One season done, another one begun

Basketball season is officially wrapped up, except for the team party :) We had our final 2 games last week. The girls finished 2-8 and third in the Tegucigalpa tournament. They did a great job and improved SO much! It was fun to coach them. They were wonderful girls. The thing that I loved the most, was their attitude. They put forth an amazing effort, came every day ready to play, and worked well together. They were also an amazing example of Christ-like character. We set aside a few minutes each day for team devotions. It was amazing to see how God was working in each of their lives. They have hearts of gold, and continuously talked about how much they wanted to play basketball to glorify God. They put a smile on my face even on the most difficult teaching days. The pictures are from us at the Tegucigalpa tournament the last 3 weeks.

And now, life moves on and volleyball season has started. I am coaching the Juvenile team, 11th and 12th graders. It's quite the different dynamics! I am just getting to know the girls and so far they have been great! We've had a couple of days of hard conditioning and fundamentals practices. After a week, I still only have 5 girls at practice, with word that there are 3 more on the way but have been sick. We'll see! I hope that we'll be able to field a team. If not, we'll be moving some girls up. Saturday will be our last practice before the break. Next week they have off. It feels good to be on the volleyball court again. :) Drills and skills keep randomly coming back to me as I coach! Practices go by so quickly! I'm grateful for the transition. As much as I loved my basketball team, I was ready for a change.

11 days until I'm home! I can hardly believe it! It's going fast! This week we have 2 school concerts and then 2 different Christmas parties this weekend! 'Tis the season!

self contained underwater breathing apparatus... aka: SCUBA

Early morning, clouds covered,
lightly raining, sunrise smothered.
Boarded and headed out to sea;
not prepared for what's beneath.

Waves rolled, boat lurched
tank strapped ready I perched.

Then one step flipper first,
right hand on mask left on waist.
Bobbed back up, signal ok;
the scuba experience moments away.
Buddy check, good to go
and discover the world down below.

My eyes opened, time to explore
so much to see colors galore.

Beauty and majesty with rich detail
delicacy and grace from plant to tail.
Fish so unique never seen before
all shapes, sizes, and coats of color they wore.
coral of variety beyond words to describe;
intricate creation as God prescribed.

My eyes lost in vast array
mountain of beauty majestic display.

My mind unable to wrap around,
the life before me so profound.

From the depths to the heights
creation reveals marvelous sights.

To see it all and not believe;
to experience and not perceive...
a God above all powerful
creator, redeemer all wonderful.
Back to the surface from below
no words worthy of the show.

In excitement mixed with reverence,
"God is good," broke the silence.

UTILA!!!

What an amazing weekend! It was a much needed vacation from school. Now only 3 weeks of teaching and I'll be home for the holidays! Honestly, it's going to be hard to focus after such an amazing, yet short get-away.

THURSDAY:
5:15am: We're packed and ready to go to the bus station.
6:15am: Our bus leaves from Teguc and we're off to the coast. It was an 8 hour trip with 3 stops along the way. Overall, I was ready for some time to relax to read, and to look out the window. It was air conditioned up until the last 2 hours when the heat form outside overpowered.I was in the window seat and sweating! However, the worst part was the lady behind us who got sick several times along the way. Despite the heat outside, we kept the window open for airflow!
2:30pm: we took a taxi to the ferry dock, stopping at a supermercado on the way to pick up groceries that we didn't end up using! 4:00pm: We boarded the ferry for an hour ride out to the island! The boat rocked, rolled and lurched through the waves. I was thankful that I don't get seasick. The sunset that night was absolutely gorgeous, setting over the water. Up at the school, we have few opportunities to see the sunset because of so many trees.
5:15pm: In search of our apartment... it ended up being 15-20 min walk from the main street. By the time we put our stuff in the room it was dark. We wanted to swim, but decided against it, not knowing what the beach would be like. My Thanksgiving dinner was a wonderful Hawaiian Pizza! After dinner we went out in search of ice cream and found a grilled pineapple sundae! Yum! We hit the sack early, tired after traveling all day.

