Just wanted to remind you that your dream vacation is how I spend my weekends. :)
Monday
Day 53: Subtle Reminder
You know how there's a collective universal dream vacation? You know the one I'm talking about. You're sunbatheing on an isolated beach somewhere in the Carribbean, lying in a hammock surrounded by palm trees.... you explore your little island to find lush tropical vegetation, large beautiful butterflies, waterfalls, and monkeys. Of course, there's also the added danger of snakes of jaguars! After exploring the island, you move on to the water surrounding it... scuba diving to find sunken pirate ships, colorful coral, hidden caves and even wind up swimming with a pod of dolphins!
Just wanted to remind you that your dream vacation is how I spend my weekends. :)
Just wanted to remind you that your dream vacation is how I spend my weekends. :)
Thursday
Day 48: Day of Epic Failure
So, we've had a team from Southeastern University staying and working at the school for the past week, so we decided to treat them to a nice snorkeling say at Punta Sal.
We get up at 5, in order to be ready and at the bus stop by 6, so we can be in Tela by 7. We get to Tela and the weather is something awful. There's clouds for miles, no sun in sight and its just started sprinkling. We met up with the man who is supposed to take us in his boat out to the peninsula and he tells us that there are 14 foot swells. He'll take us out there, but he won't come back to get us. So, snorkeling is now out of the question.
We then revert of Plan B which is Telamar. Telamar is a nice resort with a private beach, that is basically super touristy and muy riche. So, we decide to buy the buffet in order to gain entrance, which gives us access to the private beach, and it costs about 300 lempira. Yikes. That's about 16 for one meal. That's expensive in America, so here in Honduras, it is extremely expensive. Oh, and it's about 8 o'clock now, so we have 3 hours until the buffet start.
We waste time playing football on the beach, drinking from coconuts, mingling with some local sellers and enjoying the sauna. Eleven finally rolls around and we stroll over to the dining hall to find out that they are not serving the buffet today. Oh... and we already paid for this buffet. So, now we're stuck trying to figure out how to get our money back. After parading around some mad faces and demanding we get our money back, we stroll out of the resort and head to El Progreso.
It was a day of continual epic failure.
We get up at 5, in order to be ready and at the bus stop by 6, so we can be in Tela by 7. We get to Tela and the weather is something awful. There's clouds for miles, no sun in sight and its just started sprinkling. We met up with the man who is supposed to take us in his boat out to the peninsula and he tells us that there are 14 foot swells. He'll take us out there, but he won't come back to get us. So, snorkeling is now out of the question.
We then revert of Plan B which is Telamar. Telamar is a nice resort with a private beach, that is basically super touristy and muy riche. So, we decide to buy the buffet in order to gain entrance, which gives us access to the private beach, and it costs about 300 lempira. Yikes. That's about 16 for one meal. That's expensive in America, so here in Honduras, it is extremely expensive. Oh, and it's about 8 o'clock now, so we have 3 hours until the buffet start.
We waste time playing football on the beach, drinking from coconuts, mingling with some local sellers and enjoying the sauna. Eleven finally rolls around and we stroll over to the dining hall to find out that they are not serving the buffet today. Oh... and we already paid for this buffet. So, now we're stuck trying to figure out how to get our money back. After parading around some mad faces and demanding we get our money back, we stroll out of the resort and head to El Progreso.
It was a day of continual epic failure.
Day 47: I feel like a man
So, I've neer been a very big eater.
I'm the kind of person that will refuse a good home-cooked meal because i just had a pack of Skittles earlier so I'm full.
However, I think I finally understand what it's like to be a man.
Being that I grew up around four boys, I've watched boys eat second and third helpings of food, while I've struggled to put down a measely first course. But here, in Honduras, things are different. Because I never know when I'm going to have food, I eat as much as I can whenever I can.
For instance, the other night one of my little first graders, Katherine Paiz, had us over so her parents could cook dinner for us. We had steak, tortillas, avocado and chimon. I ate everything and at the end, all I could think was "That was not enough." I wasn't anywhere near being full. So when they asked if anyone wanted seconds, my hand shot up along with the rest of the boys.
I ate 4 steaks.
FOUR!!!
I am such a man.
I'm the kind of person that will refuse a good home-cooked meal because i just had a pack of Skittles earlier so I'm full.
However, I think I finally understand what it's like to be a man.
