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
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
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
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
Saturday, August 11, 2007
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.
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.
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
Saturday, August 4, 2007
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
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
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