monday.

The news article does not indicate who or why or if there are any suspects. However, it does not sound like a random shooting. Back several months ago when the Congress voted on ALBA, there were certain parts which were accepted and other parts which were not. The parts which were not accepted deal with cutting off relations with the United States, and all the communistic aspects of ALBA.

There are elections coming up in the country for President and all the other elected officials. Please pray for this time for the country. If things are manipulated by those who are in favor of ALBA and in favor of Hugo Chavez, it could be very bad for the country of Honduras and all the folks living there...whether North American or Honduran.

Please pray for the government of Honduras. Pray for protection of the government officials. This country needs protection from the enemy!!

Velvet Water

You know you get used to things, and you don't think anything about them. Like my shower, and our water in Honduras. Now I do complain about it sometimes, like I can't look at the water that Maria is washing my clothes in because it looks dirty...how will my clothes be clean? But if you don't look, they smell fresh and I tell myself they are clean.

Everyday when I take a shower at home, I have hot water because I have a ducha, so it isn't the temperature, it's the amount of water that actually gets through the holes in the ducha because the holes get clogged up with all the dirt that is in the water...and it is the smell of the water (some days it isn't good), but I don't really think that much about it, it's my shower.

But this morning I took the best shower ever!!!! There was so much water it covered my hole head...it wasn't a game of find a stream of water to try and rinse the soap out of my hair, and oh the way it feels....it is so soft! It was like I was taking a shower with velvet water!

And my hair is so soft! Oh the things that all my life I took for granted, and now it is a special treat! I am rediscovering life in the United States.

This afternoon I am going to pick up a car (thank you Tim Calabrese!!!! You rock!!!!)

I am sure my first driving experience will be a blog post! I laugh just thinking about the contrast between driving in the USA and in Honduras!

Ashlynn

One thing that is hard about being away is missing out on seeing little ones grow up, the new things they do, the new things they learn, all the changes that happen so quickly when they are little. The biggest thing is missing out on getting to bond with them as they grow up. I was afraid I would come back and Ashlynn wouldn't know who I was.

Well, thanks to my wonderful family that isn't the case at all! While I have been away this year Shawna and Austin have been telling her about me, showing her my picture and telling her my name and that I live in Honduras. So she wasn't surprised to see me, or wonder who is this nutty lady who is wanting to hold me and kiss me. She knew who I was and could say my name and she warmed up to me very quickly! It was such a blessing to me.


Here we are at the airport. She was wide-eyed checking me out....but she knew who I was. She knew who was coming in on the airplane.

She gave me hugs and kisses and talked to me all night last night. It was as if I had not been gone all year!

I am in Texas!!!

I arrived here this evening. I wasn't sure this morning if we were going to make it to the airport. All the gas stations in Comayagua were out of gas. And Annette didn't have enough in her truck to get to Tegucigalpa...so we began calling people to see if anyone had gas in their car. And no they didn't! We finally talked to a friend who lives in a small town about 15 minutes down the highway and he said he thought the gas station there in La Villa had gas, so we headed that way and we found a station with gas! Oh joy!!!!

So I made it to the airport and had an easy flight to Texas. It was fun to see my family and I loved playing with Ashlynn! It really didn't take her long to warm up to me. I was really glad about that!

I have already made a trip to Walmart! I needed shampoo and conditioner and some new makeup as I had been using some yucky smelly wrong color base....oh yuk! So I was thrilled when Joshua drove me to Walmart. And we even sat in the car for a little one on one mom and son time! Just like the old days!

And I had the most fabulous ham and cheese sandwich! Actually I must confess, I ate two sandwiches! What made them so fabulous? It was ham (not some odd Honduran version) and cheese, real colby cheese, and soft fresh yummy bread! Just completely different tastes than you can find in Honduras!

Now I am off to bed!

Winding Down....

My days here are winding down. I have 9 more days before I return to Texas for vacation. A lot of mixed feelings. I am excited to be going to Texas...to see my family....get away from the mosquitos that have invaded my house...go to Walmart...drive in a straight line without dodging dogs, children, people on bicycles, people with wheelbarrows full of wood, or bananas, or pineapples, and at the same time trying to miss the potholes.....

But, I am already thinking about not being at the school every day. Not seeing my kids every day! Although I have already had to say good-bye to my 2nd graders, there are still the kids who are behind in their Paces that we are trying to get caught up. There are so many kids who I will miss during this time away...

I had two second graders who were finishing up their Paces this week. My last one finished today and went home this morning. I was struggling with him yesterday. He got to the end of his Pace and was ready for his Self-Test...but he wouldn't take it. He finally told us that he didn't want to finish his Pace because once he was done I wouldn't be his teacher any more. Well he cried, and I cried and Patty cried. He did finally finish today and took his test. But it took a lot of talking and hugging and encouragement...and then I bribed him with stickers and a little spider man car. The bribary worked!

