Compassion Letter

for : http://lovelaidbare.blogspot.com

Dear Christy Carlson,Thank you so much for writing a letter to your sponsored child.Please write again soon!Remember, your e-mail does not go directly to your child. Yourletter will go through the normal translation process and be mailedto your sponsored child as soon as possible.Please keep this copy of your letter for your own records.Thanks for making a difference in the life of a child,Compassion International.

This is a letter I wrote to the Compassion child that I personally sponsor. He has written me 3 times just this fall! I figured it was about time that I write back to him. I chose to sponsor Benjamin about a year and a half ago. During a 5 week Spanish-learning trip to Ecuador, I visited a Compassion International project in Cuenca (the city where I was staying). Because of my love for the country of Ecuador and Compassion, upon returning to the U.S., I looked for a child from Cuenca whom I could sponsor. Although there was no one, this little boy kept coming up online under those who had waited the longest for a sponsor. He was from a town close to Cuenca. Because of those circumstances and the Spirit's leading, I chose to sponsor Benjamin. I think I will someday visit Cuenca again, and, the idea is that when I do that, I will be able to also visit Benjamin.

Querido Benjamin, El 18 de enero, 2008
¡Hola! Estoy bien emocionada que pueda escribirte. ¡Gracias porescribirme tanto! Me alegro leer tus cartas y saber como estás.

¿Cómo estás? Estoy muy contenta y alegre. No he escrito a ti porunos meses porque he estado haciendo una practica para la Universidad. Le falta un semestre antes de que yo me gradue. ¡No puedo creer que ya ha pasado 4 años en la Universidad! Estoy estudiando la educación primaria y español. ¿En cuál grado estás ahora? De octubre a diciembre yo estuve trabajando como maestra enuna escuela bilingue en Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Honduras es un país muy lindo, con montañas como Ecuador. Tuve la oportunidad practicar español más. Espero que haya mejorado. Decidí que voy a escribirteen español e inglés para que puedas practicar más el inglés, si túquieras. ¿Tomas una clase de inglés, no?

Me preguntaste que fue mi color favorito. Es rojo. Me gustanotros colores, pero lo más me gusta es rojo. ¿Cuál es tu color favorito?

También, quieres saber cuantos años tengo. Acabo de cumplir 22 años el 2 de enero.

Me alegro que tienes tantos deseos y anhelos. Continúes en pensar,orar, y soñar así.

¿Cómo están tus clases? Espero que estén bien. Eres un muchacho muy especial y sé que estás esforzando mucho en la escuela. Estoy escribiendo esta carta y mirando a tu foto que está sobre elescritorio.

Gracias que siempre ores por mi. Las oraciones a Dios son muy fuertes y poderosas. Por favor, ores que Dios me dé sabiduría porqueno sé donde voy a trabajar cuando me gradue. Necesito sabiduría durante la busqueda por un trabajo. ¿Puedo orar por algo específico para ti y tu familia? Oro por ti, que crezcas a ser un hombre valiente y fuerte en Dios. Te despido con amor para ti y tu familia.
Chao con amor,
Christy

January 18, 2008
Dear Benjamin,
Hello! I'm so excited that I can write you. Thank you for writing me so much! It makes me happy to read your letters and know how you are doing.

How are you? I am very content and happy. I haven't written to you for a few months because I have been doing a practicum for the University. I only have one semester left before I graduate. I cannot believe that four years at the University have passed! I am studying elementary education and Spanish. What grade are you in now? From October to December I was working as a teacher in a bilingual school in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Honduras is a beautiful country with mountains like Ecuador. I had the opportunity to practice Spanish more. I hope that I have gotten better. I decided that I am going to write you in Spanish and English so you can practice English more, if you want. You're taking a class in English, right?

You asked me what my favorite color was. It's red. I like other colors, but the color I like the best is red. What is your favorite color?

Also, you want to know how old I am. I just turned 22 years old on January 2nd.

It makes me happy that you have so many hopes and desires. Continue to think, pray, and dream like this.

How are your classes? I hope they are good. You are a very special boy and I know that you are working really hard in school. I am writing this letter and looking at your picture that is on my desk.

Thank you for always praying for me. Prayers to God are very strong and powerful. Please pray that God will give me wisdom because I don't know where I am going to work when I graduate. I need wisdom during the search for a job. Can I pray for something specific for you and your family? I pray for you, that you will become a brave and strong man in God. Goodbye with love for you and your family.

