Lagos

Things have been awesome the past day and a half. About 20 of the American teachers went on a retreat to Lago de Yojoa, the only lake in Honduras. Really, the trip wasn't about the lake, but our hotel happened to be on the lake. We left after school (2pm, because it was a half day) and headed to the destination. We went north west from Tegucigalpa to get to Lago de Yojoa. It took about 3.5 hours, plus a pit-stop. Once we arrived, we ate a meal at the hotel (a nice Honduran meal with cheese, beef, beans, and rice which were all placed in tortillas). Platanos (plantains) were also on the plates. Platanos are not my favorite, although I have discovered that plantain chips are very good!

We played Around-the-World ping pong, which was SO fun. It was crazy, and I discovered that I can serve really fast (and get my opponents out, too!). I didn't ever win, but did a good job of amazing and frustrating people with my quick serve! There was a group of Hondurans trying to play pool there, too. We pretty much were the epitomy of American stereotypes - very loud and probably obnoxious - but nevertheless, it was a very good time. We then went into my group's hotel room and sang and shared stories about what brought us to the International School. It was neat to see how God had placed such a clear calling in many people's lives to come and teach at the school. This group of people has been very encouraging to me.

This morning, we woke up, ate breakfast, and headed out for our adventure at the waterfall (cascara). As people talked about the waterfall, I began to realize that what I was about to do would definitely be an adventure! The goal of the venture was to walk under a waterfall - and because there had been a lot of rain in Honduras this year, the other teachers anticipated that the waterfall would be especially big.

Boy were they right! We parked our bus in a small village/neighborhood and saw the beautiful waterfall. It's huge, but gorgeous. I took pictures with my waterproof camera. You might have to wait until I get back to see the pics. Those who were participating (most of us) started decending toward the bottom of the waterfall. I just wore a t-shirt, shorts, and someone's Teva-type sandles with straps. Flip-flops would not suffice!

So that this blog doesn't become so ridiculously long, I'll cut to the chase.

We went in groups of 5 with a tour guide. We stood at the side of the waterfall, held onto the person in front of us, and walked underneith the waterfall. It was CRAZY! !! I was actually really scared. We all had to keep our eyes closed, because there was so much water pouring on us, and we had to deliberately take short, shallow breaths so we didn't hyperventilate. It was definitely something that required focus and bravery (and trust). Many times I could not see ANYTHING but just held onto the person in front of me, and I was ok. When we actually got under the waterfall (we stood in a crevice in the rock) we looked up... It was amazing to realize that we were under a waterfall.

The day continued to get better - we ate (I decided not to eat much, because I didn't feel like eating chicken with congealed fat on the top...), and then I played with kids for the rest of the afternoon (for at least 3 hours). It was SOOO much fun. I met Kati (Kathy in English), Norris, Cesar, and Luis. I also played with Carlos, Maximillian, and Andi. Mom, loved that she had the same name as my mom! Dad, I decided not to tell the girl named Norris that she shared her name with you. :-)

I absolutely LOVED being with the kids - things couldn't have been better. Some people ziplined over the waterfall. I thought about doing this, but then decided to wait for another opportunity, if I get it. However, I didn't want to be with other teachers. I just wanted to invest my time in the kids. They were just hanging out, so I started talking to them. Cesar was 10 and in 3rd grade. Andi was 11 and in 2nd grade. Yikes. Cesar said that they only go to school until 8th grade. Apparently, some people nearby go to school on Saturdays, too, because we saw them wearing their uniforms. We played frisbee, volleyball, futbol (soccer, what else), and Loca (Monkey in the Middle).

I asked if the kids knew of a Compassion International nearby. They did. They said that Compassion has a bilingual school which has computers. One kid said he applied, but was asked to pay 200 lempiras (about 10 dollars) and he didn't have the money, so he couldn't go.

It occurred to me today that maybe I should look into teaching in a poor area in Latin America. I don't know, yet, but I have always enjoyed relating to kids in less-than-ideal situations. It's just a thought, but one that I'm going to entertain and pray about for sure.

Today was wonderful - seeing God's creation, having great conversations with new friends, speaking in Spanish a lot, playing and talking with kids (Honduran kids!), and doing something adventerous and even terrifying.

I know this is extremely long - I'll try to keep my posts a little shorter - but my blogs are also serving as a type of journal for me, so I will include a lot of details at times so I will remember in the future.