I don't know what to do, but my eyes are upon Him

A couple of days after I got back to Honduras in January, a cold front came in, and the weather got down to 50 degrees or less. Now, you might think that's not cold, but when there is no insulation or heat, it's as cold inside as it is outside. It was miserable for about a week, and the elementary school canceled classes for one day because the students couldn't take it. But since then, it's been mostly sunny and anywhere from cool to hot.

I finally found a church that I look forward to going to on Sunday mornings. It's the only bilingual church in Siguatepeque - the pastor is from the U.S. and preaches in English, and his Honduran wife translates. I really didn't want to go to a bilingual church, but I'm glad I gave it another try, because the music, preaching, doctrine, and people are all just what I needed.

Our school has three principals (one for preschool/kindergarten, one for the elementary school, and one for the high school), an English program coordinator (as of this year), and a director for the whole school named Silvia. Silvia has been very sick and in the hospital because of allergies and asthma, so please pray for her. She is out of school indefinitely and went to stay with her parents who live near one of the major hospitals. Also, our school secretary Maribel was out because her grandma just passed away.

My stomach has been feeling better since I started taking remedies my mom bought me for parasites, though my energy level hasn't been very good. I sometimes have more joy than I can contain and am full of thankfulness. Then there are days when I am ridiculously tired and unmotivated, and I just don't feel purposeful. Part of the reason I think is some certain 6th graders. The elementary school principal (Profe Edith), English program coordinator (Esther), Spanish 5th and 6th grade teacher (Profe Sonia), and I met with these three boys and their mothers on Friday afternoon because they are all failing the majority of their classes in English and Spanish, and it's because of their bad attitude and unwillingness to do their work. Two of the mothers admitted the problem was with their son, felt very sorry, and are willing to do everything they can, though they feel pretty helpless. The other mother blamed my teaching methods and the injustices that have happened to her son, but Esther defended me because she's observed me, and Profe Sonia affirmed that the problem is not just in English class. According to this student, nothing is ever his fault, and now I know where he gets that idea from. These boys really ruin my whole time with 6th grade. On Wednesday, I realized that my attitude had become very negative and was only making things worse for me and the rest of the class. I made a determined effort on Thursday to be positive, and I did a lot better, but it's a continual struggle. I have a great connection with 5th grade, however, and am glad for the opportunity to teach them again next year.

I've been thinking a lot about my future, which can be upsetting... I really want to stay here, but this next school year is the last one when I can be on economic hardship. After that, I need to get a job that will provide enough salary to pay my loans..which means I need to go back to the States. I was considering the possibility of donating my entire salary here to loan payments and raising money for living expenses like I did last year at Destino. But the more I think about it, the more I feel it'll be time for me to go back to the U.S. when the time comes. And if I leave, I have a feeling I won't come back for anything long-term. But who knows, I still have almost a year before I need to make that decision. A lot can happen in a year. Please pray that God will make clear the steps I need to take.

The picture below of the school campus was taken by another teacher this week.

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you. -2 Chronicles 20:12

Season of giving

My school every year in December asks the students to bring in toys and clothes in good condition the last weeks of school. Three grades go out at a time to distribute these gifts to children in the very poor neighborhoods nearby. Yesterday, we went with 4th, 5th, and 6th grade to distribute gifts. There were so many needy people, it was overwhelming.
Since it is the season of giving, I thought I'd give you some information about how to do it as far as my school is concerned.
Books:
Go to www.ceehonduras.org.
Click on amazon.com Wish List (bottom of page).
The school is especially in need of Spanish books at all levels, from kindergarten to 11th grade.
I am in need of English novels for reading levels grades 4-6.
Money:
Go to www.lam.org
Click on Become a Donor.
-->to a Canadian LAM missionary
-->Bettney, Dave & Esther
--> Yes, I'd like to financially support Bettney, Dave & Esther
-->Work Funds (the money will go to the school)
Thank you!
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. -Luke 6:38

Almost Christmas

I'm going home for Christmas in a week! I was going to be home for two weeks, but I recently found out that the day after I planned to leave was the day my brother was given leave from the Air Force to go home for break. We would miss each other by a day, and I'd have to wait until summer to see him. I didn't think there was anything I could do about it, but my boss felt sorry and gave me permission to extend my stay and miss the first two days of school in January. I'm incredibly grateful :-) Now I have to work on sub plans :-/

I've noticed significant behavior improvements in several of my students and slight changes in others. There is still much to be desired, and there is still one student in each grade that continues to defy my authority, so they still need prayer for continued improvement. On top of that, with only a week until Christmas break, all of the students are getting pretty antsy. I can't say I'm not antsy as well. I need a break. I need prayer for patience and that I will continue to show my students Christ's love rather than my bitterness.

