Highlights

Mountains of work stand in the way of me journaling all sorts of fun stories, but I'll get there and it will be so fun to relax into detailing the memories. In the meantime, today deserves a few shout-outs.

• After half the words from 2Bs door were scattered around the hallway Monday morning, I am happy to report the wind tunnel was no match for my glue/tape combo and the door was found intact this morning.
• The cauliflower was looking great at the market--sadly a rare enough occasion and warrants making this list.
• A new Barnabas team brought a care package from Mom and Dad--thanks guys!!! I'm cozy in the sweatshirt (it has been COLD!) and Maryann enjoyed some hot chocolate with fun colored marshmallows. You guys spoil us, and we love it :)
• I translated at a church service tonight, and the sermon was all about the power of positive thinking. Look at that!
• After the service someone told me they could feel my excitement through the translation, which...well I took that as quite the compliment, and it honestly gets me a little goosebumpy.
• I made up a word (yes, I realize goosebumpy is not a word) during the translation because I couldn't think of the exact word in English, but luckily a few people on the team corrected me. I blushed into the mike and laughed confessing, "And I teach English!" 
• Eric from 2B was the first to recognize the nouns in a picture in English class today, and he used a few in sentences that made sense. Big win!
• Leti sold me a fat stack of tortillas this evening, and I can't wait to dig into them at tomorrow's meals. She also remembered me from the last time I came by, so that's fun!
• The remolacha (beets) were looking sexy today, and I scored a bunch with its leaves still attached and looking nice and green (rarity). I'm looking forward to sauteeing them with some eggs tomorrow. Sounds strange? Don't knock it! Or go three months with scant opportunity to eat a leafy green. It's all about perspective...
• I finally have all the grades from the Spanish teachers, so I can get these report cards wrapped up and off my mind for about 8-9 more weeks.
• There were so many friendly faces around the market this evening, and it is such a great feeling sharing smiles, hugs and how are yous with so many new people. 
• Nancy and Kip, the Barnabas presidents, are in town until Dec 8 and it will be so nice to spend some time with them while they're here. Nancy brought cards that had arrived at the office in Virginia, and I am one happy girl. I received three cards today, from three of my girls, and it was so nice to get hugs from each of them on such a chilly day. Thanks loves :) missing you like crazy.

Time to get back to promedios and sobresaliente lists. Missing home here and there, but content feeling so at home here these days.

Recibe toda la gloria

Christmas Doors

What a whirlwind November has been. I started a journal entry Nov 1, got interrupted after writing the first line, "I can't believe it's already November" and didn't have a chance to pick it back up until Nov 20th. That's ridiculous! But I've been enjoying myself, so I'm in no way complaining. Obviously I have many a story to catch up on, but that will likely have to wait a few days as I enjoy my weekend with report cards and other I teach an overwhelming amount of kids too many subjects kinds of things :) I had a really great day today, and decided I would just make time to write about it. Fridays are my e a s y days, but I am basically non-stop the rest of the week so the end of the week downtime always feels like such a treat. Of course there's generally a translation interruption, sometimes a class that needs covered and the occasional crier in search of hugs, but Fridays are nice.

These are all stories that will unfold later, but we've completed our first period, had a week of exams, a week of recuperation (best not to get me started on that concept ;) and are now starting new material while toiling away at paper grading, talking to parents, calculating averages, organizing ten weeks of work from 17 different classes to stuff into student's folders, compiling grades and comments from other teachers and carefully filling out all the report cards. It's hard to believe the first period is over, and sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I didn't teach so many students, but at this point I've connected with them all so much it will be tough to separate if a new teacher joins the fun! So my to-do list is a little long, but I know it's nothing I can't handle. To be honest, Monday I started getting a little stressed, but was able to convince myself that was just silly. Not too long after this personal pep-talk I found out I had to get both classroom doors decorated for Christmas during my downtime. Rather than asking, "What downtime?!?" I figured it would be easier for everyone if I just got to it. My issue isn't with the doors being decorated, because that's fun and gives the classroom a better feel, it was from the mountain of school related tasks, topped with the decorating I didn't feel I had time to complete. I love getting creative, and I felt like I didn't have time to give the doors the attention I'd like! Now it feels silly writing so much about doors, but I guess you'd have to be in my head. Anyway, it was a long week, graciously capped with a relieving Friday.

I tried hard to come up with cute ideas for each door, and worked on them little by little. Part of me feels bad for having a slightly crappy attitude about them in the beginning, because they turned out nicely and it really wasn't so bad. Mom's school sent lots of borders (thanks again guys, a post about your boxes really is coming!) so I had some cute edges to work with; from there I just had to decide on, you know, the actual door! A lot of the kids were crazy this week (darn those kids and their energy! What do you mean you don't want to talk about English grammar or what makes a long a long?), and my evenings have also been busy so I have to go ahead and admit I was in a bit of a funk for a few days. The fact that yesterday was Thanksgiving and I missed my family's annual reunion didn't help things very much. But I was so thrilled to be able to video chat with lots of the family--that cheered me up quite a bit. Who doesn't love technology? I went to school today knowing I'd finish the door for 2A, and believing I could get 2B all decorated as well. As a Friday treat, the kids were really fun, and that always leaves me smiling. A lot of the kids are improving on their weekly spelling tests, which is incredibly exciting! And in 2A we sang and danced while we colored etc during art class--what a blast! Some of the kids helped me decorate their door, and it was neat to see them hold a word up and try it out in different spaces before they found the perfect place to stick it. I don't spend much time with 2B on Fridays, but I did get to sing a little with them after their spelling test. Most of my breaks were busied with door stuff, but it was such a relief to ride home knowing they were done (and pretty cute!) and I could give the grading/report cards all of my focus for the weekend.

Tonight I am headed to a Thanksgiving dinner put on by the school so I'm looking forward to that. In fact, I need to scoot my boot! It's always fun to think about thankful lists, and this year I'm thankful for the lesson that there is something to appreciate in every situation, no matter how frustrating it seems at the time.

Pen-pal Fun!

My kids are totally coming out of their shells! And I love it :) Mom offered her school up as a sort of buddy-system for the kids, so my second graders got all kinds of excited when I told them they got to write letters to second graders in the States. I told them all about how my mom is a teacher (and Lissie stated, "Ah, now I know why you wanted to be a teacher!" which melted my heart) and has friends who teach second grade and would love to be friends with my second graders! Some of them seemed annoyed at the idea of trying to write sentences, but the majority couldn't wait to get started. A few weeks ago a Barnabas team was here, and it seemed the perfect opportunity to start the pen-pal fun. Having such a family in the Barnabas team is such a blessing--they took my cards back to the States, Dad picked them up and Mom took them to school. It's a regular pony express!

So again, this was a few weeks ago, but we started the writing process in class, and for homework they were supposed to write a draft of their letter. A few of them were so excited they wrote cards for Mom too, which I thought was too cute for words. A few brought long translations of formal-sounding friendly letters, and the typed into the internet translations cracked me up. But hey, I have to give it to them for trying, right? Daniela made three envelopes out of neatly folding construction paper, glittery gel pens and Winnie the Pooh stickers; one for the student, one for the teacher and one for the mom of the miss. She also had some fancy online translated notes, and shared them with Samantha. I wonder what the students who receive their letters will think! Some of the kids were really stumped by what to say, but I tried my best to get their creativity flowing. There were the unfortunate few who wrote no more than hello and their name, which didn't leave me smiling. Cesar surprised me with a glittery card he'd made at home and a cute draft that talked about lasagna being his favorite food. He rarely has his English homework, and got a hug and high-five when he showed them off to me. Andrea, who devastatingly had not ever completed her English homework, came prepared with a great draft eager to get started. She's one who really touched me because she really struggles with English. Dear Amilcar, who's a total cutie and good with his English, typed up a few different notes but they were all in Spanish. He was so proud of them I couldn't get upset, and we sent a translation along with his cards. He had a card for a young lady (para alguien especial it said!), one for an amigo and one for the teacher. The makings of the next Breakfast Club, my boys of 2B who I'm certain I was given to learn to lessons in patience calm yet affective discipline, came prepared with nothing and shared Amilcar's notes. Obviously their grades for reflected their lack of preparation, but it was pretty neat to watch so many of the kids huddled around desks sharing markers and asking how their cards were coming together. For one reason or another 2B has been more of a problem class throughout the first quarter, but they really bloomed with this assignment. I'm not sure who's more excited about the idea of them creating penpals, them or me!

