Update!

Hello from Honduras! This has been a fantastic week in the Cloud Forest! There are a couple of areas in Honduras, the Ranch area being one of them, that is referred to as Cloud Forest sometimes because of the overwhelming amount of fog that sometimes envelops the mountains. It is a beautiful site to see, so hopefully I can get a good pic of that sometime! On to the good stuff!

PICTURES!

Career Day
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027835&l=4868f&id=156800196
Unfortunately, our internet has been realllllly, reallllly slow over the past few days, and out of about 10 tries today to upload pictures, one of them has been successful. So, I am sorry for not having more pictures.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
This week was probably the most interesting week of Community Outreach so far, especially for the Bible club part with the kids. Our “puppet show” this week was Job: The Musical. Picture it--- puppets, north Americans singing with puppets, north Americans who speak very little Spanish singing with puppets--- and who was I? The voice of God. I’m not sure if the kids really even knew what we were doing, but we attempted great things for the Lord that day. My favorite line, “Puede probar a Job, pero no lo mates,” or “You can test Job, but you can’t kill him.” Anyhow, I think it was a great success, and whether or not they understood it all, I’m not sure, but they were definitely entertained.
The music went very well too. The kids really, really love to sing and sing strong and loud, and even do all of the hand motions! It is way too cool! Next week we are planning on doing the story of Joseph with puppets and also do tie-dye t-shirts. Should be fun!

VISITING TEAM
This week we had an awesome visiting team from the Chicago area of Illinois. Some of them were from Geneva, Illinois, so that was easy to remember! This team was a construction team so they stayed here on the Ranch and did lots of work to help out. One of the ladies did lots of sewing of pillows, curtains, etc. The men helped out a lot finishing some of the minor details at the school including sanding down and varnishing all of the doors at the school. They also helped put up a fence behind the end of the campo that has the children’s playground. It has always been a danger because kids are playing at the bottom of the hill and soccer balls that miss the net sometimes get very close. So, the fence will help out tremendously in that area! The team left this morning on their way back to the states.

CAREER DAY
This week was the school’s annual Career Day. We had the kids split up like we normally do for Chapel, with the younger kids down at the school and the older kids up in the Bodega. The younger kids had several different guest speakers, including some of the visiting team members, to come and talk to them about the different jobs that they can have when they grow up, including police man, nurse, etc… From what I heard, the kids really enjoyed it and asked lots of really funny questions.
The older kids had Mrs. Cecilia speak to them about different universities in Honduras, and the different degrees that are offered at each of them. Mrs. Cecilia is our Spanish teacher as well as the lady who helps our kids in the area of Social Work. She was very informative to the kids, and helped them to understand even more the important things that will count when they get ready to make that step into college and choosing a career.

HAMMOCK IN THE SHADE
I have to share this because it’s just the most relaxing thing I do now. Jason has a hammock out on our back porch that overlooks a lot of the forest around us. I have, only recently, begun to take advantage of this luxury we have and spend some of my free time relaxing in the hammock and reading. Just this past week, I finished reading a great book by Rocky McElveen called Wild Men, Wild Alaska. Rocky is a professional guide in rural Alaska. He gives guided tours to lots of people, including our former President Bush, Sr, Franklin Graham, and lots of other well-known people. Anyhow, the book is a collection of his favorite stories and guides with different people- some famous, some regular Joe’s. The stories are absolutely wonderful, but more than that, he spends a lot of time talking about how God has given him this occupation to get to be a missionary to so many people that come there to “get away” from their normal environments, or “discover” themselves. He is a very good Christian man, has come close to death several times in the wilderness, but knows that God has blessed him and his career immensely. So, there is my book review of the month for ya! And, if you need to relax, come visit our hammock in the shade, and bring a good book.

The other stuff
Graduation day and getting to come home for a while is getting very close! I am very excited about both of those things! The kids at school are going to do some “musical” things at graduation, including playing hand bells! It’ll be a great time!
Last night was a fun time-- we had a few of the other teachers over and played Pictionary! It was sooo funny and I think we were heard across the ranch. Today I am going to be working on my presentation for when I am home and hopefully design a new prayer card! We’ll see how that goes!

God bless you all! Thank you so much for everything and I will see you soon!!!

God Bless!
-Jesse Tiner
World Gospel Outreach
http://www.wgoreach.org

I don't know what to title these things anymore...

Hola to all! This has been a great week in Honduras. I hope you were all able to hang on for an extra week without an update this past weekend. Our internet and electricity was off and on most of the weekend due to lots of damaging wind that took out several trees in the area and had our electricity out for some time. When one of the trees fell, it landed on one of the lines, somehow sending a power surge straight to the ranch. The surge tripped lots of breakers and even took out one the brand new copying machine at the school. On top of that, it was kind of a slow week, and there was not too much to update on. However, this week was full of goodness, so let’s get to it!

PICTURES
Community Outreach/New kids--
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027535&l=d1f39&id=156800196

Other Pics From The Week
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027536&l=2101f&id=156800196


NEW CHILDREN AT THE RANCH!!!

This week, we got to experience the arrival of three new children into the family of WGO. They are Katherine and David, who are siblings, and Darwin. Katherine is 5 years old, her brother is 2, and Darwin is around 17 months. They arrived Wednesday after Paul, our Children’s Services Director, and numerous others spent many trips to the city at the agency that we get our children from. The arrival of these children was a long awaited blessing.

I have not been able to see Darwin yet, but Katherine and David both accompanied their house parents, Karen and Ronal, to our community program down the road. I was very happy to see that both of them seemed very comfortable and it seems that the transition for them to life here on the Ranch will be a smooth one.

The other day I got to speak with Paul and found out that many of the kids we have do not even have birth certificate, including some of the children we have just received. Many of them do not actually know their birth date or how old they are. I know that may seem insignificant to life, but it just made me realize to know who I am and where I came from. It’s a big thing we take for granted to know who our parents are, where and when we were born, and other things related to our past. It just helped me get a grip on that and to be thankful for being able to know.


We’re still legal!/COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Last Wednesday was kind of a bummer in one way, but very good in another. This past Friday marked 90 days that we have been in Honduras, which meant we had to renew our visas before that day. Since Wednesday is the only other group trip into town, several of us had to miss out on the community program in order to go to the city and renew our visas. The process was not nearly as bad as I had heard about, and we were very blessed that all of our paperwork was correct and that the renewal process went very smoothly. So, we missed the community program, but at least we’re legal!

Thankfully, we were able to participate in the community program that took place this past Wednesday. We are continuing to have about 25-30 children each week. Most of them are repeats, which is good, but we are also seeing some not be able to return, which is sad, while we are seeing some new faces each week, which is good. This week we spent a good deal of time teaching them some new songs, such as “Gloria a Dios,” which is the same music as “Allelu, Allelu, Allelu, Alleluya, Praise ye, the Lord.” Also, we taught them “Mi Dios esta Grande,” or “My God is go great, so big and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do!” They really seem to be enjoying them and I am loving being a part of it. Karen is trying to get me to do the “welcoming” and introductions by myself in Spanish, which is a stretch, but I am getting there.
The memory verse this week was Matthew 17:20 which basically says “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to that mountain, ‘MOVE,’ and it will do so.” During the month of October, our lessons are revolving around simply trusting in God during all of our situations. The kids in the community definitely feel defeated and incapable of doing a lot of things and it is important that we teach them that they are most capable of doing what they set their heart and mind to.


Music heard ‘round the Ranch

Not too much to be said here, but I have to take a second and tell everyone how great it is to have musical instruments on the ranch now. Since the crate has arrived, the kids have spent lots of afternoons and evenings learning drum set and keyboard. I have really tried to spend some time with the older kids teaching them rhythms and beats on drums and have even got to where a couple of them are playing some basic rhythms with me accompanying them on keyboard, and it is fantastic!

Not only that, but the younger kids are now able to learn hand bells and Boomwhackers (pitched tubes), and I feel like we are accomplishing a great deal. They are really starting to get a more “hands-on” approach to learning with many different types of instruments now.
If there is any downside to any of this, it is that sound travels really well through the Ranch, and the drums can be heard from just about anywhere!


Visiting team from Illinois

Also this past week, we had the pleasure of sharing an afternoon with a visiting team from Illinois. I really enjoyed this team because they were all very kind and really treated the kids well. That may seem odd to mention, but sometimes the teams just don’t really gel and mix with the kids very well, so it’s always nice to have a team that does. Not only that, but those that didn’t play soccer seemed to enjoy themselves talking to some of the others that live on the Ranch. I think the most enjoyable thing was that the field was still very muddy and slippery from all of the rain lately. This makes perfect field conditions for some of the most humorous soccer you have ever seen. Many players kissed the dirt that day, and the wet stench of mud flooded the nostrils of all who were there. Ahhh, great day.


House of Words

I have to share this, simply because it’s too much fun not to share. I have mentioned before, I believe, that Karen has started helping us on Saturdays to learn Spanish. Well, one of our first assignments was to label as many things as possible in our house with the Spanish word for that object, such as “cama,” which is bed. Well, I had so much fun doing that, that I thought I might as well go ahead and just do lots of verbs, adjectives, and even the parts of the body. Not only are the words in Spanish, but if you flip the card, you can get the English word on the back! So, our house is now a house of words and is a perfect atmosphere for learning. It really makes for quite colorful living conditions!


Adios!

