I sit to write this last posting of our blog 2 weeks after our return to the Northwest. Since our return June 22nd, we have enjoyed beautiful views and wonderful hospitality in Poulsbo, Manson, & CoeurD’Alene. We will be able to move into our home in Bothell August 1st. Until then, we are blessed to stay with family and friends in Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.
Now, I’ll rewind to May. May was a busy month with the high school music concert, elementary performance, Amelia & Clara ballet recital, & trying to sell our car and other items we couldn’t take back to the states with us. In the midst of all this, Bryan and I got very sick for 4 weeks. I was very disappointed to have to cancel some commitments due to this horrible virus or parasite. However, God gave us the strength we needed for each day. Despite our health, the high school concert was a huge success. The band, bells, choirs, & guitar classes all did a great job. The elementary performance also went well. Before selling our car, we had the opportunity to go to the water park in Tegucigalpa. God provided someone to purchase our car quickly. On June 1st, we said “goodbye” to our Honda Accord.
In June, we were busy with grading, packing, emptying our classrooms since the roof was being replaced, and graduations. Amelia had her Kindergarten graduation. Then, there was the 6th grade graduation and high school graduation. In the midst of all this, we noticed that Clara was tripping a lot. She would fall down frequently and wasn’t walking right. Then, she had trouble with her arms. She couldn’t hold silverware. She was just too weak. We realized something was definitely wrong on Sunday, the 12th of June when Clara couldn’t get up off the ground and just crawled around instead. With the help of Holly Oliva, a science teacher at ALP, we got Clara in to a pediatrician Monday and a later appointment with a pediatric neurologist. Clara had no reflexes in her arms or legs. If she was sitting down, she couldn’t get up alone. After the pediatrician saw her, he immediately called the neurologist with his prognosis. Although our appointment with the neurologist was scheduled for 4 hours later, he came immediately to see Clara. Clara had Guillian-Barre Syndrome. Without immediate care, she could suffer respiratory failure. The neurologist checked her into the hospital right away and began the intense treatment via IV. Clara & I stayed overnight in the hospital. Clara was able to go home Tuesday afternoon and was well on her way to recovery. The school blessed us in providing transportation down the mountain for Clara’s daily physical therapy and frequent follow up visits to the neurologist. We are happy to report she has made a full recovery.
When we heard the cost of the medicine alone, we were completely shocked. We had sold our car with plans to live off of that money until we received our first paycheck in October. It seems like our plans are not always God’s plans. The sale of our car provided the money we needed for the medical bills. We were so blessed to have that. Insurance that ALP provided covered the rest. God provided for all our needs each day. Matthew 6:11 “Give us today our daily bread”. We may not have a lot stored up, but God provides for today. At this point, I’d like to thank those who have blessed us by your giving and/or prayer support. In this stressful time, God gave us a peace and unshakable trust in His goodness to provide and meet all our needs.
Many have asked, “would you do it again?” “What have you learned from this experience?” Two verses come to mind when asked these questions.
“…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11-13
“give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
We came to serve. To empty ourselves out to the students of Pinares. Excited and eager to be a light. Going to a poor country like Honduras, you tend to have hopes of helping the poor. However, when your mission field is the wealthiest kids in Honduras, you feel an unsettling contradiction. At first, it is a bit shocking to see the huge difference between the rich and the poor. It is easy to be quick to judge, but don’t the rich need Jesus too? We were working with children of political leaders, socialites, & top business leaders in Honduras. Just think of the impact these students can have on Honduras if they leave Pinares firmly rooted in Christ Jesus. So, we had to adjust our focus.
Along the way, we had some opportunities to serve the poor which was a wonderful experience for our girls. It was very rewarding to give and visibly see needs met like at the feeding center.
To daily work with students who don’t want to be in your class, don’t care about your class, and treat you with contempt arguing with every instruction given, was a new experience in my teaching career. As a choir/music teacher, I’m used to teaching the “fun” class. Not so this year. It was a lesson in perseverance. Only God can help me love these students who clapped and cheered when I told them they would have a sub because I would be gone at my grandmother’s funeral. Every day I had to rely on God’s strength to love these students. I had to stop trying to please the students and focus on pleasing the Lord. God allowed me to view each child as “His Masterpiece”. We hope that in writing this you are able to see how your prayers were key in orchestrating God’s plan for our time in Honduras.
