TravelStream™ news feed for member kristen2344 on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/kristen2344 en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:55:49 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171603740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171603740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171603740/tpod.html Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:55:49 -0500 I will be living and studying in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as well as traveling around Central America for the spring semester.

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Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Well, yesterday was definitely my favorite day here, and really one of the best days I've had in a very long time. Started off as usual, 3 hours of Spanish class...
but since it was one student's birthday, our professor brought in cake (muy delicioso) and we threw a little fiesta for Karah (her name means face in spanish, fyi) and sang to her. It was a good time.
For the afternoon, we headed up to Nueva Suyapa (where Kurt and Jo Ann, our leaders live), but only we went early. Instead oof having development class and then going, we had "class" up there. We met with a worker (former calvinn student) and three clients from this domestic abuse support group. After learning a little about the organization (which also offers a host of other programs, and a school), wee broke off into small groups, aand went with the women to their homes to talk more.
These women are survivors of abuse, and live inn the poorest sectionn oof Nueva Suyapa, which is the poorest region of Tegucigalpa. The woman we went with lives in a two room adobe wall/tin roof house with 3 of her kids and a brother. She sells used clothing for a living, but it givese her barely enoough to get by on. She told us most of her life story with tears in her eyes, but just kept repeating "my life has beenn very hard, very painful, full of struggles" But through it all, she doesn't lose faith that God will deliver her from here pain and reward her suffering. It was heart-wrenching and inspriring all in one. I just wanted so stand up and hug her, to bring her groceries, to do SOMETHING. It really put thinngs in perspective for me.
It's different wheen you're reading about it, or seeing it on tv, or even passing it on the street. When you have thhat kind of pain staring you in face, welcoming you in to her home, sharing eeverything she has with you, it knocks you off your feet. After her talk, shee took us down the side oof these steep cliff things, along aa very steep ad dangerous footpath, to where womenn of the villaage carry their clothes to a stream to wash them in. I could barely do the walk without anythinng to carry, and in thee driest time of year. The fact that womenn do that carryingn bags of laundry and in thee rainy season when thhe paathh is all but washhed away just floors me.
Needless to say, it was a shaping experience.
After we departed, we went for our meetings with our Spanish tutors. Each of us has beeen paired up with a young Honduran from Nueva Suyapa to meeet with twice a week and work oo our Spanish annd just to makee friends with. Well, yesterday we were all in the mood for futbal (soccer) aand not for homework, so we played an intensee 2 houors or so of gringo vs. honduran futball. Not only did we have that disadvantage, but our team had about 3 guys and 10 girls, while theirs was all guys. We held our own thouoghh, and I think the final score was like 8-3... not bad, considering. We played on a cemeent court, and with sandals (some bareefoot) and manay with skirts on, but it was the funneest thing ever. We laaughed so hard.
Next, we headed to Kurt and Joann's for prayer and dinner. We spend time eachh weeek singing a few songs, sharing are high's and low's for the week, and praying.
I am growing more and more every day, and God is really changing the eyes with which I take everything in.
we sung a song which has one line that says: (here I am to worship, for those of you who know it)


King of all days,
Oh so highly exalted Glorious in heaven above.
Humbly you came to the earth you created.
All for love's sake became poor.

It really shook me to sing those lines. I've been thinking a lot about what it really means to live like Jesus, and how He would live my life. Since I've been here, I've seen a lot of poverty, disparity, and hurt, but it's always been me seeing such things as an outsider. I'm not poor, my life isn't hard (comparatively), and I have means and the freedom to pack up and head back to my comfortable N. American lifestyle whenever I please. I've always wanted to work abroad in my future, and work with hurting and desperate populations. But I never realized what that takes. While I sit here complaining about cold showers and smelly bathrooms sometimes, I'm reminded that Jesus didn't just visit the poor, or help the poor, but He BECAME poor. He sacrificed everything to be at the very bottom of the social latter. It just got me thinking: what am I willing to do? If I say I want to follow Christ, how seriously do I think about what that means? Of course, there are no easy answers to that question. I guess I'm just really trying to figure out what my place is here, how I can be the best steward of what I have, and how God wants to use me here and elsewhere... hope that all makes sense. Sorry this is so long-winded.

so yeah, that was amazing. as was thee lasagna dinner. By the timee I returned home I had a smile on my face that just wouldn't go away.
Today was a bit rough, I stayed up too latee last night (as I am doing at this very moment), and my back hurt really bad all day. But luckily, we onnly had spanish, so I came homee around 12 today. I just did a lot of homework, rested, and hung out with my family. I'm finally caught up on Spanish homework!
Tomorrow we are visitig a hospital for development class, and then a bunch oof us are taking off to to go one of the little islads in the Pacific Gulf, called Isla Tigre. I'm so excited to go swimming!!! There's definiteely noo opportunity foor thaat here in the city, and Saturday is supposed to be 97 on the island :) We are staying at this amazingly gorgeous hotel, with a beautiful pool and close to the beach. Since the island is a great big volcano, it's all black sandn... should be interesting.
Definitely looking forward to relaxing, catchihng up on reading a bit, and geetting to know everyone a bit more. I'll let you know how it goes. Well, I usuaally go to bed aaround 11, and it's 12 and I still have more homework and packinng to do. ooops. I just really wanted to update about last night while it was all fresh in my mind. I hope everyone has a great weekend!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171416420/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171416420/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171416420/tpod.html Tue, 13 Feb 2007 21:25:07 -0500 I will be living and studying in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as well as traveling around Central America for the spring semester.

