Ps.34:6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Wow! This past month one of my mother-in-tongues bloomed!! I learned when I was in the university that they bloom. Mine never did! Well, now one has and I am thrilled.

And finally, my HD channels work! I have had this cable company for as long as I have been here in HN. And before I had to move, I never had any problems. But in these new houses, I've had nothing but problems. I wouldn't even have HD if the company hadn't changed the US channels to HD. I had them before on the regular channels. Well, last week I had another workman come to fix the problem AGAIN because I had no signal at all. I was praying for a miracle.  He finally told me that the wiring that was put in the house during construction was the problem because the cable outside was fine. So I asked him if he could connect a cable from there to my house. He said that he needed an order. I asked if he could call and get permission. He did and he ran a cable from the one outside to inside my house. I suggested the route to take so he wouldn't have to drill holes in the wall. He took my advice and all is well. Thank you Jesus for sending a man that knew what the problem was and fixed it. Miracle received with a really grateful heart! 

Now if my residency will be provided next week...

So on Saturday I met with our teachers that teach English in our schools in Tegus. It was a good meeting. We talked about students being responsible for their own personal homework instead of their mothers, brothers, sisters, aunts, and friends doing it for them. There needs to be some consequences when homework isn't done.  They need to teach the students to listen. Hondurans generally talk a lot, but don't really listen very well. I asked them about their concerns and basically they said the same thing that the teachers up north said. They are afraid of the parents.
So I started this in May and now it is almost the end of June. Well, glory be to God, I finally received my residency yesterday after waiting more than a year. I'm so thankful that the Lord has brought this to an end. The residency is also good for five years. That's even better. I won't have to renew it every year like the last one. But unless you ask, they really don't tell you anything. Last week when I was there, I asked if there was someone there who spoke English that could explain to me what was happening.  I ended up with a young woman that helps people with all these papers, etc. She  told me that all my papers and residency were ready and that I didn't have to renew this one every year. To be sure, I asked one of the workers yesterday and she told me the same thing. PTL!!! I thought about David when he said that the Lord heard him cry and delivered him out of all his troubles. The Spanish uses the word angustias which is translated to mean distresses or anguish. Either way you read it, it  means the same thing as far as the mind and feelings are concerned. I'm just glad that I don't have to think about it anymore. The Lord has delivered me!
I went to our three schools up north in May.  I met with the teachers there in March. The kids do read and write English, but they don't converse in English. There are a few that do, but that doesn't include the teachers. Our so-called bilingual school has lost many students. In the years before there were many students, 100-200. Now we have 67! I said in my report that maybe the parents are realizing that their kids aren't bilingual and maybe it's a waste of their money. I keep thinking about the old adage that says,"you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." There are three teachers that only speak English in their classes. However, there was one teacher absent due to the death of her mother. And if I remember correctly, she spoke good English. But again, you have to practice it outside of the workbooks. One teacher old me that Spanish was faster. She didn't answer me when I asked where she was going in such a hurry. It takes time to learn and practice a different language.
That describes a lot of Honduras. They say they want better, but they aren't willing to make the necessary changes to bring it about. And that's sad. A person doesn't have to be an American or from the US to bring about changes and blessings to his life.
So I'll see how our teachers in our schools in Tegucigalpa are doing next week. Three of the five understand and speak well. The other two not so well. In fact, one of them told that she had three courses(?)in English. Depending on the school and teachers, that doesn't always mean a lot. So I'll see.
My students here at home has gone back up to six. The classes had dropped down to one! So I have one that had a teenage episode but has returned. She has been coming for about four or five years. She's bringing her nephew who is in the fifth grade. They are both good students. The mother with the two year old quit after four or five lessons. I didn't cry over that one!!! not that I cried over any of them, but you know what I mean. And the boy that brings me eggs is suppose to start this week with his friend. So I'll see if that transpires. People here tell you that they're going to do whatever, but more times than not, they don't. So again I'll see what happens.
I'm so glad that the Lord is with me all the time and knows exactly what I need and when. And my prayer is always that his will be done in my life and not mine.
Grace and peace to all!