Without positive signs of the fruit of our labor, we have to trust that God has a purpose. We have to do everything as if we are doing it for the Lord. To not expect or hope for any reward or thanks, but be joyful in the opportunity to serve Jesus. What have we gained? New friends, a closer knit family, contentment, perseverance, gratefulness, faith, & the ability to honestly say “His grace is sufficient”. We gained new lenses to see everything passing through God’s loving hands as a gift.
Since we are not returning to Honduras for the next school year, this is our last blog. Bryan will return to his job at Inglemoor High School. Kimberly is searching for a job. We appreciate your prayers and financial support this past year. We were able to bless our church “El Hatillo Baptist”, help our neighbor “Timmy” with medical bills, help a dear single Honduran mom, and cover some of Clara’s medical bills with your generous giving. Please continue to pray for a job for Kimberly, our transition to the states and the girls back to school, and being without a home until August 1st. We thank God for you!
Blessings,
Kimberly (and the rest of the family)
Monday, July 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Semana Santa in Roatan
For those of you who haven't heard yet, we have decided to only stay one year here in Honduras. I took a one year leave-of-absence from my job in Northshore School District to come here and if we were to stay another year I would have to give up my position. I really do like my job in Northshore and keeping it is one big reason for our return. So, we have about five weeks left of school and then we head back to Washington on June 22nd. Unfortunately, our house is being rented and the lease doesn't end until August 1st but we have plans to stay with family and travel a bit during July. This year has been a blessing but we are also excited about moving back to Bothell. In our preparations for returning, God has really eased many of anxieties by providing buyers for our car and many other items we need to get rid of.
So, what have we been up to lately? Well, first of all, Kimberly's choirs participated in a music festival at the end of March. Kim was a bit worried up how they would do but the students stepped up to the occasion and earned an "Excellent" rating. A photo of the choir is below. It includes 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th grade students. Additionally, Kimberly's 5th and 6th grade choirs performed three fun songs for the Mother's Day assembly this past week and did a fantastic job. Her final concert is in a few weeks and prayers for this event are appreciated.
The once-in-a-lifetime highlight of the past month was our family trip to Honduras's most popular tourist destination, the island of Roatan. Roatan is rich with pirate history and has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We were blessed to have the opportunity to spend Semana Santa (Holy Week - AKA Spring Break) relaxing and enjoying recreational time together. If you have a list of places you want to visit during your lifetime, be sure to add Roatan to it.
Photos of Roatan
Another place we finally made it to was Picacho park...just 15 minutes down the road from us. It is a park overlooking Tegucigalpa that has a sprinklers, a zoo, some nicely maintained grounds, and a tall statue of Jesus. The girls had fun getting wet and following around a monkey who was searching for a snack amongst people's belongings.
Photos of Picacho
Lastly, I just wanted to share some parting shots of things we do at home to entertain ourselves. Kimberly has taught herself how to make beads out of recycled magazine paper and has created some beautiful jewelry. In a week or so, she plans to meet with some of the local women at our church to teach them how to make paper beads. Who knows, some of them might use the skill earn a bit of money by selling the jewelry. The other thing that our kids (or any kids for that matter) like to do is jump on our bed. I let them have at it one day and below are some photos of the fun they had.
Beading Photos
Jumping Photos
Praises
- After almost 2 weeks in the hospital (one of those in a coma), our neighbor's 4 year old son Timmy returned home. He contracted a virus that made his brain swell. He is still recovering and had to re-learn motor skills like talking, crawling, and walking. He's made great progress and is now almost back to his normal self.
- We have been able to sell quite a bit of our "stuff" including our car.
- Kimberly's choir concerts went well and the students performed better than expected.
- We were able to visit a dermatologist for Maddi's skin issues and the first round of medications seemed to help out.
Prayer Requests
- A job for Kimberly back in the states.
- Energy for a productive end of the school year.
- Kimberly's final spring concert in a few weeks.
So, what have we been up to lately? Well, first of all, Kimberly's choirs participated in a music festival at the end of March. Kim was a bit worried up how they would do but the students stepped up to the occasion and earned an "Excellent" rating. A photo of the choir is below. It includes 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, and 12th grade students. Additionally, Kimberly's 5th and 6th grade choirs performed three fun songs for the Mother's Day assembly this past week and did a fantastic job. Her final concert is in a few weeks and prayers for this event are appreciated.