I hope all is well for all of you in the states! With only a measly five weeks before coming home, the excitement continues to build. It will truly be a blessing for me to get to spend time with family and friends over the month of December. Can’t wait!!!
Please continue to pray for all of us that are still considering a second year. I still feel strongly about a second year here, but your prayers are still requested.
Love you guys a lot! See you soon! E-mail me!!!

Hasta luego!
-Jesse Tiner

ONE of the best weeks ever

Hola mi amigos! Enjoy the pics and news from this week!

PICTURES
Community Outreach
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027103&l=f95f2&id=156800196
Chapel
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027105&l=28d97&id=156800196
The CRATE!
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027104&l=6f77e&id=156800196

NEWS!

Community Outreach

This week was one of our most successful weeks yet. We had spent much time planning something that would be very different than what we had done before, and we wanted a break from doing dramas. So, we decided that we could help them make a “Memory Verse Book” that contained the verses that they had learned so far and also add to it later verses that we learn in the future.

As usual, we started with a fun time of music, featuring Jason and I this week doing a “Welcome Rap,” written by yours truly with the aid of Jason. At first I thought we scared the kids, but they seem to get into it as it progressed. After out time of music we broke into groups and began the verse book project. For the younger kids we had already put the verses in the books and they just drew and colored something that reminded them of the story that we learned about that week. The older kids wrote the verse and drew a picture about that week. It seemed to go really well and the kids really liked it. There are several pictures of the kids from this activity under Community Outreach.

We had also planned to play games afterward, but time ran short and we were not able to, but I’m hoping we will get to in the next few weeks. This past Thursday we had a planning meeting to discuss ways to improve the program. We definitely believe that the time with small groups is very beneficial in getting to know the kids, and we are going to implement several new ways to present lessons, such as puppet shows, more crafts, and simply getting the kids in the community more involved in “recapping” the story at the end. It was a very successful meeting and I believe that much was accomplished that will continue to help this program be a positive thing for the kids from the Ranch and the kids in the community.


Chapel

Over the past several weeks, Eric has been talking about different areas that are crucial for success, and it is an awesome series. These kids have definitely felt “less than capable” because of their different pasts, and these lessons on being successful have been very fruitful. This week Eric started with an activity called the “Trust Fall.” Some of you may know that that is when you have several people lock arms and one person, with their back to the people, falls backwards into their arms. It’s very scary to do but several of the kids did it and it was fun to see their reactions.

The music continues to be so much fun. I have not played keyboard the past couple of weeks just because there has not been much time to practice, but hopefully I’ll be able to again soon.


The Crate

IT FINALLY ARRIVED!!!!!!! We found out about a week or more ago that the crate had left Texas and was on its way to the north coast. In the middle of last week, we heard that it had made it to the north coast and had already made it through customs, and was waiting for some paper work to be finished in Tegucigalpa. From this point, we were told it could be anywhere from a week to three weeks before it made it to the Ranch. Well, since everything went so smoothly, the crate made it to the Ranch YESTERDAY!!! We were actually released from school early to go help unload everything.

I think this was the first crate in about a year, so LOTS of people were waiting for stuff. The trailer was stacked front to back and top to bottom, with no room to spare. There were hundreds of boxes to be unloaded, but we got it all unloaded within a couple of hours.
I was also very excited because all of the donations of music supplies I had gotten were on there, along with a lot of my personal books, movies, some more clothes, etc. It was very fun to see everyone so excited about getting their things. It was just like getting tons of presents at Christmas! I spent most of last night unpacking everything. One of the boxes had my own sheets and comforter in it, and they were so comfy to sleep on last night.


School

I had also ordered some elementary music supplies that came in on the crate so now we had more stuff to use in the music classes with the younger kids especially. I am planning to have all of my classes perform something at graduation. I had bought some hand bells that come with accompaniment music for piano so I think we are going to give that a shot.

This pas week of school was kind of slow. Monday was a national holiday for Honduras so we were out of school, and then Tuesday the kids were out and the teachers had parent conferences all day. All of mine were very good and very productive. I have already seen some improvements I the work of a couple of my students, and believe that it will continue to improve.


Adios!

Well, this has been the 10th week for us of the school year. This Friday will be 3 months since we have been here. Since our visa ends at 90 days, this Wednesday several of us new teachers will have to go into town to renew them. It should be very interesting to see how that works. Sadly, that means that we will not be able to be at the community outreach. Karen is going to take over to are just praying that it will all turn out because the main ones that are normally there will be in the city.

Well, I am still looking forward to being at home and seeing everyone. It will definitely be an exciting time for me to get to see everyone.

Thank you for all of your prayers and support!

-Jesse Tiner

NEW UPDATE!!!

Hello again! I hope you get enough of this week’s highlights and please go view the awesome pictures taken by yours truly--- well, mostly.

PICTURES

SOCCER TOURNAMENT

http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026798&l=13660&id=156800196

COMMUNITY OUTREACH
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026829&l=77312&id=156800196

CONCRETE FLOOR
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026855&l=293ba&id=156800196

For past posts and pictures, visit: http://jthonduras.blogspot.com
NEWS

LORD WILLING IF THE CREEK DON’T RISE

Well, that’s just what we dealt with this past Sunday. To get up and down the mountain road you have to cross over two small creeks that we found out are only small when it doesn’t rain a lot. Last week we received TONS of rain which led to some mud slides and a massive rise in the water level in these two places on the road. We were on “yellow” alert Sunday morning as some guys went down early to check to see if the road was passable or not. Thankfully, the water was not too high for us to cross and we were able to go to the city for church and the soccer tournament.

SOCCER TOURNAMENT

This past Sunday afternoon, our car load left Union Church and followed the caravan that took us to an awesome Soccer tournament. The tournament was held at a soccer field near Valley of the Angels, or Valle de Angeles. One of the local ministry leaders had put together the tournament that consisted of six teams. The teams consisted mostly of different churches in the area, both English and Spanish speaking, and also a team from one of the children’s orphanages here in Teguc. The team from Union tried hard, but I think they lost both games. I was their to watch, laugh, and take pictures, so I didn’t play. However, I can’t help but to mention the team from the children’s orphanage. They were PHENOMINAL. These kids work very hard at playing soccer and have an awesome understanding of team work, fair play, and dedication.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

The community outreach program is a huge success. We didn’t have many more kids this week, but I think there were several new adults. Two of the adults there this week were a couple most likely in their 40’s, learning to read together at a 3rd grade level. There seemed to be many other new adults also, and our kids are doing a wonderful job at being a help.

The kid’s Bible club this week was all about the parable of the Sower and the seeds. Before we got into the story, we had an awesome time of music with the kids. The songs are really easy for them to sing and they love shouting out the words and doing the hand motions that go along. After music we divided the kids into groups and gave them all cups and helped them plant their own seeds. This was a great segue way into the story of the bad seeds and the good seeds. We explained the parable how it is told first in the Bible, and then with the kids pretending to be seeds in different soil, we acted out how Jesus explained what the parable meant. I love watching the community kids because they are so attentive to what is going on.

This week we also gave all of the kids name tags, and are hoping they will bring them back with them next week along with their seed in the cup. The name tags were a huge help in getting to know the kids, and we are hoping that they watered their seeds and that they have sprouted when they come back.

The Ranch kids are doing great in helping. It is our goal through this program to train our students here at the Ranch how to minister to their own people in these local communities. We feel that to be very important and are trying more and more to get other Ranch children involved in the program. So far they seem to be enjoying it and we have more students each week wanting to participate. WHOO HOO!!!

CONCRETE FLOOR MINISTRY

Today was an awesome day to be in Honduras. This morning we left the Ranch about 8 and headed down to one of the homes near the church where we do the community program. The home, very typical of most houses here, is a new home belonging to a lady named Mrs. Petulia and her two children. As you can see from some of the photos, the home is made from adobe clay and pine straw, has a dirt floor, and the only concrete is the beam at the corner of the porch--- well, until day. Because Mrs. Petulia is a friend to so many here on the Ranch, and is such a blessing to WGO, many of WGO’s missionaries gave their money and time to make a concrete floor possible for her new home.

At least 20 missionaries with WGO came this morning to put forth some amazing effort and hard work. We were fortunate to have a cement mixer available, and this made the project possible to complete by 12:30 in the afternoon. Me and several of the other workers were responsible for loading shovels of sand and rock into the mixer, and after it was mixed, other workers came with wheel barrows and loaded them with the concrete to take in a pour onto the floor. Mr. Mark and several of the other “professionals” then smoothed the concrete in this new home. Since we had SO many people helping, we also had several people cleaning up her yard, cutting the grass and weeds, and even helping make a new flower bed on one corner of her house.

After we had finished the work, we all gathered around Mrs. Petulia and her family and had a time of encouraging words for them as well as a time of prayer. Truly, it was a blessing to be a part of this day.

While this was the first time for several of us to lay a concrete floor, for Mark Hardin and several of the other guys, this is almost an every day job. The concrete floor ministry is a great tool that WGO uses to reach people by meeting a very practical need for these Hondurans and presenting the gospel message. On top of that, these guys usually do not have the luxury of an on site concrete mixer, and therefore mix all of the concrete by hand in buckets and wheel barrows at the site. These guys are dedicated to this very hard work and are an awesome example of being willing to do whatever it takes to make a difference.

