Things are a changing....

Here's a quick glance at the latest big changes in my life:


Teacher Retreat to Lago de Yojoa. Such a good time and the waterfall is always BEAUTIFUL!

Painting Round 2. My bedroom picture before.

Bedroom after. Not quite how I expected it to turn out but it's color. It's growing on me.

Halloween: The king and queen of hearts. <3

Darwin had an interview in San Pedro Sula, so I decided to accompany him. We stopped at his friend Alex's along the way in Santa Barbara where this picture was taken. His interviews went well but please join us in seriously praying that he gets offered the position here in Tegucigalpa and not in San Pedro (6 hours away). We won't have answers until the end of the week or til possibly next week. I'm a little on edge but trying to have faith that God is in control.

So Alex's dad was giving away this adorable puppies and who else could resist them? Well, not us. We've been talking about getting a dog since last May anyway. Her name is Eva and she's next to perfect so far, but let's be honest, she's still a puppy.

So she now has not one, but two homes to be shared between.

When I have a day off.....

What do I do with a day off from school? I paint my living room! Check out the before and afters. I'm pretty pleased with my first painting job.

BEFORE

AFTER

And a few random pics to prove that I now have been to an "opera" in Honduras. The theater is a beauty.

Jen and I



Darwin got my a dozen roses for 150 days we've been together. Awww!

The Life that I Live

If my memory serves me right, it was Good Friday 2008 when I sent in my signed contract to International School Tegucigalpa. I knew where God wanted me to be and that I wanted to follow. For my first two years of serving at the school, yeah there were difficulties, but they were normal first year teaching adjustments and adjustments with the new ways of life. However, I have never considered myself to be a missionary nor do I really like that term for myself. I don't want to feel like an outsider, I make my own money here, I don't see it as so temporary as the term missionary implies, and I want to fit in here. However, even though I still don't like the term missionary and won't use it for myself, I've started to realize in this past year that after 2 full years this 3rd year has felt more sacrificing than the others. For various reasons, my sense of security has changed this year and I finally feel that by being here I am sacrificing something for the Lord and it's hard to do. Do not get me wrong. I do not live daily in fear. I pray against that in fact. However, the longer I stay here the more and more stories I hear of things happening to loved ones. We've had 2 International School fathers be attacked (one fatality) so far in the first month of school. These types of things have always happened. In my first year of teaching, my student David's father was murdered. Why does it bother me more now? Because, point blank, it's not supposed to be this way! People should not have to get used to this sort of violence. Yes, people die. It's a part of life. But having to die due to so many car accidents, home invasions, gang activity, and murders, and lack of quick medical support is not acceptable. I refuse to accept it as a normal and it breaks my heart the way people here have become calloused to it. It's "normal" for them. I know that since I began dating Darwin, Honduras has become a scarier place. Prior, I didn't really fear anything happening to myself nor do I see that likelihood happening really, but I would never want anything to happen to me for his sake. Also, I fear something happening to him as he travels a lot everyday to the farm.

Now, I know a lot of you already don't support my being here and I'm sure I'm only giving you more reason. But I'm expressing all of this to you to ask for prayer. I was touched in a morning devotional of mine this past week as I was slapped in the face with the fact that my sense of security can only be found in God and that I should be going to Him rather than to anyone or anything else to find that security. Hence, I pray a lot more. I do still love Honduras; although, I'm struggling to get that same level of love for it back. Also, I have no idea where God is directing my path for the future but I pray I have a mold-able/ obedient heart that will follow.

In the meantime, I am going to choose to still love where I am and here's some pictures to show the crazy things that I love that are different and why I love here. Thanks for your prayers!


Trying out my green thumb!



Jess helping water.

Darwin, get off me! Typical Sunday afternoon with ulitmate frisbee at school!

Starfish!!

Vine swing! I felt like Jane.

Mud baths in Ceiba!
And no matter how many times I do it, I will still love zip lining! The owner offered me a job. Maybe that can be my future. What do you think God? ;)

Want to see more pictures? Check out:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2111222&id=15305745&l=ce4b5ffe87

Time Never Slows Down

Almost three weeks....it's been almost three weeks now since I've been back in Honduras after a fabulous summer off and being back in Michigan. Time always goes too fast and it sure did this summer as well, but I was so blessed to be able to get quality time with my family and friends and got to travel to Wyoming with family to visit my brother Jason. It's not always easy to jump from one 'world' to the other. It's a blessing to know that I'm comfortable in both but there's a discomfort and a comfort with both. I'm comforted to still very much have a life and friends and family in MI but I don't have my daily routine there which I need. Here in Honduras there are many inconveniences but that's part of the life here although not always easy and I don't think I'll ever just be "used" to it.

