Before I begin, I must apologize profusely for the fact that this blog will be picture-free. I thought I would take a moment to recount our time with Hillside before new things happen and I forget what all happened while Hillside was here. So, here is my day by day recount of my experiences these last few weeks.

Thursday, July 15: Jd and I go to school, and leave early, around 8:15.  I want to go home and fix my hair before we leave to get Hillside in Teguc. We go up to the church, and Jim asks us to ride with him and Arturo. We get in the car, and realize that Jim only wanted us to ride with him because he has job for us. He hands us a bag full of money and says "Split this into 33 equal groups to hand out. It should beabout 380 limps a person". So, 380 is a easy number. Geez. Even though we had air conditioning, I am now lamenting the idea to forgo the bus. We pick up Hillside, and Jd sees a guy he knows from many years ago at The Village, his name is Mark and he and his wife now go to Hillside. We ride back, I and I enjoy talking and sharing with people on the bus. That night, our church had a welcome service for the Hillside group, then soccer until 11:00 at night. I rarely see 11 at night, since I get up at 5 for school, so I was ready to go home. 

Friday July 16: The Hillside gang visits our school! We are having game day where we are playing traditional games in elementary school. The high school guys play soccer and hear a bit about Jesus, and some women go to hang out with the high school girls, fixing hair and nails and all that girly stuff. Another group visits downstairs, participating in a sack race, and hanging with the kids in the classrooms. On Friday night, we had a youth event at church where Kelly and Chris (crap forgot the name) shared their testimonies. We had a good turnout, despite the rain and downpour that happened in the afternoon.

Saturday July 17: We get up early to have VBS at church, we play with the kids for a few hours and then, in the afternoon, go shopping. I get to hang out with Kelly, Kendra, Mark, and Conner, and show them some places in town. We share delicious cake and just hang out for a while. That night, we have church. I sing a song with Jill Bream, and then my head begins to hurt, my eyes itch, and it happens again. Every time I am near the church or near my school, my eyes itch and I get sick. I go home and Jd goes to a students birthday party.

Sunday July 18: We get up early, again, for another round of construction and VBS. After VBS, the Honduran girls play soccer against the Hillside girls. We lose. I informed the other Honduran girls that we will be practicing for a rematch. We will win, watch out. After, that, we hang out downtown, while some groups go to see the area near the church and some play basketball downtown. We eat dinner out with everyone, sharing in the Lord's Supper. It was a good time. 

Monday July 19, Tuesday July 20: Jd and I have school, but in the morning Hillside visits some schools. In the evening, there is a men's conference and a women's conference. On Tuesday, we visit the school for street kids and hang with them. It is a good time, and I always enjoy visiting that school.

Wednesday July 21: In the morning, Hillside visits some schools, and in the afternoon, we go to the community of people who live in and near the trash dump. We take them food, clothes, and share the gospel. It is always a humbling experience to visit the trash dump. It never fails to make me sad and angry at the cycle of poverty, at sin, and at people who won't help themselves do something better. Sometimes these people make me angry because they just want the handout, they don't want to work, or attend church. Arturo has tried, people have tried. They just want the stuff. In the evening, it is the last night of the women's conference. It is hot as hell as I work in the three year old room with Gabby, Dave, Chris, Alli and others. Gabby fans us with a piece of paper. When the evening ends, I say goodbye to my Hillside friends and go home to go to bed.

Thursday July 22: The hillside group goes home. We begin to miss them, but are glad to return to our regular schedule. It's pretty crazy when groups are here. 

Thanks Hillside, for coming, for loving Danli, for loving Honduras. This place has been forever changed because of your work, and we are so grateful for it! See you next year!

And anyone else that wants to read. We have been getting lots of questions lately about what people can bring us and what we would like to get when the group comes on Thursday. I have decided to make a list here, and if you so desire, you may pick a few items and pack them in your suitcase. 

1. Pens/pencils/crayons/markers

2. Gum

3. Paper (Construction or just regular white printer paper)

4. Tape (scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape)

For the next few entries, please do not rush out to the nearest Barnes and Noble and spend a million dollars, just if you have magazines you don't want anymore or books you don't want anymore, bring them.

5. Jim Faber likes to read, so bring him some books. 

6. Any sports magazines or books (Jd is a sports nut, so any used/discarded sports books or magazines would be enjoyed by him)

7. Magazines (I like to read Real Simple, Runner's World, Shape, People, and any other magazine you think we might want to read)

8. Children's Books

9. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

10. Pretzel M&M's (I want to try them)

11. Mike and Ike's, DOTS, gummy bears, sour patch kids (just some of our fave candies)

12. Band-Aids/ Neosporin/ General First Aid things

13. Ibprofen

14. Hard Candies (Jolly Ranchers, Butterscotch, Peppermints, ect.)

15. Batteries

We are really excited about your visit and looking forward to a great week of serving the people of Danli. Thanks in advance for giving of your time to help our cities and further the kingdom of God. 

Love you. Miss you.

I have a student in my class named Dilieth. She is a wild one, always messing around and things in class. About a month after school started, she came to school one day and showed me her new "pet". She had caught a roach and put it in a Pringles can. I was grossed out and we had a long talk about how nasty roaches are and how we never, ever, ever, ever, ever touch them, we only step on them and kill them. 

She hadn't really brought anything too weird to school, until today when she pulled this out of her backpack...

 Yes, a side view mirror. I laughed so hard. And then, when JD came in my class later, I laughed again. And then when I decided to put this post up, I laughed so hard I was crying. Oh man, what the heck. I mean, seriously, a side view mirror?!?! So random.