The once-in-a-lifetime highlight of the past month was our family trip to Honduras's most popular tourist destination, the island of Roatan. Roatan is rich with pirate history and has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We were blessed to have the opportunity to spend Semana Santa (Holy Week - AKA Spring Break) relaxing and enjoying recreational time together. If you have a list of places you want to visit during your lifetime, be sure to add Roatan to it.
Photos of Roatan
Another place we finally made it to was Picacho park...just 15 minutes down the road from us. It is a park overlooking Tegucigalpa that has a sprinklers, a zoo, some nicely maintained grounds, and a tall statue of Jesus. The girls had fun getting wet and following around a monkey who was searching for a snack amongst people's belongings.
Photos of Picacho
Lastly, I just wanted to share some parting shots of things we do at home to entertain ourselves. Kimberly has taught herself how to make beads out of recycled magazine paper and has created some beautiful jewelry. In a week or so, she plans to meet with some of the local women at our church to teach them how to make paper beads. Who knows, some of them might use the skill earn a bit of money by selling the jewelry. The other thing that our kids (or any kids for that matter) like to do is jump on our bed. I let them have at it one day and below are some photos of the fun they had.
Beading Photos
Jumping Photos
Praises
- After almost 2 weeks in the hospital (one of those in a coma), our neighbor's 4 year old son Timmy returned home. He contracted a virus that made his brain swell. He is still recovering and had to re-learn motor skills like talking, crawling, and walking. He's made great progress and is now almost back to his normal self.
- We have been able to sell quite a bit of our "stuff" including our car.
- Kimberly's choir concerts went well and the students performed better than expected.
- We were able to visit a dermatologist for Maddi's skin issues and the first round of medications seemed to help out.
Prayer Requests
- A job for Kimberly back in the states.
- Energy for a productive end of the school year.
- Kimberly's final spring concert in a few weeks.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Whew....it's a busy time of the year!
It is hard to believe that it is already the middle of March. The reason we haven’t posted a blog in so long is because it is my turn to write it. I am not a writer, but would like to keep you updated on our service here in Honduras. I would also like to thank you for your continued prayers and support. We believe that the Lord hears our prayers. Living in Tegucigalpa, rated #6 in the world for highest crime rates (http://borderissues.us/2010/01/21/8-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-cities-in-latin-america/), we believe that we have been protected and safe because of your prayers. Speaking of crime, just the other day, as our bus pulled up to drop us off for the weekly grocery shopping, about 50 yards away there were two men wrestling and playing with a gun. Early in our stay here, we stood and watched a dead body being pulled from the river. Nearly everyone on our street has been robbed at some point during their stay here including the house right next door. Weekly, we hear of kidnappings. Some students have body guards who pick them up from school and go with them anywhere off the school campus. This is normal life for many in Honduras. We pray that we don’t become numb to the violence and crime, but value each precious life that God has created . We praise God every day for keeping us safe. We also rejoice in the safe return of a student’s father who was kidnapped for over two months. He was very weak and lost a lot of weight, but he is alive. Praise God! I don’t mention these things to provoke fear, but to thank you for praying & let you know that your prayers are making a difference.
On a lighter note, we have participated in many festivities in the last few months. In January, our church had a wedding celebration. Four couples were joined in marriage on that happy day. Many couples in Honduras don’t get married because of the expense. Couples may live together for years or migrate from one relationship to the next, producing many children along the way. Unfortunately, there are many single mothers here in Honduras. In an effort to encourage marriage and obedience to God’s Word, our church works together to provide a wonderful ceremony and potluck. It was such a blessing to see God’s people serving one another in this exciting event.
Click here for wedding photos
The teachers and administration of ALP went away for their annual “Teacher Retreat” at Lake Yohoa the last weekend in february. We were able to bring our children to this event. We enjoyed times of worship, teaching from God’s Word (led by Mark & Serena Dunbar – career missionaries in Honduras), fellowship, and fun. We came away from this retreat with a renewed sense of purpose, a challenge to minister to our students, and a common goal and unity among the staff.