I had a good time getting them ready to send. Aunt Jane sent me down here with a fat bag of her fabric bags (thanks again Aunt Jane!) and I brought two in to store the cards from each class-- animals for 2A and care bears for 2B because I'm that good--and a lot of the teachers were very impressed with Aunt Jane's handiwork. They all wanted to know where'd I'd purchased my beautiful bags! When I got home that night I went through the cards to mark them in my gradebook, and add notes to any that needed translation or explanation. Some of them filled me with so much pride I added little notes about that too :) I sent a thank you note to the teachers and of course one for Mom, and now we wait! Every couple of days one of the kids will ask me about the cards, and I fear it will be a long waiting process for them. Mom received the cards, and it was exciting to give them that update, now we just have to wait for the kids on her end to get card-making happy--but they have things like SOLs so I understand that could take some time.

When I was in third grade I remember having a Ukranian pen pal, and as I think about it I'm wondering why we stopped writing and wishing we'd kept in touch. I know I always loved getting notes from her, so I'm stoked to get to share that with my kids. It makes me dream things like them keeping in touch as they grow in school and eventually visiting each other one day. How neat would that be? I've been having a little of my own pen pal fun with some girls back home (thanks again for writing, your cards always bring joy and excitement :) and I'm looking forward to "visiting" them sometime around July 2012!

The box that never ends...

A couple weeks ago I received a huge, heavy box at school. I have to travel to Santa Cruz to get any cards or packages, but this one came all kinds of fancy in a delivery truck right to school. Of course directions are tough here without street names, but I was able to pass my cell to Doña Estela who helped guide the delivery man through Peña. I was outside teaching PE (which I'm sure is quite the site...sometimes we just do some calisthenics so Miss Harris can get in some jumping jacks and/or push-ups :) when the dudes arrived, so my kids were all kinds of intrigued. The guy wanted proof I really am the person whose name was on the box, and that got a little dicey. I don't carry my passport to and from school, or my driver's license, so I literally had no form of ID. I asked a few of the teachers to please confirm my name for the nice man, but they were all Honduran and know me as Suzi!!! To be honest that part cracked me up, but this guy had been trying to get a hold of me all day so I felt bad. I forget what finally convinced him, but I think it was a mixture of my honest face, his patience finally wearing thin and/or how excitedly I answered all of his questions, "Yes I know Cristina Rugo! Yes this is my phone number! No I don't know where you can find the c/o person on the box, I just use his name to receive packages..." My kids were all so confused! Looks of "Who is this guy and why is he asking her so many questions, and why is her face so smiley?" littered their faces. He wheeled the big box into school, and had to get my picture with it to confirm my receipt. So formal! And thank goodness it was the last class of the day, because I couldn't wait to get home and see what on earth was packed into that box. 

It was literally the box that never ended! Big shout out to Cristina Rugo for all of her incredibly thoughtful hard work, and huge thank you to all the folks in her neighborhood for their overwhelming response to her call for supplies. I feel like I could type all night and not do this thing justice. It was like an office supply store exploded on my table. Along with a few items from the toy aisle, and some snacks :) and an overhead projector. An overhead projector! I still can't get over the abundance of classroom support that was crammed into this box. Looking at the pictures had me awestruck all over again. I'm sitting here trying to type all the contents, and I think you really just need the pictures. Maryann was standing by with a camera, and she couldn't stop laughing at all my, "Oh my goodness!" and "No way!" and "I can't believe she!" "Wow look at this!!!" " Ohhhh they're going to love this!" Then I got a little quiet, and she wanted to know what I'd found. I was at a loss for words for a few seconds as I extracted not one, not two, not three, but four bags of raw, delicious nuts and a BAG of dark chocolate bars. All from Trader Joe's. I felt so spoiled! And so stoked! Now let's see if I can make the snacks last a while...

hello lovers, it's been too long...

cruncher love :)

It's always exciting to get mail, especially being so far from home right now, but this box was about more than that. It was so full of pens, post-its, note pads, markers, kick balls (!!!), wall decorations, stickers (!!!), craft tools, idea books et al that I should able to support a few different ministries. It means so much that people would donate so many items to be sent to a stranger, and sweet Cristy (who I feel like I've known all my life even if it's only been a few months) would contribute so much and thoughtfully ship such a hefty package down south. The saying really is true that people come into your life for a reason, and I am ever grateful for teaching swim lessons this past summer. The box even held a love-note from Guilianna (Cristy's daughter) which was much appreciated. A lot of the supplies will be put to great use at school, but I am allocating some for local orphanages and schools who need a little extra support. I have been scouting around to see where the biggest needs are, and am going to try to share the wealth as best as possible!

Ever grateful for the support of friends and family back home, and ever blown away by the support of new friends and unknowns. Your kindness stretches for miles, and I'm sending some big hugs up north!

Silly memories

A couple Wednesdays ago I enjoyed a great day. I've since enjoyed great days mind you, but parts of that Wednesday really stuck out. After school I headed to Santa Cruz where not one but FOUR boxes were waiting for me, but that was just the icing on my already good day. [Before I get too carried away--shout out to my amazingly supportive family for sending so many supplies for school. Grumpy and his Sunday School spoiled us with a couple boxes, and my kids will be ever appreciative of the various school supplies, bulletin board decorations and fat stack of books! Mom and the staff of North Elementary--you spoil us, and we are ever thankful! How did a girl get so lucky?]

But before I get too far ahead, I have to give credit to my second graders. I had such a great day at school. I had to teach the first two periods to both classes, so I was floating between two classrooms for eighty minutes. This happens from time to time, and used to get me decently stressed. I've since learned to tough it out for 80 minutes and remind myself that I have the rest of the day to be appreciative of whomever is teaching in my other room. So on days like that it's just an accepted fact that the kids' behavior has a tendency to fall. They have way less attention than they deserve and are accustom, so of course they get a little crazy! I can normally get them roped back in once I have them solo, so it's only a little frustrating during those first eighty minutes. Well last Wednesday they were incredible! Maybe I'm learning how to be more interesting :) or maybe the kids are learning how to portarse mejor, but whatever it was I was an excited teacher. And I praised them endlessly for all their positive behavior. It's a special morning when you get to spend your time energetically presenting new material, praising excited participation and appreciating good behavior--it's extra special when you get to do all that on a morning when you could have been left feeling stretched too thin.

So the kids were great, and I am loving how much their participation seems to be improving day after day. There was a funny sequence of tumbles, and I couldn't help but jot them down. Dad has always said Grace should have been my middle name :) In the class before lunch I was with 2B, and all of a sudden sweet Samantha was on the floor behind her desk, seemingly near tears. I guess she thought her chair was closer than it turned out to be, and her legs scooted it too far back as she tried to sit down and...boom! Tumbletown. Luckily I was near her desk when it happened and could jump right into damage control. I think her tears were more out of embarrassment than anything else, but at first I was worried she was really hurt. The sweetest thing happened right after she fell--chivalry came alive in the classroom! I have this little guy Eric who is generally so distracted I feel like in his head he is anywhere but the classroom. His participation is almost nonexistent and he cuts up so much I sometimes wonder if he just loves to hear me call his name. In fairness to Eric, he is merely one of a few I've decided must have been given to me to help me learn lessons of patience. Well no sooner had Samantha fallen than Eric rushed over to make sure she was ok. It was adorable! He came over, helped her stand up, assured her she was going to be ok, helped her get her skirt straightened back out, brushed her off a little and helped her nestle back into her seat and under her desk. It was such a sweet moment I felt my eyes stinging with tears and had to talk myself out of starting to cry my joyful tears. Some people are just so emotional. But I was so proud of my Eric! I was sad Samantha fell and had gotten so upset, but it was nice to see Eric in a different light.

For lunch that day Maryann and I walked to the cafeteria. The weather was lovely so we chose a table on the front porchish area. When I went to sit down, I quickly found myself on my butt, skirt basically over my head completely confused as to what had happened. Maryann laughed that my first reaction was to sit up, fling my skirt down and smooth it back out while I frantically searched the yard for a student who'd spotted my panties. Yeah, so I thought my chair was closer to me than it was and I guess my legs pushed it back as I tried to sit down. I'm not really sure how it is possible, but somehow no one saw me skirt-up on the cement wondering what had gone wrong. The few students who happened to see the tumble looked at me a little confused, but I didn't suffer the uproarious laughter I feared. No tears like little Samantha, but it seemed I might have a little chivalry of my own. Diego from 2B had apparently seen what happened, and headed over to check things out. He looked like he was walking up to give me a feel-better hug, but instead leaned in to examine his glasses. He puts his glasses around my neck before each recess, and it's totally cute because he won't walk away until he's seen me put them around my neck--his parents must have him very worried about losing and/or damaging those things. He walked up, examined his lenses with a careful eye, gave me a nod of "thank goodness you didn't scratch them" approval and walked away, all without uttering a word. That had Maryann and I laughing even harder. We'd already had way too good a laugh about the tumble itself, but Diego sent us over the edge. I find it odd that Samantha and I both had random falls on the same afternoon, but love that both led to a cute story.

