Week One Done!

It is hard to believe that I am already in my second week here at Good Shepherd Christian Academy! 

Let me tell you a bit about my classes!


Music Class

Before school started, I was very nervous about teaching Music.  I want Music to be a class that my students look forward to each week, but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make it fun for them.  How wrong I was! 

Highlights:

The Bilingual grades (K4-4th grade) have been learning a song called "Dios Nos Ama" (God loves us).  The kids LOVE this song.  Many of them have approached me outside of class to sing and dance the "Dios Nos Ama" section of the song.  If they get nothing else out of my class, I hope they will always remember this song that says God loves them.

My 9th grade class is learning how to count rhythm, and at the end of class one day I divided them into three groups.  One group tapped quarter notes on the table, another group clapped half notes with their hands, and the last group tapped sixteenth notes on their legs.  It was UBER-simple, but they were so excited to be making "music" together!  One of my students from the community -- a teenage boy named Ruben -- leaned back in his chair and exclaimed, "Que lindo!" (How cool!). 


English Class

English class has gone well, so far.  I have resolved to speak all English in my classes and to have my students speak all English.  Since my students come from both the community and the children's home, their levels of English-fluency are varied.  The children from the home understand and speak a lot of English, while the community students understand almost none.  It has been a challenge to find a way to bridge the gap between the home kids and the community kids, but I am learning!

Highlight:

I have a new 6th grade community student named Johan.  At the beginning of the week, he said almost nothing, and it was clear that he didn't understand anything that I said.  By Friday, however, he was volunteering to write sentences on the board!  I was very proud of him, and I am glad to see his excitement to learn English.

Ministry

I have been trying to build relationships with the older girls in Casita 3 and Casita 5.  I have found that one key to their hearts is movies.  We watched both One Direction movies a couple of weeks ago, and the other day I took my movie case to their Casita and let them choose one.  They chose my favorite movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  I was more than happy to watch it with them!

I hope to start some bible study time with a few of the girls very soon.  I am looking for girls who want to learn more about God's Word.  I would appreciate wisdom in what to teach them.

So long for now!

With love, 

Bailey

Photos!

The sunsets here are beautiful.  I walked outside a few nights ago to try to capture it with my camera . . .

This is where I live, with 6 of my fellow teachers!  We share rooms -- each room has a bedroom and bathroom.  

This road is right in front of our rooms.  We get to wave "Hola" and "Adios" to anyone who passes by.  The trees you see in the background are Orange trees -- they come in handy for afternoon snacks!

One of my 5th Grade students, Henry, writes a sentence on the board.

Yolanda, one of my 7th grade students, works on Math homework.  She needed my help with long division.

My lunch buddies

Another lunch buddy -- Josselin. 

 

FOUR "Little Things"

Once every couple of days here, something happens that I don't want to forget. It's usually nothing major.  Just something small – the way a child laughed at something I did, a meaningful conversation I had with one of the teenagers, etc. There have been a couple of those "little things" lately that I wanted to share.

ONE.

There are 6 new siblings here at the home, and I have had the opportunity to bond with one in particular – her name is Mercy. Mercy is very quiet but incredibly sweet, and she is coming out of her shell more and more with each passing day. When new children come to the home, I often try to make a point of reaching out to them. So from my first day here, I tried to foster a relationship with Mercy.  A couple days ago, she ran up to me and latched herself onto my leg. I had to figure out how to walk with this new little thing latched onto my side!  She is precious, and I pray that I can speak God's love into her heart during my 10 months here. 

TWO. 

One of the other new siblings is named Errykson.  He is 11 or 12 years old.   As I was standing in the lunch line one day, a young boy (little Fernando) walked up to me and tugged at my shirt. 

“Bailey?” he said.

“Yes, Fernando?” I replied.

Fernando pointed to Errykson, who was in the front of the line. “Errykson – the new kid?” 

“Yes?”

“The new kid, over there. . .  The one wearing the hat and the dark shirt?” Fernando wanted to make absolutely certain that I knew to which Errykson he was referring. I assured him that I did.

