Thursday I came home after school and I had no electricity. I thought well it will be back on soon...times without electricity are just a way of life. So I did some things around the house, and then ran to the store, came home, still no power. It also reminded me that I had not paid my electric bill the prior month, and it was time that I should have received my bill for this month. They sometimes blow away because they tape them with the tiniest miniscule piece of tape to the gate outside your house.....so this is the second month I didn´t have my little paper to pay my bill with.
So off to the bank with a bill from a couple months ago so I could pay....could they have shut off my lights? Surely not...my second bill would have just come a couple days ago....well I better go pay while I have the time.
Home, still no lights, and no street lights on my side of the road...so maybe just a section of this block is out.
OK, well going to Bible study at Sandi´s tonight, so it will be on later....
As I was leaving to go to Bible study I see that now ALL the street lights are on, and I start looking inside people´s gates and see lights on in their houses....everyone but me has lights!
I just laugh! Yes I laughed! Can you believe it? We have a student at our school whose dad works for the electric company....so I call Henry to see if he has his number....no answer - Henry is at worship practice at the base...okay, MaryCruz I know she has his number....no answer....she ALWAYS answers...I call a couple more times...no answer.... I call Patty - no answer. I am really laughing now....no one is answering their phones....this never happens!
Later, during Bible study I get MaryCruz ...she calls for me...he is eating dinner but will go later. Please tell him I will pay him, my bill is paid and I really don´t want to go all night with no power.
He did it for me! I got home from Bible study and all my lights were on! Was it worth 300 lemperas (about $15) to me? Oh Yes!
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Yes, we arrived at the Embassy on time yesterday....even with all the road construction, accident we passed, and the horrible construction-traffic coming into the city....3 hours later we made a safe arrival at the Embassy! (This trip should really only take about one and one-half hours)....We arrived just in time to learn that the EMBASSY IS CLOSED EVERY FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH!
NNNOOO!!!! You have got to be kidding me! But they weren´t!
So we started the LONG drive home! The traffic again - took 40 minutes to go about a mile....if there is only one lane why make 6 different rows of cars and it looked like a massive game of bumper cars-busses-taxis- and I just wanted to get through without the bumping part of the game!
Then we headed home... I got home, started bringing in laundry, got something to drink, then thought oh I will go turn on my computer....where is my computer? It was on the couch when I left this morning. Maria sometimes puts things in odd places, so I call Henry and ask him to call Maria...she said no she didnt´move it, it was on the couch when she left that morning after cleaning. Then Maria called me asking what had happened to my computer...I told her it was gone. She was shocked!
ME TOO!
My first thought was Joshua! I needed my son, I really needed to just fall into a hug from Joshua but since I am in Honduras and he is in Kansas I had to settle for a phone call. I called him pretty hysterical, crying and saying ... Can I please just come home!? He got me under control and made me calm down so I could tell him what had happened. He was asking me all the guy questions, about the locks and doors and windows, and how did they get in....while on the phone with him, Henry had been making phone calls too - to Annette and to John and Deborah. Next thing I know John and Henry are outside my gate calling to me.
I let them in, still in tears. This computer had been a gift to me, and my heart was breaking over all the photos and video that were on it and were not backed up. :( Some of the photos are copied on DVDs and some have been uploaded to Facebook and this Blog, so not all is a loss....but it was still so disturbing.
Later that evening we went to John´s so I could get online and change passwords to my bank account and credit cards and email account and facebook (don´t want anyone messing with my bejeweled score!)
Last night I spent a lot of time crying....every time I would think of a picture of Josh or an event with family or with the students here and wonder if I have those photos anywhere the tears would start again. And every sound I heard I was up and checking outside. We knew that whoever had taken the computer had a key, there was no forced entry.
During my time last night, praying and crying and questioning my call to Honduras.....do I still belong here.....am I accomplishing what he called me here for....I had stood with John and Henry last night and named the things I felt I had not had a positive impact on over the last couple weeks - so was I still serving God´s purposes here.
The answer is YES! God told me to stand and fight - this is the enemy - take back the authority over my home, the school, the kids, my classroom....and so I did and I continue to do this!
I prayed through my house last night, and proclaimed that the devil has no right here and he needs to just stop messing with me! It seems that each year that I have been here there has been a common thread each year where I could see the devil at work - and this year it seems like the devil has attacked my finances, my material possessions. I have had money stolen from me several times at school....lost money a couple times here in my house....lost money last week at school with too many things on my mind...then almost 2 weeks ago the electrical surges that took out several appliances in my home.....and now the theft of my laptop.
I know these are only things.....they really don´t matter....but I like having a tv....and I like having my oven so I can bake things as gifts for people and to treat my kids when they are here or baking for my class....and my internet and my computer....and the money that was stolen and lost.... it can become very discouraging, and very frustrating, and honestly last night it was making me doubt my place in this country. I just felt like ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.....but yes enough is enough and now devil you have beat me up enough and it´s over!