After the trip to Santa Cruz the rest of the afternoon and evening was filled with schoolwork--so much that I didn't give myself time to open my packages, I just got to work and left them as something to look forward to the next day. But I love days like that--the kids were cute, the excitement was high, learning was fun and surprises are always exciting!

Inside the O-R!

A few weekends ago I was blessed with a great experience. I had the privilege of being a part of an incredible mission, and I still feel so grateful. The Friends of Barnabas OMF surgical team came down, and I already shared about translating at the pre-op clinic on their first day. That weekend I rode with Melvin and Denia into Siguatapeque and spent the day translating at the hospital. Incredible! I enjoyed it so much I returned to translate Sunday, spent the night and translated again on Monday. The timing worked out swimmingly as it conveniently coincided with the school's observance of Día del Soldado (or de las Fuerzas Armadas, I got mixed responses to that question) and I had Monday free from classes. Staying the night away was exciting in itself, but I enjoyed getting to work with such a neat team. I had never been inside an operating room, so that was crazy. There's a picture floating around of me in full scrubs, including foot booties, funny hair bonnet and face mask, so keep an eye out for that.

I stopped by the Barnabas House Friday night to visit with Nancy, and it was the perfect start to an awesome weekend. Nancy's original plan was to head to Sigua Friday morning to be with the team, and I was honestly a little bummed I couldn't join her! Darn school and responsibilities :) After school I learned Nancy was unable to leave and likely wouldn't be going until Sunday, so I headed to the house to spend some time with her. She's so friendly I felt like I'd known her for years, but we'd only just met so I am glad we had some time to chat just us. We spent a few hours talking about life and experiences, and I had a great time sharing and connecting with her. It's really nice to realize my openness has a place down here. In the States I sometimes felt like I pushed the boundaries with how open I am, but here people seem to talk freely about almost anything. Nancy and I aren't Honduran of course, but when in Rome I guess. While I was at the House I coordinated a ride to Sigua for the morning, and was up bright and early to take in a new city. Melvin Martinez drove us out to the hospital, and drove a bus of post-op kids and their parents (mostly moms but a few papas) back to the Foundation for recovery. He returned at the end of the day with a bus full of the next day's surgeries, and took Denia and I back to Peña. What a busy day of driving back and forth for him! But it was so great getting to know him better on the rides, so I'm glad he's so willing to work. We chatted some about the Bible, and he talked about a few of the books I should read. He told me snippets of stories from them, suggested I read them as tarea (homework) and I told him I'd let him know if I had any questions. [As an aside, of course I had questions, and it's a neat experience to be learning so much. Melvin is a dear, sweet man, and I look forward to getting to know he and his family better. I'm going to start some English lessons with the staff come the new year, so that's exciting too!]

Denia scopes out the sanitized equipment.

Denia and I were the first to arrive, so we checked on the previous day's patients, made sure all the parents were hanging in there and greeted the nurses. Everyone at the hospital was so friendly. The woman in charge ended up chatting with us for a long while. The hospital is mission funded and set back off a long dirt road. It shares property with a bilingual school and orphanage, both projects in the beginning stages but headed towards something spectacular. We talked school for a while, and it was neat to hear about another bilingual school. We exchanged emails to swap ideas and resources over the next year. I think she said the school goes up to third grade right now, and that their current plan is to add a grade a year--it's cute to think of the school growing with its students. Their plan for the orphanage is pretty fantastic. The goal is to have somewhere between six and twelve homes for children (it was a long weekend, so I'm having trouble remembering the numbers perfectly...) with a loving couple living in each. They also intend to have a home for widows on the property, and the children will come to know the widows as grandparents. My eyes got misty when I heard people talking about it. I've never thought of establishing a program like that, but it seems so perfect when you think about it. That way no one has to feel alone, and everyone gets to experience a sense of purpose of sorts. I find something very poetic about having a home for youth and a home for elderly sharing land and becoming family. It has me wondering if anything like that exists in the States, and if not I wonder what it would take to make it happen.

Before I knew it the team was arriving (with a yummy breakfast for us from the restaurant at their hotel!) and I was changing into scrubs. It felt so surreal being surrounded by all the surgeons and getting pulled to translate for parents/families/nurses about all sorts things that come along with surgery. It was neat talking to some of the same parents I'd met on Wednesday and getting to see the kids again. I think the coolest part by far was the look on a parent's face when they saw their baby for the first time post-op. For some of the kids this was their second, third or fourth surgery, and for others it was the first of many. Parents of the first-timers had the most staggering reactions, as most of them at first couldn't do much but hold their babies with a steady stream of tears running down. The look on their faces when they saw their babies with upper lips para la primera vez was just incredible.

The kids and their families were so brave, and I had the chance to translate some pretty powerful moments. I found the pre-op interview with the anesthesiologist interesting, but comforting the kids/parents was probably my favorite part of translating. Giving the comforting hug, or chineando (holding) the babies who were having a hard time made me so grateful for my ever-developing spanish ability. Chet, one of the anesthesiologists, gave me the neatest task. With the older kids he talked to them about blowing up a balloon while they had the mask on to inhale the initial anesthesia, and he asked me to translate. It was so neat to get face to face with these kids in the operating room, and encourage them while they huff and puff and try to inflate this green 'balloon' preparing for surgery. One of my little guys was wearing a bracelet he'd made, and the knot came untied as he was laying back on the table. We collected each little bead and tucked them securely into the pocket of my scrub top (have I talked about how comfortable the scrubs were?). I told him I'd hang on to the beads until after his surgery, and his mom received a restrung bracelet to give him once he calmed down after surgery. I was pretty proud of myself for how well I handled being inside the OR. The first day I was so nervous, and only went in for a few minutes, but I warmed up to it as the weekend went on. Monday I stared down into the inside of a kid's mouth while two oral surgeons went to work. Crazy stuff!

Confession--there were so many incredible moments throughout the weekend, and I'm having a hard time getting them all coherent or organized, and deciding which ones I might not really need to type. Let me see if I can break it down to a few highlights. This brigada was made of some pretty awesome people, and I am so happy to have met them. A lot of them are from Virginia, so we said we'd have to keep in touch over the next year. They had a neat element to the team--an art room! Artists travel with them and bring an unimaginable amount of art supplies. They had different project ideas every day, but the kids (and parents!) basically got to do whatever their hearts desired. It was such a neat space. They hung the kids' artwork around the walls and down the hallway which made for an uplifting addition to the hospital walls. It was so special to watch the families spend time together around the art tables. You could really witness the healing powers of creative outlets. How neat to turn a waiting room into a creative haven. On the last day they spoiled me with two fat bags of art supplies, which was unexpected and greatly appreciated. Two of the patients had to have hip grafts, which led to some painful recovery. They weren't allowed to go back to the Barnabas House until they could walk around, which seemed to be a hard task. Getting to hold sweet Yessi's hands while she took her first pained steps trying to get discharged was so special. Her tiny hands squeezed mine so tight as we set off to walk around the hospital. The first place she wanted to go was outside, and seemed to come alive when the fresh air brushed her face.

When Keysi went back for surgery she was a mess of tears. It was something around her fourth surgery, and hopefully her last, but she was all worked up and that got her mom all kinds of worked up. Not long after they took her back I noticed her mom in this dark, secluded part of the hospital sitting in a cry so hard she was rocking. Me being me I couldn't not go into that room, and the moment we shared will remain in my heart forever. I've never been known for poetic prayer, but I knelt and prayed with her. She cried about her fear for the surgery, and let out some pleading prayers as she explained to me how worried she was, and how much she hoped God wouldn't abandon her at that moment--at first I thought that was a harsh word to use, but she was praying from the heart. Something about her words really struck me. She was so genuine. So honest and open with a stranger, and even though she was (of course) worried, she was so trusting of this team of surgeons. A few of the surgeons are veterans on the OMF team, and talked about how great it has been getting to see some of the kids as they grow year after year. Keysi is one they know pretty well, so Mom knew she was in good hands.

