Trust me!

                It has now been 7 days since I arrived in this hot and humid climate! And to update you I have started to slowly tune out the rooster that likes to scream outside our house at 3 am. Still taking everything in! This last week I have been in training! I got to learn about the different curriculum that Samuel Raymond Christian School implements. So this is really different from a typical classroom set up. Basically you start off by testing the students level of learning abilities and then they get their material prescribed in correlation with their specific levels. For each subject there is a workbook and accompanying text, along with check up tests and quizzes to test comprehension. The students gets to work through his/her work at their own pace, without worrying about comparing their progress to other students or falling behind the rest of the class. The teachers keep up with the students work, and provide 1-on-1 tutoring as needed. Well, despite this very different way of learning at this school, my ESL classes will not really be in this fashion but still in a small group of students. So my priorities will be 2 ESL classes for new incoming students, one for 8 Kindergarten students at 10am and then another for four 2nd and 3rd grade students at 11:30am. After that I will be helping out with the other classes until school ends, which I will let you know what that looks like once I do it. :) (I will be getting some evening adult classes in a few weeks)

           I've been asked about my adjustment here and so far I can tell you, I'm still taking things in. The only things I'm currently "adjusting" to would be the trash that lies around and the lack of clear set structure in cities and neighborhoods. But growing up in Germany they employ people to keep the city looking so clean, and on the island regular trash pick-up is just not a luxury they have. And there is a certain beauty to the lack of structure in the cities! I have no doubt I will come across culture shock at some point but I'm trying to be aware and take things in slowly so that I can be prepared when it does creep up on me.
I will tell you that the animals and critters are not my favorite... aside from the untalented rooster that decides to scream (I say scream, because it does not sound like your typical cok-a-doodle-doo) every 10 minutes starting at 3 am in the morning, I suspected a mouse to be the source of squeaking noise and little scratches on wood which I heard...NOPE, apparently the squeaking are the bats that hang around outside, and the scratching on wood are Geckos that got into the house....comforting....SPEAKING of Geckos.....I was peacefully enjoying morning coffee on a hammock on our porch when a giant Gecko dropped from the ceiling onto my neck and crawled across my chest!!! You have never seen me move so fast IN MY LIFE!! I walked around the house grossed out for like 30 minutes just muttering: "Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew!!!"

           So my Spanish is coming along here and there. I had an epic fail when I stopped by a gas station to get some food and it was my first time ordering by myself... So the guy working the register spoke English which was great. Ordered Baleadas (which are like thick tortillas with refried beans and cheese: SO GOOD) and asked for chorizo on them. Paid, got my change and I got a receipt to give the lady making the Baleadas. From the last time we had ordered I thought I was just handing her the ticket and wouldn't have to worry about speaking to her, since I could tell English was not going to be an option. WELL, little did I know that my special request for chorizo was not on the ticket, so she got my attention and asked what I wanted on it. Me, being TOTALLY caught off guard, go: "Oh....what?" even though I totally understood what she said and could've easily said: "Chorizo, por favor." NOPE!!!! Being so nervous, I played dumb and this stranger next to me gave me this look of pity and said: "Oh she asked what you wanted on it"......yeah I totally played along for the rest of the conversation...and left the store so very embarrassed because I understood everything said in front of me but was too scared to try and speak my broken Spanish in public!
Fear is going to be one of my big challenges these next 10 months. I will have to overcome the fear of using imperfect Spanish, because essentially this is how you learn languages...by making mistakes and correcting them. Another fear I see coming is going out to do things on my own, which I typically enjoy, but now makes me nercous considering I have to take a bus or taxi everywhere and maps are pretty useless in a place where my address is "The Treehouse behind the Carwash." Another fear I know will be socializing or trying to in my case. As an introvert I'm comfortable being by myself often, but I do want to come from this experience with new connections. And one of my goals of my time here is to practice making new and real connections.
I was reading my Book "Glory Days" by Max Lucado yesterday, and he was describing the part of the story after Joshua had victory over Jericho and they moved on to conquer other towns but they failed because one of the Israelites had betrayed the pledge he took to not touch any of Jericho's treasure. He describes this action of the Israelite as a deliberate distrust in God. Taking something valuable like Gold or Silver he could've decided he wanted it as back-up in case something went wrong. Emergency fund, if you will! Or is captured he could buy his way out of trouble. All things that require zero trust in God. I think fear does that to me all the time. Especially, when finances are involved. God asks me to trust him to provide in every situation, and like I did at the Gas station, I always like to play it safe. So in case I make a mistake, the consequences won't be too bad. My mom once told me this was basically self-sabotage. So my goal this year is to not let fear control my actions. I want take the risk and make a fool of myself practicing Spanish, or getting lost (really though, getting lost on an island is probably not as bad as anywhere else) while out navigating on my own. So please the next time we chat or you want an individual update, feel free to ask me what I've done to overcome my fears! Because there will most likely be a funny story of me embarrassing myself involved! Trust me!



            Few other updates: I'm close to passing the $3000 mark on my fundraising. I can still receive funds through PayPal on roatanhorizons.com. Please, please, please pray for my transition into this new climate especially, I'm having some allergic reactions and the humidity is not kind on my asthma, but nothing horribly yet. If you could please pray for one of my fellow teachers here, her name is Lorissa, she is a few years older than me, her dad went into the hospital tuesday because he had  pneumonia for a while and it was causing him pain, and he passed away later that day. She is a strong woman but I am sure she and her mom and young sister who is 10 will need every prayer of comfort they can get.
Thank you for joining me on this journey! Feel free to contact me personally for updates!

Love,

Jules