I can look back now and see God in this - I am safe, Samson was not hurt, I had friends here to help me who came running to my side, I was able to change all my passwords with their help before anything could be tampered with, and the big one - I can´t tell you how many times I have called Joshua and get his voicemail! I hardly ever get him when I call.....especially not on the first call...but when I needed him he was there on the phone with me! Being my son, helping to hold me up under the pressures of life....Thank you God! Thank you Friends! and Thank you Joshua!
Henry got my locks at the house changed today, and even set up a desktop for me so I can be on the internet. What a blessing!
Time to focus back on the kids at school! That is where my heart truly is! So devil get off me and off my friends and off Ruach and everyone associated with it, because my God Rocks!
NNNOOO!!!! You have got to be kidding me! But they weren´t!
So we started the LONG drive home! The traffic again - took 40 minutes to go about a mile....if there is only one lane why make 6 different rows of cars and it looked like a massive game of bumper cars-busses-taxis- and I just wanted to get through without the bumping part of the game!
Then we headed home... I got home, started bringing in laundry, got something to drink, then thought oh I will go turn on my computer....where is my computer? It was on the couch when I left this morning. Maria sometimes puts things in odd places, so I call Henry and ask him to call Maria...she said no she didnt´move it, it was on the couch when she left that morning after cleaning. Then Maria called me asking what had happened to my computer...I told her it was gone. She was shocked!
ME TOO!
My first thought was Joshua! I needed my son, I really needed to just fall into a hug from Joshua but since I am in Honduras and he is in Kansas I had to settle for a phone call. I called him pretty hysterical, crying and saying ... Can I please just come home!? He got me under control and made me calm down so I could tell him what had happened. He was asking me all the guy questions, about the locks and doors and windows, and how did they get in....while on the phone with him, Henry had been making phone calls too - to Annette and to John and Deborah. Next thing I know John and Henry are outside my gate calling to me.
I let them in, still in tears. This computer had been a gift to me, and my heart was breaking over all the photos and video that were on it and were not backed up. :( Some of the photos are copied on DVDs and some have been uploaded to Facebook and this Blog, so not all is a loss....but it was still so disturbing.
Later that evening we went to John´s so I could get online and change passwords to my bank account and credit cards and email account and facebook (don´t want anyone messing with my bejeweled score!)
Last night I spent a lot of time crying....every time I would think of a picture of Josh or an event with family or with the students here and wonder if I have those photos anywhere the tears would start again. And every sound I heard I was up and checking outside. We knew that whoever had taken the computer had a key, there was no forced entry.
During my time last night, praying and crying and questioning my call to Honduras.....do I still belong here.....am I accomplishing what he called me here for....I had stood with John and Henry last night and named the things I felt I had not had a positive impact on over the last couple weeks - so was I still serving God´s purposes here.
The answer is YES! God told me to stand and fight - this is the enemy - take back the authority over my home, the school, the kids, my classroom....and so I did and I continue to do this!
I prayed through my house last night, and proclaimed that the devil has no right here and he needs to just stop messing with me! It seems that each year that I have been here there has been a common thread each year where I could see the devil at work - and this year it seems like the devil has attacked my finances, my material possessions. I have had money stolen from me several times at school....lost money a couple times here in my house....lost money last week at school with too many things on my mind...then almost 2 weeks ago the electrical surges that took out several appliances in my home.....and now the theft of my laptop.
I know these are only things.....they really don´t matter....but I like having a tv....and I like having my oven so I can bake things as gifts for people and to treat my kids when they are here or baking for my class....and my internet and my computer....and the money that was stolen and lost.... it can become very discouraging, and very frustrating, and honestly last night it was making me doubt my place in this country. I just felt like ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.....but yes enough is enough and now devil you have beat me up enough and it´s over!
I can look back now and see God in this - I am safe, Samson was not hurt, I had friends here to help me who came running to my side, I was able to change all my passwords with their help before anything could be tampered with, and the big one - I can´t tell you how many times I have called Joshua and get his voicemail! I hardly ever get him when I call.....especially not on the first call...but when I needed him he was there on the phone with me! Being my son, helping to hold me up under the pressures of life....Thank you God! Thank you Friends! and Thank you Joshua!
Henry got my locks at the house changed today, and even set up a desktop for me so I can be on the internet. What a blessing!
Time to focus back on the kids at school! That is where my heart truly is! So devil get off me and off my friends and off Ruach and everyone associated with it, because my God Rocks!
Monday, May 03, 2010
We just completed our first partial of school. I am very happy with my students and how hard they have worked to complete their goals! Normally I give them a new verse to learn every Monday, and that is our Bible Memory for the week. We sometimes do other activities with that verse, use it in art class, or use it for discussion in the mornings during our pledges and prayer time.