Being that I grew up around four boys, I've watched boys eat second and third helpings of food, while I've struggled to put down a measely first course. But here, in Honduras, things are different. Because I never know when I'm going to have food, I eat as much as I can whenever I can.
For instance, the other night one of my little first graders, Katherine Paiz, had us over so her parents could cook dinner for us. We had steak, tortillas, avocado and chimon. I ate everything and at the end, all I could think was "That was not enough." I wasn't anywhere near being full. So when they asked if anyone wanted seconds, my hand shot up along with the rest of the boys.
I ate 4 steaks.
FOUR!!!
I am such a man.
Day 44: Holy Cow!
So... my little group of seven moms... it's doubled.
They all went and told their friends and families and now we have 14!
It was a little ego-booster.
:)
They all went and told their friends and families and now we have 14!
It was a little ego-booster.
:)
Days 40-42
So, Steve and Paul invited me to go to the airport with them to pick up a group of college students who are coming to Honduras for the week. I had nothing better to do since Sully had to go and visit a friend in the hospital so I decided to tag along. It turned out that this group was from Ocala! My hometown! How crazy is that? So, I'm really excited, because I finally have people my age to hang out with!! They all get off the plane and say hello to Steve and Paul and then they introduce me "This is Summer. She lives here in Honduras, and she's from ocala too."
So, I get to meet this wonderful little group of people, who I instantly fall in love with and I get to spend three whole wonderful days with them. It was fun to fit in again and to be around people who actually understand my sense of humor, but the best part was getting to introduce them to my life here. We went and visited people who lived in banana fields, visited a Korean outreach church down by the River, and did some home-improvement work on my school. They painted the front side of our school and installed a bunch of new fans all day, It was so great and so needed.
Also, as it turns out, this group was a big nertz-playing group. They couldn't believe that I actually knew the game, so needless to say they were shocked when I whooped their tail. I was the first out and I had the most points... SCORE!
Anyways... I had an absolute blast with these guys and if they weren't from Ocala, I probably would have cried a lot more when they left. They were so precious and it was a complete throw-back to youth trips in High School with Steve, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have gotten to meet them and to know I have an amazing college-group to go home to.
So, I get to meet this wonderful little group of people, who I instantly fall in love with and I get to spend three whole wonderful days with them. It was fun to fit in again and to be around people who actually understand my sense of humor, but the best part was getting to introduce them to my life here. We went and visited people who lived in banana fields, visited a Korean outreach church down by the River, and did some home-improvement work on my school. They painted the front side of our school and installed a bunch of new fans all day, It was so great and so needed.
Also, as it turns out, this group was a big nertz-playing group. They couldn't believe that I actually knew the game, so needless to say they were shocked when I whooped their tail. I was the first out and I had the most points... SCORE!
Anyways... I had an absolute blast with these guys and if they weren't from Ocala, I probably would have cried a lot more when they left. They were so precious and it was a complete throw-back to youth trips in High School with Steve, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have gotten to meet them and to know I have an amazing college-group to go home to.
Days 39: Hello Haiti
So, yesterday Sully invited me to go to El Progreso with her for the weekend. Naturally, I said yes because there is nothing to do in our tiny little town of San Juan, and going to EL Progreso means Dona Santa and Nina will feed me tons of nice food until I puke. So, I loaded up tons of stuff to keep me occupied in my backpack and hopped on a bus with Sully.
After having a nice 30 minute conversation with Elisheba, catching up on one anothers lives, I walked into the kitchen at Dona Santas and saw two nice American men sitting there. Americans! Yes! So, these nice men were Paul and Steve and they invited me to join them for the rest of the weekend. They just so happen to be from Ocala too and they spoiled the heck out of me! We went to the movies and they bought me popcorn and candy! We went to Applebees and I got some nice American food!
Other than treating me to nice things, Steve and Paul have actual jobs doing really great things. Paul has spent the past 6 weeks in Haiti organizing and distributing food. Steve is the brains behind the whole operation and he organizes lots of international aid when natural disasters occur all over the world. Right now with Operation Compassions, they're building churches and schools in Haiti, Honduras and Tanzania.
Paul's been in Haiti for as long as I've been in Honduras, so naturally I was interested in his thoughts and feelings about the whole situation, and just how exactly things are going in Haiti. He's got a ton of amazing stories, and I told him how I would love to come over and help with whatever I can, since I speak French, and he and Steve were absolutely floored. They definitely could use me over there, which means I might be going there for Holy Week. Hooray! After trying to communicate in Spanish for the past 6 weeks, Ive realized just how much French I really know. If these kids spoke french, we would have 0 communication problems.