When I go to pick up my paycheck every month, though it's not much, I still find it hard to believe that I actually get paid for my work. I'm used to last year, when I invested all of myself into my students without receiving any monetary compensation. Moreover, all the paying jobs I've had in my life were just for the purpose of making money, whereas now my job is a lifestyle and something from which I reap greater rewards than just money.

The money I make is enough to cover my living expenses, but I'm being sucked dry by my college debt. In January, I'll have even bigger payments. There are plenty of programs out there that forgive loans for people in my situation, but none of my loan companies participate in them. The way things are going, I'll be in debt my whole life and losing money every month, mostly to interest. Of course "the way things are going" doesn't limit God. Or good advice. If anyone has insider hints that would help me, they would be much appreciated. God has never left me dry in all the times he's called me to take leaps of faith. It's just a horrible feeling to be in debt and to not be making any progress in paying it off.

Our school has updated it's website, and it's worth checking out: http://ceehonduras.org/
I'll see many of you soon.

Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you. Psalm 55:22

Restoration and some craziness

Profe Edith, my principal, came back to school this week. It's so wonderful to have her here and to know that her husband is recovering well from his surgery.

Quite a few of my students have really been improving their behavior, and I'm enjoying both 6th and 5th grade immensely. Here are some sentences my 5th graders wrote using their spelling words, which were superlative adjectives (kindest, smartest, happiest, etc.):

Miss Emily is the kindest teacher in the school.
Miss Emily is the kindest teacher in the world.
Miss Emily's class is the funniest in the world.
Miss Emily is the smartest in Honduras.
Miss Emily is nicest.
Miss Emily is the nicest of all school.
Miss Emily is the best in this world.

Oh, how I love them :o) Last night, when I was standing with some other teachers outside a parents' meeting, three of my 5th-grade girls saw me. They exclaimed, "Miss Emily!!!" and all together ran to hug me.

Election day was completely peaceful, and over 60% of Hondurans voted. Pepe Lobo was elected president in a landslide. There's no more talk about reinstating Zelaya, and some countries and organizations are recognizing the legitimacy of the Honduran government now. The changes in office will take place at the end of January. Many comparisons have been made between Lobo and Zelaya, so please pray that this president will be very different from the last and will have the Honduran people's best interest as his main concern.

On the down side, I just keep getting sick. First a virus from contaminated food, then food poisoning, and this week I had symptoms of food poisoning AGAIN. I'm almost better now, and the pain wasn't debilitating like it was last time. But this is the second morning in a row I've woken up with a migraine, and I don't doubt they're tied to all the medications I've been taking every time I get sick. Please pray for my health.

Siguatepeque is about the safest city in Honduras, but lately there have been some crazy things happening. Several weeks ago, a member of a drug gang stood outside a friend's church during choir practice and held a gun to a 9-year-old girl, taking what she had. Then he beat up two men from the church. Heather's boyfriend, Ariel, and his friend were robbed of their cell phones at gunpoint in a taxi in Tegucigalpa. Someone was robbed in the middle of the day a couple of blocks from the school. And I already told you the story about Ana being robbed in her apartment because they had mistaken it for a drug dealer's residence. I'm not thinking of leaving Honduras (except for Christmas vacation in two weeks!), but I ask you to pray for peace and safety in this country.

Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor! The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble. The Lord protects them and keeps them alive. He gives them prosperity in the land and rescues them from their enemies. The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health. -Psalm 41:1-3

Crime

Though Honduras is a violent country, Siguatepeque has always been peaceful as far as cities go, and I don't think the crime rate is higher than that in any given U.S. city. But lately, with the unrest in Honduras, I've been hearing more and more stories of crime. This time it happened to a friend - my 5th-grade assistant, Ana. A few hours ago, some men went into her apartment, looking for a drug dealer. When they realized it was the wrong house, they took her money and cell phone and tied her feet. They put a gun to her head and asked if she wanted to die. She said no, and they left her. She's very shook up but thankfully unharmed. Please pray for her and the rest of us in Honduras, for peace and safety. In anticipation of the responses to this post, I'll say that I don't think the situation is bad enough for me to leave the country. I wasn't called to be safe and comfortable - I got past that desire a long time ago. I'm safer in the place to which God has called me than in the safest city in the world.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. -Psalm 34:7

Laughs

Our school needs prayer big time. So many staff members are out, and the rest of the staff is working double-time to compensate. Profe Edith's husband's surgery went well, but he will have to be in the hospital in Tegucigalpa for a while longer, and she has asked for another 15 days' leave. Profe Sonia, my counterpart, who is the elementary school teacher with the most experience working in this school and had become our go-to person in Profe Edith's leave, has been out since Monday. She will be out for a month, completing her practicum. The woman hired as Profe Sonia's substitute has been out for several days because her mother-in-law died. Yicel, our secretary, has taken over Profe Edith's duties and has been substituting in the 5th and 6th grade for Profe Sonia's substitute, but she was out for a day or two this week as well. My assistant, Ana, is rarely in my classroom because she is filling in for Profe Edith in other areas. Lindsay, the 1st and 2nd grade English teacher has been out sick this week with a virus. Stephanie, one of the high school teachers, was out for a couple of days with a virus, and Shelby, our special ed person who fills in everywhere, is just now getting over a sickness. Steve, another high school teacher, was also out for a couple of days. I came down with a cold (strep throat?) last week from the bacteria-carrying dust that pollutes all of Honduras because of unpaved roads. Last Friday was a tough day for teaching because I was losing my voice. On Saturday, I could barely speak, but thankfully by Monday I had my voice almost completely back. I didn't have to miss a day of teaching, but I'm still getting over the cold symptoms. Please pray for health and wholeness and a fully-staffed school.

Let me tell you how much I enjoy my 5th graders. They have such personality and so much love. There are times when they behave so well and are so engaged in a lesson, and there are times when they sorely disappoint me, but they always bring a smile to my face. For example, this week when I told them to take out their Science books, practically the whole class groaned. Blue Planet, the book we use, is pretty dry, and I'm doing my best to spice it up. I told them that they needed to choose to have a good attitude, and several students said, "Yes! Blue Planet! Woohoo!" So that's the new thing - now they'll groan when I ask them to take out a book they don't like, but it'll immediately be followed by an overcompensation of exaggerated excitement.

For both of my classes, when they've had a good day behavior-wise, I put a sticker on a paper I have posted on the whiteboard that is labeled "Game Time". When they have five stickers, I give them a class period to just play games as a reward. When the 5th graders are getting rowdy, several students will say, "Shhhh! Sticker day!" to remind them that they must behave if they want a sticker. At the end of the day, they ask me if it was a sticker day. If it was, I go to the board and start taking a sticker to place on the "Game Time" paper. Several 5th graders shush the class, and there is dead silence until I've placed the sticker, at which point the class erupts in "woohoos" and applause. They are hilarious.

The 5th graders' classwork and homework make me laugh, too. Here are some examples of things they've written:
Write a sentence with the word isn't: That man isn't a chicken, he is a human.
What connection can you make between the book and your life?: That is beautiful book and is very fun like my life.
Use the word "awesome" in a sentence: The classes of Miss Emily are awesome.
Was your hypothesis right? Yes, I win.

The other week, when parents came to pick up their students' grades, the mother of one of my brilliant 5th graders thanked me because her son is delighted with my class, and she and her husband are delighted with the way I run class and the way I discipline. That felt good :-)

My 6th graders are okay when the two troublemakers are removed, but those two really ruin it for the rest of the class. Please pray for them and me.

