Parent/Guardian Group

There are 3 of us who run parent groups every other Wednesday night.  All parents are welcome to attend. Attendance is one way to earn scholarship points toward student tuition.  We have covered topics such as positive discipline, how to help your child with bilingual homework as a Spanish speaking guardian, problem-solving, relaxation, etc.  We are excited to soon be inviting speakers on banking and student heath.  The last meeting, though, was led by a parent.  The guardians ended up staying 2 hours rather than one.  It was so much fun watching and helping with this FUN art project.  They LOVED it- old and young!

Thanksgiving

The Zelaya Family- Amazing people!  They allow us to walk through their farm, a safe way to school. Their daughter, Irma, is one of our 7th graders.  The daughter in the middle lives in Austin, Texas.  They invite us for dinner and karaoke.  We see them every week day :-)  

House portrait.  Great roomies :-)

That's my buddy, Maddy!  She was the first volunteer I met on my connector flight down.

I go to Santa Monica Bilingual School each Friday morning in order to help with counseling lessons, and/or in the resource role.  Our new school is coming along great.  Say it, sister!

Angie, Mr. Kevin's (Spanish and Social Studies teacher at our school) daughter- pretty adorable!  We are very excited to have Mr. Kevin's wife recently join our faculty!

We North Americans (and Canadian Sean- ha!) got to make our Honduran teachers a Thanksgiving feast!

Master Carver and Chef, Canadian Sean!

Mrs. Danelia and her family- AMAZING people, too!  Fabiola (daughter to the left) is about to move to Canada and speaks perfect English.  Husband in the middle is a pastry chef- OMG!  He keeps our stomachs happy!

That bird turned out perfectly... after a house grease fire and a pirex explosion!  Gonna do it, do it up B I G!

Probably about 45 of us between our two schools!

Ohhhh, MAN- that was GOOOOOOOOOD!

Alright, they deserved it!  iMuchas gracias por el pavo delicioso, amigos!

They had to roll us out!

FUUUUTBOOOOOLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!

MY PRAYERS HAVE CHANGED...

from PLEASE HELP to THANK YOU!

JUST THANK YOU!

"I Am Not My Hair" by India Arie

http://www.lyricstop.com/i/iamnotmyhair-india.arie.html


[Talking:]
Is that India.Arie? What happened to her hair? Ha ha ha ha ha
Dat dad a dat da [4x] Dad a ooh

[Verse 1]
Little girl with the press and curl 
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen I got a relaxer
I was a source of so much laughter
At fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen and went all natural
February two thousand and two
I went and did
What I had to do
Because it was time to change my life
To become the women that I am inside
Ninety-seven dreadlock all gone 
I looked in the mirror 
For the first time and saw that HEY....

[Chorus]
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no no
I am not my hair 
I ma not this skin 
I am a soul that lives within

[Talking:]
What'd she do to her hair? I don't know it look crazy
I like it. I might do that.
Umm I wouldn't go that far. I know .. ha ha ha ha

[Verse 2]
Good hair means curls and waves
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century 
Its time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off 
Like a South African beauty
Or get in on lock
Like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight
Like Oprah Winfrey
If its not what's on your head
Its what's underneath and say HEY....

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend? Oooh
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
I am expressing my creativity..
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)

[Verse 3]
Breast Cancer and Chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy everyday of her life ooh
On national television
Her diamond eyes are sparkling
Bald headed like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like HEY...

[Chorus 2x]

[Ad lib]
If I wanna shave it close 
Or if I wanna rock locks
That don't take a bit away 
From the soul that I got
Dat da da dat da [4x]
If I wanna where it braided
All down my back
I don't see what wrong with that
Dat da da dat da [4x]

[Talking:]
Is that India.Arie?
Ooh look she cut her hair!
I like that, its kinda PHAT
I don't know if I could do it.
But it looks sharp, it looks nice on her
She got a nice shaped head
She got an apple head
I know right?
It's perfect.

"There's Hope" by India Arie

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/indiaarie/thereshope.html

[Verse 1:]
Back when I had a little
I thought that I needed a lot
A little was over rated,
but a lot was a little too complicated
You see-Zero didn't satisfy me
A million didn't make me happy
That's when I learned a lesson
That it's all about your perception
Hey-are you a pauper or a superstar
So you act, so you feel, so you are
It ain't about the size of your car
It's about the size of the faith in your heart

[Chorus:]
There's hope
It doesn't cost a thing to smile
You don't have to pay to laugh
You better thank God for that
[repeat]

There's hope

[Verse 2:]
Off in the back country of Brazil
A met a young brother that made me feel
That I could accomplish anything.
You see just like me he wanted to sing
He had no windows and no doors
He lived a simple life and was extremely poor
On top of all of that he had no eye sight,
but that didn't keep him from seein' the light
He said, what's it like in the USA,
and all I did was complain
He said-livin' here is paradise
He taught me paradise is in your mind
You know that

[Chorus]

[Bridge:]
Every time I turn on the T.V. (There's Hope)
Somebody's acting crazy (There's Hope)
If you let it, it will drive you crazy (There's Hope)
but I'm takin' back my power today (There's Hope)
Gas prices they just keep on rising (There's Hope)
The government they keep on lying
but we gotta keep on surviving
Keep living our truth and do the best we can do

[Chorus]

Stand up for your rights [echo]
Keep shining your light [echo]
And show the world your smile [echo]

[Chorus]

House Happenings:

Dance parties, music, food, dress up, games like "How many people can we fit in the hammock?"- may as well!  

LORD, THANK YOU FOR THESE CHALLENGES!

I haven't been feeling great for a few weeks now.  Last weekend, I was under the covers with a flu-like thing.  Temp down, voice back, stomache mostly better in time for staff development in Tegucigalpa last week.  After 5 hours on buses, we returned home yesterday.  Tired and hungry, the house had no gas, no water, and a dirty pila (water reservoir).  Handling everything in stride to this point, things suddenly changed when I saw a THING in my outhouse bathroom.  I thought it was alive at first, then calmed myself enough to realize that there is nothing on this earth that could possibly be ALIVE that looked like THIS.  Wrong.  The black head on the bright yellow grub started MOVING!  This THING was as long as my hand, as thick as my thumb.  You know this was bad because I did NOT get my camera and did NOT take a picture.  WHY?  I can NEVER think of this disgusting THING- EVER, EVER AGAIN!  It was the FIRST time I ran into the house, declaring my need for a man!  (Yes, it was way worse than the dead opposum at Hanover, which I BAGGED with Tim hanging out the 2nd story window laughing hysterically!)  THANK YOU, ADAM!!!!!  This morning, I woke up to continued rain.  I set out for my 25 minute walk to school through the street, rocks, and mud...
Thank you, GOD, for these challenges!  I can feel my spirit stretching and growing every single day!  I think I am seeing what you wanted me to see!  There is nothing like arriving this morning to 275 smiling faces!  I am blessed to be here, that you are sharing every bit of this with me!