The Facts

Here are some random facts of life:

1. I wake up around 5:30 am, and I'm usually in bed by 9:00 pm.  But yesterday I splurged and was up until 10:00!  It was worth talking on the phone with my brother.
2. What do we eat here?
   1. Breakfast – 6:30 am: hot cereal (I had to get used to that one), breakfast sandwiches, refried beans with corn tortillas, or oatmeal (They strain the oats out of the oatmeal, so it's like thick, hot milk. But it's not bad!)
      
      

      

      Chocolate Rice Krispies are my favorite cereal to have with hot milk, because after I finish the cereal, I have hot chocolate!

      
      
   2. Lunch – 12:10 pm: chicken and rice, stir fry noodle things, rice and beans, spaghetti, and sometimes we get an “American” meal of fried chicken, cole slaw, and mashed potatoes or french fries! Those days are my favorite!
      
      

      
   3. Dinner – 4:30 pm. Baleadas (refried beans, eggs, and mantequilla all wrapped up in a flour tortilla), sandwiches, hotdogs, pizza, or hamburgers.
      
      

      

      This is fried tortillas (tostadas, I think), with refried beans, cheese, and salsa.  The green jalopeno salsa Marta makes is delicious!

3. In a mall in Tegucigalpa, there is a movie theater full of recliners -- for only $6.50/ticket.  The USA needs to get with the program and give the gift of lazy-boy seating to it's cinema-loving citizens.
   
   

   

   
   
4. In many public restrooms here, you get the toilet paper you need BEFORE you enter the stall. I have finally started to remember this before someone has to remind me …
5. Power outages are regular here, and the teacher's cabins is the only place without a generator. Living in the dark isn't always bad, though. It just means more stars and less bugs when you sit outside! 
   1. If I had a nickel for every bug bite I've gotten in Honduras ... 
6. In Honduras, Pepsi is better than Coke. (That's coming from a girl who's been a die-hard Coke fan all her life!)
7. Without constant internet or phone service, I have lots of down time, so I read. I sit on a chair outside or lay on my bed (those are pretty much my only two options), and I read.
   1. Books I've read/finished reading:
      1. Tortured for Christ, by Rev. Richard Wurmbrand
      2. Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, by Nabeel Qureshi
      3. The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom
         
      4. Growing Up Duggar, by Jana, Jill, Jessa, and Jinger Duggar
         
      5. Sex, Dating, and Relationships, by Gerald Hiestand (I read this one a couple weeks ago, and I'm rereading it already! It's a great book about biblical dating in the modern world. Singles, go read it.)
         
   2. Books I am currently reading:
      1. (Rereading) The Hunger Games Trilogy, by Suzanne Collins
         
      2. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austin
         
      3. Anything: The Prayer that Unlocked My God and My Soul, by Jennie Allen (for Wednesday afternoon Women's Bible study)
         
      4. The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, by Mark Batterson (for Monday night teachers' bible study)
         
      5. (Audiobook) One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp
         
8. Marching bands have made it to Honduras, people!  A nearby school came to perform for the GSCA students.  They only had percussion instruments, but this former band student was grinning from ear to ear.   
   
   
   
   

   

   Some of my 4th grade students performed a traditional dance at the Independence Day program.

9. Speaking of music, I'll be teaching music classes for the bilingual students next year!  I'm super excited about this opportunity, and I've been brainstorming ways to use the resources that will be available to me (since musical instruments are limited).  I was sitting outside yesterday (reading in my chair), when I started thumping my newly-finished Coke bottle on the arm rest.  Then I had an idea!  Not only could we use coke bottles as home-made percussion instruments (there are so many different percussive sounds that can come from one bottle), but we could also fill them with water and use them as melodic instruments (you know how when you blow across the top of a bottle, it makes a sound?).  So I spent a good hour in my bathroom trying to map out the notes on the Coke bottle.  It's not perfect (I had trouble with  G, G#, A, and E), but it's a start.  I even got two more bottles and made a chord with G, B, and D!  
   

Love you guys!  

Accepting Introversion

It is May 2012, and I have been in Honduras, Central America for three weeks. Tomorrow, two of my three roommates will be leaving, and then it will be just myself and one other girl left for a week of service. The night has been filled with laughter, reminiscing, and comments to the departing girls such as, "The house will be so quiet without you!"  And it will be.  For the past three weeks, I have lived with these three loud girls, and my quiet, introverted personality has slipped into the background, almost invisible behind them. I have come out of my shell significantly, however, and I now consider them all my friends. 