He continued, “El dijo que usted es bien bonita."  Translation:  He said that you are very pretty.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling. “Thank you!” I told Fernando. Then, the little messenger walked off to communicate my “Thank you” to Errykson. For the next few minutes, all of the boys around Fernando and Errykson started smiling and looking over at me.  It was funny and cute, and it made my heart happy.

THREE.

My next "Little Thing" happened while I was in town Sunday with the teachers.  We were all in a store, shopping for various supplies we will need for the next 10 months. I was walking down an aisle when a young boy (maybe 13 years old) said in English, “Hello!”

“Hi!” we replied, not paying much attention.

“Are you the teachers that live in Zamorano?” he asked. 

“Yes, we are.” I assumed that he had talked with one of the other teachers in the store (We stick out with our white skin). 

“Oh, ok! My pastor live in Zamorano,”  He said.   His English was very broken, but I love meeting kids like him around town -- kids who are learning English and are happy to find a North American to practice with.  I did not expect his next question, however.

“Are you Christians?” This question made me pause, then smile.

“Yes, we are!  We love Jesus!”  I replied.

Now he was smiling.  He touched his hand to his heart and nodded his head, affirming, “Oh, yes! Me too.  Jesus is my Lord!”

“Good!” I replied, happy to meet a little brother in Christ.

“He is a good Lord!” my new young friend added, still touching his heart.

“Yes, He is a good Lord!” I smiled.  How wonderful it was to meet a young boy in love with his Savior Jesus!

FOUR.

One morning after I had finished my breakfast, I was walking around to each table, saying “Buenos Dias” to all of the kids. Helen, one of the teenage girls, called me over to her table. Before I go any further, let me give you some back-story on my relationship with Helen.

When I was here for the summer in 2012, Helen and I became very close. We enjoyed spending time together, and when I left, we wrote letters back and forth. Unfortunately when I returned a few months later, I neglected to greet her as warmly as I should have. I was caught up in greeting all of the other children, and when I saw her, both of my hands were occupied with children leading me away somewhere. I smiled at Helen and said, “Hola!” I should have stopped what I was doing and given her a huge hug. But I didn't, and it hurt her. Since then, we have not been close. 

When she called me to her table, she asked me, “Bailey, are we still sisters?” 

“Yes,” I replied, not understanding why she was asking me this.

She wasn't satisfied. “No, I am asking you. Are we still sisters?”

I thought for a moment, still not comprehending.  “Yes, why not?” 

She laughed, and grabbed my hand. “Ok, because I found your letter.”

Then it clicked. She was referring to the letters we wrote to each other 3 years ago! We had called each other, “Hermana” (Sister).

I smiled. “Yes, we are sisters. And I still have your letter, too!” She grinned, and we hugged. It felt good to reconcile that friendship which had been strained for so long. We spoke about some other things, and when I left their table, I told her, “I'll see you later, sister.” She laughed and nodded.

These little things mean so much to me. Each little moment with a child fosters a relationship that opens up a door to share with them how much their Father loves them, and how much He wants a relationship with them.   I pray that these little moments become relationships of discipleship. Will you join me in prayer?

Pray for open doors to share God's love with these children.

Pray for God's guidance in finding specific older girls to disciple.

Pray that I can build relationships with the Tias (house mothers) and Honduran teachers.

Pray that the language barrier will cease to be a barrier.

Friends, thank you for your prayer. Thank you for your financial support. Know that through these things, you are making an eternal impact on these children and this country.

With Love,

Bailey.

Good to Be Back

I am finally settled into my room here in Honduras! I arrived on Saturday with 6 visitors from my church (Getwell).  I have enjoyed tagging along with them, and they have all been so encouraging!

The other teachers arrived on Tuesday, and we were able to move into our rooms that night.  It is so nice to get settled back into our “Home Sweet Home.”  It feels right.   I'll give you a picture of the world around me at this moment:

I now sit on the floor of my bedroom, with the door open on my left side.  The sun is the only light I have in my room, and it is perfect.  I hear and feel a soft breeze blowing, and I hear the other teachers' occasional conversation as they sit just outside my doorway – reading, knitting, napping. . . 

This is definitely one of those calm moments that come every so often. Once school begins, many of us will be busy, and these quiet, peaceful moments will be much less frequent.

