Sorry to all you who read my blog. I have been silent for a long while... Well, let me tell you what God has been doing in my life.
I moved back home from Honduras in June and spent all summer in the beautiful beaches of Wilmington, North Carolina. It was so great to spend time with family and God's perfect creation. In August, I moved back to Grand Rapids, Michigan for a job at the school that I did my practicum. I am reassured of His greatness through my experience at this school so far. I have amazing kids who love God and a Christian community that I thrive in. Not only am I involved in the classroom, but I enjoy playing football and basketball with my students during recess. My class shared a night at the local arena to watch hockey. I feel so connected in their lives.
One thing I definitely miss about Honduras is my church family. When I moved back north, I had a desire to get involved in the church. I am an usher and am part of a small devotional group. I have learned so much about the history of the tabernacle, forgiveness, and the power of worship. Every week, I look forward to going to His house! I hope you feel the same ways about your church.
Although I am back in the states, I still have a desire to travel. For spring break, I plan to visit a close friend in Texas. I've never been there, but am looking forward to adventure, relaxation, and warmth. The day after school gets out for the summer, I'm flying out to Honduras to visit the many students, friends, and families that I so long to see again. I am so excited for what God has been doing down there.
My petitions are for the people in my city that are suffering in this season of winter. I pray for this country and the world. Most of all, I would like prayer for my family. May God give me strength each day.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Slam Dunk!
It was my "Michael Jordan" birthday on Thursday. I turned the big "23"! It was a wonderful day thanks to my family and the Schellenberg family. It started with a trip down to Myrtle beach to visit the Schellenberg family. We played bananagrams, went out to eat, boogie boarded and played in the waves, had dance lessons on the beach, and a nice conversation in the car back to my house. To my surprise, my mom had planned a dinner party with neighbors and church friends. It was a lovely time with great food (sushi and brisket) and good conversations.
I don't feel old at all. I feel that life is just beginning. With a new job starting in a week, moving back to Michigan, I have so much adventure and unknown ahead of me. I'm excited! 5 more days until I am in the mitten...
I don't feel old at all. I feel that life is just beginning. With a new job starting in a week, moving back to Michigan, I have so much adventure and unknown ahead of me. I'm excited! 5 more days until I am in the mitten...
Thursday, July 21, 2011
It's Summertime
Wow!! I'm not so good at this blogging thing because the last post was in May and It's already almost the end of July. I need to start making this a habit.
Well, in the months that we missed, I was in a wedding; I accepted a job in Michigan; I said my goodbyes in Honduras; I moved back to North Carolina; I traveled to Georgia, Florida, and New Jersey; I went to the beach almost everyday; and started going to the YMCA again. Life is good. The best part of this summer has been spending time with my family. I hadn't seen them since August of 2010!
Here's a few snapshots of my summer:
At the beach in Puerto Cortez, Honduras
Lunch with church friends at Valle de Angeles
Breakfast with the best mom in Honduras. Love you, Ana
Goodbye to my students
Marcus and Ashley Burgin's Wedding
Prom
New Jersey
Well, in the months that we missed, I was in a wedding; I accepted a job in Michigan; I said my goodbyes in Honduras; I moved back to North Carolina; I traveled to Georgia, Florida, and New Jersey; I went to the beach almost everyday; and started going to the YMCA again. Life is good. The best part of this summer has been spending time with my family. I hadn't seen them since August of 2010!
Here's a few snapshots of my summer:
At the beach in Puerto Cortez, Honduras
Lunch with church friends at Valle de Angeles
Breakfast with the best mom in Honduras. Love you, Ana
Goodbye to my students
Marcus and Ashley Burgin's Wedding
Prom
New Jersey
Sunday, May 8, 2011
5 More Weeks of School
I know that every time I blog I apologize for not being more consistent in writing every week. Life gets busy as a teacher if you didn't know ;)
Well, it's May now... Happy Mother's Day to all you moms. This world would not exist without you. Lately I have been homesick and wanting to go home. It's been 9 months since I have been home to North Carolina. That's the longest I have ever been away from them. I am looking forward to going home on June 19th!
This past weekend I went to Amapala (the volcanic island south of the mainland of Honduras) with Keri. I wanted to go to spend time at the beach. The beach is my place. It's a place where I can think, ponder, and make decisions. Keri's company is definitely one of the best things in the world. I don't know what our future holds, but it's great to have your best friend by your side for support and advice. God has blessed me with such an amazing Christian role model.
