The Honduran Homefront

Parents, Copan, and Teacher Retreat!

2009-03-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

Since I have written last, a lot has happened here. Perhaps that is why I have not found the time to blog lately...Anyway, my parents and Sonny and Patsy Peaster came to visit in Febrauary. The visit was great! I think they left loving Honduras-something they didn't expect! There was so much more we could do, but the things we were able to do and see were good experiences for them. They were able to meet our friends here, see our apartment and school, appreciate the meaning of "going down the mountain", driving in Honduras, and the many other beautiful things here. I have posted some pictures of our trip to Copan where we visited Mayan Ruins, Macaw Mountain, and a coffee plantation. Our B&B that we stayed in was probably the best part of the trip. It exceeded our expectations!

After our visitors left, the school had their anual teacher retreat at Bagope. This is a retreat center located near a large lake about 3 hours from where we live. The place itself is not great at all, but the fellowship is always fun. This year, the weather permitted us to visit a waterfall near Bagope. Not only did we take plenty of pictures, but we went on a HUGE adventure!! (Probably one of the most daring things I have ever done, but I didn't know it was that daring until I was doing it!!) A group of us teachers went with a guide BEHIND the waterfall. It sounds easy, right? Well, maybe you can tell from the pictures that the waterfall was quite large and had a good bit of force behind it. We didn't just walk up behind the waterfall. We swam into, then behind the waterfall, basically. There were random placed rocks, which made for an eventful maze to get around. Our group held hands the entire way (led by the guide) because we couldn't see ANYTHING, and at times, I couldn't breathe because of the water hitting my face. At one point Aaron thought I was going to let go of both hands because of the look of panic on my face. I didn't realize how hard it would be!! Needless to say, we made it! The adrenaline rush was crazy! I don't think I will ever do it again, but I have that as a memory that I will never forget!! I felt much closer to the teachers in our group because we were all helping each other so much. It was a fantastic memory, now that it is over!

Our friend, and former youth group member, Jake Garner is here right now on his spring break. It has been a great time!

Routine

2009-01-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

(Here are a few pictures from our trip to Virginia for Andrew and Julie's wedding and our trip to Washington D.C. for New Year's Eve)

Yes, we have settled back into our routine here in Honduras. Now it feels like forever ago that we were in the States!

A new semester always brings new challenges in a classroom. Aaron has been so diligent to get his grading done the day it was turned in, instead of waiting until Saturday to do it all. I have continued my routine from last semester of going in to my classroom on Saturday afternoons to set up everything for Monday. I know this may sound strange because that should be the last place I am spending my time on the weekends, but the truth is that I enjoy feeling "caught up" and ready to go Monday morning. I cannot tell you how much more relaxing Mondays are for me this year since I started doing that. I also have time to organize things that I never thought needed organizing!! It is amazing what an hour or two can do for you in the classroom!

Aaron and I are both having a few more behavior problems in our classes this semester. His are from the students not liking his reorganization skills because they enjoyed being lazy! Mine are because my students are not allowed to speak Spanish in the classroom anymore. They have 4 times that they can speak Spanish: Snack, Lunch, Spanish Bible, and P.E. During the other times of the day, it is a constant process of encouragement and reminding them to speak in English. I have an individual incentive set up for each day, as well as a group incentive that they will get a party once they meet the goal. It is taking every bit of energy out of me to help them in this, but I think they will benefit in the end. If they stay in this school, they will eventually learn English one way or the other. However, I don't want them to leave my class feeling uncomfortable about speaking or hearing English. I feel as though I will have let them down. So, I am doing everything I can do to help the process along.

The only other piece of news for now is the my parents are coming to Honduras a week from Monday. They will arrive February 9th and return on February 14th. We are so looking forward to their trip. Please pray for safety in travel for them!

Happy New Year, Everyone

2009-01-11T15:20:00.000-08:00

We are back in Honduras, and are trying to get back to normal. When we came back we had our usual unpacking to do and we had to take down all of our Christmas decorations. Now that we have officially cleaned off the window display, Polo is our friend again. I honestly think he was in a bad mood the whole time it was up there. It is nice to have things organized again, even though the process was not fun for neither Aaron nor me.

Right now, we are helping my parents plan their trip down here for February. We are excited about the chance we will have to show them around our home. I believe this will be their first time to travel to a 3rd world country. Many people have thought before that we live in huts with dirt floors and grass roofs. If you could only see the things that we actually have here in Honduras!! (And the silly things that we take for granted that we cannot get here)

There is no real news from us right now, other than our safe arrival back home. I just wanted to let you all know that! Also, I am hoping that I can be better this year about posting (even if it is only a paragraph).

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

2008-12-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

We had our Christmas party last night with Aaron's 11th graders. There were about 25 students here in our apartment, with a lot of food! Aaron grilled hotdogs and marinated chicken, while I prepared the corn and baked beans. The funny comment of the night was "What are these?", referring to the baked beans. You would be surprised by the number of them who had never had barbecue baked beans before!!! They have probably had every other kind, but not those! For the most part, I believe that they enjoyed them!
Aaron planned some games for them, including Dirty Santa. Aaron got a desk calendar by the TV show The Office. I got a really pretty scarf, which I was really happy about! The girls could have taken it from me, but they were scared that I would be upset! (Well, I did announce that they would fail Sociology if they took it from me-oops)

We have four and a half days left of school until Christmas break. We have a lot going on this week, so I am sure it will pass quickly! (Not to mention celebrating 2 wonderful years of marriage on Tuesday, December 16!)

Please be praying for us on Saturday as we travel into Atlanta where we will pick up our car from Alex and Maggie.
Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

The Blog

2008-12-05T23:02:00.000-08:00

Thank you for being patient with me this year. Sometimes I click on our blog site just to see if "someone magically" posted something for me!! I have no excuse for not writing this semester, but I also haven't had time for many extra things either. Basketball season just ended for Aaron and me, and we are pretty thankful. Aaron started soccer this week, however. I am done with my coaching duties this year!

Many things have happened since I last posted. We visited a city named Ceiba in October with our friends Ben and Joy, and it was such a beautiful trip. We went snorkeling there at some islands called Cayos Cachinos. That was amazingly gorgeous!!

For Thanksgiving, Mark Fleenor flew down for a short visit. We went all over the city and got a lot of Christmas shopping done. We put up our Christmas tree, along with all the decorations inside and out! Our apartment looks very festive. Polo particularly hates the window display I made this year because it covers the entire window sill that he loves to lounge on. Oh well!

We only have two more weeks of school left before we fly back for Christmas holidays. We are looking forward to time with family and friends, and as always, we are looking forward to the yummy food while we are there!

The pictures are from our trip to Ceiba. We were at Cayos Cachinos in a few and a great restaurant called Mango Tango in the others.

Hello Again

2008-09-15T10:23:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I know I am REALLY late for an update this time. All I can say is I am sorry. As you probably assumed, our summer went by so very fast with only a few days of not doing anything. It was a great summer, don't get me wrong, but we are so glad to be back at our home in Honduras. Neither one of us liked living out of suitcases for 2 months. The time with family and friends was fantastic, and our trip to RYM with the students from Honduras could not have gone smoother. We are already thinking of how we could do it next year...seeing that all 13 students want to go again, along with probably another 15-20 of the next class.

Now that we are back in Honduras, and school is now in its 4th week, I will tell you some of the changes we encountered upon returning. First of all, there are many new teachers here, but we are providentially still waiting on 2-3 more teachers. We have a new couple living next door to us who are around our age. Their names are Ben and Joy. We all get along really well, and I am so thankful Aaron has a good male friend!

Another change was that Aaron had to pick up another class: Sociology. For those of you who know Aaron well, this is PERFECT for him! Aaron teaching the study of people could not be better! He is actually getting to teach his beloved 11th grade class again, which he is excited about doing. This is a good change for Aaron, however, this means A LOT more work for him and fewer planning periods. He is doing great so far and I am so proud of how he has stepped up to the challenge!!