FRIDAY:
7:00am: Woke up early, thanksto my body being on a teacher schedule! The sun was shining and I spent the morning on the driftwood out by the water. I stayed until the sandflies came out and ate up my legs! Then we headed to town for some breakfast and to meet up with the 4 teachers from the International School in Teguc that we saw the night before. They were going scuba diving so we decided to rent bikes! We biked out to the public beach in the opposite direction of our place and spent the afternoon swimming, reading, relaxing, and biking. For lunch we went to Evelyn's and I had the most amazing papaya and chocolate smoothie! 4:30pm: Alex and I went to Underwater Vision to get prepped for SCUBA DIVING!!! We didn't have enough time to get the certification, so we chose to do the Discovery Scuba Dive the next morning instead. We had a brief talk about what it'd be like and then spent some time swimming at the dock there.
6:00pm: In search of dinner again. Tonight we found Babalu's an amazing seafood place! We chose to get 4 different things and share them: King Fish, Shrimp, Lobster, and Wahu.It was so good and the restaurant was fantastic! They had an "aquarium" in the middle, which was really a hole in the floor down to the ocean where they fed the fish table scraps. We soaked up the atmosphere, savored the food, and enjoyed the time to relax. 8:00pm: We met up with the teachers from the International School for a campfire at their place. We roasted medium colored marshmallows with a gigantic stick! It was hilarious, but we had fun.

SATURDAY:
7:00am: Boarded on the scuba boat and ready to go underwater! Our experience consisted of 2, 45min dives. I put on my wet suit, flippers, mask, tank, and was told, "put your right hand on your mask, left hand on your belt, and take a big step out." :) Once I took a peek underwater, I couldn't stop! It was beautiful! When we all tried to go down, I couldn't sink! I had lost my weight belt jumping in so my instructor had to dive down and get it. Once I was set, we went to the bottom and learned some skills. How to find your breathing regulator, and how to clear your mask of water. Then, it was off to explore! It was like soaring through the mountains, only I was swimming through the mountains of coral. It's true: it's a whole different world down there! God is so awesome to have created such beauty! There were so many different kinds of fish just swimming around, and the coral was diverse and colorful! I would recommend scuba diving to anyone! 10:00am: we got back to the dock and it was still overcast. We decided to go back, take showers, and go out for breakfast.
12:05pm: We finally headed out to breakfast after some more swimming-very hungry! I had a wonderful Yogurt covered Crepe and a delicious Frappuccino! The rest of the day I laid in a Hammock, read a book, and laid low. The sun came out for a while, but I enjoyed the Hammock in the shade. It was a fantastic day! We went out again for dinner and I enjoyed some grilled Mahi Mahi. I love fish!!! We did some more walking around that night and found a sweet place called the Jade Seahorse. It was created by an artist from the US who has continued to add onto it. There's a gift shop and a bar, but the rest of it is like a giant piece of art! It was sweet!!!


SUNDAY:
6:20am: We once again boarded the Ferry for the start of our travels back home. The day was cooler and made traveling more bearable. I met an adorable little Honduran boy on the bus and we talked for a while. :)
5:30pm: Janice came and picked us up from the bus station to go back up the mountain.

It was an amazing weekend and much needed. Now, less than 3 weeks left until Christmas break! I know this was a long post, but I don't get the chance to regularly talk to everyone who wants to know what's going on! I'll have more pics up soon!

I'm thankful for...

Thinking back to last Thanksgiving, I had no idea that I would be away this year. Sometimes it shocks me how fast life can change, and how God leads us down unexpected paths. And then I laugh at myself, because I start to think to next year already! Only God knows where I'll be or what life will be like. The past few weeks have flown by. It feels like mom was just here visiting, and now it's already a month later! I was telling the students today that it doesn't really feel like Thanksgiving to me. The weather's still nice, I didn't go through a volleyball season or hunting season, I haven't had squash yet, (although I've been making plenty of pumpkin bars, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin spice lattes!) and there's no snow on the ground! I think the first thing I'm going to do when I step outside in MI is make a snow angel! Christmas break is only 3 weeks of teaching away! I was planning today and got on a roll. I'm pretty much planned now until Christmas! That means my planning period might consist more of wedding planning than lesson planning in the next few weeks. :)

This weekend I'm going to Utila! It's an island off the North coast of Honduras. I'm going with 2 other teachers and one of their friends from the states: Gina, Nicole and Alexandria. They are fantastic and I'm excited to spend the long weekend with them. We're taking a 7-8 hour bus ride to la Ceiba and then a ferry boat ride to the island! I'm all packed and ready to go. Of course I packed everything tonight and now I'm up late before leaving at 5am. But, for those of you who know me, what's a vacation without scrambling to pack the night before, right? ;) Some things I try to change, but I'm still working on it. Hopefully I'll remember my toothbrush and PJs! It's going to be a long day of travel. Please pray for our safety! I'm ready to just sit on a bus and read a book, believe it or not! I think there's going to be a lot to do on Utila; we'll make the most of it when we get there!