Haggai 1:5...Consider your ways

I have been thinking about what I am about to write for a few days. I'm sure some will be offended, but what is new? Not everyone agrees with a person all the time. So no problem. But my heart is so saddened by the things that are happening in my country, the USA. I can't believe some of the things that are taking place, and I wonder what is wrong with the people. What are they thinking, or are they? Congress makes me sick. Now they want to change our constitution? It's one of the oldest, written constitutions in the world.  Oh, but the people say that times have changed. Really? Human hearts haven't changed. Get rid of the personal right to have guns. Really? It isn't the weapon that kills a person, it's the person on the other end of the weapon. A person can  use anything as a weapon: a bat, knife, vehicle, poison, rocks, rope, and how about our hands?  But since our founding fathers provided for our protection against a tyrannical government written in our constitution, Bill of Rights, etc. the congress wants our guns.  Really, they don't think that people can get guns from people in other countries? How naive. 

And the Green New Deal? You first! When I would ask for a volunteer to do something in my class, there was always a person that would volunteer someone other than their own self.  I would say, Oh no. You need to do what you volunteered  another to do. Of course, they wouldn't. It's the same here. You do it and let us see how that works in your life and for a considerable length of time. You don't use a car, plane, train, bus, etc. Also no more hamburgers, steaks, ham, chicken, eggs, milk, cheese, lamb chops, turkey for Thanksgiving Day, etc. And no cell phones, computers, etc. because they all use electricity in one form or another. And what about heating your homes in the winter? You can't burn wood because that would deplete the forests, which of course is a renewable source. And the smoke might add to air pollution. How ridiculous. Oh, but wait. You can eat soy burgers, drink soy milk, etc. No thanks! A bean cannot be made to be meat, and juice from a bean is not milk. Milk only comes from animals and humans. But then, I guess they could change the definition of the word. And a gullible population would accept it.

When I lived on the farm with my dad when I was young, he would spread cow manure on the fields as fertilizer. He would milk our Jersey cow every morning and evening. Such good milk and thick cream.  The cows then were allowed to roam the pastures in the spring and summer. In the winter, they would eat silage. The chickens were allowed to roam everywhere and eat whatever from the ground and from table scraps that were thrown to them. And when you had a leg from one of those chickens, you had a nice sized leg, not like these little skinny things that you buy today that is full of antibiotics, growth hormones, etc. But our land has been contaminated with so many chemicals that enters our food and water. Our bodies are sick and we use more chemicals to supposedly heal them. How sad. A few years ago, I was with my brother in IL.  He said,"Let's take a ride, Sis." So he drove out in the country to a cemetery where some of our grandparents were buried. Then he continued to drive in the surrounding countryside. He asked me if I noticed anything different. I didn't. Then he said that there were no fences. And? The farmers weren't raising cattle anymore. They were raising soy beans, corn, wheat, etc., but no more cattle. Wow! I hadn't noticed.  I use to buy our beef and pork from a farmer that we personally knew. And from where does our beef and chickens come from now and what are they fed?  What a horrible difference.  And when I visit the US now, I find a farmer where I can buy milk right from the cow like I do here. Of course, that has all been demonized. And by who??? Check it out!

So what else has polluted our world? And oh, don't forget the countries that are worse than the USA that need to wear masks in some cities in order to breathe.  We are a lazy group of people. We don't want things to come in glass because we would have to return some of them in order for them to be used again. I think the term is recyclable. And everybody knows that soda and milk taste much better when they come in glass bottles. Oh, but we want to use something that comes in a throw away container that is only used one time.  Oh, yes. The things that take many years to break down into components that are still not good for the earth or human bodies to use. Even the hospitals use plastic syringes. I remember when they were made of glass and had to be sterilized.  And we've all heard about the dead zones in our oceans. Right?  And yes, I know I'm older than dirt! 

