The End.

Kindergarten AM

Pre-K AM

Prepa A

Kindergarten PM

They were pretty much angels.

Prepa B

Pre-K PM

So that's the end. I know it's late. I don't think anyone still reads this, but it's closure for me. I had to at least put in a few pictures from the end of the year to fill like this online blog, journal of sorts, wasn't left hanging. The day before I left, I went to see the end of the prepa graduation practice. Miss Melissa let them all get up and swarm me. So I had about 50 kids come at me from all sides. As you can imagine, I fell over. Thankfully I was able to catch myself and avoid smushing any of the children. Haha. When it came time to say goodbye, I couldn't keep myself from crying a little. A few of the girls just kept hanging on my neck and telling me they loved me and kept asking if I was leaving and crying a little too. That night was kindergarten and pre-kindergarten graduation. I was so proud of all my little students! After graduation, we went home where Miss Myla had a little party for us. We enjoyed her delicious cooking for almost the last time (she made us breakfast the morning we left), and then went to finish packing. It didn't feel real that we would be leaving in the morning.

It was tough to say goodbye as we left our house, but saying goodbye at the airport was even worse. Both of my bags were over-weight, and there was no time to do anything other than pay the fees. If Kadian hadn't been there, I would have completely dissolved into a helpless crying puddle. Then we had to stand in line for over an hour to pay the exit tax. Many people were grumpy, I think airports can really bring out the worst in people. After paying the exit tax, Kadian and I ran to hug the twins. We didn't even have time for a proper goodbye, because both of our planes were leaving. We dashed upstairs. As we were standing in line, Kadian prayed a short prayer, and the next thing we knew I was being asked to follow an attendant to my plane. I turned to Kadian to give her a quick and tearful hug, and then ran for my plane. Security had to use the metal detector on me (due to my hair clip) AND search my bag (as if I wasn't already late enough). When I got to the plane, I was literally the last person to board. I walked down the crowded row, with my carry-on, backpack, purse, and stuffed pillow trying to avoid collisions with arm rests and people. My window seat had been claimed by someone who probably figured I wasn't going to make it. So I plopped down in the middle and tried to breathe. I never expected leaving to feel so sad. I wasn't even excited about going home. The airport experience had been nothing short of traumatic, and my heart was in turmoil.

When I arrived in Houston, I couldn't get over how fast America is. And how big and clean and well, different. Thankfully I had a phone card. I was able to talk to Steven for quite a while, and also let my parents know what was going on. When my plane left, I still wasn't feeling the excitement. However, an hour outside of Omaha, it hit. The guys I was sitting next to were both former baseball players going to the World Series. They were really nice and helped keep me calm (well as calm as I could've been). When I walked into the Omaha airport, Becky, Mari, and Sharyn were there waiting for me. I dropped my stuff and gave them all big hugs. They picked up all my stuff, and I asked about my family. They didn't know. So we headed downstairs, where I saw Steven Shafer. My boyfriend. :). Then I saw my parents and started crying, because I didn't think they would come.

The summer has basically flown by in a blur, and part of me wishes I was heading back to Maranatha instead of college registration on Monday. Yet, I am happy to be reunited with all of my loved ones here, and I need to get going on those five years of school left. I think part of the difficulty in coming back has been all of the seemingly BIG obstacles--tuition costs, lack of job, lack of car, adjusting to life at home. My balance has been all thrown, and I'm still struggling to get it back.

Sticker Belief

Alexandra proudly parading the giant puppy sticker that barely fit on her dainty forehead.

Alejandro Josue

Walter--I'm still SO proud he aced his exam. This is the little boy that came towards the end of the year. He spent our first few Bible classes together crying--I thought I had lost my gift with children. Thankfully, he warmed up to me after a while :).

One of the things I love about kids is they know they're great. Generally (though not always), kids have a pretty high self-esteem. And my kids absolutely loved stickers. Not because the stickers were so cool, although that was a plus. Not because they were fun, although they could be. But the reason I think kids really love stickers is because getting a sticker from a teacher means you did something great. Not only did you do something great, but other people are recognizing that you did something great too. So it makes sense that you'd want to put that proof of greatness somewhere that everyone would instantly see it and know--like your forehead. Maybe we'd all be a little better off if we still believed in stickers.

Ruined

I used to love it when my mom bought mangoes. They were always a special treat. When I got home she had a couple dinky green ones, and I asked if the grocery store had started carrying a new kind. Nope. She informed me that that's the same kind they've always had. I was in disbelief for a while, but after seeing them at several grocery stores myself, I've had to concede. Yesterday I tried eating some frozen mango--it thawed too much and tasted awful. I don't know if I will ever be able to enjoy mangoes here or not. They've been ruined.

A Heart in Two Places

Chapel and Cowpoke Kids

Kadian leading out in chapel with some of the third graders.