I'll be thinking of all you at home this weekend and I will definitely miss the time with family and amazing food. There's some things in life that mean so much to you and distance makes it mean even more. I love you my family and friends! God bless you this Thanksgiving! I'm so thankful for the support and love I have back home!

4 weeks

It's been a while since I've written! Life has been moving by quickly. I now only have four weeks until I'm back home for Christmas! Honestly, this past week was emotional. Please pray that God may continue to give me his peace and strength as I trust in him no matter what. It's not easy with so many things happening at home and so many people that I miss so much.

But God is good, and he is blessing me here! My basketball team is into the tournament now. We are 0-6, but have come within 3-5 points twice! They have 2 games this week and 2 games the next. They've been a joy to coach! I am so grateful for the relationships built. Next week we have a half day on Wednesday for Thanksgiving and then no school Thurs/Fri. I am looking into traveling and I'm so excited! I know that I need a few days of restoration and relaxation, and some intentional time with the Lord. Please pray that travels go safely and that I may be refreshed to finish out the last month before Christmas! Teaching can be draining and I can sense that the students are in need of a break too. I am still teaching in Los Pinos at the Rock. Today we are going to teach the story of Noah's Ark... a very common story, but we will be teaching them English words and how to use Bible stories to teach other subjects such as math and science. We haven't been able to go two weeks in a row, so I'm excited to go back!

Thank you for your support and your prayers! Have a wonderful weekend! God Bless!

French Tip... Honduran Style

I went to get a manicure and pedicure today! A gift from my amazing fiance! I was going to go with the traditional French tip... simple, easy, no frills... and then I thought, why not? So I asked her what sort of design she could put on them! :) I decided to put some color on my toes too! With such a rare occasion, I figured I'd have a little photo shoot with my hands and feet :) Of course I already smudged one big toe... so only the good foot is in the picture!

Teachers have fun too... :)

This weekend was the annual Fall Party in the apartments. Everyone dressed up and got together for a potluck with AMAZING food and a costume competition. Most of the apartments and families dressed up together. We had: Ninja Turtles, Chronicles of Narnia, Recycling, John and Abigail Addams, Where's Waldo, the sun and moon, clowns, a clothes line, carwash, triathalon, Christmas tree, statue of liberty, s'more, and so much more! My apartment came as bunches of grapes! We were awarded "Fruitiest Costume." :)

Chocolate Mocha

My new favorite morning drink! Yes, it's in a Christmas mug! The students here give teachers mugs for Christmas so we have several! :)

Directions: Fill your mug 2/3 full of milk and microwave for 2 minutes or until simmering. Stir in 1 packet of hot chocolate. Top off with coffee or instant coffee mixed in hot water. Load up with marshmallows. ENJOY!

Mom's visit!

It was such a blessing to have mom here last week to visit! She walked through my days with me, going to class, eating Honduran food at the cafeteria for lunch, and then watching at basketball practice. We ate dinner with the West Michigan teachers, my apartment, and my care group three different nights. On Friday night we went to one of the best restaurants in Tegucigalpa called La Cumbre. It is on the side of a mountain overlooking Tegucigalpa, and we went on a gorgeous night! The view was fantastic, the food delicious, and the company amazing. :)


Saturday was full of experiencing Honduran life. We got up early and left for the market at 6:30. I love the market and was so glad that mom was able to experience it! We shopped around, got some fresh fruits and veggies, and then tried some pupusas and baleadas, traditional Honduran food made with tortillas, beans and cheese. In the afternoon we went across town to Los Pinos where I've taught the last couple of Saturdays. We did some more teaching English through games and music. We had more people there than last week, and also saw some improvement. It was so encouraging to see what they'd learned being put into practice.