I briefly leave the room to plug up my phone, and as I am walking down the hallway to rejoin them, I hear one of my new friends exclaim, "Now let's get a picture with the Trio!"  The other girls giggle in agreement and squeeze together for a picture, echoing "The Trio! We are the Trio!"  I have just entered the room when I realize. I am not in their Trio. I force a smile and sink into a chair at the foot of the dining room table. A guy friend sits down next to me and asks, "Why aren't you in the picture?" I shrug as I think of an appropriate response. 

I understand why I am not in the Trio.   

Although I have been living with them for three weeks, I cannot compete with the five that they have spent together.  By the time I arrived, they had already formed their tight-knit group, and I was intimidated. I struggled to find my place among the their giggly, energetic, and at-times-obnoxious personalities.  And for three weeks, I rarely spoke for a variety of reasons. For one, it was hard to get a word in between the Trio's chatter.  Their conversations blended together with little room for my quiet, unneeded input. For another, I worried about what would be said behind my back when I did offer input. Although I considered each of these girls as Christian friends, I also shared a room with them.  I heard every word they said behind closed doors about the people they were perfectly kind to in person. Nothing was meant to be mean, but what seemed like harmless jokes to them was only a source of insecurity for me.  I even awkwardly overheard a conversation they were having about me.  

"Nothing was meant to be mean, but what seemed like harmless jokes to them was only a source of insecurity for me."

It was the first week I was there, and I was walking down the dark, unlit hallway to a girl's movie night. I was excited about spending some time getting to know my new roommates. Only, before I opened the door I heard them discussing their reserved new house guest -- me. They became real quiet, real fast once I turned that door knob. I still remember their flustered, embarrassed faces when I entered the room.  I decided to let it slide, and I chose my seat for the movie.  But I never stopped feeling inferior, and as a whole, unwanted. 

I was young. I'd never been away from friends and family before. I was in a foreign country and I knew exactly zero of my ten housemates. I walked in intimidated. I was uncomfortable with my introversion, because to me it was a crutch. An obstacle that I, out of my own willpower, had to overcome.  I prayed for years, Lord, if You can just make me more outgoing, then I'll be able to make an impact for You. If you could help me be more extroverted, then people will like me more, and I'll fit in. But do you see the fault in that logic?  When God created me, he did not create an extrovert. He created an introvert, and he knew exactly what he was doing.  But I didn't. 

"I was uncomfortable with my introversion, because to me it was a crutch. An obstacle that I, out of my own willpower, had to overcome."

For years I tried to fit the mold of my mind's "Perfect Christian" -- an outgoing person who can always win over a crowd; who always knows the words to say; who can evangelize with ease.  The Christian who everyone loves to be around.  But in all of my discontentment, I missed the gift of my introverted Spirit.  One day God brought me to 1 Corinthians 12. It is a passage about the Body of Christ, and it was a welcomed wake-up call!

"Now the body is not made up of one part, but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?  If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?  But in fact, God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. 

The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'  On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable."  (1 Corinthians 12:14-22)

"But in all of my discontentment, I missed the gift of my introverted Spirit."

I spent so much of my life trying to be a part of the body that I was ill-fitted for.  God created me with his Kingdom in mind, and what I viewed as a weak aspect of my personality was, on the contrary, "indispensable"!  Although I had been walking with Christ for several years, I had absolutely no clue where I belonged!  

So I started to pray that God would reveal to me exactly where in his body he had created me to serve.  And he came through for me, as he always does. I realized that I am much more comfortable in the background of events -- setting up beforehand, washing dishes afterward, and being a welcoming friend to the outliers.  Once the pressure to be the "life" of the event was removed from my shoulders, I was able to embrace my true role. It came so naturally for me to spend my time seeking out those new, quiet, laying-low-to-avoid-looking-awkward faces in the crowd -- my kindred spirits!  It's was as if God was telling me,  "Bailey, I created you an introvert so that I could reach other introverts through you."  Once I learned to embrace this previously loathed facet of my personality, I had less insecurities, less intimidation, and a much clearer purpose for my life in Christ.  I no longer felt intimidated by "loud" personalities, because I accepted that they were created with a different purpose in the body than me.  We are, every one of us, valuable. 

"It's was as if God was telling me,  'Bailey, I created you an introvert so that I could reach other introverts through you.'" 

I am proud to be an introvert, because I am proud to be a creation of The Lord, God Almighty! He did not mess up when he formed me in my mother's womb, and he did not mess up on you, either.  Are you fighting a part of your personality that was meant to be a gift from God? Perhaps your quiet spirit or your boldness or your not-in-the-least-bit-athletic nature is not meant to be an obstacle to overcome, but a channel through which The Lord can move to accomplish His Kingdom plan.  After all, "God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be."  (1 Corinthians 12:18) 

What's New in Honduras?

