Weekend Update

March 6, 2013

This past weekend Lenny’s sisters were flying in.  To provide Kara some company and for the chance to visit the grocery store, Brooke and I decided to travel to San Pedro with Kara.  Albin drove us in one of his trucks.  When we arrived we went to a giant grocery store that had everything you could imagine.  It was even better than the Wal-Mart in Tegucigalpa.  We were able to get fresh vegetables and fruits, cheese and some snack foods.  The three of us were completely mesmerized and Albin just kind of laughed at us.  It was a reminder of life in the states and how different things are here in La Union.  We spent an hour wandering every aisle so as not to miss anything and when we finally checked out we had a heaping cart full.  The next stop was the airport where we picked up Hannah and Jackie and had some lunch at Wendy’s.  I inhaled ½ a cheeseburger and ½ a chicken sandwich (Kara and I split them because we couldn’t decide which one), fries and an oreo frosty.  It was amazing to have food like that and we were all very happy.  Hannah and Jackie just sat and laughed at us because we were so elated by Wendy’s, something that probably would never happen in the states. 

Typical of Honduras our great day had to have a kink in it.  While we were gone it was raining in La Union which meant that the roads had become very muddy.  On the way home Albin stopped to ask someone what the shortcut road was like into La Union.  This road is shorter and much steeper both up and down.  Of course we soon learned that the guy had lied.  We got stuck in the mud and being a typical Hondruan and typical man, Albin said that he refused to turn around, we had to make it up the mountain and then he could slowly get us down.  So basically we had to get out and push the truck up the mountain.  It was quite a sight, 5 gringas pushing a truck up a muddy mountain.  We fell and slipped in the mud.  By the time we finally made it up I had mud all over my jeans, inside and outside my Toms and it was even in my hair.  Here is a picture of what our shoes looked like when we got home. 

Of course once arriving home, we found the fair in full swing.  There were people everywhere, along with loud music and lots of food.  I retired early on Saturday night but on Sunday we had dinner made by Brooke on top of Albin’s house (the terrace) overlooking all the fair had to offer.  We hungout, rode the ferris wheel which looks like it was rejected by the US 10 years.  It was a little sketch but we survived.  We watched the crowning of the fair queen which happened to be one of our 8^th grade students and then went home to prepare ourselves for the week.  Since our houses are all so close to the park (where the fair is) the past week has been full of noise.  Every night they play loud music until about 9:30 and we were even woken up by fireworks and music at 3:30am on Sunday morning.  Most of the fair has finally left and we are grateful to have our quiet and our streets back. 

Gladness

March 5, 2013

First of all, I am very excited that it is March because it means I am getting so much closer to seeing my family and best friend on Roatan.  It is currently only 2 ½ weeks away!  Since my last post showed some anger and frustration, I wanted to be sure to fill you all in on what keeps me going and brings me joy.  The title of this post comes from an activity that Kara, Heather and I did with the 11^th grade girls.  The girls have been coming over on every other Tuesday night and we hangout with them.  This gives them a chance to use and practice their English and a chance for us to get to know them a little bit more.  They all have very shy personalities and it doesn’t help that the 11^th grade boys are all very outgoing and tend to overpower the girls in class when it comes to attention.  This past week we did and activity called Empty The Jug.  You divid a piece of paper into 4 squares and in the first one you write everything that you feel mad about.  After a few minutes of writing you move on to things making you sad, then glad, and lastly anxious.  They then paired up and shared some of their feelings with a partner.  This was a fun experience and it was great to see them interact and share things with their classmates.  It reminded me though of some of the things here in Honduras that I have really been enjoying and that’s when I realized I better share some of those things.  Tuesday nights with the 11^th grade girls are definitely on the list.

Another thing that has recently started is basketball practice.  I am coaching the girls team with the help of Brooke and I love it.  I have really missed being in the gym and working with athletes.  The girls have a lot to learn and it is similar to watching 3^rd graders play, but I still enjoy the time I get to spend with them.  Most of my time has been spent either at school or with the other American teachers so it is nice to get out of both of those roles and to do something different.  I also get to see all of my students learn something other than science and see them compete with each other and also work together at the same time. 

I have one student who continues to amaze me.  I know I have talked about him before, but it is worth saying again.  He only learned English a year ago and yet he is thriving in all of his classes.  After only a year of foreign language I could not imagine taking classes like World History, Biology and Algebra 2.  He is completely dedicated to his studies and is an all around great person even outside of school.  I sat and talked to him one day about his goals for the future and he told me that his dream would be to study in the states.  While his english is good, it is not good enough for the test that is required to study in the states.  After some thinking and discussion with Kara we concluded that if he could spend some time in the States practicing his english then he weould be able to improve enough to make an attempt at the test.  So we were on a mission.  Kara’s dad is a pastor at a chuch in Holland, Mi and every summer they hire about 12 high school interns who work with neighborhood kids, teach Sunday school, help with vacation bible school and work with one of the mission groups.  Kara talked to him about the possibility of sending our student there for the summer and he thought it would be a great idea.  So, we worked with him to fill out an application and send it off.  The group that chooses the interns meets on March 10 to make their decision so we have been hoping and praying that he gets this opportunity to continue to learn and practice his English.  He is a student that can do great things and I am hoping that this will give him even more potential. 

I also must say that the friendships with teachers and students I have made here have been a great source of joy and happiness.  I have enjoyed getting to know each and every person and I couldn’t be happier that they were put here with me.  Our similar experiences have only brought us closer and the company is great.  I have learned so much from them about the world, myself and others and I know that if any one of them was not here our family would be incomplete. 

Very lastly, the upcoming adventures that we have planned are keeping me thinking positively.  This weekend we will be heading to Gracias to go ziplining.  Lenny’s 2 sisters are on their spring break and are here visiting so we thought we would show them Gracias and give them experience they won’t forget.  We will also be having dinner at the place we found last time we were there that had the most amazing chicken wings.  Then shortly after that trip will be our trip to Roatan where we can soak up the sunshine, snorkel on the reef, swim with whale sharks and eat lots of great food. 

By continuing to remind myself of the positive things that are happening in my life, I can deal with the frustrations of being here.  I constantly remind myself the effect a positive outlook can have and continue to look for things that bring me comfort and joy.