THE OTHER STUFF
Not too many other highlights from the week. The kids are doing great in school and it is just awesome to see God working in their lives in such a mighty way. I definitely believe these kids are being raised with the idea of preparing them to be productive members of their culture.
With all of these things going on, I get more and more anxious to share everything personally with all of my churches and friends over the month of December. It will be an amazing time!!!
We found out a few days ago that the container shipment has left Texas and should be arriving on the north coast today. From there, it will take anywhere from 1-3 weeks to get through customs before it can be driven here to the Ranch. Everyone is looking forward to it because it’s so much like getting tons of presents.
Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support and e-mails. I’m glad to know that Handley may have a winning football season finally!!! I’m also excited that the band now has their new uniforms. I hope they look sharp and I would love for someone to send me some pictures of you guys! Good luck with the rest of the season.
God bless you all!!!
-Jesse Tiner

But wait... there's more!

Hello out there! I received lots of e-mails responding to last week’s update. I am very glad that you guys enjoyed the pictures and the other info. I am in the process of responding to those e-mails asap. E-mails from home do the heart good, so keep them coming! This week did not seem quite as eventful as last week, but it was fantastic nonetheless. Our group Bible study is going well and the community outreach program is doing awesome.

PICTURES! http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026565&l=a765d&id=

The New House is awesome… we are really enjoying the extra space. We do not have a tv there, so that is an adjustment, but we do get to watch movies on our computers, which comes in at a close 2nd to tv. Jokingly, we have an entertainment donation box where we would like for a tv to be, and so far we have about 10 lemps, or 50 cents… hmmmm.

Group Bible Study with all of the singles and some of the married couples is going great. The study is through the book of the Song of Solomon, and is a great thorough look at courtship and dating. I truly wish I had been through this a LONG time ago. It is a great study for any singles, but especially teenagers. Each night we watch a 20-30 segment on DVD and then have a discussion. Most nights we split up into guys and gals, but this week we joined together for our discussion over what is expected at certain stages of a relationship, what commitments are at certain stages, and proper lengths of time of dating, courtship, engagement, and marriage. It was a pretty neat discussion to be a part of.
Also, Mrs. Kymm cooks for us on Bible Study nights. She is a wonderful cook!!! This week we had enchiladas and they were delicious. Makes me miss home cooking-- that is to say, Old Mexico (Geneva humor).

The Community Programs are absolutely incredible. This week we had about 10 more kids and I think someone said 6 more adults. The story for this week with the kids was The Prodigal Son. It is one of my favorites and I got to be the son’s father when we acted it out. This week we were allowed to bring more of the ranch students to help us with the program, so two of the students acted to be the two sons from the story. Our goal in the program is not only for ourselves to be involved, but to teach the students at the ranch how to use their gifts to be an active part of helping their community. As time goes on, we hope to have more students participate in this area of the ministry in every way- from leading prayer to playing the music and helping to plan the week’s lesson.
Please look at and enjoy the pictures from this week. These are some of the most adorable children you have ever seen and they are so fun to watch because they love to participate. It makes me think of times back home when it was difficult to get students to participate in different things. I would love for them to see these kids because the simplest of activities means so much to these children here. They listen so intently to the message that is being shared, they sing so loud during songs, and they are so eager to share prayer requests when we are getting ready to pray. Most of them request prayer for their parents and grandparents. It is usually because they are sick or because they need work. This time of sharing with the community kids is so much fun! We continually pray for more and more kids and adults to come to the program. It would be awesome to see this continue to expand.

School has also been going terrific. This week finished up our 8th week in school this year and finishes up the mid-semester tests. I am very excited that none of my students have below a C average in any class, and there are only a couple of those, and in very tough subjects. I know it is hard to think about someone without a degree to teach core subjects in the states teaching those subjects, but here that is better than most anywhere else in Honduras. For me, Grammar has been the hardest thing to try and teach. I love teaching Math but in my Geometry class I am having to teach proofs, and that has been a challenge, but I am starting to enjoy them. I can remember back to my school days and how much I disliked proofs in math. Anyhow, my students are doing really well and I am very, very proud of them all!

I apologize because I do not have pictures from anything else this week. I discovered on Sunday that my memory stick for my camera has gone bad, and will not work any more in my camera. So, while we were in town Sunday, I went ahead and bought a new one that was not as large as my other one because they are more expensive here, but it was big enough for what I needed. Well, Monday morning I start to open the box that I thought the stick was in and there was no stick, anywhere! I tore the box to shreds trying to find it with no luck… and then I see it… in really small letters at the top of the box it says, “Take to cashier,” which meant that the cashier was supposed to take the box and give me the memory stick… and he didn’t… and I had no idea I was supposed to because I had not seen the message. So, right now, I have an expensive shredded box in a plastic bag with the receipt, and I can only hope that they will still give me the memory stick. Sometimes they will take advantage of us foreigners, so I’m hoping I will be fortunate. So, my lesson for you this week, is if you are ever in Honduras, read the fine print or you may end up with a very expensive styrofoam and cardboard box.

This week has spiritually been an amazing week. I continually feel very blessed to be here with these people, and I am only here because of the support of so many of you. Because of the need to find new teachers for next year if needed, and to start their process, we are being asked to make a decision by November 15 on whether we will stay a second year or not. I feel very strongly about staying here for at least another year and ask you to join me in prayer over this decision. If I do stay, it will mean raising support again for a second year, and asking churches and individuals to continue support. Please be considering this over the next month or so as so many things are being considered, including being away from family and friends for an entire year possibly.

THANK YOU for your love and kindness. God Bless!
-Jesse Tiner

An AWESOME update from Honduras

WOW WOW WOW What an incredible week in Honduras! This has by far been the most eventful, exciting and rewarding week so far! I know this is a LONG update, but you will not want to miss anything, especially the outreach, so read on! Also, each picture link here is a different set of pictures, so please visit all of them!

Pic links…
OUTREACH- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026263&l=310f5&id=156800196

The VALLEY- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026163&l=a88c4&id=156800196.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026163&l=a88c4&id=156800196

LaCumbre- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026315&l=6e934&id=156800196

Honduran Festival- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026163&l=a88c4&id=156800196.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026163&l=a88c4&id=156800196

My new house- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026321&l=21ac4&id=156800196


Valley of the Angels and CCI
I’ll start with this past Sunday. At Union Church, this was our first week of Sunday school. Pastor Darren is leading us through an in depth study of the signs of the end of the age and how that although there are many signs and happenings that are and will take place, the most prominent event we should all be looking for and longing for is the return of Christ himself. This week was just kind of an introduction and next week we will begin the study itself. The church service itself was also very good. I am really enjoying the fellowship there and the preaching and praise and worship.

After Union, a group of about 10 or so of us went to a place called Valley of the Angels. It is about a 20 minute drive from the city, and a little over an hour from the ranch. Since we were already in the city, the drive was pretty short. Valley of the Angels is a small town with tons of local vendors set up on the streets and inside buildings. The main attractions in the town itself is to see all of the Honduran made items such as wood carvings and hammocks. They make some of the most beautiful hammocks and other neat items. Most of us decided to eat at a little pizza place near the town center. We got a nice quite little room by ourselves and ordered our food-- pizza, of course. We shared 3 pizzas so we all got to try different kinds. Honduran pizza is definitely a little different, but very good. While we were ordering we had two different groups of musicians come and play for us. TIP: If you ever come to Honduras, never take a taxi or let a group of musicians play for you UNTIL you negotiate the price. We ended up paying several dollars because the group wanted more money that what we initially gave them and would not leave the room until we paid up. But, it was a really neat experience and we enjoyed it a lot.
After leaving the Valley, we made it back to Teguc. and spent some time at the mall grocery shopping and relaxing before heading to CCI, another church that has an English speaking service in the evening. It was a very nice church and the praise and worship was awesome. The musicians were very good and the song leader has a great voice. The message was good too-- it was about not letting the feeling of inadequacy stop you from doing what you know God wants you to do. I enjoyed the night a lot, but I really feel like Union is home already. I will probably visit CCI again sometime to get a better idea of what the church is like, so who knows what can happen! After the service, we were almost leaving when we found out that the Hosiers, another family from the ranch who were at CCI, had a flat tire on their Land Rover. So, we spent over an hour watching them and Ron try to get the spare tire out from under the vehicle. It took a while, but it finally came loose and they were able to change the tire. We were late getting home, but the day was absolutely great!


Day of the Child/Teacher Day/Honduran Independence
This week was also filled with THREE different celebrations.
For Teacher Day, many of the kids brought different “goodies” and shared with the teachers. I received a delicious muffin sized cake filled with cream. Also, Mrs. Val made us some amazing chocolate mint brownies.

This week we also celebrated Day of the Child. Just like we have Father’s Day and Mother’s Day in the states, here we also have Children’s day. The day started on Monday with formation outside of the school, which includes a short speech of some kind, the Pledge to the flag of Honduras, and the singing of the Honduran national anthem. (FYI: In order to graduate, Honduran children must sing and conduct their national anthem-- hint, hint…) After formation, the younger kids stayed at the school for activities and the older grades, including my class, went up to the Bodega and played some games inside, then went outside for treat bags, and then the teachers watched the older kids play a game of softball.