Monday Dr. Wang (Nick) and Chanan (one of the artists, and she lives in DC!) came back with us to Peña while the rest of the group headed off for some shopping around Sigua. Nick wanted to follow-up with the patients, and Chanan wanted a little more time with Yessi. They really bonded while she was at the hospital, and I'm hoping Chanan will come back and visit us sometime over the next year. Jose and I gave them a tour of the Foundation which brought back SO many memories from my trip in March. There's such a special energy around that place. It was a great weekend for so many reasons: bonding with a team of kind hearts from the States, cultivating a friendship with Nancy, developing a relationship with Melvin Martinez, Denia and some of the other staff at the house. It is going to be such a special year.

La Roca

It must be catch up day, because I'm back to a story from the end of September! I was just venting today that I wish I had more time for journaling. I'm of course the only one who gets to decide if and when I make time time for journaling, so I decided to make time tonight. This post starts to touch on something I've been trying to figure out for weeks. I came into this trip understanding it would likely be a transformational year, but I am realizing I had no idea just how transformational. Something is happening within my spirit, and sometimes it can be a little overwhelming, but mostly I'm enjoying the discovery process. If you have no interest in my spiritual awakenings, please feel free to skip posts like these... At first I was so embarrassed to open up about it, feeling ashamed as a missionary teacher at this christian school and gaining so many spiritual questions, but then I decided to get over myself because that's just silly. It's never too late to learn, right?

There was a night (Saturday 9/24 to be exact--it moved me so much I wrote it down!) that really got me all stirred up. I've gotten pretty friendly with a few of my students' families, and Eric in 2A's parents bring him to school everyday so I chat with them regularly. At first I was a little intimidated by them, especially because their son is incredibly intelligent and I couldn't shake this fear of stunting his education (silly, I know :) but we've bonded a little and they're very nice. Raul (Papa Eric) asked me what I like to do on the weekends, and gave an open invitation to their church if I ever wanted to check it out. I've been feeling this strange spiritual pull since I've been down here, and of course some indescribable spiritual something guided me back to Honduras, so I've been pretty interested in experiencing different churches while I'm here. Their church, Iglesia Cristiana Roca de Salvación, is on Javier and Kerem's street so I asked them if they knew anything about it. Come to find out they're incredibly close with the pastor, and they were singing there that Saturday!

I spent a quiet afternoon at their place with laundry and schoolwork while they spent the day at a sort of kids retreat at a nearby camp. They returned home in awe of the day they'd had, but completely exhausted. They take care of five kids, work at the school and give so much spiritual support around the area I'm honestly not sure how they do it sometimes. It's fair to say I'm in awe of them. They really live their lives to glorify God. Anyway, they rushed home with barely enough time to shower, change and quickly eat before they had to head to church to get ready to sing. I remember feeling so bad for them while we were walking to church, and wishing they didn't 'have' to sing at church that night. Once again, silly girl, because they weren't thinking that way at all. They took on a whole new energy as soon as we walked into the church. Matter of fact, I even took on a whole new energy. I've been back to la Roca a few times, and there is definitely something in the air there. It's like my spirit comes to life.

The church service was different from any I'd ever experienced. There was a big stage with a few singers, a keyboard, guitar, bass and drummer, and a big open room filled with chairs and neighborly smiles. Upon entering I was filled with this energy and a real sense of community. Community is a quality I've noticed down here, and something I really appreciate about their culture. Absolutely on my list of things I hope to bring back to the States. It seemed most of the congregation walked to church, and it was neat to see smiling families arriving together. Speaking of smiles--so many strangers greeted me with big, friendly smiles, handshakes and bendiciones before walking to their seats. As people walked in, they politely worked their way around the church shaking hands, kissing cheeks, asking after families and wishing bendiciones a todos. It spread a comforting welcome over something so unknown for me. And I don't mean unknown because it was church, not at all, I've been to many a church service, but this one was in a different language and the thought that it was filled with a congregation I'd never met had me a little anxious. It was fun watching the band/choir get all warmed up. They tuned their instruments with care, and slowed to help each other find the right key and pace--I remember smiling watching the drummer fight to get his beat just right for one of the pieces they were polishing. When I say Kerem and Javier took on a whole new energy I'm not being hyperbolic. They sprang to life on that stage, and their joy radiated throughout the congregation. We passed more than an hour sharing in alabanzas (praise songs) and prayer. It was incredible. Through their heartfelt singing, youthful spring-footed dancing and pauses for prayers full of gratitude they really enabled people to celebrate God. I have to give Mom credit for the celebration reference, because as I was trying to describe the experience she excitedly commented that it was like celebrating God. Well I happened to like that description! That's exactly what it was like. And each time they stopped to pray it helped prepare me more and more for the sermon that would follow.

I'm of course no preacher, so I won't be going into the sermon, but it really spoke to me. And I really appreciated how much of the congregation seemed to want to be there. You could tell that they weren't there to fulfill the duties of a Sunday Christian (in fact, it was a Saturday!) but rather to receive some spiritual nourishment and share that joy with their community. It started to rain towards the end, and we've already talked about how hard and fast the rain can come on, so church just went on a little longer that night! It was neat because during one of the last songs they thought we'd sing it was still raining so hard, so they said the rain wasn't stopping so we didn't have to stop either and we sang a few more songs! The songs were full of so much life and spirit, and they even through in a verse of "Open the Eyes of My Heart" in English. The song is really pretty in Spanish too, so I was glad they sang it. I'm learning some new songs, which is great, but sometimes they get stuck in my head and I feel bad for my sweet little students (I tend to quietly sing random lines around the classroom). There were these danzas that had rhythmic movements with twirly ribboned tambourines to accompany some of the songs. Their flowy, colorful outfits added something special to the service. They wear solid white or black and then have these vibrantly colored sheer sort of drapes, and the way their arms flow with the music is pretty moving. At the end of the service the younger girls stood near the danzas trying to mimic their motions, which just melted my heart.

As I mentioned before, this wasn't my only visit to the church, and I really like it there. At first I was a little spooked how eerliy scripture kept coming to me, but I now find myself intrigued and hungry for more. I'm learning a lot from Lisa, Javier and Kerem, even Melvin Martinez with Bernabé, and the biggest lesson I've gotten from each of them is that it's ok to be so sort of new to this, and feel like such a toddler. I've met so many people who have made me realize really good people do still exist in this world. I've also met so many "believers" who have shed such an interesting light on faith. I'm full of questions, but learning more everyday. It's neat to appreciate that I'm not just here to teach my students, I'm here to learn what Honduras can teach me, and feeling blessed in realizing that someone is looking out for me.

A Heartfelt Visit

In the end of September I got to visit with the youngest heart surgery patients I'd ever--well, I don't spend much time with surgical patients in general, but these were just little kiddies! Barnbabas has a few surgical teams who come down throughout the year, and the patients (always children anywhere from however many months-18yrs) stay at the Foundation pre and post surgery. I walked to the Foundation after school one Friday afternoon and spent a lovely couple of hours with the children and their parents. The staff was fun too, of course :) The 'heart team' operated out of San Pedro Sula, so they spent their nights in a hotel near the hospital, but two nurses spent a few nights here in town so they could pull night-duty watching some of the post-op kiddos. It was great to meet the girls (both from Colorado, both incredibly awesome but the introductions were completely informal and I can't remember their names--sorry!) but I was bummed I couldn't meet the whole team! Mama Joe (Jackie, wife of Papa Joe who has become quite the supporter of my mission) was traveling with the team, but I'll have to meet her another time!

Every now and then I had to remind myself that the kids were freshly operated on and in recovery. They were so full of energy playing with play dough and excitedly chatting. The parents seemed so moved by their children's new-found energy. I don't know a lot about holes in hearts, but the nurses were explaining that becuase of the lack of proper blood supply, these kids run steadily low on energy. The first change parents get to experience in their little ones is a new zest for life, and it happens pretty soon after surgery! One little girl had all sorts of energy and took me for a little walk around the property. She walked me down to the swing set, and wanted me to help her swing for a bit. Who doesn't love a swing set? Some of you might be making bug-eyed faces, but nothing of a safety risk crossed my mind before I plopped her into the swing and gave her some pushes. In my defense, I asked before taking her for a walk and the only warning I received was not to pick her up under the armpits--easy enough. So I'm pushing her (gently of course, I'm not that crazy) she's laughing and I'm enjoying my mountain view (something about the view from the Foundation is so breathtaking. I don't know if it's the way the house is set-back or what, but the mountains really pop) when I catch a glimpse of Doctora's stern face. She wiggled her finger at me, slowly, and I blushed and slid my girl off the swing. Doctora wasn't upset at all, and just explained that we couldn't risk any chances to fall forward onto her wound (duh!!!) but I have to admit I was a little embarrassed not to have come to that conclusion on my own.