Summer highlights:

Rachel and James's wedding

Got spoiled by so much time with these rug rats! They are my joy!



Lauren and Ben's wedding and the International School gang


Got to celebrate my 25th birthday at, where else than, a restaurant called 25 Kitchen and Bar! So blessed to have so many share it with me.


While in Wyoming, I was able to witness one of the coolest natural phenomenons ever, a full double rainbow. It was unreal.

It was so good to see my brother Jason who I hadn't in over a year. Good to see that he's happy and doing well.

The family

Stefanie and Greg's wedding

It was such a blessing to be home for birthdays, weddings, engagements, and just plain make new memories, which is something I have such a hard time missing being away. Life does go on for others and with some our relationship is affected by the distance, so it's nice to have a chance to renew those and invest in them while home. Yet, I'm called to be here and am glad to be here although difficult at times.

So summer came to a hault and I was quickly back in Honduras. I was greeted by flowers and open arms from my boyfriend Darwin in the airport. I'm sure most of you have heard about him by now. We've been dating for almost 4 months now. He's a Christian, agricultural engineer (aka. farmer), kind, loving, thoughtful, good listener, bilingual, amazing cook, and knows how to spoil and take care of me. It's been nice to be together again after doing long distance during the summer. Now we can just be together and allow time to do its thing. I treasure my friendship with him and who he is to me. He's a hopeless romantic, and we celebrate things like 100 days of being together, and I get showered with flowers all the time and good meals. Ok, I'll stop now so you don't gag. But I do just have to share that he surprised me with some other amazing gifts. He made me a chest made of mahogany with my name and our names on it. It's phenomenal! He also made me a set of two shelves and a table top that I can arrange in whatever way I want. So cool!





So starting on day 2 of being back, I jumped right back in to being North American Coordinator again this year. It's always a whirlwind of things to get done before the teachers arrive and we've found ourselves with, I believe, 16 houses this year, one of those houses being contracted to rent the day before they arrived, and 38 teachers. The new teachers are awesome and I'm loving getting to know them. We've had our bumps along the road already of illnesses, housing repairs, houses and classrooms flooding due to intense rain, etc. Welcome to Honduras friends! It's been good so far and such a blessing to have my friend Merideth DeVries as part of the Coordinator crew this year too. She's such a help and it makes the load lighter. It's different though being in my 3rd year. I'm one of the few North Americans that has been at IST for this long. So I get looked to for a lot which I'm glad to help and answer questions. It just seems so odd to me that after only 3 years of teaching that I'd be considered the "knowledgeable" one. School also knows me well enough and knows I'll say yes to a lot, and this past week they got me to say yes to being videotaped for a IST promotional video. I was by far surprised when rolling cameras came in along with umbrella lamps, etc. I'll try hard to get my hands on a copy of the final video to share! Another thing that is different that I've noticed so far this year is that for me, I live here in Honduras. For how long? I don't know. I'm here until God calls me elsewhere. But I am constantly reminded that for other teachers that come down here, this is just an 'experience' for them, a temporary thing. I feel more like an old-timer and a host that is here to show them around. It's nice in that sense but I've already noticed that the thrill I used to always get of traveling around and going places has started to ware off. It's home now in a way; there becomes less and less that is 'new'. However, I still look forward to attempting to cross off all the Central American countries off my list this year.

Flowers that my superintendent sent me as a thank you for the job I do as one of the coordinators. There was fruit and chocolate sent too!

So here's to year 3 of teaching 4th grade at IST. I've already survived week 1 and a full and crazy week at that. It's always filled with getting kids to get their materials to school, teaching them routines, reminding them how to speak English, etc. I'm blessed to have 19 kids this year. I'll gladly accept a smaller class size this year. After the first week, I can already tell it's going to be a different year than the others as their English level seems to be lower than any other class I've had before and I have quite a few ADD children. It's going to be pulling teeth at times to get them moving at the pace that they should. I'm encouraged by the fact that I feel confident in my abilities as a teacher and the fact that I know how I want my classroom to function, whether or not if it always functions as I'd wish. Without boasting, it's nice to not have to reinvent the wheel all the time and as I am the only 4th grade teacher returning to IST this year, I have 3 coworkers that I see stressed still by figuring things out and inventing the wheel. They'll get there soon enough. We all do.


As this year has been off to a super busy start and being ill, I haven't even had the chance to see all those that I love at Micah Project where I volunteer at. I hope that as soon as I find a pattern here and get over this sinus infection that has kept me home today from activities, that I'll get to see them all soon.

Before I wrap it up, I'd appreciate if you lifted a few things up in prayer for me:
-Patience and kindness with my students and coworkers
-Strength and growth in my relationship with Darwin
-Protection for all of us as the National Weather Center predicts major hurricanes this season and the amount of rain we've had has been tremendous and has damaged roads and homes
-Growth in my relationship with the Lord

Peace and love.