So... basically God is amazing. I came to a place where I don't speak the language, in order to get an opportunity to go to a place where I do speak the language. God's plans for my life were so much bigger than my own.
After having a nice 30 minute conversation with Elisheba, catching up on one anothers lives, I walked into the kitchen at Dona Santas and saw two nice American men sitting there. Americans! Yes! So, these nice men were Paul and Steve and they invited me to join them for the rest of the weekend. They just so happen to be from Ocala too and they spoiled the heck out of me! We went to the movies and they bought me popcorn and candy! We went to Applebees and I got some nice American food!
Other than treating me to nice things, Steve and Paul have actual jobs doing really great things. Paul has spent the past 6 weeks in Haiti organizing and distributing food. Steve is the brains behind the whole operation and he organizes lots of international aid when natural disasters occur all over the world. Right now with Operation Compassions, they're building churches and schools in Haiti, Honduras and Tanzania.
Paul's been in Haiti for as long as I've been in Honduras, so naturally I was interested in his thoughts and feelings about the whole situation, and just how exactly things are going in Haiti. He's got a ton of amazing stories, and I told him how I would love to come over and help with whatever I can, since I speak French, and he and Steve were absolutely floored. They definitely could use me over there, which means I might be going there for Holy Week. Hooray! After trying to communicate in Spanish for the past 6 weeks, Ive realized just how much French I really know. If these kids spoke french, we would have 0 communication problems.
So... basically God is amazing. I came to a place where I don't speak the language, in order to get an opportunity to go to a place where I do speak the language. God's plans for my life were so much bigger than my own.
Days 35-37: Adult ESL
So, Tuesday after school Fito pulled me aside to ask me if I would teach English to some of the parents. Almost all of the parents speak only Spanish, which can be very difficult when all of the kids homework is in English. So of course, I was more than glad to try and help out, so I ask him what days and times and how long we will be doing it for and what does he say?
"We start today at 4."
HA!
In and hour and a half I had to try and figure out how exactly I was going to communicate to people who only speak and only understand spanish. It didn't go so bad though. We have seven little moms and they are absolutely precious! After the first day, they we're all excited just because they could say "Good morning" and "How are you?"
Seriously... so precious.
Teaching the moms though means I'm at school from seven in the morning til 6 at night. By the end of the day, I am absolutely wiped. But it is completely worth it.
"We start today at 4."
HA!
In and hour and a half I had to try and figure out how exactly I was going to communicate to people who only speak and only understand spanish. It didn't go so bad though. We have seven little moms and they are absolutely precious! After the first day, they we're all excited just because they could say "Good morning" and "How are you?"
Seriously... so precious.
Teaching the moms though means I'm at school from seven in the morning til 6 at night. By the end of the day, I am absolutely wiped. But it is completely worth it.
Monday
Day 34: Clarity
Today, I am reminded of the love of God.
You can read about the love of God, and you can be told about the love of God, but the greatest way we can ever really know the love of God is to experience it firsthand.
Most people can tell you of a time when they felt the love of God-- and usually it's when they deserved it least. But no matter what story you hear, it is almost always self-centered. Not in a bad way mind you, but it usually involves experiencing the love of God in your own self. I, too, have a story along those lines, but today I got a bigger view of God's love.
Today, I sat at the computer screen, talking to my friends back home, finding out all the latest news when I found out something I really didn't want to hear. When one of our friends struggles, we struggle too. It is a gift and a burden we share as humanity. We spread out our load so it's not so heavy. And today, as I sat crying, feeling confused, betrayed and lied to, the only thing I could really think is "I love you. No matter what happens, I love you. No matter how many times you disappoint me or hurt me or push me away, I will still be here, unmoved, right where you left me, and I will still be loving you. There is nothing you can ever do to make me stop. I will always love you."
And in that moment, I could hear God say "This is MY LOVE. This is My Love for You. Now do you finally understand?"
So, I thought about all the times I've disappointed God. All the times I tried to hide and all the times I've been angry and throughout those times, no matter how much I hurt Him, He pursued. He relentlessly pursued saying "I love you. I will always love you. There is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you."
If I, some pitiful human, can feel such love for another pitiful human, how much greater is the love of The One who created Love in the first place?
You can read about the love of God, and you can be told about the love of God, but the greatest way we can ever really know the love of God is to experience it firsthand.
