Adventure Is Out There

I love having the opportunity to travel while living here. Traveling is usually accompanied by finding more out about the people I go with and seeing more of God's beautiful creation. This past trip was no different. The Honduran government decided to give the country another 5 day weekend, so I went with 5 other teachers to Managua, Nicaragua.

After a day of traveling on a bus and a night of rest at our bed and breakfast, we started our first full day in Managua. We decided to go to the volcano that is fairly close by. All 6 of us crammed into a taxi for about $4.00 and headed to the "bus station" by the university. After being ushered into a 15 passenger van, we made it to the town of Masaya. Apparently there was a misunderstanding, so a nice lady helped us to take another bus to finally get to the entrance of the volcano.
Success! So we got to the entrance, but then we had to decide if we wanted to pay about $4.00 each to get a ride up to the top of the volcano, or walk the 6 kilometers to the top. We decided to walk, well, more like hike, and I'm so glad we did. I'm constantly amazed by the beauty God displays in His creation, and walking up to the top of the volcano left me speechless once again. The hike was a bit much at times, so we decided to walk backwards up the hill. Seems strange, but that was even more awesome. It was a reminder of God's strength displayed in His creation as well reminding me that He was giving me the strength to keep walking.
Anyway, we eventually go to the top and I looked inside of my first volcano. Once again, speechless as I was reminded that my God created that. How cool. We even got the opportunity to ride horses up another hill to see two more craters and of course more gorgeous views. Our trip to the volcano was probably my favorite part of the trip.
We got a ride back down to the entrance and went back to the town of Masaya for some shopping and dinner. As soon as we sat down at the restaurant where we ate dinner, it starting pouring rain, and I was reminded of God's power once again. The food was delicious, and the bathrooms didn't cost too much to use either. All in all, a fantastic way to start our trip.

The second day, we decided to go to the nearby town of Granada. We sat down to eat breakfast and enjoyed a meal talking with a couple of pastors from Oregon and Texas who were in Nicaragua checking on the churches they had helped plant there. It was a great conversation about how God is continuing to use people from all over to build His kingdom all over the world. We then took a bus to Granada and started adventuring. God was definitely protecting us as we walked through the streets of Granada (some not so touristy) and looked in lots of different shops. We enjoyed delicious pizza, stopped in the Chocolate House, and even played so Trivial Pursuit in an art coffee house. We made sure to buy some coffee for back at the house before leaving Granada and heading back to the hotel.

Our third day, we stayed around Managua. First, we went to a lagoon in the city and walked around it for a while. It was a good time to just reflect on how God had provided for us throughout the trip. We walked to a nearby mall once finishing our walk around the lagoon to get some lunch and snacks for the bus ride back to Tegucigalpa. I ventured out to a nearby coffee shop with two friends after leaving the mall. I think we found Nicaragua's version of Starbucks in Casa del Cafe. Once again, I was amazed at the way God had used traveling as a way to talk and share life with friends in my community.

Since coming back to Tegucigalpa, I've been to the doctor twice. The first time I went last Monday, I found out that I had bronchitis and that the weather and pollution were aggravating my asthma. After 2 days of resting and a week of using a nebulizer, I still wasn't feeling better. I went back this past Monday, and the doctor told me that I had a sinus infection and an upper respiratory infection and needed 3 more days of rest. I've realized something while trying to fight these illnesses. I don't like resting. I like being busy. I like doing things. I don't like being in the house by myself. But, that time has been good to reflect and remember God's goodness to me. Man. I'm beginning to realize that I'll never fully understand God's steadfast love, and I'm so thankful for that. It's greater than my comprehension! I haven't always been the best student, but God continues to teach me more and more. Thank you so much for your prayers and support as I'm here and even when I'm back in Ohio. I am blessed with wonderful communities wherever I go.

Now, get ready for a picture overload...

My housemates and I at the beginning of our 6 kilometer journey!

Romans 1: 20

Psalm 46

Isaiah 40

Crater number 2

Walking through Granada

See those mountains in the background? I love those.