Another change this year was that my aid, Karla, did not return to Pinares this year. In God's perfect timing and will, she was offered a better job at a different school that she could not turn down. I have been so extremely sad about this change, not because my new aid is not wonderful, but because my best friend here in Honduras is not in my classroom anymore. Please be in prayer for her and her children.

Now I can update what has been going on this weekend!! My birthday was on Thursday, and I felt so special at school! First of all, one of my student's mom is a baker, and she sent me a rather large and delicious cake that morning. We enjoyed that as a class at snack time that morning...just to start loading them up with sugar! ;) Aaron brought me flowers and a coke that morning while I was teaching. At lunch time, 2 mothers came and surprised me with cupcakes and sandwiches...just to seal the deal with the amount of sugar my students were getting that day! It was a fun day at school, and my kids were really cute!!
That night, Aaron took me to my favorite Pizza place with our closest friends and Karla! The food was so delicious!!!! Aaron also picked up my favorite dessert here: Flan!! When I got home, Aaron gave me a card to explain my gift from him...Friday night we were to spend the night at Honduras Maya Hotel in the city, go out to dinner, have the yummy breakfast buffet the next morning, get massages, and spend some time at the pool!!!!! It was ALL so amazing. On Saturday, Aaron surprised me with getting my nails done with Karla and going out to dinner with her as well--just the 2 of us so we can have some time together. This was so fun, and I loved having the time with her!
Karla drove me home, seeing that Aaron had gone on up the mountain to watch football. When I got home, Aaron came and got our suitcase out of the car and I was so excited to see him. The three of us were going to have Flan together, or so I had planned. Little did I know that almost 20 11th graders were hiding in our living room with the lights off waiting to surprise me with a party!!! They literally scared me to the point of screaming!! Aaron had planned it all, and I had NO clue that anything else was going to happen! He got me really good! He had been planning this for almost 2 weeks with the kids, and he called Karla to take me some places so that he could set everything up! He was not planning on watching football at all! He left the hotel and went to pick up a pinata and a cake. The party was so much fun and they all loved seeing my face!

I must say, I have never celebrated my birthday for 3 days in a row, but Aaron really went above and beyond! He was so very thoughtful about every little detail! The only thing I wish could have been different was having our families here. We both miss that aspect of living there. It wasn't until last year that neither of us were able to see our family on our birthdays. It's part of living overseas, but I know it is harder on our moms than it is on us!

Summer has begun!

2008-07-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

We have jumped straight into summer since we flew in from Honduras! The first week we were here we simply relaxed and tried to recover from our over night flight-which was fine, by the way. We took a day trip that week to Greenville, South Carolina to visit part of the Halbert extended family and to pick up a truck we borrowed to move Maggie's things to Nashville. I was excited to meet Aaron's aunt, uncle, and cousin on that side for the first time. We had a great visit with them all!

The next week, we headed to Chicago a few days early to spend time with Shannon Baugh and her family. We also went downtown on Wednesday with some friends from Honduras. Alex and Maggie's wedding was on Saturday morning, and it was a beautiful ceremony. We also took a little detour on the way home to visit the campus of Notre Dame. There are some pictures from our trip in Chicago above. The last one is a picture of all but one of the kindergarten teachers and aids that I work with. This picture was taken at graduation.

This week, we are preparing for RYM. The students from Honduras are coming in Sunday night and we leave for Florida on Monday. We are so looking forward to them coming and we are praying that they will have a safe and fun trip while here.

A Year Finished

2008-06-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

Wow, time has flown since we got back into Honduras. I am so sorry that I have not updated lately. I came back and was forced into full swing! Now, we are packing up things and getting ready to head back to the States on Wednesday. We will be flying with Spirit Airlines, and we will depart from San Pedro Sula at 1 am. This is the other part of our round-trip ticket that we purchased for January. We saved a lot of money, but we will most likely not be flying with Spirit anymore. They did not send our luggage with us last time and we waited for 5 days until we got it back. You may have noticed the time we are departing on Wednesday. This is another downer for Spirit:"late night flights." Maybe I am completely different from most women, but I do not cope well with flying at hours such as those. Especially when the flights were 2-3 hours behind for no reason and our luggage did not show up. I am already praying for patience while I am awake and sleep while I am on the plane.

We will be in Knoxville for the first week and then off to Chicago where Alex, Aaron's brother, is getting married. We will be staying with Shannon Baugh for a couple of nights while we are there, and we are so excited to see where they live! Soon after we return from Chicago, we will head to Atlanta where we will pick up 13 students who attend the school here in Honduras. We will be taking them to RYM- Florida that week. Please be praying for safety for all of us, as well as for all of our hearts as we go study God's Word and fellowship with many other believers. After RYM, we will take the kids (9th and 10th graders) to Knoxville to visit the church, a few colleges, go to Gatlinburg, and meet a few families from the church. We will also take them to Six Flags in Atlanta the day before they fly out. They will be here a total of 10 days. I think Aaron and I are more excited about them coming than they are. It is a great group of kids coming!

Yet another blog!

2008-05-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

Rachel told me that I needed to post on our blog that I now have my own blog. The point of my blog is to show people some of the pictures I have been taking recently. I hope that yall will be willing to take a look. Also, please give me feedback on them. If you think they look fake or horrible please let me know. The link is www.aaronhalbert.blogspot.com

Hope yall enjoy them.

Aaron

A Welcome That Humbled My Heart

2008-05-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

I would never have expected such a warm and excited welcome back from the school yesterday. I arrived here just in time to visit my classroom before the end of the day. My moms gathered together food from my favorite restaurant here, dessert, fruit, and flowers!!I have not had to cook for 2 nights because there was so much food!! Also, my kids almost knocked me down when they saw me, and they have all had questions that are so innocent and sweet: "Did your sister really die?" "Is Catherine in heaven now?" They all truly cared, and wanted to hear it from MY mouth.

Last night brought tears and sadness that have not come since Catherine died. I believe my whole family is experiencing the same thing I am: REALITY. Being back here where I have my normal responsibilities of a wife, teacher, and home-keeper, reminded me that it really happened. My sister is really not going to be in MS when I get back. Yesterday was the first time to leave the country knowing that I will not be coming back for an emergency for my sister. In three more weeks, I will be going back to the States, and knowing for the first time that I will not arrive to see Catherine in Tchula or Jackson. I can only explain the feeling this way- it hurts. My heart hurts even as I write this, because I desperately want to "wake up from this nightmare."

God's will is perfect, and I believe that with all my heart. However, with our fallible human minds and hearts, we naturally think about the things that we will miss out on or they will miss out on because they are not here. It is hard to not think about those things. It is so difficult to deal with the pain, but thankfully we are not alone as believers. Our ONLY comfort and joy is Jesus Christ, and without Him we have no hope. I am constantly reminded of the joy that my family and I can have as believers knowing where Catherine is and knowing the God who took her as our Savior. I cannot imagine what the pain would be like if we did not have Him as our Refuge. Praise be to God!

The Following Days

2008-05-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

I never realized how hard it is on families after they lose a loved one and the services are over. I had heard that it was hard once everyone leaves and goes on with their lives. There is nothing wrong with people moving on, because life must go on. However, these two days after the services have been so sad for all of us. We have things to do in the house that we did not have time for before, but we don't WANT to do them now. The more we do to clean up around here, the more realistic it is that Catherine is not here with us anymore. Catherine was such a great sister and friend to me, that I find myself thinking of things I need to tell her. There are things that I just want to talk to her about...for no real reason. I think about the fun times we had together and how many times we laughed and were silly together. That does not compare to the happiness she is experiencing now in heaven. Now, we are not only awaiting the day we will see our Savior, but we are also looking forward to spending eternity with all believers, especially our family members.

