Election Day

It feels as if all of Honduras is holding its breath today...

It's Election Day 2009, and this one's been a long time coming. Mel Zelaya was removed from office June 28th, and they've successfully kept him out for five months. (And he's been holed up in the Brazilian embassy for two of those five!) Many people here hold these elections as the greatest chance for real peace and progress.

But it already comes at a price.

A couple of nights ago, a man was killed as he walked down the street. Some would claim this was random, but he just happened to be carrying a voting box. There are military and police all over to monitor the voting stations. We got an email this morning from the US Embassy warning us against threats being made against US Carriers (Delta, US, Continental, etc.) flying into Tegus today. It also said that both Honduran borders would be closed between Nicaragua and El Salvador. The scary part is, I know of at least one teacher who is scheduled to fly in today from visiting her family for Thanksgiving, and we have four teachers in El Salvador this weekend.

Zelaya's supporters, more affectionately known as "la resistencia" (the resistance) are calling for people to stay home and boycott the election. I've heard from many people who are planning to vote, but many of them are definitely scared and tense about what may happen. They also wonder if their vote will even matter or if this government that has long been known for corruption has already chosen the next leader.

It's definitely a day to pray.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

The counsel of the Lord stands forever,

the plans of his heart to all generations. Psalm 33:10-11

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;

he turns it wherever he will. Proverbs 21:1

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, [and] giving of thanks be made for all men for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

My God is faithful...

Thank you to anyone and everyone who happened to see my post from this morning and who took a few moments to lift me up in prayer... My day got better and better as it went on. After the Macy's parade, I spent some time in prayer and working on my Esther Bible study. Then I took a shower, packed a small bag, and headed over to Twana's for a full day and a sleepover. I made stuffing for our potluck Thanksgiving meal (just like Momma' does - baked with cream of chicken soup spread over the top...) and then gorged on ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and rolls followed by seconds and both pumpkin pie and peach cobbler. We had about 20 or 25 people gathered together for our feast, and it was wonderful. We really enjoy our time together like that.

Then we played a card game called Dutch Blitz. We play so many games here that I have never heard of. I feel like some random card games would be wonderful Christmas gifts (hint, hint Mom...) haha.

Then I spent some downtime at Twana's playing on the computer and even watching some "webisodes" of Say Yes to the Dress (definitely a dirty pleasure...) online before going back to the Parson's house to play Speed Scrabble. I'm still not very good at it, but that's probably my favorite of the new games that I've learned since August 8th.

So all in all, it was a wonderful Thanksgiving. I'll still be looking forward to the next time I'm at home for family traditions, even though I feel like I may become the host of those traditions in the near future. I say bring it on... :)

Oh my...

I could use a little extra prayer today. Yes, I am thankful for the details of my life, but it is hard to be here on a day like today. Mom and I shared a difficult moment, complete with tears, on the phone this morning. It's the first Thanksgiving that we haven't been together in my whole life.


It's funny how we handle it differently. I'm grasping for some semblance of the holiday I know and love... I set my alarm to wake me up in time for the Macy's parade (which, by the way, is so weird when you see it for the first time after actually going there and walking down those streets!), and I'm going to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner later today where I will be keeping my fingers crossed for a piece of pumpkin pie... Mom, on the other hand, doesn't want to do the traditional things, partly because I'm not there and it's not the same.


We can do this, right? Just three more weeks until we're together again... We won't even think about how long it will be between January 4th and June 20th.

There's no place like home for the holidays... but "whatever i have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am." Philippians 4:13 (The Message)


As promised, here are a couple of pictures from yesterday. :)





And for more, you can go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034907&id=58900083&l=22fde0c767

Happy Thanksgiving?

School's out for Thanksgiving. We had a half-day today, complete with a Thanksgiving party... It's funny. In the States, you're lucky if you get a Christmas and end-of-the-year party these days. Everything else can only be a "special snack," and I'm really not sure if I've ever heard of a class celebrating Thanksgiving... But don't worry. Hondurans like to party. So we have a fiesta for like eight different holidays during the year.

Today was also a jeans day, which means the vast majority of our students looked like normal kids for once! It's always a treat when they don't have to wear their uniforms... I took a few pictures, and I'll try to post them soon.

At 12:30, our faculty, staff, and families gathered in a banquet hall down the road for a catered Thanksgiving feast. My only complaint about that is that we didn't start eating until 1:30, and I was being a bit silly and immature - feeling completely incapable of being serious and thankful due to my growling stomach. Other than that, it was nice to see so many people gathered together and enjoying some good food. We had turkey, which isn't even a Thanksgiving tradition for mi familia. We're ham kind of people. My favorites of all the items on my plate, however, were the rolls (of course) and the mashed potatoes. :)

The best part of my day (so far) came after the dinner. Twana, Hannah, and I changed and met on the soccer field with blankets and books to lay out and read (I'm currently reading The Westing Game, and I'm intrigued...). We didn't get much sun, but it was so relaxing and warm. Is it really the day before Thanksgiving? This is madness...

