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
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
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.
Monday, July 16, 2007
My first days at the ranch
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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
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
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Vacation Pictures
Hey guys,
Here are a couple of links to some photos I have posted from California and Oregon.
Enjoy!
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023422&l=ff82e&id=156800196
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023533&l=8d88b&id=156800196
Here are a couple of links to some photos I have posted from California and Oregon.
Enjoy!
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023422&l=ff82e&id=156800196
http://jsu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2023533&l=8d88b&id=156800196
First post
Hi guys-- maybe this will make it easier to post updates. Please check back here often. For now, I'll just paste my most recent e-mail update.
*** these updates that I am senidng now and the "Honduras" updates I send will be posted on my blog, facebook, and will be sent to a mailing list. Therefore, I will sometimes direct different parts of an update to a certain person, place, group, or church. If you know someone who would like to be on my mailing list, please ask them to e-mail jthonduras@hotmail.com
Also, here are the addresses I will have while I am there… please feel free to send a card, letter, donation, or even a care package. PLEASE note the correct address for each type of mailing.
This is only for envelopes, cards, and small shoebox size packages...
Jesse Tiner
World Gospel Outreach
TGU 144
P.O. Box 02-5387
Miami, FL 33102-5387
Anything bigger than a shoe box should be sent to...
Jesse Tiner
World Gospel Outreach
C/O F. Lynn Clough
18728 Hurley Lane
Conroe, TX 77384
And as always, ANY donation is wonderfully appreciated. You can give online at http://www.wgoreach.org/ or by mailing your donation to…
World Gospel Outreach
Jesse Tiner Fund
PO Box 14348
Humble, TX 77347-4348
***
**UPDATE**
SOOO, Happy 4th of July first of all. I am currently at my great aunt and uncle's in Medford, Oregon.
This past Friday, my aunt in Texas drove me to the airport and I caught my light to Sacramento to meet my mother and brother who were flying from Birmingham. After a LONG situation dealing with the rental car place, we had our little car and were on our way on our "family adventure."
Our first stop was San Francisco. We hae a cousin that has lived there for the past 3 years or so. He lives right in downtown and has a good job so he treated us to a night at THE HILTON----- THE HILTON. It was very nice. He met us there and checked us in, then took us to Union Square where ALL of the really nice shopping places are. We then caught a taxi (MY FIRST TAXI RIDE EVER) to a local Italian place called Calzone's where we dined before catching a ride back to THE HILTON. Being our first night after a day of delayed flights, we were ready for bed, and to bed we went. I was most surprised that San Francisco and most of the areas out here DO NOT hae chain businesses. The most frequent chain we saw was ofcourse Starbuck's.
Saturday morning we woke up and took off. Our first stop was Golden Gate Park, VERY near to the Golden Gate Bridge. So ofcourse our next task was to drie across the Golden Gate Bridge.... and we did. It was beautiful-- covered in clouds, with just enough of the bridge visible to make for AMAZING pictures, which you can find in the albums.
The rest of the day was on HWY 1 up the West Coast. I tell ya, when you forget how great God is and how "creative" He is with nature, the west coast is the place to go. We stopped at a little "side of the road" place and ate clam chowder and oysters. Our stop for the night was in a place called Eureka, CA.
Sunday was our Redwood day. Just about the entire day was driving through Redwood National Park and the numerous state parks surrounding and within. Again, WOW at what God can do. If you ever want to feel small, stand next to a giant Redwood tree. Sunday evening we managed to find our way on in To Medford Oregon where my great aunt and uncle live.
Monday was a short day out. We went to a little place called Jacksonville, OR, which is an old western town. It's ironic because it had the same kind of character and smallness that I loved about Jacksonville, AL. We saw LOTS of neat shops with antiques and wild wild west stuff. I can't believe I haven't mentioned how great of a cook my aunt is, but WOW. She fixed spaghetti and it was wonderful.
Yesterday was our day at Crater Lake. I'm gonna let the pictures do most of the talking, but WOW WOW WOW. I got to go there about 7 years ago when I came to visit, but I guess I didn't remember it to be soooo beautiful. There wasn't AS much snow this time, but there was still some places where there were good banks of snow and a few covered fields. Of course, this was way up in the mountains.
Today is not only a holiday, but a birthday here. My great uncle is turning 71 today. His health is pretty good, but there are some complications.
As for the days to come, we will be leaving here on Friday heading back to Sacramento. I have an early flight out Saturday morning back to Birmingham. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I will be in Geneva getting the last of my things together preparing for Honduras. Wednesday, mom and dad and I will go on to Mobile and get an idea where the airport is, and go out for a nice "last evening" out. I will leave early Thursday morning for Honduras. I am incredibly excited and scared at the same time. The reality of it all is much closer, but at the same time I wish it was tomorrow I was leaving.