I have one more week at the school next week helping in the Learning Center with the ones who are working to finish their year, and then the following Monday, November 24, I will be flying to Texas.

Teachers needed at Ruach for 2009

Annette is looking for caring Christians who love kids and love God. If you have ever thought about spending time on the mission field, now is a great opportunity for you. Please pray about coming to Honduras next year. In a perfect world you could commit for the entire school year, February through November, but any commitment level is welcome.

If you have any desire at all, please contact me for more information concerning housing and support while serving in Honduras. We would love to have you!

You will fall in love with these kids as much as I have!

Monday was a successful trip for me. I drove to Tegucigalpa, drove around the city, which is an adventure all its own! Just drive, don't worry about lanes, or taking turns, or getting in line, and if you are not aggressive they will ignore that you are on the road. Yep, I was ignored several times. But we made it!

And to top it off, I also got my residency card! Not sure which was more exciting - overcoming that first time of driving - or getting my residency card. The card was a pretty big deal....and I only had to pay an additional 200 limperas that day.

Unfortunately, Paula's experience in immigration was not successful for she and Faith. As is common here, you are told one thing and when you return with that piece of missing information they decide that there is something else needed. So was the case with Paula on Monday.

Although her trip to immigration didn't go as she had hoped, I am so glad that she came with us. It was fun having my first driving experience shared with good friends!

We did make it to Chili's for lunch. We enjoyed chips and salsa - Chili's chips are the all time best! Annette and I were ready for the chicken crispers....although the batter was different this time and they weren't so crisper....but I got my bowl of honey mustard for dipping - Oh I love that stuff! I think I could drink it. Alyshia had a pita sandwhich that looked bigger than her head - it looked very good. And Paula and Faith shared a plate of chipotle chicken crispers.

Now you may think "is your lunch really news worthy?" Oh yes it is! Come live in a foreign country for a year and miss some of your favorite foods and restaurants, yep it is newsworthy!

A Dark Drive Home

Saturday I drove us to Seguatapeque to see Mark & Paula at the boys home. This was my second time to make the drive. We didnt' have any trouble getting there, and had a nice little visit with Mark & Paula. We started saying our goodbyes, making bathroom trips and getting ourselves together about 4:30, and we were down off their mountain and onto the "highway" by 5:00....I thought great we would beat the dark. NOT!

The last place I wanted to be in the dark was driving down the curvey road through the mountain.

Annette was so encouraging. I could not have done it without her with me! I was so scared, I could feel my heart beating in my head! It is dark, you can't see two minutes in front of your face, and the road is so curvey at times I couldn't tell where it was going, I tried to stay behind a vehicle, no matter how slow, so I could watch where the road went, they were my guide. At times you could see the white line on the right side, so that you don't drive off the side of the road.

And then my windows are tinted so it is always a shade darker in my car than it is outside. At night time I feel like I am driving with my sunglasses on. I have to get that changed!

I was so happy when we got to the point where you could see Comayagua down in the valley, so I knew we were close to home.

It was very freaky! And I couldn't believe I did it! Tomorrow will be another first for me, I am driving to Teguc. Paula and Faith are coming to Comayagua in the morning, and I will have them, Annette and Alyshia with me, and we will head to Teguc to go to immigration (fun!) and hopefully I will get my Residency Card. Then the plan is to go to Chili's for lunch! OH YUM!

I wanted to share a few fun pictures of my kids from last week....

These were my lunch buddies one day last week. Moises, Hanssel and Josue.


Miguel, Olga and Ivis holding the flags and Bible for our morning pledges. This was the last day of school.




Here are some of my kids re-enacting saying their morning pledges. I said let me get a picture of you guys saying your pledges....Josue was very dramatic! He is always funny!



They love to pose for pictures! Moises, Josue, Brian and Anthony.



These are some of our 5th and 6th grade girls. They like to eat their lunch under the playground set. Gladys (her sister Sofia is in my 2nd grade class), Daniela, Dassia and Katerine.


For our end of school party we had candy, popcorn, chips, candy, cake, cookies, candy, cokes, candy and a pinata full of candy! Can you imagine 30 1st and 2nd graders stuffed full of all the above! YIKES! But they had much fun! This is a picture of the cake one of my students brought for the party. Nancy was so excited to bring the cake. She has a cousin who makes cakes, so she had asked me if she could bring a cake to the party. She was a happy girl!


Here are some of the kids playing and getting ready for us to start hitting the pinata.

Here is Gabriel at our after school homework time.




Mauro taking a picture of himself! :)

Final Days

Today was the last day of school. sortof.....Today was the last day of official school. Next week we will have class for those students who have not completed their year. Hopefully they will be able to finish their Paces during the 2 1/2 weeks of GRACE so that they will pass their grade.

