Well, here we are two months after the start of a new school year. And what a difference from last year. Thank you Jesus! We have some new teachers and new attitudes from the old teachers. What a wondefrful difference. I wake up wanting to go to school again!
Our school hours have reverted back to 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM for the students and 2:00 PM for teachers. It seems that the parents decided these hours were better for them and their kids. We have also followed the rule that if a child comes after 7:00, he will not be allowed to enter. He is sent home. If they ride a bus and it has trouble, they will be allowed to enter. But the kids that normally arrive late are kids that live close to the school. They really have no excuse. One student's parent came Thursday because his son was sent home more than once. When Rossell and I explained the reasons for the rule etc., he was fine with the situation.
Honduras has been my home for seven years, and I love it. However, it is a country where the people do what they want and basically when they want. If they are late to catch the bus for school they expect the bus to wait for them not thinking that everyone else will be late also. It's basically, me first.
Church starts at 10:00 and many arrive 15 to 30 minutes later. When the pastor says that we need to be punctual, it goes over the heads not into the hearts. But thank the Lord this attitude is beginning to change at school even though some parents get angry. And it amazes me how Hondurans are always rushing. They talk super fast, drive fast, will cut in front of you to do their business, but are never on time. Incredible!
Two of our new teachers are young men, and they have had some English. One of them teaches the 5th grade and comes with his class to me for English. It is so funny to watch him react when I tell the students that you speak English word by word. Spanish, depending on the words, puts two together and they are spoken as one word. And when I say word for word, I'm not talking about our slang where we say watchya doin'? They say where do you live so fast that I always say what did you say. And they repeat it a little slower. Christian, the teacher, laughs behind his hand with a red face because he understands the whole situation. Sometimes I pull him in to help me. And I'm thinking about doing it more so that he can teach them little things when I'm gone with a team or whatever. My vision for this school has been that it will be a bilingual school. I hope that I'm seeing the beginning of it.
Well, I started this a couple of weeks ago, so today I will try to finish it. Language! It can be really funny at times. Last week Jesslyn and I went to one of our favorite restaurants here in Valle. It is owned by an older gentleman named Rueben. He always comes and talks to us. However, he is difficult to understand, more so than most. He doesn't open his mouth very far!! He always asks if we want coffee after we eat, and he never charges us for it. He also sings to us and others at different times. Well, last week as we were leaving, he asked me if I wanted some pollo, which is chicken. I thought my goodness, what will I do with a chicken? I had all kinds of thoughts going through my head. Killing it, plucking it, etc. I know how to do all this, thanks to my Grandma. And then he made the motion of scraping and said salad. I thought chicken salad? Then I got it! He was talking about cabbage, which is repollo! I hadn't heard the "re" when he spoke. What a deal! So I came home with a nice head of cabbage. We had quite a laugh over that situation! When I told my tutor about it, she laughed because he is difficult to understand even for her. I told the Lord that He has to help me listen faster!!! It reminded me of the time that I said pescado for pecado. Pescado is fish, and pecado is sin!
This week is semana santa which is Holy Week. No school for one week. Everyone was ready for a break. I'm staying home! I'm going to clean my house from top to bottom, and just take it easy.
Last week we went to the civil marriage ceremony for one of our teachers. I have been to a couple of church weddings but not a civil one. And here you have to married first in a civil ceremony and then the church if you want. It really was nice service. The fellow in charge asked if anyone wanted to pray, and one of the other teachers did so. A reception followed at one of the restaurants here in town. It was a very nice event. And speaking of marriage. It's astounding to me that so many people here think that I should get married! Are they out of their minds? I happen to like and enjoy my life, my age, and being single. I even get quoted Bible verses about being alone and how it's better for two to be together. Wow! They do not understand that one can be happy without a spouse and can live alone even without another family member living in the same house. I think it's a tribal mind set!
So now one of my students fron last year is coming to the school to continue his English when I don't have a regular class. His teacher at his school doesn't know English at all. The kids write in a workbook, but hey can't speak it or understand very much. Praise the Lord that David does. I try to teach my students everyday language and conversation. We don't talk in the same manner in which we write. And neither do the Spanish speakers. A cousin of one of the teachers at the school also comes to me after school hours for the kids at the school. He has spent so much money and many hours in formal classes, but speaking in everyday convsersation is difficult. He told me that he gets frustrated when Americans don't understand him. Well, bless his heart. He tries to speak English using the Spanish method which is way too many words, and way too fast. So, I have been helping him to slow down, and to say each word separately. And we work on pronunciation. He told me this week that he feels like he is progressing. Thank you, Jesus.
Such is my life here in Honduras! Pastor Dago always asks me when am I going to preach again. I don't know.
So now, I'm going to eat breakfast and do laundry. May the Lord bless you all with peace and grace.
Well, I started this a couple of weeks ago, so today I will try to finish it. Language! It can be really funny at times. Last week Jesslyn and I went to one of our favorite restaurants here in Valle. It is owned by an older gentleman named Rueben. He always comes and talks to us. However, he is difficult to understand, more so than most. He doesn't open his mouth very far!! He always asks if we want coffee after we eat, and he never charges us for it. He also sings to us and others at different times. Well, last week as we were leaving, he asked me if I wanted some pollo, which is chicken. I thought my goodness, what will I do with a chicken? I had all kinds of thoughts going through my head. Killing it, plucking it, etc. I know how to do all this, thanks to my Grandma. And then he made the motion of scraping and said salad. I thought chicken salad? Then I got it! He was talking about cabbage, which is repollo! I hadn't heard the "re" when he spoke. What a deal! So I came home with a nice head of cabbage. We had quite a laugh over that situation! When I told my tutor about it, she laughed because he is difficult to understand even for her. I told the Lord that He has to help me listen faster!!! It reminded me of the time that I said pescado for pecado. Pescado is fish, and pecado is sin!
This week is semana santa which is Holy Week. No school for one week. Everyone was ready for a break. I'm staying home! I'm going to clean my house from top to bottom, and just take it easy.
Last week we went to the civil marriage ceremony for one of our teachers. I have been to a couple of church weddings but not a civil one. And here you have to married first in a civil ceremony and then the church if you want. It really was nice service. The fellow in charge asked if anyone wanted to pray, and one of the other teachers did so. A reception followed at one of the restaurants here in town. It was a very nice event. And speaking of marriage. It's astounding to me that so many people here think that I should get married! Are they out of their minds? I happen to like and enjoy my life, my age, and being single. I even get quoted Bible verses about being alone and how it's better for two to be together. Wow! They do not understand that one can be happy without a spouse and can live alone even without another family member living in the same house. I think it's a tribal mind set!
So now one of my students fron last year is coming to the school to continue his English when I don't have a regular class. His teacher at his school doesn't know English at all. The kids write in a workbook, but hey can't speak it or understand very much. Praise the Lord that David does. I try to teach my students everyday language and conversation. We don't talk in the same manner in which we write. And neither do the Spanish speakers. A cousin of one of the teachers at the school also comes to me after school hours for the kids at the school. He has spent so much money and many hours in formal classes, but speaking in everyday convsersation is difficult. He told me that he gets frustrated when Americans don't understand him. Well, bless his heart. He tries to speak English using the Spanish method which is way too many words, and way too fast. So, I have been helping him to slow down, and to say each word separately. And we work on pronunciation. He told me this week that he feels like he is progressing. Thank you, Jesus.
Such is my life here in Honduras! Pastor Dago always asks me when am I going to preach again. I don't know.
So now, I'm going to eat breakfast and do laundry. May the Lord bless you all with peace and grace.
No comments:
Post a Comment