Beverly Sends Greetings This Holiday Season

Truly this is the season to be thankful, not only for Thanksgiving Day, but also to remember that Jesus Christ was born in order to save us (the World) from our sins. Christmas is a time to truly remember the reason for the season. Let us give Him thanks always for his mercy and grace.
And now I’m in the states for a short time and hoping that the new snow only lasts for a little while! Brrrr!! I know everyone wants a white Christmas, and it is gorgeous, but I am no longer acclimated to what comes with the snow! The COLD!!!! But this too shall pass! I hope.
Funny things happen when I’m here! Like looking for the waste paper can when going to the bathroom and not finding one, and then I realize where the paper goes. Oops! And when my son and I were at the mall, we went to one of those coffee stands, and I told the fellow what kind of coffee I wanted. When asked if I wanted half and half, I responded with a no by explaining I wanted more coffee then milk!!! The fellow waiting on me looked at me really strange. As did my son. Then I saw his carton of Half & Half. Another oops! In Honduras they give you half a cup of coffee and then finish filling your cup with hot milk. So I always tell them that I want more coffee and a little milk. They look at me strange, too, but they give me what I want. So all works out well. So I need to think the American way?!
2013 was a very busy year. We had many teams that came to minister to the students, the national ministers, and others. It’s always a blessing to meet new brothers and sisters and to renew old friendships.
And what’s happening with the English classes? Well, we are continually learning more and more. There are those that could care less, and then there are those that truly want to learn English, just like students in the states. But God never wastes time nor talent. He has a plan for each of their lives, and He has a reason for them to learn English. It’s really been fun teaching them the Christian songs that they already know in Spanish, such as Father Abraham, Open the Eyes of My Heart, If You’re Happy and You Know It, and Joy to the World. The seventh graders really enjoy singing. I hope they don’t change.
I have two girls that are sisters that come to my house twice a week to learn English. They are an absolute joy to teach! And they are so funny! It seems that when I’m tired and would rather not do anything, God uses them to liven me up. What a blessing they are. I still have Elida, an older lady, who also comes twice a week for lessons. She is so faithful, and she always helps me with my Spanish. God truly does supply all our needs.
I want to thank those of you that support me prayerfully and financially. You truly are a blessing to me from our Father.
I wish you all a very blessed Christmas and a happy, properous New Year.
God bless you all, Beverly
Visit my blog at beverlyblumer.blogspot.com 

John 14:9...he that hath seen me has seen me has seen the Father...

Yeah!! Final exams are finished.  I'm tired. The kids are tired. Everybody is ready for the school year to end. That's normal. And it will be just as normal to be excited when the new school year begins in February. However, I have already started working on next year's classes. This coming Tuesday and Wednesday, Becky, me, the director, and two teachers are taking the 5 ninth graders to Pulapanzak Waterfall and to Omoa where there is an old fort which I still have to read about! But it will be a fun time. 

So it has been a busy time the last couple of months. Penny and Steve, daughter and her hubby, came for ten days in September during my week off. What a great time we had. We went to Amapala one day so they were able to swim in the Pacific Ocean and enjoy the black sand that I like so very much. And to ride in a boat taxi from the mainland to the island.  We didn't climb any mountains!!!! They rented a car at the airport, and Steve drove everywhere. He did a great job. His video game, whatever it is called, helped him drive here, he said. Haha! They really do drive crazy here. Even though there are rules of the road, they aren't adhered to much at all.  On the way back from Amapala, Penny said she knew the reason that the U.S. was in so much trouble.  Really?  Well, yes, God was in Honduras protecting everybody that was on the road.  It was funny! But you had to be there to really enjoy the humor. It was such a great week. We didn't do much except enjoy the peace and quiet in Valle and each other's company.  However, Steve enjoyed watching the rain come over the mountain towards us. And it is beautiful. But then it is beautiful where I live. So we shopped a lot, ate a lot, visited a lot, and watched movies they hadn't seen before. They also watched our Independence Day parade on Sept. 15. Our kids do so well, considering they learn everything in August and September. It was just a good time. I hated to see them go. But I have a promise that they will return. Yeah!

And speaking of the parade. Our school did it again in the 28th. It was another holiday for delivering documents to whoever, whenever. Honduras has so many holidays. Some we work, and some we don't.

So my favorite holiday is just around the corner. Thanksgiving.  And I do miss cooking the dinner and having my kids and their kids at my house. And playing hide-n-seek after dark.  This year I'll be in El Salvador with the missionary family. Family, yes, but not the same. Sorry guys.

It's amazing that another school year has come and gone. Today, I just feel free. No plans to make for tomorrow or the next week, etc. Teaching is a 24/7 job.  It's always in the back of your mind even when you aren't in class. Well, I guess I should qualify that and say it's that way for me.  I do have my students here at the house, and they are just the best. But their classes are coming to an end in the next three or four of weeks until next January.  I will miss them.

