Christmas Videos

from Tegucigalpa (1st-3rd graders at Christmas program) to Chico (my dad and I playing in church)

Copan Poem

click on pictures to enlarge them

Crafted with care
by Laura Diaz

December 2010

Inspired by a trip to Copan Ruins

Like a Glorious temple buried under thick jungle brush
Is a life undiscovered

Meaningless lost
It sits there slouching on a hill, unused
Slowly being encircled by vines
Until the color fades to gray
And weeds poke out like a fuzzy layer of hair on a newborn baby

Buried under the weight of centuries
Waiting in a coma
thinking all hope is lost
There is no way out

Until

The Architect returns and

Shovels off the rubble
Chisels away the cakes of dirt
And hacks away the tightly wound vines that have squeezed the song out of this former temple

The Architect whistles as he works
almost as if beckoning the sun to visit this remote spot in the jungle
And tiny beams of light start to trickle through the budding branches above

Piercing the shadows and illuminating the temples' stains and regrets

The Architect climbs

until there are no stairs
and he stands on an overgrown patch, bare feet feeling the cold stone underneath

He looks out at the distant horizon
Recalling his original floor plans

how he formed the temple
He still knows it inside and out
Still loves it deeply
Yet
He has been waiting for this moment

For He is
The one who
sadly watched it's new creation grow apathetic and dull over the years
Fading into the static gray of the world's backdrop
Who watched the magnificent structure lose it's meaning
Lose it's place
Become trapped and absorbed into the wild nature around it
Instead of standing erect and distinct as it was created to be
Though the Architect cried out to it and thrashed his way through the weeds only to be choked out again and again

by the temples stubborn will

The structure sags ashamed
Of it's past
Never having invested it's treasures to gain interest
Not having been prepared for the return of the Architect

Broken beyond repair
It surrenders it's whole self to the Architect
The only one who can restore it and renew it's purpose again

The process is painful
and slow
But the architect is wise
and gentle
Making changes for only what the temple can bear
Patting the newly sanded corner
With reassurance and reminders to be patient and trust despite the desire to escape

Gradually the temple is refinished
And the Architect steps back to admire its grandeur

And steps are formed out of the rubble
leading upward
To a pinnacle where there is a clear view of the sky

He Restores the temple to it's former glory
And it stands
Purposeful and knowing it's
Treasured by the one who built it

The Architect climbs with sure feet
Knowing this temple will always be His home

Christmas Break

Home in Chico for Christmas! More blog updates to follow!

Prayer Requests

Thanks to those who have been following my adventures and praying!
Here are some requests as we finish up the last two weeks before Christmas.

Please pray:
-for energy and that God would sustain us to continue to teach well and we would be well rested
-for health (parasites, chicken pox, and the flu are plaguing the group right now)
-for patience (every day with the children, with the copy guy, with administration, with each other; pray that we can give each other grace and speak peaceful words of encouragement that lift each other up)
-for wisdom (we have a lot to fit in the last days of the Partial and need to figure out how to make sure we teach it all; also for wisdom in making decisions about Christmas Program and how to manage the classroom during this hectic time)
-for true joy and perseverance (that we would look to Christ as the source of our joy transcending circumstances, that we would remember God has a purpose for us here, and that we would continue to fight the good fight all the way until we have a break)

Here is a list of my students. I'd really appreciate prayer for each of them, especially during this Christmas season where we are all reminded of God's gift to us:

Andrea E.
Andrea H.
Armanda
Cathy
Genesis
Laurens
Marjorie
Sofia
Valeria
Vicky (who moved to the States)
Allan G.
Allan E.
Andres
Edgardo
Gustavo
Jose E.
Jose M.
Kristian
Kevin
Ronald

God bless!

Only in Honduras (continued)

*Christmas music plays everywhere in the malls, but you can't find it on the radio.

*A marching band comes up your street at 4am and fireworks start going off at 2a, stopping at 5a and resuming around 8:30p. (There is a carnival for a saint's holiday in your neighborhood.)

*You walk out of your house on a Sunday morning, only to discover there are 5-6 cows just wandering around your street.

*You get stuck in a traffic jam with 5 lanes going the wrong direction and people jumping out of their cars to try to direct traffic. No one is honking (this is normal). Two crowded buses pass just inches from your car.

*You attend a Christmas play at your church and it involves a neon Jesus in black light.
You are quite impressed.

*Denny's is considered a fancy restaurant. If you wear jeans there, you will feel very out of place.

