Rainy Season

When we arrived in Honduras I thought we were in the middle of rainy season.  It would rain almost every evening.  But then October came.  I have never seen so much rain and MUD!  I took a few pictures one day on our way home from church.  We were headed back up the mountain and it felt like we were driving up a river.  If we ever bought a car here it would have to be an SUV of some sort.  Small cars were struggling.  During these few weeks of constant rain roads washed away in parts of Tegucigalpa, people were flooded out of their homes (further down the mountain), and everything appeared to turn to mud.

It seemed that everyday at around 10:50 am it started to pour down rain which was right before our recess time, and my poor students (actually poor teachers) couldn't go outside to get their energy out. I took a picture during one of our indoor recess times.  It looked like a river was running through the middle of their soccer field.

Tim and I had to wear our rain boots to school a couple times because our road was pure mud and very slick.  Some people slid on the road when they tried to walk to the school gate.  Thankful we live right across from the gate so we don't have to walk on the road very far.

I know these pictures are hard to see but it's just because they were taken inside a car and it was pouring down rain. :-)

I wouldn't buy a small car while in Honduras.

Lots of traffic and lots of water rushing down the hill.  There is actually a small ditch on the right side of the road that is for the water.  Clearly, it was overwhelmed in the storm.

This is our road.  Once you get around the curve (where the other car is) the ALP houses begin. 

The top left side of the picture is part of the soccer field.  There are little streams flowing through it after a hard rain.  This is our recess time.  :-( Poor kids!

It's hard to see in the picture but top part of the side walk is a huge puddle of water.  My kids enjoyed jumping in it when we were headed to the buses.  (And there is a river running down the hill.)

I LOVE MY JOB!

I LOVE teaching here in Honduras and especially at ALP.  These students are so sweet!  I finally took pictures of them and wanted to share.

They're all working so hard!

Math Groups

Aren't they cuties!!  I enjoy going to work every morning to teach these students.  Everyday I learn something new about them.  They LOVE it when I share stories about my life and family back in the states.  These students find joy in the simplest things like having homemade cookies as a reward or an extra 10 minutes of recess.  Teaching at this school has brought back my love for teaching.  The stress level is so low compared to how I felt back in the states.  I praise the Lord everyday for giving me the opportunity to teach here in Honduras!

Thoughts from a year ago...

The other day I went through the documents I've saved on my computer and I found a "journal" entry.  I wrote it about a year ago, and at the time I was uneasy about my job and with the reduction in force taking place in NC.  I was on the list (or so I thought).  It was a stressful period, but God gave me peace right when I needed it.  Ironically enough, I wrote this about five months before we even heard about ALP.

Here are my thoughts from a year ago...

The possibility of me losing my job in less than year is not a scary thought.  It’s actually quite exciting!  When Tim “lost” his job a year ago it was frightening at the time, but looking back we see that God had plans for us that we just didn’t see.  Tim and I have grown closer to each other  as well as to God during this time.  Losing my job would open up the possibility for a new ministry.  God may be closing the door to my ministry at Newport Elementary but a new opportunity will arise, whether here in North Carolina, the United States, or another country.  I don’t know what the future holds but if my time is limited at Newport, then I need to get busy and share the good news of the gospel as much as I can. 

Acts 11:17 – In chapter 11 of Acts, Peter is explaining why he went and ministered to the Gentiles and how they were filled with the Holy Spirit.  In verse 17 he gives a flat statement that no one can argue with.  “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”  Applying this to my life my statement would be, “If God has closed the door to this job, who am I to complain or worry about the next step in our lives?  Who am I to stand in God’s way of leading my life where He wants me?  Isn’t that what I’ve been praying for all my life?”  Yes this job loss is scary because I don’t know where or what we will do next, but God knows!  That should be comforting enough for me. 

Speaking of radical statements, the men and women of the Bible gave up what they had (family, money, jobs, and so on) to serve God fully.  I’ve prayed for God to use me how and where He sees fit.  This is God answering that prayer!