The second graders all dressed up for their cowboy day :)

So cute!

Ready?

In a lot of ways, I'm glad I have been too busy to thoroughly contemplate that question. The hours keep slipping through my fingers. Even though I haven't been sleeping quite as much, my days feel to short.

I miss home. I have been looking forward to this time of year since I left. It's Wednesday night; I leave Friday morning. Suddenly, the time is not enough, and I can't do anything about it. So I just have to give my kids as many little hugs as I can when I see them tomorrow. I have to bake with Kady and try not to worry about what I'll do without her. I have to laugh with Miss Myla. I have say a lot of 'thank you's' and a lot of 'I'll miss you's'. I have to enjoy and appreicate all of the things that make life beautiful or unique here in Honduras. I want to soak every last detail in before it's time to say that one word I'm no good at.

Goodbye.

So I'm Vegan for Good?

It's kind of funny. Since coming to Honduras, I have eaten more meat than I have in my whole life. That being said, I've probably only had meat about once a month or so. I usually only eat meat when others are serving it to me, and I don't want to be rude. It's this philosophy I have, but anyway that's not what I am writing to explain. I'm explaining why I'm probably going to have to be vegan forever now. Thanks, Kadian. haha. Other than a very occasional exception, I am entirely vegan. But like I mentioned, those exceptions come around every now and then usually without any noticeable harm. Today I was not so fortunate.

I went to Pizza Hut with the first graders for an end of the year party. During our two and a half hour trip, I had to deal with bleeding children twice, tears once (and no, it wasn't one of the bleeding children), and I felt many of the protective screams in my mind that must plague many concerned mothers. Bare feet in an indoor jungle gym? Oh think of all the germs and bacteria...! That child has a sucker in their mouth, she should not be playing like that! Those boys are being too rough. NO climbing the slide! Don't they see that sign? It says PELIGRO (danger). Oh, and the kitchen caught on fire somehow. Just your average day out, I suppose. Anyway, after eating I felt absolutely miserable. I ate a few things that didn't help: Ranch on my salad, a hard boiled egg, two pieces of cheese pizza. Yuck. I think this vegan thing might be stuck. I felt nauseas, my head hurt, general weakness and exhaustion. 

I've always thought being vegan is probably best what with all the weird hormones animals are fed, and dairy products not really being so great for your digestive system. But I never thought I could do it. This year has shown me otherwise. However, I kind of wondered if it would stick or not when I got home. This experience has me thinking it will.

June, is that really You?

Well, my blogging has most definitely taken a nose dive since my computer charger went, but thankfully I have been journaling  pretty often to help keep track of the memories. I cannot believe June is here! I knew time had to keep moving and that after yesterday June would inevitably be upon us. But still. I´m having trouble wrapping my mind around it. June means brings so many realities...

For one, when I at last was able to talk with Steven yesterday (after talking to him for the first time in almost five months), goodbye did not feel so daunting. There is no longer a long amount of separation looming in the distance. In fact, we only have two more Sabbaths apart! My heart is full and overflowing with joy. This morning my reading through the Bible (which isn´t moving quite as quickly as planned, but I am making steady progress!) brought me towards the end of Proverbs. I once again read a verse that brought be hope way back in November. Proverbs 25:25 tells us, Like cold water to a weary soul, is good news from a distant land. How true indeed.

June also means the end of school. I still remember my first day. I didn´t know school was actually starting. It was just a meet the students kind of day, but I did not know they were going to be there until right before we left the house in the morning. I remember trying to talk to a classroom of kindergartners, and wondering how on earth I was going to teach them when they did not understand a word out of my mouth or sing with me. Now here we are. I feel success, contentment, and a undeniable tinge of sadness.

June means going home. June means change. June means a lot of goodbyes, and also a lot of hello´s. June means my heart is going to break,  yet finally be complete. June means leaving all that has become so familiar to return to what is supposed to feel normal. June will bring birthdays, weddings, parties, reunions. June will bring sad tears, and happy ones too. Oh June. I have been waiting for this month for so long, but I never thought it would come. Now that it´s here, I´m not sure what to say. Do I want it to hurry by? No. Although part of me cannot wait to be in that airport, I´m not quite ready yet. Part of me wonders if I´ll be ready when the time comes. But for right now, with school ending and Steven back in the modern world of communication and God as my guide, my heart cannot be anything but completely and utterly content.

Skippy, And Not the Peanut Butter.

I mentioned quite a while back that I couldn't wait to tell you about our aerobics instructor. Well apparently that was a lie, but I sure waited. Haha. But here I am. We stopped going to dance class and switched to the aerobics class a couple months ago. At first we missed the fun aspect of dance class, especially Kadian, who is not such a big fan of things that feel like exercise. However, our instructor antics kept us smiling (especially me, because let's face it, I'm more of a giggler). Curious?