Goodbye with love,
Christy

Compassion Letter

In response to a contest posted at http://lovelaidbare.blogspot.com, here is the letter I wrote to my family's Compassion International child.

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Mark Carlson,
Thank you so much for writing a letter to your sponsored child. Please write again soon!Remember, your e-mail does not go directly to your child. Your letter will go through the normal translation process and be mailedto your sponsored child as soon as possible. Please keep this copy of your letter for your own records. Thanks for making a difference in the life of a child,

Message:
Querido Enrique, 6-1-07
¿Cómo estás? Estoy tan emocionada que pueda escribirte. Ahora estoy viviendo en Indiana en una casa con 5 de mis amigas. Empezamos las clases el jueves pasado. Aunque estoy en los EEUU, pienso mucho en ti y en Honduras. He contado muchas cuentas a mis amigos del tiempo que pasé en Honduras.
Tengo que decirte que eres MUY especial a mí y a mi familia. Fue un milagro que tuvimos la oportunidad de conocernos cara a cara. Espero que te gustó el viaje y Tegucigalpa, McDonalds, el Picacho (la estátua de Jesucristo), el hotel y todo que estaba incluído en la visita. ¿Cual fue tu cosa favorita de la visita? Para mí, fue maravillosa verte y pasar tiempo contigo. Eres muy chistoso y divertido. Estoy segura que tu familia está muy orgullosa de tí.
Leí a tus cartas viejas y vi a los dibujos. ¡Son muy lindos!
¿Cómo está tu familia? ¿Cuándo empieza la escuela? ¿Has disfrutado las vacaciones? Disfruté las vacaciones de Navidad muchísimo. Fue increíble pasar tiempo con mi familia otra vez.
Enviaré algunas fotos del tiempo que pasemos juntos en elcorreo proxímo. ¡Espero que nunca se pierda tu sonrisa y espíritu linda!

Con amor,
Christy (para la familia Carlson)

(In English)
Dear Enrique, January 6, 2007
How are you? I'm so excited that I can write you. Right now I am living in Indiana in a house with five of my friends. We started classes last Thursday. Although I'm in the United States now, I think about Honduras and you a lot. I have told my friends a lot of stories about the time that I spent in Honduras. I have to tell you that you are SO special to my family and me! It was a miracle that we had the opportunity to meet each other in person. I hope that you liked the trip and Tegucigalpa, McDonalds, el Picacho (the statue of Jesus Christ), the hotel, and everything that we did during the visit. What was your favorite thing about our visit? For me, it was wonderful to see you and spend time with you. You are very funny and fun! :-) I'm sure that your family is very proud of you. I read your old letters and I saw the pictures. They're so nice!
How is your familiy? When does school start? Have you enjoyed your vacation? I enjoyed Christmas break a lot. It was incredible to spend time with my family again. Next time I write, I will send some pictures of our time together in Honduras. I hope that you never lose your wonderful smile and spirit.

With love,
Christy (for the whole Carlson family)

*My parents have sponsored a Compassion child since I was young. Although they are responsibile for the financial support, I have always felt that my role was to write letters and communicate with the child. We have sponsored many Compassion children over the years. Compassion chose Enrique for us, because our previous sponsored child dropped out of the program. We began sponsoring him when he was in 2nd grade. He is now entering 7th grade.

Tegus

I'm loving these last days in Tegus.... seeing Enrique....hanging out with guys from the Micah Project.... not being at school.... It's a lot of fun and insightful into the country that I have been living in for 2 months. I was going to "lay low" in the house tomorrow, but after spending the day in the city, I'm going to do it again tomorrow. It's my way of enjoying Tegus for all it has to offer during my last day in the city. I might be going to an orphanage. Vamos a ver!

Random Cultural Thoughts

On Music
Music in Honduras is not the typical Latin American deal. Instead of Ranchera music or Latin pop, Reggaeton is what's usually played. Daddy Yankee is one of the popular singers. So, when one is riding the city bus, a taxi, a colectivo, or is just walking in the street, the music that will be played is Reggaeton. Although it's definitely not my favorite type of music, I have come to appreciate it enough so that I might even miss not hearing it in the States!

On Restaurants
There are many fast-food places in Tegucigalpa. McDonald's, KFC, Duncan Donuts, TCBY, Little Caesars, and Pizza Hut are all places frequented by Hondurans. However, I have actually been surprised to learn that there are only 5 McDonald's in Tegus; thus, not many Hondurans eat at McDonald's. These restaurants came to Honduras following Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Apparently, the Honduran government wanted to boost up foreign investment in Honduras, so it gave foreign businesses a tax break to establish their business here. Interesting.