And the President? I have never witnessed such hatred for a president in all my life. Such disrespect  and you (Congress) want people to be more loving and courteous? You, who were chosen to be leaders of the people? You who talk against hate and hate crimes. Such hypocrites! What are you showing to my kids and grandkids and great-grandkids?  May they grow up to be thinkers and believers in our Creator God. Yes, I understand that the President says things that he ought not say, but does that give you the right to fight against everything that he wants to do to help our country? You need to be careful, because Jesus (whether or not you believe in Him) said that a kingdom, city, house divided against itself will not stand. But then maybe you want another country to come in and take us over. Ever hear of divide and conquer? And you blame the Russians??? Really, as a united people, that will not happen. The USA is one of the greatest countries on the earth. Why do you think others want to come here? And by the way, I'm not an immigrant. I was born in this country as were my parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. And supposedly, even the American natives came from across the ocean  by the Bering Strait. Those that want our country to become a socialist country need to go live in one of those countries now if they want it so bad. But did they receive their wealth from a socialist country? I don't think so. But even those countries have wealthy people. But not everybody is granted the opportunity to become wealthy or even to have a seat in the government that governs them.
And we want a free college education and money to give to those that are too lazy to work. Really? Well, who's going to pay for all of this? I'm sorry but I don't want my hard earned money to go to someone who refuses to work. And you in Congress that want this. You first. And trust me, I give a lot of money to others. The US needs a lot of different workers but we don't have them, therefore we need others to come to our country that will do the jobs that we refuse to do. And pay them less than what we will work for. We need electricians, welders, over-the-road truckers, construction workers, etc. But we have raised a bunch of kids that don't want to get their hands dirty or to sweat. Our high schools don't have shop classes anymore where the kids use to learn a trade or the beginning of one depending on the school. Companies are beginning to see that a college degree is not necessary for every job. We haven't taught our kids that the world doesn't owe them a living. I thank the Lord that my kids never begged quarters. They all learned to work for what they wanted.
We use to raise our kids to believe in the Creator God. But not anymore. Now it's whatever and however you believe. The Pilgrims came here to escape religious persecution. It looks like it's beginning to take place here. How sad that God allowed us to become such a great nation, and now we are turning our backs on Him. Well,  Matthew Henry said if we don't serve the Lord Jesus Christ, we will serve our enemies. So we can be blessed or we can be damned. It's our choice.  He (God) gives us that. So are we going to continue to be called the United States of America or are we going to allow people to govern us who really don't have the values that this great country was founded on? And one more thing. Some have decided that after a baby is born alive, it can be killed if the parents don't want it. I told my kids if they didn't want children they better not have sex with the opposite sex because there's always that chance regardless of what you use to prevent a pregnancy. So if this be the case, why are murderers put into prison? What is the difference? Pre-meditation? It's in both cases. Oh, law makers, you all better wake up and think about what you are doing as well as the people that are following you.

Practice makes perfect!!!

So today, I'm just being a little lazy! I'm not doing a lot of anything. However, I do have a student coming at two, if he comes! So yesterday I had my first student who is only two years old! Yep, two years old! But it's really his mama who's going to be learning from me and teaching her son. He knows a few little words from watching TV which encouraged her to want him to learn more.  So we will see how it goes.

Last Friday, Becky and I went to San Pedro Sula so that I could help our teachers that teach English. It was a good time.  So the three teachers from San Manuel and El Progresso came to our school in SPS.  Some of the teachers I knew and some I didn't. But they all speak and teach English. The school in SPS uses McMillan curriculum from the states. Pedro, one of the teachers from El Progresso brought some books that he had bought. Oh, dear! They were the same ones that I had bought, and they are full of errors. When I asked him if he recognized them, he said yes, and that he corrected them with the kids. Very good!

The meeting was supposed to be for two hours. However, it lasted three. The teachers were not in a hurry to leave! My only problem with meeting on a school day is that I don't want to interrupt their teaching days. The kids here only go half a day, and there are many interruptions many times during their school year when they don't have classes. I don't want to add to that unless it's the only available time for them.
I really impressed upon them to speak only English all day at our bilingual school because it's the only time that the kids can practice and learn the language correctly. They have no one at home to practice with. I encouraged them to speak to all the kids and each other at the school. It is so necessary to speak the language that they are learning. Many people here have told me that they can read and write English. When I ask if they can speak it, I'm always told no. So what good is it? If you can't communicate with others, what's the point? So hopefully they will do more of this. I also told them that the kids needed to learn individually. Here, they always put the kids in groups for just about everything. That may be good at times but not all the time. When I explained the reasons for this, they all understood. So hopefully it will go well.
So until later, be blessed.