Both of my new students are doing well, though Daniela in 6th grade has a lot of catching up to do to reach the level of her classmates.

The Honduran presidential elections are coming up November 29th. We've been warned that there may be more unrest and more curfews around that time. Please pray for peace and for the right people to come into leadership in this country. Thank you.

Changes

I've really been enjoying my students lately. We still have good days and bad days, but the 5th graders are always so eager to learn, and the 6th graders have started coming to school some days eager to learn. I was teaching my 5th graders about surface tension - how water molecules stick together. I demonstrated it by getting two cups of water, and pouring the water from one cup into the other, little by little, until the water bulged above the brim of the cup. They thought it was the coolest thing ever and were exuberant at the chance to do the experiment in partners. They were so engaged that when the bell rang for recess, no one ran from class. Some of them stayed several minutes, experimenting and excitedly showing me their brimming cups. It was a teacher's dream lesson :o)

I had the chance last weekend to go to one of the 5th-grade girl's birthday parties. I played Twister Moves and Hide-And-Seek with her and her friends from 5th grade. They loved having their teacher there - they're still at that age. Not the 6th graders.

I was sick this week from food poisoning, and several 5th graders were obviously concerned for me and kept asking me how I was feeling. Monday through Wednesday, I felt horrible. Thursday was the first day I felt well. Thank God, because that day I had to teach every class from 7:30-2:15 without any breaks (Monday, Tuesday and Friday I have prep time while the students are at Gym, Music, or Computer class). I also had a meeting with a 5th grader's parents at lunchtime. They were upset at how his English grades had slipped since last year and were placing the blame on me for not letting them know every time he failed to pass in his homework, and they questioned my grading methods. Thankfully, with the help of other staff members, they came to the realization that expectations are higher this year because he is in upper elementary school and because the English department is being revamped.

I had a new student, Daniela, join the 6th grade on Monday. Her English skills are very basic, and she's been accepted to the school on a conditional basis with the help of a tutor every day after school. But she has a good attitude, and every day she thanks me for giving her class and tells me that she only understood a little but will learn in time. She's become good friends with the outcast of the class, which has helped the dynamics a bit. Tomorrow, I have a new student joining the 5th grade. Her name is Yvonne. She is from a children's home on scholarship and was in this school before but got pulled out for a year or so because of an attitude problem. Please pray for these two girls and my ability to integrate them into the classroom.

More changes are coming in the staff, as well. Profe Sonia, my Honduran counterpart, has been taking education courses for four years, and now she has to do her practicum, for which she will be on leave from her job during a month. A week from tomorrow, the day that Profe Edith comes back, will be Profe Sonia's first day of leave. Thank God they won't both be gone at the same time, but it's going to be hard not to have Profe Sonia's support for a month and for my students to have their regular Spanish teacher replaced with a substitute for that amount of time. Please pray for the right substitute to be found and for a smooth transition.

There are three students in 5th grade who seem to have ADHD, besides the one in 6th grade. They are a huge disruption to the class, and the school isn't fully equipped to deal with learning disabilities. We do have a teacher who devotes some of her time to special education, and she has started pulling these 5th graders out during Reading class to work with them. Pray for these students and us, their teachers. We're meeting individually with their parents this week because they have each had three detentions - the next step is an in-school suspension.

Just to let you know a little about what life is like in Siguatepeque... The weather has turned cool and rainy. I haven't heard any news of the political situation lately, and life is carrying on as normal. Things in general are just not as dependable in an underdeveloped country... Since we have well water at the school, we at the teacher's house always have water when we turn on the faucet. But our coworkers who live down the street often take showers over here because they have running water only once every few days. Their water situation is worse than mine was in my first house in Honduras. Also, it's not rare to lose electricity at least once a week. Sometimes it's out for an hour, sometimes for a day. Yesterday and today have been worse than usual. The electricity has been turning off and on all day long for a few minutes or a few hours at a time. I don't know what's wrong, but I hope the problem gets fixed pronto! It's hard to get work done without electricity.

Please pray for my ability to relax and rest and receive God's grace in every aspect of my life, to empower me to do what He has called me to do. Thank you so much.

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. -Ephesians 3:7