Ephesians 3:14-21: Students, Community, and Lessons

    The first partial of school is already over, and November is quickly approaching. I finally feel as if I'm back in the swing of teaching again as I have routines and schedules. My kids are working super hard to do all that is asked of them, and they continue to bring me joy in their random comments and gestures. The more I'm here, the more I realize how blessed I am to have the opportunity to teach in a place where sharing the gospel and the love of Christ is encouraged. I love being able to stop and pray for my kids when I'm frustrated. I love hearing the preschoolers shout praises every morning (the most precious noise ever). I love being able to take time to sit with a crying student and remind him that God made him with unique gifts and talents. There are definitely hard parts of teaching with its work load and technicalities, but the intentional time with my students is so so worth it.

     This year, I've seen both deeper sadness and deeper joy from my students. God continues to teach me so much through them. My eyes have been opened so much as well to the reality of the home lives of some students. Most of the students at my school are from higher income families, but that doesn't mean those families aren't broken. One of my students showed me a bruise on his leg that brought me to tears when I learned that it was from his father. A lot of my students only live with one parent and sometimes even their grandparents. A lot of my kids also don't understand why they need extra help in their learning and have cried because they don't want to be "different". My heart is breaking more and more every day. BUT God also shows me continually why we are to become like children. They are so full of joy and so genuine in their concerns. They break out in dance daily, and I'm constantly laughing at their sweet words. As I asked for prayer requests one day, my third grader said "Miss, we just need to pray for the people who don't have homes or food." I know that teachers never stop learning because education is constantly changing; however, I would say that I never stop learning because my kids are always teaching me new life lessons.

     The teacher community has also blown me away this year. Just last week, we had a worship/game night where many of us gathered together to sit and worship in Spirit and in truth on a Friday night. The message was presented from Psalm 107. I loved being able to simply look through scripture together as the body of Christ and make connections to Jesus even in a chapter from the Old Testament. It never ceases to amaze me how sound God's word is, and how that is just proven more and more as we search it and know it. Worship night left me with the desire to learn the many names/descriptions of Jesus, so that's something I'll be doing in these next few months as I search through the gospels. I'm already blown away by it.

     This school year is off to a fantastic start, and I'm doing my best to take in all that God is teaching me. I think I've specifically been learning about humility this year in so many different ways. A lot of it has to do with my desire to control certain areas of my life that I can't. This past week, both of my grandparents ended up in the hospital. It really scared me. It's hard to be here when I know that hard things are happening back in Ohio. That is when God helped to remind me of the peace that comes when I place my trust in Him and put my focus back on Him rather than my worries as "'Tis So Sweet'" started to play on my radio station. He encouraged me through the prayers of many friends and showed me of His might and power. I was humbled and brought to my knees once again as I remembered that in the end, God has the victory. He is sovereign and bigger than I can ever imagine. His love is incomprehensible. He chooses to call me His child, and I am so thankful for that grace. God's goodness leaves me speechless and smiling. Even though these teachable moments are often the hard ones, I'm blown away by the way that God is continuing to teach me more about His faithfulness and goodness day after day.

Psalm 73:26

So this is just past my month mark of being back in Honduras for the new school year. September is already half over, and I've already settled back into my house and community. It still amazes me how quickly God has provided me with communities wherever I may be in the world. This country is no different. Of course things have changed a bit with old teachers heading back to the states and new teachers arriving, but a community is still here for me to be a part of. I was fearful that the transition out of summer life and into Tegucigalpa would be difficult. I knew I would miss friends and family who I was blessed to see and have wonderful conversations with this summer. And there have definitely been times where that difficulty is present. However, God is constant and faithful, and He has been reminding me of that even still. 

I've done more this month than I thought could be packed into a few short weeks. One of the first weeks here, we went on a teacher retreat where I was able to get better acquainted with teachers whom I had never talked with before. I've gone to a lot of community events, spent time with my housemates, gotten sick a few times, missed people from Ohio, and written lots of lesson plans. Just last week, I even learned a few Honduran dances that myself along with other teachers performed in front of teachers, parents, and students to celebrate Honduras' Independence Day. I went with a few friends to a couple beautiful waterfalls, even though we may have gotten lost along the way. My life has been full of so much "doing" in the past 4 weeks that I've been here. I love doing things and being with others, but have I really been making the most of the "down time" that I have been given as well, or have I just been wanting that time to pass in order to do more things?