James1:4 But let patience have her perfect work , that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

So here we are in the middle of March. How time does fly! So what is happening? Well, yesterday I paid for two more months on my visa. Supposedly, I should receive my residency before this two months is completed. Do I hold my breath? Absolutely not! By some I'm told it's my attorney's fault, and by others, it's the government. Only my Heavenly Father knows exactly. So I have to leave it in his hands. But when I had it for six years with no problems... Perhaps he's working on me to have more patience and that when the time is right according to his clock,  I will see that in the end, all is right, since nothing happens to me without his ok and that all is for for my good.

Also, I'll probably be starting my new job next week depending on the schools' calendars. I'm excited about helping the teacher's with their English programs. The core problem is their not teaching the students to speak everyday English while they're at school. And if the kids don't speak it there, they won't be speaking it at all. Very few have relatives that are English speaking at home. Therefore, they don't have anyone to practice with. Another problem is that many put them in groups during class for writing exercises.  And we all know that in most groups only one or two people work, depending on the size of the group, while the others copy. So we'll see how it goes when I say that they need to work individually most of the time. 

I did buy some workbooks for grades one though nine that were written for learning English.  But when I got home and really started looking into the exercises, I was totally disappointed. There are so many errors in them. They were not written by American book companies. So sad. Capital letters and punctuation were not used correctly nor were verb tenses used correctly many times.
So some good news. After waiting a month and a few days, I now have a real telephone in my house. I'm so glad. No more worries about it not working due to lack of a signal or having no electricity. And I can call the US much cheaper than using a cell phone. And the light in my living room? Well, two nights ago while going to my bedroom, I touched the other switch that's connected to the living room light. And, lo and behold, the living room light came on! I have no clue what happened there, but I do thank the Lord for it. So the switch that didn't work, now works!!! Go figure!
What else? My pastor is always wanting me to preach, which I love to do. But doing it in Spanish is totally different since my Spanish is lacking in a lot of areas. So I asked him to help me with my Spanish in that area, and we are going to start this coming week. I do believe that he could translate a message for me in English. But I think he would have some trouble in some areas just like me in Spanish. So between him, me, and his wife, we ought to do well. Thank you Holy Spirit!
So until later, grace and peace.

Phil.4:19 But my God shall supply all your need...