We met this morning at the school to see our classrooms, receive our schedule, and go over a few details about the year.  Some of us were a little overwhelmed, but it is so nice to finally see the reality of all that we have prepared for during the past few months.  Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare for the start of the year.

Picture time!

My view from the plane as we flew of over the capital, Tegucigalpa. 

The team was able to play in the game room with the older kids. This is a priviledge that the kids don't get to do often. So they had a lot of fun!

The team also helped to clean out some new classrooms. Cristian Joel enjoyed using the shop-vac to clean the walls. He was very thorough!

David, a team member, showed a few self-defense moves to the boys. They loved it!

This is Emilson. He and his twin brother Norlin came to the home a few months ago, and I was the lucky gal who got to hold Emilson in my arms on the drive from the child services building to his new home here at GSCH.

 Emilson and his twin brother Norlin:

My new classroom!  It has a long way to go!

This sweetie is one of 6 new siblings that arrived to the home recently. Her name is Mercy, and she is precious. My heart breaks at some of the horrible things she has gone through, but I am so happy that she has a safe home now. She will grow up learning about her Savior Jesus!

Hasta Luego, Amigos!

Get Ready, Get Ready!

Well, friends. I've been Stateside for a few weeks, and I have LOVED getting to see most of my friends and family. I've visited my sister in Little Rock, my best friends in Starkville, and my church family at Getwell Road UMC – Holla! And my favorite Great-Aunts came into town for Thanksgiving. They are always a hoot.

Pretty soon (January 24, to be exact) I will be back on a plane to Honduras for 10 months of teaching and discipling some of my favorite children at the Good Shepherd Children's Home. I can hardly wait! I bought my plane ticket just a few days ago, and I am currently preparing for GSCA Teacher Orientation, which is on December 4-5.

This stage of life is exciting (and scary).  I have been blessed with amazing support from my friends, family, and church. Y'all are awesome, and I see Christ in you so evidently! Please continue to pray for me and for all that God has in store for the teachers at the GSCH next year. I will teach English classes and Music classes (in both English and Spanish) to children from 4 years old to 9^th grade!

If you are interested in joining me in ministry through financial support, please visit the link below. Under “Category and Funding” choose GSCA LEAD Teachers. Then choose my name – Bailey Wenger.  Your support will be greatly appreciated, and will go toward classroom supplies and personal needs throughout the year.

I love you!

BMDMI Donation link:

https://secure-q.net/donations/BMDMission/1154?MerchantID=BMDMission

Some of my students:

Sixth Grade

Christian -- Sixth Grade

Seventh Grade

Seventh Grade

Marvin -- Seventh Grade

Enrykson -- Seventh Grade

 

"Busy, Busy, Busy"

“Busy, Busy, Busy

Busy all day long.

We work all day

And we have fun.”

The above lyrics are from a song I heard in July of this year.  I was observing Hayley Wilson as she taught the English classes that would soon be mine, and for some reason this song has been stuck in my head ever since! 

Life lately has been pretty busy and eventful. Here are some highlights:

Discipleship with Alexis

 I have started meeting with Alexis at least once a week to spend time with him in God's word. For those of you who don't know much about this boy, let me enlighten you. He stole my heart three years ago when I came to the GSCH for the first time. He is 12 years old, and he is just as rotten as he is sweet. Boy, do I love that boy! 

 

I have been so encouraged by these small teaching times. He even came up to me the other day and said, “Bailey, mas versiculos” which means, “Bailey, more verses.”

Tamales with Abner and Alisson! 

I had mentioned to Abner that I wanted to learn how to make tamales. He made me a deal: He would teach me if I promised to make them for my family during my time at home. Of course, I agreed! While Des and Joseph Ramsey and Tom and Alli Herring were visiting, he invited us all to his house to learn.  It was a complete blast! 

 

I can't tell you how much of a blessing Abner and Alisson are to the home. When I walked into their house that night, I saw Franklin and Luis – two teen boys from the home – in their kitchen helping.  I was SO impressed by Luis, who did whatever was needed without even having to be asked. Abner's taught them well, and both boys were enjoying their time there!

 

The tamales turned out great (and we even made baleadas afterwords!), but the best thing about the evening was spending time laughing and visiting with everyone.

These plantain leaves were picked freshly from our plantain trees!