Because we have a short week - only 3 days of class - this week, I thought we would review the verses we have learned during this partial. The kids memorize the verses in English and in Spanish.
They earn Merits for memorizing them, which they can spend on Friday when we have our merit store and they can buy games, pencils, erasers, candy, etc.
Here are the verses we learned this partial:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Phillipians 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
Because we have a short week - only 3 days of class - this week, I thought we would review the verses we have learned during this partial. The kids memorize the verses in English and in Spanish.
They earn Merits for memorizing them, which they can spend on Friday when we have our merit store and they can buy games, pencils, erasers, candy, etc.
Here are the verses we learned this partial:
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Psalm 105:4
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. Psalm 28:7
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, "Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Phillipians 4:8
I will lie down and sleep in peace for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8
"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
I was surprised when I saw that it had been one month since my last post. This school year seems to be flying!!!
I want to say ...SLOW DOWN!
Well in the past month I have learned a lot about the process to request Visas. It has been very stressful but I got all the paperwork together, had everything they told us to bring when I set the appointments, even got emergency appointments based on the dates of our trip...and yet still got a different answer on each of the kids when we went to the Embassy on Friday. We received one NO; two yes, but maybes; and one bring us back a document and we will make a decision. Henry got his Visa and he has been doing the happy dance!
Henry and I are headed back there tomorrow to take a document that is not a requirement - however, the person who handled this child's interview will not make a final decision without it...so here we go! Government, no matter what country you are in or where you are from....they get a little bit of power and some people just get crazy with it! So we will pray and provide everything she asked for and pray that we can get a YES tomorrow.
Friday we met at the school at 5:00 a.m. and got home at 4:00 p.m ....what a LONG day!
My knees are still sore from my crash landing I made as I was hurrying to leave Friday morning. I debated...heels or sandles....the kids know I hate to wear shoes, but I decided I should wear my heels so I would look more professional. So at 5 minutes to 5:00 a.m. with my printer in its box in my left hand, my bag with everyone's folders and documents on my right shoulder, along with my purse and my computer bag, I went hurrying down the walkway around my house to get to my car....in the dark...and in my heels....my foot went into one of the cracks in the walk way and I went flying. Printer crashed to the ground....laptop bag went flying...purse in another direction and me flat on the ground on my knees. As I finally arrived at the school with all my things put back together...I looked down and my pants which are now dirty from the fall and thought yea great, I wanted to look professional and my pants are dirty now~!
Tomorrow...I'm thinking wear my sandals and carry my heels to put on before we walk across the strees to the Embassy. :)
PRAY FOR US....SAFE TRAVELS....ARRIVE ON TIME.... (we have a 30-minute window to turn in the document - from 1:00 - 1:30).....AND TO GET A POSITIVE ANSWER ON DASSIA, and on our Yes, but Maybe kids - ANA RAQUEL AND JOSE DAVID!!
I want to say ...SLOW DOWN!
Well in the past month I have learned a lot about the process to request Visas. It has been very stressful but I got all the paperwork together, had everything they told us to bring when I set the appointments, even got emergency appointments based on the dates of our trip...and yet still got a different answer on each of the kids when we went to the Embassy on Friday. We received one NO; two yes, but maybes; and one bring us back a document and we will make a decision. Henry got his Visa and he has been doing the happy dance!
Henry and I are headed back there tomorrow to take a document that is not a requirement - however, the person who handled this child's interview will not make a final decision without it...so here we go! Government, no matter what country you are in or where you are from....they get a little bit of power and some people just get crazy with it! So we will pray and provide everything she asked for and pray that we can get a YES tomorrow.
Friday we met at the school at 5:00 a.m. and got home at 4:00 p.m ....what a LONG day!
My knees are still sore from my crash landing I made as I was hurrying to leave Friday morning. I debated...heels or sandles....the kids know I hate to wear shoes, but I decided I should wear my heels so I would look more professional. So at 5 minutes to 5:00 a.m. with my printer in its box in my left hand, my bag with everyone's folders and documents on my right shoulder, along with my purse and my computer bag, I went hurrying down the walkway around my house to get to my car....in the dark...and in my heels....my foot went into one of the cracks in the walk way and I went flying. Printer crashed to the ground....laptop bag went flying...purse in another direction and me flat on the ground on my knees. As I finally arrived at the school with all my things put back together...I looked down and my pants which are now dirty from the fall and thought yea great, I wanted to look professional and my pants are dirty now~!
Tomorrow...I'm thinking wear my sandals and carry my heels to put on before we walk across the strees to the Embassy. :)
PRAY FOR US....SAFE TRAVELS....ARRIVE ON TIME.... (we have a 30-minute window to turn in the document - from 1:00 - 1:30).....AND TO GET A POSITIVE ANSWER ON DASSIA, and on our Yes, but Maybe kids - ANA RAQUEL AND JOSE DAVID!!
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