Newsletter

Hello from Honduras                                                                                    03/2014                                                                               

Dear Friends                                                                                                                          

I hope this finds you all walking in the blessings of our Lord! And speaking of His blessings, seven of our students accepted Jesus as their Savior yesterday during our devotional time at school. The moving of the Holy Spirit is an awesome thing to behold. As they were asking Jesus to come into their lives, I saw some of the seventh and eighth graders praying and wiping tears from their own eyes.  And I was especially blessesd when I saw the boys doing so.  So many times the teachers work and pray and see nothing for all their labor, and then it happens. Fruit is born.  We sometimes forget that seeds are growing under the soil before we ever see a little seedling. God is so good not wanting any to perish. He has a plan for each of these students, and my prayer is that I fulfill my part in their lives.

The English classes are going well.  The kindergarten teacher is teaching English to the second graders fulfilling  part of her university requirement to become a certified teacher. This is so great. She had them when they were in kindergarten and they remember some of the things she taught them at that time. They want to learn English, and they asked their regular teacher to learn with them. And she is. PTL! I really do see this school as a bilingual school in the future. What a blessing for this area that is looked down upon by many of its neighbors. But isn’t that just like our Lord to lift up the poor and downtrodden?

Besides teaching at the school in the mornings, I now have six coming to my house in the evening or late afternoon. There are three adults and four girls.  One of the adults is a teacher here in Valle at the public school. Most of them know English words and phrases, but cannot carry on a simple conversation. They make my day because  they are so eager to learn. I also had a chance to teach some literature classes in one of our schools in San Pedro Sula when a team from McPherson, Ks came at the beginning of the school year to help build two school rooms. (They didi an excellent job)! The school is bilingual so it was an easy teach for me.  Even though the students read every word correctly, they did not understand all that they read, so it was a blessing that I was able to explain those things. When it was time to leave, they asked me to come there and teach, even to the point that the they asked Mario, the National Director of LACC in Honduras, to send me there. He didn’t because that’s not where I’m súpose to be!! But it’s a great feeling to know that you’re wanted!! Also one of the teachers told me that they need North Americans to come and help them learn the correct pronunciation of English words. Do you hear the call?

The biggest prayer right now for the school is to have more qualified teachers and the money to pay them. Our kinder class has 60 plus students, and  our principal is now helping our one teacher. Our first grade has 50  students and one teacher.  The fifth grade has 34 with one teacher. We need more sponsors for our students because part of that money helps pay our teachers. Several of them come from Tegucigalpa on the bus everyday. It is a need not a want. Once again a BIG thank you to all of you that support me both prayerfully and financially. May God continue to bless you for your faithfulness.  

In His service,

Beverly                                                                                            beverly.blumer@gmail.com                                                           

                                                                                                           beverlyblumer.blogspot.com

  acct# 2946234

                                                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                                     

Ps.15:7 I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

One more week and then a week's vacation.  Yeah!!! This coming week I will be giving the 9 week tests. The 7th-9th grades will be oral. The 5th and 6th graders will be matching English and Spanish vocabulary. The week after Santa Semana will be for recuperation. Those that didn't pass their tests will have to take them again. 

I have experienced two firsts in the last two weeks. Last week I went to my first Honduran baby shower. It was a lot of fun, and they basically do the same things that we do in the states. However, there were some fathers there, and they had to participate in some fun activities just for them. It was hilarious to watch them. And yesterday I went to one of my student's celebration of her 15th birthday. That birthday is a big deal for the girls here. They are not adults, but at the same time, they are not considered little girls either. It took place at the church. The pastor gave a small message encouraging the young people there to keep Christ first place in their lives, parents next, and then the church. There was a time of praise and worship. I was able to meet her parents which was a blessing. And then, shock of all shocks, one of my former students came and gave me a hug, and then said that she was his sister. Are you kidding? No, he wasn't! What a difference, and I'm sure he told me that his father was a cop when he was in my class.  Well, that wasn't true! Oh, well.

The church that I now attend has a new place to meet, and it's right around the corner from where I live. I was praying that it wouldn't be far from the village, but I didn't know that the Lord was going to put it so close. Bless his name!