I should be in bed...

I can't believe that work starts again bright and early tomorrow morning. This weekend feels like it has evaporated.

The most surprising and exciting point in my weekend came yesterday afternoon around 4:30 as I was lying on my bed and stalking my friend Kassi on Facebook. I heard a knock on my door and Twana busted in saying, "Come jump on the bungee cord trampoline with me!" The Catholic church across the street had set up this contraption similar to those you often see in a mall or something like that, and it was free to participate. We walked over there and met up with three other teachers, and the next thing I knew, my shoes were off and the harness was on.

I started by jumping a little bit while they lifted the bungee cord. Then, next thing I knew, this Honduran guy was hanging onto my harness and sling-shotting me up into the air... I definitely screamed and squealed, because the height surprised me. From that point on, my feet didn't really touch the trampoline, and I would kick my feet (with pointed toes) when I got scared at the top... Every time I would stop going quite so high, the guy would catch me and sling-shot me sky-high again. I didn't have the courage to attempt a flip, but at one point I did realize that I should look out and see what was around me as I looked over the trees. Apparently I entertained my friends because I was laughing and squealing and talking to them, and the next thing they knew I was saying, "Hey! There are horses over there!"

Seriously... You never know what your day will be like in Honduras.

We're trying to keep that in mind as we try once again to travel to the Pacific at the end of this week because of our days off for Thanksgiving. The elections are scheduled for next Sunday, and there are rumors that the city will be blocked off starting on either Wednesday or Friday, preventing anyone from getting into or out of Tegus. I think I'll be okay if we get blocked in - but I'm not super-thrilled about the idea of getting blocked out.

The key to life in Honduras is flexibility.

I bought some twinkle-lights at the grocery school last weekend, and I hung them up tonight. I like them so much, they just might stay in place until June. :)

I feel like a broken record as I sing the praises of the ways the Lord speaks to me through the Esther Bible study, but it's definitely happened again today. I watched the seventh video session, and I was so blessed by the ways it spoke to my circumstances and my questions. I've always been a bit of a control freak, even in my relationship with the Lord and in seeking His plans for my life. I'm usually looking to the details of the next steps and how He's working everything out and just asking Him to give me wisdom and show me what He is doing and what He wants... And now is no exception.

But the scenarios addressed this week really targeted my struggles...

"It's tough being a woman who feels responsible for the 'how'."
Even as I consider the options of the end results, I'm trying to figure out the means... But 2 Peter 2:9 and Psalm 103:14 are just a couple of examples that show us that The Lord knows how!

"It's tough being a woman who can balance passion with patience."
This one talked about waiting on the Lord and longing for something while you wait - but trusting in Him to use the wait for a purpose and to bring the whirlwind answer at the perfect time.

I'm feeling comforted...

I'm thankful for the amazing, godly women that God has placed in my life to give me sound council - Mom, Faith, Katherine, Kassi, Mrs. Leigh Ann, and others...

I'm thankful that even a sermon on giving from Malachi points me in the right direction toward my answers.

And I'm thankful that December is only a month away... :)

Yes - I should be teaching now...

I just want to take a minute to document this wonderful day. We've actually had a great week (as a whole) and I'm thrilled in moments like this when I can look out all over my peaceful classroom and see 22 sets of eyes that are glued to the pages of books.

Praise You Lord for the beautiful moments that, though fleeting, keep us going...

Today is...

November 19th.

Do you know what that means???

I'm coming home in ONE MONTH!!!

In fact, I'm coming home four weeks from Saturday.

And I feel pretty confident that the next month will pass quickly. After all, next week is just half a week of school. Then I'm leaving with a group Thursday morning and going to Amapala - which is the south beach here in Honduras. It's nothing glamorous - except for the volvano and black sand... :) That should be adventurous.

Then when we return, I'm sure that just like at home - we will be full-swing into the wonderful madness that is the Christmas season... We have a Christmas bazaar/program to prepare for and have, and at some point I think there are a couple of Christmas parties for the teachers, on top of the class party that I guess we'll have on the 18th.

The time has been passing quickly ever since we started teaching for full weeks, so I know home will be here before I know it. It's incredibly tempting to live for the future - but for now, the present is calling... It's time to check the homework, prepare the morning devotion, look over the math lesson, and make sure these crazy loons are following directions on their morning work.

Que les vaya bien... :)