Encouragement

Today my kids told me I'm the first "good" math teacher they've had. I asked what they meant, and they said "All our other teachers only check if we do our homework, not if it's right or wrong." I explained I do that too; when I come around and check off their homework, I give them full credit if they just tried all the problems.

I explained, "If I give you 20 problems for homework one night, it would be best if I could check them all as right or wrong. BUT, there are 26 of you. So then I would check (and correct) 20 problems for each of the 26 students, which is 520 problems...for only one night's math homework!"

They said, "Yes, but you put the correct answers on the board and show us how to do the ones we got wrong." It was a great chance to explain self-responsibility and how they need to be in charge of their own learning. We check answers so they know what they really understand and what they need to work on. My job is to help them learn for themselves, not just to write things for them to copy without thinking.

I think the message got across.

One girl even told me she used to hate math but now she loves it. Another said I make it "funny." (...But I'm not sure exactly what that means.)

Turtle Liberation Movement: El Sal

Over Thanksgiving Break, some friends and I went to El Salvador.
(You can click on the pictures to make them bigger)

(Appropriate, right? He was hanging out near our hostel.)

We stayed for a couple days at a hostel called El Roble and met some great people, like Alicia (Belgian), Oleg (Russian), and Duncan (Canadian), along with some other teachers from Honduras. We ate well, surfed, played water volleyball (and failed), played cards, and had great conversations.

Oh! And we liberated turtles! (Meaning we released newborn turtles into the ocean.)

The second half of the trip we visited some of my friends from college in El Salvador. My friend Veekee (who I met in El Sal last May) met us at the bus station. She waited there for the two hours that it was late. I was floored, but really it's just another example of the emphasis Latin Americans place on relationship over time.

"Speak of those things that nourish the spiritual life...Godly conversation about spiritual matters very much helps spiritual advancement, especially when persons of like mind and heart are united to God." ~Thomas a Kempis

My visit with my friends in El Salvador can best be described as this. I'm not sure I can express with words the love and understanding they have for one another and for God, so please be content knowing it is immense and sincere.

And to my delight, we made sure to throw down a little linedancing.

Home is where the heart is.

I'm an AUNT!!!!

Out one of my best friends in the world, Christi Matanick, just had her baby, Miss Layla Elizabeth Matanick. She and Than (her husband) are going to raise the most Jesus-loving child in the world, and I'm really excited to get to meet her and watch her grow up.

I think somewhere deep down inside I'm bummed I missed her being born, but right now I'm too excited to be sad. I actually did meet Layla last summer, but she couldn't even hear yet, she was so little. Anyway, I just wanted to share the greatest joy of my life right now. :o)

Lago de Yojoa

To celebrate the end of the first partial (quarter), a bunch of us went to Lago de Yojoa to relax. For me it was a beautiful weekend of spiritual reflection and study. I intentionally left my reading books at home to encourage myself to seek my quiet time with Jesus, and it felt amazing to rest in Him.

We also hiked under a GIANT waterfall, and it was probably one of the most intense water-related experiences I've ever had. And that's saying something. The waterfalls were pounding so hard over us we had to wear t-shirts over our bathing suits to keep them on and hold hands in a line to stay together. It was CRAZY and such a thrill. We did a little cliff jumping while we were there, too, but that was nothing compare to the falls.

Three friends and I decided to extend our trip another night and went to a hostel nearby. We read and played cards and told stories and got to know each other better. I live for this stuff.

Before I say anything further, let me clarify that hitch-hiking is a very acceptable, common, and safe means of transportation in Honduras. Any guide book will testify to that. That said...we hitched home. Maybe a hundred, hundred-fifty miles. The road home is the same highway the whole way. We hopped in the bed of trucks and hopped out when the trucks stopped. It took us 3 trucks to get the whole way, and we only had to wait about 20 minutes at the longest between rides.

Personally, I'd take riding in the open air of the back of a truck over a bus any day.

Accidents and Providence

Today (Saturday) we had school to make up for some of our missed school. Two of my closest friends and I decided to go out for a movie and sushi to celebrate our survival of the Week That Would Not End. I figured I wouldn't need to bring my cell phone because I was with these two and anyone else who might call could leave a message. Besides, one of my friends had her phone, so we wouldn't need both hers and mine. (We try to roll without purses as much as possible.) We invited another friend, but he opted out.

On the taxi ride to the movie we got into a minor accident. We hit the car in front of us at maybe 45 mph. It was pretty bizarre because we all realized we were about to hit, and then a split second later I thought "Ooh, this is going to be bad..." I turned my face into my friend and began to burrow/hide when we crashed into/under the car in front of us. We heard the windshield shatter and then fumes started filling the car.

We all got out fine and some very sweet, concerned Hondurans on the side of the road were asking us if we were ok. We all got little bumps and bruises and I messed my thumb up somehow, but nothing serious.

There was so much that evidenced God's protection and sovereignty over this situation. Firstly, we had no seatbelts to be wearing. I was in the middle backseat and, according to Newton's First Law of Motion (inertia--I just taught a unit about it), I should have been thrown forward. But I wasn't. Also, none of us were in the front passenger seat. If our friend has joined us, he would have sat up front and could have seriously injured his long legs against the dashboard. (Not to mention the lack of an airbag.) There was also no car that crashed into us from behind, and given our speed, we all walked away in good shape.

Here's the best part: As we were collecting ourselves on the side of the road, an IST employee pulled up just moments later and picked us up. It turns out my friend hadn't brought her phone either, but this woman had hers and knew the numbers we had to call. We debated going to the hospital but decided to give it some time, and it turns out this woman was going to the same mall we were. We weren't even that much of an inconvenience! We went ahead with our plans for dinner and a movie to give ourselves some time to relax and unwind a little. Given the circumstances, the three of us are very aware of the depth of God's protection over us.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

**Just found out Leslie's (my roommate who was also in the accident) pastor felt the need to pray for her yesterday afternoon...

WORLD CUP 2010, BABY!!!!!!

Tonight's win depended both on Honduras beating El Salvador AND the US beating or tying Costa Rica. Honduras won 1-0 but the US was down 2-1 for most of their game. At the VERY last possible moment, the US scored a goal TYING the game and sending Honduras to the World Cup!!!!!!!!! If only you could hear the cheers and fireworks erupting right now. Honduras is finally united again in celebration. As my friends and I walked home, we were greeted by cheers, shouts of thanks, and declarations of love for the USA. But this was all Honduras. They've earned this victory.

And now Micheletti has declared tomorrow a national holiday so we can all celebrate safely. Beautiful.

(For the record, My heart does still feel for Costa Rica and am hoping they'll pull through against Uruguay. Then life would be absolutely perfect.)

Mom and Pops

I began this evening feeling really overwhelmed and frustrated with certain circumstances in my life, but now, thanks to my parents' logical practicality and youthful sense of humor, I am smiling again and back to work. (We've got a 6-day week this week as we struggle to make up for lost time. That's what I get for bragging about all our unexpected time off!)

Though I'll be the first to admit my history of frustration and irritability at my parents' teasing, I think I can appreciate it a little more as I get older. (Though they will probably be the first to tell you I still don't "appreciate" it enough...)

Mom and Dad, I miss you. Please don't ever stop teasing me.

And don't quote that back to me any time soon. :o)