What's new?

1. My first week of classes went really well!  I learned a lot, and I am excited for the next 3 months. It is a complete privilege to teach some of my favorite kids in the world.
2. The cafeteria is still working wonderfully. I often stop to thank the Lord for my 3 meals a day. There are so many in this country (and all over the world) who live on next to nothing.
3. Saturday afternoon I was walking to the casitas when I passed Alexis helping Tom water some plant sprouts. I snapped a quick picture of him and planned to keep walking, but I decided to stop and visit for a while. Pretty soon, Alexis had put the watering can into my hand and I was helping too! I enjoyed that quality time with him.  More than anything, I loved seeing the smile that seemed stuck to his face. He loves to help, and Tom was full of praise for his work ethic.  Unfortunately, I ended up accidentally knocking over a cilantro plant -- Oops!  I apologized multiple times to Tom.  I felt so bad!  I hope that maybe I was able to model to Alexis how to respond when you make a mistake.  Later, Alexis and I helped Tom pick snap peas and green beans from the garden.  It was a lot of fun, and I even saw them in our lunch a couple of days later!
4. Stewart (one of the teachers here) was sick on Monday, so I ended up teaching his class.  What a challenge!  Thankfully, God provided me with activities to do with the students that filled up the school day.  I was also happy to receive help from one of the school administrators, Elia.  I have a new-found respect for substitute teachers.  What a job!
5. Prayer request time! There's some kind of virus going around.  Most of the North American teachers have been hit by the "worst" of it at some point, but we are all feeling the effects.  Prayers for health would be much appreciated!

Now for everyone's favorite part: Pictures!

I got to eat lunch with this cutie the other day.  Jimena always seems to have enough energy for everyone in the room!

I pass the baby cow pasture multiple times a day.  They are so pretty!

When you don't have constant internet access, you find yourself with time on your hands.  And you draw.

Alexis watering the plant sprouts -- cilantro, tomato, brocolli, etc.

Aaaand, here's the result of my clumsiness.  I'm sorry to all cilantro lovers (myself, included!)

Alexis with the snap peas and green beans we picked.

On Sundays, the teachers get to go one of the malls in Tegucigalpa.  We got to eat at a Johnny Rockets this week, and the vanilla milkshake I had was HEAVEN! 

Love ya'll!  Until next time!

Cafeteria Dedication

We had the Cafeteria dedication yesterday! I sat with Alexis and the Casita 8 boys for the dedication and for lunch, which was delicious. We had rice, chicken, salad, rolls, and, get this – tiramisu for dessert! Can you believe it? It was the most filling meal I've had since I've been here. The kids all licked their plates clean and stacked them up when they were finished. What a blessing to have a place where everyone can eat together!

Yesterday morning, I had a good meeting with Brooke Pizzati (head of the bilingual program) about the logistics of coming to teach full time next year. I am still praying about it, but I am feeling more and more confident about the possibility of being here. If so, I will only have a few months to raise the support that I need, but I have no doubt that the Lord will provide every penny. He always has!

I was able to start planning my lessons yesterday, as well. I met with Profe Olga (a school administrator) this morning to discuss my classes, units, grading, etc. I have the first day and a half planned, and I'll hopefully finish planning for the week this morning.  I have 6^th grade on Wednesday morning at 9:10 am (10:10 Central time), and I have 8^th grade at 1:00 (2:00 Central).  I can hardly wait!  Your prayers would be much appreciated.

Now for some pics:

I was able to Skype with Mom, Morgan, and Brittany on Sunday night. It was great to catch up – it is so crazy that none of us are in the same geographical location! This is a whole new phase of life, away from my closest family and friends.

I snapped this picture for Kate France! Jorge's birthday was Sunday. Pastor Abner called him up Sunday morning to wish him a happy birthday and to pray for him. Then he and little Mariela were recognized in the morning assembly at school for their birthdays. :)

Alexis wanted me to sit by him at the Cafeteria dedication, and I was happy to! He caught my heart during my first trip here in February 2012. I have been sponsoring him ever since, and I am proud to call him my Honduran little brother in Christ. When we prayed during the dedication, he reached over and grabbed my hand to hold during the prayer. Love him!

The tias who will be serving in the kitchen were recognized during the dedication. These are such wonderful women with such beautiful hearts.

I met Julio a few weeks ago, and I decided to try train him while I'm here (right now, we're working on “sit”). Unfortunately, he hurt his back, left paw and has been limping ever since I got here. I hope he heals soon! He limps around with me everywhere I go.

Estoy en Honduras!!