Click here for retreat photos
March 2 - 6, we traveled to San Pedro Sula, a 6 hour bus ride from Tegucigalpa, for a national soccer tournament. Pinares was one of three teams from Tegucigalpa who qualified for the tournament. Bryan coaches the juvenil (11th & 12th Grade) boys soccer team who ended up placing 4th in the tournament. This was an event of great pride for Academia Los Pinares. It has been many years since they’ve had a boys soccer team qualify for the tournament. The Pinares girls team also participated in the tournament. The girls and I took a few days off from school to accompany Bryan and the teams. We enjoyed the pool at the hotel and the hot and humid temperatures.
Click here for San Pedro Sula and Soccer Tourney photos
After many hours of preparation, the “Family Fun Day” was a success. Each grade in the secondary has carnival type games to raise money for their class. Bryan and I are advisors for the 7th grade class. This is a first for us, so it has been a learning experience (especially with my lack of organizational skills). We had a “Sponge Toss” and “Go Fish” game. I had the pleasure of getting my face soaked by a few wet sponges. The girls enjoyed ice cream, face painting, bouncy house, games, prizes, and Maddi got her nails done.
Click here for Family Fun Day photos
The Lord has been challenging me with two themes recently.
1) Salt and Light and the “lukewarm” Christian
Salt: Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
“You are either being corrupted by the world or you are salting it.” George Truett
There is no middle ground.
I’ve had to sit and ask myself, which one am I? I know that there have been seasons where my life didn’t look much different than the world. Am I adding salt to my surroundings & those I am in contact with? Does my life add flavor or is it bland? How can we be “salty”? “The Christian life is a matter of living out a God ordained life, fulfilling God’s ordained function. If I neglect to do this, I have no value in the kingdom of God.” Kay Arthur
Lord, give us courage and strength to be salt and light in this dark world.
Light: Matthew 5:14 – 16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
“You cannot walk in darkness and continue to claim a share in the Lord Jesus. You can’t share fellowship with Jesus if you are walking in darkness. Light doesn’t fellowship with darkness. Light dispels darkness. The two are incompatible.” Kay Arthur
We are just a vessel created to allow Christ’s light to shine to the world. Am I allowing Christ’s light to shine through me or am I hiding it? Am I afraid of what others will think if I boldly proclaim Christ’s love? What is more important to me, obeying Christ or what people think?
Lukewarm: Revelations 3:15-18 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Jesus wants all or nothing. There is no middle ground. I was convicted by the chapter “Profile of the Lukewarm” from Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love. Many of those profiles hit too close to home.
2) Do Not Worry
Matthew 6:25 –34 – I won’t write this all out.
Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things (food, clothing, drink) will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Anxiety and faith are incompatible. If I am worrying, I am not trusting in Him. If I am worrying, I’m sinning. If I am worrying, I am calling God a liar. I do not want to do this. God says He will take care of me. If I believe He is the Creator of the universe, the All Sovereign, powerful, loving God who cares about the sparrow, then I must believe that He will provide for all my needs. What are my worries? Are they too big for God? Am I trusting Him with my life?
I find it interesting to see that the word for worry in Spanish is “preocuparse”. How fitting when the fears of our future preoccupy our minds. I was starting to worry about next year. What freedom to know that the Lord knows where we’ll be next year. He knows where we will work, live, serve, etc… My burden has been lightened as I handed it over to Jesus. He cares. Just absorb that for a moment. The God of the universe cares for you.
This is probably our longest blog yet. I get excited about God’s Word! Let me wrap up this post with prayer requests and praises.
Praise
- We thank God for you and your faithfulness in praying for us.
- Praise God for our health and safety.
- The ALP juvenil soccer team that Bryan coached placed 4th in the nation.
- Family Fun Day was successful.
- The ability to view each day as a blessing from the Lord.
- We’ve had adequate financial provision.
Prayer
- Our neighbor Timmy Wood (age 4) swallowed wart medicine and is in the ICU. He has been in the hospital for 2 days so far.
- Timmy’s father hit a motorcyclist on the way home from the hospital. The motorcyclist is okay. It has been a very rough few days for the Wood family.
- My 4 secondary choirs are singing in the Music Festival March 25-26.
- Maddi has a skin issue that she has struggled with all year.