And Can It Be

2008-05-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

I wil not write much, but today is a special and hard day because Catherine has gone to be with her Savior. The three of us girls (Mama, Emily, and me) were singing hymns to calm Catherine. We were singing the 4th verse of "And Can It Be" when we noticed that she changed. The words that we finished only moments before she passed were "The chains fell off, I rose, went forth and followed Thee...". Isn't it wonderful that the Lord came and took her home when we were singing praises to HIM!!! She had a peaceful passing, for which we are so thankful.
The next few days will be harder than we can imagine right now, so please pray for us all. Also, praise our Lord Jesus Christ for His grace and mercy because Catherine is in His presence!

Preparing to Leave, Once Again

2008-04-30T22:55:00.000-07:00

As I sit here and think of all I have to accoplish before Monday, it is hard not to be overwhelmed. I have so much work to do in the classroom and here at the apartment to get ready for company this weekend. Mr. Halbert and Alex are coming, and we are greatly looking forward to the visit!! I have been so humbled this week to see how perfectly God's plan for me has fell into place. Never would I have imagined that the school would allow me to leave for whatever amount of time I needed! Over the last two weeks, my heart has been heavy with emotions that I myself cannot even express. The Lord knows my thoughts, desires, struggles, and feelings in a deeper way than I do. I have been very blessed with wonderful support here at school, and through my wonderful husband. He will not be able to travel with me for this trip, which is extremely sad for us. He has more responsibility to be here during this time.
Please be in prayer that my flight on Monday will be on time and that my connection in Houston will go smoothly. I don't mind flying by myself, but it is definitely kind of lonely. I am very thankful to be going, and I cannot complain about my circumstances at all! Thank you for your prayers!

Crown Him With Many Crowns

2008-04-24T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is one of Cat's favorite songs, as well as the bridal procession at my parents' wedding.

Crown Him with Many Crowns

1. Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own.
Awake, my soul and sing Of Him
Who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.

2. Crown Him the Lord of love,
Behold His hands and side,
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends His wond'ring eye
At mysteries so bright.

3. Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave,
Who rose victorious to the strife
For those He came to save.
His glories now we sing,
Who died, and rose on high
, Who died eternal life to bring,
And lives that death may die.

4. Crown Him the Lord of heav'n,
One with the Father known,
One with the Spirit through Him giv'n
From yonder glorious throne,
To Thee be endless praise
For Thou for us hast died;
Be Thou, O Lord, through endless days
Adored and magnified.

5. Crown Him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise shall never never fail
Throughout eternity.

Short Week

2008-04-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

This week was extremely short because of the holiday (Day of the Americas) on Monday and the massive strike yesterday. Prices here have been going up consistently since Christmas, and there were lots of companies that went on strike yesterday to try to lower those prices. We all stayed up here on the mountain where we were sure we would be safe. We will see if prices actually do go down. I had been noticing that I could not seem to keep my grocery bill down lately, even though I was buying fewer and fewer items!! So, I am hoping that everything will get back to normal.

We have a "youth group" event tonight that we will attend since I started a bible study. Everyone from the high school, especially those involved in small bible studies here, are invited to this every Friday night. I am looking forward to going because I don't know what to expect. By the way, you can be praying for my 9th grade girls in the bible study. There are six of them. I have started it by reading the book Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. This is a somewhat modern fiction novel about the book of Hosea from the Bible. It is very specific about God's unconditional love and grace inspite of our unworthiness. This is a very important life lesson for any teenager to learn. Anyway, I use this simply as a base/starter for each Thursday meeting. It has been fun for me to study the Bible more to give these girls all I can find on each subject of the week. If you have not read any of Francine Rivers' books, I highly recommend them. They are easy reads, but still substantial. I just have to remind myself that it is Biblical FICTION, and I have to take some things with discernment. She is a great writer, though.

Relampago-2008

2008-04-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today was Relampago for the high school. Aaron is a class advisor for the 10th grade, and this is one of their fundraisers for the year. He was very busy, but it was a great success. Basically, their are three other schools that come and play a soccer tournament. They sold drinks, pizza, snow cones, cotton candy, and other Honduran favorites. I took my class for about an hour and a half, and they had a blast!! I enjoyed taking them, but I am exhausted. I can't imagine how tired Aaron must feel--he is still cleaning up and it is 5:45!
We do not have classes on Monday for Labor Day. I am very excited because I finally get a long weekend that we are not traveling!!! Our plan is to relax and save our money. We could have gone to El Salvador for pretty cheap, but after our trip two weeks ago, we decided it was best to stay here. I may go get a pedicure, and I am very excited. They are dirt cheap here. :)
I hope that you will have a wonderful weekend. I also hope that you will excuse us for the late update. The time has flown by without me realizing how long it has been. Also, we have been trying to figure out a new template for our blog. Hence, the many changes you have seen the last day or so. Thank you for your patience with me and your prayers for our family!! God bless!!

Jackson

2008-03-29T17:30:00.001-07:00

We are getting things together so we can leave tomorrow morning on an early flight. We are now in Jackson, even though Mama, Daddy, and Cat are still in Tchula. It was so hard to leave early, but it is so inconceivable to wake up and drive down here and get to the airport by 5 am.

These two weeks have flown by. I cannot even describe to you how much it feels like we have just been here a week. It was so good that we came, though. I am so thankful for our time with my family. Please continue to pray for Cat.

Ra-Ra and Cat

2008-03-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

Oh, how much I have loved spending time with my sister!! The more time I spend with her, the more sad I become because I realize that this trip is passing so quickly. This first week is flying by!! We have had a lot of fun together, but I have realized more that it is such a blessing that I came home. My sister needed me and I needed my sister, and my heart rejoices and breaks at the same time as we sit and talk.
Something that I have to share is about last night when I slept with Cat in her bed. Mama has started to do this so that she can be right there where Cat needs her. So, last night I was privileged to sleep with Cat. She likes the TV to stay on during the night, but that causes her to wake up a good bit during the night. Each time she did this, Cat would reach over and either pat my arm, leg, or head and tell me she loved me. Several other times, she would hold out her hand waiting for me to take it. We would then fall asleep, hand in hand, until the next time the TV woke her. This made for a long night, but a special one at the same time. Cat has become more "touchy-feely", and she is very open about her feelings. This has been a treasure to my heart!!

Jackson, Mississippi

2008-03-15T12:47:00.000-07:00

Well, now that we are here, I will tell all of you about our spring break trip. We are now sitting in the hospital with Catherine. Our original plan was to just come for our week break, but since we heard about the severity of Cat's situation we decided to extend it and make it two weeks. So, when we walked in, Cat just looked at us with big eyes and asked us "What are you doing here?" She is so happy that we are staying for two weeks, and we are looking forward to the time we get with her!
Our plan is to just spend as much time with family as we can. We have a few "American" products that we will pick up before we leave, but that is our only plan. We are just so thankful that the Lord provided a way for us to come home and visit.

Bagope-High School Retreat

2008-03-10T19:00:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I attended the High School Retreat this past weekend at Bagope. It was about a 3 1/2 hour drive, and there were about 70 or 80 high school students that attended. Aaron stayed with some 9th grade boys and I stayed with some 9th grade girls. I have not had the chance to spend a lot of quality time with high school students since I am in the elementary all day, so this was a wonderful opportunity for me to get to know these girls. All of the students were able to see the competitive sides of Aaron and myself. He and I were on different teams for the games, and YES, my team won!!! I was so excited!

The Lord truly blessed this past weekend. Before the retreat, the girls I stayed with told Aaron that I "was intimidating because I don't talk very much and they never know what I am thinking." I was able to share my testimony with them and have a few heart-to-heart talks with them. By the end of the weekend, they were sitting by me, hugging me, and wanting me with them most of the time. They told Aaron that I wasn't intimidating anymore, and that I was "way cooler" than him! I am thinking about starting a Bible study for these girls. They like me and respect me, for some odd reason, and I think the Lord has opened that door for me for a reason.