I got to translate a little between the nurses, and it's always nice to be able to do that. Denia and Delilah were funny talking with the girls from the heart team (I really need to ask around to figure out their names...one was Jennifer, and maybe the other was Nicole? Or Nathaly? Dang I really have no idea) because a lot of the translation was taken care of with body language--it's a wonder how much you can convey with hand movements and facial expressions. We spent a while talking about malnutrition, young pregnancies, high cases of birth defects and how the foundation's trying to improve that situation. It seems to be something Delilah is pretty passionate about, and I loved getting to talk to her about something she cared so much about. It is really neat to have the opportunity to connect with so many new people in such a deep way. Delilah enlighted me a lot on the culture of the "indigenous" as she called them, the people who live up into the mountains, and how the girls get married young and you have babies having babies not knowing how to properly care for themselves let alone their niños. At first the conversational was making my heart feel so heavy, but then we got to talk about how hard our Amigos de Bernabé are working to educate on these and many other health topics. They hold different classes throughout the year, and have started giving a sort of sex-ed class once patients seem age-appropriate and open to the advice. I told her I'd love to help any way I could, and am looking forward to seeing how those opportunities unfold. It is really nice to be able to be a part of a foundation with such a big heart.

Market Medicine

Oh that Doris...she never ceases to amaze me. She is like my mom, or better to use big sister, down here. The spark for this post happened well over a month ago now, but she and her husband Marvin have become very important people in my life. There was a brief stretch of days when I did not feel very well. My head ached, my stomach ached and I basically ached all over--I also felt void of any and all energy, which makes 49 second graders even more of a handful! Walks to and through market are generally so therapeutic for me, but on days like those when I really just felt like being pampered I did not look forward to walking to town to shop. I of course couldn't go without food (I'm still me!!!) so I bucked up and heading to my favorite vendors. I tell you what--it turned out to be one of the best afternoons I've had since I moved here. Doris' stand was relatively slow, and she could tell something was off about me. I think I was just adjusting (slowly :) to the climate and all the changes of my new environment...particularly my changes in diet, and how much I've come to enjoy desserts. She grabbed a stool for me, and in what felt like minutes we'd chatted over an hour. We talked about her marriage, the kids and all sorts of family stuff; then we talked about my life in the States, what I used to do for work and how great my friends and family are.

We got to talking about natural medicine and I think that's when we took our relationship to a new level. She knows SO much about her produce! She pointed around the stand and started telling me the benefits of different ingredients, and even added preparation suggestions. I love the way she describes cooking because she doesn't just use hand motions, her hand motions come along with these adorable sound effects that leave me ready to run to the kitchen. We've talked about getting together to cook, but our schedules haven't worked out for it yet. I guess we have a few more months before I leave ;) But while I was there she showed me a few powders I'd never noticed before. Linaza molida is said to be good for issues with the digestive organs, helps expel any toxic bacteria and I'm pretty sure I read that it helps regulate alkaline levels. No one wants an acidic cuerpo! Weeks later I've come to discover linaza molida is milled flaxseed. It really seemed to help. I'd mix a few spoonfuls with some water each morning and night, and while it didn't taste awesome it wasn't
too offensive. Look it up! As a vane aside, linaza entera (whole seeds, not milled) soaked in water makes a good hair product to run through the tresses before you leave for the day. I of course still have crazy mind of its own hair, but sometimes I think it's a little shinier than it used to be :with was also introduced to and purchased ground alpiste (canary seed) which has done wonders. I feel a little ashamed because I've sort of shirked off on my daily intake, but I know I need to get back at it. Alpiste helps with all sorts of things, but the thing that piqued the most interest was its anti-inflammatory abilities. I'm not sure I can put into type how exciting it was to from-the-earth health talk for a while. Not only are the powders really beneficial, they're also cheap! And alpiste mixed with a little water doubles as a wonderful face mask. My blackheads thank you!

I wish I could capture the genuine care and amistad Doris shares with me. Just about every time I stop into their stand she has something to show me--it actually has me wanting to start a new list of new discoveries of nature's wonders. That day in particular she showed me a few herbs, and suggested I boil them into teas. I didn't recognize them at first, but she gave me some romero (rosemary) and said it was good for dolores. She gave me a few baggies of anise as well and said it would help my tummy. As we were chatting she offered me some coffee, and it was such a treat to sit and sip a small cup of coffee and hold such an interesting conversation all in Spanish. I came to her stand feeling worn down and a little needy for the comforts of home, but I left with a sense of tranquility and comfort. Early the following week I had a similar experience with Marvin--well, minus most of the healing with food stuff, but lots of talk of life and family. Once again an hour passed before I blinked, and I'm so grateful for the moments of bonding time with my new friends. I've come to appreciate them as family, and love the sense of comfort I feel when I'm around them.

Moral of my story? Keep your ears open and your conversation pure and true. I could have brushed off how I was feeling to Doris and rushed back home. I also could have avoided the market altogether and eaten something like rice, cookies and/or an orange or two I picked in the yard. I walked into market with such a strange sense about me, but I walked home that day filled with gratitude for so many things.

I've since come to learn that manzanilla (chamomile) is good for digestion, and the dried flowers make a tasty nighttime tea. Doris really does spoil me, because I've walked home with a few regalitos de manzanilla. She swears oregano boiled into a tea is great for things like cramps and bloating, but I haven't taken her up on any of that yet. I find it so interesting to learn these hidden abilities of everyday herbs, and of course I'm eager to learn more!

Gálatas

Friday was...well it was an interesting day at school. One of those days with experiences that make you look for the lessons and move on as quickly and painlessly as possible... But I was blessed with a great afternoon, evening and night so that's all that matters at the end of the day! It was a longer youth group than normal, but it was a great meeting. Lots of questions that led to discussions and sharing, and I'm always intrigued at how patiently the speakers of each language wait for translation, and how much everyone understands before the translation is finished. I'm so fascinated by language and all its inner-workings, but I'm not ready to dive into all that. Right now I just want to toss around the idea of coincidences. I don't actually believe in coincidences, but I truly believe everything happens for a reason. But I get blown away when would-be coincidences present themselves at just the right time. I've mentioned before that lessons come when you're ready to receive them, and that it's important to be open and ready for anything, but I've had so many ah-ha moments here. Those times that make you just nod your head and think, "Mmhmm, I get it, I'm getting there..."

I don't spend much time in Alan's classroom (mostly because I'm busy spending so much time in my classrooms :) but I was in there for a bit after school Friday. I noticed a poster with a scripture quote that really caught my eye, so I grabbed a cuadernito I carry around and scribbled it down. Later Maryann, Kerem and I got to talking about scripture and they were helping me understand different parts of the Bible a little better. We were talking about differences in the way acclaimed Christians carry themselves, and how the only thing that really matters at the end is whether or not you've lived your life for Christ, and that that can be a tough concept for some people. They referenced a few books and verses from the Bible, and it sort of got me excited to do a little research later. Color me blown away when we started talking about the same exact topics that night at youth group. Unreal. Of all the books, chapters and verses of the Bible. And it led to so much discussion, I was literally thrilled to have the opportunity to dig deeper into a topic that captivated so much of my attention. We've been studying Efesios (Ephesians) and Logk referenced Gálatas (Galatians) and Apocalipsis (Revelation) during Friday's discussion. In talking with Maryann and Kerem they also made mention of something from Gálatas, so my interest was all kinds of piqued. Would you believe the quote I wrote from Alan's poster was from the same above referenced chapter in Gálatas? I find something about that so neat. I love when things like that happen.

Gálatas 5: 22-23
"Mas el Espíritu es amor, gozo, paz, paciencia, benignidad, bondad, fe, mansedumbre, templanza; contra tales cosas no hay ley."
Galatians 5: 22-23
"...the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control."

A lot of this talk of scripture exploration might not make sense right now, but it's on my list to put out an entry about my spiritual cultivation, and how much I'm learning here. That's just a deeper topic that requires a little more thought and concentration, something I often find myself lacking at the end of the day. I seem to be hearing scripture at just the time I need it, and feel like lessons and support from the Bible have almost been following me around, cuidandome. Waiting for when I'm ready for them or something. I have so much to learn, but I'm ever appreciative of the little reminders (crazy would be coincidences like freakily linked scripture references and discussions) that I have support to help me through the lessons I've yet to learn.