Sunday we went to church and then got dropped off at Picacho on the way up. There's a huge statue of Christ that looks over the city there. Unfortunately we got rained on, so we ate our lunch under a Mayan Ruin replica and waited it out a bit. It was a slower day. We made pumpkin spice Lattes and did a LOT of wedding planning! It was so great to have someone to talk wedding with all week! We got so much done and talked about! If only I was getting married in 10 days rather than 10 months!





Monday was the real adventure. I had the day off, so mom and I went with four other teachers to La Tigra, a national forest. We hiked through the jungle to a beautiful waterfall! I didn't really know what to expect and therefore couldn't really prepare mom for what we were getting ourselves into... the jungle. I felt like I was in the Jungle Book the whole time! The first part of the hike was the easiest along a well kept path and then we headed deeper into the brush on a much narrower path. It was steep and muddy. (Our shoes were covered by the end.) But the 2 hours to the waterfall was well worth it! The water was falling over the edge of a cliff way above and cascading down the rock face. Susan and I took off our shoes and stuck our feet in the freezing water! It felt so good and it was so crystal clear! We ate some lunch and then headed 2 hours back to the car. On the way back to Pinares, we stopped at a gorgeous vineyard to get some jam and mora berries (giant blackberries). At night, we had some pizza with my care group and just relaxed.

Overall, what a great week! It was so amazing to have a visitor! There's some things that you just can't explain or describe about life in Honduras.

I love you mom! So glad you could come!!!

The Rock in Los Pinos

Today is hard to describe. For the second time I went to a church called The Rock, where a small school was recently started. There's 24 kids that meets in a one room cement building. They are grades K-6 and there's 3 teachers. The three teachers are recent high school grads, who attend the church.

Two weeks ago, another teacher and I met these three teachers and gave them a lesson on how to teach. We didn't quite know what to expect and prayed that the Lord would give us the words to use. We covered lesson planning, creating objectives, assessment, Bloom's Taxonomy, multiple intelligences... it brought me back to my Education classes at Calvin! We did a lot of thinking on our feet for 2 hours as we tried to guide them in their first teaching job. They were friendly and excited to learn.

Today I went back with two other teachers to teach English to the adults and the kids. There were about 15 people there. It was fantastic! Most of them didn't know any English so we started with the basics: hello, how are you, I am well, what's your name, my name is ___, etc. After a bit, we split off. Jon taught the teachers, Elizabeth taught the teenagers and adults, and I taught the younger kids. We sang songs and played games in the small area outside the church. It was rocky and uneven, with trash in the corner of the walled yard, but we had a blast! Over and over we sang "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes," walked hopped, ran, and played Simon Says. And best of all, I got more hugs than I could count. :)

What has impacted me significantly about Honduran life is the stark contrast between lifestyles of people. Here I was on the other side of Tegucigalpa and working with people on the opposite end of the socioeconomic ladder. Most people in this area are under educated, unemployed, underfed and unsaved. I fear that up here on the mountain, where the students come from the upper middle class, we risk becoming disillusioned. And I'm not just referring to Honduras by any means. In America it's the same, when we're born into middle class and live in middle class, associate with middle class, are educated in middle class... we fail to see below. We keep looking up, trying to get higher up the ladder. In Honduras, the contrast is drastic. The socioeconomic jump from lower to upper class is wide, with a gap in between where the middle class is relatively non-existant. I come from teaching in a school that is well equipped, where the students have maids, and seventh graders have blackberries... and I go to a place where kids are covered in dirt from head to toe for lack of available water, their parents dig through dumpsters to survive, and their favorite toy is a worn out volleyball with the cover stripped off that they use as a soccer ball.

What's impacted me just as much, is the similarities. Kids are kids. They love to get dirty, play hard, and laugh. Laughter comes so freely to a child. Even if you've just reprimanded them for misbehaving, once they get back into the game, they've forgotten about how sad they were two minutes before. Today, the kids laughed as they listened to our English and tried to repeat it, they laughed as I hopped around in circles with them, they laughed when they toppled over from their statue poses, and they laughed as they ate chocolate chip cookies before we left.

