Inspiration for the Journey

A missionary friend spoke in church this past Sunday, and I was moved to tears. Not necessarily for the sexually abused girls he and the IJM team rescue from brothels in India (although this would have been the proper thing to get teary-eyed about), but I cried because the miracles this missionary described could have only been God-orchestrated.

Two lessons I learned from the speaker:
1) With God the impossible is possible. Prayer is our strongest weapon.
2) God not only loves us, to the extent that He came into the dark world we live in and rescued us from bondage to sin, but He daily works in our lives, changing and transforming us through the experiences that He puts in our path. How often do we notice this?
3) Sometimes God leads us through "the valley of the shadow of death" (Ps. 23), and we question "Why did you lead us this way?" Yet, what the "sheep" don't know is that what's on the other side of the valley is well-worth the shadows.

1 Corinthians 4:17-18
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

Micah Project

Having heard so much about the Micah Project from other IST teachers, I was excited to finally be going to see it on Friday!

The school chaplain, his spiritual son (a graduate of IST, now in his 3rd year of CC studying Turismo), my mom, and I all piled into the chaplain's car to head to Micah around 4pm. The chaplain told us the story behind Micah Project on the way there
(to learn more go to: http://www.micahcentral.org/).
I learned how boys who were once living on the streets, oftentimes addicted to drugs or glue, are invited to live in a rehab. group home where they are clothed, fed, educated, and loved unconditionally. Currently, 18 boys live at the Micah house, and older ones live in the Timothy house down the street, which focuses on cultivating spiritual/community leaders.

On Fridays, the Micah Project has a soccer outreach for the street kids. They play an intense game of court soccer ("object of the game: stay alive"--ha!) or watch/talk with the volunteers on the bleachers, then hear a mini-devotional. There is prayer and a warm meal following the devotional.
It rained most of the time we were there, and I watched as wild pigs picked through the soggy trash surrounding the play area. Some of the kids lived here.

I talked with one 16-year old, and the stories he told were intense. Going to Micah reminded me of a mix between my experiences with Westmont ministries: with Juvenile Hall, with Potter's Clay (Mexico VBS) and with Bread of Life (a homeless ministry). Although, at Micah, all of the conversations had were in Spanish.

Near the end of the game, I was introduced to a graduate of the Micah House who had returned to help out with the ministry. This student is a true testimony of God's transforming power and His work through Micah Project; the student is a passionate believer of Jesus Christ and wants to study at Wheaton College to become a counselor so he can really help the street kids of Honduras. Wow!

Afterwards, we went with a Wheaton College graduate (who now works for Micah) to the actual Micah house. We got a tour of the place, and I saw that the kids had a library, computer room, and clean beds. It is a beautiful sight to see how much these kids are loved and hear about how they have started going to church and given up drugs altogether.

Altogether, I have seen that there are many opportunities to get involved in ministry, outside of school. Also, I have seen that there are many sides/areas to Tegucigalpa, and that even in the midst of poverty or hopelessness, God is already at work in powerful, life-altering ways!

So, once I get established in my classroom and get used to living in Honduras, I can start looking into the possibilities for ministry; although I have to be careful not to over-commit and neglect my primary responsibilities which are at the school. I look forward to getting to know my students next year and to teaching, discipling, and above all loving them as Christ does.

1 John 4:12

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

World Cup 2010

Friday, June 11, 2010

Today, the FIFA World Cup 2010 began. Here in Honduras, the World Cup is a big deal, and an even bigger deal because their team qualified for the tournament. I bought a Honduran futbol jersey in Valle de Angeles and wore it today to the mall and to Micah Project. Everyone else was wearing their blue/white jerseys too! At the Micah outreach, people thought I was Honduran..until I hesitated on some Spanish words.

We did watch about 10 minutes of the Mexico v. South Africa game at breakfast; the dining staff would yell across the hotel courtyard the score of the game to other staff members. The game really drew people together. Very fun!

Also the World Cup Song ("Waving Flag") is stuck in my head. It is played frequently in the shopping centers. Here are some lines from the Spanish version that they play here:

Give me freedom Give me fire
Cuando sea mas viejo, sere mas fuerte
Ellos me llamaran libertad, al igual que un bandera ondulante

Y luego volveran
Y luego volveran
Y luego volveran
Y luego...

