Keeping busy

This morning I spent the morning distributing school supplies. Well, I really separated everything out. Only a few actually got distributed. Surprisingly, that task took me all morning. After lunch, my roommate and I met to plan next week's teacher training. We are incorporating a curriculum called Celebrate Calm into our school. It gives suggestions on how to help students with sensory issues. After that, I called the mechanic to get my car in for maintenance and then delivered some uniform shirts. When I finally made it back to the school, I worked on a new handbook for our teachers. I want something more in-depth than we have had until now. I am hoping I will have time to finish before Monday.

After work, I actually exercised! I decided it is time for me to start taking better care of myself. After going through some rough times and letting myself go completely (and not caring), I decided to do it. I lifted weights (upper body), did some core muscle exercises, and walked for about 45 minutes. I am hoping I will keep it up. I have a lot of weight to lose and I need to learn new, healthier habits.

Tonight we had family night. I always enjoy our time together. Tonight we had a new missionary couple join our group. They are actually my new next door neighbors. I really like them a lot. We have three new missionaries coming on Thursday. By August, we will have about 15 people at our family nights! It is going to be large but fun!

Just Another Day

Well, the days are passing quickly as we approach the first day of school. I intended to go into school early today, but I ended up talking with my roommate for an hour and a half instead. It was actually really great and much needed. We hadn't seen each other more than a few minutes since I returned from furlough. On my way to school, I ran into another coworker and discussed locations for our sewing team. Each year, we have a sewing team that comes and teaches our kids how to sew different projects. So far I have seen them working on hoodies and pillow cases. Next week they will be offering free sewing classes to our Honduran assistants and some other women from the community. Once I actually arrived to my office, I spent the majority of my day working on schedules. There always seem to be several complications, and once I think I am finished, I find something else that doesn't work. I think I finally have a schedule that will work. Tomorrow I will finish printing them off, and then ask my returning teachers to look them over for errors.

After lunch, I watched a friendly Bible competition between the younger sewing students and the sewing team. It was a close game, but the students won. Although they did well holding their own, the team was generous in allowing them to answer a missed question in case the kids misunderstood. :) The kids each won an individual packet of M&Ms. Some members of the team also hung a whiteboard in a classroom that needed a larger one for a new teacher. Until now, the classroom was used as the music room and only had a very small whiteboard.

As part of my desire to get healthier, I went walking this afternoon. Even though I could have worked for several hours longer, I decided my health is just as important as work. So, I walked for about 45 minutes. I hope to do that several times a week.

The rest of the day has been quiet.

Getting Back into Routine

Well, it's my first full day back in Honduras, and I started the day off right - I slept in! It felt good. I went into work and started on some things, before my roommate called and told me that IHNFA had arrived. IHNFA is the government agency over us, which meant they were here to do inspections. I then changed my immediate plans and started doing a walk-through of the school, to see if there was anything that needed immediate attention. It was mostly ok, although the resource room is currently a disaster. I need to go through all the curriculum things and get it all straightened out for each class.

After lunch, my roommate came down to see me at the school. We hadn't actually seen each other yet since my return. We missed each other yesterday before she left for the Bridge House. She is staying there for the summer. Anyways, she came to tell me that the IHNFA people were not actually doing inspection, as we first thought. They were just doing a census. Once they left, I went to the city to get some money and groceries, since I had none. Shortly after 5 PM, I met up with some coworkers at Chili's for dinner. I then went and met with one of my girls for our weekly Bible Study. We finished the book of Romans, and decided we are going to do the book of Daniel next. She has never read it, and there is some GREAT stuff in there. She is going to ask another one of the girls if she wants to join us. I am hoping she will, since she used to come to the Bible Study when it was here at the ranch.

I got home a little after nine, so I am pretty tired. All the groceries are now put away, and I am going to head to bed.

Starting Yet Again

It's been almost a year since my last entry. I've decided that I am going to try and write again as a way of letting people know what is going on with my ministry here in Honduras more often than once every couple of months.

What better way to start than to let you know that I arrived safely back to Honduras today after a month-long furlough in the U.S. I had a great time visiting family and friends, but am glad to be back here in Tegucigalpa.