This past weekend was a 4 day weekend for teachers at IST which turned into a 5 day weekend. Last night when I heard that we didn't have school today because the Honduran Minister of Education declared it a holiday, I was thankful for another day to do things with people. I was planning on playing ultimate frisbee, going to get groceries, and spending time at Bible Study later tonight. Instead, I got super sick last night with something that continued into today. When I woke up, I was so mad to be experiencing the same pains in my stomach that I had last night. Wasn't this supposed to be another day for me to enjoy and hang out with people? Instead it turned into a day when I honestly spent most of my time either in the bathroom or on the couch. There were a few things that came out of this day though.God reminded me to be thankful and humble. He gave me a day where I didn't have to worry about teaching my kids. He helped me to be thankful for good health when I do have it. And now as I'm reflecting, God is reminding me to be thankful of those alone times I get with Him. I prayed today more than I have in a few days because I continued to ask God to heal my body. After I was praying for a bit this morning, those cries for healing turned into songs of praise. That's right. I was thanking God for taking care of me even when my body seemed to be fighting me. 

I have Psalm 73:26 written on a notecard right next to my bathroom mirror. It made me laugh this morning as the words read "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." My body seemed to be failing me this morning, but God was my strength. I am feeling a lot better even though my stomach still hurts. God gave me opportunities to rely on His word and His strength. Today was a day to be reminded of the goodness of God. More than that, I was taught about the importance of taking time to stop and listen to what He is teaching me, even if it's through my sickness. I'm thankful of how God has been speaking into my life, and how He has taught me the importance of glorifying Him and humbling myself. 

Please continue to keep me in your prayers as transitions are still taking place and my health still isn't great. Thank you so much for all of your support!

My student and I during Fiesta Catracha (the day my school celebrates Independence Day).

This waterfall is called Pulhapanzak. God rendered me speechless with this one.

Lago de Yojoa, Honduras

Meet Natalie Grace! She's the brand new daughter of two IST teachers :)

Summer Days

     This summer has flown by faster than I could have ever imagined. I came back to Ohio thinking that 7+ weeks sounded like such a long time to visit, but now that it has come and gone, I wish I had just a few more days. I feel so blessed to have spent so much of my weeks in Ohio with wonderful people who have continued to help encourage and support me both here and while I'm in Honduras. I even got to spend over 2 weeks at camp which is definitely one of my favorite places to be. Despite spraining my ankle, having to go to the doctor's office a few times for my toe, getting in a car accident, and doing less work than I was originally planning, this summer was well spent and God protected me. He has reminded me so much of His faithfulness through those not so great situations. Tonight my parents opened the car insurance and medical insurance statements too, and not only is the medical insurance covering all of my summer expenses, but the car insurance sent us a check that will more than cover the repairs needed for my car. As much as I worry, God is constantly blowing me away by taking care of financial issues.
     So now the 5 day countdown has begun. I leave on Friday, and honestly I don't feel ready to do so yet. I've told a few friends that I think I've finally adjusted back to living in the states. This is comfortable now and I don't want to leave it. Transitions are also always difficult with saying goodbyes and readjusting, and I just don't want to feel those emotions yet. However, days and hours are still passing, and soon I'll be back in the place I called home just 2 months ago. I know that once I reunite with friends, church family, coworkers, and students in Honduras, everything will seem familiar again and be wonderful. The time in between is simply rough.
     Through the anticipation of moving back to Tegucigalpa, I've been able to spend a lot of time in prayer as I ask God to remind me to trust in His faithfulness and guidance in my life. Change is often hard, but God has reminded me that He truly is my constant. No matter where I am, He is there, and He is the same. The people around me will change. I'll have new students and different challenges, but God remains constant. And His faithfulness is so magnificent. He has not only provided me with one place to live with a supportive and encouraging community of brothers and sisters in Christ, but with two. I'm thankful for those times when I am brought low in order to be made more aware of God's love, grace, and mercy for me. I've been showered with that lately, and I'm seeing what a blessing that has been. So, the next time I post will be from Honduras, full of more lessons that God is teaching me and experiences that He is giving me. Thanks again for all of your prayers and support! I really appreciate them :)

Here a few pictures of some wonderful people I saw this summer!!