- Our water tank has a problem. We have been without water for an evening and morning about 3 times a week for the last 2 months. Now, the country is rationing water, so there will be even less. Please pray that someone will figure out the problem with our tank and be able to fix it.
- Continued safety.
On a lighter note, we have participated in many festivities in the last few months. In January, our church had a wedding celebration. Four couples were joined in marriage on that happy day. Many couples in Honduras don’t get married because of the expense. Couples may live together for years or migrate from one relationship to the next, producing many children along the way. Unfortunately, there are many single mothers here in Honduras. In an effort to encourage marriage and obedience to God’s Word, our church works together to provide a wonderful ceremony and potluck. It was such a blessing to see God’s people serving one another in this exciting event.
Click here for wedding photos
The teachers and administration of ALP went away for their annual “Teacher Retreat” at Lake Yohoa the last weekend in february. We were able to bring our children to this event. We enjoyed times of worship, teaching from God’s Word (led by Mark & Serena Dunbar – career missionaries in Honduras), fellowship, and fun. We came away from this retreat with a renewed sense of purpose, a challenge to minister to our students, and a common goal and unity among the staff.
Click here for retreat photos
March 2 - 6, we traveled to San Pedro Sula, a 6 hour bus ride from Tegucigalpa, for a national soccer tournament. Pinares was one of three teams from Tegucigalpa who qualified for the tournament. Bryan coaches the juvenil (11th & 12th Grade) boys soccer team who ended up placing 4th in the tournament. This was an event of great pride for Academia Los Pinares. It has been many years since they’ve had a boys soccer team qualify for the tournament. The Pinares girls team also participated in the tournament. The girls and I took a few days off from school to accompany Bryan and the teams. We enjoyed the pool at the hotel and the hot and humid temperatures.
Click here for San Pedro Sula and Soccer Tourney photos
After many hours of preparation, the “Family Fun Day” was a success. Each grade in the secondary has carnival type games to raise money for their class. Bryan and I are advisors for the 7th grade class. This is a first for us, so it has been a learning experience (especially with my lack of organizational skills). We had a “Sponge Toss” and “Go Fish” game. I had the pleasure of getting my face soaked by a few wet sponges. The girls enjoyed ice cream, face painting, bouncy house, games, prizes, and Maddi got her nails done.
Click here for Family Fun Day photos
The Lord has been challenging me with two themes recently.
1) Salt and Light and the “lukewarm” Christian
Salt: Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”
“You are either being corrupted by the world or you are salting it.” George Truett
There is no middle ground.
I’ve had to sit and ask myself, which one am I? I know that there have been seasons where my life didn’t look much different than the world. Am I adding salt to my surroundings & those I am in contact with? Does my life add flavor or is it bland? How can we be “salty”? “The Christian life is a matter of living out a God ordained life, fulfilling God’s ordained function. If I neglect to do this, I have no value in the kingdom of God.” Kay Arthur
Lord, give us courage and strength to be salt and light in this dark world.
Light: Matthew 5:14 – 16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
“You cannot walk in darkness and continue to claim a share in the Lord Jesus. You can’t share fellowship with Jesus if you are walking in darkness. Light doesn’t fellowship with darkness. Light dispels darkness. The two are incompatible.” Kay Arthur
We are just a vessel created to allow Christ’s light to shine to the world. Am I allowing Christ’s light to shine through me or am I hiding it? Am I afraid of what others will think if I boldly proclaim Christ’s love? What is more important to me, obeying Christ or what people think?
Lukewarm: Revelations 3:15-18 “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Jesus wants all or nothing. There is no middle ground. I was convicted by the chapter “Profile of the Lukewarm” from Francis Chan’s book Crazy Love. Many of those profiles hit too close to home.
2) Do Not Worry
Matthew 6:25 –34 – I won’t write this all out.
Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things (food, clothing, drink) will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of it’s own.
1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
Anxiety and faith are incompatible. If I am worrying, I am not trusting in Him. If I am worrying, I’m sinning. If I am worrying, I am calling God a liar. I do not want to do this. God says He will take care of me. If I believe He is the Creator of the universe, the All Sovereign, powerful, loving God who cares about the sparrow, then I must believe that He will provide for all my needs. What are my worries? Are they too big for God? Am I trusting Him with my life?