(Written Saturday, August 16)

Well, I made it.  I'm currently sitting outside in the beautiful country of Honduras -- wind blowing, rain misting, cows moo-ing ... oh, it's nice, people! (Aside from the bug bites I can already feel all over my feet).

Yesterday was a great (but LONG) first day back.  It’s so weird, because I was JUST here a little over 2 weeks ago.  I enjoyed greeting the kids and staff.  I can’t express in words how much it meant to me to have such a warm welcome from every person I came across!  The teachers, the missionaries, the staff of the home, everyone.  It means the world to me.  One of the teachers asked me last night, “So is it weird being back, or does it just feel like home?”  My answer: “Yep.  It feels like home.”  I’m so grateful.

I meet with Brooke on Monday morning to discuss my classes.  I cannot wait to start teaching English!  I don't have classes until Wednesday, so I'll have Monday and Tuesday to do lesson planning.

Thanks for your prayers, friends!  I'll leave you with some pictures ...

 My view from the plane — “With all creation I sing, ‘Praise to the King of kings’”

Jimena was being a “chef” yesterday.  She was cutting the flowers with her “knife” (a stick), and putting them all on a little wooden board.  Oh, it was adorable!

Stephany and I just sat and watched Jimena work.  I enjoyed spending some quality time with Stephany and Helen.  They wanted me to help them with English, so I just asked them questions.  It made my heart smile to hear them respond in English!

Where I’m staying — one of the teachers is kind enough to let me share a room with her.  I unpacked this morning.  It feels nice.

A team was at the home Friday night, and we had a nice little "Worship Sesh" with them at the Casona — songs included How He Loves, Forever Reign, Oceans, Revelation Song, Before the Throne, and my personal favorite, In Christ Alone — with the added chorus!  Oh, that song just has my heart.

While I was on my computer, I heard a guy’s voice in the distance.  I looked up to see him herding cows down the road.  Not thinking anything of it, I turned away.  When I looked back up, I realized he was herding the cows right past me! They split into two groups to go around where I was sitting!  That’s one reason I love it here.  There’s always something to make you chuckle.

Just so everyone knows I'm good.  Here's a picture of me. :)

Another Hondy Adventure!

Well, folks.  It's happening again.  I'm leaving the country.

 

Who?

Me.  Bailey Anne Wenger.  That's W-E-N-G-E-R. 

 

What?

You heard me.  I'm gonna be teachin' English!

 

When?

I leave Friday, August 15, and I return on Tuesday, November 11.  I'm flying Delta, and I can already taste those delicious Biscoff cookies ... Get me on that plane!

 

Where?

Honduras.  More specifically, the Good Shepherd Children's Academy.  This is the school on the campus of the children's home that I have visited so many times.
It also happens to be the home of the beautiful Honduran children that I adore ... so ... they've got that going for them.

 

Why?

God said "Go." 

So ... I'm going.  

If you need a better reason than that, maybe this will work:
The GSCA was in need of an English teacher to finish out the school year (which ends in November), and I was happy to fill that need!  I graduated in May with a TESOL Certificate (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), so it's perfect!

Anything Else?

Well, yes, actually.  Thank you for asking.  I would love for you to partner with me.  Although I have a job as a teacher, it is a missionary position (I am raising my own support to go).  If you are interested in supporting me financially during the fall or next year, please let me know.

More importantly, I would love for you to partner with me in prayer.  I anticipate 3 months of service and challenges.  I am a first-time teacher with students who have seen me as a friend for over two years.  Please pray for wisdom to know how to handle my classroom and any problems that I'm sure will arise with my students.  Also please pray for good relationships built with my fellow teachers and with the staff of the home.  I know that fostering those relationships will be beneficial to me.  Above all, pray that the Lord will be glorified in and through my classroom.

 

What's the hardest part about leaving?

No question.  I have had the most amazing summer!  I got to serve as an intern for my favorite girls in my favorite youth ministry in my favorite church -- and I got to do so with my best friends as my coworkers!  It was such a blessing. 

I'm having to accept the fact that I won't see all my wonderful peeps until I come back in November.  I am also processing the strong possibility that I will teach all year next year -- that's the better part of a year and a half that I will be away from the town and people I love so much! I have been a roller coaster of emotions over the past few weeks, but I am so ready to see what the Lord has for me in the months ahead. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.


Thank you, friends, for your prayers!  Stay tuned for updates.


I love you all!

 

DIY Picture Collages

I have NO idea how I came up with the idea for this project.  I was looking for a nice picture-gift to give to all of my roommates.  We've lived together in Apartment 15G for 3 years -- 5 girls in one house -- and we will all be graduating and moving away from each other in a couple of months.