I went to Michigan for 10 days during Holy Week. It was a wonderful time to spend with "family" and friends. I truly miss you all and can't wait to see some of you in June. It's amazing to me the relationships I have with people and how beautiful it truly is. If you think about the different communities you are a part of, I'm sure you can list at least 5: church, school, work, family, neighborhood, etc. The trip was cold with rain, sleet, hail, and snow, but I felt so loved.
I visited the school I student-taught at and God has brought an amazing opportunity in front of me to possibly work there next year. This is my prayer request today. May I hear His voice and follow His plan. He is faithful and I need to trust Him. Who knows, maybe I'll be seeing you sooner than you think :) Also pray for my students as we finish the school year. It has been a great year and I can't believe it's almost done. Can you?
Well, it's May now... Happy Mother's Day to all you moms. This world would not exist without you. Lately I have been homesick and wanting to go home. It's been 9 months since I have been home to North Carolina. That's the longest I have ever been away from them. I am looking forward to going home on June 19th!
This past weekend I went to Amapala (the volcanic island south of the mainland of Honduras) with Keri. I wanted to go to spend time at the beach. The beach is my place. It's a place where I can think, ponder, and make decisions. Keri's company is definitely one of the best things in the world. I don't know what our future holds, but it's great to have your best friend by your side for support and advice. God has blessed me with such an amazing Christian role model.
I went to Michigan for 10 days during Holy Week. It was a wonderful time to spend with "family" and friends. I truly miss you all and can't wait to see some of you in June. It's amazing to me the relationships I have with people and how beautiful it truly is. If you think about the different communities you are a part of, I'm sure you can list at least 5: church, school, work, family, neighborhood, etc. The trip was cold with rain, sleet, hail, and snow, but I felt so loved.
I visited the school I student-taught at and God has brought an amazing opportunity in front of me to possibly work there next year. This is my prayer request today. May I hear His voice and follow His plan. He is faithful and I need to trust Him. Who knows, maybe I'll be seeing you sooner than you think :) Also pray for my students as we finish the school year. It has been a great year and I can't believe it's almost done. Can you?
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
February and March
Where is the time going? 2011 will come and go before we know it. Today marked the first day of the final quarter. It's definitely bittersweet thinking about how my 21 students are closer to becoming 5th graders and how fast my first year of teaching has gone.
FEBRUARY
I went to a birthday party of one of my students. It was really fun getting to know her family. They own land 45 minutes away from the city with horses, lots of land, and a one story house with a wrap-around-porch. It was fun to hit a piñata. I hadn't done that in so many years. The best part was how all the people of every age group collected the candy.
February is also the month of love. Here in Honduras they call it "Dia de amor y amistad" which means Day of Love and Friendship. I love this because it's the truth... that's what this day should be about. I celebrated it with some Honduran friends and Keri (of course). We had a lovely shrimp dinner :)
I've been coaching soccer for the Varsity girls' team with Mr. Aleman. It has been a lot of fun getting to know this group of girls. There are 18 of them, Freshman through Seniors. I love to play the game, but I don't know the technics and that's wear the other coach comes in. We did not have the best season, but we made it to the ABSH tournament which is a huge competition between the 3 best schools in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
At the end of this month, we had a teachers retreat with ALL the teachers at Pinares and their families. I got to jump off a cliff into water, go behind a waterfall, play American football and soccer, and bond with the Honduran teachers. It was a fun time of fellowship, worship, and adventure. I had not been to Lake Yojoa since I was little, so that was pretty sweet.
March
The first week of March I was out of school for 3 days with my soccer team. We had so much fun playing soccer and shopping. (The best of both worlds for these girls). We didn't place to get a trophy, but the varsity boys got 4th place.
Family Fun Day was the 2nd Saturday of the month. It's a way for high school classes to raise money for their class funds. It was crazy to see signs that said Class of 2016. Throwing waterballoons at your teacher was definitely a highlight.
I went to another birthday party for a Kindergarten student with Keri. She's now the kindergarten teacher and it was her first birthday party here. Birthday parties are a big deal here. You invite all the kids in your class, the teacher, and family. That makes for a lot of people. The party was held at the children's museum here. The theme was Lion King and the piñata was as big as the students.
As many of you read on my Facebook status, my family in Japan is doing okay. My grandmother and aunt live near Tokyo. They had been without water and electricity for a few days, but thankfully, they have those things now. It made me reflect on my day and how much I rely on these things. I challenge you to take a moment and list all the things/times you needed water or electricity. It's definitely something we all take for granted. It's a tragic disaster all that is going on in the mainland of Japan.