What is God doing?  Everything.  I have been thinking about that a lot lately.  We can't always see what he is doing, and that is a problem for a lot of people.  But you don't plant a seed today and reap the fruit tomorrow. When we pray about something and know that he hears us, the answer will come in his time and not ours. Sometimes we see and know something is bad and nothing seemingly is being done.  But God has a time when he will bring the bad to light and then it will definitely be taken care of.  And here I'm speaking about powerful men that seem to get away with evil.  But they really aren't getting away with anything.  God in his mercy always sends warnings before judgment comes.  I am so thankful that he is a merciful God.  Jesus told the disciples that when they saw him, they saw the Father.  We all love Jesus, but do we "see" our Father through the actions of Jesus?  Do we really think about the Father when we pray "Our father in heaven"?  Jesus only did and said what he saw his father do.  Just some food for thought.

Ps.116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Today I learned of another friend being killed in El Progresso.  The first was a few months ago when I was in the states. His name was Raul. He was married and had two children. Today I learned that Chepe was killed last night. He leaves behind a toddler and an expectant wife.  These two guys were my best friends. They were the ones who taught me how to sift the sand for making cement. And if one of the workers that didn't know me would come to take "my" job, Raul and Chepe would always tell them to leave me alone because I knew what I was doing. Of course I did, because they taught me.

Raul was shot while leaving his house one morning. Chepe was killed while guarding the high school.

My heart and prayers go out to their wives and children. I talked to Chepe a couple of weeks ago when Becky and I went to El Progresso to deliver Christmas gifts to the kids that have sponsors. He was so happy about the new baby coming. And we were always glad to see one another. We talked about missing Raul. Who knew that in a couple of weeks, Chepe would be gone too?  Only my Father in heaven. I just don't normally ask God why something happens, but this time... The scripture that comforts me is Isa. 57:1. 

And I know that nothing can happen to a child of God without his express permission.  God has a plan, and it's a good one even when things don't appear to be so good. I thank God that he allowed me to have these two men and their families for friends.  They were the best! And one day, I will see them again.

Mat.10:28 And fear not them which kill the body...

August is past, and September is upon us once again. Soon the 15th will be here, and we will not be practicing any more marches, twirling of batons, pom pom waving, carrying flags, etc.  Surely academia falters during this time. This next week, there will be no lessons at all, just practice, practice, and more practice!

I had forgotten how little boys act when they see a puddle of water, or a limb within arms length! Not to mention a pile of cow or horse manure that just has to have rocks thrown into it.  The scripture of long suffering and patience has been my constant companion these past couple of weeks. Walking behind a group of 30 some boys ranging from the 1st to 9th grades can be a testing to say the least.  And there are always two or three that just has to do what they have been told not to do-are you really seeing me and watching what I'm doing when you said not to do that?  And then some things I learned in my classes about behavior came back to me. Negative attention is better than no attention at all.  I thought  Lord you must surely be kidding me. Not! I need to see these boys the same way he sees them. That's my prayer!  And I do feel for the little guys.  Two hours plus is a long time for them. It's hot and at times very boring, even for us adults. 

I  have been reading the A.D. Chronicles by Bodie and Brock Thoene that I borrowed from Becky.  They are great stories, and they make Jesus come alive as I've never experienced before.  They also cause you to think about your own relationship with him.  Do you really believe he will do what he says in his word, especially since he is the Word? And if you do, do you realize that you will be different from most people that attend church with you?  These are questions that I ask myself.  It's not enough to believe that he is God, even the devils believe that, and they tremble at his word. And they tremble because they know it's truth. God is not a man that he should lie.  Do we tremble at his word?  Is he the only thing that we fear?  I remember when my youngest daughter was really mad at me for something when she was probably a teenager.  I don't even know now what it was.  But anyway she told me that she had told a friend and her friend said she needed to "tell on me."  Penny told her that there was no one to tell because the only person I was afraid of was God! I was shocked! I remember saying,"Penny"! She said, "Well, it's true."  I don't have the kind of fear that makes me afraid to go to God.  In fact, it's just the opposite. I'm afraid not to go to him! He's the only one that can deliver me from myself and sin. He's the one that whispers to me and shows me things that need to be changed in my life. Things he knows-things I don't see, that perhaps others do. Things that only he can change by his Spirit that lives in me. Things I want changed but that's impossible to do by my own self.  God has forgiven me and delivered me from so much in my life.  When I first asked him to come into my life, it was because I didn't want to go to hell. I didn't LOVE him, because I really didn't KNOW him.  I believed he was who he is, but I didn't know him.  I became religious.  But he LOVED me.  He KNEW me! And through all the sin and mistakes, He never left me. And He gave me the desire to KNOW him, and slowly but surely I have come to know my Savior. Totally and completely? No, but through each trial and difficulty, and when he gives me understanding of something that I read in his word, I learn and know him more. He has given me a peace that is beyond description. I know he will NEVER leave nor forsake me. Where I am, He is, because his Holy Spirit is in me.  