On Zoos
There is one zoo in Tegus, and it is very interesting. There are some "normal" zoo animals, such as peacocks, crocodiles, and monkeys. One "abnormal" thing about the monkeys: they are not all in their cages, but many walk on the outside of the cages, roaming freely. It was the closest I've ever been to a monkey before! The zoo also had some "abnormal" American zoo animals. Raccoons, ducks, and guinea pigs were all caged! I guess they're not frequently seen here, so that makes them more interesting.

On Water
Drinking water is always purified. Brushing teeth with the normal water is fine. The faucets here have intrigued me. The conclusion I have made is that only ONE faucet works on every sink. It's not always the same faucet. I don't know why, but that's the way things are. The water is always cool. So, for washing dishes, we use a strong soap to kill the bacteria and germs. We have a special hot-water-creater for the shower, so that's actually warm. The water in the washing machine is strongest in the morning. By the afternoon, it's a small trickle.

On Police
I haven't totally figured out my opinion of Honduran security personnel. However, I DO know that I have heard many stories of corrupt police (you can pay them if you get in an accident or get pulled over). Also, I know that my view of them does not escalate when they give a group of American females the stare-down, whistles, or say "piropos" to them.

*Piropos are pick-up lines, but when they're not used properly, they can be derogatory.
Ex. We frequently hear "mi amor" (my love) whispered as we walk by.

On Health Services
*Warning* If you are poor, never get seriously sick in Honduras.
Health services in Honduras are not good. I learned this from going to Hospital Escuela and seeing the conditions there. I learned this after only seeing a few ambulances (in a city of 1 million people) during my 2 months here. I learned this from talking with missionaries who told me that even if a ambulance does come, it will most likely take forever. People who actually want the guarantee of good medical service have to pay a company monthly, so that in the event that something does happen, a private ambulance will pick them up. What happened to valuing the sanctity of life?

On Honduran Culture
From what I've observed, Honduras does not have much of its own culture. There are very few - if any at all - famous singers, athletes, musicians, artists, or writers - from Honduras. Yes, there are the traditional Latin American artisans. However, there are no currently famous Hondurans who can act as a representative for the country. A lot of this, I have heard and tend to believe, is a cause of the American presence in Honduras. For more than 100 years, America has invested in Honduras, originally because of placing the Dole banana plantations on the North shore of Honduras. Now, America continues to invest in Honduras. Possibly the largest investment comes through Hondurans (in the US) sending money back to the "home country." El Salvador changed its currency to the US dollar, because there were more US dollars in the country than their national currency.

On Work
It doesn't surprise me that many Hondurans (around 20%??) don't make more than $1 a day. They sell produce, used shoes, clothing, or jewelry. I don't blame them for selling these things - I would, too - but Who is shopping?
There has got to be a better way.

On Work Ethic
This may be a contradiction to what I just said above, but in general, Hondurans do not demonstrate the highest work ethic. Although El Salvador is a poor country, it is known for its strong work ethic. This, according to a Honduran, allows the country to make more money each year. Sometimes, taxi drivers here will refuse to take you, because you refuse to pay a ridiculous price for their services. In reality, if they would take the job (even if it didn't pay a ton) they would earn more money, because they wouldn't just be sitting idly.

Atypical Days

How do I process what has just happened? This is my feeble attempt. However, let me add that I don't process things quickly, so this is only one small step to making sense of an experience.

I went downtown last night to meet my family's Compassion child. I was nervous about going - not so much because I was nervous about what I was going to say - but I was worried about going to El Centro by myself at night. However, I paid almost $5 for a taxi, so I got to the hotel fine. I know I was also a bit nervous about the whoel encounter, because I had such high expectations for it.

I got to the hotel, went up to the room, and no one was there. However, as I came back to the lobby, a younger man looked at me affirmingly and said something. I took a double-take at the man, and he said "It's her." He pointed and said "there's the boy." I looked and saw a handsome 12-year old boy wearing a Puma shirt and blue slacks. He had the hugest, sweetest smile.

We spent about 2 hours getting to know each other in the hotel lobby. He prefers to be called Enrique. In fact, the project director called him "que-quito," (I think). It's the endearing form of "little Enrique." It was neat to see the relationship between the project director and Enrique. It's clear that Enrique sees him as a male adult figure, and I'm guessing that the director even acts as a sort of Dad for many of the project kids. I was very impressed.