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Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Hello family and friends!
Finally a spare moment to collect my thoughts and put them into a legitimate update of what's been going on here in Honduras.

It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be 2 weeks since our arrival here! In some ways it seems like it's been a month, and then in others, it seems like only days. Regardless, I am finally starting to feel adjusted to life here, and little be little falling in love with this country.
I won't lie, my first few days here were not easy ones. I live with a family of 7, and not being able to understand 3/4 of what was being said to me didn't always make things easy. But luckily, my 10 year old neice and my sister-in-law are both fluent in English, so they help me out when things get desperate... but don't worry, they don't let me talk in English unless it's necessary!



Apart from thhe language barrier, I think the hardest things in adjusting to life here were FREEZING cold showers (which I try to be grateful that we have one at all), waking up at 7:30 every day (although that's late for Hondurans, thank God I got a family that sleeps in), not being able to go out much past 6:00, 3 hours of spanish class every day, getting stared at EVERYWHERE I go, getting whistled at, called at, and everythhing else from 90% of Honduran men, etc. etc.
On the positive side, the weather is just GORGEOUS (think July/August in MI), my family treeats me sooo well and always looks out for me, I live super close to school, another Calvin student is right next door, I have wireless in my HOUSE (my brothher is a computer programmer), and I am learning Spanish very quickly.
my neighbor and friend slyvi and I:


My mama is learning more and more every day my taste in food, and even went out last weekend and bought me black beans even though no one else in the house eats them! So instaed of refried beans (NOT my favorite), I've had black beans for supper every night this week (my favorite food ever).

Our first weekend here we traveled up to La Tigre, a national park just outside the city for the night. We did a lot of hiking, and heard the life story of each student in our group. It was a WONDERFUL relief from the struggles we were all feeling. We have a wonderful group of students, and it was great to get to know eachother on a more personal level. We went on a long hike and saw a beautiful waterfall. La Tigre used to be used by an American Mining Co. for gold mining, so there are some beautiful old buildings to explore there.


After our first full week of classes last week, we were all feeling a bit exhausted. We're cramming all of our Spanish studies into one month, so we have three hours of spanish every morning, and 2 hours of development in the afternoon. Lots of homework! Last weekend we stayed here in Teguc. Friday night some people went to the Discoteca, but I didn't feel quite up to thaat adventure just yet. I went with a group of 6 to see a movie instead. It's only about $2 to get in, and $1 for popcorn... much better than in the states! We saw Night at the Museum with Spanish subtitles. Wee all decided that's a great way to learn spanish, so I suspect many more trips to "el cine"
On Saturday we wennt to the local agricultural fair (think a normal county fair), with our spanishh tutors. Each oof us has been paired with a Honduran teen from Kurt and Joann's (our leaders) neighhborhhoods, to meeet twice a week to work on our spanish. Sadly, we were theere too early to ride any rides, but we saw a lot of cows and horses! After that, we visited "Picacho" a park up in the mountains next to Tegucigalpa where there is a GIANT statue of Jesus. I wasn't too crazy about going at first, but it turned out to be a gorgeous park, and we had fun joking withh our tutors. They gave all the americans nicknames, and I am priveleged eenough to have two: "Lizzie Maguire" and "suenita" (little tired one... or somethinng)




Sunday I went to church with my family and spent the rest of the day around here. All in all, I feel 50x better than I did a week ago, and I'm really starting to love it here. I miss everyone like crazy though! I can feel my spanish improving daily, and hopefully by the end of this month will be able to get around a little better.
Well.... time for homework! More stories later! Let me know how you all are doing!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171173360/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171173360/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1171173360/tpod.html Sun, 11 Feb 2007 01:02:58 -0500 I will be living and studying in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as well as traveling around Central America for the spring semester.

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Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Just wanted to let everyonee know that thihnngs are well here in Honduras. I'd write more, but it's late and I need to get up early... tbc!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168580340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168580340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168580340/tpod.html Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:40:05 -0500 Just a sampling of the places I've already been

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Kingston, United Kingdom

where I stayed when I went to visit Amanda in England
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1168579980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1168579980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/honduras_06/1168579980/tpod.html Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:34:23 -0500 I will be living and studying in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, as well as traveling around Central America for the spring semester.

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Tegucigalpa, Honduras

where I'll be living in Honduras
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579860/tpod.html Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:31:53 -0500 Just a sampling of the places I've already been

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Stratford, Ontario, Canada

my trip to Stratford with Mr. Bryan's English class in 10th grade to see The Merchant of Venice
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579740/tpod.html Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:30:06 -0500 Just a sampling of the places I've already been

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

my trip to Toronto with NHS, 2004
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579680/tpod.html Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:29:11 -0500 Just a sampling of the places I've already been

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Barcelona, Spain

Amanda and I's visit to Barcelona to see Katie and explore the city for 36 hours during spring break 2006
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kristen2344/places_seen/1168579620/tpod.html Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:28:10 -0500 Just a sampling of the places I've already been

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London, United Kingdom

My trip to visit Amanda in England for Spring Break 2006
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