Who would think...

As the sun brings early morning light to the island, there's a sense of peace and calm to the outside eye.  The night has been anything but peaceful, and many have forfeited hours of sleep to anxiety and alarm.  Around 2:30 a.m. we woke up to our bed shaking rather strong and the sure realization that an earthquake was in progress.  We held each other, waiting for a much delayed end to the rumbling that seemed much longer than actual seconds that went by.  Then it stopped.  For obvious reasons, it took awhile to get back to sleep.

Around 5:15 a.m. (and the sun was up!) Ewings - our island friend who is like one of our staff - calls out to Larry, "Are you awake, Larry? Are you awake?"  Larry's reply was, "Well, I am now!"  Several islanders wanted to know what our computer said about the tsunami that was coming.  We laughed and joked about it as the computer was booting and then to our surprise, we found out there really HAD been a tsunami alert, but it had been lifted.  The earthquake registered 7.1 (now I am reading reports that say 7.3, if it matters!) and the epicenter was within 50 miles north of us.  There was no reported damage on our island, other than TVs and other items that had crashed to the floor in some homes.  No one showed up at our medical clinic.  But it was the talk on the path.  Spanish school was cancelled as we heard all schools in Honduras were cancelled, but our English school was in session.  Before our bell rang, a number of younger students told me very excited versions from their viewpoint of waking up in the earthquake.  It was great to talk to them and tell them about earthquakes and reassure them that God is in control.  He protected us and was gracious, as He is that kind of Father to us.  We are thankful the Lord allowed us to "ride the waves" a little differently this time!

 

How hot is it!?!

How hot is it?  Pretty hot.  It's so hot ... 

that the dishes I am washing are warm, like they have been sitting in the oven!

that clothes are dying on the line within 30 minutes - just like an electric dryer!

that you simply cannot eat chocolate, esp. M & M's - your hands turn into runny rainbows!

that the cold water out of the shower onto my body is warn water by the time it reaches my knees!

that I am sweating furiously ... and I'm just sitting!

that we are drinking a Nalgene every hour!

It's pretty hot.  Pray for breezes!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, David has been taking care of other creatures - here, a gecko.  This little guy was pretty snappy when Deirdre tried to pet it.  

David has also taken under his wing (haha) a chicken that has chosen to sit on her eggs in a box at the tool shed.  He plans to build a small coop for her in the near future.

Saturday, part 2

As Dominic and Deirdre and I left the Northside beach, we discovered that one of the iguana (see previous post) had obviously dropped off the line and was left on the beach.  Finding it was still  alive, our job was to free it without getting bit!  Deirdre held it down while Dominic untangled its claws.  I took pictures.   Deirdre then picked it up by its tail and tossed it onto a tree at the edge of the bush and off it went!  Free at last!  We were so happy to save ONE iguana!

what's to do on a Saturday!

Some folks might wonder what we do here as missionaries on Helene on our possible "day off" = Saturday!  May is known as one of the hotter months in the year (followed by September in second place) and we have just this last week come into the reality of this fact.  Waking up sweaty is such a different sensation than not waking up sweaty.  The sun is tremendously hot even in the early hours of the day that no longer do Larry and I sleep in til 6:30 or 7 and scurry around to get some work done before the heat.  The "heat" is already pouring in at 5:45 a.m.!  So, to beat the heat, Dominic and Deirdre and I decided to trek to Northside for a swim in the cool Caribbean Sea.  Wrong!  It was warmer than bathwater!  But to our surprise, some of our young friends had been busier than us.  Never have I seen so many iguanas captured in one place!  Their legs are tied behind their backs so they do not claw.  The boys never told us where they got them, but they certainly were proud of their work.  They were looking forward to a good meal.  And I was simply excited about cheeseburgers on the grill! 

1st week of school - part 3

Ok I just could NOT resist this one.  This little guy is the son of one of our teacher assistants who attends kindergarten and is dismissed from class earlier than the older classes.  He joined me for an afternoon and we had a great time working a puzzle!  How grateful I am for this opportunity that God has given me for this time.

1st week of school- part 2

Here's a look at another one of our seasoned teachers.  Ms. Shanna has been training and teaching with us since 2006.  This year she tackles the challenge of teaching a combined class of third and fourth grades.  Shanna is very relaxed in her classroom and the students seem to really be enjoying their first week of school!   

1st week of school!

Look, look.  See the class.  It's second grade in action.  Ms. Kiera has one of our larger classes.  She is in her third year of teaching and is doing a fantastic job.  She keeps a controlled classroom and is planning her lessons almost totally on her own.  Pray for her as her confidence continues to build and she expands her experience as a teacher.    

We were finally within hours of our first day of school.  Everything was set in place.  Any possible scenario had been played in our minds.  Like an orchestra, we were fine-tuned, well, ok, maybe not FINE tuned, but we were prepared and our audience (the students!) would not know every missed note.  Finally, the hour arrived and our 2009 schoolyear that had hung in question only months ago, became reality.  All this sounds so dramatic, but for the stage of the game we are in here in Helene, it is a crucial year.  After a month of training, we have four lead teachers and two assistants (prospective teachers) going solo as I serve in an advisor type role.  I stand backstage and provide props, cues, and encouragement.  It is somewhat difficult to not have my own classroom - (at my age I yet am not burned out by teaching, what's with that?), but I am so thrilled to see these ladies stretch and step up.  The rehearsals are over, and the curtain went up.  We pray that the spotlight is on Jesus as we minister and serve together.  

Heeeere's Dominic!

As I sit here and reflect on our Teacher Training which has absolutely consumed my life for the last 3 weeks, I am amazed how God puts together people and places for what He is already doing.  When Emily left Helene last year, I admit some anticipation about the 2009 schoolyear.  As I returned and we opened the school, it seemed her presence was everywhere, in everything I picked up or moved, "the memories were so thick, you could swat them away like flies"(sorry, that line from "Field of Dreams" was appropriate!).  But over the last few weeks, our times in the afternoon have become a new sense of what we are doing here in the Helene Christian English School.  A big part of the success in our training this year is due to the Lord sending a young man named Dominic Alvarez.  Dominic is a talented guy, very articulate, sensitive listener and exactly what we needed for training, an animated speaker.  We wondered how our island teachers would react to a "man teacher" in our midst.  They love him!  Everything from his Gameshow Review to his pictures on the board to our very serious moments in the scripture about how Jesus was a teacher, too.  How I miss Em, but thank you, Lord, that Dominic is here.

Teacher Training 2009

This week we completed Teacher Training 2009 with four of our former island teachers and two new prospects who will be assistants.  We have spent every afternoon for the last three weeks exploring positive expectations, classroom management and content mastery.  More importantly, we have experienced a strong camaraderie and friendship.  We have pulled our topics for training from previous years as well as some new activities designed to get to know each other AND the culture better.  This year I have seen these ladies speak more freely and stand before each other with more confidence than I have known before.  We are stoked to begin school.  On Tuesday when the school board meets, we will be told when our first day of school will begin.  Next week we will hold our planning periods - each teacher has a planning time one morning a week - and set up our classrooms.  We are getting off to a later start this year, but I believe we will finish strong.