Happenings:

What a great holiday we had... Yesterday our school celebrated International Day. Going into the night I had no idea what to expect. We had no school on Friday as we spent the whole day decorating. One really cool thing about preparing for an evening like that is that here people are so laid back they don't get stressed out over stuff. It was a very relaxing atmosphere to prepare it.
For the evening each class represented a different country. They prepared a display table and many of the classes prepared a special thing to do to show off their country. The 1st graders represented America. They all said in English different facts; it was very cute.
I was able to meet many of the children's parents. I enjoyed this a lot. I was able to communicate with them as well. Although by the end of the night I was so tired I had no idea what I was saying any more. A couple of the parents didn't come. This made me sad. Because these are kids that it seems that their parents don't care a lot for them. One boy told me that he lived by himself. I couldn't believe this. I think what he meant is that he lives with his mom, but she has to work all the time so he can go to this private school. So he is literally by himself all day and almost all night long. Here people work 7 days a week.
I was able to talk with one parent who is a believer. It was encouraging to fellowship a little with here. She bought my dinner which was really nice too :).
Something that we have noticed about the culture here. Is that women are taken care of in the sense that men do the hard laborous jobs and provide for the women. But emotional women are tore down so low that they are made to believe they are not worth much. So the women look down on those that are lower than them so that they feel better about themselves. For example, after the evening we began to clean up. There was trash everywhere so I got a broom and Laura and I started sweeping. We were told not to do this because it was the maid's job. There was so much garbage that it would take her forever to clean it up. But we noticed that really none of the other teachers talk with the maids. How sad. God loves us all so much that He made us special to Him. He loves all people.
My prayer is that I will be able to allow these people to see God's love through me. Especially these ones that have nothing.

Let the little children come

Tonight while sitting and talking with my parents on skype at Dunkin Donuts.. two little boys came in and were hungry. At first the cashier chased them away. But they came back again. I had decided that if they came back I was going to buy them some food. When they came back the 2nd time I was talking with my parents. The guard tried to shoo them away. My friend Laura told the guard that the boys were coming with us...actually I have no idea what she said..but he left and she brought the boys in. We bought them some food from Burger King and Dunkin Donuts. As they sat there with us..my parents were about to say hi to them on skype...and then we talk with them for a while. They are from the River...which means they basically live in cardboard boxes by the river. We shared a little about how God loves them, then they had to go.
There are so many people that are destitute here. I know that I cannot help all of them. As I was reminded by a friend recently, we were commanded to give to those in need who ask of us.
These little boys reminded me of my state before God. I have nothing to give him but my love, and that doesn't even amount to much. "But God demonstrated His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us."

You know you are an American teacher in Honduras when: When you start dripping sweat the minute you walk outside the air conditioning. When people where hats, gloves, and winter coats in 70 degree weather. When you are stared at everywhere you go because you stick out like a sore thumb. When you can't flush toilet paper down the toilet. When there are no doors on the bathrooms. When you kiss and hug strangers everyday. When you are given many hugs. When people are so giving they will give you anything even if they don't have it. When you walk down the street and are not surprised to hear people yelling, "Hey Baby" out of their windows. When you want to go to Burger King not because of the food or internet service but because of the Air Conditioning. When your students say, "You hair looks more jello today," because they say their "y" like "j" and are meaning yellow. When you eat chicken or refried beans for every meal. When Ice Tea has become your favorite drink. When you don't do you hair because it will look like you haven't done it in 5 minutes anyway. When a Baleada has become your favorite food. When you get so excited to sleep in a room with air conditioning that you you go to bed early When ordering fast food you memorize the order of the questions they ask because you don't understand what they are saying. When you see one of your students everywhere you go. When you are amazing because you are from the same country as the the American Soccer team. When everyone from the grandmas to the babies have a national soccer jersey. When you can talk to anyone you meet about soccer and they will know details to the core. When anytime you say, "Let's pray" people stand out of respect. When the only place you can hang out with other people is the mall or Burger King. When dogs run into the school and people aren't really surprized. When restaurants are always clumped together. When the thought of wearing pants makes you sweat so you choose a skirt even if it is the most causal outing. When you respond to the child who says, "Miiiss,Miiiss," and you don't correct them to say ,"Miss Bethany or Miss Laura" When you are hanging out with your fellow teachers and call them Miss Pamela or Mr Daniel. When dogs lay in the middle of the road even when there are cars. When your students have to translate so that you can talk to their parents. When people wear English shirts they don't understand the written just because it is an English shirt. When you pretend to exchange hair with a different person every weekend because they want "yellow" hair. When you have to pull toilet paper off the wall before you go into to the stall to use the bathroom and if you forget...you better hope you can speak spanish. When you are at the beach and order soup and are served soup with lobster legs hanging out, a whole fish minus the eyes, snails, chopped up squid, and a hammer to open the fish up. What many different things we have experienced here. Some have been good...others well they sure make it an experience.