A lot has happened here in the last week. Since I was robbed at knifepoint in December, both my landlord and my pastor said that I needed to move. My landlord's wife had suggested that I could move in their other new house two doors down.  When I had asked what would be the difference, they said that I would have neighbors on three sides whereas now there is only one. And I mentioned the walls around the new house and how nobody could see or hear much. However these walls are not as high. So I told my pastor that I would move on Monday, the twenty-first, starting at 10:00 AM. Well, Monday morning was a rainy morning. Misting quite heavily at times. So I thought ok, they won't come due to the weather. I'll move some little things myself. Oh my, I went to leave the new house around ten, and there comes Moises(Moses). In fact he startled me because I didn't think anyone was there. Moises works at the school so I have known him for ten years. In fact, his wife was one of my students.  And then pastor came, and close behind him, came Frankie! I was so totally surprised. Frankie cuts my grass, takes care of the flowers, and helps me with whatever little thing that I need done. These three have been put in my life by the Lord. Didn't He say that He would provide ALL our needs even when we don't know what is going to happen and when? I praise and give him thanks everyday for all that he does everyday in my life. I asked pastor if Luis was bringing his pickup, and he said no. So the misting rain stopped, but it was overcast and the road very muddy. However, these three guys moved everything in exactly two hours!!!! Hondurans are not generally big people. Frankie maybe 5"10 and is very thin, but extremely strong. Moises is probably near the same height as Frankie and a little heavier. Pastor is the shortest of the three. So they're carrying the refrigerator, stove, beds, etc. And even my potted plants! In two hours! Pastor said that nothing is impossible with God. I had to laugh. As if I didn't know that!!! And then Javier, young man from church, arrived to put up my curtain rods. That was great since the walls are cement. Looks like plaster, but is really cement.
Of course my cable had to be changed. And since I don't have a working phone anymore, the company goes through Pastor. Well, wouldn't you know that they could hook up my TV cable, but not the internet which I need here.  The next day, another fellow from the cable company came and told us that they don't have internet services here and farther up from where I live. Oh great! Well, low and behold, he took the cable that is here and connected it to the cable that was put in my other house from the post that is below on the other street. So now I have TV and the internet, but he said I needed an amplifier to extend the range of the service because sometimes the TV loses it's signal for stations in the US. Ok, I can deal with that. Then there was a leak under the sink from the pipe that goes through the wall. I showed this to my landlord and he sent another fellow that I know to fix it.
So what next? Well, I turned on the ceiling light in my living room two nights ago and nothing happened. Ok, I need a new light bulb. Nope. I put in the new one and nothing happened. Frankie tried and got the same result. He said that the light fixture was bad. So I'll ask Javier to replace it. He's a jack of all trades!! And the Lord said that we would have troubles in this world, and he wasn't just talking about spiritual ones. However, these problems do effect our spirits one way or another. We can either face them giving God thanks or give in to despair, worry, etc. I choose to believe that since he is with me all the time, he has the correct solution to all. I just have to have patience and wait for it. So Javier came but couldn't find the problem. So I'll have to talk to my landlord.
And one more thing. There's a great phone company here that installs real telephones in your house. I had it at the house where I lived for seven years. Pastor and I went yesterday to see about having one installed here. Pastor always goes with me to help me with the Spanish and to read the contracts for me. So I get a real phone in my house whenever. The phone that was connected with my cable never worked correctly, and when there was no electricity, there was no phone. Ugh! And  forget the cellphones. I'm tired of losing them to thieves. I didn't carry a phone with me in the states, and I'm not carrying one here, unless the Lord tells me differently. And thus far, he hasn't.
I started this a couple of weeks ago and never got it finished due to the loss of cable signals. So, I still don't have a phone. Pastor told me yesterday that he went to the telephone office and the lady told him that they didn't have a technician to install it, but should have it taken care of this week. I hope so.
If a person needs to learn patience, he needs to come to Honduras! And that's no joke.
When I need a friend to do things with and to just visit with, I always ask the Lord to send one. He has never let me down. Two weeks ago, a widow lady moved into my old house. Lo and behold, we have connected. Her husband was a pastor so we always talk about the Lord, etc. And yesterday she said that she had prayed the same thing!  God is so good.  So I'm going to help her learn English and she's going to help me with the everyday sayings here that I absolutely do not understand.  And it's amazing to me that many here do not understand each other!!! Elida, my adult student, was explaining to me that she doesn't understand the men that are building two more rooms onto her house. I'm like,"What"? No, she doesn't understand their Spanish. And I'm supposed to understand what is being said to me? Most of the time I do, but sometimes, I'm totally in the dark. The Spanish here is so lacking. But then the educational system is not so old either according to what I have been told. So it's interesting that at times I'm giving new words in Spanish to my students. Whether or not they will continue to use them is another matter.
So now I need to get busy. I need to remove the paint spots from my floors. The construction workers here are not good at removing such things. Thank the Lord that I can do such things.
Grace and peace.

I may be clear out of my area, but I have to say this. I have lived in Honduras since 2009, minus one year in Costa Rica. If you come here, you are given a 90 day visa. If you overstay that visit you will have to pay a fine. I don't know what will happen past that. And I'm not planning to find out. You can get a residency card, but that too, has to be updated at the proper time or once again, you pay a fine.  And the fine depends on the amount of time that you are over due. You can pay for extra time while waiting on your residency.  

So why am I talking about this? Because I'm tired of hearing all the stuff about the border of the USA.  Every country has it's borders. If you go from one Central American country to another, you better have your passport, ID card, or whatever you have to prove who you are in order to enter their country.   Every Honduran that I know has an ID card with their picture, number, and whatever else is required by the government. Becky and I decided after leaving Choluteca, Southern HN, that we would go to El Salvador just to be going. Well, we didn't have our passports and we weren't allowed to enter except for turning around to head back from where we came. So why is the US supposed to be different and let anybody come in at any time for whatever reason, and there are basically no consequences to be had?