I find it interesting to see that the word for worry in Spanish is “preocuparse”. How fitting when the fears of our future preoccupy our minds. I was starting to worry about next year. What freedom to know that the Lord knows where we’ll be next year. He knows where we will work, live, serve, etc… My burden has been lightened as I handed it over to Jesus. He cares. Just absorb that for a moment. The God of the universe cares for you.
This is probably our longest blog yet. I get excited about God’s Word! Let me wrap up this post with prayer requests and praises.
Praise
- We thank God for you and your faithfulness in praying for us.
- Praise God for our health and safety.
- The ALP juvenil soccer team that Bryan coached placed 4th in the nation.
- Family Fun Day was successful.
- The ability to view each day as a blessing from the Lord.
- We’ve had adequate financial provision.
Prayer
- Our neighbor Timmy Wood (age 4) swallowed wart medicine and is in the ICU. He has been in the hospital for 2 days so far.
- Timmy’s father hit a motorcyclist on the way home from the hospital. The motorcyclist is okay. It has been a very rough few days for the Wood family.
- My 4 secondary choirs are singing in the Music Festival March 25-26.
- Maddi has a skin issue that she has struggled with all year.
- Our water tank has a problem. We have been without water for an evening and morning about 3 times a week for the last 2 months. Now, the country is rationing water, so there will be even less. Please pray that someone will figure out the problem with our tank and be able to fix it.
- Continued safety.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2011, here we go!
Now that the tinsel has settled from all of the Christmas activities, I finally feel like there is some time to update our blog. While we were unable to return to the states for Christmas, we really enjoyed the relaxing time here in Honduras. Kimberly's sister, Mel, joined us here for about 9 days. It was fun hosting our first visitor from the states and showing her the sights here in Tegucigalpa. Being from Montana, Mel wanted some warmth and sunshine so we returned to Amapala again for four days to enjoy the beaches and 90 degree heat. The excitement during our trip peaked when a large scorpion came trotting out of our bathroom right before bedtime. Needless to say, the girls went screaming out of the apartment we were renting. The scorpion was dealt with but getting to sleep proved to be a bit more challenging that night.
Click here for photos of our Amapala trip
Before Christmas break, our school participated in something like "Operation Christmas Box" and we blessed the students at AFE with gifts. Amor, Fe, y Esperanza (AFE) is a ministry/school here that serves children who live at the city dump. Their families are very poor and live off what they can gather from the trash. AFE was started to give these kids some hope, education, and skills for a future outside of the dump. We chose five AFE students to bless, spent a few weeks buying gifts for them, and were able to deliver the gifts to them in person. It was a heartwarming event for all of our staff and for our daughters as well.
Click here for photos of AFE
Kimberly and the girls were also very busy before the break with Christmas productions. Kimberly's choir performed well at both the elementary and secondary music concerts. She also directed our church choir for their annual Christmas play. Our girls all sang in the elementary musical and both Maddi and Clara had small speaking roles. Maddi was also on stage as an angel in the church play as well. It was a bit hectic for a couple of weeks but the performances were a fun way to kick off the Christmas season.
Click here for photos of the Christmas concerts/plays
Since both Kim and I really enjoy hiking and because Mel was in town, we headed up to La Tigra national park for a nice hike. We really haven't had a chance to enjoy the natural beauty here much so it was a fun (and tiring) afternoon of exploring. La Tigra is only 20 minutes from where we live and is a protected high elevation rain forest. We had a great time stretching our legs on the trails of La Tigra.
Click here for photos of La Tigra
Thank your for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers as we serve the students here at Academia Los Pinares. We hope that you had a fantastic Christmas and that 2011 is treating you well so far!
~The McNiels
Click here for photos of our Amapala trip
Before Christmas break, our school participated in something like "Operation Christmas Box" and we blessed the students at AFE with gifts. Amor, Fe, y Esperanza (AFE) is a ministry/school here that serves children who live at the city dump. Their families are very poor and live off what they can gather from the trash. AFE was started to give these kids some hope, education, and skills for a future outside of the dump. We chose five AFE students to bless, spent a few weeks buying gifts for them, and were able to deliver the gifts to them in person. It was a heartwarming event for all of our staff and for our daughters as well.