I started this a couple of days ago, so I guess I'd better finish it. I always try to call my brother very four to six weeks since he doesn't have or want a computer. We giggle all the time, over dumb stuff, but that's what brothers and sisters do, yes? Anyway, as we started talking he proceeded to tell me that he was going next week to pay his funeral bill. Oh, boy, another funeral conversation! In the past month, our family has lost three people that was fairly close to some of us. And that brought up the subject with my youngest son and his wife about what will happen to dear ole mom if something should happen to her in HN. And then my youngest daughter told me about a dream she had of me and my coffin! It seems that she was somewhere with it, and she couldn't keep track of it. It just kind of disappeared from her possession at times. And she said it was one of those dreams where everything was all messed up and confusing. I still laugh because I can see this picture clearly. It wasn't funny to her at the time of the dream, but really, a runaway coffin? That would be me, no? Not really. My personal belief is that the Lord gets us prepared for that event. There are so many in the Bible that knew they were going to die.  And it's interesting to note that when I worked in the medical field, they always went in three's. Eva says in sixes or sevens here!!! Oh, well, I've had no "premonitions" or anything else in that category, so kids, be at peace. Now those are interesting words, huh?

So all the tests that I left to give are to my 5th and 6th graders. And then on to free time for a week. Although Eva has asked me to help her with her homework for the university, but that won't be everyday.

It is so dry and smokey here. We need a rain, but the dry season is here for a couple more months. It's smokey because the farmers are burning their land getting ready to plant the next crop. But it sure plays a number on the breathing! And it's HOT! Finally.

I had a couple more people ask me to teach them English. I had to decline. I was sick a couple of days last week and just bone tired. The Lord let me know that I was not to take on more students. And then a couple of people basically said the exact same things to me that didn't know what the other had said or what the Lord showed me. I praise Him for taking care of me, and that He will confirm His word to us. I also have a better understanding of how people can let their ministry take over their lives to the point of losing focus of everything else including their families. Not a good road to go down.

It's my turn with one of the other teachers to do the devotional on Friday for the teachers. So I need to
ask my Father what His will is for that time, and that He will open our ears to hear, our eyes to see, and our hearts and minds to understand, and then to do whatever it is that we need to do to serve Him.

Pro.3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Here we are in the middle of March. I can't believe that one month of school has already passed.  Many things have happened since returning in January.

A team from McPherson KS came the last of February for ten days and left the first week of March.  We went to San Pedro Sula in the North, and it was very HOT! The team helped put up walls for two more classrooms. PTL.  I did get to teach a literature class three times while we were there, and I loved that. The school is bilingual, so it was easy for me. The students know a lot of English, but had some difficulty understanding the story.  So I was glad I could help them understand. Before I left, the teachers and students were asking me to come there to teach. And then when Mario came, they asked him to tell me to come there to teach! Funny!  And even explaining that the heat for me would be very difficult, they said that I would have an air-conditioned classroom and an apartment! Bless their hearts. However, after a few days, the air conditioning bothers me, too. For me to be somewhere else, the Lord would have to do some changing of the ole bod. And of course He could do that if I was suppose to be somewhere else. But I know where I'm supposed to be. Thank you Lord. And the one teacher who gave me her class said they need Americans to come and help them with the correct pronunciation of words. My prayer is for retired people to come and help us. They would be self supporting and would be able to stay for prolonged times. I appreciate people that give two or three months of their time, but it doesn't help much in teaching language when there is no one to take their place when they leave.

And great news!! My friend Chepe is alive! He wasn't the one killed in October.  Becky saw him a few weeks ago. I feel for the family of the man that was killed, but at the same time, glad for Chepe and his family.

God laid it on my heart to give money for a roof over the cancha ( like a court for tennis, basketball, etc.) area. This area will be used for graduation and other events. It will also help protect the bathrooms from being flooded when it rains. So I thank all of you  that supported me last year because your dollars also went into this project. 

English classes are going well at the school, and I now have two more adult students coming to my house. One of them teaches at the public high school here in town. And one of my former students at the school is coming to the school for more English. He comes at times when I don't have a class. He came to my house last Sunday when I was getting ready to leave for church. "Beverly, I want to learn more English." When I asked him why, he said that he wanted to work at the embassy. I'm so glad that he has a goal to work towards even if he doesn't end up at the embassy. There are jobs here that require English.  So...

An interesting thing occurred last night. I was watching TV when I heard the most awful sound. It sounded like someone was trying to break down my door. I opened it because I knew there was no one else here. Oh, my!  Brownie, the German Shepherd, was foaming at the mouth big time, lying on her side, and her legs were paralyzed. She couldn't straighten  them out. I started praying immediately. I called Will soon after. She was able to move by the time he arrived. He asked if I had any milk. We gave her what I had, and he went to the corner pulperia to buy more. Evidently she had grabbed this big brown toad that is extremely poisonous. The milk took care of the poison in her after a little bit of time. Evidently she had a seizure and the noise I had heard was her body banging against my door. I am so thankful for Will!  I wish I knew all that he knows about plants and animals. He took one look at there and knew instantly what the problem was and what to do. Thank you, Lord for answering my prayer and for Will being the fellow that he is.