Most Hondurans that I know believe the migrants are out of their minds. I heard that 36 people left their jobs at one of the big banks in Tegucigalpa to join the caravan.  I thought, well there's 36 jobs for somebody. And do any of these people in the caravan look like their starving or are naked? And the babies and the kids? It is not President Trump's fault that these children have died. IT'S the PARENTS fault!!! Parents are responsible for the care of their children.  Would not a parent be 

charged with endangerment or maybe even manslaughter if they did that in the US? I don't know all the legal terms or laws, but I know that a parent would be charged with something in the US. 

I can only speak about what I have experienced here and observed. And I'm speaking in general terms about some things. Most Hondurans only obey laws when they want to do so. Most don't trust police because they don't obey the laws either.  And they don't listen very well at all! So when President Trump said, Don't come! They didn't listen or pay attention. My personal opinion is that if they don't obey the laws in their own country, why would they obey ours? I learned this past year that most Hondurans don't know their constitution. One of my adult students was shocked when I told her that I had a copy of the US Constitution. 

Another problem that I have seen is that children aren't taught to think! They aren't taught to evaluate, analyze, or to think individually. Most school work is done in groups. We all know that in a group, depending on its size, only one or two people actually work and the rest copy. And most don't want to read. If you find a reader here, it's like finding a real treasure.  The same with a person that tells the truth. Lying is common and a way of life.  So why am I here?  Because the Lord sent me here, and I really do like living here. You learn who to trust for whatever and who not to trust.  Those that speak and do truth become good friends.

So this has been my Vesuvius, and I feel better!

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear...

So here we are at another, almost, new year.  And what will it bring? Who knows? Only the Lord. And I'm so glad that he has it all.  A reason not to have fear.

Why am I talking about fear? Because about two weeks ago, I was robbed again! That makes five times since being in Central America! Once at Chili's in Tegucigalpa, once at the church in Costa Rica, once at my other house here in Valle, and two times in this house. I decided that I must be a very popular person. How crazy! But how do you know you're not scared unless something happens? 

When my house was robbed here in March, I was at a meeting at church. So I just saw the effects of the robbery. After that happened, my landlord had razor wire installed on the cement block wall that surrounds my house. It feels like a prison, because you can't see outside the wall unless you open the little or big gates used to enter and leave my property.  I do have a doorbell on the outside wall. At most homes here you just holler "Buenos" or "Hola".  There have been times where somebody will ring it as they're walking by. So unless I see somebody through the grate, I don't go to the gate. So on this particular night, it rang and I didn't  see anybody. After a while, it was rang two more times with nobody there. The fourth time, it was nonstop. So I decided to open my door to say something to whomever. Well, I opened by wooden door, and then I unlocked the security door. And when I had opened it a few inches, a man grabbed my hands and shoved me, gently, back into my house. He had a nice long butcher knife pointed at me. I was startled when someone grabbed my hands, and I thought-well, so much for the razor wire. The young man demanded my money. So I gave him what was in my wallet. There was a little more than $150 because I had gone to the ATM earlier that day. He just kept pointing that knife at me. I had no fear. I was very clam, and I kept thinking what kind of pain was I going to have if he used it on me.  And would he use it only one time or more. He told me to sit down on a dining room chair. Ok. But he was really nervous. And then I thought that maybe I would be  going to go see my son that had passed away in September.  No fear there.  He took my cell phone and then picked up my computer. I told him in Spanish to please don't take my computer because I needed it for my job and to communicate with my kids in the states. PTL, he set it back down and went outside. He told me to close the door and don't call the police. I obeyed!! I walked around my yard the next morning and sure enough, he had opened a place in the razor wire in one of the corners in my back yard.  I called my pastor who was in Tegus.The police arrived later with a brother from the church. They couldn't do anything. However, they came by several times in the following days to check on me. My landlord and my pastor both told me that I needed to move. My landlord's wife said it was just an idea but I could move to the house that they just finished building two doors down. When I asked what was the difference, both my pastor and landlord said that there would be neighbors on three sides of me, whereas now there is only one. I know that everybody in Valle knows who I am and where I live. I'm the gringa that teaches English and have lived here for eight years. And with walls around all, who's going to hear or see anything? And of course, there were actually two guys involved in this last robbery. One at the gate ringing the bell, and the other right outside my door.  I don't like the thought of moving again but will wait and see. 