The absolute coolest celebration we had this week was Thursday, Honduran Independence. We left school about 2 oclock and spent the rest of the day in the Bodega celebrating Honduran Independence. The celebration started with prayer and the Pledge to the flag of Honduras. Next, Eric and I led two worship songs, one in Spanish and one in English. I got to play keyboard and Eric played guitar. It was a blast! After that Mr. William, on the Honduran teachers, presented to us a program about different states within Honduras. He used a very neat interactive map that showed different facts and pictures about other places in Honduras. Next followed several small speeches about different national symbols such as the Pine tree, past national leaders and heroes, etc. After the speeches, about 6 of the students showed us a traditional Honduran dance that they had been practicing all week. There were 3 boys and 3 girls, and the girls were wearing traditional Honduran dresses. It was a really cool dance! Finally, we were treated to some VERY traditional Honduran food. I know this will be no where close, but I will do my best to describe some of the food. One thing we ate was a type of tamale made from corn and it was wrapped in a corn husk. It was very “starchy” and a little sweet-- VERY GOOD. We also had Yucca root dressed with shredded cabbage and some type of red sauce, similar to enchilada sauce. One of my favorite things was something called “Chimmarone,” I think that’s what it was anyhow, which is kind of like a pork rind, except that it is not fried as long or with as much heat, so it has a very chewy texture, but it was VERY good. My absolute favorite was a kind of soup that had potatoes, plantains, banana, and some other seasonings. I have no idea what the soup part was made of but it was awesome! It was a yellow tinted liquid and really brought it all together. We also had a traditional Honduran drink that was made from rice if I understood correctly. It was verrrry sweet, almost too sweet for my liking. Overall, the Honduran Independence celebration was very exciting, entertaining, and fun-filled!!!


Preparation for community outreach and the outreach itself
The absolute most amazing thing this week was the community outreach we have started in a community near here, a couple of miles down the mountain. We have been planning this for weeks, and this past Monday we met to have a planning time for this past Wednesday which was our first time doing the outreach. The outreach consists of two different programs. One is an adult Literacy program, where adults and older teens have a chance to come and get free help learning to read and write. This program had about 20 or so adults for our first week, which is incredible. The other program is a children’s Bible club, which I am helping with. Each week we will do a review of the previous week, a time of music, a time of prayer, some kind of presentation of the Gospel through drama, memorizing scripture, etc…, and a closing.

This past Wednesday was probably the most eventful beginning that these programs could have had. The adult literacy program is being held inside one of the local community churches, and the children’s program is being held outside of the building wherever we can find room. There is a little fruit stand type shelter about 10-15 yards away from the church building, so our plan was to tie up a big tarp between the two and have the children sit on the ground underneath. Well, with a loaded vehicle of equipment and a VERY heavy tarp, we head to the church and begin to unload. While the tarp is being put up, we realize that there is a VERY good chance it may rain, and very soon that is exactly what happens. Not just a little rain, but it is pouring while this tarp is getting put up. Water keeps building up on the tarp making it even harder to get tied up. Let me say again, this tarp is VERY heavy. This attempt to put up the tarp goes on for about 30 minutes or so, and before we know it, we have about 5 minutes before we are supposed to start the program. Kids are out in the street watching, most likely thinking what kind of mess are these crazy Americans getting in to. Without much warning at all, the rain stops and the sky is almost completely blue. The tarp, still not completely up, lays partially on the ground covered with mud. Plan B kicks in, and we huddle the kids under the fruit stand, out of the mud, and begin the program. To begin with, we had only about 10 children, but within the first several minutes, we had almost 25 children crammed up in this little shed, and we are in full swing. The music was so much fun to do with them and the kids really enjoyed singing and learning some hand motions. Then we acted out the parable of the lost sheep. The kids were very attentive and it was amazing to watch them be so interested. After the skit, the kids memorized Romans 5:8 and did an awesome job at learning it! We dismissed about the same time the adults were getting out of the Literacy program, and within 5 minutes of dismissing, the rain starts pouring down again. This time, not only is it wet, it was freezing cold rain. Not that big of a problem normally, except now we had to get this huge, HEAVY tarp back into the vehicle. It takes a while, but we finally get the parts that were tied up untied and start trying to fold this massive thing and keeping water from settling. After MUCH effort, we fold it up enough that 4 of us can pick it up and we push and shove this thing into the back of the vehicle. All this time, there is this woman watching us from the window of the church laughing her head off! I think that was probably the most entertaining thing she had probably ever seen in here life. I walk up to her as we are loading other things and tell her thank you and that we would see her next week, and she hugs me and give me a huge kiss on my hand.

With all of the struggles we went through, I don’t think the day could have been any more perfect. About 40 Hondurans, adults and children, were there for the first week, and next week will only get bigger. I am very much looking forward to being more and more involved in this type of outreach.


Moving

It finally happened this week! Jason and I got to move into our new house, where another guy, Bret, will also live when he gets here sometime hopefully in October. The House on the Hill, which used to be the very first school building here, had been under renovation in order to make another home there for the Hosiers, which arrived here about a month ago. Since the renovation was completed this week, the Hosiers moved up to the House on the Hill, and Jason and I got to move into the place where the Hosiers had been living, which is a much bigger place than where we were in the duplex. We have so much room now it’s ridiculous. However, it’s really nice to be moved in now. Wednesday night the Hosiers had a party in the House on the Hill so that everyone could visit and look at the newly renovated home. It is absolutely beautiful from up there. The House on the Hill is definitely that, and is the highest elevated home here on the ranch. During the day, if it is clear, you can catch a view of the city many miles away!!!


La Cumbre

Last night was an awesome experience. The teachers and a few others all went to a place called La Cumbre, which is on the south side of the city, up on a another mountain in a place called El Hetillo. This place is a really, really nice restaurant with a view of the city like no where else. We dined just inside the window that has a panoramic view of the whole city. Since it was dark, the city was lit up and was breathtaking from that high up in the mountains. The food was really good too, and most of the plates were around 200 lempiras, which is about 10 US dollars. Eating at a place like this in the states would have surely been $40-$70 easily. The ride is about 3 hours round trip so we were late getting home, but it was very well worth it!

THE END

I hope you enjoyed reading about this past week! It was my most enjoyed week so far in Honduras. As of this past Wednesday, I have been here two months. Some days it seems much longer and some days much shorter, but God is doing incredible things and I am loving just being here and experiencing all that is going on. Thank you all for your prayers and support that continue to make this possible.

God Bless!
In Christ,
Jesse Tiner

Honduras Update

PICS- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2026082&l=e2668&id=156800196

Hello again to all of my family and friends! This week, as many of you can imagine, was a very crazy week. Before I get to the hurricane stuff, let me move back to last weekend.
Last Sunday morning was a welcome back breakfast at Union Church. Several of us from the ranch got up extra early to attend and it was well worth the trip. We had a great time meeting some other missionary teachers and learning more about each other. After church was our usual stops for groceries, etc., and then it was back up the mountain.

Tuesday morning the hurricane had taken a turn to the West, and we could tell its path would lead it right to Honduras. Out of precaution, we dismissed school at 11 am, but we didn’t really get any of the storm until late Tuesday night, early Wednesday. As far as I know, there was some significant damage in Nicaragua and the northern coast of Honduras. We were very blessed here in Tegucigalpa and the surrounding areas to have received very minimal wind and rains. I appreciate greatly all of the e-mails concerning our safety and all of the prayers for us here at the ranch and the people of Honduras.

Tuesday night we had our first session of Bible study on the Song of Solomon. It’s a series of videos and discussions on the idea of a Biblical approach to love and romance. Most of the singles and even some couples will be attending each week. This past week was a wonderful first session and discussion and I am looking forward to the rest of the study.

Wednesday we did not have school because of the weather. I spent a lot of the day making pies for Jae’s birthday celebration Thursday morning. I had drawn her name at the beginning of the school year which meant I got to make some kind of dessert for her birthday. Wednesday night I went over to Eric’s and we practiced some praise and worship songs.

We had a normal day of school on Thursday, and spent most of the day trying to catch up on missed work. Thursday afternoon I spent on the campo throwing football with some of the kids. Thursday night I practiced with Eric again. We had been practicing for a ministry wide event on Friday.

The event on Friday was to get all the people from both sides of WGO together on the ranch for a fun time of meet and greet, singing, and games. Eric and I got to play and lead everyone there in some praise and worship songs. The rest of the afternoon was most of the kids and some adults playing some games on the campo. Unfortunately, the rain kept coming and eventually everyone ended up going home.

Last night we had a more informal party for Jae here at our place. Hannah made an awesome chocolate cake, and we sat around and chatted for a while, and then watched Amadeus. I had not watched it all in one sitting before and I still think it is a great movie.

Today has been kind of slow so far, which is typical for a Saturday. Tomorrow is going to be a FULL day. It’s the first day of Sunday school at Union, and after church a lot of us teachers are going to the Valley of the Angels, about an hour from the city. It’s a touristy place that has souvenirs, etc. Then we are coming back to Teguc and going to the mall for a little bit, and then we are all going to CCI, another English speaking church service that starts at 5 pm. It will be a very long day but I’m sure it will be worth it all.