First of all, I'm not going to tell you his real name to, you know, protect his privacy. And because we never call him by it anyway. To us, he will always be "Skippy". I think we dubbed him this title even before we started going to his class. Since aerobics is right after dance class, sometimes we were there to see him gracefully skip across the room. Yes, he skips. He skips in a fashion that puts the daintiest nimblest nine year old girls to shame. It's amazing. It's especially amazing, because if you could see him you would agree that he does not look like the kind of man that would skip. I find it difficult to guess Hondurans ages, but I'd say he is probably in his 40s, slightly balding on top. He's 100% muscle, not a pinch of fat, and his face almost always has a focused serious expression. He's a difficult person to describe, you'd have to see him I guess. Although he does skip around some during class, he's not at all flamboyant or creepy. In fact, he's pretty much the perfect exercise instructor for the following reasons:

1. I would never dream of comparing my body to his body. He's a man, and I wouldn't even want that much muscle. Therefore, class is never a comparison contest. Girls, you understand what problems we have with comparing ourselves to other women. I try my best not to compare; still, having a male instructor just makes it that much easier.
2. I don't find him at all attractive.
3. He doesn't seem to be attracted any of the women in our class (our class is ALL women).
4. He pushes us but only by example. He doesn't yell at us to try harder or do more. Everyone feels free to go at their own pace.
5. He focuses on all areas of fitness-- aerobics, flexibility, balance, and strength.
6. He uses a wide variety of exercise techniques, from pilates to kick boxing, steps class, yoga, and free weights.
7. He is quite pleasant and gentlemanly, but he's not overly friendly.

So that's why we like Skippy. He's a good fellow, and I'll miss his class when I leave.

The Best Kind of Colorblind

 Since I haven't been blogging, I have been writing in my journal on occasion. Here's one from May 12th:

Kadian sent me one of her third grade students to stay with me in preschool as punishment. Unfortunately, he kind of liked it a lot. Even though I made him do all the actions to our songs, draw on the board (the kids laughed at his lion), and grade papers--he liked the little kids. Plus, his voice is kind of low and he's new, so they feared him a little.

My favorite moment was this, "Miss, what is Miss Kadian for you?"

"What?" I responded, puzzled by his phrasing.

"What is Miss Kadian for you?"

Taking a guess, I replied, "She's my friend. We live in the same house."

"Oh." he said like that wasn't the answer he was expecting. "I thought you were sisters."

As Kadian would say, "Bless!"

Our "twin-ness" is pretty obvious I guess.

Hey! I´m still here.

My posting may be a bit sparse since my computer has walked out of my life. The charger had been going for over a month, and it stopped working and smelled like burning plastic over a week ago, May 7th. Thus, I have a little time to check email and school, and I borrow Kadian´s computer every so often. But her charger is not working correctly either, so her computer is not allowed to move from her bedside table in her room. In a way, this is a blessing, because it gives me more time. The computer was always such a time trap. The lure of communicating always so tempting. But now here I am. Sorry if you don´t hear too much from me, but I am doing well, trying my best to finish strong, and looking forward to school being finished.

June Bugs, Gentlemen, and Other Happenings

May 6th: First Honduran baby shower for the school psychologist, Dina. It was interesting.

May 7th: Kadian and I went for a Sabbath afternoon walk to the park. I saw a few of my students, and then we hung out with the Brewsters for a while at La Princesita. We had great plans of cleaning when we got home, but we did a spa night instead. Funniest moment: We had both just put egg/oil/lime masks on our face and laid down on her bed with cucumbers on our eyes, relaxing and breathing deeply. Then all of a sudden we heard this "BUZZZZ!" A huge disgusting June bug had gotten in somehow. Thankfully, Kadian is brave so she killed it. It was a little more difficult to relax after that. haha.

May 8th: We spent forever and a day grocery shopping! We also went to some thrift stores, and I think I found "the dress" that I want to wear home. Now to find a cardigan and shoes to match! :). My favorite memory of today was when two guys, Luis and Rodrigo, carried our big water jugs to our house for us! There was a big get together across the street from the pulperia, and they came over as soon as we paid and offered to help. The whole party clapped for them--we did too. It was SO refreshing to be treated like a lady. I appreciate gentlemen immensely. I can't wait until I'm back in the same place as my gentleman.

May 9th: Today for lunch we had vegetable pot pie, cauliflower, cucumber slices, and a slice of pumpkin bread. For supper tonight we cooked rice patties, garlic almond green beans, and savory creamy mashed potatoes. Needless to say, we've been enjoying our food. I am still eating a mango every day. Kady and I bought 14 for about $2 yesterday at the market. Sweet!