We live in a dangerous world, and it is not going to get better until Jesus returns. I know that's true because it's what Paul told Timothy, and when Jesus was telling the disciples about the end times, he told them not to let their hearts be troubled because all these things had to happen.  A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday morning, I saw Will looking in my bedroom window again. So unlike him, with his nose pressed against the window and hands cupped around his face. I went to the door and said loud enough for him to hear, "Wil, what do you need?" I went outside to see him. Well, he was trying to see me, because someone had broken into my house the night before! The bedroom that was broken into used to open into my hallway, but while I was in Costa Rica, Mario had it closed off and open to the outside.  So whoever it was did not get into where I live. Praise God for his goodness because I didn't hear a thing. Becky said I can sleep through earthquakes, someone breaking into my house, etc. Well, what I can I say?  God protects and gives to his beloved sleep!  Whoever it was had cut the bottom portion of the screen and had crawled through the window without breaking it. And they had to be really small, because that window is not very big. So they took a small lamp, one sheet, a fan, and Will's radio that he always leaves outside and listens to when he is working here. Poor will! He was so scared for me. He told Mario he was so happy when he saw me. Bless his heart. So they proceeded to put the bars on the window that afternoon, the only one that didn't have them. So now all the rooms have bars over them. And Brownie, the daughter of Lobo, now sleeps at my door. They had her at the office in Tegucigalpa, but now she lives here. She's a German Shepherd and gorgeous.  She's so funny.  She hears the kids telling me good-bye when I get off the van, and she meets me at the gate with dog love talk!!  And I get kisses when I come through the gate.  Amazing, because I was never a dog lover. I guess God used Lobo to change that.  Thank you Lord.

So now, Penny and Steve will be here this Wednesday. I'm so excited. It's a great blessing to me when my kids come here. This will be the second one that has come to see mama!! And she will be here for my birthday.  Ye ha!!  Speaking of birthdays, my brother's is tomorrow.  I need to call him.

A couple of weeks ago we had a spiritual retreat here with just eleven of us including our area directors.  It was a wonderful time to spend with just the Lord. It was also good to get to know the missionary family that I didn't know very well, and to be able to visit with Pastor Bill and his wife who are now in the states most of the time. And our area directors, Jay andNancy. What a blessing they are to us.  thank you so much for a much needed time in God's presence with brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Ecc.3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Wow! Here it is, the third of August already. Time just seems to pass so quickly. The kids at school have started practicing for the big parade on September 15th, which is Independence Day here in Central America.  Our only musical instruments are the drums ( bass, snare, quads) and four lyres.  But what a great sound they make!  We have our baton twirlers, and pom pom squad, flag carriers, etc.  So everybody is excited, not to mention the fact that we get out of class for two hours each on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to practice.  But practice they do.  It isn't time to mess around and play.  They work hard for each of those two hours, and in the hot sun for a lot of that time.  But they always do well on parade day.

This has been a busy year with teams!  But they all have been a blessing to me, Becky, the students, and the churches where they have ministered.  Kansas has been here four times!  Yee ha, Kansas!  And now there is a lady here from Montana with two friends.  What a small world we live in. She is originally from IL, my home state, and what a conversation we had about the towns that we both are so familiar with.  She has written a book about Noah, and has had it translated into Spanish. Cissy Padgett is her name, and she gifted me with one of her CD's called "Wonder." No, I haven't listened to all of it yet, but am in the process now, and it sounds pretty good.

The few days in El Salvador were good, but very, very hot. The legacy of John Bueno and his wife Lois, listening and following the vision that God gave him, gave birth to LACC (Latin America Child Care). It is a glorious testimony of what God will do when a person  obeys him. LACC has served more than a million students.  So many Christians do not understand the call of God on their lives, especially if it means going to a foreign country or going against the so-called norm.  I am so thankful that these two followed the call.  If they hadn't, many children would not have an education, and I wouldn't be in Honduras.