I was able to meet this beautiful girl this summer!

A surprise meeting with Meagan at The Fest :)

Alex taught me how to play a few chords on the ukulele at Marjorie's house.

Black raspberry picking with these great guys!

A mini camp reunion took place in the back yard.

And finally, a wonderful reunion with this gem from Wisconsin :)

1 Peter 5:10

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10 NLT

Like usual, a lot has happened in the past few weeks, but I'm not quite sure how to summarize it. Third partial at school ended with parent teacher conferences this past week, fourth partial (and my last 8 weeks of school!) has begun, and I now have a few more stamps in my passport. I have felt overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, upset, lonely, and frustrated lately. Through that, God has also been faithful to restore me, support me, and strengthen me despite the emotions I have been feeling. His promises are truth and I have been learning to lean more and more upon those promises daily.

This is the beach we visited every day during vacation. 

Last week, I had the opportunity to travel a bit with four friends during Semana Santa (Holy week) as we enjoyed a week on a beach in Costa Rica. This was definitely a time where I felt God restoring me as I felt so refreshed upon my return to Tegucigalpa. I absolutely loved being able to experience a more laid back surf town for a while where life seemed to move more slowly. My friends and I relaxed on the beach, built a sand castle, jumped in the waves, walked along the shore, met such hospitable people, and discovered delicious restaurants. We also did some more adventurous things such as ziplining through the jungle and kayaking down a river that led to the Pacific Ocean. Every morning I was able to start my day reading through the gospels about Jesus' betrayal, death, and resurrection in a hammock looking out to the ocean. God used Semana Santa to refresh me physically and spiritually as I was reminded of the rest I can find in Him. He brought me so much restoration during this time as well as showing me a little bit more of this beautiful world He created. Seriously. Creation is simply gorgeous.

Just ziplining through the jungle in Costa Rica...

Throughout the past few months, God has supported me through so many people in my life. I am humbled at how many people have just listened to me and prayed for me in such various ways of communication. My bible study here has been such a blessing as we have started reading and digging through the gospels together. It's rare to find such a strong group of women who are also as vulnerable as those ladies. My family and friends in the states have also been so encouraging and uplifting during my time away. God has introduced me to so many people here as well to speak truth and hope into my life in the most incredible ways too. Man. I am blown away by the way God has taken me care of me in terms of supporting me in this life He has chosen to give me.

This is one of my housemates. She has definitely been a blessing in my life!

In terms of becoming stronger, I feel that typically happens when my weaknesses are magnified. This year has definitely not been easy by any means. I have gone through more transitions that I can count and I've wondered what I am doing here a few times. Through all of that, God has strengthen my trust in His will for my life and He has shown His hand in my life through whatever may come my way. I am more confident than ever before in the promises God has made and that confidence fills me with such joy. I have learned more than I thought could fit into my brain. I've been blown away by God's faithfulness time and time again. This is hard, but so worth it. God has taken my weaknesses and turned them into learning opportunities. When I start to get down on myself, I am reminded that God is working and moving in my life. Praise Him!

I really can't thank you all enough for you support and encouragement throughout my (almost) 9 months here! Please continue to pray for me to seek and take advantage that God presents me here in my time here before I return to the states for the summer. Next weekend I'll be helping with a Camp for the Blind just outside of the city. I don't feel like I can adequately explain how excited I am to see what God does in that time. I'm so thankful for opportunities that God has already placed in my path, and I'm sure it's just the beginning!