 

How do you put together a gift that says "I love the memories we've built in this house, and I'll miss you bunches?"

My answer?  PICTURE COLLAGE! 

I started searching online for collage frames to buy, but they're like $30 bucks a piece! That was not in this college student's budget.

 

So I started brainstorming ways to save money ... cause that's what you do when you're broke.

And an idea came to me out of the blue: Bookshelves.  

You heard me--  Book-SHELVES!  

I figured you buy a cheap bookshelf and get like 3 shelves, plus 2 side pieces to upcycle-- that's 5 pieces of paintable / modge podge-able / picture-paste-able / personalizable wood.   Why has no one thought of this before?  And if they have, why have I not heard of this? 

I searched for the cheapest bookshelves I could fins, and I came across one for $18 (Eighteen Dollar$!!) at Walmart.com.  Link below:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ameriwood-3-Shelf-Bookcase-Multiple-Finishes/17480008

It was made from particle board, which would work just fine according to my extensive google research.  I purchased it (free shipping site-to-store), and once it arrived, I got started.

Just as a reference, I would have spent about $150 on this project if I'd gone with collage frames.

Here's what I spent:
Bookcase:  $20
Paint and Modge Podge: $17
Pictures: $15
Sanding block and Picture hangers: $14
Total: $66 -- Not bad, eh??

Step 1: Sand the finish off of the shelves.

 I got a sanding block for $4 at Lowes, and I put some muscle-love into sanding the shelves til the finish was pretty scuffed up -- this made the paint stick better.  It was a dusty job, my friends.  

I used a damp rag to wipe the dust off of the board.

Here's what the shelving looked like from the box.  I had 4 shorter shelves + the 2 long sides.

 Step 2: Paint

I purchased different types of paint ($8) from walmart, and used a couple heavy coats per board.  I originally planned on using fabric as a frame around each collage.  I got the fabric for about $10 at Walmart, but didn't end up using it.

Shout out to my neighbors Jessica and Sam for letting me work at their place!

 

I used the leftover fabric to make passport covers for my friends who let me work in their apartment! Waste not. :)

 

Step 3: Arrange Photos on the Board

This part was a little challenging, since I had to trim every photo to make them all fit.  I was able to get about 9-10 photos onto each board.  I found out that it was better to cut the photos into pairs -- so each picture was the same size as at least one other picture.  This helped create symmetry throughout the collage.  I wanted to make each collage different, and I managed it!

Step 4: Modge Podge Photos into Place

Once I had the pictures laid out, I picked them up one at a time and modge podge them to the board.  I let them dry completely.

Step 5: Paint a Message

I wanted to put some sort of words on each collage, and I used paint pens to do this (it would have been difficult to do with just paint and a brush). 

Make sure the paint dries completely before you modge podge over them!  I didn't wait long enough for one board, and the modge podge fudged two of the letters a little bit.  Luckily I was able to fix it.

Step 6: Modge Podge EVERYTHING! . . . TWICE! . . . at LEAST.

I put a pretty good coat on, making sure to seal the edges of each picture.   This one (in the picture) was the first board I did, so it is a little messy.  I got much better with the modge podge as I went on to the other 3.  I learned to start at the left side, and work my way across, making sure to even out the coat as I went. 

This is after I already fixed the letters.  The bottom of the A and p were almost completely separated from the rest of the letters.

You can barely tell I made a mistake!

Step 5: Nail picture hangers to the boards.

I was stressing all throughout this project, because I didn't know how to make the boards hang-able.  I wasn't finding any luck on google, but I finally came across these sawtooth picture hangers on amazon (link below), and they worked great!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000OL0U28/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

They are cheap and actually quite sturdy, and they come with 2 nails per hanger.   I put two hangers on each board, 16 inches apart (the distance between most wall studs).  I measured them from the top of the board using the width of my debit card.  I don't have pics of this -- sorry!  But you can figure it out.  It wasn't too difficult. 

 

Step 6: Wrap 'em and Gift 'em!

My roomies were in such suspense as we waited for a time when all 5 of us were at home at once.  That moment finally came, and they got to open their gifts.  They loved them, and I loved seeing that they loved them!  

Just one note: if you wrap these, don't stick them on top of each other for a couple days like I did.  Some of the wrapping paper left a little residue on the boards.  I was able to scratch some of it off, but it actually made a cool effect -- luckily I don't have perfectionist roommates. 

I love these girls so much!  I am very thankful to the Lord for bringing us together -- if just one were missing, we wouldn't be the same.

Erin

Morgan (imitating her face in one of the pictures)

Brittany

Erika