So I had to go to some "classes" of course!  One was on integrating scriptures into our classes naturally.   I recognized this pastor from five years ago when we went to El Salvador.  I couldn't keep up with him when he was talking.  He asked each one of us what we did. I replied in Spanish that I taught English.  When he finished his discourse, he put everyone in groups except me. Then he began telling me in English what he had said.  I don't remember how the conversation came about when I told him about my conversation about trash and the Holy Spirit.  Someone had thrown down trash instead of putting it in the trash can.  I asked my class if they threw trash in their houses.  They said no.  I asked if Jesus were here (in the room) if they would throw trash on the floor.  They almost looked horrified and  said no.  Then I told them that he was there.  By his Holy Spirit. He was there and with us all the time.  The pastor said, "That's what I'm talking about. You're doing it."  And because I want these kids to learn how to think for themselves, I told them that one day they would be standing before Jesus by themselves, and they would have to answer for themselves. Their friends would not be there to speak for them.  They were so quiet when I said that that I wondered if they had stopped breathing!! The pastor said, "Now you're teaching me".  Wow! This class made my whole trip worthwhile. It´s good to know that you're doing something correct without truly knowing it.  Thank you, Lord.

Well, I started this a week ago! Sometimes it's just difficult to sit and write all that is going on, and what the Lord is doing, because He is always doing in the lives of his children. We just don´t see it at times. At this time in the school, we are practicing for the Independence Day parade on September 15.  So very little teaching of academics  is being done. When they practice for 2 or more hours on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, there is little time for much else, especially when you take out 30-40 minutes for merienda (snack time) which is really more like a meal.  But it's truly a blessing to watch these kids march and play drums and lyres when they have never had a music lesson in their lives.  And then to have them march in step with each other is another action short of a miracle.  These children are not very disciplined, but they learn to be.

I'm reading a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  I heard a remark that was supposed to have been said by him a few years ago that really caught my attention.  It was that Jesus called us to die.  I remember the song by Jimmy Swaggart called "Come and Dine". Well, I believe he, Jesus, did both.  Ecclesiastes 3 tells us there is a time and purpose for everything.  I think I forget that sometimes.  Many times we just want to get through something and not think that God has a purpose for it, but nothing is wasted with the Lord, even the bad things.  Many things in this book causes me to think more seriously about my own walk with the Lord. The only thing that I truly want is to one day hear the words well done thou good and faithful servant.

So on Thursday, I found a little scorpion in the pila (the cement like sink that holds our water) that we use to flush the toilets, etc. He was dead. I put him on the end of a toilet brush and showed him to Javier,  the teacher. You should have seen his eyes!  So funny! He kept saying to kill it by stepping on it. I told him it was already dead.  Nope, I should step on it.  I told him to step on it because I didn´t want the guts on the bottom of my shoe.  Wow!  He ground it to powder!  It makes me laugh.  Of course, I might have felt different if the little guy had been alive.  I definitely wouldn´t have put him on the end of the toilet brush, but I would have called Javier.  This makes me think that I need to be more observant when I go to the bathroom. On the way home, the teachers were talking how they find them in their houses especially when the weather begins to warm up. Oh, horrors! I have not had any of these creatures in my house and pray that I don't.

Hopefully, my youngest daughter and her hubby will be here in September!  What a blessing for all of us. So now I must be back into the book. God bless all.

John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Today is July 4, 2013.  A day of celebrations in the US.  Here in Valle, it is a regular day and raining! A rain that is needed so much. Praise God for the rainy season.  Some people have not had water for a while since they get their water from the mountains, and their source had dried up.  Can you imagine not having a faucet or even a well?  We Americans have it all!  We take so much for granted.  Living here makes one think about such things. I have heard many accuse North Americans of being selfish, materialistic, and self centered. It really bothers me to hear them say those things, because I see the same things here! People's hearts are the same from whatever country they are from!  God has blessed the US, and will bless any other country that follows him.  He will also stop those blessings when people turn away from him. I think we are beginning to see that in the US. How sad! It breaks my heart to see our country going down the path that it is on.

So the last month was  really busy.  I was able to go to IL the second week of June for a week. What a time my daughter and I had! We went shopping!! I needed dress clothes and some new shoes. Boy, did God bless! A couple of times, my son-in-law and I went. Great fun! I was able to spend some time with my brother, and I was able to visit with a cousin that I hadn't seen in probably 30 years or more. We had a wonderful time sharing about kids, grand-kids, great-grandkids, etc.  Well, I'm the only one in the  last category! And to figure out some family history. What a puzzle.  My great-grandfather deserted the Army during the Civil War and changed his name. When the President granted amnesty, he was going to change his name back to the original. Well, by this time he had married and had children. When he made his intentions known, one of his sons said that he was born with a certain name, and he wasn't going to change it, so Great-grandpa didn't either. That is the story I have heard from childhood, right or wrong!  And then my Grandpa married four times and had children by all his wives except one, so trying to figure out what uncle belonged to which wife, and who were half brothers/sisters was a problem. I still don't think I know who belongs to who! And at this time it really doesn't matter in the scope of things. But it's interesting.