I praise God for the opportunity I have to touch the lives of these people. I praise God for the education I've received, that I may use it to glorify Him. And I praise God for these precious children who have already touched my heart with their innocence and their love.

Good night, God Bless.

Weather Report:

Unfortunately, people think that because Honduras is tropical, it's always sunny.

It's not.

Today started out ok. As I made my way back to my apartment after aerobics this morning, the sun was shining as it came up behind the school through the pine trees. But once it was time for my classes to start, we were walking through a cloud to the court with occasional sprinkles. Now, it's about 55 degrees, our mountain is enveloped in a cloud, and it's misting. I thought it was going to be nicer today... so I wore shorts. Bad choice. :) Most days it's nice teaching outside, but when it's like this... I have to say though, it is interesting how different people perceive cold. Here, most of the Hondurans are in stocking caps and scarves with their big winter jackets on! If only they could visit Michigan...

Creation is God's handiwork...

I had some time this afternoon to take pictures of the flowers around school! The sunset was also beautiful today!!!

Week in Review:

First of all, it's crazy that I've been here for two months! It's amazing how fast and how slow time can go, all at the same time.

Second, I feel like I'm finally able to get my way around the city. Most of the week I stay on the mountain; there's no need to go into the city, and I'm usually pretty tired after teaching all day and then basketball practice. Here's what a typical week looks like:

Monday: 5:15-6am: I lead aerobics class, 7-3: school, 6:30pm: Bible Study
Tuesday: 7-3: school, 3-5: BB practice, 7-9:pick up soccer for teachers
Wednesday: 7-3: school; 3-4:30: teacher meetings; 5:15-6pm: aerobics
Thursday: 7-3: school, 3-5: BB practice
Friday: 5:15-6am: aerobics class, 7-3: school; 3-5: BB practice; 8-9:30: Volleyball practice in the city
Saturday: I spend Friday night in the city and take the bus up in the morning around 8:30. 9-11:30am: BB practice.
Sunday: church at either Impacto or Santidad. They both start around 11, so I sleep in a bit and the past 3 Sundays I've made baked oatmeal for breakfast! :) Love it! Thanks Cami for the amazing recipe! In the evenings I have "family dinner" at another apartment.

This past weekend I spent Saturday afternoon at a birthday party for a student! I went with another teacher. It was fun to see the kids outside of school- playing soccer, eating pizza, etc. After that, my VB team had a game at 4pm. We won! It's been so fun playing with these ladies. One of them took me all the way back to Pinares after the game. The best part is getting to know Hondurans.

Today I relaxed in the sun, talked to family, and made an apple taffy pizza for dessert at family dinner! Good stuff!

Have a great week!

Family Sports Day

This past Saturday we had a family sports day to raise money for the Athletic Department. Courts were open to play volleyball, basketball and futbol. There was a bake sale and kids were able to play carnival games. It was an amazing event and tons of people came! Each basketball team played against their parents as well! My girls lost, but they had a ton of fun! The event started at 10 and went until 3. I was in charge of running the volleyball court... keeping score and encouraging people to make teams. I'd have a relaxed game of elementary school students play and then a group of intense parents and high schoolers.

The best part of the day was seeing my students outside of class. They would come up to me and give me a hug, "Mees DeeJung!" :) It was also great to meet some more of the parents. In Tegucigalpa, there aren't city parks where the students can go to and play, it's too dangerous. They don't have big backyards or sidewalks to ride bikes on... they are so limited for places to go out and play. Saturday was a day where they could come to Pinares, a safe place, and play all day. The Lord blessed us with a day of beautiful sunshine after an entire week of rain!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8Gxv9CRRVM

My mom sent this link to me today... it's so true. God has the answer. Sometimes it's not the answer we want, but we need to follow his plan. He knows what's before us and has a much greater perspective. Trust, trust, trust. We constantly try to take back control of our own lives, follow our own plans, live for ourselves. Trust in God's 'yes', and trust in God's 'no.' I rediscover each day how difficult it is... the call to go, the call to wait for what I want... but God is faithful, and he blesses us so much each day. When we open our lives and give up control, he knows exactly where to take us.

God Bless.

Birthday in Honduras!