Aaron was able to show some of his talents this weekend by entertaining a little. He organized some really fun games when the rain would not stop outside. (It rained ALL day and night Saturday) Several leaders came up to me and complimented him on his ability to entertain. His experience in youth group came in handy this weekend!

We are very glad to be home now. We went to sleep VERY early last night. This week is extremely busy because Spring Break is next week. I am working on report cards and grades, and we have meetings two nights this week. This week will fly by, and we are so ready for next week!

Asking All to Pray

2008-03-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

If you have not already, please check my sister's Caring Bridge site and pray every moment the Lord lays Catherine on your heart.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/catherinehutton

Beautiful Hymns

2008-03-01T19:19:00.000-08:00

"From the depths of woe I raise to thee The voice of lamentation; Lord, turn a gracious ear to me And hear my supplication: If thou iniquities does mark, Our secret sins and misdeeds dark, O who shall stand before thee? ...Therefore my trust is in the Lord, And not in mine own merit; On him my soul shall rest, His Word Upholds my fainting spirit: His promised mercy is my fort, My comfort and my sweet support; I wait for it with patience."

"Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, That calls me from a world of care, And bids me at my Father's throne, Make all my wants and wishes known! In seasons of distress and grief, My sould has often found relief, And oft escaped the tempter's snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer. Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, Thy wings shall my petition bear To him, whose truth and faithfulness Engage the waiting soul to bless: And since he bids me seek his face, Believe his Word, and trust his grace, I'll cast on him my every care, And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer."

These quotes are taken from old hymns that have been very dear to my heart. They have reminded me that the God we serve has a perfect plan for our lives that we ourselves cannot understand. Lately, I have been amazed at the comforting peace that comes when we trust in Him. Our sinful nature causes us to doubt, but who can doubt such a powerful and glorious God?

Three Weeks until Semana Santa!

2008-02-25T13:51:00.000-08:00

If you are wondering what Semana Santa is, it is just Spring Break. Ours here is the week before Easter, and we are planning a very relaxing trip. It should be fun! We have three weeks to go, and we are all counting down! I don't think I realized how much teachers like the breaks too when I was growing up. I had this idea that they loved going to school! HA! I like to go to school, but I LOVE my days off! And, it is not only me-that goes for every teacher here!

I was out today due to stomach issues early this morning. I really thought that I was getting another stomach bug, but this one did not turn into that. I managed to sleep almost all day today, and that helped. I will be going back tomorrow! Polo really enjoyed me being at home today-he slept next to me the whole time! :)

Last week, a tragedy happened to a teacher here at the school. She was just hired about 2 and a half weeks before, so not many people knew her-she was Honduran, so none of the American teachers could talk to her if they didn't know Spanish. She was brutally murdered, along with her husband, last Wednesday morning. Their 12 year old daughter survived without much physical harm. It seems that the family had a 15 year old adopted son who had a terrible anger problem. We can't fully know all the details, but he killed his parents after an explosion. I know there were other deaths involved, one or two of the mom's brothers, I think. So, please remember the Nolasco family in your prayers.

We hope you have a wonderful week!

Isn't It Ironic?

2008-02-05T18:02:00.000-08:00

It's funny to look at my last post, seeing that the last two days have been rainy and a little cool. Oh, well!! It IS Honduras!

Today was the 100th day of school, and my kindergarteners and I were able to dress up like we were 100 years of age. I am kicking myself right now because I did not have our camera with me at all today. Some of my kids were ADORABLE!! I had one little boy (Mrs. Halbert-he is your favorite) who looked more like a homeless man by the end of the day after his "makeup" had worn off. Another little boy came with a grey mustache and actual spray-painted grey hair. We did all sorts of things today with the number 100. It was a lot of fun, but by the end of the day I felt as tired as a 100 year old kindergarten teacher would feel!!!

February- dry, sunny, and beautiful!

2008-02-03T11:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, the rains have pretty much stopped. It rained the other night and that was the first time in a long time. The rainy season brings at least one good rain every day or night. Now, the sun is getting more intense and there is already a lot of dust, which will only increase! It is still very cool in the early morning, but starts to warm up around 10 or 11 in the morning. We are usually still in the clouds in the morning, so once they move through, the sun comes out. It has been very nice but strange that it is February and so warm!

Things are moving right along in school. We had another group of 9th graders over for dinner on Thursday night, and it was very successful. I realized how much food a family goes through with 4 teenage boys!!! (A LOT) Aaron is enjoying the time that we have with these kids in our home. It is a nice change of scenery for him to hang out with them, and they also get to know me. They all wonder what kind of person I am because Aaron is so outgoing. They have quickly realized that I am not at all like him, but we create a good balance.

Kindergarten is going well. I was observed this week by my principal. It went very well, for which I am so thankful. I have a fantastic class, and they were perfect during the lesson!! He commended me on my classroom management, and I kind of chuckled under my breath. It is only by God's grace that I have been blessed with an overall obedient class. Overall, my class is very intelligent and I am able to speak honestly with them about their behavior. I only have one or two kids who are not ALWAYS very sorry for their bad behavior. I can only pray that I will have a class next year that is somewhat close to my class this year. I wouldn't mind teaching forever with classes like mine!

Some people you can pray for: 1) A child at the school is going through some pretty difficult things mentally and emotionally. Please pray with me that the Lord would save him at an early age and that he would find his security in only the Lord.
2) A friend of mine is going through some really rough financial situations. Please pray that the Lord would provide for her every need and to take away her worry. She has two boys.
Thank you and God bless!! ~The Halberts

Time Flies!

2008-01-24T15:52:00.000-08:00

Time has flown by, and I did not realize it had been this long since an update.

The weekend after we got back, we drove to San Pedro (about 4 hours there) to pick up our luggage. Our friends Day, Leslie, and Laura went with us just for the ride. That was nice to make the trip not quite so boring. I would have slept much more if they were not in the car! Thankfully, our luggage was there when we got there. It was all about to be put on a bus to send here, so it was wonderful that we got there when we did!! You can't always trust that noone will bother your things on a bus when the owners are not present.

The second week of school was better because we had gotten a little more rest and felt more refreshed. My students are not supposed to speak Spanish anymore, so those first two weeks were pretty quiet! :) They are learning more and more, and it is adorable to watch them try! It is Spanglish more than English right now.

Aaron got back into the routine pretty quickly and has had soccer practice twice a week. We are starting a new thing tonight for all the 9th graders. Every Thursday night, we will have 4 of them over for dinner. This is a good way for them to get to know me and get to know Aaron better outside of school. I only know a few of his students, but most of them know who I am. They are so excited about coming to our home and seeing how we are here.

Thank you for being patient with us about updating our blog. You may not think so, but things are very busy around here. I have been so busy keeping up with Catherine's site that I kind of forgot about mine! We thank you for praying for us!!

Henry Forrest Flemming

2008-01-07T11:04:00.000-08:00

We were very sad to hear last night that my grandfather passed away in his sleep. I am so thankful that we were able to see him over the holidays. He was a special part of the Flemming family. Aaron and I had just walked in our door to hear the phone ring, and his Dad had called to relay the message from my family. One of the first thoughts that came to mind was "How can I get back for the funeral?" The funeral is tomorrow, and seeing that my luggage is still lost somewhere between Ft. Lauderdale and Honduras, there is no possible way to make it there. My heart aches to know that I will not be there for all the family, but I know the Lord will give them all the comfort they need.

Please be in prayer for the family today and tomorrow as visitation will be tonight and the burial tomorrow. Jan-Jan (Janice Flemming) is doing as well as to be expected, after losing her husband. Please pray for her as things are very busy now and things will sink in more as everything slows down. Her five childern will be taking good care of her!

More to come later, but I wanted everyone to be able to pray. God's timing is perfect, even though we wish that we could be there for everyone.

We'll Be Home For Christmas...

2007-12-19T16:45:00.000-08:00

As we pack our bags and clean our apartment, we are so happy that we will be flying home tomorrow! We will be somewhere in the air between Houston and Nashville this time tomorrow night.

