Oct 17
T-Showers
77°
63°
60%
77°F
Sat
Oct 25
Scattered T-Storms
82°
64°
60%
|
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Weather
For those friends of mine that already know that it rains everyday, here's the proof. Ugh. It's rainy season here in Honduras, and supposedly a hurricane is nearby but nothing to worry about. Oh, and you know it's going to rain by the kids' actions....CRAZY!! But maybe I shouldn't complain, right, because it's not snowing here. :)
Prayer needs
I didn't quite expect to be writing another update quite so soon; however, after the week we have had at school thus far it calls for large prayer requests. After my posting last time, I didn't quite imagine that our school would be attacked even more and in bigger ways as itt has. Let me update you. This past week has been a heavy one, and as I am a person that carries others burdens with them it's been heavy. I bring these requests before you so that together we may go to the throne of God.
Well I hope this e-mail finds you well. Please pray for IS.
I appreciate all of you and your support.
In Christ I stand,
Kristi
- My friend Andres's mother passed away last Sunday and he's been out of school all week grieving.
- My friend Joan who just turned 23 last week suffered what we believe to be a mild heart attack this past Sunday. He has been carrying a lot of emotional stress among other things for quite some time that it has begun to sevely affect his health, thus affecting his heart. He was in tthe hospital with tons of shots, tests, etc this pastt week. When I visitted him on Monday night he was on oxygen and lots of drugs. He didn't make much sense in what he said. :) It's hard to know how to be there for a friend who's hurting so bad that it's nearly killing him.
- On top of all of this, also on Sunday an 8th grade student at IS Romero was feeling sick and passed out. His mother took him too the hospital and this week quickly downhilled. He his appendix burst resulting in hepatitis B I believe, kidneys and liver shut down, heart couldn't take tthe meds so he was put on a pacemaker. Tthis morning he passed away. Not only does this affect the 8th grade class, it also affects the 3rd grade class as his younger brother is in my housemates class. Another close friend of mine was also his teacher 2 years back and was sttill very close with him. How do you handle tthis grief? My heart breaks for them. The children in the 3rd grade class wrote cards to his brother and their images of Romero being welcomed into thte gates of heaven and God's arms are incredible. Wow. It's an exhaustting week for many including my coworkers and friends.
Well I hope this e-mail finds you well. Please pray for IS.
I appreciate all of you and your support.
In Christ I stand,
Kristi
Sunday, October 12, 2008
My thoughts and the happenings
So what are the exciting things that have happened this past week? Well, this past week at school was prayer week which meant having an assembly every afternoon many which involved getting partly rained on outside. :) My hope is that my kids got more out of that week than I think they did. God is capable. Anyways, with a lot of chaos in the schedule the students were also a bit chaotic all week leaving me with less patience and even less energy. Here's an interesting story for you. One afternoon I sent my student to the doctor as she wasn't "feeling well". Well, next thing I know she comes back to class carrying something in her hands. You'd never guess what she had. A baby bird! She had picked it up off the sidewalk upstairs and brought it into the room! I tried to be stern yet not yell at her! Who does that? Kids. :)
On Friday night, I got to go watch a friend in a dance performance and did not stop smiling for 20 minutes straight! I love dancing and miss it SO much. Afterwards, we joined more friends who were celebrating the 3 birthdays of this week at the bowling alley. I got to play some pool and have fun!
Another interesting part to my week was last night when I just got to act like a regular twenty-something year old. Yesterday Honduras played Canada again for the world cup and we WON!!!! Watching the game was quite insane with the boys from school that we watched it with. We sat at this outdoor eating area of a strip mall. It was nuts. Afterwards, we were informed that now the "partying" begins. So we followed along, us three gringas, with Honduran men. We each had 2 body-guards. Good for you to know before I proceed this story. So we walk up Blvd. Morazan and find ourselves soon surrounded by thousands of people lining the streets shouting and celebrating still. Waving flags and cheering with the cars going by. They have a weird custom in that groups of people surround cars and rock them quite intensely. I can say that I did not participate in that as that got a little out of control. Some people ended up denting cars and when one guy got out of his car and went and dug into his trunk for something, I grabbed my friends and said "LET'S GO!!!" My heart was racing. Everything went fine though. Nothing happened and the police were right tthere the whole time anyway. We also saw two guys get arrested, rightfully so. It was nuts. But I do have to say that although I avoided the video cameras, it was really fun to jump and yell and cheer with all the cars.
On another note, there's a lot going on down here within our Northamerican group and teachers at IS. A lot you can be praying for.
It'll be 2 months this week! Half way to Christmas break. :)
On Friday night, I got to go watch a friend in a dance performance and did not stop smiling for 20 minutes straight! I love dancing and miss it SO much. Afterwards, we joined more friends who were celebrating the 3 birthdays of this week at the bowling alley. I got to play some pool and have fun!
