Reflections

Yesterday I heard a great sermon. I have been going to a church in the city center. I am not really sure what denomination it is, but I really enjoy worshipping there. The sermon was about the good Samaritan. Many of us have probably heard a sermon or two about the good Samaritan, but how many of us have taken time to allow this story to challenge us? Who are we in this story; the thief, the religious man/woman, or the Christian? Are we always wanting more for ourselves or doing things for our benefit, are we seeing and knowing but not doing, or are we looking for the needs of others and trying to meet those needs? I think a lot of times I fall into the seeing and knowing but not doing.
In my last post I mentioned that we had a sleep out to raise money and awareness for street kids. One of these projects is called The Micah Project. The Micah Project falls into seeing the need and striving to meet the needs. It was powerful because many of the project boys worshipped with us yesterday. These boys were the Jew who had been left for dead until their good Samaritan came along and bandaged their wounds and gave them a place to stay. Would I have walked right by these kids? How many street people do I walk by every single day? What am I doing to make sure I am loving my neighbor as myself?
At the sleep out a couple weeks ago I experienced a small slice of Heaven. How is sleeping outside on a soccer field Heaven? It is the interactions of the rich and the poor coming together playing soccer, frisbee, basketball...praying together and for each other. We weren't Pinares students, teachers, Micah Project boys, Transition Home girls, band members, rich, poor, we were/are all children of God laughing and playing together. We laid hands on each other and prayed for each other. Each one of us having different needs, and God hearing all of them. It was powerful.
I am left thinking about all of the kids who still need a home like Micah Project provides. UNICEF reports in 2007 there were 170,000 kids orphaned in Honduras. That is just in Honduras. These Micah Project boys left their families to live on the streets, many of them while living on the streets became addicted to sniffing yellow glue. These boys had nothing. These boys were and are loved. They were hungry and were fed, they were thirsty and given something to drink, they were naked and given clothes. Am I loving my neighbor as myself?
"'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' ...'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, "GO and DO likewise."' Luke 10:36-37

Oh Where Oh Where Did October Go?!

Hard to believe it is November. That means I go home next month! So what in the world has been going on over here...

Well life is busy and about to get busier. No complaints though. We finally finished a quarter of school. It took a couple extra weeks but we got it in. We have been going to school everyday except October 15 for the celebration of Honduras making it to the World Cup. US citizens were pretty popular after the US soccer team scored a last second goal, tying Costa Rica putting Honduras above Costa Rica to make it to the World Cup. It was very nice to have a day off. No more days off hopefully till Thanksgiving!

Our first basketball game is next week. We have a lot to learn before then. It is going well though and the girls are great.

2 weekends ago we had a leadership retreat. There were a few students and Bible Study leaders that participated in the retreat. We prayed for each student by name. Were challenged to serve and be the leaders, and got little sleep!

Last weekend we had a sleep out. The sleep out was a fundraiser, awareness raiser for street kid ministries. The students found sponsors and for every hour they slept out on the soccer field they had someone sponsoring them. We had about 40 students that participated in the events. We had activities planned like making games and sculptures out of garbage, praying for kids that have been taking in by different ministries, playing games with the kids from the ministries, worshipping, sleeping on cardboard boxes on the field...It was a impacting experience for them. I too learned a lot from the experience. At one point during the night 2 boys from the Micah Project were sharing their testimonies of being rescued off the streets. When they were asked what they want to be when they grow up they both responded that they want to help the poor people just like how they were helped. How many of us want to have jobs that will make our lives more comfortable? These boys challenged me.

Last Saturday we went to the feeding center again. We went to a different one than the first time. The kids at this one were so affectionate and loved crawling up on our laps. I hope to be able to go on a regular basis.

Last night butternut squashes were carved. We couldn't find pumpkins but we had fun carving the squashes, making homemade chai tea, eating pumpkin bread and watching Charlie Brown Halloween.

Last week was spiritual emphasis week having chapels every day. Our prayer is that hearts were touched. The week before that was 24-7 prayer. Many of the kids really embraced that. It is good to see kids alive for Christ. Others are not so alive for Christ. There are many kids who do not feel the need for Jesus. There are many kids that have so many earthly belongings why would they need a God to provide for them? It is a battle we are fighting!

Tomorrow soccer starts. Monday and Saturdays I'll be coaching soccer. Tuesday and Fridays-Basketball. Wednesday-meetings. Thursdays-Bible Studies. All good stuff.

This past Thursday was Colby's birthday. He turned one. I got to be there for most of the party via Skype. I am so thankful for Skype. Colby is getting WAY to big WAY too fast. I can't wait to go home and chase after him! And the best news that was shared this month is that come this spring I will have another little nephew or niece to love to pieces. Life is good. God is good!