Click here for photos of AFE
Kimberly and the girls were also very busy before the break with Christmas productions. Kimberly's choir performed well at both the elementary and secondary music concerts. She also directed our church choir for their annual Christmas play. Our girls all sang in the elementary musical and both Maddi and Clara had small speaking roles. Maddi was also on stage as an angel in the church play as well. It was a bit hectic for a couple of weeks but the performances were a fun way to kick off the Christmas season.
Click here for photos of the Christmas concerts/plays
Since both Kim and I really enjoy hiking and because Mel was in town, we headed up to La Tigra national park for a nice hike. We really haven't had a chance to enjoy the natural beauty here much so it was a fun (and tiring) afternoon of exploring. La Tigra is only 20 minutes from where we live and is a protected high elevation rain forest. We had a great time stretching our legs on the trails of La Tigra.
Click here for photos of La Tigra
Thank your for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers as we serve the students here at Academia Los Pinares. We hope that you had a fantastic Christmas and that 2011 is treating you well so far!
~The McNiels
Friday, December 24, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Christmas is almost here!
Well, the Halloween and Thanksgiving festivities have passed since our last post and now we look forward to the celebration of our Savior's birth. Since we're not back in Bothell, the girls longed for something that felt like home so the pestering about getting a Christmas tree began a day or two after Halloween. The parental guilt of not going home for Christmas added to our inability to hold out until after Thanksgiving. So, two weeks into November, our little tree was already up. We bought a few lights, ornaments, and a fairly cheap 6-foot tree and the girls took delight in decorating it. Since the tree was a bit short on ornaments, we decided to cut up some cardboard boxes and make ornaments of our own. It is a bit surreal to celebrate Christmas when it is sunny and 70 degrees every day but don't in any way take that as a complaint.
School is bumping along as normal with kids (and teachers) anxious for Christmas break and music concerts just a week away. Kimberly has been preparing all of her choir classes for this concert since August so please pray that things go as planned and that the students will perform their best. Over break, Kimberly's sister will be coming down for about nine days to check out our life here. We plan to take her to all the main sights here in Tegus and then spend four days hanging out on the beach in Amapala. It will be fun to play tour guide to our first visitor and even better to have someone from home to celebrate Christmas with.
On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, we had the opportunity to serve some less fortunate kids. There is a breakfast program at a small church in a rather poor part of Tegucigalpa that welcomes volunteers to help out. So, we packed up the girls and went with a few other teachers to help make breakfast and just hang out with the children. Our girls were fairly hesitant to go but after it was all done, they didn't want to leave and asked when we would return. It is such a blessing to see the joy our daughters get by serving others. We figured that a good expression of our thanksgiving would be to extend our time and energy to others. It was an enriching experience that we hope to do again sometime soon.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Here are a few photos of our fall party, Christmas tree decorating, Thanksgiving, and volunteering in Tegus.
November 2010 Photos
School is bumping along as normal with kids (and teachers) anxious for Christmas break and music concerts just a week away. Kimberly has been preparing all of her choir classes for this concert since August so please pray that things go as planned and that the students will perform their best. Over break, Kimberly's sister will be coming down for about nine days to check out our life here. We plan to take her to all the main sights here in Tegus and then spend four days hanging out on the beach in Amapala. It will be fun to play tour guide to our first visitor and even better to have someone from home to celebrate Christmas with.
On Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, we had the opportunity to serve some less fortunate kids. There is a breakfast program at a small church in a rather poor part of Tegucigalpa that welcomes volunteers to help out. So, we packed up the girls and went with a few other teachers to help make breakfast and just hang out with the children. Our girls were fairly hesitant to go but after it was all done, they didn't want to leave and asked when we would return. It is such a blessing to see the joy our daughters get by serving others. We figured that a good expression of our thanksgiving would be to extend our time and energy to others. It was an enriching experience that we hope to do again sometime soon.
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Here are a few photos of our fall party, Christmas tree decorating, Thanksgiving, and volunteering in Tegus.
November 2010 Photos
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Fun in the sun!
