Settling In

Oh.. the life of a missionary is so hard

      Well, tomorrow I will have been in Honduras for exactly one month. That's the longest I have ever been in a foreign country or without my parents. So far I am doing okay. I have been to the market twice and can ask how much things cost and give the correct amount of money. I have marched in the annual independence day parade. From this experience, I can tell you that moving a parade takes forever. Also, people do recognize the USA flag and if you hold one, they will shout out USA or estados unidos.
           It turns out that lighting a gas stove or oven is not really that frightening and it is best to not be in the midst of a shower when the power goes off. If you happen to have a roommate that will discreetly put a flashlight on the toilet, the experience is much improved. If you ever wondered why there is a Mother's Day and Father's Day but no kids day, you are living in the wrong country. Kids day or dia del ninos has been hiding out in Honduras for years.
           Finally, teaching is very hard but very rewarding. At the end of the day all my kids want to do is get out that door and teaching them is only marginally successful. However,  I am the most awesome teacher at recess just because I know a couple common clapping games. My kids tell me they love me all the time, and the parents are wonderful. Just this week a parent took us up to their second house so we could eat, swim, and relax by the pool.
           One month down, 9 months to go, and they're going to be awesome.

Animals Animals Animals

Random Cow

There are many animals I am not used to seeing here. For example, there are a few cows who walk by the house just as free as you please while they graze.

Sherwin

There are dogs everywhere but even if they are not strays I have only seen two on a leash. A frog who has been named Sherwin sits at our gate begging to be let out every time it really rains. Finally, we have little geckos in our house. One has a gimpy leg... thus I have named it Nemo.


The first week of class is done and I am glad for it. Trying to impart new information and yet hold a class's attention without actually giving them something to do is a challenge. I have taken to having even my 3rd graders copy a bunch of notes from the board so I don't lose them when I'm talking. I have purchased a whistle and I have started assigning worksheets. This week drastically improved from Monday. I hope this week improves on last week.

There is a gecko on the corner

First Impressions

Well guys, I am now in Honduras. I have learned lots of new words, zapped bugs in my water with the power of my ultraviolet light, started a war on the ants who have decided to make our house their gathering place, and made lemonade from lemons I picked off a tree myself. Thank goodness, my house has two girls who like to cook and two girls who can do the dishes. As far as school goes, I have been assigned to teach 3rd grade science, math, and bible as well as 9th grade literature. I'm a bit nervous but also excited. The school is very nice. There are smart boards, water coolers, air conditioned classrooms, and a basketball court. In addition to teaching this year, I am going to learn from my fellow missionaries. I have been told that I'm going to learn about black hair, getting my groove on, cooking, and how to be city wise. I am going to teach them how to camp without bathrooms or tents and how to do the splits.

School is coming so pray for me please,

Lauren

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. I am still in the USA as of this moment, but I thought I would set this up now so I would have a place to direct people in my thank you notes. Now that you have been directed, thanks for visiting my blog. Once I depart for Honduras, I cannot promise that I will post often but I will attempt to post at least once a month. Hopefully in that time I will have something interesting enough to share with the world. I can promise that I will not post every time I learn a new word, brush my teeth, or have a semi-original thought.