Not really too much else going on this week, so sorry it’s a short update. Thank you so much for your prayers and concerns. Love you all and God bless!
-Jesse Tiner

Moose, Honduran style

PICTURES- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025568&l=86945&id=156800196


Hello to all of you! This week has been full of fun experiences. Last weekend I mentioned that we were staying at the Bridge House (Casa Puente) in the city and Jason and I were in charge of making sure the house didn’t blow up or anything and make sure Rodolfo was taken care of. Fortunately, we succeeded in both, and had a great time. I can’t remember if I mentioned or not, but we left Saturday morning and walked to Cascadas, a very new local mall. They actually have a place called Paiz that is much like a Wal-Mart. They also have a Hiper-Paiz, which is like a Super-Walmart. These stores are owned by Wal-Mart-- I even saw a Wal-Mart sign at the entrance this time that I had not noticed before. Anyhow, Jason, Rodolfo, and I had a great time in the mall just looking around and relaxing. After a mid-afternoon rest, Nilsy, one of the girls that is living at the Bridge House and is finishing her last year in high school, asked us to go with her to a meeting of students and parents of her class. The meeting was several miles away at a local pizza place called Pizza House. We had to take a taxi, which is a story in itself, to get there. Taxis here are funny-- they don’t have like a meter or anything to figure up the price. Here, you hail a taxi, name your price, and negotiate. Sometimes the drivers will take advantage of North Americans and try to charge outrageous prices to get around. Thankfully, Nilsy was able to get us a taxi there for 50 lempiras, which is less than $3-- not bad for anywhere in the city. The meeting we attended was for the parents and students to discuss ideas for events during their senior year, fundraisers, class officers, etc. It was neat to see that it is just as big of a deal here as it is in the states. The food was awesome too. I had a calzone, like you can get at most Italian places, not to be mistaken with another “calzone,” underwear. Lots of words in the Spanish language have multiple meanings… moving on…

Tuesday night was singles Bible study. This week we took a temperament test called the DISC test. It was not an easy test for me to take because we had to be very upfront and honest about our weaknesses when we answered questions. Each question on the test was basically a group of four words and out of the group we had to choose the one word that we are most like and the one we are least like. Each answer had a different point and scoring system that we completed after we had answered all of the questions. We had three different scores- one score reflected how others perceive us, one was how we work under stress, and the last was how we perceive ourselves. Each score had a section that talked about characteristics that went along with people who received that score. Mine was very accurate about how I perceive myself and how I work under stress, and probably even accurate at how other people perceive me. It was really good to do in a large group as a “get to know” kind of exercise. It really helped us to see what other personalities were like ours and how to involve other people in our life to try and balance out some of our weaknesses.

Wednesday was a fun trip into the city. A few of us spent most of the time walking around the mall just looking through a lot of the shops. I had a few things to pick up and was able to find everything, which doesn’t happen too often here. The exciting part of the day for me was getting to drive up the mountain road to the ranch. I have been thinking a long time about wanting to drive some to see how the busitos, (vans) handle. The vans here are not much bigger than our typical 8 passenger van in the states, except they are supposed to be for 15 passengers. The seats are very thin, and there are 4 rows of seats plus the driver’s row. They run on diesel fuel and the transmissions are standard. Luckily, I have driven a stick before and felt pretty confident with a stick shift, but it had been many years since I had driven one and never before in the conditions of the mountain road. The bumps are horrible to try to get through without feeling like your killing the people in the back of the van, and the vans don’t go up hills very well in 3rd gear like a Chevy S-10 would. However, I feel like I did ok, with much room for improvement.

Wednesday night after we returned was our second session of Spanish class hosted by all of us that do not know hardly any Spanish. Jason has the Rosetta Stone program for learning Spanish that is much like a game. It is very fun to learn with as we all try to use better accents and apply what we learn each day. Jason has a cable to hook up to the TV so that the program shows up on the TV screen. I think it is the most fun way we could possibly learn Spanish.

Thursday was a great day of soccer at the campo--- not really. I have played goalie a lot and feel like I am getting a little better finally. Or at least I did until yesterday. One of the guys that plays is Alejandro and he is very, very good. He can kick the ball very hard--- very, very, very hard. Well, to my bad, I was on the receiving end of one of those kicks yesterday. I got hit in the face and thought I saw stars. It really hit the side of my face from my ear to my cheek. Luckily, it did not do anything other than sting for a few minutes. More than luckily, my glasses didn’t even fall off and they didn’t get damaged at all. However, I did retire from soccer for the evening, go home, and relax.

Yesterday afternoon we played some AMERICAN football against the Honduran kids and LOST!!! It was soo funny--- they have so much speed they would just hand the ball off and GO with it. We finally got some momentum going but it was not enough to come back for the win. Today has been pretty slow-- I went to a birthday party for one of the kids this afternoon which was pretty fun, and that has been about it other than just hanging out with some people.
I know I say it every time, but every week things seem to get more and more comfortable and the kids are starting to open up and it is feeling very natural to be around them, teach them, and just hang out with them. It’s hard to explain the barrier there is between us and some of the kids here that are not believers. It would seem very easy living at a place like this for kids to accept Christ. However, some have come from such hard backgrounds that they want nothing to do with it, while they are still very fun kids to be around and outwardly display a very loving, kind, gentle nature. It is very neat though to see them develop and change and start to act “themselves” around us new people.

Please feel free to e-mail or write! It’s great hearing from people and I do my best to write everyone back.

I hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day weekend to the fullest and has a great time. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to pray for or help you in any way.
Love from Honduras,
Jesse Tiner

Moose Note

Hello again from the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras! It has been a great week here but there is not too much to update on, so this may be a shorter update than usual. There are not many pics this week either, but you can see them here.

http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025510&l=788a9&id=156800196

First of all, one of the things that we do not get to do often is participate in church activities because of the long distance. However, this past Wednesday there was a church social and we decided to stay in town late and go to it. It was a great time hanging out with other North Americans and meeting some new people. Most of the night was devoted to the game of Guesstures- men vs. women. I had not played before but it was a lot of fun. Last time the men were defeated by the women so this was their chance for revenge. However, we were beaten pretty badly and the women have extended their reign as Guesstures Champions.

School is going great still-- the kids are doing pretty well on their grades, and Monday they will get their average for these first 4 weeks of school. Most of mine are doing very well, with only one or two C’s and the rest A’s and B’s. The younger kids are still enjoying the music classes a lot but I’m starting to get anxious for the arrival of the crate and all of our musical instruments and games, etc. Right now we are doing a lot of percussion exercises. We have made some practice pads out of foam and I found a place in one of the malls that sold sticks, so the kids are enjoying that right now.

This week there has been a lot of sickness at the ranch. Thursday was probably the worst day I’ve had since I’ve been here. Apparently I got a hold of some bad food in the city Wednesday night and I paid for it most of the day Thursday. In the afternoon I had terrible stomach cramps and a fever. I slept most of the evening and felt a little better when I woke up. However, by 9 pm I was very cold and sweating a lot. I was given some medicine by the nurse here and took a second dose of it and some Tylenol before crawling in the bed and sleeping it off. I woke up Friday feeling much, much better, but I quickly found out that many other did not feel so well. We had 4 teachers that were sick and not able to be at school, three of four sick students, and a couple of house parents. Most were either dealing with stomach pains or colds and fevers. I am hoping and praying that the weekend will see to it that everyone is restored to full health quickly and safely.

Some of you may remember me talking about our visit to the Bridge House a few weeks ago and how that two of us would be staying there on some weekends to give the usual couple some time off. Well, two of the people that were sick yesterday were the two people that were supposed to be at the Bridge House this weekend. So, Jason and I decided that we would take their place. We rode the “busito,” or van, into the city yesterday and got dropped off at the Bridge House. After a quick orientation by the managers Robert and Jennifer, we were handed the keys and wished a good weekend. Robert and Jennifer, the managers, take care of and home school a young boy named Rodolfo. He is also staying with us here this weekend while Robert and Jennifer are gone. So, our instructions were basically to not blow up the house and not let anything happen to Rodolfo. So far we have succeeded, but the weekend isn’t up yet. Last night I cooked chicken for us and this morning I made some pancakes. Rodolfo is a great kid and it’s fun hanging out with him this weekend. If you don’t remember, the Bridge House is made up of one large apartment with two rooms where Robert, Jennifer, and Rodolfo live, and then several other smaller apartments where the Bridge House kids live. There is also a small studio apartment up stairs. Jason is staying in the main part with Rodolfo and I am sleeping up in the studio apartment. It is pretty neat up there and the city seems to go on forever every way you look.

We are thinking about venturing out and walking around the city some today-- possibly go to the mall and just walking around. Actually, I think we are going to leave in a few minutes so I’m going to wrap this up. We are going to try and find our way to one of the malls, Cascadas, so wish us luck on our adventure!!!

Please continue to pray for the ministry and for the health of all of us here. This sickness can really put a dent in our ability to teach and work with the kids. I love you guys a lot and can’t wait to see you all again soon!!!
Love from Honduras,
Jesse Tiner

Week 3 of school!

For NEW Pictures go to this page- http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025257&l=6610d&id=156800196

For old updates and other picture links, visit http://jthoduras.blogspot.com

Hello to all! I hope this week has been a successful one in the states for all of you, and that God is blessing you immensely. I trust that everyone is keeping a close eye on Hurricane Dean and hoping for the best. The way it looks right now, I think we may get some rain but not too much of anything else. This week has been another incredible week-- busy and full of excitement.

The first thing I want to tell you all about is the Christmas in August party we had this past Wednesday. After lots of fun and games, the kids were free to let their creative juices flow and design their own Christmas card. Many of these cards will be “professionalized” and sold as a fundraiser closer to Christmas time. The kids really love this idea and it is a great way to help out the ministry and buy your Christmas cards for a good cause. Please go to the picture link to view some of the pictures from this event.

Also this week we had a construction team on the ranch from Arizona, and they were friends of some of the other missionaries living here on the ranch. This team was bout 15 members and they did a tremendous amount of work finishing the new school. The left half and bottom right half of the school is completely finished now since the construction team completed the porch awning. They also completed a lot of interior work on the upper right side such as painting, laying tile, and installing bathroom components. Even though the building is not completely finished, we are holding classes in most all of the classrooms.