Unfortunately, Tegucigalpa has been in some turmoil as well. The public school teachers have been holding strikes on made roads for the last 2 weeks. March 17 is St. Patrick's Day and we didn't have school due to the people on the streets. The teachers and rioters throw rocks at cars, buses, taxis, and policemen. They had to throw tear gas on the road to calm the people down. Although things were going on in the city, the mountain was peaceful as always. My housemate had her birthday party with an Alice in the Wonderland theme. I was the Queen of Hearts and half hour later, the bunny. Here's the cast:
Father's Day was celebrated on March 19 and the students had a concert. (My kids are on the far left)
My church, Impacto, had their 10th anniversary celebration on Sunday. It was a beautiful service with hundreds of people coming up to profess their gratitude to the church. They had people come up and light candles if they had given their lives to Christ because of the church ministry. It was amazing to see all those people of all ages! After the service we had Honduran food and soccer. We went to church at 9 am and didn't get home until 5 pm. I wish every Sunday was like that.
Now, we're almost up-to-date... Yesterday, Francisco, Keri, and I went to the circus. I've never been because I have a phobia of clowns and start crying the instant I see them. Well, I fought my fears and it was really fun. The clowns only had their mouths painted, so I wasn't too scared unless they got near me. The acrobatics and animals were fascinating. I even got to ride an elephant!!
I'm going to update this thing more often. Sorry it was such a long post, but I hope you get a glimpse of my life down here. There's always a story to tell. For my petitions, continue to pray for Japan and other countries in the world. Until next time... hugs and kisses.
FEBRUARY
I went to a birthday party of one of my students. It was really fun getting to know her family. They own land 45 minutes away from the city with horses, lots of land, and a one story house with a wrap-around-porch. It was fun to hit a piñata. I hadn't done that in so many years. The best part was how all the people of every age group collected the candy.
February is also the month of love. Here in Honduras they call it "Dia de amor y amistad" which means Day of Love and Friendship. I love this because it's the truth... that's what this day should be about. I celebrated it with some Honduran friends and Keri (of course). We had a lovely shrimp dinner :)
I've been coaching soccer for the Varsity girls' team with Mr. Aleman. It has been a lot of fun getting to know this group of girls. There are 18 of them, Freshman through Seniors. I love to play the game, but I don't know the technics and that's wear the other coach comes in. We did not have the best season, but we made it to the ABSH tournament which is a huge competition between the 3 best schools in Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula.
At the end of this month, we had a teachers retreat with ALL the teachers at Pinares and their families. I got to jump off a cliff into water, go behind a waterfall, play American football and soccer, and bond with the Honduran teachers. It was a fun time of fellowship, worship, and adventure. I had not been to Lake Yojoa since I was little, so that was pretty sweet.
March
The first week of March I was out of school for 3 days with my soccer team. We had so much fun playing soccer and shopping. (The best of both worlds for these girls). We didn't place to get a trophy, but the varsity boys got 4th place.
Family Fun Day was the 2nd Saturday of the month. It's a way for high school classes to raise money for their class funds. It was crazy to see signs that said Class of 2016. Throwing waterballoons at your teacher was definitely a highlight.
I went to another birthday party for a Kindergarten student with Keri. She's now the kindergarten teacher and it was her first birthday party here. Birthday parties are a big deal here. You invite all the kids in your class, the teacher, and family. That makes for a lot of people. The party was held at the children's museum here. The theme was Lion King and the piñata was as big as the students.
As many of you read on my Facebook status, my family in Japan is doing okay. My grandmother and aunt live near Tokyo. They had been without water and electricity for a few days, but thankfully, they have those things now. It made me reflect on my day and how much I rely on these things. I challenge you to take a moment and list all the things/times you needed water or electricity. It's definitely something we all take for granted. It's a tragic disaster all that is going on in the mainland of Japan.
Unfortunately, Tegucigalpa has been in some turmoil as well. The public school teachers have been holding strikes on made roads for the last 2 weeks. March 17 is St. Patrick's Day and we didn't have school due to the people on the streets. The teachers and rioters throw rocks at cars, buses, taxis, and policemen. They had to throw tear gas on the road to calm the people down. Although things were going on in the city, the mountain was peaceful as always. My housemate had her birthday party with an Alice in the Wonderland theme. I was the Queen of Hearts and half hour later, the bunny. Here's the cast:
Father's Day was celebrated on March 19 and the students had a concert. (My kids are on the far left)
My church, Impacto, had their 10th anniversary celebration on Sunday. It was a beautiful service with hundreds of people coming up to profess their gratitude to the church. They had people come up and light candles if they had given their lives to Christ because of the church ministry. It was amazing to see all those people of all ages! After the service we had Honduran food and soccer. We went to church at 9 am and didn't get home until 5 pm. I wish every Sunday was like that.