The first quarter of the school year is now over and we're rapidly headed into the holiday season. For Kimberly, this means that the choir class rehearsals are limited before the Christmas concerts. As any performance-based teacher knows, it never feels like you are ready but things generally do fall into place on the big day. For me, this time of year is busy for seniors completing college applications and scrambling for scholarships in order to pay for college. There is no such thing as "in-state" tuition for these students so finding financial resources to help cover college costs is often the deciding factor of whether or not to go to the states for college. I also start coaching high school boys soccer this week. The girls will also be starting up ballet lessons in the next few weeks. There aren't many extracurricular options for elementary kids here so they (and we) are looking forward to this new opportunity for fun and exercise. Please keep us all in your thought/prayers as we enter this new season.
Some of you may wonder what our mission is here? Well, although this is a private Christian bilingual school, the main reason that many families send their students here is for the opportunity to learn English. They don't mind that it is a Christian school as long as their student is taught in English and has the opportunity to some day go to the states for college. Although Kimberly had high hopes of serving single mothers in some capacity and perhaps will be able to in the future, our main objective is to serve the students at Pinares and be a light to them and their families. This is fresh on our minds as we are in the midst of spiritual emphasis week here at the school. We are blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful staff who share in this mission.
On another note, we were able to take our first vacation here in Honduras. It was nice to see more of this beautiful country. The weather was fantastic (85-90 degrees) and the time for rest and relaxation was even better. We continue to praise God for providing a car for us so that we could take this trip to Coyolito (near Amapala on the Pacific coast). It was a 3-4 hour drive on paved, gravel, and dirt roads. My ability to dodge potholes is becoming an artform. While in Coyolito and Amapala, our eyes were opened to the fact that even in "touristy" areas, the poverty is still prevalent. Case in point, Bernabe, our "captain" for the weekend, has lived his whole life in the area surviving as a fisherman. He was telling us that it has been a hard life with little opportunity to make a living. When asked about his family, he proudly spoke of his daughter who now lives in Texas working at a restaurant for $200/week. We might see her financial situation as poor and deprived but to Bernabe, she had "made it" and was well off. Hmmm...perspectives. Bernabe was happy to take us by boat from island to island in the bay for the weekend knowing that this may be one of the few times he could earn money this week (or even this month). Below are two links to photos of some bugs, insects, and zoo animals here in Honduras and photos of our weekend getaway. Although we do miss our friends and family, we don't particularly miss the weather. 80 degrees every day here in Tegucigalpa is treating us just fine. We hope you are all doing well!
Bugs, insects, and zoo animals
Trip to Coyolito and Amapala
Some of you may wonder what our mission is here? Well, although this is a private Christian bilingual school, the main reason that many families send their students here is for the opportunity to learn English. They don't mind that it is a Christian school as long as their student is taught in English and has the opportunity to some day go to the states for college. Although Kimberly had high hopes of serving single mothers in some capacity and perhaps will be able to in the future, our main objective is to serve the students at Pinares and be a light to them and their families. This is fresh on our minds as we are in the midst of spiritual emphasis week here at the school. We are blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful staff who share in this mission.
On another note, we were able to take our first vacation here in Honduras. It was nice to see more of this beautiful country. The weather was fantastic (85-90 degrees) and the time for rest and relaxation was even better. We continue to praise God for providing a car for us so that we could take this trip to Coyolito (near Amapala on the Pacific coast). It was a 3-4 hour drive on paved, gravel, and dirt roads. My ability to dodge potholes is becoming an artform. While in Coyolito and Amapala, our eyes were opened to the fact that even in "touristy" areas, the poverty is still prevalent. Case in point, Bernabe, our "captain" for the weekend, has lived his whole life in the area surviving as a fisherman. He was telling us that it has been a hard life with little opportunity to make a living. When asked about his family, he proudly spoke of his daughter who now lives in Texas working at a restaurant for $200/week. We might see her financial situation as poor and deprived but to Bernabe, she had "made it" and was well off. Hmmm...perspectives. Bernabe was happy to take us by boat from island to island in the bay for the weekend knowing that this may be one of the few times he could earn money this week (or even this month). Below are two links to photos of some bugs, insects, and zoo animals here in Honduras and photos of our weekend getaway. Although we do miss our friends and family, we don't particularly miss the weather. 80 degrees every day here in Tegucigalpa is treating us just fine. We hope you are all doing well!
Bugs, insects, and zoo animals
Trip to Coyolito and Amapala
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