A couple of days after returning here, a group from KS came to minister. What a great time I had visiting with my pastor and the others that I had met previously. It was a great team, and I hope they come back.  They ministered to the kids at the school, and also did some much needed painting. Thank you so much! One of our ladies that came had sponsored one of my former students for years. They were able to meet each other and to spend some time visiting with the help of an interpreter. What an answered prayer it was for Mary. Praise God! She was also able to meet her new sponsored child before leaving HN.  God is so good. When we follow his leading, he always answers the prayers of our hearts.  Nothing is overlooked or forgotten by him.  And tomorrow a group of young people, 20-23,  are coming for a week or so. That's a lot at one time! 

We have had this week off from school! Yeah!! It has been a time of rest, planning the next nine weeks, and figuring grades for the last nine weeks. We have been told that a student cannot fail, and they have to have 70% to pass. It used to be 60%.  If they don't earn it, you give it. How stupid! Just as our educational system has deteriorated in the states, so it goes for a country that follows us.  We lost so many good teachers when No Child Left Behind became law, and now what?  At the school where I teach, education is not very important to most of my students and their families. The few that do care are a blessing to teach! Most kids do not do their homework or study, and that's in the regular classes, not just the English class. I hate lies! And when you pass a child that does not do his part, and I'm not talking about kids that have difficulty learning, what are we teaching them?  They know. And we wonder why God isn't pouring out blessings even when we sing the songs, raise our hands, and attend church, and proclaim to be Christians.  But then most governments are anti-Christian even when they speak his name. My prayer is that this government will see the idiocy of this rule and change it.  We're already required to re-give the failed exam and give the best score of the two. I did that last week. I had given the test and answers before the first exam. The students just had to study it, and it was material that we talked about everyday. Well, did most of them pass? No. Did they pass the second? Of course! So if they could pass the second, they could have passed the first.  So if a person knows he has so many chances to do something before the very last chance, how many do you think the average person will do?  Exactly!  Good ole human nature, which is really not so good! You have just heard a teacher's frustration with an ungodly system. I wonder if I need to retire again, and just teach those that come and really want to learn.

Freedom. What a great thing to possess. I'm so thankful for the freedom that Jesus brought to us.  Freedom to worship him in Spirit and truth.  Have a blessed Day of Independence!

Rev. 2-3 To him that overcometh...

Wow! What a two weeks this has been! So much has happened, as always, but God is always faithful to help and to encourage in trying times.  It´s so frustrating to be told to do something and not know what or how.  It's amazing how people think that knowledge comes by osmosis! Well, all that is past, and now there are new things to overcome. But isn't that like our God? In order to be an overcomer, we have to have things to overcome! I'm trying to rejoice in that bit of knowledge right now!!!

So, last week I went to the Copan ruins with two of the teachers from CEAD, the school that is connected to the church that Becky attends in Tegucigalpa. They had not been to see any of HN other than here in Valle. And since that school is on the N. American system, they will be leaving in a few days. So we were on the bus for eight hours there and eight hours back. But it was a bus like Greyhound, bathroom and all. They even gave us snacks. We had a nice hotel and we could split the cost. Food was excellent there in the hotel. We ate at another place that was not so great. Our guide at the ruins spoke good English, and we learned a lot of good things including their numbering system.  He is also a Christian, and we had a good conversation. I really like to go to old places. The ruins here, ghost towns in the West in the U.S. etc. I don't like to visit old cathedrals, however, because all I can think about is the Spanish Inquisition. I know that's crazy, but that's the way it is.  Even Dachau in Germany didn't effect me like those cathedrals! UGH!

The school didn't have water last Thursday or Friday, so the kids were sent home after a couple of hours on Friday.  I'm not exactly sure how the water system works here. I know that some of the people get their water from the mountain. If the source dries up, then they have no water. The city can also turn off the  water for those of us that have it whenever they feel it's necessary. I'm not for sure what necessary involves.  Here at my house, there is a well where I can turn on the pump whenever I need it. I praise the Lord for that. Thank the Lord the rainy season has begun!!!  It has been so dry, and the dust on the way to the school has been horrible. I finally figured out that I miss snow days, because sometimes I wish it would rain so much that we could stay home from school one day! Yeah, I know.  Shame on me. I don't miss the snow, just the snow days!!  And the last couple of times that it rained hard in Tegucigalpa, there was flooding.  Know why?  All the trash that they throw in the streets clogged the sewers so the water could not go through them. Do you think that has changed?  Nope.  It's so sad and frustrating when something so small could be fixed so easily, and it isn't.  I'm so thankful that the attitude at the school has changed concerning trash. It's great to see the kids using the trash cans and putting their wrappers from candy in their pockets or backpacks when they are on the bus.  And speaking of trash, it was interesting to hear the pastor's wife speak this morning about the trash in the earth and compare it with the trash that is sometimes in our hearts.