Chapel this week was very different but probably the best one we have had yet. The kids really seemed to enjoy the message and it was much more interactive than previous meetings. The message was about being able to count on friends and being able to tell what kind of loyalty your friends have to you. All of the students really seemed to take the message to heart. I’m glad that they are getting this kind of teaching because here in Honduras, being “macho” is cool and sometimes people are led astray just because they follow someone thinking they will benefit from the relationship. I know that sounds familiar to what we deal with in the states sometimes with children, but it is even more “cultural” here to be this way. However, I can see a difference being made in the students we have here on the ranch. One of the interactive parts was a “tug-of-war” type thing where the point was that it is easier to stand up when you have friends to support you. It started with one person being on one side of the rope being pressured by several on the other side, and of course, that one individual lost the struggle. However, when the tide was turned, and that person had more friends on their side, they were able to “overcome” the opposition. I got to participate, so look at the pictures!!!

Things within the school are going great! I am getting more comfortable working with my 11th grader Oscar. He is really a great kid and smart. I feel like he is catching onto things I try to explain rather quickly, and that is a great step. We have been joking some about my “accent” so I’ve got him practicing some of his Spanish with an Alabama accent. It is the most hilarious thing! I also visited some of the other classrooms this week and got to see what is going on there. It is awesome to see these kids learning. The kindergarten is learning their pledge to the flag of Honduras and doing really well. This school is hopping!

This past week also brought the arrival of our other two teachers, Shelly and Jason. Two of the other ranch missionaries had been “substituting” until Shelly and Jason were able to arrive. Shelly is a returning teacher while this is Jason’s first year also. He is from Little Rock and he and I will be roommates. We picked him up from the airport yesterday and were able to hang out some last night and today. He and Shelly are both wonderful people and it’s great to know that our entire “teacher team” is know on the ranch.

For those that know I love to cook, I was able to this week for the new teachers. One of our new teachers’ mom was visiting this week, and everyone kept talking about wanting to share pictures and this mom was wanting some good pictures of the ranch. Sooo, I thought it would be neat for us to have a technologically updated picture swap. We started with eating wonderful spaghetti cooked by yours truly, and then we “swapped” computers and bummed pictures off of each other. It was a lot of fun and I am really having a great time hanging out with these teachers.

Please continue to pray for each of us teachers and all of the house parents and other missionaries with WGO. Everything is working out wonderfully and I ask for your prayers that we can continue to be effective in this work.

The last thing I would like to mention is my time home in December. I know it is a while away, but I’m trying to plan a little ahead. A primary need I will have for this time is transportation. I am looking for someone who perhaps has an extra vehicle around that I can use for about 4 weeks during this time so that I can travel to supporting churches and visit friends an family throughout Alabama. I would not need anything too large, just a small, economical car, truck, etc. If you feel like you can help me in this area please e-mail me back!

I can’t say that there has not been times of homesickness. I miss seeing all of you tremendously, but God continues to give be peace about being here. It is the right thing for me to be doing, yet I am anxious to see all of you again and share with you personally what God is doing.
I love you all!
God Bless!
Jesse Tiner

Birthdays, The Bridge House, and waterfalls, oh my!

For more pictures... http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024989&l=65fc9&id=156800196

Hello again! I hope this finds all of you doing well and enjoying life! It has been another amazing week here in the mountains of Tegucigalpa. School is going great, the kids are doing wonderful, and I am getting to know a lot of people. I think it is safe to say that we are feeling pretty comfortable now here at the ranch. This past week held several exciting things I want to tell you about.

First of all, the evening of my birthday was absolutely wonderful. I was thrown, for the first time in my life, I think, a surprise birthday party, and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. To begin with, I was not expecting it at all! Earlier in the day, I had received a call to come over to one of the teacher’s house to meet with the other new teachers and complete some papers that we had to fill out for DiCorps, the exchange bank. I had already seen the papers and they were all in Spanish, so I definitely needed the help. Well I walked right on over with my papers and passport in hand, walked inside, and was greeted with a nice rendition of “Happy Birthday” and a cake! After we had eaten a LOT of the cake, Steve, one of my roommates, said that there was a tradition at birthdays where people were able to say something nice about the birthday boy. Since we had only been here a few weeks, I wasn’t too sure there was much to say, but most everyone said something really nice and it made me feel so welcomed. I think this is definitely something people should do in the states. Morale booster!

Secondly, last Sunday was our first trip to the Bridge House in the city. Some of you may remember hearing me mention this particular branch of WGO’s ministry. If not, let me tell you now. When students graduate from the 12th grade here at the ranch, the next available step to them is to go to the Bridge House in the city. It is a multi-apartment complex in a pretty safe part of Tegucigalpa. The Bridge House is managed by a couple whose names are Robert and Jennifer Butts. They do their best to stay an active part of the students lives even after they leave the ranch. Students that live here can either choose to go to college or to find a job and begin work. The Bridge House ministry is available to them as long as they strive to remain in good standing with WGO and the house managers. The main focus of the house is to give these young adults an opportunity to transition from life on the ranch to life in the city, while learning the importance of managing time, money, and other resources. Our trip allowed us to see up close what this ministry was created for. Also, over the next several weeks, teachers will go in groups of two and stay at the Bridge House for the weekend. This will allow us to get to know some of the students that are currently living there and learn some of the ropes of this ministry.

This week included several tests for my students and some of the other teachers also. I was very excited at how well my students did on some of their first tests, and from what I have heard, other teachers have felt the same way. I am realizing more and more about what “your best” is. For some of these students, it is a day for rejoicing when they make a C or a D on a test. They have a background of inner city education, and the quality of the education in many situations is very poor, especially in math and reading. Then they are plucked out of that environment, and are expecting to meet a much higher standard.

It’s amazing to see what a difference it makes to have students here at the ranch where they are given a good, solid foundation in their education, Bible included. Every day, students attend a Bible class where they are taught about God’s word, and they look to us as teachers to live it out in front of them as an example.

1st Corinthians Ch 10 says:
31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

All of us, as Christians, serve in an important role of being a good example. Sometimes, our ways may turn people away from God. It’s hard to think about the fact that someone may choose not to accept Christ because of the way some Christians live out their life. On the other hand, how wonderful it is to know that we were a good example to someone and that person chooses to accept Christ.

In other news, I am really enjoying teaching the music classes. Several students are interested in learning drums, so they each have their own pair of sticks now and we are beginning the learning process! I found a website with great ideas for music with the younger kids. This week I showed them a little bit about rhythms and we did some clapping. Then, we talked about how music can make us feel different ways- happy, sad, etc. Next, I played them four different selections and had them to draw and color something that visualized how they felt when they were listening to each piece. They seemed to enjoy it and I was really excited to see them be very creative and imaginative with their drawings.

Yesterday was also a VERY exciting and adventurous day. Two of the girls on the ranch are having birthdays within the next few days, so yesterday was their celebration. It started with two big vans taking a bunch of us teachers and kids to one of the local waterfalls. It was only a couple of miles away, and the waterfall was absolutely gorgeous. I’m guessing it was between 60 and 70 feet tall. I had not prepared to go swimming, but of course, I had to jump in. It was so much fun. There is a nice ledge that people jump from. It’s a pretty rocky bottom, and it is very slippery getting up to the ledge, so I was no so daring this time, but I did make it up a couple of rocks and was able to sit under one of the tiers of the falls. Some of the locals have created a dam out of large rocks, so there is a nice open area just right for swimming and relaxing. Last night when we got back, there was a bonfire and games on the campo. I went up for a little while, but rain was starting to set in and I was pretty sleepy, so I retired for the evening.

This weekend promises to be exciting. The new teachers are trying to start up a local Spanish class on the ranch. All we need is a good teacher! I feel a little more comfortable with some of the Spanish, but there is still an infinite amount to learn it seems.

Keep the e-mails coming!!! I know I don’t always get to reply, but I love reading e-mail.
Thank you so much for all of the encouragement, prayers, and support. It is wonderful being here and getting to know these kids and being a help to them. Please let me know if I can do anything for any of you.

Much love and God Bless!!!

-Jesse Tiner

First week of school!!!

Happy Birthday to me! WOW! I can’t believe I’m 24 today. Partly because I look at the fact that I’m “old” to the kids on the ranch, but more so because I look over my life and I can’t believe how privileged I am to have done the things I’ve done. In the past 4 years I’ve graduated college after 4 years (not easy for a music major), gone on my first “foreign” mission trip, taught middle school and high school bands for 2 years, been a music director at Trinity for more than a year, and now I am teaching children in Honduras. God has given and is giving me an incredible life. I could probably spend all day recounting other amazing things that have happened in previous years. On top of all that, God has blessed me with some of the most amazing people anyone could know. I just want to say that to all of my friends from JSU, Hill Crest Baptist Church, BCM of JSU, Roanoke City Schools, my band kids, Trinity, Community Life, family all over the place, new friends at the Ranch, and anyone else I may have overlooked, I am truly blessed to have you as a part of my life.

This week I received my first piece of mail in Honduras! A friend of mine Heather had sent me a newsletter telling about her International Music Mission trip to Brazil. I was really excited to receive it and get to read up on the tour! I think it was sent on July 12, the day I left, and I received it August 3rd. She sent it to the Miami address for letters, so it looks like the going rate for letters through Miami is 3 weeks. I have heard that the Humble, TX address may be just a little bit quicker, about 2 weeks.

Our fist week of school was very exciting and challenging. The class size is very small, but that doesn’t change how much planning is involved. A lot of my “free time” this week has been getting ahead on lesson plans and getting comfortable teaching the material. It is confusing sometimes keeping up with which students are in which grade, since there are 2 grades (sometimes 3), in the classroom at the same time. Classes last about 40 minutes, which is probably the least amount of time that it could take to teach 2 lessons to different classes. I feel like I am getting the hang of it though, and with more practice I can see how it will get easier.