It was hard saying goodbye to my 2nd graders. But also a fun day as we partied this afternoon with a cake, and popcorn, and chips, and cookies, and pepsi and a pinata full of candy! Yep they were a little wound up!

Many of my "special students" from the Learning Center will be at school for the next couple of weeks trying to finish their year, so I didn't have to send them off yet. It isn't so hard say goodbye to the kids because I know I will be here again in January to see them and start over. But sending my 2nd grade students home today was a little emotional....they won't be my 2nd graders next year. They will be 3rd graders in the Learning Center.

We have some kids who want to be coming to school next week. I have a couple of my 2nd graders who haven't finished their year, so they need to come next week ...but then I have students saying to me "Miss can I come to school?" No, you are finished with your year. And they look at you with sad little eyes!

Moises has asked me every day this week if he can come to school next week. It breaks my heart! What kid wants to keep going to school....this is their vacation! Like summer vacation in the U.S., but we have kids that would rather be at school than at home. One boy in the Learning Center today would not work on his Paces because if he finished today that meant he couldn't come to school next week.

Here Wilmer decided to take his headband/scarf and turn it into a ninja mask.
(see story below about the headband / scarf)



He is folding it.....


He has put it on his head, punched a hole for his eye...but he can't get it lined up with his eye. He decided it wasn't such a great idea.

All this has gone one during our "homework " time after schol. Needless to say, Wilmer did not get much homework done today!

Here is a picture of a 1st grader, Mario. This was one of our cold days, notice the sock hat he is wearing ....

Wilmer is one of the funniest kids! I wish I had a video camera so you could see and hear his funniness! The worm he does, his impression of Mission Impossible, his silly sayings, his "me too" that he says in response to everything....but here is a picture. You know they say a picture says a thousand words....but this one might leave you speechless!




We were working outside on the patio after school today. Wilmer and Mauro. Actually Mauro was working, Wilmer was singing, running around, falling on the ground, making funny noises.....and then he took the left overs of a poster, and first he wrapped it around his head with the words NINJA WORM written on it.

He then decided to convert his headband to a scarf, and he wrapped it around his neck and then took two used plastic cups and put them on his ears and said "miss now I can keep warm!"

I love you Wilmer!!!! I just don't think you could be any funnier!!!!

This is our last week of school. We will have half days for the next couple of weeks for the kids who didn't finish their year. Many are working hard to get their Paces completed, yet there are still some kids who have over 20 Paces to complete ( you have 48 Paces to finish in a year).

Here are some fun pictures of my kids!

I don't know why....but Josue pulled off his shoe and stuck his foot in the air. Not sure what goes through the mind of a second grader at times!

But wait....


Then he decides to take off his sock for the picture!!!



Alejandro certainly thought it was funny! He fell over on the floor laughing....and he has also taken off his shoes. I don't know what the deal was with the boys and their shoes that day...but they are certainly having fun with me and my camera!

Christmas Music

I know it is only November 1, and it isn't even Thanksgiving yet, but it is so cold outside that it made me think of Christmas and that time of year in Texas. So I pulled out my Kari Jobe Christmas CD this morning and played it! I love it! Loved listening to Christmas music!

Here is one of my students working hard on his Math pace....he has almost half of his year left to finish to complete 5th grade. And we have one more week of school! YIKES! He will be going to vacation school. He he is working to finish his Math pace after school last week.

I took his picture, and told him I needed a picture of him working hard, because it isn't something I see very often! Hence, why he is so far behind!


Work, Mauro, work! Something I say consistently in the Learning Center.

BRRRRR!!!!! It is cold here!!!!! A cold front seems to have blown in Tuesday morning and it has stayed! I have been wearing jackets, long sleeves, and have actually pulled out my couple pairs of socks.

So, yes, we do get cold weather in Honduras. Thankfully it has not been raining, just cold.

Although, cold and no sun do not go well with hanging clothes out to dry. Wonder how people did it back in my mom's day, during the winter? I came home from school yesterday and my clothes and towels were hanging up outside, and they were completely wet. No drying going on there! So I have them hung and draped over things inside my house. Still most are very wet today!

I am enjoying using the towels that I washed and dried while we were staying at Annette's house. Oh my goodness!!!! Take your towles out side, rub hard soap on them, wash them by rubbing them with two rocks...oh yea and some dirty water....then hang them up to dry. They are "clean" but they are hard, like cardboard, and stiff.....I forgot what soft fluffy towels felt like! Oh I am spoiled. At least for a few more days, until my towels are dirty and they will need to be washed on the pila again and hung to dry....if they ever will dry with this cold gray weather!

I love my students! One day last week Alejandro was being so silly! He is a funny kid! I hope you enjoy the following pictures of him!

Alejandro...where are you????




Are you under there Ale?????




Hello Ale!!!!! So glad I found you!