Well, the Lord is still on the throne and all is well.

Newsletter 2013

Beverly Says,                                                                                   

Hello from Honduras                                                   

The last three months have been very busy.  We have had two teams here from the states.  One came to pray and minister to the national pastors and   teachers in our schools while the other came to help build classrooms in our school in Choluteca.  What a blessing they were to us and to those they ministered to.  

Last year a team from Coffeyville KS left me with a personal gift of money.  I put it with some more money and bought new desks for the high school.  We are so thankful for these new desks.  They are such a blessing to us, and they also improve the look of the classroom. God is so good. Thank you for your support.

English classes continue to be challenging at times!  It is so sad that education is not a big priority in Honduras.  The desire to learn of other things and places is quite low.  In order to learn about other places in our world, I decided to incorporate other cities in our daily lesson about weather.  I was shocked when most of my students did not know where  China was on the world map.   Some of them did not know where Central America was found, let alone San Jose,  Costa Rica!  They know now!  So every day, we locate a different city while reviewing previous places.

For Bible verses in English,  they are learning choruses from Psalms, Matthew, and Isa. etc. Songs like, Come unto Me, from Matt.11:28-30, and   I Saw the LORD,  from Isa. 6:1-3.  They have already learned, Open the Eyes of My Heart Lord, which we also sing in Spanish. 

So next week, it is my turn to give the devotional to teachers and students.  I’m so thankful for the friends that God has given me that will help me edit what I want to say.  AND one of my former tutors will be coming back next week to help me continue in my learning more Spanish.  She will also be staying to learn English with another adult student. Yea!  Many people here say that they want to learn English.  But when the basic greetings are learned,  that ends the lessons.  Learning is not all fun and games. It’s a lot of hard work!  And many are allergic to that.

So for prayer requests: That God would pour out a desire upon the students (people) in Honduras for a better education at all levels, especially for those that are becoming teachers.  You can’t teach what you don’t know.

Thank you so much for all.  May God continue to bless you.        

 Beverly                           
                                                                                                                                                April 2013

  

   

Ps.46:1 God is our refuge and strength , a very present help in trouble.

What a wonderful, peaceful, and relaxing time that Becky and I had at the cabin in La Esperanza.  There was a fresh thermos of coffee and a loaf of sweetbread waiting for us when we arrived!  That sold me!  Of course, Becky doesn't like coffee, but she did enjoy the sweetbread.  The cabin was great. It had two bedrooms with a double and single bed in each.  A bathroom with HOT water for showers, and a kitchen with stove and refrigerator.  The living room had a sofa, two chairs, coffee table, and a TV with cable.  There was a front porch with several wood lawn chairs.  There were five other cabins, but not close enough to not have privacy.  It was a beautiful place surrounded by a pine forest that smelled so good.  What a blessing that we enjoyed so much. Thank you Maria Jose and family.  May God bless you for your blessing to us!

We weren't too impressed with the city itself, but our little get-a-way was great.  Several times we would be sitting on the porch enjoying God's creation and peace when we would look at each other and KNEW that the other was thinking that we need to be doing something.  I said, "How sad it is that people don't know how to relax and just enjoy what God has made, and to enjoy peace of mind, body, and spirit".  Becky agreed.  Sometimes we don't understand the command of "Be still and know that I am God".  It's hard to be still.  We always seem to be thinking that we need to be doing something all the time.   But then we are taught that in and out of church.

Well, we decided to go back through La Paz, another area that neither of us had been to before.  Well, the young man at the hotel told us it was good road especially since it hadn't rained.  Well, what he calls a good road and what we call a good road are two different roads!  And somewhere we took a wrong turn and went for miles up, down, and around the mountain(s) road.  Finally, we decided to turn around and go back to La Esperanza and return to Tegucigalpa the way we came up. This is a picture of the bridge we had to cross on the highway before we made a wrong turn.  The logs should be turned the other way, but I didn't look to see what is underneath! Wow!  A good road!!!    I do believe we went places where some of our other missionaries   here have not gone. And no, we don't want to go there again!!!

However, I praise God for guiding and protecting his children when they make a wrong turn, be it physical or spiritual! Thank you, Jesus, for your ever present help.

Gen.3:19...for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Today I attended the funeral of Pastor Fernando's father.  Pastor drives the van that takes us to and from school.  He is also the pastor at the church next to the school.  He called me at 6AM to let me know what had happened and that there wouldn't be any classes today.  So all of us that work at the school went to Pastor's house and then to the cemetery.  I have been to a visitation before, but not the funeral.  The family and friends take care of the body, casket, and burial.  A couple of pastors spoke at the cemetery.  The family throws the first few handfuls or shovelfuls of dirt onto the casket. We don't normally see that in the states.  I don't know how to express my thoughts or feelings as I heard that dirt hit the casket.  Definitely, I had never heard that sound before.  Even though it was a sad day for the family, it was also a time of rejoicing because he, the pastor's father,  had served the Lord and was ready to go.  He was 90 years old. 