-It's so catchy. Here's a link, if you want to hear/watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBvE6tLZFoI

Valle de Angeles

Thursday, June 10, 2010

It is truly incredible how God has orchestrated our plans this trip!
We had talked briefly with teachers/the school chaplain about taking a day trip to Valle de Angeles, but did not have any plans solidified yet.
Lo and behold, we get a call this morning from the school chaplain saying that there is an IST teacher who wants to be our guide for the day. What a blessing!

Valle de Angeles is a small town about 45 minutes outside of Tegucigalpa; it is known for its colonial architecture and local artisans. The taxi driver had to follow very windy roads around the mountains in order to get to Valle, and we saw a gorgeous view of the valley and countryside of Honduras. We passed casitas selling pottery, lush greenhouses, and tiny turismo cars chugging their way up the hill.

During the drive and our walk around the town, we were blessed to get to know the IST Bible teacher, also our guide for the afternoon. She told me about how Christ had radically transformed her life and the lives of her family members, how she had come to live with missionaries, and how God was there during the hardest time of her life.

We had fun admiring the intricately carved wood, elaborate basket designs, clay pots, and much more! It was the perfect time to come, because it was quiet with not that many tourists. Each shop we walked into was playing Christian music, and I recognized many of the songs from Newsboys to Hillsong.

We had lunch at El Anafre ("portable cooker"), enjoying typical Honduran cuisine and even an anafre appetizer. An anafre is a clay pot with cheese and refried beans melted together on top of a clay plate with burning charcoal; it is typically served with warm tortilla chips to dip in. Delicioso! It was like a Honduran fondue.

We shopped around, and then quickly headed back to Tegu., because an emergency had happened at the school and our teacher-friend had to return right away. We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Mall (Las Cascadas) and finally found the grocery store. We walked into a store called Hiper which had neatly organized aisles of groceries, clothes, and household products, and I could swear we were in a Wal-Mart. Sure enough, when we got to the counter, I saw a tag on the cash register that had the "Wal-Mart" logo. Figures that there's even a Wal-Mart in Honduras. We also went to the "Starbucks" of Honduras, which is called "Espresso Americano," although it sells Honduran coffee. This coffee chain is everywhere, and it is very inexpensive (25 Lempiras for Granita de Cafe-about $1.30). I may start liking coffee after all.

On Friday morning, we spent time at different mall (El Metro), closer to IST and less expensive than Las Cascadas. El Metro is probably where I'll be shopping next year. Through these trips, I've been realizing that I won't have to worry about bringing a lot of stuff down to Honduras, because you can get almost anything here in the city. I am grateful to know this before I start packing this summer!

Graduacion 2010

Watching as proud graduates of the International School escorted their parents down the aisle of the church, made me get teary-eyed knowing this was a huge accomplishment for them. Honduran schools typically do not have a 12th grade, and so IST is unique, not only for emphasizing Christ-centered education but also for high academic standing. Honduran graduations (especially IST's) are a big deal; students, parents, and staff go out and buy formal dresses or suits just for the occasion.

Words of affirmation were spoken honoring each graduate and the processional music was played at least 50 times to accompany the graduates' walk down the aisle. The teacher next to me started humming along with the music after awhile, and the other teachers in my row turned to glare at her. It was pretty funny.

The whole ceremony included many parts, including: special songs (also a beautiful rendition of the Honduran national anthem), inspiring speeches in both English and Spanish, and awards of excellency. The event was almost entirely in Spanish, with the exception of a few student speeches and the dedication of ceremony, and graduation lasted a little over 3 hours. My favorite part of the graduation, besides hearing students talk about their faith and learning, was the dedication of ceremony. Each year, the seniors dedicate the graduation ceremony to a teacher/administrator at IST. This year, they honored the middle school principal. After the long introduction naming the principal's care and involvement in the students' lives, she stood up to share a few words for the graduates. She spoke with passion, and I was so blessed and inspired by her message of hope and encouragement.

After the graduation, the teachers all piled onto a busito and headed to the Humaya Inn for a farewell celebration for the staff who are leaving. By this time, it was around 10pm, and everyone was exhausted from sitting through the graduation ceremony. Nevertheless, we had a good time sharing an elegant 3-course meal on the terrace of the hotel and listening to the AMAZING jazz pianist who had a repertoire of 100+ songs and even took requests. What a special send-off for the teachers!