I didn't sleep normally last night, because I was so excited to see him again in the morning. I got together some extra goodies - gum, candy, a bracelet, etc. - that I had in the house that I thought he might enjoy. He did!

After a misunderstanding, we wound up waiting for each other in different places for at least an hour. However, we finally met, ate at McDonalds, and went to Picacho (the Jesus statue that overlooks the city). That was great, because it was something I had been wanting to do.

Then came time to say goodbye. I didn't want to do it. I wanted to talk more and get to know him better. Although I can speak Spanish fairly well, it's still my 2nd language, so sometimes I don't think of things to say as easily as I would in English. (actually, this is the case most of the time). Nevertheless, we took a final picture, gave each other a big hug, and said goodbye.

Where does this leave me? I don't know. I will definitely write him letters - because they can be more meaningful to me and to him. It seems like he's really well taken care of at the Compassion project there in La Entrada. I would like to visit.

For now, I'm left with joy for seeing Enrique, sadness for leaving him, and a heart that deeply wants to impact individual children's lives. It only takes ONE person to do that.

Directions + Christy + Honduras = ????

For those of you who know me well (or maybe at all) you know that I am not the most directionally-inclined person you've ever met.

Imagine me trying to give directions to a taxi service on the phone, in Spanish, in a city where where are no street signs. Directions go something like this: I live in Rio Grande, by Loarque. Go straight on the big hill, until you come to the end. Take a right. Go about 3 or 4 blocks. Take a left by a little tiendita (corner store). My house is at the end of the street and on the left. It's green. (We have no house numbers, to my knowledge).

I wound up telling the taxi service that I would wait at the corner of my street and the main street. I'm not sure if our understanding of "calle principal" (main street) is the same. I guess we'll see? It's quite possible I'll be late for meeting my Compassion child.

Enough said? Maybe I'm not the taxi service's easiest customer. :-)

5A - My Class

Juan Mario
Josseline

Rebeca
Sofia
Vilma

Lissa
Maria
Marlon
Monica
Oscar

Fernando
Francis
German
Joan
Kyle

Cindy
Cristhian
Daniel
Eduardo
Ester

Alejandro
Alex
Andrea
Arleth
Ayleen

I'm DONE!!!!

My last day of school was today, so I'm DONE!!!! Officially, however, I am not done, because I have to finish planning a math unit. I didn't have time to finish it during the week, so now I'm stuck with weekend work. Bah-humbug. It stinks, but at least I don't have to plan a ton of things!!

My kids through me a surprise party for me. However, I have discovered that a "surprise" party doesn't really work very well in Elementary. No one said anything, but I picked up on the "small" clues. Some of the students brought candy and small pastries, and I poured pop. They had written on the white board and some of them made me cards. It was nice of them.

I am going to bed at 7pm tonight. I'm still sick - it's in my voice and my nose now. Surprise, surprise! Also, I have been getting around 5 0r 5.5 hrs of sleep, so I am in the mood/physical state that requires more sleep. I can probably get 12 hrs now.... ahh..

Vacation is near! Thank you to those of you who have been praying for me!

Most Unique Christmas Present EVER!

One of my students and his mom stopped by my house today and gave me a Christmas present. It´s definitely the most interesting present I have ever received. His dad is a fisherman in Roatan, an island on the North coast of Honduras. So, my gift was a frozen lobster! It's cut into 4 pieces and is striped. I need to figure out how to cook and season it, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know! I'm sure it will be delicious! Until then, I have a LOBSTER in my freezer! haha.

La Tigra/Valle de Angeles

Jorge and Monika's house in La Tigra
Oh yes... my very own High School Musical tambourine. Much fun to be had !
The cloud forest of La Tigra National Park. This is where we hiked on Sunday!
The cascara on our Sunday hike.
Our cabaña at Jorge and Monika´s! It´s so exotic, really!

Teal, Debbie, and me dining pupusas and licuados in Valle de Angeles.
Teal´s future husband with the plated teeth.
Ahhh, the cloud forest.
Valle de Angeles.
Jorge and Monika´s house.

Sick

I have a cold in my voice. It makes teaching very difficult!! I cannot speak very loudly at all - and I am exhausted. i'm really glad it's Wednesday tomorrow. I'm supposed to be videotaping my lesson, so we'll see if anyone can even hear me. :-) I'm off to take a nap.....

Not Much

There's not much to say, other than the fact that I'm really enjoying not having the pressure of teaching full-time. I'm only teaching 1 lesson tomorrow! Yes!! Tonight I'm going to try to finish all of Math and Grammar until next Wednesday. It's possible! Then, I'll just have to finish planning my math unit (the probability part) for my cooperating teacher.

