Saturday, March 27, 2010

I am with you alway...Mat. 28:20

How awesome it is to know that God is with us every moment of everyday. We can call upon Him at anytime and anywhere, and He will supply our need, whatever it is. Yesterday was one of those times. It was PE day, and the 7th and 8th graders had decided that they would go to the playas-beaches. I said beaches are in Tela and Roatan not Macuelizo. Noe, the custodian, and one of the teachers said it was by the river. Well, the river was 1 1/2 hours down the mountain, depending on your speed. Oh my, on the way down, I thought, " Dear Lord, what am I doing here?" There was no road. It was a path no wider than your foot in most places. Wow! Watch your footing. Alex, our bus driver was invited to go along, and bless his heart, he kept his eye on his "teacher". So I had his hand when needed. He comes to my English class when he is able, and we do English going home from school. Of course, he is not use to a lot of walking since he lives in Tegucigalpa. So he was in the hurts, too. Thank God I walk here in Valle. Anyway, we had to step aside to let a couple of pack horses go by. Honduras is such a land of diversity. This mountain was just as tall if not taller than the one in Amapala that I only climbed half way up last year. But on this mountain, you went up, down and around and praised God when you hit a level place. People that live on this mountain don't have cars and trucks, since there are no roads. So they travel by horse or foot. Oh, my, it makes me tired just to think about walking there again. Well, we finally made it there. Well, the river had hardly any water in it since we are in the dry season, but there was the swimming hole. And it was a swimming hole, just like the one my kids use to use when they were kids, only this one was a little bigger. The kids had a great time. So they had maybe 30 or 40 minutes to play and then back up the mountain. Well, the footing going up was easier than coming down, but the uphill climb was tough. Alex went ahead with some of the kids because he had to get back to take the first busload of kids home. Well, there were 4 kids that were behind me and they were having a hard time. Hearts were pounding. I told them we sit down, rest, catch our breaths, and go again for a space. We probably started doing this half way up. I said, Jesus ayudame-help me. Sure enough, He put one hand on my chest and the other on my back and said breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out...My mind needed to be on something else other than the top of the mountain which seemed to be moving farther away all the time. Then the song, one more river to cross, one more mountain to climb, one more valley that I gotta go through leaving my troubles behind...I'm going through with Jesus hallelujah...came to mind. So my spirit was singing. I haven't thought of that song in years! A couple of times I told Alejandra, the other teacher, just send a helicopter!! Wouldn't that have been the cat's meow? Dumb gringa!!!! Well, we finally made it. Praise God. But Alex, me, and Alejandra said never again. A couple of times when I thought I can't do this, I thought if my life was at stake I'd do it. So on I went. But I was glad to see the road. There was time to walk to cool down before we reached the school and to get the heart rate back to normal. What an experience.

A land of diversity. In the big cities, you find all the technology that you find in the states. In the country, depending on the area, there aren't even roads let alone technology. But most have cell phones, but maybe not the fancy ones. I'm so glad I had such a diverse childhood. At Grandma's, there was no inside bathroom. She did have running water in the sink and a water heater. However, I have lived in houses where there was no running water. There was a pump outside and maybe a hand pump in the kitchen. I have had to wash clothes by hand , but I'm thankful I don't have to do that now. Most women in Valle wash their clothes by hand. It's quite amazing what you get use to and what you can do without if you have to. There was one wider place on the mountain that had a couple of barrels sitting there. Sticking out of the mountain was a small black hose with water going into the barrels. It was not a fast stream at all. On the way back there were some ladies there. One was bathing her baby of several months, and I don't remember seeing what the others were doing. I was too busy just trying to move onward. But I do remember the looks on their faces when they saw this gringa. What a surprise. Well, the legs are beginning to talk to me!! I was wondering when the soreness would appear. I think its on its way!!

So today there will be a team living here on the property for a week. They will be working at the school. I'm so glad and hopeful that it will all be finished this week. What a blessing for the kids to have a place to play soccer, etc.

So today I'm thankful to the Lord for my health and His continued care, even when I may not be using common sense. But something has taken place in my spirit that wasn't there before the climb. Thank you Jesus.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

IITim. 1:7 For God hath not given us a spirit of fear...

School is now in full swing. Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day. It is a big deal here just like Mother's Day. The parents supply the money for the food that the cooks at school prepare for the fathers that come. The different grades practice skits, songs, and poems to perform for their fathers. It's really quite nice. My Spanish teacher was shocked to find out that we don't do that in the states. I explained that the younger grades make things for their fathers and the churches usually do something to honor fathers, but as a whole the day is celebrated individually by families. Very strange to her. I really appreciate the fact that they teach the children the national anthem of Honduras, beginning in kindergarten. During the celebration, it is sung after prayer. They sing all the stanzas, not just one or the chorus. I wish we would do that in the states, but then heaven forbid that we should offend those that are not from the U.S. or don't believe in patriotism. How far we have fallen.

The week of the 29th will begin La Semana Santa-Holy Week and we will be out of school ready for a break. However, there will be a team here from the states working at the school. So Becky and I will be cooking breakfast every morning at 5:30. Right now the guys from El Progreso is here building steps, retaining walls, and a place for the high school kids to play soccer or whatever. It is so nice to walk down steps instead of loose gravel that can send you flying if you're not careful.

Exams will be given when we return to school. Yuck! I don't like giving tests, and I don't like taking them. But it's a must. I am happy with what the kids have remembered from last year. Right now we're working on telling time. They are just like some kids in the states. They can read digital, but not a regular clock. So it's a little difficult. And there are places in this world that still use regular clocks including watches. But then the Hondurans don't use the same words that I learned in Spanish to tell time either. So I understand their confusion and frustration. Really makes me wonder how much different it will be in Costa Rica. I'll be thinking, Lord, here we go again. Yeah, I hear some of you saying, "But look at how much you're learning". Just goes to prove that there are more ways to skinning a cat than one. That's morbid, but it's one of those things my dad use to say. The students are also learning the books of the Bible in English. They really have trouble pronouncing Judges.

Last week in the Bible study, the leader asked if we were ready to go if Jesus should come back. Some were a little fearful and he explained that when we are in Jesus, we don't have to live in fear. Of course, that's the crux of the matter. Are we in Jesus? Something was said about time, and I remarked that we won't have time to think about it when the time comes, because we will go in the twinkling of an eye. I don't know if a twinkle is the same as a blink, but I think it may be faster. But then Hondurans are a fearful people, and we talked about that a little. Some of my friends were shocked to know that all our homes in the U.S. are not surrounded by brick walls or cyclone fences with locked gates and barbed wire running along the top. Here, when you go to someone's house, you stand outside the gate and jiggle the gate while calling out to them saying, Buenas or Hola. I've taught my students how to answer the door if they were in the states. Very shocking to them to be so close and knock on a door, and not be calling out at the same time. How different our cultures are, but in many areas, the same.

I received news last week that the mother of my best friend in Wichita had passed away. It was sad to hear, but it was also a time of rejoicing for she was ready to meet our Lord. Everyday we have to be ready. Our sins forgiven and walking the path that He has called each one of us to walk. As the nations around us become more confused, we have to keep our eyes on Jesus. He is on the throne above all thrones and is in complete control of all things. Nothing happens without His say so. I'm so glad I know Him.