I just woke up... again.

Yesterday was report card day and the opportunity for any necessary parent-teacher conferences. Only three parents came to see me. I'm tempted to wonder if they means I'm doing such a good job that they just trust me and already feel informed, or if this is more of a sign of a lack of involvement that could potentially explain a lot about this class... It was nice though to stand there speaking to the dad of the girl that has given me fits lately and to realize that he's her daddy. He loves her like my daddy loves me and Logan. He wants to know what is going on in her life and to try to do what is best for her because he loves her and wants her present to be a wonderful foundation for her future... I'm not always a huge fan of the pressure that comes from parental involvement, but it's so nice to be reminded that the kids are not only a reflection on me (as I sometimes feel) but that each one reflects some other people too, and hopefully those people care and love them a lot.

This morning, I went back to the market for the first time since early December. My wonderful market friend was there, and today was the best day yet because Erika was marketing with me and was able to translate! Did I humble myself enough to double-check her name? Of course not. But Juanita (?) was as loving and welcoming as ever. She's like a grandmother. She definitely told me that it had been too long since I had come to see her... Erika said she comes from pretty far away, and that she's been having a tough time with the cold snaps that have come through lately. It was such a blessing to support her and to buy her potatoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, and some unidentified thing (Erika's) before shopping at any of the other stands. :)

I was feeling exhausted when we got back, so I put some groceries away, ate lunch, and took a very long nap. Unfortunately, it was one of those naps that leaves you feeling like you've been run over by a Mack truck. I wonder if I'll be dizzy for the rest of the day... Maybe I'll feel better if I drink one of the Diet Mountain Dews that I was blessed to find at the grocery store this morning!!!

Speaking of saying, "run over by a Mack truck," today I was mocked for saying, "have your picture made" as opposed to having it "taken." I proceeded to argue that to be taken, it must exist already. However, a picture is created, and therefore it is made. Crazy Yankees...

Erika is with her family in the city. Kerry is chaperoning the school spelling bee trip to San Pedro Sula, and Stacey is with her boyfriend. I have the whole place to myself - and it's a good day for it. Perhaps I'll continue being a hermit for the rest of the day, listening to the Brook Hills sermon, watching movies and Gilmore Girls, and planning science units on sound, light, and Newton's Laws. Oh yes - this life in Honduras is just that glamorous...

I'm also reading a new book that my dad got me for Christmas called Stones Into Schools about a man who has helped to start lots of schools all over Afghanistan and Pakistan while emphasizing the importance of girls' education and providing lots of opportunities for them that have been prohibited in the past by the leaders of their culture. At one point in the introduction, he talked about visiting a village and discovering over 80 children gathered together outside, without even a teacher, writing things in the dirt because they didn't have anything else to write with. They were desperate for a school in their village. It's unbelievable to think of how educational opportunities can be so unappreciated and taken for granted. I'm intrigued to continue the book, although it makes me sad that this particular work is being done by the world and not the church. As I read the girls quotes about how Allah has taught them patience as they waited for a chance to study, I'm saddened. Sometimes it seems like it would be nice if the Lord would just go ahead and take us all home where there will be no more deception, suffering, or temptation to fight. But even though I may feel ready, it's the girls like these that aren't - and aren't they worth waiting for?

I have a couple of friends serving over there. I'm so excited whenever I get to hear all about their experiences. They're the real deal, for sure.

I talked to a friend yesterday that says I need to just come home - "like yesterday..." She was joking (I think), but we said I could come home, she could quit her job, we could live in her house until it sells and just play all the time, and then we could move into Charli's one-bedroom apartment and get part-time jobs at a place called Pump-It-Up. She said by that point, we would have come full-circle. Haha. It was exciting to me to realize that I am okay with jokes like that, but I don't need them to actually happen. I'm doing fine, and I'm thankful to the Lord who sustains me.

Besides... February is short with a few random events like the huge Relampago soccer tournament (during school! Talk about chaos!) on Friday. Then Semana Santa (Spring Break) is at the end of March. Much of April is filled up with standardized testing, and then my mom might come! (Insert shouts of joy here...) I'm still hoping to make a trip home in May (and I think everyone needs to be on my side and help me convince my parents that it is a good idea and very important that I be at my sister's graduation...), and then we're done in June. After that, we'll see what happens. I have dreams of travels with friends in July - but I'm starting to wonder where that money will come from. Plus, I'm still hoping and planning to take my sister gallivanting around Texas to celebrate her huge accomplishments! (Even if she is planning to be a crazy JSU gamecock...) haha