Another interesting part to my week was last night when I just got to act like a regular twenty-something year old. Yesterday Honduras played Canada again for the world cup and we WON!!!! Watching the game was quite insane with the boys from school that we watched it with. We sat at this outdoor eating area of a strip mall. It was nuts. Afterwards, we were informed that now the "partying" begins. So we followed along, us three gringas, with Honduran men. We each had 2 body-guards. Good for you to know before I proceed this story. So we walk up Blvd. Morazan and find ourselves soon surrounded by thousands of people lining the streets shouting and celebrating still. Waving flags and cheering with the cars going by. They have a weird custom in that groups of people surround cars and rock them quite intensely. I can say that I did not participate in that as that got a little out of control. Some people ended up denting cars and when one guy got out of his car and went and dug into his trunk for something, I grabbed my friends and said "LET'S GO!!!" My heart was racing. Everything went fine though. Nothing happened and the police were right tthere the whole time anyway. We also saw two guys get arrested, rightfully so. It was nuts. But I do have to say that although I avoided the video cameras, it was really fun to jump and yell and cheer with all the cars.
On another note, there's a lot going on down here within our Northamerican group and teachers at IS. A lot you can be praying for.
- For starters, my friend Andres's mother, a Honduran teacher here, is ill and has probably passed away this weekend and he has been by her side to watch her go. It's hard to know how to move on.
- My housemate Beth's computer has had a major freakout and she has lost everything! Not only are pictures and music hard to live without, she also realized today in a breakdown that she lost all of her student's grades from this year. Pray hard that God resolves this.
- I got news today that 7 of my friends from school went to Santa Lucia ( a place I just visited not too long ago) and were mugged by 2 boys at gunpoint. They lost cameras, cell phones, and I'm nott sure what else. But I know sense of security and independence are robbed also.
- I personally have been asking a lot of hard questions lately about a lot of things. About faith, God, relationships, marriage, God's plan for my life. I've been debating if teaching is for me. I'm trying to decide where my passions lie. I've toyed with the idea of wanting to be a dance teacher or just pursue dance more. Maybe it's just to fill the need. I just know that teachign is hard and justt something I seem to be doing lately....like a robot.
It'll be 2 months this week! Half way to Christmas break. :)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Ups and Downs and Inside Outs
This week I'm a bit beside myself in what to write; thus, I 've chosen to fill all those interested in on the ups and downs of living here in Honduras and some more 'differences' not bad things, just things I've realized are different and often forget to explain.
Let's start on a positive note. This past week at school we had a celebration called Fiesta Catracha. The entire month of September is a very patriotic month here in Central America. Thus, Fiesta Catracha (catracha being another word for Honduran) we celebrated the fact that they are Hondurans! :) That meant that we as teachers got to eat a lot of yummy food, have a break, and then sit on the cement floor through a VERY long assembly with restless kids who couldn't hear what was being said. What was presented was pretty though. Check the pictures. (Thanks to friends who share pictures as my camera is still broken. Donations for a new camera can be directed towards me. :) )
Jana with all of her food. We all had multiple plates!
My principal Mr. Greene with some kids in authentic clothing.
The authentic dresses.
This past Saturday I also got to be adventurous with three of my close friends here Jana, Megan, and Lauren. We heard about a park we could go to outside of the city and decided we were going to find out where it was and how to get there along the way. We packed our lunches and headed out. We took a couple of buses, asked around, and eventually found it 40 minutes outside of the city 2 hours later. We hiked around, ate lunch, looked at the zoo, hiked up to the bell tower, and enjoyed being away and being together. We then walked into the village of Zambrano to find the Catholic church which was gorgeous. We then hitched a ride back to Tegucigalpa in the back of a truck. Riding in the back of a truck on a gorgeous sunny day with the lush green mountains around you doesn't get any bettter. It's fun, and we try to be smart about it of course! I realized on this ride that as the road winds through the mountains that often the side of the mountain has been cut back in is rock. These rocks have lots of painted "billboards", mostly advertisements for politicians. Just a difference.
Scariest "fun house" ever. Someone trashed it.
That's one friendly Bambi.
My good friend Megan and I being crazy.
Megan using her cute white girl looks to help flag down a ride.
Doesn't this lake look inviting to swim in. Yikes.
Lauren and I
Posing like the Gringas that we are with the sign.
"We are the teachers that wishes we were still kids."
Megan not only helps me walk on balanace beams. :)
The catholic church.
That's who I'll be voting for.
On another note, I have two what I find hillariously ackward stories that involve my students. God love them. Well a student of mine who also happened to be the Star of the Week this past week had brought in pictures to share. The students know they are in charge of putting up the pictures at recess as it is their job of the week. Thus, I didn't really look over his right away. To say the least, his mother had done his responsibilites for him in preparing for being the Star of the Week. As he was putting them up, I glanced at one picture. This picture was of him as a baby being held by his mother. I also happened to notice that captions were written in Spanish. He confessed his mothter did it all while he was sleeping. Well later with a closer look and reading of this picture, I was horrified to find that the caption said "He likes to breastfeed." and there in the picture was his mother's nipple. I was so horrified and gently took it down and told him we just weren't going to include this one!!!!! Cultural...somewhat, but still not cosher.