If we were in Texas, we would be deciding where to spend our fourth, or more accurately, deciding what pool to spend the fourth at. We would be getting excited about fireworks, bbqs, swimming pools, red, white, and blue clothing, and all the other fun stuff that comes with celebrating the independence of the United States of America. This is the first holiday that is celebrated in the United States and not in Honduras that has occurred since we have lived here. So, please eat a rib, drink a beer, swim in a pool, and watch some fireworks in honor of us. We wish we could celebrate with you! And, don't worry, we aren't missing the fireworks, I heard eight gunshots today, so if I close my eyes, I can almost envision the brilliant glow.

In other news, today when I was running, a cow pooped right in front of me as it was walking across the street. I took care not to step in it, and while avoiding the pile, a car drove through another pile the cow left and it splattered all over me. It was still warm. And it was gross. 

It's that time again, ladies and gentlemen. Yes, it's exam time in elementary school. I thought it would be different this time. I was prepared. The kids have been writing reviews and study guides in their notebooks for a week. I have been diligently checking and rechecking work and making sure all the kids copy everything. I have been very diligent in taking grades and making detailed notes about them. I even typed up a study guide. 

However, once again, it was not good enough. Parents called and complained that the kids did not have a study guide. I had them write one on Monday for each subject and gave them one to study. The principal made my aide spend an entire day typing a new one. I don't know why. One parent called and complained that her child wasn't taking notes and no one was checking them. I looked in her book, saw her notes for every day for the past three weeks, and saw my initials written next to them, because I checked them. Then, I got my tests all ready, and I was set. Until, I was told that one test didn't have enough questions, and another had two many, and another had too many of the same type, and the kids didn't know how to do one test. They know how to do it. We have been working on it for weeks. Just because the principal doesn't understand grammar and phonics in English doesn't mean that the kids can't do it.

I am beginning to think that this is the way this country works. That no one plans for anything, checks anything, and then, when it's go time, everyone freaks out. So, no matter if I plan ahead, it won't do any good because whatever I do will just need to be redone. I am not a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of person, and some how I am supposed to survive in an ENTIRE COUNTRY OF PEOPLE WHO NEVER PLAN ANYTHING! Lord, give me grace not to punch someone.

I know this may not be the most important thing to blog about but I feel that I need to discuss it with someone other than JD, because he is a boy and he doesn't care. I am contemplating a major haircut. Since moving to Honduras, my hair has become a struggle for me. I do not blow-dry it anymore, because, once I get a workout in and get a shower, it is literally time to walk out the door. I put my makeup on in the car. Anyway, as a result of this, my hair has become quite cumbersome. It is either up in the morning, or wet and down and then dries and looks nasty. 

Another thing that is causing my hair demise is that I acquired highlights right before we moved and, although I love lighter hair, the highlights have caused my hair to be  little more dry than usual, so add that to the constant sun and humidity, and my hair is one hot mess. 

So, I am thinking a blunt bob that hits juts below my collarbone with some side swept bangs. It will be a major change, seeing as how my hair currently comes down to the middle of my back. 

Now, if I were in the states, I would just call someone up I know and get a haircut, but things are a little different here. First of all, there are about a billion places that cut hair, so I have to choose one, and then I need to find someone who can translate for me to go with me so that nothing get's lost in translation. So, this may be a bit of a process. Not to mention that everything takes a long time here, so it could take three hours to get a haircut, five if I want them to style it.  

Here are some haircuts I am thinking of:

This week has been really hard for me. I have cried most days, and today, for the first time in about seven years, I didn't want to get out of bed. The idea of it was exhausting, the idea of being where I am was exhausting. There are a few things I am sad about, and I feel better knowing that there are actual reasons to be sad, and that I am not spiraling into a depression.

First of all, I am really sad that my family vacation is over. I looked forward to that trip for five months, counting down days, counting down hours, looking at pictures and maps and planning things. Then it came, and it was fun, but now it's over. And I am sad. It takes a long time to reacquaint yourself with people, and I felt like it took about nine days for that, and they were only here for ten. It's kind of like when your wedding is over, and you come home from the honeymoon and there are no more parties for you and no more gifts and it's real life now, and it's just a little sad. So, I mourn the loss of my family, and I miss them. 

Secondly, I am sad because a student in my class is moving to New York. He is one of my favorite students, and I love him dearly. I think I blogged about Carlos Armando and how he asked me to pray with him for Jesus to live in His heart one morning. Well, he is moving. He got very sick over the break we just had and was hospitalized. After that, his father, who lives in the US, decided that Carlos and his mom needed to move to New York in case he got sick again. I have not seen him since before the break, and I am afraid I will not see him again. Sad.

I am also fearful for our future. I would be content teaching and working here, but JD is ready to move on to something else. We are seriously considering opening our own orphanage in the next two years. I am nervous and not trusting the Lord to provide. I am afraid we will not have enough money to buy land, build a house, and live. I am afraid that I will not be able to handle the challenge of orphans. God has laid on our hearts to have a home for boys, seeing as how no one wants orphan boys. No one wants them because they are trouble, have lots of problems, and cause lots of problems. I am afraid of all that having an orphanage entails. I am afraid of dealing with the sexual and physical abuse and it's consequences, I am afraid of dealing with the government of Honduras, I am afraid of having a house full of children who are hard to love. 

Fear and sadness. Those are the main emotions running through me at this time. Jd is also sick today, he has slept most of the day, and I am, of course, afraid it is something serious. The kids at school got the H1N1 vaccine this week, and lots of them got sick. I am afraid Jd caught it and now his head will explode and his arms will fall off and he will die. Not really, but that is what happens in my head when I get going on the fear train. 

But our God is not a God of fear. He is a God of peace and rest and provision. He has provided for us thus far, and He knows the plans He has for us. He will not leave us out to dry, because He cares for us. So, my prayer is that I cling to truth and know that our God is one who is trustworthy.