The most important and exciting thing about this week has been the students. The main student I will spend a lot of time with is Oscar. He has been in the program for a while and is doing very good, but still needs lots of help and appropriate attention. I feel that he and I will build a strong relationship over my time here, and I hope that I can be a help to him. This situation would be one of my most needed prayer requests.

Other Honduran students that I will encounter daily or weekly is Frank, Julio, David, Brayan, Jefrey, Jhoselyn, Kevin, and I feel like there is one or two more I can’t think of right now. Some of these are going to be taking music lessons which will give some great opportunities for building strong relationships with them. I will also have some students that are missionary kids, like Elly, Caleb, AJ, Andrew, and Abby. It is fun to watch these kids and see how they interact with the Honduran kids. It is like they know that their whole family, not just their parents, were called to be here and help out. They are so friendly to the other Honduran students and I can see so many strong friendships between the US kids and the Hondurans. The US kids know that they have a role to play in this mission, and that their friendships with the Honduran students is a very powerful tool to have.

One of my favorite lessons this week was teaching “dialect” to Abby and Oscar for Literature. I think Oscar seemed to enjoy it because we got to laugh about my southern “dialect,” compared to Abby’s Arizona accent, and Oscar’s definite Honduran accent. One of the stories was about the life story of a guy that lived in “Indiany,” and I tried to read it to them in true southern form. They are also reading “The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” by Mark Twain. It was one of my favorites from high school, and of course contains southern “dialect.”

Friday was also our first time to have Chapel with the students. Eric, the ranch chaplain, used Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt to the Promised Land as an example of how God brings people out of harmful situations. He also used it to show how sometimes God will put a great opportunity right in front of us and say “Here, take it,” but for different reasons we choose not to take advantage of the blessings that God has in store for us. Some of the kids here feel as though they have it “bad,” and it is our job to teach and show and remind them of the situations out of which they have been brought. There are so many great opportunities here on the Ranch for them, and WGO is here for them to take advantage of those opportunities. Even after they graduate high school, there is a house in the city called “The Bridge House,” that these students can live at while they pursue different avenues. Some go onto college, some go ahead and get a job a save-- either way, they are allowed to live there until they feel they are ready to step out on their own. It is a great situation and God has really blessed this ministry with the resources to meet the needs of these children.

Yesterday was my birthday celebration with the other teachers. We have each drawn someone else’s name, and get to prepare some kind of dessert for that person’s birthday. We had a “meeting” yesterday during lunch, and when I walked in, I had “Happy Birthday” sung to me in English and Spanish. Jessi, another teacher, had drawn my name, and had fixed Peanut Butter Bars. They were absolutely wonderful! Then, last night, Jae and Hannah invited me over for supper and Jae cooked friend chicken fingers, green beans, and onion petals. Again, wonderful! After we finished eating we started thinking of other phrases to say when someone asked “Como estas?” besides “bien.” So, after about an hour of searching through the Spanish dictionary, we came up with some very creative responses. Two of my favorites are “there’s been a recent decline in sales,” and “the ape has escaped from the prison.” I’m sure it was one of those situations where you had to have been there and just survived your first week of teaching for it to be funny, but it was the hardest I’ve laughed since I’ve been here.

To close each week, I hope to share a bit about Honduran culture that I’ve learned in previous weeks. One of my favorite things is the “greeting.” When a Honduran walks into a room, they make it a point to greet everyone that is in the room. This sometimes takes several minutes, but they have a firm grasp on the idea that strong relationships are more important than starting right at 8:00 instead of 8:03. I know that in at least two or three spots in the closing remarks of Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Paul uses the expression, “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” The idea of this expression is still evident in Honduran greetings by placing your cheek next to the other persons and making a “mwah“ sound. While men do not greet other men this way in Honduras, women always greet other women this way, and a woman and a man will always greet this way. Sometimes, two people may not greet each other this way until they have gotten to know each other better. This past week was the first time on of the Honduran ladies greeted me in this way. I couldn’t help but to smile and laugh a little. It was like a sign that I was more comfortable being here with everyone.

Well, things are constantly on the go here, and I am excited to be getting more comfortable with the surroundings and people. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support.
I have uploaded some more pictures to my face book account. You can view them by clicking on the link below!

http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024686&l=79868&id=156800196

Love you guys and God Bless!
-Jesse

Teacher Training Week and more

Well, it is finally here! The weekend! I think we all should get “I survived teacher training at Rancho Ebenezer 2007” t-shirts made… haha Just kidding. In all actuality, teacher training was a blast. But before that, let’s back up to last week.

Sadly, I don’t remember too much about the end of last week. I do know that most nights we got invited over to someone else’s house for either supper, games, or both, and it was a blast just hanging around other people on the ranch and getting to know them.
Sunday we attended Union Church in the city for the second time. I have to say, I’m glad we went back because I was much more focused than I was last week, and really enjoyed the service a lot. It made me think a whole lot more about the scripture in John Ch 3 verses 22 and on. One thing John said that is so wonderful is that it was his joy to pave the way for Christ. The other follows that verse and says “He must become greater; I must become less.” I feel that there are actually two meanings to what those verses are teaching; a past-present meaning, as when John spoke it, and the meaning that we have given it in our present day. Our present day thought process on that scripture, when it is isolated, means that we try to do too much on our own free will and might, and that we need to give up more of ourselves to Christ and give Him more control over our lives.

However, I do not feel that to be the exact meaning that John intended at that time. John knew his purpose. His purpose was to pave the way for the One who was to follow Him. John was preparing the way for the Lord. John knew what He was supposed to do, and he knew that when Jesus came on the scene, it was time for him to back out of the spotlight. John’s disciples were still coming to him even when Jesus began baptizing, and they couldn’t understand why others wanted to go to Jesus. They were very confused, and they didn’t have a full understanding of just who Jesus was, while John on the other hand, knew it was time to be in the shadow of Christ. The title of the sermon, I believe, was “Happy to hide in the shadow of Christ.”

I can’t stop thinking about that. I can’t stop thinking about each meaning is somewhat different, but so related and similar also. John knew that Jesus would take it from there. His purpose was complete, and he knew that from then on, he would be in Christ’s shadow. I can’t stop thinking about the fact that all we have to do is hide in the shadow of Christ to be effective. Christ is on the scene. Christ is on the scene, and our job is to walk in His footsteps, to walk in the protection that He promised.

So, I enjoyed the service and the message. Afterwards, we made our weekly run to the mall/grocery store, etc. I got to call home and talk to mom. It is always great to call and hear her voice-- I think she enjoys hearing mine too, or at least she makes me think she does. J
Well, as I mentioned at the beginning, this past week in training was wonderful. Each day started with about 2 hours of singing praise and worship and prayer. Each day we always did something different either with devotion time or prayer. Some days we broke off into small groups and some days we prayed together as one large group. Also, we do praise and worship in Spanish and English, and I can already tell that it is helping me to get a grasp on the language. Most of the time we have the lyrics in both languages, which helps a lot. A lot of the songs we sing are Honduran songs translated into English. I have learned that Hondurans are wonderful at being very descriptive. Their prayers and songs are so poetic, and flow together effortlessly. Needless to say it was very powerful and wonderful. The rest of the morning we spent discussing issues about the school and children and how we can make an impact, and how to handle different situations concerning discipline, etc. We were done most days by noon, and the rest of each day was ours to work on lesson plans, get our classroom in order, and anything else we needed to do to be prepared for Monday.

I’m very excited about my class schedule. I had requested a lot of Math and English classes, along with music of course, and that’s what I got! Throughout the course of the day I’ll actually get to teach 10 students. A couple of them are North American Missionary kids here with their families, and I actually get to help them prepare for tests and such back in the US such as the ACT. Most, though, are Honduran children that live here on the ranch, and that is awesome. I get to teach Math 2 classes, Grammar, Spelling, Literature, History, and of course Music! Most of the kids will be in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade, while some of my Math and lots of my Music students are much younger.

Another thing I am really enjoying is the Honduran teachers. There are about 5 Honduran teachers that are bussed in from the city each day to teach subjects that they are much more qualified to teach than us North Americans. The main subjects are of course Spanish and Honduran History, Government, etc. These guys are so much fun to be around. One of the male teachers is William. He is also a pastor at a local church in the city. It was actually his church that I mentioned going to in my last update for a concert. He speaks as much English as I do Spanish, which makes for very interesting conversations.

Well, I can never say thank you enough to those who have made this possible, so again I say, “Thank you!” Monday and the weeks to follow will be an exciting, trying, and very rewarding time for teachers and students here at the ranch. Please continue to pray for all of the ministries of WGO. Pray that the teachers here will be able to make in impact on these children’s lives. Also, the house parents that raise these children here have a huge role and responsibility of modeling “family” for these children that do not have a family, so please pray for them also.

I love getting e-mail from “home” and reading up, so please feel free to write me at jthonduras@hotmail.com. I have also found out that some of the address information I have given is not very accurate. Letters can be mailed to the same address as financial contributions in Humble, TX. However, please let me know if you plan on sending a package of ANY size other than an envelope. The only two real options for packages are the Conroe, TX address, or contacting a team that is coming down for mission work, mailing it to them in the states, and letting them bring it down when they come. Packages that go to the Conroe, TX address are delayed there until a crate is sent down, which is about once a year. The crate for this year is supposed to be coming down within the next two months, and the next one may be up to a year. A couple of you had asked about sending a care package, so I wanted to clear all of that up.
Please know that I think of all of you as often as possible, and that you are in my prayers. It’s hard to do a lot for you from here, but I can always pray, so please let me know if there is something I can help you pray for.