*Five months into your stay, you discover that you can buy milk, eggs, and butter from the pulperia (little store) down the street. Rejoicing ensues.

Dia de Gracias

The school held an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for all the teachers (11/19).

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Here's an excerpt of my daily adventures in learning Spanish:

I'm getting together with a bunch of teachers for a potluck dinner today, and my assignment is to bring cranberry sauce. Yesterday, I went to the store hoping that I'd see a can of it, or at least fresh cranberries to use in a recipe. But, when my friend and I were trying to describe it to the helpful store clerk: "pequena y roja y dura," (small, red, hard), he brought us a bag of grapes, a jar of cherries, and a box of strawberries. We then started picking up things in the store that might help get the point across: a Christmas wreath with berries on it, a bag of trail mix, and finally, a bottle of Cranberry juice. "Arandanos!" The clerk finally understood, and we were so excited, thinking he would point the way to the cranberry section or pull a jar of cranberry sauce (salsa de arandanos) off the shelf. But then, his face fell, as he admitted, "No tenemos arandanos." (We don't have cranberries.) Disappointed, yet grateful, we said, "gracias," and headed to the check-out with the bottle of cranberry juice. Close enough, right?

Spiritual Emphasis Week

The elementary choir lead us in song--two of my students are on the far right, front row!

Students praying. God is at work here.

Clapping along to the songs.

This first grader shared her testimony with us. Precious!

Flags of the World around our meeting tent

Worship time!

The IST choir led us in song.

2 of my students and the elementary school chaplain

It was great to take a moment out of our usually busy schedule and gather together to praise God and listen to different speakers/performers share their testimonies.
Continue to pray for God's hand on International School and his daily work in the students' lives.

In Honduras..

A funny thing happened Friday. Our teacher bus couldn't make it up the steep hill that leads to school, so it had to back all the way down the hill, in order to get enough momentum to make it up. We joked that maybe school would be canceled because the teachers couldn't get to school. Two full buses of IST students passed us, before the driver decided to unload us and have us get on another bus.
This got me thinking about the things that make Honduras unique:
**I'll be adding to this list as the year goes on and I discover more about this country : )

In the classroom:
*Students will choose to play soccer rather than watch a movie.
*You will be called "Miss" (pronounced: MEES) only and you will get confused when there is another female teacher in the room.
*You will spend extra time teaching them how to ask a question. Then the next day a student will ask for something: Miss, lend me a pencil? or Miss I borrow you marker.
Okay..from the top!
*Students will use silly bandz bracelets as collateral. I swear that they multiply, because each day the students come back they have more. There are bracelets up to their elbows. And I predict that one day, a student won't be able to move their arm due to the amount of bands (and rings) they're wearing.
*A student will come to you one day and tell you they're moving to the States. You ask them questions and they don't have a response.
Where? I don't know. Why? I don't know. When are you leaving? I don't know.
So let's say goodbye and hopefully you're not leaving till the end of the quarter.
*Praying at the beginning of class, before a test, and to open parent/teacher conferences is completely acceptable.
*You will assign a U.S. Regional Food project and one student will bring in fish "from California" and forget to take it home the day before parent/teacher conferences. With fans blowing and windows open, it will still take a few days to get the smell out.
*You will probably get invited to a student's birthday party. It will most likely be held at McDonalds. You will wrap a couple Dorito's bags inside a tissue box and the kid will be ecstatic.
*The school will put up their Christmas tree the day of the Thanksgiving dinner. : )

Around the city:
*Every restaurant has a play place for kids. Some restaurants even have a separate building to house the playground area.
*If you want typical Honduran food, you will probably end up eating outside (open air restaurant or buying pupusas off the street).
*Your housemate will get 2nd place in a 10K race and win an all-out paid vacation to a resort in Ceiba.
*You can't get a taxi when you want one, but when you don't want one, every taxi honks at you as they drive by. This is especially true on a Friday night when it is raining and there is a Christmas tree lighting at the mall.
*When you climb in the taxi you will hear one of three things: 1) 80's music (they LOOVE it here; especially Michael Jackson), 2) Love songs in English, or 3) Gospel radio. One time a cab driver kept playing the song "Stand by Me" on our drive and the 5 of us started singing along.
*You will give the driver a complement if the taxi's seats are not falling apart and they have an air freshener on the dashboard. You never know until you get in.
*You will see little to no birds, then one day will drive home on the bus and see two bright red macaws sitting in your neighbor's tree.
*You will enjoy the late-night trumpeting of a neighbor's birthday party down the street.
*You should never try to order "agua fresca" at a corner restaurant. They will only give you a strange look and bring you Canada Dry.
*Also--try to avoid an awkward situation and NEVER ask for "bebes", if you forget the word for drink (bebida), just say Sprite or Coke.
*You will carry small bills for the fruit guy, a L.20 ($1) for a taxi ride or granita (delicious coffee drink), and L.100 just in case you walk by the grocery store and you realize you're out of bread.
*People talk on their cell phones at work, while driving your taxi, in the middle of church, and pretty much whenever it rings. I'm learning that Hondurans value relationships and Americans value time.
*Store owners examine your L500 ($25) so closely you'd think it was a $100 bill.
*You will take a trip out of the city, and be so excited to see stars, that you tell everyone around you to look up.