Looking out at the lights of the houses on the hills of Tegucigalpa, I was reminded of the passage in Matthew, where Jesus says to his disciples, " ¹⁴You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house." (Matt. 5:14-15)

I am so grateful to have been given the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ and to have the privilege of serving Him in Tegucigalpa next year. So, I pray that God would use me as a "light" and give me boldness in sharing Christ with the students at IST and with my neighbors and community of Tegu.; for the opportunities are endless and with Christ all things are possible. I also pray that the students and IST community would be "lights" for Christ to their families, city, nation, and world; that they may come to know the hope and abundant life that is only found in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Casa Verde

On Wednesday, I took the IST bus home from school with the other teachers. How fun! I think the bus ride next year will serve as a great time to debrief days and exchange funny stories from our classrooms.

The teachers live in groups of 3-6 teachers per house, and their homes are spread out between neighborhoods (colonias) 10-20 minutes from the school. Today, I got invited to spend the afternoon at my friend's house in Colonia Rio Grande.

We were dropped off at the corner of a dead-end street and climbed the steep hill to the teachers' mint-green colored house. No wonder it's called, "Casa Verde" (Green House). The street looked like typical colonias I had seen in Tegu. (maybe nicer): multicolored houses with gray/red roofs lined each side of the road, locked iron gates in front, and a few cars parked along the curb.

Casa Verde has two floors and is fairly spacious with each teacher getting their own room. Also, the house comes already furnished! I was able to talk a great deal with the teachers who lived there, and I'm grateful for their hospitality and for their willingness to let me take pictures of their "messy" rooms. ; )

The house also had: -washer, clothesline, a clean water dispenser, WiFi & cable TV, a pila (where emergency water is stored), and a beautiful view of the city from the rooftop.

A man comes down the street each week, yelling "Agua!", and the teachers buy clean water from him (otherwise you boil the water in order to use it). Another man rides around selling warm tortillas; the icecream man comes to your door, and a maid comes every Friday. I'm sure they get great business from the N. Americans.

My friend also led me on an amazing walking tour of the neighborhood. I did not carry any purse/valuables, and I felt pretty safe the whole time. It was encouraging to know that you can walk around the neighborhood safely, especially if you walk in a group. You just need to be aware and know where you're going. We walked down 3-4 blocks to the bridge over the main river, that although flooded just a week ago was quickly drying up.

We met the "Fruit Man," who sells the teachers discounted fruit from his cart. Because he has gotten to know them, he always makes sure they get the best deals. (tip #1: get to know the fruit guy)

We bought 3 huge mangos, 6 fresh bananas, and I even convinced my friend to purchase mamones (also known as ginnups-a strange, green fruit that you have to pop open to eat). We then walked over to the local pulperia (like a food convenience store) and bought orange juice and un medio Coca for the casa. I am thankful to see that the teachers share groceries, because it is sometimes a trek to get what you need.

Comunidad (Community)

Comparing classroom supply lists with experienced teachers, receiving valuable resources, and moving a few things into my own classroom made up the first part of the day on Wednesday. To be able to spend time with IST teachers and hear their personal stories of teaching and living in Honduras was an incredible gift. It was evident through our conversations that community would be an important part of my experience next year.

Whether sharing lesson ideas, cab rides to the grocery store, trips outside the country, or Bible Study potlucks, it was obvious that the teachers served as amazing encouragement in each others' lives. Having seen this, I look forward even more to being part of the IST community!

I also learned that there are multiple churches in Tegucigalpa that IST teachers can get involved in. Most services are in Spanish, although some churches offer an English translation or even a separate evening service in English. I really want to be immersed in as much Spanish as I can, while still being encouraged in the Word, so I may choose to go to two services or alternate weeks having the English translation. I also hope to connect with some Christian Honduran families, as establishing new relationships is the best part of living abroad. : )

View from IST

This is the view from the International School of Tegucigalpa (a city of 1.5 million people).
The rain is coming in!

3rd World Country

On the way to our hotel (whose owner is the brother-in-law of the school chaplain), we took back roads to avoid rush hour traffic, and I caught a very small glimpse of what a 3rd World country looks like.