Why didn't I have fear? Because Jesus told me that he would never leave me or forsake me. He is with me by his Holy Spirit all the time! People look a little embarrassed when I say that he is with me when I go to bed, when I go to town, when I go to the bathroom, when I take a shower, etc. He is with me everywhere all the time. A year or so ago, Cristofer, a teacher at the school, asked me what was my favorite verse in the Bible. I said all of them! I asked for his and he gave me Phil.4:13 that says I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. But that night I got to thinking about his question to me. Mine is that he, Jesus, will never leave me nor forsake me, Heb.13:5. That promise is repeated in several places in the scriptures. So what do I have to fear? Nothing can happen to me without God's express permission. And when it's my time to die, I'm going to die and  I won't be alone. He will be with me, Ps.23.   

So why did it happen? I don't have a clue. Maybe to reinforce my faith in him being always with me. I don't know and that's ok because I know that he knows. And as long as I know that, ALL is well.

Grace and peace.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day that the Lord has made...

About two weeks ago, we took the ninth graders to Tegucigalpa for their graduation trip. We left from the school around seven in the morning. There were eight students, three high school teachers, and me and Becky.  These trips are a lot of fun for both the students and the teachers. We wanted to go somewhere where they had not gone before. We went to the Agua la Tigra plant  which is  a water processing plant where most of my bottled water comes from.  They watched the water going through the chlorination, sand, salt, carbon, etc. process. They saw the bottles being washed, filled, and sealed. There were also the little plastic bags that were filled and sealed all by machines. They told the number of five gallon bottles that they process everyday. It was in the thousands not counting the little bottles and plastic bags. Very interesting. I asked how much the workers, daily laborers, made a day. It was 300 Lempiras which is less than fifteen dollars depending on the current exchange.

We also went to the museum at the post office. What an interesting place considering that most people here where I live never receive mail.  The towns do have street names but they're not posted nor do most people know their names.  When they give you directions, it's given using landmarks. And if you don't know the landmarks, you're basically lost.  

We visited the Christian radio station that was started by a young Baptist minister a few decades ago.  Our guide asked the kids if they wanted to talk on the radio with her.  They were all embarrassed.  But finally one of the girls did it. You can be sure that she will never forget that experience.  I was so proud of her!

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Tegus where breakfast is included with the room. It also has a swimming pool that the kids and teachers enjoyed immensely.  And naturally nobody uses keys anymore. We had to use the card for access to the room, swimming area, and the elevators. You can see that I don't like all this techie stuff. A person doesn't have control of anything anymore.  It's all in the computers somewhere. Heaven forbid when they all go down. What will people do? Lose their minds, I expect.

So we went to Chucky Cheese, the mall's food court, and Denny's for our meals other than breakfast. The kids really enjoyed playing all the games at Chucky Cheese.  They were so funny to watch.

Our last visit was to the airport. Very few of our kids have been there. And did they get to see the planes coming in or going out?  Of course not. The windows had been frosted over! What a bummer!
So sad. I would really like the kids to be able to go inside one of the planes, but you have to ask and get  permission several months in advance, which of course, we didn't have. Maybe one day.

So now, it's just teaching my students that come to my house until February or March depending on the school's calendars. So I have a lot of time to study Spanish on the computer.

Yesterday I washed windows and curtains. I almost felt like a housewife again! So today Frankie is coming to do my yard work.  His uncle used to come with him but he has a job working on the highway cleaning out the ditches, etc. That's a good thing. It's definitely more pay.

So now it's time to get busy and may you have the grace and peace of Jesus Christ.