Science Fair

Today was the 4th grade Science Fair!
It was so exciting to see the students' final projects and hear them share with the judges and the visiting younger grades about what they learned from their seed experiments. Also, one of my boys won first place overall in the entire 4th grade! I couldn't be prouder!

Here are some pictures from the Fair:

Lago

I couldn't see, I couldn't breathe, and I had no idea where I was stepping. Last Saturday, I went "behind," more like "underneath" a waterfall in Lago de Yojoa, and it was an adventure like no other.

After a day at a tranquil little hotel by the lake, the other teachers and I made the drive to Pulhapanzak to see the infamous waterfall and ziplining area. Several Honduran families were enjoying a Sunday afternoon at the park there, and I saw some strange looks from them as they watched this bus full of gringos unload and go trekking down the cliff-side path to see the waterfall.

The waterfall was magnificent, roaring over the rocks, in a continual downpour. And the returning teachers pointed out where the waterfall tour would begin. "By those rocks down there, and then you go into some caves." Cool, I thought. I don't often do crazy things, with the exception of choosing to move to Honduras for 2 years, and the waterfall tour seemed reasonable enough, with several people emerging from the falls unscathed. So, I convinced myself to go, along with 10 other teachers who decided to brave the tour.

The path curved along nicely down the cliff, then we had to climb over some boulders to get to a large pool of water we had to swim across to get to the tour entrance. That was the point that if you wanted to back out, you could turn around and head back. I looked at the other first-year teachers and saw determination, even if it was the "what have I gotten myself into" kind, in their eyes, and again, pushed myself to continue on.

It was not long before I was soaking wet, standing alongside the others, dripping buckets and squinting into the white mist ahead. I followed the most-experienced waterfall explorer, aside from our Honduran guide, and pressed on toward the next rock. As we neared the falls, the volume increased. The water pounded all around us, making it difficult to hear, and the mist/spray obscured our vision. Everytime I snuck a peek at our location, the swirling white around us made me think we were inside a blizzard. Stepping down, we blindly felt about until we caught each other's hands and then held on for dear life as we made our way across the slippery rocks and into the river. What I thought was going to be a little jaunt through a thin wall of water and into a cave, turned into a torrential threat, which only prayer, adrenaline, and the leading of others carried me through.

You had to keep your head down, and I could only open my eyes at specific intervals where the water stemmed. I took a big gasp of air before I went under, but there were a few times that I realized I couldn't breathe, which fortunately didn't last long. Deprived of my usual senses, I had to completely rely on the person in front of me to guide me where to go and help me find shelter.

Finally, after these initial frightening moments, we reached a rock crevice where we could pause, catch our breath (literally), and stare at each other in utter shock that we underwent such an experience. A little ways past the resting point, the guide told us to crawl up into a cave. I was pretty sure I wouldn't fit, but when I got up there, about 10 of us fit into the space. It was pitch black, and the girls and I tried to comfort and encourage each other, while the guys were outside in the center of the waterfall celebrating the thrill of it all.

The trek back was cake compared to the way there. In fact, there was one section of the walk, where it felt like a light rain, and I thought I could stay there and swim for the afternoon. On the way back, I also jumped off a large boulder into the water, which previously, would have been pretty daring for me, but then, again, we did just walk through a waterfall.

Up the trail and through the gate, we emerged a little shaken, but victorious nonetheless. Some of us would return and do it again in a heartbeat, and some of us are still saying, "never again in our lives." All I'll say is, it was definitely an experience to remember!

