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**