May 10th: If you were going to take one impression from my year in Honduras, I would not want this to be it. However, what I am about to tell you about is real and impacting lives of my students. Several times this year, families from the school have had their cars hijacked, been taken out to Siguatepeque (I have no idea why they always seem to take them there), robbed, and let go. Until this last weekend. When I walked into the kindergarten classroom  yesterday, Miss Ondina started asking Miss Ester (in Spanish), ´Does she know? Does she know about Maria?´  Well I didn´t, so I went to Miss Ester to ask what had happened. As she started telling me, it was the same bad story all over again. Maria´s mother and brother had been kidnapped, taken to Siquatepeque...But this time it didn´t end with, and thank the Lord, they were let go. No. Tragically, they were both murdered. Now my sweet little kindergartener has a big hole in her family, and pain that I cannot even imagine dealing with.

Pulhapanzak

May 2nd we headed off on an adventure to Pulhapanzak--a famous Honduran waterfall about two/three hours from where we live. Our first bus left late (no surprise), so I think we got out of town around 7:30am. After passing the lake that's about an hour and a half away, we caught a mini bus to La Guama, and then another mini bus from La Guama to Pena (just imagine the little symbol over the n there...) Blanca.

This is what greeted us when we got off our third and final bus on the journey there. We walked about 15 minutes down this dirt road until we reached the park. This was the only crowded moment we had. Mostly, the road was completely empty.

We were all glad to be done with the buses for a while!

So I didn't get a picture of it specifically...but right behind this sign, see the squirrel sign? Super funny. There is a small canopy area with lots of squirrels. Squirrels are apparently a BIG deal here :). These people need to visit Union College some time. Anyway, in case that isn't funny enough, they also mention that you can have group parties there too. Birthday party at the squirrel canopy anyone??

It didn't take long for us to change, find a guide, store our stuff, and head to the falls. Talk about picturesque!

We went down stairs for about 5 minutes until we reached this lookout point. Beyond this, you had to have a guide. We asked Rafael if it was dangerous. He said yes. Then we asked him if anyone had ever been seriously hurt. He said 20 people have died in the eleven years he has been giving tours. Then he told us he was joking, and that he was the best safest guide ever (well, that's my version of what he said, translated for your convenience). He also told us our lives were in his hands. Oh boy. Without any instructions, he unlocked the gate and let us start climbing up the "trail". There wasn't anything marked, but there was an obvious worn down path. The rocks were perfect for climbing. I would have more pictures, but for some reason Blogger doesn't like to load my pictures. That's why this blog is so late :P. I finally gave up. I wish I could have posted more pictures, but these will have to do. Oh, and I would like to take this time to clarify--yes, Rafael is 100% Honduran, and he only spoke a little English. Some Hondurans are as white as me!

About this time I started jumping around exclaiming, "THIS IS SO COOL!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE WE'RE HERE! ISN'T THIS AWESOME?! FEEL SMALL!" Ah. Times like these when you know I'm the young one in the group :) lol. You maybe can't see them now, but there were little rainbows everywhere we looked.

The "mist" was not as light as it looks. Before we went into this Rafael told us to only look down and only breath through our mouths. And off we were!

Holding hands for dear life! We couldn't see a thing.

Before reaching this little cave, or as he called it the "home of the anaconda", we stopped in a little alcove right behind the falls. It was SO awesome. Throughout the trip, Rafael would let out these random "WOOOHOOO!" screams. About this time I started to follow suit, because it really did help me feel brave.

We took a slightly different pathway out of the falls, and it was a lot less scary than the way in. Although I was never too terrified since we were are all holding hands.

On the way back we jumped from a higher point. on the way in we jumped from the other side of this little water fall, but it was much shorter.

Just when we thought it was pretty much over, Rafael asked if we wanted to jump from here. I kind of thought he was joking. He said we would only hit the rocks "a little". But alas, he wasn't joking. So I said yes wondering what damage hitting the rocks "a little" could do, and Ashley and Emily agreed to jump too. Then he jumped. I went next. I counted "UNO, DOS, TRES!" and then hurled myself dramatically off the ledge with a scream. I remember having a brief moment on the fast trip downward where I wondered if I had managed to jump far enough away from the edge. Good news, I had. When I hit the water I kind of cut into it and went horizontal. I thankfully did not hit the rocks at all. When I came to the surface, Rafael was right there telling me to grab his hand. I was sputtering, had water up my nose, and a little shocked. He was asking me if I liked it, I think all I could do was smile and nod like a bobble-head. I think this was about 25 feet from the water.

And once again, when we thought the tour was over, Rafael went above (literally) and beyond :). He took us to the very top of the falls to look down. Being the gentleman that he is, he held our hands one at a time while we took turns looking over the falls. This was pretty much my favorite thing I've done in Honduras! Such an awesome one-of-a-kind experience. Rafael was the perfect guide. He took good care of us and really went all out on the tour. He told us normally the tours are only about 20 minutes long, especially in the busy tourist seasons. What a blessing! I will never forget this trip.