I remember thinking dust to dust and ashes to ashes.  Eva said she wasn't ready to die.  I believe I am. I always think of my own funeral when I go to someone else's, and have for years.  But I was thinking about all the things that we experience in our lives, good and bad.  And I was thinking that none of us remember our birth.  And I thought ok, dying will be an experience that we have to go through and will be conscious through a lot of it.  Psalms 23 speaks about walking through the valley of the shadow of death.  Pastor Gruver said that a shadow does not hurt.  And the Lord promised to walk with us. No, I don't have a death wish!!!!!! Heaven forbid.  It's just that funerals cause me to think about death, dying, and the Lord's promises to us.  And everybody says they want to see him, but they don't want to die to do it.  A paradox, I believe.  Enough of that, and now on to the living.

It's time to get ready for an English class with Elida.

Deut.7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God...

Hey, hey, hey, normal coffee drinking has resumed! Energy level is back up, so all is well, except the weather.  It's still cold. This is normally one of our hottest months, but not yet. I'm so ready to sweat! I don't like the shivers.  Yesterday I wore a camisole, long sleeved blouse, and a light jean jacket, and I wore them all day long!  That is very rare for me.  When everybody else is cold,  I'm hot.  Now we're all cold!  Brrrrr...

So what has been happening?  Since we are a private school, we don't have to go to school on Saturdays anymore. That's a big blessing.  Saturday mornings are my mornings to just relax and take it easy. And we have one teacher who is Seventh Day Adventist.  A big problem for her. So I'm glad God answered our prayers in this situation. A couple of ladies came out to our school from their church to give some materials to the kindergarten classes.  The one works at the U.S. Embassy, and she told me the reason for the Saturday school was because the public school teachers didn't do their jobs, so the government said they had to go on Saturdays. She's Honduran and went to a bilingual school, and therefore, speaks excellent English.  Wow, you really think if they didn't teach before, that they're going to teach on Saturday?  Interesting concept.

And I gave up the position of sub-directora.  I was not comfortable with it at all.  I don't know the language well enough nor do I know the laws here.  People here do not trust the government at all, and many times they don't even trust each other. So where did that put me?  I will do what God lays upon my heart to help whoever or whatever, but when there is no peace in my spirit, then there must be a change.  Many years ago, a chaplain at a university told me that God puts us through trials, tests, etc.  Absolutely, he tries our faith, but he also gives peace during those trials.  I had no peace.

One more week of classes and then we get la Semana Santa (Holy Week) off.   I don´t know yet what I´m going to do, but something will come up.

I have been helping Eva with her college work.  Her class is in English, and she does not understand a lot of it.  It's educational theory and practice.  A lot of terminology. But it's been a good review for me. There has been a lot of material about bilingual education and the ages of people involved with learning a second language.  There was a French teacher that took traditional classes to learn another language and when he got on the field, he couldn't understand the people talking, nor could he speak the language.  Wow!  I about came unglued when I read that, because I know exactly what he was talking about. It's happened to me.  So that definitely encouraged me to continue with the everyday conversation that I'm doing with my classes.

Well, lo and behold, I thought that I had the day off, but a new student showed up at the gate.  A friend of Eva's.  He has had some English, and that helps.  So next week he will be with my other student.  That will be good because they will practice together, I hope.

God is good.  He provides for us everyday. He never leaves us even when we are feeling dry and don't feel his presence.  I praise him for his faithfulness, love, grace, and mercy.  I shudder to think where I would be without him.  Thank you Lord for loving me so much.

1 Peter 2;24...by whose stripes ye were healed.

Wow!  Today, I actually feel alive! It has been a rough two weeks.  Whatever this stuff is that comes with achy body, fever, cough, and horrible congestion really knocks one for a loop. Teachers and students alike have been hit with it. Plus the weather hasn't  been much help either. It has been cold!  The last two days have warmed up somewhat.  I hope the trend continues.  And maybe I can enjoy coffee again!  It has not been in my diet for the past couple weeks. UGH!

So we had a great team from KS in February. What a great and crazy group they were. My pastor included. It was so great to see you Pastor Bryan! Newsletters can only do so much. But to go and see what the missionaries do on a daily basis, and how they live is totally different. And it's such a blessing to actually have someone from your church come and visit. It's absolutely the best.  The group ministered to different pastors and churches in different areas. And they threw Becky and I a surprise birthday party! And of course, it wasn't either of our birthdays!! But then they aren't here when we celebrate our special days. What a deal! It was great, and all the gifts were very nice and appreciated. It's so nice to be treated special once in a while. God is good to his kids.  