Now, we're almost up-to-date... Yesterday, Francisco, Keri, and I went to the circus. I've never been because I have a phobia of clowns and start crying the instant I see them. Well, I fought my fears and it was really fun. The clowns only had their mouths painted, so I wasn't too scared unless they got near me. The acrobatics and animals were fascinating. I even got to ride an elephant!!
I'm going to update this thing more often. Sorry it was such a long post, but I hope you get a glimpse of my life down here. There's always a story to tell. For my petitions, continue to pray for Japan and other countries in the world. Until next time... hugs and kisses.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Half-way Point
Pinares just finished their 2nd quarter and the first month of 2011 is almost over. It seems like just last week we got back from our Christmas break. Looking back at these 2 quarters, it's amazing how much work and information I have done. We have gone through 12 chapters in Math, 5 chapters in Social Studies, 4 chapters in Science, 19 short stories, 17 Bible and Spelling Lessons... and the list goes on and on. Teaching here in Honduras has been awesome. As a new teacher, I have been learning how to effectively teach certain subjects and to discipline certain students. For example, my students and I played hide-and-go-seek for Science to teach them about adaptations and camouflage. It was tons of fun, but it taught them something. In terms of discipline, I have a 9 year old boy who is not scared to go to the principal's office, so I had to find a different consequence for him when he becomes disrespectful. I told him he couldn't play soccer at recess if he does not change his attitude and habits and now, his behavior has improved and I have less issues to deal with :)
In the last month, I have seen a new Calvin student each week. My best friend, Keri, moved here 2 weeks ago and is now working at Pinares as well. I am so happy to have her here. God is so faithful! Carla Lindemulder came for a day before leaving for volunteer work. We use to study in the same Math group in college and had such fun in the summers at the beach or doing random things. Brooke Van Eck was here for a day observing our school. She had come down with a group of Calvin students for interim. She is thinking about teaching here in Honduras next year and it would be lovely to see her grow and make a difference here. And yesterday, I met with Alex Cortez whom I worked with at the Calvin Admissions office. He has such a fun personality. We had dinner with a small group of Calvin people. I never realized how small our world could be. It's awesome to have gone to a college with such close relationships and connections. If any of you would like to come down to Honduras, please come visit me. It has been so refreshing seeing people and catching up. I miss you all. Thanks for thinking of me as I am thinking of you too. Enjoy the snow... it's been in the 90s here in the city :) With love, An
In the last month, I have seen a new Calvin student each week. My best friend, Keri, moved here 2 weeks ago and is now working at Pinares as well. I am so happy to have her here. God is so faithful! Carla Lindemulder came for a day before leaving for volunteer work. We use to study in the same Math group in college and had such fun in the summers at the beach or doing random things. Brooke Van Eck was here for a day observing our school. She had come down with a group of Calvin students for interim. She is thinking about teaching here in Honduras next year and it would be lovely to see her grow and make a difference here. And yesterday, I met with Alex Cortez whom I worked with at the Calvin Admissions office. He has such a fun personality. We had dinner with a small group of Calvin people. I never realized how small our world could be. It's awesome to have gone to a college with such close relationships and connections. If any of you would like to come down to Honduras, please come visit me. It has been so refreshing seeing people and catching up. I miss you all. Thanks for thinking of me as I am thinking of you too. Enjoy the snow... it's been in the 90s here in the city :) With love, An
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Happy New Year!!
Wow. It's been awhile since I've written. A lot has happened in the last few months. Sorry for my absence on the blog. (Maybe I'm having too much fun to even spend time online...) Well, where should I start first?
Halloween: My friends Jorge and Enoc came over to carve their first pumpkin ever. It's definitely not a Honduran thing and our medium-sized pumpkin cost us $12!! It was well worth it though. The pumpkin turned out fabulous. Check it out:
Harvestfest: Here in Academia Los Pinares (the school that I work at, if you forgot), we are not allowed to celebrate Halloween, so we had this fall festival with a costume theme. So, my housemates and I decided on being Ninja Turtles since there are 4 of us. I was Michaelangelo.
Thanksgiving: In my classroom we had Popeyes delivered and had fried chicken for our meal together. I actually had 3 meals. One in my classroom, one hosted and catered at the school, and one at a family friend's house. This holiday is definitely a good reminder for me to be thankful for everything I have. I think we need to remind ourselves and become in the habit of this, not just this time of year.