A few months ago, before I went home in December, I went through a strange and trying time. I would get up on Sunday mornings and would not want to go to church. Sometimes, I would get dressed to go,  and at the last minute, wouldn't go. My spirit was saying no, but my mind and everything that I believed was saying yes. I would feel guilty on the days that I didn't go. I prayed about it all the time, but the feeling wouldn't leave. Finally, when I came back in December, I decided that I was going regardless of the feeling. Well, I went, but it was not a joyous time. I still was feeling guilty and not really wanting to go and still praying. Anybody that knows me knows that I like to go to church and worship, etc.  One morning while I waited for the school van, one of the ministers from the church was doing his morning walk, and he stopped to talk to me. He invited me to join him and others to worship Sunday morning in another place.  So I went and have been going ever since. God by His Holy Spirit leads and guides his children, but I didn't understand what was going on, and He didn't tell me. But I knew something was wrong, and decided the problem was me.  But the problem wasn't me. It was something else, and He wanted me to move on.  Last Sunday during the service, I was thinking about how people react when some leave a church and start another. They are accused of following the devil, trying to disrupt and destroy the church, etc., etc. But as I was thinking these things, the Lord let me see that this is not always the case. Sometimes He leads others out to build another gathering place for other people to hear His word.  So I give Him praise for helping me through this and for giving me understanding. Also, for putting me in a place where I can worship Him in the Spirit and in truth. My Lord and my God, how great you truly are.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow...from hymn

BRRRRRRRRRR!! It has been on the very chilly here since coming home last Tuesday afternoon.  Wednesday night the wind blew really strong all night.  I'm so thankful that the house that I live in is well built.  Otherwise, I may not have had a roof Thursday morning!  Fifty plus degrees and the low sixties are really cold here. I see you all laughing, but being 4500 plus feet above altitude is a little different than sea level. 60 degrees should feel a little warmer, I think! Friday appeared to be a little warmer than Thursday, but it was cloudy, wind blowing, and a lot cooler :( ! I keep hoping it will become a little warmer.  Speaking of weather, an interesting conversation took place last Thursday when I went to put more minutes on my cell phone. The fellow that I purchase them from has citizenship in the US, but he is from HN.  He said the reason it was so cold here was because of the weather in the states, and that God was wanting the people in the states on their knees praying. I replied that the Lord also wanted the same for the people in HN.  He told me that 70% of Hondurans believed in God, implying that most of the people in the US did not. I came back with the statement that even the devils believe in God, and it's not what you know (believe) but what you do with what you know.  He did not know what to say, but I pray he will think about what I said.  (The scriptures that I referred to is James 1:22 and James 2:19).  I have known him since I first came to HN in 2009. He lived close to the place where I used to catch the bus to school, and when he saw  that  I was an American, he began talking to me in English. He is married and he sends his two little girls to a bilingual school here in Valle.  It's interesting to me that the US is to blame for the world's ills.

I think this past time in the US was probably the best that I have had since leaving in 2009.  I was able to see all my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. What a  blessing!  And one of those grandkids was born after I returned here last year. What a sweet bundle of joy! He always had a smile and was softer than Charmin!!  And his daddy, mommy, and sisters drove from OK to IL to see me.  Wow,  was I surprised to see them.  I had good visits with all my family and my friends.  And it was especially nice to spend a whole afternoon with Barbara whose husband passed away this past year.  He gave me a word of wisdom before I left for HN the first time.  I didn't understand it at the time because I was in the honeymoon stage.  But since I'm in the "marriage" state, I understand it completely.  I thank the Lord for Leroy and the word that he gave me.  I remembered it several times last year!

So now it is Monday, and I'm starting to work on plans for the coming year.  Decisions, decisions. School starts for teachers in 2 weeks and the kids the following 2 weeks.  I will be ready with God's help.  The two sisters that come to my house will now be going to school in the afternoons, so if all goes well, they will have lessons with me at 5:30 after their regular classes.  And Elida will be here most other evenings for English and to help me with my Spanish.  So begins my new year in HN.

And it appears that I have been invaded by fleas!!! I have killed more fleas in the last two days, and I also sprayed.  So I hope that will take care of them.  I think that I would rather have cockroaches if I had to have anything.  At least they are bigger and they don't bite you.

So now I must get busy.  Once again I thank all of you for your prayers and financial  blessings.  

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!