What a blessing when former students show up at your door wanting help with their English while attending another school!  It happened yesterday.  Jerson and friend were waiting for me when I got home. And while they were practicing, Jerson started asking his friend questions. I made a remark about it ( can't remember what!) and he said he remembered it from his classes with me. Yeehah!!!! that was three years ago. So I guess that I'm doing something right.  Thank you Jesus!

So now, I'm finished for the day. Hopefully, all the energy will soon return!  Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Ps.145:1 I will extol thee, my God, O king; and I will bless thy name for ever and ever.

In the last church service that I attended here before going home for the holidays, the pastor was talking about how the word of God is meant to change our hearts when we hear it, and that Christians should know what sin is and is not. He used as part of his message I Cor. 6: 9-10 and Galatians 5: 19-21 among others. And when he was going through the list and using examples, he used some states in the U.S. as an example for homosexuality and allowing marriages of homosexuals. I wanted to crawl under my seat, or better yet, just disappear into thin air. I was so embarrassed for my country. People here look to the U.S. for leadership in different areas. When I watch the Honduran news channels, the U.S. is always part of the news, whether it's the weather or happenings in Congress. And in this area, I believe the people are shocked at what the U.S. is doing.  What has become of the nation that was built upon godly principles?  I'm afraid that it, like ancient Israel, has forgotten the One that made it great. It breaks my heart. It's scary. Matthew Henry said that if a nation doesn't serve the Lord, it will serve its enemies. And since God is no respecter of persons or nations, what does that mean for the U.S.? What has happened? Even as a kid, I knew people that didn't go to church, but they knew the difference between right and wrong. There is no way they would have voted for the passage of homosexual marriage, legalizing marijuana, abortion, etc. What a dangerous time that we are living in, when the people don't know their right hand from their left.  The pastor also mentioned that just because something may be culturally accepted in any country, it doesn't mean that it's accepted by God. Amen to that!

So now that I am home again, I praise God for all his goodness to me. I was able to stay with my granddaughter, Cassandra, and her family. What a great time we had together. And my great-grandchildren, what a blessing they are.  I was also able to got to IL with them to visit my youngest daughter, her family, and my brother.  Plus I was able to see all my grandchildren and even my new great-grandson. He is absolutely beautiful. Born 5 1/2 weeks early, he is very healthy. And his mama gets to be a stay-at-home-mama! That is totally awesome. I know that sometimes, mama's have to work,  but when they don't have to work, it's great. I was also able to see my Aunt in Salina that I haven't seen for a few years.

The ladies of Martha Circle were a blessing to me as always, as I hope I was to them. I told them that while most people are looking for the great big things of God, He works  in the "little" everyday things in our lives, and many times we don't pay attention to them and/or we don't tell (testify) to what he did. And especially in a missionaries life. People are looking for thousands to be saved in a day, etc. And should we look for those? Yes, but we also need to recognize what he is doing in our everyday lives. So I have to testify to what he did on Saturday after the women's meeting. While I was talking to Laurel during lunch, I asked her if she had heard anything about a former student or his father, and basically, she hadn't.  Well, while I was at the home of another friend, Larry O, this student happened to call him, and I was able to talk to him. Wow! I was so happy that I was able to talk to this kid, although he isn't a kid anymore. He is now the father of two. He was such a good student. He never, and I mean never complained about homework or whatever he had to do. He never said that something was too hard or that he couldn't do it. And he never used his disability as an excuse to not learn something. This kid will always have a special place in my heart. Even though this may seem a small thing to some people, it was a great big thing that God did for me, and I continually praise him for it. Who would have thought that my former student  would call Larry in the short time that I was there? Our Father answers the desires of our hearts.

I traded a cold KS for a cold HN! Oh, my, it has been cold and rainy! Even the small jet from Wichita to Houston was cold. One of the guys sitting in front of me got up and got his heavy winter coat out of the overhead compartment to wear. I was thinking about not carrying the light winter jacket home again with me, but decided against that. Wow! It was cold. So of course, the ole nose decided to start running! So on Saturday I made eucalyptus tea and drank it all day and a couple of times on Sunday.  I was able to sleep without the dripping nose. Thank you, Jesus for some natural remedies.  Eva sent one of the kids with some fresh leaves this morning, since all mine were gone. Did you know that Vicks is made with eucalyptus? And check out the lemon cough drops. Some don't have any lemon at all. It's eucalyptus. That's just for your info. Can't think of the acronym of it! English just sometimes disappears   from my vocabulary!

So now I must start preparing for this year's English classes.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. May God continue to bless each and everyone of you/