Rain, rain, rain! So much rain here in HN and the US. But today, we have started out with sunshine.  I hope it stays all day.

I returned to HN after a month in Kansas. My oldest son, Gary, died the 15th of September. He was diagnosed with cancer about two years ago.  He used to say that the worse thing that could happen to him was to live. Think about that one! He was ready to go and be with our Lord. He left behind a wife, three daughters, two sons-in-law, three grandsons, two brothers, two sisters, and a mother. He will be missed by all who knew him. His desire was to be cremated. His wife honored his desire. However, it was difficult for this mother when his ashes were scattered.  It was like he had never been here. No marker, no bones in the ground-nothing. Yes, I know that he was here. I birthed him and he has three daughters. And I know that he is with our Lord. But it was difficult. He was ready to go and he welcomed it.  Yes, he was concerned about his wife, etc. but he knew that the Lord would take care of her and the rest of his family. He was an inspiration to all that knew him and a reminder to us that we too, have an appointed time. I appreciated the Honor Guard from Ft. Riley coming to honor him. Gary was stationed there for a while before going to Belgium. He retired from the military after 22 or so years. I told him that he could not die before me and that he should cry at my funeral and not me at his. Well, that didn't happen. So now he will great me in that great beyond instead of the other way around.  Why the Lord took him, I don't know, but I know that the Lord does ALL things well and that he has a plan, a good plan, for my daughter-in-law. And I'm glad that my son is not suffering anymore.  As Job said, "The Lord gave,  and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Wow! It has been a long time since I have written on my blog. I'm really surprised. Oh, well, here I am.  My life has taken on a new course, and it is wonderful. I have learned to slow down, and enjoy this time in my life. Absolutely nothing is as pressing as it was when I was going to the school everyday.  I'm so thankful for what the Lord has done in me in the last two months.

So what has He for me at this time? I still teach the students that come to my house, and of all things, one is only seven years old.  My favorite age are those that are in junior high and high school. However, she is my next door neighbor and an excellent student.  

And a couple of weeks ago, I told my Heavenly Father that I didn't know what His plan for me was, but that I knew He had one, and I would just wait until He revealed it to me.  I knew it wasn't to return to the states at this time, so wait it was.  Well, I found out last week! When I retired in May from the school, the national director asked me if I would help our teachers with their English programs. Of course, I said yes. Not a problem. Hah! I didn't know what he had planned. Well, I found out last week at a seminar with some of our teachers.  Becky and I went to San Pedro Sula early so I could visit three of our schools. I was shocked that our English speaking teachers were speaking Spanish to the students during their English class. When I asked about it, they told me that the kids didn't understand English.  Well, of course not, they weren't being taught to speak everyday English or any English except what they parrot in their classes and learn to recognize from their workbooks. I learned a long time ago that kids could fill in the blanks with the correct word and not understand what was being said. So what does the director have planned for me? That in two to three years I will have developed an English program for our schools! He told that to the teachers  at the seminar. I had not  known that before.  Wow! Now I do. So I'm busy looking for the right curriculum. What a job. I'm not a writer, and I'm not going to re-invent the wheel. So the Lord and I have a lot of work to do. Thank you Holy Spirit.

All the teachers that teach the English classes have good spoken English. But they aren't teaching it to the kids. And the Holy Spirit told me in the middle of the night before I was to speak to the teachers the next day that we couldn't call our schools bilingual if they didn't speak two languages. Duh! What a thought! I had already told those teachers that they needed to be speaking English all day with the kids at the school during lunch, recess, etc. So my work is definitely cut out for me.

My pastor told me that he wants me to preach. It's so easy in English, but in Spanish? That's a different story because I have to write it out first. I don't write out the messages in English that the Lord gives me. I write scriptures and the points and then follow the Holy Spirit. It is He that speaks. And do you know how many times the Lord changes a few things in the message? Sometimes he adds something or doesn't say some things that you thought was to be there.  After I told this to my pastor, he told me that when the Lord gives me the message, then he would have me preach. Ok.

I love what the Lord is doing. Because with Him we can do all things that He gives us. And as Jesus said, without Him we can do nothing. Amen.