We will be in Mississippi for the first half, and then Tennessee for the second half. I am pretty sure that my whole family, including Samuel and his family, will be there!! This is a rare occurance! The whole Halbert family will be there as well, and we are so happy to see our families.

We want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

It's Not Just Another Day!

2007-12-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

Hello to everyone. Aaron was so very gracious to update the blog this week for me. Some weeks, it seems like my grading pile grows when I look away. I know they are kindergarten papers to grade, but I have been wrapping up before Christmas holidays and my kids have done so many phonics papers this week!!

The Christmas party last night was fantastic. Even though there was not as much food as we had expected, we had plenty and it was good stuff! There was a good turn out on the number of kids as well. The girls were somewhat on time, and the boys showed up at least an hour late. This is to be expected in Honduras, though. The girls were actually going on our "American" time. Honduran time is always "an hour behind." A lot of times, brides are late coming to the wedding, people are late for funerals, and NOONE is EVER on time for a party!! Oh, well, we can't change the culture!!

We are headed downtown for some fun. Tomorrow is our 1 year anniversary (hence the title), and we are celebrating a bit tonight. It is so hard to believe that a year has gone by since our wedding. It was so much fun, and I can't believe it was all a year ago.

Alot has happened in this year. Personally, I never would have thought that May would hold such shocking news for our family. On the other hand, living in Honduras has been a bigger blessing than I had imagined! So, the Lord has surprised me in so many ways through His grace and mercy this year. He is the constant in our lives-the only One who never changes and the One who brought us here- both Honduras and one year together as husband and wife. To God be all the glory, for great things He has done!!

This and That

2007-12-12T07:43:00.000-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since the last update. These past few weeks since thanksgiving have been rather hectic. As Christmas draws closer everything seems to have become more stressful as we prepare to finish school and come home for a few weeks. The kids have been extremely difficult to handle because they are all just as antsy as we are to have a nice break.
Over the past few weeks it seems like every night there is something that we have to do. This last weekend Rachel had the Christmas concert for the elementary school and it turned out to be wonderful. She loved seeing all the work the kids had put in come to fruition. I was unable to attend because I got a stomach bug the night before and wasnt feeling better until Saturday morning. Saturday brought more activity as we went to Valle de Angeles to do a little bit of Christmas shopping but, it was the same kind of Christmas shopping you do in the States. It was not crowded, hectic, or loud. It was actually very relaxing for both of us just to spend some time together enjoying the areas where we live. Saturday night brought a Quincineara, which is the equivalent of a Sweet Sixteen birthday party. It was one of the most extravagant things we have seen yet in Honduras. It was like something straight off of TV. It was very enjoyable to see these kids in their element and I was able to take some pictures that I hope to be able to post.
To continue on, Monday brought my Christmas concert, but once they get into High School they just aren't as cute as the younger ones. It was well put together and the kids seemed to have fun.
What we are looking most foward to is this Friday night when we are having a Christmas party at our house for all of the tenth grade. They are bringing desserts and appetizers and we are planning the games and activities. I have been dying to do some youth group type activities since we left and I think this will be a wonderful opportunity. We did do alot of preparation for this party while my friend Mark was in town because we decided to decorate outside. It started like most ideas do with two boys saying lets just do a little decorating and it ended with a hand made Christmas tree, icicle lights, bannisters wrapped in wreath and lights, net lights, and a blow up 8 foot polar bear that Mark bought us, a penguin the girls upstairs bought, and a snowman. So it turned into much more work than expected but the turned out way better than we could have hoped for.
With all that being said I hope to post alot of new pictures today and we look forward to seeing alot of you over the holidays. God Bless and thank you for all your prayers, interest, and support over these last few months.

The Thanksgiving Feast at the Halberts

2007-11-24T15:36:00.000-08:00

I have realized that cooking an entire Thanksgiving meal by yourself can be quite a task. I appreciate Mama and Jan-Jan (my grandmother) more now that I have tried it myself. Things were a bit different because of the Honduran shopping, but it was not that big of a deal.
I began on Wednesday night by making banana pudding. I was worried about this for two reasons. First, they don't have Nilla Wafers here, so I had to use a similar thin cookie. Second, they only had the old fashioned vanilla pudding, not instant, and I did not realize this until I mixed it in. Needless to say, the pudding did not "set" like it should have. Aaron and I were pleasantly surprised the next day when we found out that it tasted perfect!!
I began cooking on Thursday at 9am. I was thinking that I would be finished long before Mark arrived around three. Here is the original menu: Baked chickens, cornbread dressing and gravy, broccoli casserole, sweet potatoe casserole, and bread. My first attempt was cornbread for the dressing. I was skeptical from the beginning because they only had one kind of cornmeal here, and it did not look the same. I found out that it did not cook or taste the same either. So, I shifted gears and made home-made mashed potatoes instead. Aaron loves those, so I knew he wouldn't mind. The chickens were stuffed with onions and garlic and put into the oven around 10:30. I let them cook for several hours. Next was the broccoli casserole. That was a recipe from Aaron's mom, and it is his favorite casserole. I almost forgot the eggs, but I was able to mix them in before it began to cook!! Mark arrived right on time, and handed off the sweet potatoes from his suitcase. (I couldn't find any here, so he brought some for us!!) I mixed that casserole together, put some butter on the bread, and popped both of those in the oven for the final round.
The meal was finished and we sat down to eat at about 4:30. Thankfully, the guys had 7 layer dip to snack on while I finished cooking. (That was also made Thursday morning-I forgot)
So, the verdict was: The chickens were "amazing" and fell right off the bone, the potatoes were "Mmmmmmmmm......", the sweet potatoe casserole was "the best thing I have ever put in my mouth" (according to Mark), the bread was "so good", and the broccoli casserole was "good." Remember that I said broccoli casserole was Aaron's favorite?? Something happened while I was cooking, and it just was not the same. Maybe the altitude? Or it might just be "mother's touch." Whatever it was, I am going to get Mita to show me how she makes that and her enchiladas when I go home. Those are two things that I don't have the touch for, and I need to learn from the expert. I am very excited about it!!

We have been stuffed ever since Thursday! I noticed this year that around Thanksgiving and Christmas, I get uncomfortably full. Then, as soon as I get comfortable again, I eat more. So there is a constant feeling of uncomfort!!! Do you agree?? Why do we do that to ourselves? It is miserable!
Anyway, I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday. Christmas is around the corner, and we come home in three weeks!!! We are looking forward to seeing our friends and family. It was fun being here for Thanksgiving, but a little sad as well. This was our first year not to be completely surrounded by family the entire weekend. Mark was a wonderful substitute, though. I really enjoyed being a hostess this time!
We are decorating our first Christmas tree tonight, and pictures will be up soon. The weather here has been beautiful, but not at all cold. That is the weird part about putting up a Christmas tree. We have been in shorts all weekend!!

Thanksgiving Week in Honduras

2007-11-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is not really celebrated here in Honduras. The school recognizes it, and we have Thanksgiving festivities in the elementary, but it is not that big of a deal. Pilgrims and Indians are not exactly relevant to these children as they are in the States. It's understandable, but I LOVE Thanksgiving! I have been talking to my aid this past week about traditions of my family. I am sure each of you have traditions that are unique for your family. It has been fun for Aaron and me to combine our families' traditions, do away with some, and add a few of our own this year. This is our first Thanksgiving together as a married couple. Last year, we both went home to our parents' homes for the last holiday as single people! As sad as it is that we won't see the Huttons and the Halberts (and Flemmings and Smiths) this Thanksgiving, I am thankful to have a wonderful husband to spend it with. It is hard to believe that I have been a Halbert for almost a year now!

