Pepe

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Elections have come and gone. Christmas is coming! We had a half day on Wednesday and we will go back to school tomorrow. It has been a relaxing time off. Wednesday we had quite the meal provided by the school. After lunch I, along with Steph, Stacy, and Kirsten, went to Caroline's house, a teacher who lives in the city. Wednesday afternoon and Thursday we spend hanging out in the city. Our hope was to go lay out by a pool at a nice hotel, but the weather didn't cooperate. Instead we wondered around the city finding a great little cafe and then sat poolside in our jeans and t-shirts. We did some grocery shopping and got food to make a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal. Let me tell you folks, we should open a restaurant. We make a great team and we make great food. We prepared green bean casserole, stuffing, corn, garlic bread, mashed potatoes, punch, and then for dessert apple crisp and homemade chai tea. It was amazing. On a side note, we were trying to find the french fried onions...I tried to describe them to a couple employees at the grocery store, dried, crispy onions in a can...They looked at me like I had asked for human fingers in a can. No worries though we created our own.
Friday we went to a city named Valle de Angeles. It was our own version of Black Friday. We went Christmas shopping, but not for clothes and gizmos and gadgets. It was a fun day. That afternoon we went over to our 'mom and dad's' house and made cookies and watched college football. We had to get some football in this Thanksgiving weekend.
Saturday we went shopping, saw the movie 2012...
Yesterday was elections. We needed milk so 2 of my roommates and I decided to walk down to the new grocery store to get some. We forgot that one of the voting sites was in between here and the grocery store. We walked right past it and we were in no danger. There were people from both parties there and it was completely peaceful. There were quite a few people just standing around. It wasn't at all like people thought it might be. It was peaceful. It goes to show that people just want their lives back to normal. They want change and they want to be done with what went on. Whether or not the elections are actually legit and not full of corruption is another story. The man who was elected Pepe Lobo lost to Zelaya in the 2005 elections. Honestly he doesn't give this country much hope. From what I hear, he too has corrupt tendencies. Neither one of the 2 main candidates offered much hope, but we can pray that God will work through Pepe.
I will be home in 19 sleeps. I am really, really excited to go home!!!

104-2

104-2. That my friends is the score of a basketball game. That my friends was the score of the basketball game of the team that I coach. My team was the 2. It was a humbling experience to say the least. I am coaching 9th and 10th grade girls. In the States by 9th and 10th grade, most girls have at least played at recess or in youth league. Honduras is not the States. I knew going into this that Pinares is not very competitive in basketball but I wasn't expecting 104-2. I must say I was very proud of my girls for at least scoring and keeping a great attitude. My girls have grown a lot. The next game after our 104-2 loss we came back and had the lead after the 1st quarter. The score was 3-1, but we won a quarter! I am trying to learn the tricks of the trade. I have always coached my girls that defense is played with your feet. Not here, defense is played by hugging your opponent, and hugging is not a foul. And you can jump across the line when you are shooting free throws, and you can take a step without it being travelling..Lots of fun rules. It has been a fun learning experience, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Elections...Pray, pray, pray. There is lots of talk that things are going to get ugly. They are this Sunday. The way elections work is that everyone has to go to where they were born to vote. So the roadways will be busy, that is if people are going to vote. Some of Zelaya's supporters are saying they aren't going to vote. If not enough people vote then the elections don't count, and then...I don't know. People are scared to vote because of bomb threats and fear of getting shot. Things have been so peaceful it is hard to believe that something is going to happen, but really how can something not happen? We were going to go on a little vacation but have decided against it for our own safety. Not going to the beach is very sad, but we value our lives, so we're staying put.
Last night 3 other teachers and I went to Micah Project for Sunday night worship. It was great to hang out with the boys. They show their love by trying to playfully beat us up. One minute they are resting their heads on our shoulders and the next they are trying to beat us up. There is just a lot of raw love. One thing is certain, they are growing into strong young men of Christ.
Well that's all for now folks.

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!