God Bless you all!
- Jesse Tiner

Learning... to adjust

Learn…. To…. Adjust… A mildly comical look at first adjustments to living in Honduras

1. Electricity--- truly a luxury. Here at the ranch we adjust to power outages almost daily. Sometimes, the power may be out for days. In that case, the generator is used sparingly, sometimes running only for 2-4 hours in the morning and 2-4 hours at night, always being turned off by 9:30pm. Amazingly, it has been fun to adjust to what normally would be considered an “inconvenience.” Here, communal living is key, and there is hardly ever a lack of something to do or somewhere to get together and play games, or just chat in the dark. I’ve learned to carry my flashlight everywhere…

2. Internet- I have to say I have been surprised at the availability of the internet. The ranch has wireless internet available, but very little bandwidth. Here, we keep internet usage to e-mail, uploads and very limited browsing.

3. Seasons- Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer-- in the states you could pretty much sum up each season with one or two words. Leaves/Cool, COLD, flowers/rain, HOT/dry, respectively…. Not so much here in Honduras, especially up in the mountains. Seasons here have been given new names. Dry season, Wet season, and FLY season. Currently, we’re in fly season. Usually my room would be very decorated with pictures, etc…. here, sticky flystrips are all that is necessary to give your room that warm, cozy feeling.

4. Trips to town- The ranch is approximately 20 miles from the heart of the city. However, the drive takes about an hour, if not a little longer. The road is not nearly as bad as I had expected, but it has to be traveled very slowly and cautiously. It is all dirt, but holds up very well to the elements. The vehicles, however, take a lot of wear and tear over the years. So, trips to town are limited to usually one a week per person. Here, it is better to buy a little more than a little less… it stinks to run out on Tuesday what you can’t buy again until Sunday. Be prepared to get close to everyone else in the van, as space is precious on vans going to town. When there IS an empty seat, the driver is usually nice enough to pick up someone along the way that needs to get to the bottom of the mountain. Most of the others that live on the mountain do not have transportation, and it is a very long, difficult walk going up or down the mountain road. Room for one more??? You bet!

5. Learn to go uphill both ways- I think all of us have sat with the parents and grandparents at one point or another and heard, “we used to have to go uphill both ways, barefoot in the snow, just to get to school…” or something close. Well, don’t worry about the snow, bare feet is optional, but be ready to go uphill both ways. I actually like that everything here seems uphill-- it is great exercise, and it makes level ground seem like floating on air. There is a pond further up the mountain, and I have hiked up to it twice now. There is actually two different ways to go. One is VERY steep, shorter, and rough on the calves. The other is not as steep, twice as long it seems, but has wonderful opportunities for viewing birds. I have seen some of the most wonderful blue and red colored birds. When you come to the fork in the trail, choose left.

My first days at the ranch

For other pictures, click http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024031&l=2801d&id=156800196

Hi! It's very exciting to write my first update from Rancho Ebenezer. I would first like to say thank you for all of the prayers and support that has brought me here. I have seen over the past year God take all of the worries I had about being able to come, put them in a box, and throw them out the window. He has taken what I thought would be such a difficult thing for me personally, and has since used people from all over to make this happen effortlessly, as it now seems. Leaving everything behind, letting go of old responsibilities and taking on new ones seemed so uncomprehendable, but now, I sit here in the reality that all things are possible with God.

I had been warned numerous times about the landing in Tegucigalpa, and I tell you that nothing can prepare you for what is definitely the most exhilirating airplane ride and landing anywhere in the world. Our plane literally circled the city about 3 times, getting closer and closer to the ground, and as we were still making our last turn into the runway, the plane touched down. Immediately the brakes hit, thrusting us forward in the seats, and for what seemed like an eternity, we stopped. As I had been told, you can look down from your window and see the end of the runway as the plane turns to taxi back to the gate. As I was clapping like the other Hondurans for our safe landing, I was thankful that the trip had been without accident.

I, along with two other of the new teachers, made our way off the plane, through baggage claim, through customs, and out the door. I quickly realized just HOW difficult it would be not knowing a lot of Spanish. Thankfully, I now have some cd's to use and learn from. The first two people we meet were the ranch hostess and the spiritual leader of RE (rancho ebenezer). They helped us exchange some cash for lemps (lempiras), and proceeded to take us to a local chicken place for lunch. We had a nice time chatting over lunch, and at the same time I was anxious to see some of the surroundings and make it to RE.

The ride up and over the mountain to RE was not as treacherous as I had expected, which was wonderful. The road actually travels pretty well, except that it is a one lane road and sometime passing can be interesting. After our arrival at RE, we had most of the afternoon to unpack and unwind. I am very happy with my room. It is very nice. The houses here ALL have tin roofs, which is wonderful, because it rains alot, which makes for very peaceful nights sleeping. The Schultz family invited us for dinner at their house, and we ate wonderful Ravioli with sauce, along with a great salad. I also played 'in house' soccer with their son. They are a great family and I'm looking forward to working with them.

Friday, my first full day on the ranch, was a little busy. We had a meeting most of the morning with one of WGO's advisors, then after running some errands around the ranch I rested. Some of the other teachers hosted us newbies for dinner. They are wonderful to get to be around and no to mention great cooks. They made us pizza, and was some of the best pizza i've eaten. Afterwards we played a game called Apples to Apples. It was a lot of fun.

I forgot to mention earlier that while at the Schultz's house, the transformer that feeds electricity to the ranch blew. Apparently that happens a lot here since they started to run the generator within minutes after the outage. We were phoned to let us know that the generator would be shut off at 930 until around 7 the next morning, and it has been that way so far. So nevertheless, the ranch has had a built in "bedtime alarm" for several nights now.

Saturday I went with some other guys and a couple of the ranch kids to the city to a local church. One of the guys from the ranch was asked to play trumpet in a concert to raise money for that church. They had a lot of setting up and preperation to do, so the day was kinda slow, but it was all very much worth it. The concert was all in Spanish but I could not have cared less. The music and singing was phenomenal, and the instrumentalists pulled off an amzing concert. I also got to hang out with a few of the ranch kids during the day and the concert, and that was really fun.

Yesterday we went to Union Church in the city. It was a very nice church and I enjoyed getting to meet a lot of new people. It is fun to see a lot of missionaries come together from alot of different ministries to the same place. I even met a couple that are here for a week from Dothan, AL!!! After the service we went to a local mall. It was a very nice place with a LOT of American influence. Actually, most of the city has evidence of American culture on almost every corner. A lot of WGO staff met their together, and we had a great time eating and chatting. After lunch we got to go on our first shopping experience. The grocery store was actually very nice, and had a pretty good selection. I got to shop with a couple of the other new teachers and we had a fun, yet interesting time strolling the aisles looking for items. We made it back to the ranch safely, and after unloading my things, I made my way to the soccer field to watch a game between the ranch players and the visiting american team here for the week. Needless to say, the ranch players usually beat the americans, as was the case.
Last night I had a great time hanging out with the other new teachers and watching a movie. And as usual, at 930 it was time to go home for the power to be shut off. I have learned to carry my flashlight with me when I go out for the night. It's not that far walking from house to house, but in pitch black it helps to have the aid of a light.

I have heard that most of the power in the area has been restored, but that they are having to do some work here on the ranch itself before we'll have it back on for sure.

Some of the most fun I've had so far is taking pictures. There have been a lot of great photo opportunities and I have done my best to get some good shots. Today the new teachers and I took a pretty good hike to a pond nearby. The hike wasn't as far as it was steep. The others were very patient with me getting up there, but it was well worth it and I thank them for their patience. We saw a lot of beautiful plants and flowers and wildlife. I'm putting some of those pictures on facebook, and will post the link to view them at the end of this post.

This week doesn't have a whole lot of things planned, as our teacher training doesn't start until a week from today. I'm thinking we'll have lots of movie nights and adventures around the ranch.

I will say that I am having a blast. Getting to know the others and getting oriented with the city and the ranch is a lot of fun, along with learning some more spanish. God is already teaching me so much. We are lucky enough to have running water and electricity here, and even internet access to an extent. However, there are so many things that it is exciting to learn to live without. I can see already how much I am going to learn from the others here, and how much closer to God I will become, and am already becoming.

I've read Galatians a few times over the past couple of days. One of the main emphasis in Galatains is Paul warning them about false teachings, and how any other gospel than the one he has shared with them is not the gospel at all. There is a lot of that here in the city. SOOO many people seem to have misconceptions about who Christ is and what we as Christian witnesses are trying to teach. Please pray for the people of this city and this area that their hearts will be softened and open to the truth.

There is so much work to be done here and I am excited to be a part of it. I want to close with thanking you also for your prayers for my family dealing with the loss of my grandmother. I think I have handled it well so far, but the reality of it still catches me every now and then. I know my grandfather is devestated and is in need of prayer.

To all of you- family, friends, supporters, churches- I love you all. Thank you for your prayers, and please continue to do so. I will be excited when I will have more news about people's lives being changed, but I can tell you mine is already being affected. God is at work and I am blessed to be a part of this ministry.

Here are some pictures I have taken over the past few days. Enjoy!

http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024031&l=2801d&id=156800196

With love,
Jesse Tiner