As we are getting more and more settled here in a new country, we have a lot to be thankful for. As you spend this Thursday preparing a big meal, visiting with friends and family, and probably watching football, please remember the ones around the world who may not have family to spend Thanksgiving with or who may not have money to make a huge feast. There are many here in Honduras, and this is small compared to the rest of the world. We don't come into close contact with many of the poorest of the poor. Most of our students come from the richest of the rich, so there is a big difference. However, even our students don't have perfect lives. Some of them are raised by their maids, nannies, and chauffeurs. My heart goes out to them, as well as the poor of Honduras.

Last week was Spiritual Emphasis Week, as I mentioned in the last entry. Academia Los Pinares is a Christian school, but all of students are NOT Christians. There is a lot of joy in the high school as a result from last week. Please pray that the Lord will be ever present in the lives of these students. Some accepted the Lord as their Savior, which is worthy of praise to our God. Pray that the school will continue on from last week to encourage those in their new faith. Some are still hard-hearted, and they need your prayers as well. Here is the website of the speakers: www.rickandmick.com If you go to the photo gallery, there are some pictures from their trip here. There is one of the entire high school at one of the assemblies-you can't miss it!

Cold days in Honduras

2007-11-14T14:44:00.000-08:00

So, last week was the first time we were out of school for a "cold day." I know what you are thinking- "It gets COLD in Honduras?" That is what I thought at first, until this cold front came in. The temperature is not unbearable on these kinds of days with it only getting into the 40s a little at night and in the mornings, but mostly in the 50s. The difference here is that there is no central heating in the school, apartments, or any building, really. Therefore, it is very hard to get warm. The classrooms hold moisture and the coldness, so teaching becomes difficult. Also, the parents of all the students do not like to send their kids in on these days. So, the school has to cancel school on such days. We missed 3 days last week!

This week is Spiritual Emphasis week for the high school. They have speakers named Rick, Mick, and Brandon. Rick and Mick are twins, and Brandon is the son of one of them- I can't remember which one. They are hilarious!!! Aaron has gotten to know them pretty well because they are VERY outspoken and funny. Kindergarten was left out the the school assembly yesterday morning, so I asked them to come visit us. They not only visited, but they sang and told jokes for the entire kindergarten for 30 minutes!! My kids loved it, and it was so special!!

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Mark Fleenor is coming to visit us! I am going to try to cook a Thanksgiving meal, sort of. If you have any great recipes, let me know! I am up for suggestions. I have to go shopping on Saturday morning, so get them to me before then!! :)

Conferences, Conferences, and more Conferences

2007-11-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

During the week I was in the Mississippi, all of the other teachers were given two half days out of school to complete their parent conferences. Since I missed that, I had to use every spare moment on Monday, Tuesday, and some of Wednesday to meet with my children's parents and give them their report cards. Talk about exhausting! So this is why it has been about a week since my last entry. I was able to get a lot of sleep at night, but the days would drain me of everything. I also had double the paper work and grading to do because of my absence. All is well now, and the weekend is welcomed with open arms!

Nothing else really took place this week besides school and basketball practices. Aaron was sick on Wednesday. The doctor says it is Tonsillitis, but he disagrees. :) He is feeling much better now, but he felt pretty crummy there for a while. I am trying not to be his mother, but he is terrible about taking medicine. Then again, I am not sure of any man who is! Please pray that the Lord will help him recover.

One last pray request for the day. I have realized that I have (but have not been officially diagnosed with) TMJ, or lockjaw. Over the last 6 months to a year, it has gotten steadily worse. For some reason, Honduras (or maybe just the timing) has made it sometimes unbearable. Please pray that the Lord will take away the pain and give me a way to be able to deal with it. I am wearing something at night, and it helps a little. Weather also affects it, and the weather changes in MS and here have sent me for a whirlwind. Not only does my jaw hurt and lock, but the inflammation in my jaw makes it feel like I have an ear infection sometimes. I know that is probably more than you want to know, but please just remember me in your prayers. God Bless!

October Birthdays in the Fam

2007-10-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to wish all of our family members "Happy Birthday" in this month of October. I have a list, and I hope that I don't miss anyone!!!
Maggie Claire Porter was 6 years old on October 13
Emily Hutton's birthday is today!!!
Meredith Porter will be 1 on October 31st

Also, Happy late Anniversary to Andy and Renee Halbert. It was on October 18th, right before she flew to Honduras last week. I am kind of thankful that they got married! Also, Mita: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for helping me out in my classroom so that I could be here. It has been such a specail and wonderful time, and I cannot even tell you how much your sacrifice means to me and to my entire family. Everyone has seen first-hand what I already knew: I have a wonderful mother-in-law!!!

May God bless any other birthdays that were/will be in October!

Thursday, Thursday

2007-10-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

Sad news for the day is that Cat had to be back in the hospital today. Her fever got up to 103.3 degrees this morning, and the doctor wanted her to come in. They think it is just the same infection just not responding to the original antibiotics. So, I am staying here with her in the hospital tonight. We are going to have just a sister night. It is nice for both Mama and Cat to get a little time apart once in a while. It is also nice to have a little alone time for the two of us sisters.

Mama and I went to the Elite restaurant tonight for supper. It was delicious, as usual. We even brought something back for Cat and Daddy. I have had great food all week!

I think I will have to shop by myself tomorrow, which is not exactly what Cat had wanted. I am hoping that she will not be in the hospital very long. Please pray that we will not be here for much longer!

Good Food

2007-10-25T09:23:00.000-07:00

Cat went in to the doctor yesterday to get checked out and make sure everything is ok. She is doing better, but it is still hard for her to eat very much. She feels full all the time because of the infection. She is not feeling the best today, but we are hoping that she will get better as the day goes on. Please pray that she will feel up to going shopping at some point with me. I have always loved to shop with her, but it would be very special this week.

I was a bit spoiled yesterday! Emily and I picked up sushi from Nagoya to eat while the kids played on the playground in Back Yard Burger. Nagoya is one of my favorite sushi restaurants of all time. If you haven't tried the Dynamite roll from there, you need to go as soon as possible!! Cat's favorite is the Rock and Roll, but it is a little too big for me. Daddy came down yesterday afternoon to see Cat while she went to the doctor. He called me on the way to her house to ask me where I wanted to eat: ANYWHERE I want, he said!! :) I have been craving a good steak, so he took me to Tico's. The steak was to die for (even though it was not quite as good as Daddy's) and I enjoyed a nice glass of Chardonnay with my meal. Everything was wonderful! Daddy got a Banana Fosters Ice Cream Pie for dessert, while I opted for the "melt in your mouth" Bread Pudding. We had left overs to share with Cat and Mama, and they loved that!!!

Today, we are hoping to hit the shopping. I hope Cat will feel well enough to come. Otherwise, we might wait until tomorrow. Please be praying for her complete healing of this infection and protection from any other sickness. She is going to be extra careful now as we enter the cold and flu season. There will be a lot of germs floating around, and she has realized that getting sick while her immune system is weak is no fun! Thank you for your prayers!!

Weather Changes

2007-10-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

There was a storm last night here in central MS, and I was hit hard with a pressure headache as a result. I guess my body finally got accustomed to the altitude in El Hatillo.

I am sitting here with Cat in Jackson, waiting on Mama to bring Subway salads for supper. Cat was supposed to come to Tchula yesterday and today, but her fever never went down. So, I just came to her this afternoon, and we will stay here unless she feels well enough to go to Tchula later this week.

I was able to visit with Jan-Jan and Henry Forrest today during lunch and Mrs. Beth Harris this afternoon. I love to go to my grandparents house in Cruger-there's just something special and unique about the smell of their house. Mrs. Beth is like my second mother, and her house is like my second home. Whenever I go, I have to stay for a while because it is so nice to catch up. Her daughter and my best friend in elementary school is getting married December 15 this year, which is the same weekend that Aaron and I were married last year. It is hard for me to believe that we have been married almost a year! Our move to Honduras has grown us closer together, for which we are so thankful. People say that moving away from all family will truly help a couple to leave and cleave. Not that we don't want to be near our family, but we have loved the time that we have together. We are each other's best friends, and we have so much fun together in Honduras!