Another funny thing happened with a different sweetheart. We are learning about the regions of the United States and we have been talking about beaches. Well as I glanced by his notes, I noticed a funny spelling mistake. Instead of writing "beaches", he had been writing "bitches". This is funny because this is how they pronounce it with their accents. I giggled and helped him copy it correctly. Once it was erased and correctly spelled, I told him that he had spelled a bad word. :) So precious.
I'm also very thankful for the relationships I'm developing with my students. I am very thankful for the few that care about me and say "I love you Miss." or just hug me all the time or that they are comfortable enough to cry in my lap at chapel. I have a very precious few. I'm loving them more all the time. Some day that love is weakened by frustration but still there. :)
I've also been thankful for the little things lately. Say for example that I can download my favorite show Prison Break off of Itunes for $2 an episode. Since my housemates chose not to get cable tv, I've been desperate for my show! Thus, it's been found. Takes 2 hours to download a 45 min. show but hey...what else can I do. :) Love it.
Another hard note is that my first love Carlos broke up with me this past week. I can't put into words how hard it has been being away from home for this. I already miss what's normal to me and now it got a little harder. I'm constantly relying on God to get me out of bed, to get me through the day, and to keep me going as it's God that I live for anyway. On a positive note, I coudn't be more thankful for the supportive people I have in this community of friends and at home. Friends here have embraced me with hugs, notes, cds, listening ears, and a shoulder to cry on. They are good to have and I'm thankful for them. With God's grace, it's one day at a time. I entrust all of my life to Him.
Keeping on...one day at a time.
Let's start on a positive note. This past week at school we had a celebration called Fiesta Catracha. The entire month of September is a very patriotic month here in Central America. Thus, Fiesta Catracha (catracha being another word for Honduran) we celebrated the fact that they are Hondurans! :) That meant that we as teachers got to eat a lot of yummy food, have a break, and then sit on the cement floor through a VERY long assembly with restless kids who couldn't hear what was being said. What was presented was pretty though. Check the pictures. (Thanks to friends who share pictures as my camera is still broken. Donations for a new camera can be directed towards me. :) )
Jana with all of her food. We all had multiple plates!
My principal Mr. Greene with some kids in authentic clothing.
The authentic dresses.
This past Saturday I also got to be adventurous with three of my close friends here Jana, Megan, and Lauren. We heard about a park we could go to outside of the city and decided we were going to find out where it was and how to get there along the way. We packed our lunches and headed out. We took a couple of buses, asked around, and eventually found it 40 minutes outside of the city 2 hours later. We hiked around, ate lunch, looked at the zoo, hiked up to the bell tower, and enjoyed being away and being together. We then walked into the village of Zambrano to find the Catholic church which was gorgeous. We then hitched a ride back to Tegucigalpa in the back of a truck. Riding in the back of a truck on a gorgeous sunny day with the lush green mountains around you doesn't get any bettter. It's fun, and we try to be smart about it of course! I realized on this ride that as the road winds through the mountains that often the side of the mountain has been cut back in is rock. These rocks have lots of painted "billboards", mostly advertisements for politicians. Just a difference.
Scariest "fun house" ever. Someone trashed it.
That's one friendly Bambi.
My good friend Megan and I being crazy.
Megan using her cute white girl looks to help flag down a ride.
Doesn't this lake look inviting to swim in. Yikes.
Lauren and I
Posing like the Gringas that we are with the sign.
"We are the teachers that wishes we were still kids."
Megan not only helps me walk on balanace beams. :)
The catholic church.
That's who I'll be voting for.Another funny thing happened with a different sweetheart. We are learning about the regions of the United States and we have been talking about beaches. Well as I glanced by his notes, I noticed a funny spelling mistake. Instead of writing "beaches", he had been writing "bitches". This is funny because this is how they pronounce it with their accents. I giggled and helped him copy it correctly. Once it was erased and correctly spelled, I told him that he had spelled a bad word. :) So precious.
I'm also very thankful for the relationships I'm developing with my students. I am very thankful for the few that care about me and say "I love you Miss." or just hug me all the time or that they are comfortable enough to cry in my lap at chapel. I have a very precious few. I'm loving them more all the time. Some day that love is weakened by frustration but still there. :)
I've also been thankful for the little things lately. Say for example that I can download my favorite show Prison Break off of Itunes for $2 an episode. Since my housemates chose not to get cable tv, I've been desperate for my show! Thus, it's been found. Takes 2 hours to download a 45 min. show but hey...what else can I do. :) Love it.
Another hard note is that my first love Carlos broke up with me this past week. I can't put into words how hard it has been being away from home for this. I already miss what's normal to me and now it got a little harder. I'm constantly relying on God to get me out of bed, to get me through the day, and to keep me going as it's God that I live for anyway. On a positive note, I coudn't be more thankful for the supportive people I have in this community of friends and at home. Friends here have embraced me with hugs, notes, cds, listening ears, and a shoulder to cry on. They are good to have and I'm thankful for them. With God's grace, it's one day at a time. I entrust all of my life to Him.
Keeping on...one day at a time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