How Deep the Father's Love

I feel as if February didn't really happen and these past few weeks have flown by. My time here has gone by so quickly. Then again, as a friend says, what is time? I was looking at a calendar the other day and realized that I moved to Honduras 7 months ago. Four years ago, I never would have imagined feeling this content living in a country outside of the states for so long. God has surely blessed me in my time here through the many joyful times and times of weakness.

A few weeks ago during my spring break time at the end of February, I was able to meet up with Carlos and Barbara from my church here and volunteer with a mission team they had in to help at Nueva Esperanza. We acted out the story of Joseph for the preschoolers and kindergartners, built a bunk-bed in the home of a few Nueva Esperanza kids, talked with kids in broken Spanish, and went to the children's museum in town called Chiminike (kind of like CoSI in Columbus). It was amazing to see how those kids just love unconditionally. Even though it was the first time I had met all of them, they immediately gave me hugs and kisses because they just wanted to love and be loved. Seeing them experience Chiminike for the first time and have the opportunity to explore and discover new things was wonderful as well. Such excitement exuded from their faces :) Throughout my time with the mission team and Barbara and Carlos, I felt extremely blessed to meet the people that I did.

This is Veronica. She was my shadow
during our trip to Chiminike :)

Since coming back from Christmas break, I think the relationships I have with my students have been deepening too. This is something I have been continually praying for, and I ask that you would lift those relationships up in prayer as well. I am confident that God is working in their lives. One of my students was working on a test in my room yesterday, and he had to write a sentence with one of his spelling words in it. The word was "nothing", so he wrote "Nothing is compared with God's power!" What a rich and simple truth to be reminded of by a fourth grader.

I also had the opportunity to read with three special second graders yesterday. To celebrate reading, parents of students were invited to come into school at the end of the day and have their children read to them. During this time, I went in to visit some of my students in the second grade class I work with. My precious little girl who I work with broke down crying when I noticed that something was wrong. Her mom wasn't able to come and read with her, and she was very upset. Because of this, I asked her teacher if I could take her outside and read with her. Instead I read with three girls whose parents weren't able to come. I absolutely loved this precious opportunity to spend some time outside of class to simply shower these girls with love.

These are two of the second grade girls who I had
 the opportunity to read with yesterday. 

Six of my second grade girls! They're all so beautiful :)

Within the past couple weeks, I have been overwhelmed by encouragement and love from people who God has placed in my life. Last weekend, I had the opportunity to head up the mountain and stay with two other wonderful women from my school. During that time, we were able to find a quiet spot in the beauty of God's creation and pray, journal, read, and share together. God has also given me an amazing prayer partner at my school to lift me up and keep me accountable. In the past few weeks, I've been able to skype a few people who spoke such truth into my life as well. I'm humbled and blown away by how much support God has provided for me especially in these past few weeks.

I know these were a bunch of random tidbits of my life from the past few weeks, but I think that throughout this entire year, God has been teaching me more about His faithfulness and His unending love. I've seen it through my students, my friends, and my coworkers, and thinking about it renders me speechless. The more I think about His deep love, the deeper it appears. God is faithful, and He always provides exactly what I need.

A rainbow from my school parking lot! God is constantly
reminding me that He is fulfilling His promises. 

Thank you so much for your prayers and continued support! I truly am blessed to be lifted up by so many wonderful people. As a special prayer request, I want to ask prayer for my friend and fellow teacher here. Her name is Lindsey, and she had an appendectomy here late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. She is doing well now, but prayers for continued healing would be much appreciated. Thanks so much :)

Bonus picture! This is Genesis from Nueva Esperanza. She
is sponsored by a wonderful woman from my church in Kingsville!

Humility and Trials

It's been over a month since I've been back in Tegucigalpa, and it has flown by much quicker than I could have ever imagined. A lot have changes have taken place this past month! My coworker went on maternity leave and since then two different teachers have come to take her place. Her baby is now here and he is cute as can be :) I think we'll finally get one teacher to be a sub for her for the rest of her maternity leave. What a blessing! Baby Elias came into the world to greet us last Saturday, February 8th. Please pray for his parents, Melina and Hans as they continue to transition into their new roles as parents!