Purple (or blue) Tortillas!

Armando, my new favorite Mexican, gave me the sweetest gift last week. I should start by saying last Monday and Tuesday were the kind of days that were really great all day long for absolutely no reason. Nothing too superduper happened, and plenty of potentially irritating things happened, but my kids had me laughing and my mood stayed light-hearted all day long. I was making my usual pass through town, and stopped into the Mexican's for eggs. I'd been the day before and he was out which I told him was simply unacceptable ;) When I was in the day prior I noticed the prettiest corn hung in the back to dry. You know that crazy-colored corn used to decorate Thanksgiving tables across the States? Some richly purple ears were hanging at the market, and I noticed a few deeply red ears as well. I got so excited thinking of all the beautiful creations I could make with such vibrant corn. Armando and I got to talking about the colored corn and he spread my face with a smile when he confirmed that people do in fact make tortillas with the decorative kernels. Not having a molino has the potential to stunt my tortilla making abilities, but where there's a will... I've been asking around the neighborhood if anyone rents use of theirs, but so far the answer seems to be negative. Armando said his friend (maybe Linda's sister?) could make me a masa when they go to make their next batch, and that got me all excited. He said she'd probably make some at the end of the week, so I was looking forward to a weekend of colorful tortillas.

Oh Armando---when I walked in Tuesday he seemed more excited than normal to see me, and he walked to the fridge saying he had a surprise for me. His surprise was a fat stack of beautifully lavender/almost blue corn tortillas made by the gentle hands of his loving mother. He wouldn't let me pay for a single one, and sent me home with the bag full. They take such good care of me here--and the tortillas were ridiculously good!!! Not only were they incredibly tasty, but each time I enjoyed one I couldn't help but smile at the thoughtfulness of such a kind gift. He and Linda have taken good care of me ever since I arrived, and I'm very grateful I met them so soon into the trip. Linda and I have talked a few times about how I had been wanting to learn to make tortillas, and I wanted to make the real tortillas from masa and by hand. None of that maseca crap, and I had to first learn without a press. We discussed that I of course needed to learn before I headed back to the States, and she said I'd be a soltera until I learned. She also warned that once I had the hang of making them I'd marry a Honduran and change my travel plans at the end of the summer. I always appreciate life advice, and have to admit I'm now a little shy when it comes to bragging about my newly developed tortilla making skills :)

I wish I had gotten a good picture because they really were pretty. And delicious. But next time I want to help make them. And now I just need to figure out how to thank them for the tasty tortillas!

Doña Tina and her Baleadas

Let's start with a description of the baleada. Flour tortilla, half-moon painted with frijoles and filled with a little bit of love. It is purchaser's choice exactly what kind of love, but that's where things get fun. There's the sencilla of beans, quesillo y mantequilla. In school we learn that mantequilla is butter, but here it is a sour cream type substance. From there you can add chimol, eggs, chicken and some places have things like chorizo and carne as options. They're really cheap with the sencillas starting at 8lps (less than 50cents) and of course super quick. You can find them just about anywhere, but there are these women who emerge after the sun goes down. As store owners lower their doors, these women start wheeling out their grills and setting up some tables. The tables are decorated with jar of pickled vegetables, and their hands get busy patting tortillas. Lisa and Gordon introduced us to Doña Tina, and they visit her pretty regularly. She's also known as the "taco lady" because she makes these ridiculous tacos. She has this salsa that could make your knees melt, and she's offered to make me a jar if I bring her a container! It's a mix of avocado, culantro, chile and a little salt and vinegar--seriously tasty stuff. It's fun sitting outside chatting with friends and getting to know Tina and her entourage. She always has a few different people helping her, and they vary from outgoing and friendly, to quiet and staring at the hungry gringos. 

The first few times I visited Doña Tina I enjoyed a couple sencillas without any of that cheese or mantequilla, but with plenty of chimol, salsa and little heap of pickled veggies. Sometimes she has cabbage that's pickled in a brilliantly pink beet juice, and sometimes it's a mix of cauli, carrots, onions and chiles pickled in a yellowish mixture, but it's always good. So baleadas are incredibly tasty and convenient, but I like corn tortillas so much more than flour. Luckily for my tummy Doña Tina is a culinary miracle worker, and she makes a special plate for me now. We're calling them burritas, and I'm craving some just typing about them. She serves me up a plate of two double-stacked soft, warm corn tortillas, topped with a heap of beans, chimol and salsa. At first glance I was bewildered by the second tortilla, but found the perfect use for it as soon as I lifted my first burrita. It was so full of yum there was no real way to eat it without some of the filling falling out. Normally I'd just grab a fork to clean my plate at the end of the meal, but why waste a fork when you have a spare tortilla to use as a little burrita drop-cloth? The beauty of this discovery is that a plate of two burritas transforms itself into a filling plate of four burritas. Meal-time magic :)

I'm already working out an organic, gluten-free version of baleadas I'll recreate in the States, so I guess now I just need to find a store front and an easily-carried grill. 

Una Carta!!!

September 23rd I received my first card! And of course it has taken me a month to get this written. I've since received some mail when Barnabas teams arrive, but this card came through Honduran mail!!! The mail comes to a place in Santa Cruz which I think is about an hour from me. That Aunt Di she spoils me :) We were getting home from Friday night's youth group and Irene said some mail came, and that it was waiting in my room for me. Apparently she'd been to Santa Cruz with Chris and Maria for the evening, and they popped by the post office to see if anything had arrive. I mean to tell you I practically ran back to my bedroom to see what had arrived.

The stationery was so stinking cute. And I was so stoked to see friendly handwriting, and let myself get lost in the thoughtful words of family I'm missing so much. Receiving the cards from the Barnabas teams has been cool too. It's so odd not having an address, but I almost don't even notice at this point. I love being able to email and catch up that way, but there's something so special about getting the hand written cartitas de amor.

Simplistically Wonderful

Today has been one of those wonderful days, a simplistically wonderful day that has been wonderful for no real reason. Woke up gently, snug under a soft blanket with cool air across my face and eased into my day. The weather went from all day sweaty to cool evenings to chilly days rather quickly, but it was fun spreading my blanket across the bed last night. David surprised me with an early morning video call, and passed me around the tailgate. It was wonderful to see my smiling friends, and catch sneaks of the blue skies and late-October leaves in Blacksburg. Mom and Dad gave me a call too, so it was neat getting to spend the morning with family. The air was so crisp this morning, and I couldn't shake off the campfire scent coming through the windows--it had me craving a hike and a couple nights in a tent. A lot of the neighbors have outdoor woodburning stoves, so that bonfire aroma is pretty steadily eminent. I feel like I didn't notice it as much when it was hotter out, but now it always leaves me smiling over autumn. We all woke up at different times, but ended up trickling out onto the porch for breakfast and a rock in the hammocks. Irene and I took our breakfast out with us, and Maryann brought her tea. I made a tasty egg and green bean sautee, and served it up with some aguacate chunks. Irene was all bundled up in her hammock, and commented that she felt like she was camping when she woke up this morning. I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one thinking of campfires and bundling up in tents! These houses aren't exactly built for insulation, and a lack of glass in the windows leaves the rooms about the temperature of outside, but it's so nice having some cooler weather. And the girls and I all agree that it is time to plan a camping trip.

with breakfast this tasty I was destined to have a great morning :)

We headed out to wander around town, and I always love how much fun I have smiling and chatting with strangers, friends and neighbors. There are so many fun sights and noises around the market. On chilly Saturday mornings you also get to experience the smell of coffee and fresh baleadas...mmm. The other day we noticed a man painting the store front of one of the shops in town, and I was so impressed with his painting skills. He has made some progress, and his bright red parrot is really coming to life. I wonder if we could get him to paint something on the outside of la casa rosada :) I had never been into the store, so today I decided to check it out. They have all sorts of Honduran touristy items, most of which they purchase from the market in San Pedro. I've been wanting some wind-chimes and little decorations to hang on the outside of the house, and this place was full of them! I didn't have the patience to think decorating ideas this morning, but it's nice to know I have the options right in town. I saw some neighbor boys sitting out front and greeted them with a smile. They've come by for fruit a few times, but I don't remember ever seeing them in town. Turns out this little tienda is owned by their family, and I got to meet their very pregnant mother, Yemi! She came up and asked if I was her neighbor, and I got all excited and asked if she lived in the house on the corner (yes) --she recognized us and commented that Maryann esta encantada de su perro, basically Maryann is in love/enchanted by their dog and always cooing at it when we're walking to town. Yemi is short for something I had trouble remembering, so she said to stick with Yemi. The boys are Mauri and Andi (also nicknames--Mauricio-11 y Anderson-9) and she has a twelve year old daughter I haven't met.

