Inauguration

Well today is a day that could potentially be crazy. If it is, I will have no clue unless I watch the news. We are safely tucked away on top of this mountain. Today President Pepe is going to be sworn into office. You may remember that I met president Pepe. Which is the picture to the left. He seems like a nice enough guy, but politics here are corrupt. Sadly that is just the way it is. Many say that in the first 2 weeks of Pepe being president, this country will be bankrupt. Honduras is a poor nation to begin with, the 3rd poorest in the Western Hemisphere behind Haiti and Nicaragua. Speaking of Haiti, my heart is just breaking for Haiti. The images and the stories just tug on my heart. How many of you wish you could go help? I know I do! I know that some of you know people that are there helping and they are in my prayers!

Back to Honduras...So this isn't just a normal inauguration because the president handing down the power is President Micheletti who took over in June when Zelaya was overthrown. On a side note, Micheletti came to school for a visit 2 weeks a go. Here are a few pictures of that day.

He was amazing with the kids giving autographs, shaking hands. It was pretty awesome. The most touching moment is when he asked to speak with Guilianna, the daughter of the man who was in charge of the fight against drugs and was murdered. He was so sweet with her, stroking her hair while they spoke. It brought many to tears. It was a very special day for many of the kids. It wasn't special for all the kids as they are still on team Zelaya. People are very passionate about politics here. I guess you can kind of compare it to athletics passion in the states. You don't just switch sides, you are loyal. So kids refused to see Micheletti. even though he is the current president. I know I forget to think about Zelaya, and his family and what they are going through. Zelaya's cousin is a teacher at our school. She and Zelaya were raised together. He is like her brother and it has been hard on her to watch him go through this stuff. Seeing her struggle snaps me back to reality. He is a person, just like you and me. The reason today could get interesting is because Mel will be leaving the country to the Dominican Republic. He may never get to see people close to him again after today. How he is getting to the DR, I am not sure. But he has political asylum. Some of his loyal followers will rally and show their support as he leaves, and whether or not this will cause problems, we will discover today. So we will see what happens. I am writing this laying in bed enjoying the day off. Many of the streets will be blocked off so our buses cannot pass so we cannot have school. I know, if seems like we never have school.

So what else has been going on since I've been back? I am coaching soccer. Thankfully we are better at soccer than we are at basketball. No embarrassing beat downs! I got to chaperone a trip to an orphanage. It was a great afternoon. The sad thing about the system here is that once you are in certain orphanages you cannot be adopted. So the kids at this orphanage will be there till they are 18 and can live on their own. We were told that 3 kids a year are adopted internationally. I went to the feeding center last week. The kids were SO excited to see us as they now remember us. School is going great. My students make me laugh every day. Life is good.

There is a lot of hurting going on around the world. I have a friend in Jos, Nigeria and they are experiencing conflict between the Christians and Muslim. The hurt in Haiti that we can't wrap our minds around. The Ethiopian plane crash, the plane crash with 2 Hope College students. The tension in Kenya...But through it God is faithful. He will provide. There is a lot of joy in this world too. When I look at this picture, my heart fills with joy. I have much to be thankful for!