Someone's Gotta Do It

Rewind a little less than a year and I never quite imagined what I was getting myself into when I said yes. I never imagined that one job title would really possess so many. This year has possessed so much more than I could have imagined. Many times I feel the weight, and yet the joys, of being a 4th grade ESL teacher, 4th grade team leader, and North American Community Coordinator. However, what makes me chuckle is the fact that I never realized that those jobs would really entitle so much more then is written in the job description. Because supposedly being a teacher and a coordinator really means being a:
• nurse
• money changer
• tour guide/travel agent
• translator
• librarian
• party planner
• referee/ judge
• counselor
• phone operator/information hot line
• taxi driver

I feel like I'm even missing a few. Yet, I really do enjoy it. There are certain days, like recently, where I almost walked into my superintendent's office to slam down my keys, telling her I've had it, tell her she can have whatever is in my bank account, and walk out, and freaking walk to MI for all I cared. Yet, there are other surprising days where I actually feel needed and that my NACC job is important, like today.

So some of you may be wondering why I'm telling you any of this about my jobs. Well, I've realized that I haven't really publicized my decision for next year yet. (Drum roll please). I have officially decided and actually already signed my life away to doing the same jobs again next year. As some of you know, I was offered the elementary principal position and obviously have chosen to not accept it. I thought about it for a long time and wrestled with it and ended up with a LONG list of why not to do. Thus, I'm content with that decision. So, I can't believe that this could have been it. This could have been the end, the "experience" as people call it. Not nearly done, I don't think. So we're looking onto another year. But first, to survive the rest of this one first.

Next week we start the beginning of our last marking period. I have no idea where this year has gone. I some days feel as if I haven't done enough. However, I could say that every day of my life and never be satisfied. But, I really do pray that I haven't failed these kids in some way. I attempt to give them my all and some days struggle to do so. We have basically a week and a half and then off to Costa Rica for a week for Easter break! WAHOO!

However, I'll close with asking for your prayers for strength, good health for myself and my community as we are at risk of an H1N1 scare again and a few have some other health complications, and prayers for wisdom and God's presence.

So, I'll leave you with hopefully a few good laughs. This hopes to become a tradition now: It's called: Kid's Say and Write the Darnedest Things
Keep in mind these are English Learners and well, children!

Said/Wrote: Meant it to be:
The governor raises a taxi. The governor raised the taxes.
I want to do the governor. I want to be governor.

I would marry an apple if it were legal. I love the apples.
The mens like number two. ( Ok maybe I just have a middle schooler’s mind)
Name one of the Great Lakes: Lake Homeles (Lake Huron maybe!)
I am going to held. (I hope not kiddo!)
My mom inspired me to do a doctor. ( to be a doctor)
In my feature, my work will be a pastor and do games of Nintendo.
Yesterday I found a dead dinosaur.
It is impossible to drink water with your feets.
Miss Kerekes is prettier than my dog.


Blessings to you and yours.

I want to be your hands....

Well over a year ago, God put it on my heart to develop a partnership with a less privileged school and give our students the opportunity to share and serve. Last year the ball got dropped, and I feared this year the same would happen. However, with months of planning and preparing the school approved my proposal to have International School's elementary collect school supplies for another Christian elementary school called El Verbo. IST works on the American school calendar and El Verbo follows the Honduran calendar, thus they started school last week. For all of January each classroom of IST was assigned a material to collect. Those baskets were then collected, divided and sorted, decorated, and gifted. God orchestrated it all. I just got to be his hands.

However, the best part of it all was that I got to take 2 students from each section of our 2-5 grades. So with 29 students, we went to El Verbo this past Wednesday. Baskets and snacks in tote we were ready to go. These students couldn't sleep the night before they were so excited. Some told me they were the first up in their household that morning. As we drove up the mountain to Nueva Suyapa, I knew my students were seeing things they never quite had before. They hadn't seen houses made out of wooden pieces or the marks of poverty. It's good for them to know it exists right within their own town. Love them to death, but they are too sheltered.

During our time at El Verbo, we met one another, sang songs, delivered baskets to classrooms, and played games. Most of all, God did what I couldn't do. He worked in those kids' hearts. He spoke to their hearts. He shown threw all of them. I was even touched as I fell in love with some of El Verbo students. I too spent more time with those other students then the IST kids. They caught my heart. And just like the IST kids asked, I also plead, "When can we go back?"

God is at work.











I've also just continued to be encouraged by the developing relationships with those through Street Soccer. Times are hard at times, like yesterday 2 fights broke out and I was stuck in the middle of one, but God is at work. I pray for God to pry Satan's hands off their lives and their weak holds.

Pray for Honduras.