Here we are in the middle of March! Can you believe it? Soon nine week exams will be here. I'm not ready and neither are my students. So we must get busy.
We take the ninth graders somewhere every year as a graduation present, more or less. The one stipulation is that they have to pass all their classes, not just English. We try to do it in Nov. and at the latest the beginning of Dec. We didn't get to do it last year because of all the political violence that was taking place, and Becky was still in the states. We did, however, get to go the middle of February. We went to Tela and stayed in a hotel on the beach. The first time that most of them had seen the ocean. The boys had a blast in it. One teacher was afraid that if she went in, the tide would carry her out to sea. When I explained about rip tides, etc., she decided to go in. And she really enjoyed it. The girls were just standing on the beach when I went up behind one, grabbed her around the waist and went into the water. It was so funny! She thought that she had been had by I don't know what. So then all the girls went in. It was fun just to watch them.
We took them to Punta Sal which is a peninsula and is protected by the government. The kids saw howler monkeys and the pelicans, etc. We ate there on the beach. They ordered fish and you should have seen their eyes when they got theirs. The fish was a little longer than their dinner plate! Eyes and all! They drank coconut milk out of the coconut, and then used a little piece of the shell to eat the coconut meat. The boat ride there and back was wild. The water was rough. Lots of little white caps everywhere. It was like 20-30 minutes there and back. I'm thankful that nobody was seasick. On the way home we went into the caves at Talulabe. It has quite a history. I would have to look up the info to get the story straight, but evidently a bank robber from the states used the caves to hide in. Of course, he was eventually caught and returned the the U.S. But those kids were out of there in a flash leaving me and another teacher behind. I think they were a little scared.
I have three "preaching" events coming up. One for the students, one for the teachers, and one for my church. So I must fet busy writing. I have to write it all out in Spanish, and that takes some time.
Last week I asked the 8th grade class to conjugate a verb in Spanish, and they couldn't do it. The verb means to have in English. They can do it in English. The next day, the 7th graders had a spelling test on the days of the week in English and Spanish. Most could not. I could have cried. The Spanish here is not so good. I want them to have some good Spanish Language books. I talked to one father that's in the parent Group. Kind of like PTA. I told him that I would help pay for them but that I couldn't do it all. Books are expensive here just like in the states. He said that he would talk to them to see what they could or wanted to do. I'm just believing the Lord for them. They also need spelling books in the worst way. So I'm waiting.
Now I have to share something really funny. A week or so ago, I was sitting on my porch and I thought, Lord I need an animal to come in here and eat the grass. You know, a horse or cow. My "grass" is crabgrass and weeds. A week ago Saturday, I went to open both my gates just to be able to sit and look outside my walls. When I opened the big gate, there stood a horse!! He took one step and was in my yard. He immediately started eating. I was absolutely amazed. How awesome is my heavenly Father! I just watched in amazement. And I started laughing. Our Father has a sense of humor! The horse was there for quite a while and would have stayed longer except a man on another went by, and my grass cutting horse went after them. And we think sometimes that the Lord isn't watching us and listening to us. Oh yes he is, all the time.
So with that, I'm off of here in order to get some things ready for tomorrow.
Peace and grace.