The "After" Shot

Logic

The other day, one of my students comes to school with a sizable hole in his P.E. shirt.
First, he grabs tape off my desk to try to tape the hole shut.
Later on in the day, he finds a few paper clips and tries to pin it shut.
And finally, when the tape and paper clips have failed, he uses the stapler to put an end to the hole.
I watched the progression of "solutions" and had to smile, when he came to me and said, "I need a new shirt."
Ah, the logic of 4th grade boys.

And, thinking about it more, this story resembles the logic we often use, as God's children. We see the problems/sin in our lives and try silly ways of fixing it on our own, relying on our own attempts until we finally realize that its impossible-we need a new shirt. We need God to clothe us anew in his forgiveness and redemption through the blood of Christ. Is it not until we are more mature in realizing this, that we realize right away that only Christ can mend our lives.

Revelation 7:15
And he said, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, "they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

Matthew 9:17
Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

La Catracha

Saturday morning, we trekked up the hill to school for Fiesta La Catracha. "Catracha" is another name for "Honduran," and this festival was an incredible glimpse into Catracha culture and history. The fiesta is almost completely put on/organized by students, and I was very impressed at the quality of everything from traditional performances to information booths.

The school was transformed with banners and balloons, and everyone was dressed in traditional Honduran attire. The festival kicked off with an adorable parade of preschool-kindergarteners demonstrating different parts of Honduran history (vaqueros para ninos y vestidos para ninas) and representing the different Central American countries as they marched to the sound of the xylophone band. The parade ended in the main/H.S. polli and parents, teachers, and the rest of the school squeezed into the bleachers to try to get a good view. Videocameras galore.

There were several events throughout the day that gave me further insight into Catracha culture/people. The juniors and seniors had set up these amazing booths (complete with bamboo poles and palm branches as roofs) about each region in Honduras; you walked into a booth and they told you everything you wanted to know about each region (in English!). Each booth had the typical/most important produce and handicrafts from that area and delicious samples of food known from that area. It made me desperately want to travel! Copan is top on my list; then Roatan, but eventually, I'd love to go everywhere.

Other events included a fashion show (2 of my students were in this), traditional dancing where they pulled people from the crowd onstage, a historical museum, performances from different grade levels, and overall socializing while enjoying plates of delicious Honduran cuisine.

It was a wonderful experience to learn more about Honduras, as well as see the closeness of the IST community. I'm so thankful to be part of it!

Honduran Opera

This Friday, our North American Community Coordinator (NACC) announced that someone had donated a set of 25 free tickets to see the Honduran Opera for any N. American teacher that wanted to go. I learned this information too late to make the 25, but added my name as ticket #26 just in case. Some other teachers followed suit, and added their names after mine.

Friday afternoon arrived and the NACC sent word that the school had extra tickets. Everyone who signed up could go! I was ecstatic-looking forward to my first time at an opera and a different kind of cultural experience. Five-thirty rolled around and the IST bus came to pick us up. Everyone was dressed to the nines and we complimented each other on looking fantastic.

The opera house is located in a different part of El Centro (downtown) that I'd never been to, and it was an interesting ride seeing this part of town at night. Our bus flew down the narrow, pothole filled streets, and we passed many people standing on the curb, waiting for collectivos to bring them home from work, 4 people at a time.

The opera house was smaller than I imagined it to be, after having seen Opera houses in Italy and the U.S., but elegant nonetheless. Composed of a slanted main floor with a balcony above, the opera house was a cozy contrast to the three-tiered performance centers where you are one in a thousand people. Our tickets allowed us to sit anywhere, so I sat with some other teachers in the red, velvet chairs in the balcony. We felt important and had a great view of the orchestra, singers, Italian town backdrop, and the audience below and across. Before the opera began another teacher and I puzzled through the English synopsis of the play, trying to identify the characters and the basic points of the plot. I never realized how baffling Italian operas could be.

As the orchestra began its first notes, we quickly realized that this was not the full opera performance-but a dress rehearsal with snippets of songs from the actual opera. Nonetheless, the singers' voices blew me away. The musical range and amount of projection they were able to express seemed impossible for the human voice. Let's just say our operatic impersonations did not even come close.



The opera-rehearsal lasted maybe an hour, complete with a 15 minute intermission in the middle, where we could walk around the house and explore its hidden treasures, like the series of windows/doors that opened up to balconies with beautiful views of the city lights and even Picacho (the Jesus statue). Afterwards, we mingled in the "ballroom" and enjoyed free samples of Honduran wine. It was an evening to remember!