I also went on a little retreat with a 3 other teachers and 3 locals to a small mining town. We hiked, went to a hot spring, rode horses, swam and laid by the pool, and watched movies. It was a much needed break.
December: The annual Christmas concert was the second week of December. It really made me feel like a teacher watching my kids perform. They all looked so cute in their new outfits and salon done hair. It was a beautiful program about the true meaning of Christmas.
My apartment hosts the annual Christmas party, so we had different centers: christmas story time, snowflake making, snowball fight, cards, and gingerbread making. It was a blast. We even dressed up as elves, santa, and rudolf for the occasion.
Costa Rica: Pura Vida. That is their famous phrase (pure life)... and now I know why that is. I rode the bus for 20 hours and arrived on Christmas Eve in San Jose. It was cold, but it was wonderful to have a nice bed to sleep in. I went to Costa Rica to visit my friend from university. He's been working there for a year. We spent Christmas in the "ghetto" of San Jose. It was the most humble holiday I have ever experienced. It was beautiful to see the little we have and be so grateful. I also experienced my first Central American wedding and my first hike. I went to the famous Arenal Volcano for 2 days and then spent the rest of my time in Tamarindo. Nothing says holiday without the beach!
I got back yesterday at 10 pm and had to wake up at 5 am for work this morning. It was nice to see my students again, but it was an exhausting day. Now, back to the normal swing of things.
OH... I almost forgot to announce some big news: 1) My best friend from college, Keri Verwolf, is coming down to live and work in Honduras at the same school as me. I am SOOO happy!! 2) I decided to stay another year here in Honduras (so please come visit!)
I missed everyone over the holidays (especially my family). It was definitely a different experience without being with close ones. I thought of all of you and hope that your Christmas and New Years went well. May you be blessed this year.
Besos,
An
Halloween: My friends Jorge and Enoc came over to carve their first pumpkin ever. It's definitely not a Honduran thing and our medium-sized pumpkin cost us $12!! It was well worth it though. The pumpkin turned out fabulous. Check it out:
Harvestfest: Here in Academia Los Pinares (the school that I work at, if you forgot), we are not allowed to celebrate Halloween, so we had this fall festival with a costume theme. So, my housemates and I decided on being Ninja Turtles since there are 4 of us. I was Michaelangelo.
Thanksgiving: In my classroom we had Popeyes delivered and had fried chicken for our meal together. I actually had 3 meals. One in my classroom, one hosted and catered at the school, and one at a family friend's house. This holiday is definitely a good reminder for me to be thankful for everything I have. I think we need to remind ourselves and become in the habit of this, not just this time of year.
I also went on a little retreat with a 3 other teachers and 3 locals to a small mining town. We hiked, went to a hot spring, rode horses, swam and laid by the pool, and watched movies. It was a much needed break.
December: The annual Christmas concert was the second week of December. It really made me feel like a teacher watching my kids perform. They all looked so cute in their new outfits and salon done hair. It was a beautiful program about the true meaning of Christmas.
My apartment hosts the annual Christmas party, so we had different centers: christmas story time, snowflake making, snowball fight, cards, and gingerbread making. It was a blast. We even dressed up as elves, santa, and rudolf for the occasion.
Costa Rica: Pura Vida. That is their famous phrase (pure life)... and now I know why that is. I rode the bus for 20 hours and arrived on Christmas Eve in San Jose. It was cold, but it was wonderful to have a nice bed to sleep in. I went to Costa Rica to visit my friend from university. He's been working there for a year. We spent Christmas in the "ghetto" of San Jose. It was the most humble holiday I have ever experienced. It was beautiful to see the little we have and be so grateful. I also experienced my first Central American wedding and my first hike. I went to the famous Arenal Volcano for 2 days and then spent the rest of my time in Tamarindo. Nothing says holiday without the beach!
I got back yesterday at 10 pm and had to wake up at 5 am for work this morning. It was nice to see my students again, but it was an exhausting day. Now, back to the normal swing of things.
OH... I almost forgot to announce some big news: 1) My best friend from college, Keri Verwolf, is coming down to live and work in Honduras at the same school as me. I am SOOO happy!! 2) I decided to stay another year here in Honduras (so please come visit!)
I missed everyone over the holidays (especially my family). It was definitely a different experience without being with close ones. I thought of all of you and hope that your Christmas and New Years went well. May you be blessed this year.
Besos,
An
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