Making Baleadas!  (Flour tortillas, refried beans, and mantequilla)

English Classes

My English classes have been going great! Last week, my 5^th - 8^th grade students created skits to present to the class. I was very proud of them and what they came up with. Their subjects ranged from “The Teacher and the Rebel Children” to a secret agent and a burglary. 

 

It's hard to believe my teaching time this year is almost over!  I'll be headed home for the holidays in just a couple of weeks.

 

7th Grade

6th Grade

8th Grade

Yay, Group Work!

This student cracks me up!  He is the youngest in the class, and is hilarious.  He's always smiling.

This little one (Viviana) is not in my English classes, but she wanted to hold my backpack during recess.  I am excited about the opportunity to teach her Music class next year!

Rain, Rain, Rain!

It has been raining a lot lately. It rained all night long for two nights in a row, which unfortunately flooded the bridge and caused all kinds of damage to the bridge and power lines. Men from the community have been working hard trying to repair everything. The bridge is now passable, and after three days in the dark, the power is now back on! 

 

The drop off you see is where the road is supposed to be (where you should be able to drive off the bridge.  There is about a two feet from the bridge to the top of the water, and about 3 feet from the top of the water to the ground underneath.  Workers were swimming in the water!

Other Little Things ... 

I got a package from my family – guitar chords and picks, goldfish crackers, Dove dark chocolate, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon playing cards (LOVE!), and dog treats for Julio! Julio says thank you for the dog treats, and the other teachers say thank you for the dark chocolate. Dark chocolate just makes everything better!

Seily and Lilly were hanging out by the teacher cabins after school one day, and they commented on my fingernail polish. I ended up painting their nails!

  
Thank you all for your continued prayers and support! I am excited to finish up these last few weeks and head home for some time with my friends and family for the holidays! It is so crazy that I'll be on a plane to come back here in just a few months (January 27). I am so humbled and giddy that God would allow me to serve him here. It is hard, but it is rewarding. Love yall!

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  (Matthew 9:35-38)

Kids, Kites, and Casitas

I had a wonderful time at the Casitas (the houses the kids live in) yesterday.  Everyone was in such a good mood! I assume this is because they didn't have a full school day yesterday. Most of the kids were outside playing in groups together, and I was happy to see everyone helping each other with the kites, and sharing the marbles – and no one was fighting! I loved it!

My first stop was Casita 3, where Julissa, Lluvia, and Yolanda listened to music and played games on my iPhone.  It was nice to just relax on their porch and sing songs with them.  Someone (Lester, I think) picked one of the big, red flowers that grows outside Casita 3 and brought it to me. Then Julissa, who is very talented at doing hair, arranged my hair in a pretty side bun and put the flower in it.  She somehow did this without a ponytail holder – that is talent!  When I decided to leave Casita 3, Julissa told me, “Don't take your hair down!” I told her I wouldn't, but unfortunately the wind didn't cooperate, and the up-do fell apart.

First I saw Julian trying to get his kite up. I tried to help him, but there was no wind. I eventually walked over to Carlos, who was making kite string from some string segments he pulled from a mop. I'm not sure if this was allowed, but the kids did it anyway. And I think it was an innovative use of their resources!

And it turned an un-usable kite into some fly-able fun!

Roberto had the string tied around his wrist for a while. I'm not 100% positive, but I think I saw him acting like he was Spiderman and the kite string was his web, shooting out from his wrists … Goober.

I was flying a kite with Lipzy for a while by the soccer field, and she yelled over to me, “Bailey, sing the 'This is real'” song. I didn't know what she was talking about at first, but then I realized she wanted me to sing the Camp Rock song. Once I started singing it, I realized that it describes my journey here pretty well.

“This is real.

This is me.

I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now.

I'm gonna let the Light shine on me.

Now I've found who I am. There's no way to hold it in."

(That's as much of the song as I remembered, but it fits!)

I walked back over to Casita 3 and saw Yolanda sitting outside with a frisbee full of mud. Ana Melissa was gathering flowers for her, and she was arranging the petals very prettily on the mud-canvas. I sat, watching her create her nature art – I had no idea how creative she is!  She was using her resources to create something beautiful.

And now I'm off to teach!  Buenas Dias, World!