This weekend, I might try to visit Picacho, the Jesus statue that overlooks the city of Tegus. Pretty relaxed, cheap, and chill trip. I'll also have to get a gift for Jesus and his family.

Weekend Happenings

So, I know I still haven't written about my time in Nicaragua, but hopefully sometime I will. Most of you will just get to hear it from me in person!

Here's the short version of the weekend:

All of the teachers went to Valle de Angeles, a touristy town, to Christmas shop on Saturday. It was a cute little town with some great shops. I'm quite pleased with my purchases (family, don't get too excited, it's nothing extremely phenominal, but the things are nice).

Ro, Deanna, Debbie, Teal and I then went to La Tigra (hitchhiking, of course!). It was awesome. I will have to write more later. Basically, it was a night of delicious home-cooked food, we tucked away in the mountains and clouds of Honduras, with fresh air to breathe, and we went hiking for 3.5 hours today (Sunday) to see a waterfall. All-in-all, it was a great time. Also, it took us forever to get a ride back to Tegucigalpa. This was the first time I had seen this, but almost every person who passed us laughed as we had our thumbs sticking out. They full-on laughed in their cars. We didn't understand why. However, a really nice guy from Tegus let all 5 of us get in his truck (there was room INSIDE!), and we didn't feel so ridiculous about hitchhiking anymore.

It's the last week of student teaching!!! Yippee!!

On Pollution

Pollution here in Tegus is horrible. It's been notably worse this past week, because it hasn't rained in awhile. Tegus is a bowl-shaped city, because it's surrounded by mountains. Therefore, all of the pollution "hangs" in the city and clogs our lungs. It's fantastic, really!

One of my roommates has been sick her whole time here. We think it's the pollution. It's worse, also, because there aren't any regulations about carbon emission. People buy diesel because it's cheaper, thus furthering to our early death by pollution.

However, I'm going to La Tigra today, and the air is fantastic. I've never enjoyed clean air more than when I last went to La Tigra!

Hospital Escuela

Today all of the 5th graders went on a field trip to Hospital Escuela, a public hospital in Tegus. The hospital building was definitely modest - with small, not-extremely well-lit hallways, and older equiptment. It was a great experience, but I'm definitely tired emotionally and physically from it.

The students, who all come from middle to upper-class families, kept on saying they were scared, and that they wanted to go back to the bus. They said they were going to faint. We just encouraged them to stay positive so they could encourage the families and the patients.

We came with about 800 stuffed animals, so that each child at the hospital could receive a Christmas gift. My class first went to the orthopedics. The students each handed out a stuffed animal, and were told to chat with the patients as well.

Then, another teacher and I got to go to the Intensive Care unit. Most volunteer groups do not go to the IC, so it was special that we could go. There were 7 kids in the room, all hooked up to IV's, and ranging in ages from a few days old to 13 or so. All were sleeping, and even one was in a vegetative state. I was told that maybe 2 out of the 7 would survive. It was really sad.

We then went into another IC unit that had more kids. We delivered the gifts to the kids, although the kids, again, were mostly connected to IV's. There was a medical missionary group that was helping. There was a surgery going on right in the room -without any special procautions or safety measures in place. OIH! (Only in Honduras...and other developing countries, I guess).

When I got back to my students, they were all teary-eyed and some students were crying really hard. I guess they had seen a baby with an inflamed head. He or she had to have a needle in his/her brain to drain the fluid. Even the "tough" boys were crying.

The students were really humbled by the trip, and I think it was effective. We came back to the class, shared about some kids we had met and why they were in the hospital, and then we got into groups of 3 or 4 and prayed together. Many of the kids had been in car accidents. I was very impressed with how my teacher handled the "debriefing." She let them do 99% of the talking.

It made me thankful for my own health - which I take for granted every day. I also found out today that a student from Saline just died in a car crash last night - another reason to be thankful for life!

Spelling Sentences

hoofs: the fingernails of animals.
cuffs: the theecker material at the end of a sleeve (plural of cuff)
lives: the space of time between born and dead

Sometimes these things make me laugh.

Random info: some of my students have chauffeurs!

Visit and Evaluations

I just talked with Compassion last night, and they said that I could visit Jesus (my family's sponsor child) at the hotel on Sunday night, Dec 16, as well. This gives me more time with him, which is fantastic. I have to buy his gift next weekend!