The plans for the week are to go out to eat at a few of my favorite places and to shop at my favorite stores. Please pray that Cat will feel up to shopping with us. She was excited about it when she was getting out of the hospital, but she is afraid that she will not have the energy and strength. May the Lord provide that as He has so graciously provided for all of our needs!

Mississippi Girl

2007-10-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

I cannot tell you how weird it was to walk around in US airports yesterday and today, and actually hear English!!! My mind is always racing in Honduras because I can only catch a couple of words of people's conversation. It was a good feeling to be able to understand what people are saying when I need to!

I arrived today in Jackson, MS at 10:45 am. I flew to Houston yesterday and stayed the night. It was an early morning today, but I was here so early! After we left the airport, Mama and I made our way to Target for a quick stop, which was time enough for me to see MANY things in the clothes section that I would love to buy! (Aaron, I hope you read this) ;) We then went to the hospital to see Catherine. Side Note: Catherine got a bacterial infection while on her beach trip and had to come back to be put in the hospital for observation. Cat got a little emotional when she saw me, which made me feel so loved. It did not take long until Cat and I started going back and forth to update each other on our lives. There is only so much you can say on Skype and we don't talk on that very often. It was so wonderful to sit there and tell each other everything! This was also my first time to see Cat in person since she lost her hair. I know that I am a little biased, but she is still gorgeous. Catherine Anna Hutton could never look bad any day of her life! I will try to put some pictures up after the week with my family.

Daddy came over to the hospital to pick me up for a Hutton cook-out in Clinton. That was a lot of fun to spend the afternoon with some of my Hutton cousins, aunts, and uncles. Emily, Ryan, and the kids are also here for some of the week, so we all had a ball! It was surprising to see how much my neices and nephew have grown in just two and a half months! I loved seeing everyone!

I will try to update once in a while this week. We have a lot of plans for when Cat gets out of the hospital!

Not Again

2007-09-30T19:20:00.000-07:00

This week has been pretty normal, in some ways. Monday was very long for those of us who travelled over the weekend. We were all swamped with work and had very little energy, but we prevailed. Tuesday morning, I woke up with the stomach virus- YAY!! I stayed out of school for three days, hoping that the things would get done in my classroom. I was relieved knowing that my aid would be there to hold down the fort. Tuesday night I found out that she was out and would be for about a week because she had emergency surgery. Thankfully, two women substituted for me and did a fabulous job! They were great with the kids and taught to perfection.

Friday and Saturday were filled with ACSI conferences. We are all thankful that it is over, not that we did not enjoy it! :) On Saturday night, five of us went to the Sushi Bar downtown. This was mine and Aaron's second time there and the other three's first. Two of the three did not like the sushi they had eaten in the States. At the end of the night, however, they were ready to make this a monthly tradition (it is too expensive for our salaries to do more). Aaron and I were kind of proud of a successful night. We really love the Sushi Bar and the owner was extremely helpful this time!

Three prayer requests: First, that my stomach would get stronger and that my immune system would get stonger. Second, Aaron managed to break a rib in class the other day (don't ask), so please pray for healing and comfort with the pain. Third, please pray for my aid, Karla, that she would have a quick recovery. Tomorrow will be interesting without her! Thank you for your prayers! Love to all!

Amapala

2007-09-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

We just got back from Amapala. Ten of us teachers stayed on an island this weekend in South Honduras. Aaron organized the trip, and he did a fabulous job!! It was just gorgeous every where we turned;we were amazed at the beauty of God's creation. The island is basically a dormant volcano, so the sand on the beaches is black! There are only two hotels on the island, so we stayed at the better of the two. I know what you are thinking-You stayed at the best hotel on the island?? :) We payed a lot for it, too: $25 a night (for Aaron and myself-the 6 singles shared one room and payed a lot less)! It was great! The hotel was definitely not the nicest we have ever stayed in, and I don't think that they would stay open in the States, but it is Honduras!!! We overlooked the bugs on the walls and got wonderful rest every night! I was a little worried at first, but we all had a great time and laughed at the things we could have been upset over. The beach time was fantastic, and we had the FRESHEST seafood ever! Some of it was interesting, and our stomachs weren't exactly happy with all of us, but it was a good adventure.

As we drove into Tegucigalpa, a lot of us expressed the nice, but odd, feeling of coming home. Sometimes it takes a vacation to make your house feel like home. For some of us, we think of home in the States as our home. There is a feeling of going home that we will get when we visit our families that we will not get here, but for the first time, I felt like I was coming home when we drove up to the apartment. It was a good feeling, but it was weird. I feel more and more comfortable with this foreign land with every day that goes by. Like I have said before, Aaron was "home" the moment he stepped off the plane, but it has taken me longer to feel comfortable here. I told Aaron and a couple of other teachers today that I now LOVE kindergarten. It took me a little while, but I cannot see myself teaching any other grade next year. My kids are adorable and EASY to love, my aid (Karla) is amazing and I can't even imagine her not being there, and I love the flexibility of kindergarten. It has been hard with the language barrier, but my kids and I are working with each other. They are understanding, and they get so excited when I say something in Spanish. I try to give them special attention when they say something new in English and they love it! I am definitely having fun with them, and I think they are having more fun now, too!

I now see why people like to take a "vacation" after a vacation. We are exhausted now. Aaron drove the 15 passenger van through pretty rough mountain driving, and I was tense the whole drive! :) Thankfully, we have a four day week this week. We have ACSI conferences this weekend, and the kids don't come to school this Friday because of it. After this Friday, we won't have another day off for a while. Alex and Andrew are coming towards the beginning of October, then I go home soon after that for a week. Time is flying by!

We hope you all have a great week!

A Praise from the Hutton and Halbert families

2007-09-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

I cannot help but write a note about our good news. We received news through reading my sister's blog (www.caringbridge.org/visit/catherinehutton) that her cancer has gotten smaller in every area!!!! It has shrunk in her liver, lungs, and bones! After praying so unceasingly for complete healing, it is so encouraging to see the Lord's answer to our prayers. For those of you who know me, you know that my brother and sisters and I are very close. It has definitely been a rollercoaster for our family since May, but the Lord has blessed us in ways we never dreamed of. Our family is closer than ever before, and we are thankful for the grace He has shown us. I hope that you will join us in praying for COMPLETE healing of Catherine Hutton.

2007-09-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

This past week and weekend have been so eventful. It was our first full week of school in a while, and we were all exhausted by the end of it. On Monday, we had "Day of the Child" celebrations for our classes (well at least in elementary). This is a day in Honduras where the children are honored. One Pinares high school student put it this way: It is the celebration of the future of Honduras. I believe it is a good celebration, although many parents and children take it a bit too far.
Tuesday was my 23rd birthday. I don't think that I have been told "Happy Birthday" so many times on one of my birthdays. My children were so excited for me. They sang for me about 8 times that day as well! Aaron surprised me with flowers while I was teaching, and my aid and one of my students' parents surprised me with flan and ice cream. After school, Aaron and I made our way down to my favorite restaurant for a nice dinner. Little did I know, Aaron had planned a surprise get-together with all of our close friends, and they were there when we arrived! It was a fun night, and I had a lot of fun. The best part of the day, however, was when Aaron told me about my present from him. He and his parents have planned for me to go home for a week in October. Mrs. Halbert is coming here during her fall break to substitute for me. Most of you already know about my sister, Catherine. She was diagnosed with cancer in May and it has been very hard to be away from home during such a trying time for our family. Anyway, I am flying home October 20 (I think) and staying for a week! This is by far the greatest gift Aaron could have given me this year. As much as I am beginning to love Honduras, my heart often yearns to be back with my family in Mississippi.
Those of you who will see Renee and Andy Halbert soon, please give them a hug for me!! Mita is sacrificing her whole fall break for me, and Papi is flying with me both ways!! My family and I are so thankful!
The rest of the week went by quickly and ended with Independance Day on Friday. In Honduras, if a holiday falls on any day other than Monday, it is still observed by schools and some businesses on that following Monday. So, we did not have school today even though the actual holiday was Friday.
One of our fellow teacher's parents came to Honduras to visit this weekend. We spent a lot of time with them. The teacher and her roommate are two of our really good friends, so they wanted us to get to know her parents. They stayed at a very nice hotel across from one of the malls here, and we took advantage of the nice pool there this weekend! We did not feel like we were in downtown Tegucigalpa!