The Busyness Has Begun

This weekend my roommate Steph came up with the idea of making a movie "A Day in the Life of a Gringa". Being a gringa here can be rather entertaining. Everywhere, yes everywhere, we go we are noticed and called at and talked to. 'Where are you from?' 'I love you.' You are beautiful.' Saturday, Steph and I were on a rapidito, a little bus, and before we even left the city a man asked Steph where she was from. Her response was the United States. His response 'California or Carolina?' The conversation went on...Parting words from the man to Steph...'I love you sir. Jesus love you.' We laugh... Same rapidito ride another man gets on and introduces himself as Mel Zelaya. He was very drunk...Anyway, again he asks us lots of questions and tells us about 20 times that we are beautiful and to be careful. He also told us we would be waiting a long time for our princes to come because there are a lot of bad men. You might thing all this attention would be flattering...it isn't...it is entertaining though! One of these days maybe we will make a movie...
Yesterday was the Honduras vs. USA soccer game for qualifiers for World Cup '10. The US is at the top of this region of the world. Honduras isn't too far behind. You all should check it out. Anyway, US smoked Honduras when they played in Chicago, but Honduras hasn't lost at this stadium in 2 years. It was a great game. USA won 3-2. If you didn't watch it, you missed a great game with many near goals by Honduras.
This past week was busy. Basketball on Tuesday and Friday was rather entertaining. These girls did not grow up playing basketball. A few of them couldn't even hit the backboard doing layups. But we will improve and we will have fun! Wednesday was meetings and a planning session for an upcoming Sleep Out. The Sleep Out is a fundraiser where the students and staff members, like me, will be sleeping out on the soccer field. The students get people to support them for every hour they sleep out on the field. The money goes to organizations that work with street kids. It will hopefully be an impacting time. Thursday was Bible Study. We only had 4 11th grade girls but they are great girls. Friday after basketball was Living Out Loud, LOL. LOL is a youth group type thing for a students. The students who go seem to like it!
So that was my week. Not too exciting. There was a lot of laughing with my students. A lot of saying prayers for patience. I am ready for another week!
Keep praying for this country. Our rights have not been given back to us. The meetings with the OAS did not get too far. Neither side is willing to compromise. So we will see what happens. Something will happen before elections which is November 29. Things are peaceful which we are grateful for!

Kids...

Today I was teaching one of my Pre-Algebra classes and we hear a branch crack and fall to the ground. We look out the window and there is Jose, our awesome maintenance man, in the tree with his machete "trimming" the tree. He whacked that tree apart. One Honduran boy raises his hand and says "Miss, this wouldn't happen in the States. They would just use a chainsaw." This is the same boy who before the test raises his hand and says "Miss, I can't study anymore because if I study more my brain will get all wrinkly, and then it will shrivel and then I won't be smart. I saw it on Discovery Channel." Have I mentioned that these kids are pretty funny?
Progress reports go out on Friday. Every 7th grader gets one. My grades are all updated, so it shouldn't be too much work right? I wish...we are in the stone ages here folks. We get to hand write them, and not only do we get to hand write them we get to use carbon paper so the office can have a copy too. I have all week to do them, it won't be that bad...It really just makes me smile!
Life is getting back to normal here. Supposedly our rights will be given back to us tomorrow. The city is pretty peaceful. Last week we went down into the city and got pedicures. The following day we went to the mall and movie theater. So all in all, life goes on.
Basketball FINALLY gets to start tomorrow! I am pretty excited about that. Rumor has it that the girls here are not good, at all. It will be a fun challenge. Bible Study will also start for real this week. Last Thursday we had an initial meeting during a lunch period. This Thursday we will actually go to the other leader's house after school. I am really excited to connect with all these girls! Pray that we can continue with all these after school activities!

Life Goes On

Life does go on. After waiting 3 weeks, my kids finally were able to take their first test. After 3 weeks a student admitted she thought my name was Miss Murder. :) After 3 weeks my students are back wanting hugs and ready to learn. It has been good for all of us to be back in school. Things are settling down in the country. Might be the calm before the storm. There still is no resolution. Zelaya is still in the Brazilian Embassy. We still don't have our freedom of speech etc. It isn't over, but we continue on. We are enjoying not feeling stuck on the school compound, taking walks up the mountain. We still don't venture down into the city as we had before, but we'll take what we can get. Radio and TV stations have been shut down because of the suspending of our rights. People are being arrested. Other countries are hurting too...In Guinea they are experiencing something almost identical to Honduras. The former president of Peru was sentenced to jail for 6 years for his corrupt behavior. There is the frightening earthquake and tsunami by Sumatra. There are all the deaths in the Philippines with the flooding...There is a little girl born at 28 weeks fighting for her life in Thailand. We live in a broken hurting world, but we have a God who is so much bigger than all of this. We have a God who is looking out for us. That is where we put our trust. I have been asked if I or my colleagues are second guessing being here. I for one am not, and I have not heard from others that they are. We all trust that God has put us here at this time and He will watch out for us. We know that God is bigger than the situation at hand. Thank you for praying with me and for me. We certainly do feel the prayers! Continue to pray!