La primera vez

La primera vez...the first time.

I find myself saying that a lot here in Honduras, especially when I'm telling stories about my first experiences with the ministry. The first time I heard about Betsy, the first time I came to Honduras, the first time I met kids, etc.

Well this weekend held a lot of firsts for me too...

My first weekend off
After 5 weeks at the Villa, it was my turn for a weekend off. Actually it ended up being 5 days which was fantastic! I returned to Betsy's house in Tegus to live with her family of 10! It's the same number as the Villa, but it was a nice change of pace and it was great to see my friends in the city.

My first time taking it to the streets
Jericho Ministries came to be because of evangelism and Betsy makes it a priority to continue going to the streets. On Saturday night I was able to join her. I was a little nervous because we were going to a part of the city known for prostitution and crime. And because I had no idea what to expect. We ended up talking to two prositutes that Betsy has known for years. They are so close to giving their lives to Christ, but no quite there yet. We talked with them, encouraged them, and prayed with them on the streets. I didn't do much talking, but I'm glad that I went and I am looking forward to going back now that they know me!

My first "drough"
Teguigalpa is currently under a drougt right now (because we're in the dry season) because of the lack of water. This means that water only comes every four days. It was quite an experience to have to ration water. Living with Betsy and her family (we were 11 people), we had to be careful about showers because of how much water was left in the tank. Thank God we made it, but we were limited to half a bucket of water each day for our showers. Let's just say that I was greatful to get back to the Villa where I was greeted by a 2-hour rain storm. Whoo-hoo for the mountains!

My first time teaching math...in Spanish
Although I was on a break, I still went to Jericho school each day to help out. One day I worked with the chikis (the little toddlers) and the other two I helped tutor one of the high school students...in math...in Spanish. It was quite an experience but Yoly (pronounced Jolie) was patient with me and we made it through. Now I know all the Spanish words for "add", "subtract", "fraction", etc.

Those are just some of my firsts. It was quite the break, but I am glad to be back out here at the Villa with the clean air, the kids, and water!

**Pictures to come**

Hurry Up, Let's Go!

"Hurry up, let's go!"
This is how I was woken up on Saturday morning by 8-year-old Noe. These are two phrases that I use quite often with the younger kids who tend to be a little pokey in the morning but I never thought they'd catch on so fast!

The kids here love using English phrases and being able to speak with English-speakers. I try to use English throughout the day, inter-mixed with Spanish so that the kids catch on faster. And of course, we have 40 minutes of day of English where I teach the basics: numbers, colors, greetings, etc.

My Spanish here is improving too. Living with 9 kids, I'm learning the vocabulary for "tattle-tale, whining, fighting, discipline, punishment, etc". I can't believe they didn't teach these words in school! But honestly, there are some days where I think "I cant' believe I'm living my life in Spanish". I go to church in Spanish, talk on the phone in Spanish, communicate with others, discipline, have heart-to-hearts, etc all in Spanish. It's a great feeling!

Staff Retreat

On Saturday morning, the Jericho staff from Tegucigalpa braved a tsunami warning (don't worry, nothing ended up happening) and came out to the Villa for a day long staff retreat. This was my first time being part of a "staff" and the day was a much needed rest from the kids.

There are 13 of us on the staff and we were able to hear about the vision of Jericho, pray for each other, laugh, enjoy each other's company, etc. All-in-all a fantastic day.

One thing we really focused on was the vision of Jericho. Why are we here and what are we doing? One of the central themes of the ministry is "setting the captives free" and the main verse behind this is Isaiah 61:1-3.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our god,
to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion-
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor."

It's a beautiful passage that really reflects the heart of the ministry.