Let me start off by saying "Whoa. What a week." I am not able to do a day by day but I almost wanted to this past week. Because there was just so much going on each day. And I want to blog not because I HAVE to but because I want you to be in on it all. And so much of it is so good. So here goes the replay…
Tuesday started off like any other Tuesday bright and early at 6pm in the yard. That afternoon I went to meet up with my girls before dinner. I found them on a trip to get firewood. As we got down to the wood pile I realized the Head of the yard- Elvia was sending the girls down a dirt road around behind Papi and Mami's house. Not that you can understand the scale….
We started at our kitchen and walked past the boys houses, around behind Papi's back around behind the toddler and baby house then back behind our kitchen and up to the boys kitchen. This wouldn't be a problem except the girls didn't know that they were going to go on the scenic route. So some of them had like 6 pieces of wood. Which for some of them was a lot. I was in the back of the pack and would help to restack loads or help carry the wood they dropped. So by the time I got around to the boys kitchen I had quite a load myself. And my arms were completely torn up. fun times. I guess I am Honduran now.
I asked Elvia how you say "Time Killer" in spanish? I told her next time to give me a heads up. 🙂
Then tuesday night I took my girls after dinner over to the concrete soccer field to play until time to go in their houses. I didn't get to play because there were some american boys that were over there and i needed to watch my girls with them. (The girls can forget their boundaries sometimes…and these boys wouldn't realize that the girls hugging on them and sitting near them is a no no here.) And while I waited while they were playing I had the opportunity to have one of my girls be put in "Time Out". She can't keep her hands to herself. And she wouldn't stop talking. She finally got the point. And it has worked for the most part. I see her start to put her hands on someone and I say "Las Manos!" Because I told her that her hands were for her not others. So Los Manos are the start of that sentence. I have only had one problem since then. And it was minor. My nanny skills are put into practice yet again.
Wednesday the high school kids had a soccer tournament. So I got to spend some good time watching soccer and getting some sun. The final match had a group of a lot of my girls vs a team with a few of my girls. It POURED down rain on us for about 5-8 minutes but they played on. It ended in a shoot out. The red team won. It was a good day. But I sunburned my lips. 🙂
Thursday morning was my last day to speak at Circle time with Katherine Translating. I shared the passage about Jesus at Simon's house and the woman who washed Jesus feet. I don't know much of what the girls think about it all. But I challenge them continually to seek after God. To talk to Him. To listen. To trust.
Friday morning big circle was cancelled but I did not get the message so I spent an hour down in the laundry room in the big girls yard. I figured that it was cancelled as I walked down there but I was already up. And at 5am it's just too much to walk back and crawl in bed to just get up again to be down there at 6. I now have a honduran phone and have requested notification of any further cancellations 🙂
Friday I also got keys since Katherine is no longer with the big girls. So I have the keys to the city. haha just to the Big Girls yard stuff. Saturday I got the walkie Talkie for the big girls yard since Elvia (The head person in the yard) is gone to college on the weekends. The joke is that when you get keys and a walkie talkie that you are staff. I reminded Lourdes (The head woman of OE) that I am not staff but I will take the walkie talkie on Saturday when needed only. 🙂
Friday I went to the office and talked to Katja. She is the head of the office and coordinates what the volunteers do. I just explained to her why and how I got here. And what I have and can do. Saturday morning Lourdes told me that Katja told her what I said and asked if I can start working with teams. So Saturday night I went up to the team house to meet the team and begin seeing how that works. I am now helping plan some of the activities for when teams come with Ron McCollum (another volunteer/staff person). We are going to Tegucigalpa Saturday to meet the team coming in. So life is a little busier now… 🙂
Sorry that I didn't get a chance to post pictures here. I have had this in my drafts folder since Monday unfinished. I will try to post them tonight. But I wanted to communicate to you what is going on.
Some things to pray for:
Tomorrow I plan to talk to one of my big girls that is not in school and on discipline for some big things. She has not asked for forgiveness so she will stay in trouble. The more I know and see her the more my heart cannot stop praying and thinking of her. One of the Volunteers here- Amy is going to help me with translating pending the girls approval of her presence.
Tomorrow night the volunteers are having a prayer and worship time. I will be playing guitar for this. I love to do it but It always makes me nervous doing it the first time because I don't always play things the way folks know them 🙂
Unity here. With the staff. The volunteers. This place.
My Spanish…it seems so slow and frustrating. I have moments when I just completely stop listening. It is a slow process and people say that I understand a lot but I don't feel that way. I KNOW it is a process. And i must have patience… I just continue to pray for God to work it out fast. I will give Him all the praise honor and glory when He does!
I am continually grateful for this opportunity. I am daily reminded of how good God's plan is. And just how Good He is. period. and grateful for your encouragement and prayers.
keep after Him.
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