We hope that y'all have a wonderful week. Thank you for keeping up with us and for praying for us.

ps. I know that some of you would like to know ways to help us here. If any of you are interested, our elementary school is looking to update their video collection to all DVDs. Videotapes have problems with mold here and they are not always reliable now. If you are interested in sending children's videos to Academia Los Pinares, you may mail them to Andy Halbert 9913 Tierra Verde Drive Knoxville, TN 37922. He will get them to me in October. We are looking for all kinds of children's videos: Christian (like Veggie Tales), educational, or entertainment. They can be short or long. It will be for Pre-K through 6th grades. Thank you!!!

Doing Well

2007-09-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

We are thankful to report that it looks as if the storm is over!! The Lord answered the prayers of His people and protected us here in central Honduras. I have not heard of the extent of damages on the coast of Honduras, but I do know that Nicarauga was hit pretty hard. Please pray for the families there. It rained steadily all night and into the morning, but nothing like the 25 inches they predicted for us. The storm apparently slowed down a lot when it reached the mountains here in Honduras. They were afraid that it would have picked up speed and then stopped here in Tegucigalpa when it reached our mountains. (That is what happened in Mitch) If you look at a map of Honduras, you can see how the mountains curve. What happened in Mitch (and what everyone was afraid would happen again) is the storm slowed down at the first part of the mountains, went over them and picked up speed, then stopped at the next curve of mountains right over Tegucigalpa for a couple of days and dumped 50 inches of rain on the capital. With Felix, the storm slowed down and broke up a lot before moving on. It also moved through here rather quickly. It does not seem like we were even in a storm now that I look outside and see the sunshine. We are very thankful!! We are also thankful and surprised that our power only went off for a few minutes about 5 different times last night and this morning. The Lord is so gracious!!

Aaron is currently downtown with a fellow teacher, Adam Trout, who owns an army-like SUV. They ventured down the mountain to see how things were since the sun was shining up here. He just called me and said that everything is great and that there "is NO chance we are getting out of school tomorrow." We teachers are thankful for the two days off school, but we are all falling behind with our schedules!! It is indeed time to go back, even though I have enjoyed the mornings to sleep in.

Thank you all for your prayers. We will try to keep you updated as we find out any details of the damage done. You may find out more on your news channels, though. Have a great day!

Hurricane shift

2007-09-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

The hurricane has shifted and as of right now we are in the path of the eye. We are extremely safe up here on the mountain. It will be a tropical storm by the time it hits us, so we will experience rain. As we said before, our building is completely concrete (no exaggeration) and we are on a flat spot on the mountain. Therefore, we believe we are in the safest place we could be. Our prayer right now is for all of the poorly built small homes in the country. They will not be able to stand very much. Pray constantly for the lives of those people because many of them do not have money to go anywhere but their homes. Our hearts go out to all the people here who have no hope of a God that will forever protect them. We have a peace that only comes from the Lord, and we pray that the Lord will save not only lives but souls as well. We hope you will join us in praying for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as the lost.

Our power will probably go out soon, so please do not expect a post any time soon. Please do not worry if there is no post for a couple of days. We are expecting to be out of power for a while.

Hurricane Felix

2007-09-03T17:15:00.000-07:00

Hello to all,

I have had several comments about the hurricane down here. As of right now, we will only have some rain. It would have to come a little more south for it to really affect us. We will most likely lose power, but that is expected in a situation like this. Please pray that the Lord will not only protect us and keep the hurricane from our area, but that He would also protect those in the path. There are many poor people here in Honduras whose homes would not stand strong winds and rains, especially on the mountain slopes. We would most likely be okay because we are high up and in concrete buildings. Many of their homes are not even built on concrete slabs, let alone with concrete walls. The north coast is supposed to get the most damage, so please pray specifically for them. We will update you as soon as we know more. Thank you for your concern!

Hello from Honduras

2007-09-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

First of all, let us apologize to anyone who we have not talked to since we left. We have been very busy and our internet has not been exactly stable until lately. We have Skype, which works only with internet!! We are starting this blog so that we can at least let people know what is going on and how to pray for us. We hope that you will enjoy reading!!
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We are now starting our fifth week in Honduras, and I must say that it has been an adventure. We arrived in Tegucigalpa on July 31st at about noon. (Honduras does not change times ever, so we are on Mountain time now, but once you have your time change, we will be on Central time.) Aaron and I came with our four suitcases loaded to the max and our cat, Polo, as my carry-on. Polo was a trooper, I must say! I think he is hoping that he never has to leave the ground again. Little does he know....

Aaron's parents and a couple from Knoxville came along with us. We were able to get a lot of things accomplished while they were here, including painting our apartment. The walls were mostly a dingy white, and I was anxious to make it look like our home. It has been so fun to decorate with Honduran accent pieces. We live on a mountain in a town called El Hatillo. It is much cooler and more peaceful up here. We have about a thirty minute drive down the mountain to get to the actual city. That is where we do all of our shopping on the weekends.

The Halberts and Fleenors stayed for about five days. A few days after they left, I became sick with a bacterial infection in my stomach and stayed in the hospital overnight. What a welcome to Honduras, huh? There is no telling what made me sick. I have not had any unpurified water yet, so it must have been something that I ate. Noone else got sick, so I guess I have a weak stomach!

About the time I got out of the hospital, all of the other teachers came in. We started orientation and soon after that the kids came! We have now had two full weeks of school. I am teaching kindergarten and Aaron is teaching World Geography and World History to freshmen and sophomores. We will both be helping coach a few sports as well. The first one: track. I will be coaching long jump and Aaron will be coaching shotput and high jump.

Aaron is having such a fantastic time teaching and getting to know his students. Teacher-student relationships are very different here. Relationships, in general, are extremely important here. For those of you who know Aaron, you know that he is VERY outgoing and social. I can say this because I am his wife: the kids absolutely LOVE him! I have been hearing so many people say that Aaron is one of the favorite teachers!

As for me, I receive LOTS of hugs and kisses from my kids. They are so adorable. I even had a couple of girls tell me that they loved me this week. (This was extra special since they do not know very much English) The first couple of days at school were kind of hard because my kids just stared at me. I would tell them to stand up and they would just sit there!! I laughed a lot at how silly I felt those first days of school. Now, my kids are more comfortable with me. They understand A LOT more than they speak. I have a wonderful aid who is a native Honduran. She has been my life saver in the classroom, and not just because she translates for me!! I teach in English, and the kids are learning a lot. Like I said, they understand more than they speak, so my teaching does not need to be translated.

Other than going to school, Aaron and I have really enjoyed the malls here. One of them has a movie theater. We can both go to a movie and get a coke and popcorn for under $10! The movies are about 3 weeks behind the US, but it is fine! We (mainly me) also really like the Espresso Americanos. This is a coffee shop that is a lot like Starbucks and is everywhere! I can get a small "granita de cafe" (a frozen coffee drink) for under a dollar! :) I figure that the calories are balanced by all the walking we do here!

Tomorrow we will be going to our church here in El Hatillo. It is a small Spanish speaking church. We meet in the pastor's home and there are usually about 80 people that come. The pastor's wife translates for all of us teachers who do not speak Spanish. We have really liked it!

So far, I am enjoying Honduras. Aaron has come home, so it has been really easy for him to adjust. I have had a little culture shock, but it is very normal. We are both content with where the Lord has placed us. We have wonderful friends and we work at a great school. He has blessed us tremendously!! Thank you for all of your prayers!