Most people can tell you of a time when they felt the love of God-- and usually it's when they deserved it least. But no matter what story you hear, it is almost always self-centered. Not in a bad way mind you, but it usually involves experiencing the love of God in your own self. I, too, have a story along those lines, but today I got a bigger view of God's love.
Today, I sat at the computer screen, talking to my friends back home, finding out all the latest news when I found out something I really didn't want to hear. When one of our friends struggles, we struggle too. It is a gift and a burden we share as humanity. We spread out our load so it's not so heavy. And today, as I sat crying, feeling confused, betrayed and lied to, the only thing I could really think is "I love you. No matter what happens, I love you. No matter how many times you disappoint me or hurt me or push me away, I will still be here, unmoved, right where you left me, and I will still be loving you. There is nothing you can ever do to make me stop. I will always love you."
And in that moment, I could hear God say "This is MY LOVE. This is My Love for You. Now do you finally understand?"
So, I thought about all the times I've disappointed God. All the times I tried to hide and all the times I've been angry and throughout those times, no matter how much I hurt Him, He pursued. He relentlessly pursued saying "I love you. I will always love you. There is nothing you can do to make me stop loving you."
If I, some pitiful human, can feel such love for another pitiful human, how much greater is the love of The One who created Love in the first place?
Day 33: Muerte
Fito's mom died yesterday.
It was really sad, and I felt really bad for him, but it was nice to see everyone coming together for Fito. All of the teachers took a two hour bus ride and a taxi cab to be at the funeral for him.
Spanish funerals aren't that much different from ones in America, but I think there's definitely a different feeling in the air. In America, we have dismembered the nuclear family. We rejoice in leaving our parents and embracing independence the minute we turn 18 and are able to. But here, you live with your family pretty much until you get married. There isn't the same kind fo independence here that we have in America.
There's a preview for an upcoming show called "Parenthood" that I think exemplifies this difference best. In the preview it shows Lauren Graham (of Gilmore Girls) dropping off her high schoolers at school and saying "Be your Best!" while they shrug her off and look completely mortified. One day while watching this, Celeste asked me why this was so embarrassing to American teenagers, because here in Honduras parents do that all the time and it's not a big deal, but that's because family matters here. Families here are like Americans in the 50's. Mom stays home and takes care of the kids, house and cooking, while Dad works and the kids go to school and spend the rest of their time at the house. There are no nursing homes, because you take care of your own family.
It's beautiful really.
So funerals, while mournful, are also a time of rejoicing. You remember the time your were lucky enough to get with this person.
The only time that everyone really cried in unison was when the casket was lowered. In America, after we do this we usually walk away leaving the gravediggers to finish up their job, but since graveyards in Latin America are above ground, you wait for the person to be cemented inside. So, we stood, crying, singing, watching as we became physically separated from our loved one until the rain started. And in that moment, I felt God.
God weeping with His People.
It was really sad, and I felt really bad for him, but it was nice to see everyone coming together for Fito. All of the teachers took a two hour bus ride and a taxi cab to be at the funeral for him.
Spanish funerals aren't that much different from ones in America, but I think there's definitely a different feeling in the air. In America, we have dismembered the nuclear family. We rejoice in leaving our parents and embracing independence the minute we turn 18 and are able to. But here, you live with your family pretty much until you get married. There isn't the same kind fo independence here that we have in America.
There's a preview for an upcoming show called "Parenthood" that I think exemplifies this difference best. In the preview it shows Lauren Graham (of Gilmore Girls) dropping off her high schoolers at school and saying "Be your Best!" while they shrug her off and look completely mortified. One day while watching this, Celeste asked me why this was so embarrassing to American teenagers, because here in Honduras parents do that all the time and it's not a big deal, but that's because family matters here. Families here are like Americans in the 50's. Mom stays home and takes care of the kids, house and cooking, while Dad works and the kids go to school and spend the rest of their time at the house. There are no nursing homes, because you take care of your own family.
It's beautiful really.
So funerals, while mournful, are also a time of rejoicing. You remember the time your were lucky enough to get with this person.
The only time that everyone really cried in unison was when the casket was lowered. In America, after we do this we usually walk away leaving the gravediggers to finish up their job, but since graveyards in Latin America are above ground, you wait for the person to be cemented inside. So, we stood, crying, singing, watching as we became physically separated from our loved one until the rain started. And in that moment, I felt God.
God weeping with His People.
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