Los Pinares

For a few weeks now, I've been attending Iglesia Impacto with a group of other IST teachers. Last Sunday, the staff of our "sister" school (Los Pinares-the other bilingual, Christian international school in town) invited us up for a potluck lunch. It was so fun to connect with other international school teachers and swap stories. Not surprisingly, we have had very similar experiences teaching in Honduras. Los Pinares is located up on the hill, and it was a long adventure on their bus as we made our way around the blind curves of the road. Their school feels a lot like a college campus/dorm, because the teachers live in apartments right next to the school, and because they are so far away from the downtown area of the city, they do not get many chances to get off the hill, besides church, shopping, and cultural excursions. Thankfully, just recently, they built a little tiendita (store) within walking distance of the school.

After a series of introductions, an incredible meal, and a tour of their school, we went over to their huge, indoor gym to play soccer. It was strange to me how chilly/foggy it was up on the hill, and having not brought a sweater, I ended up using some curtains someone was borrowing as a shawl. When they explained to me how to get back down the hill, it seemed really complicated and, being new to Tegucigalpa, a way that I would most likely get lost. So, thankfully, all the IST teachers who came (6) were able to squish into Matt's tiny red car and drive down the mountain together. Altogether, it was a great adventure and an amazing time of fellowship and encouragement before the week ahead.

Grief and Miracles

Two Thursdays ago (9/16), I found out that one of my students' (*Juan) houses had been broken into and his dad had been shot in the head three times, while the mother and sons (10 and 6 years old) watched. The family rushed him to the hospital but had to weave their way around Independence Day parades; the father and mother prayed the entire time. Through this week, I have heard *Juan tell me of some incredible miracles.

Miracle #1: The father survived the initial gun shot wounds.
Miracle #2: They made it to the hospital safely, and the doctors were able to take care of him right away.
Miracle #3: The head neurologist was on duty that night they needed to transfer the father to a different hospital.
Miracle #4: They were able to successfully remove one of the two bullets from his brain.
Miracle #5: His heart was still beating.

Every morning, we have prayed as a class for Juan and his family. Surprisingly, Juan and his brother have been at school every day since the incident. Until today.
The kindergarten teacher came by my classroom early this morning, letting me know that Juan's little brother was not at school today either. We took a minute to silently pray and then went on with our respective classes. Later, the principal pulls me aside and delivers the news: Juan's father went to be with Jesus earlier this morning.
It was hard to hear. Juan had just told me yesterday that they expected his father to be able to come home on Thursday. What he must be feeling right now, I couldn't even imagine.

My class and another 4th grade class made sympathy cards and prayed for comfort for Juan and his family. But to breach a gaping hole in a child's life, is only a job that God can do. Continue to pray that God uses this tragedy for his glory, bringing others to come to know him and strengthening Juan's family in their faith and trust.

Pray especially:
*for comfort and peace for Juan's family
*for wisdom for dealing with finances/transition to a new home and decision making
*that Juan's extended family will come to know Christ through the father's testimony
*Juan/his brother as they return to school and try to carry on with "normal" lives, even though this dramatic event has altered theirs forever.
*for wisdom for me as I minister and speak with Juan and his family

I shared this verse with my students the other day and I continue to pray it every morning:
John 14:27: "Peace I give you. My peace I leave with you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Some Videos

Ziplining and Sunrise

Sunrise over Ceiba's beach.God is so faithful!
Funny story: The guide was taking a picture instead of telling Sarah to slow down near the platform. She came hurtling towards us and I ducked out of the way just in time, or so I thought. She crash landed and ended up kicking me into the tree; here I am pointing to a bolt that went into my back. Everyone was fine; and we all had a good laugh.
To hike up to the hot springs, we trekked up a wooden step bridge. Beautiful!
Here I am!

Ceiba!

International School had a 5 day weekend in celebration of Honduras' Independence Day (9/15) and I joined 23 other teachers/staff in venturing to Ceiba, located in the north, along the coast (a gateway city to Roatan). It's about a 7 hour drive north of Tegucigalpa, and the ride was worth every minute.

Here are some highlights:
*Driving out at 4am, watching the sun rise over the Honduras countryside.
*Passing through towns celebrating Independence Day. Our bus ended up in the middle of a parade of local school children. They all started shouting, "Gringos!" and pointing at our bus. We waved back and shortly became a feature of the street parade.



*Arriving at Hotel Helens and sprinting down to the beach, ecstatic. We stayed in beautiful cabins tucked into the lush canopy of Ceiba's shoreline jungle.
*Enjoying ceviche at the hotel restaurant, overlooking the ocean.
*Laying in the outdoor hammocks and finally finding time to read.