Pray Pray Pray...

Prayer Request...tomorrow night 10/24/09 we are watching the movie Fireproof at our church. We have invited a couple of the teachers to come. One of the teachers that just got saved is coming and so is her ex husband...I am praying for them to get back together and for his salvation. Please pray that God will work in her heart and in his. Also there is another teacher coming with her husband. She just got saved recently too, but he needs the Lord. They are having marriage problems as well. Pray that God will do mighty things. I am excited to see what He will do. Thanks for all your prayers and encouraging notes. I love to hear from you all and what God is doing in your lives. I am so glad for the connection that we have in Christ!!!

Slowing learning :)

This has been a nice week. I am learning Spanish more and more... The other night we were visiting some people and everyone was speaking in Spanish. I was able to switch back and forth between people's conversations and understand the conversations!!! I didn't know every word. But I understood what the conversations was about and what was being said. This made me so excited. I have no idea how it works that our minds can learn like this, but I am very thankful that God has given me the ability to do this!!! Also today I was able to share my testimony with a lady for the first time in Spanish!!! Praise God. I still have much to learn, but I am understanding some. I am very excited. Estoy mucho imocional!!!

Gringos vs. Carachos What a Crazy Night!!!

Yesterday was a day to remember!!! We went to a US national game!!! I never thought that I would do that! They were playing Honduras, and it was very VERY interesting... I am so glad that I had the opportunity. Right when we got out of the van to walk to the stadium... It decided to down pour... so there we were running through the rain the "Gringos" :). The rain kept dripping in my eyes so that I could not see. I grabbed on to Laura and closed my eyes and ran. It was pretty scary running blindly in the rain. We got into the entrance and there were lines everywhere to get into the stadium. One line saw us with our Honduras' jerseys on and start cheering for us, "Gringos, Gringos" and blowing their horns and yelling really loud. It made me laugh. We had left the house at 1 pm or so and got there at 2. The game didn't start until 8pm!! As soon as we got in line under a building it stopped raining...We were drenched!
So there we were waiting in line for next hour and a half to get into the stadium. So much excitement was in the air. The whole country was into the game for seriousness. Massive crowds of people were everywhere. To get into the stadium you had to push into this narrow area. Seriously you had to push to fit. Finally we all got into the Stadium. I had to go to the bathroom really really bad.. I decided I will always be thankful for US bathrooms no matter how bad they are... these were...well way worse would be an understatement.
We got into arena. The seats were only cement steps that you sat where you could. It was so loud because of the excitement. Everyone was cheering as loud as they could, and the game was not to start for 4 more hours!!!! When everyone would jump up and down the cement would shake. It was pretty crazy! So for 4 hours we cheer and cheered and cheered some more. Probably my favorite thing of the whole night was watching the excitement of the Hondurans. It actually made me think of Heaven. I wonder what the excitement level will be there when we see God if these Hondurans get this excited over a soccer game!
Well we got water, and who knows what else dumped all over us! I was watching the game with a person less than 2 inches in front of me!! It was crazy! When Honduras made their first goal everyone went crazy I got pushed and almost fell down the step! It was so fun to watch.
I had been planning on cheering for Honduras because if they won they were going to be able to go to the World Cup, this would have been the first time since 1982 that they have been in it. But when the US team arrived, my mind changed. There is a loyalty to my country that I really didn't know existed in my heart. So sometimes outwardly I would cheer for Honduras. But in my heart i would be cheering for the US!
Anyway I could go on and on about the different things that happened, but I don't think that my words are able to describe the experience. The US did end up winning 3-2...now how many of you that are reading this knew that...That was the saddest part for me. I was glad that the US won. But every Honduran was heartbroken sad. Laura said to me, "In the United States most people don't even care about this, but here these people it was there life!" She was so right. I felt really bad.
Anyway, I tried to describe some of the excitement, but I really don't think that words can describe what took place. I am so glad that I was able to go! But it sure was quite an experience.

From Death to Life!!!!

What excitement!!!! There is a girl that Laura and I met when we first moved here. Her name is Pamela. Laura has been able to share the gospel with her, and on last Friday I was able to share the gospel with her as well. Yesterday, she came and hung with me at Burger King for awhile. We started talking more. And she shared with me that on Friday when she went home, she had asked Jesus to clean her heart!!! I was so excited. We talked for a hour or more about things of the Lord. The Holy Spirit has given her great understanding. She had many questions and as we read the scriptures together she understood so much. This made me so excited! We are going to began a Bible Study together! Praise God for the life that He has given us. We are no longer dead, but we are alive in Him!!!!