This weekend was great! Yes, I'm now one year older, wiser, more experienced in life, etc. But besides that I had the opportunity to meet so many new people this weekend and be blessed by some of the amazing people here! Homemade cinnamon rolls and cinnamon bread were on the menu for breakfast! Then a Skype date with those I love back home as I opened a package that had been sent. The afternoon was filled with Yoga and basketball. Saturday evening was a fiesta here at the apartments for the 5 people who have birthdays within a week and a half of each other. It was great: tacos, friends, friends of friends, games and dessert (and lots of it)! Our apartment was packed with around 50-60 people! We started at 4:30 and people stayed until 11:30ish. (For us teachers that's pretty late!) Needless to say, I was a bit tired on Sunday, but had a great start to the week today. Despite the fact that it was raining and half my classes had to be in the classrooms... it went fairly well. I just pray it doesn't rain tomorrow... I'll have to start getting creative with indoor lessons! It's a lot more difficult to be active with desks and chairs in the way.

Good night and God bless!

Basketball Cancelled due to... RAIN!

Unfortunately, our first 2 basketball games have been cancelled due to rain! I don't think I've ever experienced that in the states before! Thursday we loaded the bus with the Infantil (7th-8th grade) boys team and headed to Del Campo. They have two courts so we could play at the same time, but... they're outside and were covered with water. As we waited and someone started to sweep water off an incredibly slippery court, the rain started to fall again. We decided to postpone the game to a later date. Meanwhile, the bus driver had dropped us off and left! It's normal that one drops us off and another picks us up. However, we couldn't get another bus driver right away so we hung out at Del Campo for an hour and a half! The players totally made the most of it. I taught them the tip drill, we did some ball handling, and then they started a boys vs. girls game on the wet court. Today, there was forecasted a tropical storm to hit this morning in the city. The school we were going to play cancelled yesterday and our athletic director decided to cancel practices as well so that the students in the city didn't have to travel. I'm not sure what the weather is like down there... but here on the mountain we've had rain almost all morning. It's just starting to stop. It doesn't seem too bad- just overcast. We'll see! The weather here changes so quickly sometimes!

Blessed are the flexible...

"Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape." ~Brother Teddy Turrentine

I first heard this play on the Beatitudes when I traveled to Guatemala for a week the summer after high school. It's true. How many times do we get all bent out of shape because we wanted things to go the way we had them planned? The reason this came to mind was because yesterday.... let me tell you the story:

5:45am- BEEEEEEEP..... BEEEEEEEEP. Smack as I shut off my alarm clock and roll out of bed. I get myself ready, have some fabulous leftover baked oatmeal for breakfast as I do my devotions, and then off to school.

6:55am- Teacher devotions this morning were in 3B. Every Tuesday we rotate classrooms among the elementary school to pray for each class specifically. Mr. Osberg greats us with a smile, and then the news that a tree fell over the road that goes up the mountain. The one the bus drivers take up and the buses take down... and neither had gotten thru. It was going to be a long morning.

7:20am- The teachers go to their own classrooms and I head out to the playground to help supervise the students who arrived at the normal time because they live in the neighborhood.

8:30am- Still playing soccer, basketball, jumprope, etc. So we give them a drink and snack break.

9:00am- Still playing.

9:30am- Still playing. Buses finally start to arrive.

10:00am- School begins... 2.5 hours late. :)

Needless to say, it was a long day for everyone. We have 2 hour delays in the states, but that usually means we get to sleep in. Teachers were able to get some grading done before school, but most of the kids were waiting around for a couple hours and several didn't come to school once the buses were able to pick them up.

So, moral of the story: be flexible, and make the most of whatever circumstance you're in. I was able to cherish over 2 hours of free time with students, getting to know them better and having fun. You never know what will be thrown in your path today. Enjoy it and glorify God through it!

Another Day

Another day,
another week,
more to say,
more to speak,
but...
as I teach,
may I learn,
as I reach,
may I yearn,
for...
not what's brief,
or on earth,
but for relief,
and new birth,
that...
only God
can provide,
as I trod
by his side.
So...
to you Lord
I give this day,
with your word,
enrich my way.

ENGAGEMENT PICTURES!!!

Thank you Phrene for taking our engagement pictures! Here's a few of them!
phrene.com