As I sit here trying to write this, I truly cannot believe that I have been living in Honduras for only two weeks. We have already lived so much life here that it really feels like it’s been more like two months. Bear with me, because this is probably going to be fairly lengthy. I have organized all of the information I want to share with you into 3 sections. The first is “General Life/Ministry,” where I explained what life is like here and what we do in the school. The second is “Prayer Requests,” which is pretty self explanatory, and the last is “Interesting/Funny Stories,” which is where I wrote about more specific things that have happened.
GENERAL LIFE & MINISTRY
From the moment I set foot in Honduras, I was in awe by the beauty of this country. I had been told that Honduras is a beautiful place, but I did not expect to see breathtaking views of gorgeous mountains just about any direction I look. But I must say, I think the most beautiful part about this country is the kids I get to see everyday.
Monday-Friday, my team and I volunteer as teacher assistants at Cornerstone Christian Academy. The school is located right in our tiny village, only about a two minute walk from our house. I work with Miss Orellana in the 4th grade. Working in the school can be tough and tiring, but the sweet kids make any day so much brighter. I have already been able to build relationships with each of my 4th graders, even the ones that had tougher shells to break through.
One little boy in particular named Tony has especially won my heart. He is what you would call the “class clown,” but he has such a big, caring heart. He refills my water bottle without me asking and although he can be disruptive at times, he respects me when I ask him to do anything. He is also the only kid in my class who can speak both English and Spanish fluently, so he helps me translate and understand the teacher and other students. And of course, it’s very nice to have someone in the classroom who can understand my language and help me learn a new one.
Starting next week, we will begin our after school schedule. The plan, which is not quite set in stone, is to go into town for Spanish classes on Mondays and Wednesdays, have Bible study with our English pastor’s wife on Thursdays, and do our own Bible study as a team on Tuesdays.
On Sundays, we go to town to an English church called “International Christian Fellowship Church” pastored by Kris Henderson. Later in the afternoon we attend the small village church which is in Spanish and located at the school. Cam, Mikayla, Mac and I joined the praise team and are trying to learn songs in Spanish, which has been interesting.
Fridays are what we call “Family Day,” and it’s probably my favorite day of the week. We do things like play games, watch a movie, or bake a yummy dessert. Tonight we baked cupcakes and watched “Nacho Libre.” It was Mikayla’s first time ever seeing the great classic.
Speaking of “Family Day,” let me tell you a little bit about my new “family.” Makayla and Josh are our fearless leaders. Makayla always makes sure there’s food around and we all have what we need. She is truly our “mom away from home.” Josh is our driver, and let me tell ya—it does NOT look easy trying to drive in Honduran traffic. (Think Polish basketball—virtually no rules). He is also our family “protector.” This includes being called the “Scorpion Killer,” and he certainly lives up to his nickname. Then there’s Macalister, who we’ve affectionately nicknamed “Brother Mac.” He’s always ready with an encouraging hug or word when anyone needs it, and has been handling gaining five new “sisters” quite well. Josh, Makayla, and Mac have their rooms in the main house, which also includes our living room and kitchen. The second building in our small but homey compound is made of up two rooms, which serve as the girls’ bedrooms. Ivy, Camryn, and our other Mikayla stay in one room while Mary Elizabeth and I stay in the other.
PRAYER REQUESTS
INTERESTING/FUNNY STORIES
Things got interesting right from the first day we arrived. We left the airport and stopped for gas, where we saw a casual truck carrying a coffin sticking out the back also pulled up for gas and the funeral “line” parked on the side of the road waiting patiently. And of course, there’s been plenty of scorpions (in fact, Ivy had one in her bag today) along with a couple tarantulas.
We don’t always have running water in our village, which has been an adventure. Ivy, Cam, and I made a game out of who could go the longest without a shower the first week, and I am ashamed to say that I won after not showering for 8 whole days. Ivy and Cam each went 7. (I know—not my proudest moment). But it’s amazing what baby powder in the hair and baby wipes on your skin can do for you; we felt and honestly looked so clean all week.
We have wifi Friday-Monday, but Tuesday-Thursday we generally do not so that we can unplug from the States and focus on the ministry we have here in Honduras and bonding as a team. Our first Tuesday, us girls were left home alone for several hours without wifi. So of course, it was a great night of bonding and coming up with our own fun. We explored just about the entire village and sat in a circle sharing life stories. Since it was Mac’s birthday and he was out with Makayla and Josh, we baked him cupcakes and blew up balloons to try to surprise him with a little celebration. His icing was hot pink since that was all the store had left, but he didn’t mind. I think the weirdest thing we did that day was pee in bottles. (Yes—you read that right). Since we didn’t have water and therefore couldn’t flush the toilet, Ivy, Cam, Mary Elizabeth and I each peed in a bottle and then ended up comparing the colors to check our hydration. (Turns out, Camryn needs way more water and Mary Elizabeth is doing pretty good).
We “adopted” a cat as a team. Her name is TacoBella, and she’s one of the sweetest things I’ve ever seen. She follows us around and sleeps outside in a basket by our washer and dryer. Since she’s been around, we’ve had far less critters in our rooms because she hunts them. She also gives great cuddles and is basically our team’s “therapy animal.” (Follow her on instagram— @tacobella.cat).
On Thursday of last week, Ivy and I went to the doctor because we had been sick all week. We got there thinking it would just be a normal visit and we could get some medicine, but we were immediately admitted to the hospital. They drew blood, took stool samples (Well, Ivy got out of that part but I wasn’t so lucky), and stuck us with IVs. We were tested for several things, including Typhoid and salmonella. As awful as our 8 hour hospital stay was, we thankfully had nothing serious and were able to go home. Josh had even gotten us Wendy’s, which made things seem a little better (even if Ivy cried because they didn’t have any baked potatoes left).
This past Monday, we didn’t have school for a Honduran holiday so we went to the beach, which is about 2 hours away. Talk about a family bonding day. We turned Mac into a mermaid (lol don’t ask), took beach walks, got flipped off a banana boat, and swam in the clear Caribbean water. Seriously, the Caribbean sea is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately however, we were definitely not prepared for the damage the sun could do down here. We all had some pretty nasty, some 2nd degree burns which has made for a bit of a rough week. Poor Mary Elizabeth especially had it rough, but thankfully all of our burns are feeling much better and healing.
Cam and I took a walk around the village a couple nights ago and met a couple teenage sisters named Gloria and Rosa. Gloria’s baby Joseph may just be one of the sweetest babies I’ve ever held. Then last night, Cam and Josh and I went with them on a walk to La Sabana, which is a neighboring village.
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In conclusion, I really can’t complain. I absolutely adore my new family and I am in love with this country and it’s people. There have been nights when I cry because I miss home and the people close to me or simply because I’m overwhelmed. But overall, I am so happy here where God has placed me. Sometimes I look out the window at the mountains or at the people I get to live and serve with and am just overcome with thankfulness and awe that this is really the life I get to live and I am really here.
Thank you so much for your support and continued prayers! I hope you enjoyed hearing about my first couple weeks in Honduras!