Trucking up broken cobblestone, I peered down dirt streets with ramshackle homes, one-story with graffitied walls or broken roofs, dirt-smeared kids running to and fro, people hanging out on the side of curbs begging for change or "se vende tortillas." There was a different mood over this colonia, and my heart went out to the kids who can't afford a good education, who sniff glue because there is so much grief in their life (see Micah Project entry to come).

After seeing this, we switched back to a main freeway, and it was if the poor were not even there (although they still lingered in my mind); I pray that we as the Church will never forget/neglect those in poverty and truly be the hands and feet of Christ.

First Impressions

Tegucigalpa, Honduras is even more than I imagined!
-Gorgeous green rolling hills dotted with homes, even a Jesus statue greeting us with open arms as we flew in..
-Bienvenidos. The warm welcome was evident from the warm brazos (hugs) and smiles exchanged at the airport between the IST chaplain, guidance counselor, and kindergarten teacher (also a friend from Westmont).

Staring out the window wide-eyed, I tried to soak in the unfamiliar surroundings that will become my home next year. One-story houses with multicolored doors and neighborhood shops with large advertisements for the products inside lines the streets. Men sold Honduran soccer jerseys (they qualified for the World Cup!!) on the side of the road or lingered in doorways, while women and children carried groceries home for the day.

With only a few clouds in the sky and a cool breeze, it looked to be a fantastic day at 3500 feet.
The chaplain drove us straight to the school. Passing out of la colonias (the neighborhoods), we followed the nicely paved road up the hill.

IST is located on a plateau with warehouses and dry, rocky areas surrounding its base. The school has a green roof and a fence around it and looks imposing from a distance. I bit my lip--this is where I'm going to teach?

We pulled into the gravel parking lot and got out. I could see kids in the school's blue and white uniforms, and my heart leapt for joy. This was their school, our school.

The chaplain and counselor led the way, greeting everyone ("Hola!") as we passed. As we continued across the sloped campus, I noticed green all around me: palm trees, lush bushes, flowering trees, and lots of grassy areas. It looked more like a park, then a school--in fact, an oasis of sorts. The school buildings looked well-maintained, and benches had the name of the school mascot, "Tigers," inscribed into them.

The school is composed of 2 main buildings (elementary & middle/high school) and many smaller buildings which house: preK, K, computer lab, library, doctor's office, daycare center, teacher's lounges, cafeteria, snack shop, offices of everyone, and more classrooms.

I also noticed there were purified water dispensers in every hallway (so thankful), macaws and other colorful birds in the courtyard, and Prometheus (smart) boards in every classroom 4th-12th grade.

Meeting the teachers/staff was so encouraging, especially meeting the other 4th grade teacher who will be there next year. It was the last day of school, and teachers were clearing out their classrooms, which was perfect timing for me to meet all of them. Also, the principal was very approachable and supportive, even walking with us for much of the tour. This is truly a gift, because this week is crazy at IST with graduations, teachers' farewell party, etc.

After our grand tour, meeting anyone and everyone in the school, : ) the school chaplain treated my mom and I to a delicious lunch of gallo pintado (rice & beans), patacones (cooked plantains), pollo (chicken), tortillas, y Fanta naranja.

post continued in: 3rd World Country

Image Test

This is just a test my ability to upload pictures to the blog.

This is a picture from Harding Science Night 2010. My group and I did a simulation about phases of the Moon. The kids were so excited by the simulation and loved talking about what they saw inside our "Moon tent!"

School site

This is the site of the international school where I will be teaching 4th grade next year:

http://www.internationalschool.hn/index.html

Here is an overview of the school from the website:

International School is private Christian bilingual school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras with a current enrollment of approximately 1100 students. IST was originally founded in 1981 as a nursery school. In June of 1991 IST graduated the first senior class. A culturally diverse body of approximately 110 full time teachers compromise the International School faculty. The student/faculty ratio is approximately 12.1

IST student body consists mostly of Honduran natives who have learned English as a second language. All students that graduate continue on to study in four year Universities. All core subjects in grades Pre-Kinder through 12 Grade are taught in English, by certified teachers. IST is staffed with approximately 130 employees, (teaching assistants - administrators). Teachers hold a bachelor's degree in education or a teaching license from a North American institution. In addition there are faculty and administration who hold a Master's/Doctors degree in education or business administration. Curriculum experts are brought in from Canada or USA annually to consult the material being taught.