**Taking a boat out to Cayos Cachinos and snorkeling for the first time ever!
We could see brain coral, colorful fish, conch shells, and even starfish!
*Learning about the Garifuna culture (a different side of Honduras)
*Getting to know the other teachers more : )













**Then taking a safari truck up the mountain and going ziplining for my first time! The views were breathtaking, and the trip across the rainforest canopy was beyond thrilling.

**After ziplining, heading back up the hill and relaxing in the hot springs and cold springs underneath scenic waterfalls. Being served a plate of fresh pineapple and given a mud bath, before sinking again into the warm water.

*The last day, some of us got up early and watched the sunrise from the beach. A perfect finale to our time away.

*Good time had by all!

Dia de Los Niños

Friday (9/10) was Children's Day; so the second half of the day was taken up by an assembly put on by Palabra de Vida Honduras (Word of Life). We were left with a half hour at the end of the day, and when we returned to the classroom, the kids were full of excitement. We played Heads Up Seven Up, and then I pulled out my camera to take some class pictures. As soon the kids saw my camera, they began chanting "Tribulca, tribulca" over and over again. I racked my mind for what this word meant, and, puzzled, asked the kids to show me what they meant. A few boys started piling on top of one another, like a flattened pyramid, and I said "Let's do a half tribulca." Then had the students stand in the traditional photo taking pose of some standing, some kneeling, and some sitting. They really enjoyed it.



These are my students' lima bean and pinto bean plants, growing in our Science corner by the window. One of my students shows off his plant
below.

Birthday Wishes

On the morning of my birthday (9/12), I tore open my stack of birthday cards. Wow! Thank you to everyone for your encouraging birthday wishes and especially for your prayer!

I had a full birthday weekend, with Friday night celebrating with two Canadian teachers whose b-days were earlier that week. Saturday night my housemates organized a birthday dinner at a traditional open-air Honduran restaurant. And Sunday, after church, a bunch of us headed over to an amazing pizza place, called La Albahaca, enjoying special fellowship and Italian food. Afterwards, we headed over to the IST poli (outdoor gym) for an ultimate frisbee tournament. It was an incredibly special birthday weekend!

Raining Jello

So today I get pulled aside by the 4th grade teacher a floor below me.
"One of your students has been throwing jello off the balcony."
Okay...if heads stuck in chairs and pencils jabbed into mouths (long story; thankfully I wasn't in charge at the time and the student healed fine) aren't enough, now I have flying jello.

Finding the culprit, I made him clean up the red, splattered mess and apologize to the maid who cleans that floor. Innocently, he explained that he was just trying to dump the liquid out of his jello cup, but instead his entire snack had slipped out and ended up on the concrete floor below. I questioned what was really going through this kid's head.

After he threw away the now cherry-flavored paper towel wads and returned to Recess, I went into the other 4th grade teachers' room and we just burst out laughing. The humor of the situation was unbearable. To see a jello cup suddenly come raining down from above and her students asking, "What's that?" And then, to think that my student thought it was a good idea to pour the liquid jello off the balcony..What on earth?!

Top this day off with a lightning storm and the electricity going out, and you've got a picture of my third week teaching in Tegucigalpa.

Like I said, when teaching 4th grade in Honduras, every day is an adventure. I'm learning to rely on God's wisdom and praying for His care over my students. Prayers MUCH appreciated :)

Flowers

My housemates and I decided to plant flowers in our front porch area. They are growing beautifully, and their buds greet us as we come home every day. It is somewhat ironic, because I am currently teaching a Plants Unit, and here we are growing plants at the Green House. Love it!

MAIL!!

Last Thursday (9/2), I walked by the main office to sign out for the day, and there on the secretary's desk was a PILE of mail for me! I was beaming from ear to ear all afternoon : )
Thank you so much to the following people whose letters I received (the latest one postmarked 8/23, so not bad timing!):

Sue Hazen
Mr. and Mrs. Mattison
My parents : )

Scott and Nancy Mellum
Joy Anderson
Erika Olson
Anne Diaz
Evan Diaz
Peter and Julie Diaz
Jordan Reese
Allison Doornik
The Sadowskis
and 8 more!

It was so special to receive letters from you!
I'm waiting to open them until my birthday on Sunday.
But every time I see them on my desk, I am so encouraged! Thanks for brightening my week : )