I'm going to Valle de Angeles this weekend. There are a lot of artesanias there, so hopefully I'll find some good Christmas gifts, as well as souveniers for my future house :-). I think I'm also going to La Tigra again, but this time I'm going to spend the night in a cabin owned by a German couple. Everyone here LOVES it, so I figure for about $30, I should experience the wonder. Somewhere in there, I have to figure out time to plan some lessons!

I got my final evaluations from my supervisor yesterday. They're pretty good. They definitely point out the things that I did wrong/need to improve on more than I would like, but they also add that I will be a good teacher. So, I guess they're pretty accurate.

Overall, this placement has been difficult for me - for different reasons than my placement in Indy. I wasn't ready mentally for being here, and this impacted my adjustment a lot. I thought this placement was going to be easier, but it wasn't, so I had to adjust to that. The kids in my class talk A TON, and I had to figure out what management techniques worked with them. This took (and is still taking) me a long time. My relationship with my cooperating teacher is very different, because she's only a few years older than me and has only been teaching for 4 years.

Anyway, things are coming to a close at IST, and I can say that I've gotten good practice in the classroom. I've learned a lot, I think, and I believe that I would be able to do a good job of managing this class (eventually), or had I begun the year with this set of students.

New Critter

Tonight it was not a large ant in the living room with Jenna, but a tree frog in the bathroom with Deanna. We could almost play our own "Honduran Critters" version of Clue! He was cute, but I was ready to get him out of the house, because I had grading to do. I finally got the frog out by using a towel and a mug. I will post pictures later.

Sad Soccer Story

Am I lesson planning again? Yup, you guessed it! However, it is nice to only have 2 lessons to plan daily. I'm so pumped, because MATH IS PLANNED UNTIL FRIDAY!!! Technically, that was supposed to happen every week (have the next week planned in advance), but this is the first week it's actually happened.

For a little bit of Honduran life:
Yesterday at the futbol game I saw something that really bothered me and tapped on my heart and my head in a way that I haven't experienced yet in Honduras.

For the "quick" version (anyone who knows me well will know that my "quick" will....well... not be so quick; but, I'll try), I noticed a young boy, of 12-14 years, sitting a few rows in front of me in the stadium. He was so skinny and looked really malnourished. I also noted that he seemed to be sniffing something. "It's probably glue," I thought.

Then, he proceeded to "help" some men sitting beside him. He took their wide twine, pulled it apart into small pieces, then proceeded to place it in his seemingly-empty Coke bottle. When he pulled out the twine-like-material, it was damp. He gave the material to the men, and they proceeded to sit back and "discreetly" sniff the material. I have no idea what the material or the liquid was, but this situation evoked several emotions in me:

-I was saddened that the boy was selling this "substance" at such a young age
-I was angry at the men for using the boy in this way

And then, after Olympia (the team from Tegus) scored a goal, everyone was going crazy, except for the Americans (us), who weren't so loyal to any team. The men started laughing at us, mainly at me, because I was just sitting there, while the rest of the stadium was extatic. Call me stern, or cold, or whatever, but I refused to look at those men who had so evily used the boy for their own pleasure.

Then I realized that there are probably so many kids in Honduras being used this way and in other inhumane ways - in order to stay alive and to give pleasure to other people. Que horrible.

Mixed Thoughts/Emotions

I've started only teaching 2 subjects a day, which is nice, but it has its drawbacks.

I realized today that I'm going to have to fight really hard to stay focused on school during these next 2 weeks. I'm loving the culture here, but I'm ready to be done with student teaching. However, if I end my experience with a lackadaisical (yes, I had to look it up to know its spelling) attitude, that's not only going to affect my kids, but also my teacher's impression of me. Not a good way to end this experience. So, I must keep pressing ahead, knowing that both the kids and other teachers are anxious for Christmas break. One thing that has helped me a TON during my time here has been the support of the fellow American teachers. They all know that teaching at IST and living in Honduras is no easy task. Teaching itself is hard enough, but add the gazillion (I looked that word up, too...haha) other factors that affect teaching and life here, and you've got a very challenging situation.

Anyway, we're going to Hospital Escuela on Friday with all of the 5th graders. We've been collecting nicely used and new stuffed animals and we're going to deliver them to kids who are in the hospital. So I hear, there will be a lot of kids who don't have much money, so this will hopefully mean a lot to them. Hopefully, in the process, the IST kids will also learn about themselves, their responsibility (coming from families with money), and the status of their country. It should be a good time.