Yemi was incredibly friendly! Neither of us intended to shop much today, but we both noticed some winners. Maryann was picking out some fun jewelry, and had her hands so full she kept dropping earrings or bracelets. Yemi handed her a joyero (a decently sized basketesk type container) to put them all in, and then gave it to her when she made her purchases!  I've seen a lot of woven bracelets with little leather strips you can engrave, and have been wanting some ever since I arrived. I kept having a hard time deciding on color combinations, but today I was just determined to find a keeper. I knew I wanted two, and I knew what I wanted them to say, so it was just a matter of picking the colors that kept me smiling. At first I had two blue and white patterns in my hands, but Maryann suggested adding a little color to my life, and I'm of course always thankful to have her around. I love the two I chose! I was surprised to find one VT colored, and what better day than the day of the Homecoming game. Go Hokies :) Anyone who hasn't heard of "In the Heights" should look it up immediately, because it's a great Broadway show I was lucky enough to see a few years ago with a great message and lovely soundtrack. One of the recurring themes is paciencia y fe and it has really resounded with me. I'm pretty certain faith and patience are all we need to sustain a wonderful life. But every now and then I need a little reminder...

Sweet Yemi must have been in the mood for spoiling, because she insisted the bracelets be a gift from her! My wallet broke a few weeks ago so I've been on the lookout for a replacement (and being stingy with my monthly stipend makes shopping trips a rare occurrence) and found the winner at the tienda today! At first I was not ok with the bracelets being a gift, but then I just smiled and welcomed her kindness. I'm hoping we can get to know each other better, but she's busy with a house full of kids and classes at the university so we shall see how the relationship develops. We wandered up to Doris and spent a long while with her. She was working alone today and they got pretty busy at one point so Maryann and I started helping customers and tag-teaming taking money/giving out change. It was pretty fun! It was adorable because Maryann's Spanish isn't exactly fluent, but we made it work just fine. Doris is a very special woman, and I'm so pleased to be getting to know she and her family so well. She of course gave me some tortillas, and I enjoyed a couple as soon as we got home. One even smiled at me!

Mira la carita :) 

Later today I spent some time at the Barnabas House visiting with the families still there from last week's surgeries, and chatting with the staff. What a great group of people, but I'm working on an entry that updates all about the aforementioned surgeries, and some of the Foundation staff. It was great getting to see the kids after a week and embrace their moms like old friends. I actually ran into some of them in town today--always makes me grateful to live in such a small town when I get to bump into so many people passing around town. Little Joel wanted to play Bingo, and I got such a kick out of being a Bingo caller for a few games. Made me miss David, that's for sure, but in a nostalgically happy kind of way. For those who are now confused, David and I spent a good while as rival Bingo callers for a swim team fundraiser. I'll let you guess who holds the title :) One of the boys has me anxious to practice my accent with my Spanish numbers, and I am telling you every day I am practicing more and more with my poor lengua to make it more catracha. Hah--around town we joke that the biggest clue I'm not catracha is that I have a crummy accent pronouncing the word! A new brigade arrived tonight and it was nice chatting with some of them. One of the team members is mother to a friend of a very good friend at home, so it was such a small world feeling meeting her tonight! I'm going to translate for them at Melvin Martinez' church tomorrow night and looking forward to that.

May not have been anything overly exciting, but I love when an assortment of simple things make a chilly, rainy day so bright and wonderful.

Supplies and Memories

Come to find out there is a sort of "teacher store" in town, and the prices are just right! It's more of a school supply and a few random craft supplies store, but it seems to have enough to keep me satisfied. The owner is lots of friendly, and it's crazy close to la casa. We're starting new units in most of the classes, so I'm looking forward to getting creative and making some decorations that will hopefully stick to the walls. The issue at the beginning of the year was that nothing was sticking, and I wasn't all that "whelmed" by any of the poster options. I'm thinking with the right type of tape, some markers, poster board and glitter I'll be good to go! We're starting weather in Science, so bring on the clouds, lightning bolts and sunshine. I might even get all kinds of crazy and make images of different vowel sounds, I just wonder if I can get more exciting than the standard apple, egg, cow, pig and umbrella...of course I can :) This lady has poster board for 4lps a sheet which is less than I thought it would be, and she showed off her Disney princess folders in case I find myself in need. I think I'll spend some time this getting crafty this weekend. She also carries embroidery floss for something like 2lps a cluster, so we might have to get into some friendship bracelets one day soon. Hmm--something fun for a rainy day art class?

The store made me think of journaling because I've always had this sort of thing for teacher stores, school supply aisles and stationery stores. I feel all kinds of 'You've Got Mail'-ish but I love the smell of the pencils, all the bright colors and designs of the paper, notebooks etc and how inspiring the glitter and nicknacks can be. I remember I used to get so excited when Mom would take me to the teacher store with her, and if I'd been really good or something sometimes that was my reward, and I got to pick out a pack of stickers...ahh the little things :) A grocery store where we often shopped shared a parking lot with an ABC Store, and before I knew any better I always just assumed an ABC Store was a teacher store. I think I mortified Mom the first time I excitedly asked if I was reallllly good at the grocery store if she'd please take me to the ABC Store! It's funny the little memories that come to you at the oddest times, but seemingly right when you'll appreciate them the most.

La Lancha Llena

It has been weeks ago now, but I was just sharing the story with part of the surgical team earlier today. I'd been talking to Eulogio about wanting to hike and go out on the lake and all that fun stuff, and one day a few weeks ago he called Maryann to get the ball rolling. It was an off and on rainy day, so we were on the fence about what we should do. A blue sky started peeking around as we walked towards the bus stop, so we opted for a lancha (paddle boat) en Los Naranjos. Our timing was almost perfect as we had to run to catch our bus, and as we neared they flung the back of the bus (it's a school bus turned town-town bus) open and we hopped in. I had no sooner grabbed hold of the bars overhead when we took off again, and we spent a good bit of the ride laughing and catching our breath. We saw a kind-faced viejo wearing a hat proclaiming him a "High Maintenance Cowgirl" and mean Eulogio refused to exchange hats with him! It was really hard not to laugh when Irene pointed it out to me, and I just wanted to high-five the dude for pulling it off. OK, I did laugh, and pretty hard, but not at the gentleman, just at the humor of his situation. We've sort of made this game of guessing who knows the meaning behind the English writing on their apparel.

While on the bus a guy seemed stoked we spoke English and asked if he was on the correct bus to head to the brewery. Not only was he on the correct bus, but that happened to be our stop so we offered to walk him to his destination. He was a German in town for a two-week internship on the coast, and decided to spend some time backpacking once his work was complete. Maryann chatted it up with him on the walk; to be honest he seemed a little overwhelmed by all of us, but he added a little extra excitement to our afternoon. D&D is in some backpacking guide books, so the new owner is doing a really good job of building up the business. The whole boat obtainment felt like a rather odd process. We left the German at the brewery and as we headed down the road a big, pretty dog started following us. We picked him up at the brewery, and he had  a nice collar so we knew someone would miss him. Maryann (of course) wanted to keep him, and named him something silly. He followed us all the way down to the boats, and there was some pleading to let him go out on the lake with us. He hung around so long I was a little surprised he wasn't waiting on the bank when we got back.

So from the brewery we wandered through the neighborhood--I'll correct that, Eulogio and Douglas were discussing the route, but the rest of us were just trotting along behind them--took a couple turns and arrived at a normal-looking house. Logk handed a gentleman some money through the fence, and in exchange we received a pair of oars. We walked down their hill, turned onto another street in the neighborhood, hopped a ditch, walked across a big field, hopped across a bigger ditch, walked along the main road which included crossing a cool bridge, took a turn I'm still not sure how they knew to take (years of living here, of course!) walked down a crazy hill and wound up at the lake, with our choice of lots of blue and red painted wooden boats. We got out onto the lake (I keep wanting to call it a river) and I was instantly blown away at the beauty of it all. Of course not knowing how the afternoon would transpire none of us had our cameras, but that's just a wonderful excuse to get back out there. Eulogio paddled 98% of the time, but he let each of us take turns for a few minutes. Remando (paddling) this boat was ridiculous. The big, awkwardly unround handles of the heavy wooden oars didn't have the smoothest glide, but I gave it my best.