Please pray for all of us as we prepare to go. There are several new teachers getting ready for this transition in our lives and I know it will touch every emotion we have.
I love you all! God Bless!
Love,
Jesse
*** these updates that I am senidng now and the "Honduras" updates I send will be posted on my blog, facebook, and will be sent to a mailing list. Therefore, I will sometimes direct different parts of an update to a certain person, place, group, or church. If you know someone who would like to be on my mailing list, please ask them to e-mail jthonduras@hotmail.com
Also, here are the addresses I will have while I am there… please feel free to send a card, letter, donation, or even a care package. PLEASE note the correct address for each type of mailing.
This is only for envelopes, cards, and small shoebox size packages...
Jesse Tiner
World Gospel Outreach
TGU 144
P.O. Box 02-5387
Miami, FL 33102-5387
Anything bigger than a shoe box should be sent to...
Jesse Tiner
World Gospel Outreach
C/O F. Lynn Clough
18728 Hurley Lane
Conroe, TX 77384
And as always, ANY donation is wonderfully appreciated. You can give online at http://www.wgoreach.org/ or by mailing your donation to…
World Gospel Outreach
Jesse Tiner Fund
PO Box 14348
Humble, TX 77347-4348
***
**UPDATE**
SOOO, Happy 4th of July first of all. I am currently at my great aunt and uncle's in Medford, Oregon.
This past Friday, my aunt in Texas drove me to the airport and I caught my light to Sacramento to meet my mother and brother who were flying from Birmingham. After a LONG situation dealing with the rental car place, we had our little car and were on our way on our "family adventure."
Our first stop was San Francisco. We hae a cousin that has lived there for the past 3 years or so. He lives right in downtown and has a good job so he treated us to a night at THE HILTON----- THE HILTON. It was very nice. He met us there and checked us in, then took us to Union Square where ALL of the really nice shopping places are. We then caught a taxi (MY FIRST TAXI RIDE EVER) to a local Italian place called Calzone's where we dined before catching a ride back to THE HILTON. Being our first night after a day of delayed flights, we were ready for bed, and to bed we went. I was most surprised that San Francisco and most of the areas out here DO NOT hae chain businesses. The most frequent chain we saw was ofcourse Starbuck's.
Saturday morning we woke up and took off. Our first stop was Golden Gate Park, VERY near to the Golden Gate Bridge. So ofcourse our next task was to drie across the Golden Gate Bridge.... and we did. It was beautiful-- covered in clouds, with just enough of the bridge visible to make for AMAZING pictures, which you can find in the albums.
The rest of the day was on HWY 1 up the West Coast. I tell ya, when you forget how great God is and how "creative" He is with nature, the west coast is the place to go. We stopped at a little "side of the road" place and ate clam chowder and oysters. Our stop for the night was in a place called Eureka, CA.
Sunday was our Redwood day. Just about the entire day was driving through Redwood National Park and the numerous state parks surrounding and within. Again, WOW at what God can do. If you ever want to feel small, stand next to a giant Redwood tree. Sunday evening we managed to find our way on in To Medford Oregon where my great aunt and uncle live.
Monday was a short day out. We went to a little place called Jacksonville, OR, which is an old western town. It's ironic because it had the same kind of character and smallness that I loved about Jacksonville, AL. We saw LOTS of neat shops with antiques and wild wild west stuff. I can't believe I haven't mentioned how great of a cook my aunt is, but WOW. She fixed spaghetti and it was wonderful.
Yesterday was our day at Crater Lake. I'm gonna let the pictures do most of the talking, but WOW WOW WOW. I got to go there about 7 years ago when I came to visit, but I guess I didn't remember it to be soooo beautiful. There wasn't AS much snow this time, but there was still some places where there were good banks of snow and a few covered fields. Of course, this was way up in the mountains.
Today is not only a holiday, but a birthday here. My great uncle is turning 71 today. His health is pretty good, but there are some complications.
As for the days to come, we will be leaving here on Friday heading back to Sacramento. I have an early flight out Saturday morning back to Birmingham. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday I will be in Geneva getting the last of my things together preparing for Honduras. Wednesday, mom and dad and I will go on to Mobile and get an idea where the airport is, and go out for a nice "last evening" out. I will leave early Thursday morning for Honduras. I am incredibly excited and scared at the same time. The reality of it all is much closer, but at the same time I wish it was tomorrow I was leaving.
Please pray for all of us as we prepare to go. There are several new teachers getting ready for this transition in our lives and I know it will touch every emotion we have.
I love you all! God Bless!
Love,
Jesse
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