This past month has definitely had its ups and downs, but I've been constantly reminded that God is constant and faithful. More than that, He is constantly faithful. In my church here, my pastor started a sermon series on 1 Peter. The very beginning of 1 Peter is Peter encouraging believers that they are chosen people who are living as foreigners in a land that is not their home. As the first chapter continues, Peter talks about the joy that is ahead even though we may have to endure many trials now. I know that God's glory will be revealed on the last day for all to see, but I don't always understand why some people seem to endure such great suffering and others so little. Then I continued to read. 1 Peter 1:7 says this, "These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--though your faith is far more precious that mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world." I know that God is working through every sorrow and trial because I feel Him drawing me even closer to Himself in the middle of those times.

On a different note, God has reminded me so much of His abundant love and grace over this past week. On my birthday last week, I told a friend that it was a great day when I felt so blessed and humbled. I felt extremely blessed because of all of the love that I felt showered with from family and friends in person and through facebook. The dose of humility, however, was something that I wasn't expecting. Have you ever been given something that was a wonderful surprise and you felt like you could never ever deserve anything like it? That's how I felt on my birthday. I couldn't tell you how many hugs from students, notes from teachers, and messages on facebook simply overfilled my heart with joy. Then it struck me. That love that I felt was only a glimpse of the love that God my Father has for me every day. It might be extremely hard for me to accept it, but He extends it freely anyway. There's nothing that I did to deserve it, and nothing I could ever do, just like all of the kindness I received on my birthday. I just have to accept and remember that it is a true gift. His grace and love struck a different tone that day, and now I feel continually reminded to just be thankful for that grace and love. I hope that my life will be seen as a constant praise of who God is and what He has done/is doing in my life.

Thank you all again for so much encouragement and love. Your prayers mean the world to me. To know that so many people are lifting me up to the One who cares the most about me is just about the most heartwarming thing I can think of. And as a treat, here's a picture of baby Elias Keane at just one week old :) Much love to you all!

Philippians 3:20

This past month has been quite a whirlwind of transitions, hellos, goodbyes, and lots of emotions. I had a wonderful time getting to visit and spend time with family, friends, and church family while I was back in Ohio for just over 2 weeks for Christmas break. What a blessing it is to have so many people who support and encourage me even though I may only get to see them every once in a while. My eyes well up with tears at the thought of how humbling it is to find out that so many people have been praying for me continuously as I've been here in Honduras. So thank you so very much to all of you who support me in so many different ways!

I absolutely loved being back in Ohio, but that made coming back harder than I expected. I was worried and afraid that as soon as I landed I would have to make a huge transition back into the country again. Readjust to the culture, start over with friendships, and learn how to be a teacher just like back in September. That was one of the hardest times for me, and I definitely did not want to have to repeat the process. With flight delays and cancellations bringing my travel time up to three days, the anxiousness I associated with coming back only intensified.

God was so faithful in getting me back into Tegucigalpa, and all of the flights ended up working out one way or another. He sent me people along the way to guide me and comfort me, and they even spoke English! Once I was picked up from the airport and starting going back to my house, I realized that everything seemed familiar again. This is where I work and live. I recognized the stores, houses, and potholes in the roads. I wouldn't have to go through a major transition again after all.

This got me to thinking a lot about where I call home. When I was in Ohio, I had a moment when I couldn't find my winter hat. I looked everywhere in my room for it, but I got so frustrated when I realized that it could be in quite a few different places just because things never got fully put away from moving back from college and then down to Honduras. I felt blessed and frustrated all at once to come to the knowledge that I basically live in two different places. God then started to whisper to me and tell me that it’s almost good to be uncomfortable in this world because this isn't my home anyway. My home is in heaven. That fact blows my mind! No matter what city I end up in, heaven will still be my home. I love living in Tegucigalpa, and no matter how cold it may get (-35 degrees) I love living in Ohio, but I also am now more confident than ever that when I get to heaven, I’ll truly feel at home. What a blessing that is :)

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.”

Philippians 3:20