The view from the lake was absolutely incredible. There's an island that looks like a turtle and suitably referred to as "Isla de Tortuga" and a mountain (I'm told the second highest in Honduras) called...Butt (nalgas) Mountain. It is commonly referred to as butt or boobie mountain, because of its double mounted summit. The trees surrounding the lake were all so crazy. I let myself get lost staring up at them, and likely could have spent a few more hours just looking up at all the foliage. Man I need to go back with my camera! But I wonder if my camera would do them justice. These neat dangles hung from a lot of the trees and they almost looked like cobwebs. I took a liking to them because they gave the scene a sort of tropical weeping willow essence--very cool. I was asking what was in the trees, and just as I commented on how beautiful they were Eulogio responded, "Parasites" in a very matter-of-fact way. Not sure a parasite could hold beauty? Come down for a visit, and let me take you out on the lake. Some of the parasites were these big green spikes stuck all over the trees--crazy pineapple top looking plants. We saw a good number of people out fishing. Most of them didn't have poles, but what seemed to be a handful of line, and it appeared to be working just fine!

The birds around the lake blew me away. I've seen a couple really cool looking birds near my house, but it's like the lake was showing off. Eulogio says there are about 4,000 different types of birds in this area, and something like 1,000 of them are only found in this area. That seems so crazy to me! Of course my descriptions won't do them justice, but hopefully some pictures can be posted one of these days. Just crazy vibrant colors and sharp features; like angular tails and bright beaks, different colors on the tops and undersides of wings. We kept seeing this one that was chartreuse (Logk needed some explanation of what the heck chartreuse looked like) and brown with a bright yellow beak. Douglas told me the name of it, but of course I can't remember. No camera and no pencil--Dad would not be proud.

The wind started picking up and the sky got that eerie look to it, so we paddled back with a little more haste than paddling out. The trip home from Los Naranjos was full of laughter. So there was plenty room for us on our big boat, but I think it's safe to say it was at capacity (lancha llena). I think it is also safe to say cabs here rarely reach capacity, seemingly no matter how many you squeeze in. First moto-taxi experience, and it was adventurous! They have these cabs here called moto-taxis, and they're best described as a cross-breed between a tricycle and a lawn-mower. I agree, pictures are definitely needed. Some of them have plastic around the windows, and some are just open and exciting. We packed five adults, and the grown male driver into a moto-taxi. It was cozy to say the least. Poor Maryann... I ended up on her lap (yesss she's a couple sizes smaller and it would have made more sense in the reverse, but we didn't pack in with careful planning) and thought it might ease the blow if I raised myself over the tumulos (speed bumps). Of course each time I lowered myself I crushed her legs all over again...and unfortunately, I didn't realize this until the last speed bump. The sweet girl took it like a champ. But we had a great laugh about it on our walk to dinner.

Hammocks! and birthdays too--

A few weeks ago we celebrated Javier's birthday and had a great time. We loaded into the truck and drove about 45(ish) minutes to a pizza place he and Kerem had been told to try. They set us up with a table on the roof, and we all enjoyed the view. To the left was this long stretch of trees with a narrow stretch of street running  through for miles with little speckles of city lights and mountain bumps at the end. We spent a few hours at the restaurant laughing with the kids, and getting to know a new friend Jamie, who was in town for about a week of mission work. He says he is trying to come back early 2012, so here's hoping. He lives in Chespeake and works with broadcasting, but fell in love with Honduras a few years ago and has returned here and there for mission work. Javier and Kerem's sweet kids have gotten very into this game of slap the fingers, and Maryann spent a good while playing with a few of them. I do my  best to steer clear, and consider Maryann a masochist. You play with your fore and middle fingers held together tightly, and slap the fore and middle fingers of your partner. The game is over when someone gives. No thanks...It stormed the entire drive back to town, with crazy heavy rain and power outages greeting us when we got home, but we had fun with it.

The next day Javier surprised us with hammocks for the house. Happy birthday to him (us)! I still can't believe he gave them to us--that Javier and Kerem they spoil us! Javi says you can't live in Honduras without a hammock, and I happen to agree. It's like our porch was crying for a hammock. Chris and Maria gave Irene Maria's because she never used it, so we now have three hammocks hanging on the front porch. Maryann was so patient getting ours hung. She had to get the ropes tied just right so they didn't knock against each other and drive us crazy. Relaxing into that thing is just so...relaxing :) Easing into it and reclining back, the soft fabric scoops you up in this swaddling hug, and the weight of my arrival mixed with a cool afternoon breeze gives this soothing sway. It's hard to imagine, but it somehow leaves me feeling so weightless even though I feel the weight of myself wrapping the hammock around me. It has so far proved fabulous for power naps before caminando al mercado, toiling away over lesson plans, video chatting family and spending quality time with the roommates as the three of us enjoy our porch-front haven.

As an aside, Kilalah is no longer a member of the Casa Rosada family as she was gifted to a friend's family in the mountains towards San Pedro. The unexpected adoption (or abandonment depending who you ask...) left a sour taste in Javier's mouth and it comes up almost daily. Kerem and I can't stop laughing every time they get into it. So of course when Javier gave us the hammocks it was discussed that Maryann wasn't allowed to use hers until she brought the cat home. We miss Kila, but I'm sure she's happier with her friends in the mountain.

Pretty flower I photographed while Maryann used her knotting skills...it makes me think of Nana and all the irises she always had growing. And it grows on a big plant right in my yard :)

My girl hard at work! 

I wonder what the hammock will be like when I return to the States. I wonder if I'll live somewhere with a nice space to stretch a hammock. Maybe I should add that to the list of "wants" for whenever I end up looking for a place to live State-side...

Pre-Op Translations

What a week it has been! Monday and Tuesday were surprisingly great days, and Wednesday was just wonderful. The kids are really starting to develop, which is an incredible feeling. A few of my patience-testers had awesome participation today. I almost couldn't believe it when Kensy whipped her notebook out and started scribbling away sentences without me even having to repeat myself once. Put that one down in the books, because I can guarantee you it is a first! I know I say it a lot, but my kids are a lot of fun. They're always full of giggles. This week is supervision week or something like that, where Magda will pop into the classroom to see what we're like as teachers. She came into two of my classes Wednesday, and seemed very pleased with the work I'm doing. What a yay for me!

A surgical team from Barnabas arrived today, and I heard they might need help with translating this afternoon. They're spending the week about an hour and a half from the BHouse so they're closer to the hospital, but Wednesday they had to do pre-op interviews etc to get ready for the busy week ahead. I'm excited because I finally got to meet Nancy (Barnabas pres) so now I get to put a face to email. She's spending the weekend with the team in Sigua, and has invited me to come along so that could be great! It was neat translating for the anesthesiology, and I was able to learn some new vocab. Mmm I enjoyed some te de jamaica and fresh banana bread. I also had some beans and corn tortillas, so you know I was happy. I didn't get to know the team very well because they were busy getting the pre-op arranged and then back on the road for Sigua, but hopefully I'll get to spend some time with them this weekend.

This is the oral surgical team, so I saw some interesting faces today. It was neat talking to Nancy because she remembers some of the kids coming in as babies, and now she's seeing them as they grow and they heal from their surgeries. They have been able to make some incredible transformations. And I got to hold so many babies tonight. They were squishy and amazing. This one little guy was so full of life. Most of the kids were a little timid, and who wouldn't be, but this guy seemed like he couldn't be happier to be there. He was kicking his legs around and drumming on the table. Even at bedtime he had his fun little smile. Mom let me spend some time holding him before he had to turn in for the night, and I commented on how much fun he was. She assured me it was just because he seemed so taken with me, and that made me blush. Of course it brought up the fact that I don't have children, and being "my age" and single/childless earns me some interesting looks around here. I told her that right now my life is more suited to holding other people's babies.

I am having a hard time putting into words what it was like at the house tonight.Being surrounded by all those kids and families, helping the healers get the information they needed, bonding more with my Honduran family--all things for which I am greatful. Delilah wants to have me over and go swimming in the lake one day soon,  Pascuala wants me to stay with her for a couple of days, Nancy will be here the entire month of October and Melvin and I are going to get together for spiritual talk sometime in the near future. Those hours at the house tonight, it was like a breath of fresh air.