Sorry about missing last Sunday's blog, but you'll have to excuse me. I will explain everything in the following :-)
So last time we left off was Sunday the 14th of February. Monday started a full 5 day week at school with plenty of work to do. We are pioneering a school-wide science fair, which is taking a lot of energy. We should be completing it just before Semana Santa (Holy Week).
Speaking of leading up to Holy Week, Ash Wednesday (the day that begins the season of Lent) was on 17th and so we had a school-wide service.
Besides making lesson plans for the next week and chores, we had the 6th and 7th grade youth group on Saturday. We had a few newcomers that weekend.
A rural plot of land.
And then we ate and talked.
It was a great way to spend Sunday.
The next week, this past week, was another full 5 day week with lots of things to teach, tests to take, science projects to work on, etc. However, outside of school some exciting things happend. On Tuesday evening I got a phone call from our principle Annie. Here's how it went:
Annie - "Hey Dan."
Dan - "Hey Annie."
Annie - "Guess what?"
Dan - "What?"
Annie - "There a new volunteer coming who will be living with you. He's from Boston and likes to play sports."
Dan - "Great. When is he coming?"
Annie - "Tomorrow."
I was excited that there would be another male volunteer for the first time since September, but I was a little shocked about how soon he would be arriving. Apparently someone in the office had thought someone else had told me, and that person had thought someone else had told me...you get the idea. Even if it was a geniune mistake in communication, it still adds to the wisdom any volunteer in Honduras should be told, be flexible and expect the unexpected.
Things turned out quite different than we thought though. The regular students we play against didn't show up, but instead a bunch of tall local guys did. I thought Hondurans were only good at soccer, but I was wrong. They ended up crushing us 5 to 0. Like I said, expect the unexpected.

Here's Sarah and Megan supplying us all with much need water after the game. (yes notice the water is bagged, not bottled).

Saturday found us at the orphange with the youth group.
We did some reading to the little kids, but the hit of the day was a good game of elbow tag.

go Lupita go
Jose Manuel, a 7th grader, catching his breath with one of the orphan girls.
Sunset outside of the orphanage.
Walking down the road after leaving the orphange.
I just like this picture.
And what is this you might be wondering??? Well, while I was eating dinner at La Fonda's on Thursday night with the group from New Hampshire, we got to talking about little differences between west coast USA and the east coast: I had never heard of a "snowblower" or didn't use the adjective, "wicked" example. "he's wicked smart" (actually this was more Tony's Boston talk). What the New Hampshire group was really surprised about though was how I had never had a peanut butter and fluff sandwich. They were so appalled at my lack of culture :-) they insisted I try one before they left.
Here's Sarah and Megan supplying us all with much need water after the game. (yes notice the water is bagged, not bottled).
Saturday found us at the orphange with the youth group.
go Lupita go
It was pretty good.
Saturday night was their last night in town and so they showered us teacher volunteers with gifts: shampoo, Q-tips, peanut butter, etc. Here's Beth with a bag full of goodies. They were a great group and hopefully they make it home safely.

Then on Sunday I decided to go mass in Jutiquile again although today, I am sadly not able to take the whole day off like last week since I have to get some tests graded. Here' Annie and Tommy at mass.
Tommy's cuteness makes makes him a popular guy.
Actually I was pretty popular at mass also. One of the men came up to me after mass and insisted I have my picture taken with some of the local girls, who he kept telling me one of them had been to the states. Don't worry Mom, I am not engaged.

Here is what Jutiquile looks like.
Then on Sunday I decided to go mass in Jutiquile again although today, I am sadly not able to take the whole day off like last week since I have to get some tests graded. Here' Annie and Tommy at mass.
Here is what Jutiquile looks like.
And that brings me to the present. Overall things are great here. We have four more weeks before Easter break when myself and some other volunteers head out to Mexico. Currently on my mind, between attending to my teaching responsibilities and running around doing all the things I have just described, is what to do after this year: stay another year, go home, find another volunteer program. We'll see.
Hope you are well and enjoying life.
Hasta luego.
Hasta luego.