Que rico!

Today I praise God for flavor and that I am blessed with sense of taste. How often do we take for granted the fact that we can taste what we eat! Dippin' Dots was at Family Fun Day today and it had been a long time since I'd had one. Cookies-n-Cream was definitely a good choice!

FAMILY FUN DAY!

I remember going to Family Fun Night in elementary and middle school every year. Carnival games in all of the classrooms, cake walk, candy, winning prizes, eating pizza... today was Family Fun Day at Pinares! The high school students are in charge of the games and all of the proceeds go to the school. It was out on the soccer field under huge tents. There were tons of different kinds of foods, games, candy, the Orbitron, a bazaar selling used items (I bought a purse for $2.50), futbolito in the gym, and people everywhere! Praise God for a beautiful day and a great time for everyone!





The girls I am with here are the seniors on my volleyball team. They are fantastic!







One of the games was to throw water balloons at teachers and other students. I took my turn from 12:30-1 and several of my students came to throw water balloons at me. We stood behind this fence which had barbed wire on the top that popped the balloons easily. This picture is from the last time slot of the day and a bunch of elementary kids are behind the fence with our principal, Mr. Osberg! As you can see, he also took advantage of the hair styling booth!


This is one of my Pre-Kinder students on the Orbitron! There was a line all day for the ride. I also got to hang out with Simon for part of the day. He's eating a charamusca, a frozen treat in a bag- kind of like a popcycle.

Friday!

Yes, today was one of those days... you know, when you feel like you're really trying but no matter how patient you are, how many times you remind, it doesn't make any difference... when you stop and look at the situation as an outsider and think: this is chaos... when you blow your whistle and they look at you for a second and then keep talking, laughing or pushing each other...

Day 2: Today I praise the Lord for his peace in the times of chaos, whether it's the minor chaos of the classroom or major life changes. This is a picture I took at our cottage this winter when everything was so still and covered in a fresh blanket of snow.

The Season of Lent

"God created the universe—from galaxies to water spiders. He created the breeze that calms us and the hurricane that terrifies us. All of it is to show us what he is like, to display his glory and personality. BUT people have let themselves be blinded to the truth. Some take all of God’s creation for granted and say it just got there somehow—no need for God. Others worship the things that were created and don’t see God behind it." (Check out the full devotional at Desiring God: Lenten Lights.)

Aren't we all blinded at times? Don't we all walk past incredible pieces of God's creation and take it for granted? I don't believe that it just got there 'somehow,' but I still encounter God's creation every day all around me and forget to give thanks, forget to praise the Lord of the universe! For Lent this year, it is my goal to post a picture a day that represents something that I praise the Lord for, something that is a piece of his creation which I don't want to take for granted. It is my prayer that my eyes will be opened to more of his beauty around me and that I may use this as heartfelt worship. I also pray that you may be blessed by the pictures.

Day 1: I praise the Lord for the sky. Here in Honduras the sky is absolutely beautiful... and HUGE! The clouds float across the clear blue sky in the day and the stars shine against the black canopy at night. When I lay on the ground and try to comprehend the expanse of the sky, I cannot help but be in awe of the one who created it.

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." Psalm 19:1 (ESV)

The Rock!

Last week Monday we had the day off so I had the opportunity to go back to the Rock where I had taught English classes last fall. Brei, who is studying here at ALP this semester was able to come with me. The kids, as always, were adorable! The kindergarten had just gotten done with making their hand prints with blue paint.




Besides the progress in learning that I notice, including new books and more supplies, I was amazed at all the progress that had been done in the last couple of months on the building! What used to be one big room with a bumpy yard in front... they've now flattened out the yard and built 3 new classrooms! Although they still need doors windows and electricity, they are a huge blessing and are helping incredibly! The number of students has also increased from 24 to around 36! When we had gone before to teach the English classes, Julie and I were really praying about what the Lord's purpose in our teaching was. Knowing that we couldn't commit long term, it was difficult to see where it was headed and we prayed that the Lord would bless our efforts. And yes, Lord is faithful and works through everything. The English classes have not only continued, but they have increased! Another teacher from the International School in Tegucigalpa has taken over the classes and they have a regular attendance of around 40 people every Saturday from 1-3pm! I talked with the pastor and he was very encouraging, saying that we had planted a seed that was continuing to grow.

The rest of the afternoon we were able to walk through some of the neighborhood and meet people from the church in their homes. We walked up and down the mountainside between homes and up stairs for most of the afternoon, meeting people where they were at. Our guide through the neighborhood was a former gang leader who is now following the Lord. The neighborhood is still run by gangs and an incredible amount of violence occurs there. We were safe with our guide who is still highly respected throughout the area, but it broke my heart to hear their stories. Please pray for the people of Villa Nueva, that they may see Christ through the lives of people seeking to bring them the gospel, and that they may seek the Lord as well.

BAGOPE: bugs and gnats on people everywhere

Last weekend we had the amazing opportunity to go on a retreat to Bagope, a camp on the shores of Lago Yajoa. All of the high school and elementary teachers and their families went. We stayed in cabins, ate amazing food, and had a fantastic 3 days of worshipping together and growing together in the Lord. There were definitely bugs and gnats everywhere, but we kept the bug spray handy!


Saturday we went on excursions and I went to Pulapanzak. There is a beautiful waterfall there that a group of us walked under and behind! It was amazing! Feeling the power of the water coming down as we walked through it and the pull of the current against our legs as we walked through the pools... God is so powerful! His majesty is displayed everywhere. I couldn't help but bust out in song to "Eres Todo Poderoso" (You are all powerful)

cLaSh DaY!

Last Thursday was a color day, meaning the students get to dress out of uniform, and Thursday was a clash day! It was hilarious some of the things students (and teachers) wore! On top of that, we had a lady come and sell ice cream during lunch! Yum! It was a super fun day and a great way to end the week before a long weekend! Some of the girls really got into the layers and colors!
It started to rain during lunch so soccer got a little messy :)

Enjoying some ice cream!
The Kindergarten had a transportation parade where they got to march through the school showing off their gigantic art pieces showing the different forms of transportation!