About a month ago I started learning Portuguese. I never thought I’d want to learn another language because I know I still have so much room for improvement in Spanish, but the lovely Mimi Joya inspired me! She’s learning Norwegian (which is hard) and she sent me a video about the Top 10 Most Common Languages in the World. I told her that the only one that I might be interested in learning was Portuguese and she said that it would be cute coming from me. So her flattery, coupled with checking out a video of 100 Common Phrases in Portuguese, was enough to motivate me to start learning. I can now sing four songs and form some simple sentences. If you know Portuguese, or you speak Spanish and you don’t mind looking up a few words, I think you would really enjoy Luma Elpidio. She has some seriously cool, Jesus-glorifying songs.

In other news, we had our Ebenezer Academy Spelling Bee last month! We enjoyed it along with Counselor Appreciation Week and Valentine’s Day the same week. Here’s a picture of the grade level winners who will participate in the Regional Spelling Bee at the International School this month. Can you tell how excited they are?! Last year the winner of every grade was a boy, so it’s nice that we have a couple of girls to represent their grades this year. I registered to be a judge, so I’m looking forward to being part of the Spelling Bee as well. I can’t wait to go with them to the International School and see them show off their smarts!

I shared about Valentine’s Day on Facebook, but in case you didn’t see, I’m sharing again! Valentine’s Day here is called “Day of Love and Friendship,” and I think that’s cool. Somehow it seems like “Valentine’s Day” in the States is automatically equated with celebrating romantic love, and that excludes a lot of people from feeling like they can join in the holiday. I’m glad I didn’t feel sad that I didn’t have a boyfriend. 😉 I had a ton of fun with my little students and I felt very loved by them, my friends, and the Lord.

[Side note: I bought some little dinosaur Valentine’s cards and a bag of Hershey’s kisses, and placed a card and a kiss on each desk. I wasn’t expecting a big reaction from them, so when my kids walked in, wide-eyed with surprise and said, “This is for us!?” and started calling out to the ones who hadn’t entered the class yet, I was reminded of how sweet and not-spoiled they are..at least in this way. 😉 ]

As of last month we are back to helping out with mentor time once a week like we did last year. We have five little boys from ages 6 to 8 for an hour on Wednesday nights. They’re a handful and so much fun! One week we painted pottery and decorated cupcakes. We’ve also read books, done puzzles, watched Power Rangers, and played outside. I have all of these boys in class, so it’s a nice change to get to hang out with them “after hours” and do activities that wouldn’t normally happen during the school day. Here they are enjoying their strawberry cupcakes!

On a kind of funny note, we got our cat fixed! Little Luna Loo will not be reproducing or receiving her monthly gift, and we are glad. She has now been without a uterus for exactly one week. It also marks a week of her walking around the house and stumbling into things due to her plastic head-cone. The vets told us that we should keep her from running or jumping for 10 days, which we knew would be impossible. The very day of her surgery, while she was still drugged, she started walking around, tripping over chair legs, and surprising herself by walking straight into the couch. She had a weird reaction that we found out is called Subcutaneous Emphysema, so when we pet her, it feels like there’s tissue paper or bubble wrap under her skin. We’ve started calling her “Crackle Cat.” Tomorrow we’re taking her to the vet to get her stitches out and she should leave cone-less.

You may know that I’m a fan of coffee. And coffee shops!! I could have already said it in a previous blog, but I’ll say it again: I have a dream…a dream of traveling the world from coffee shop to coffee shop, spending my time reading books, writing, blogging, drinking yummy drinks, exploring places unknown to me, and meeting new people. Mimi and I also like to imagine that once we’re married we’ll live in some foreign country together and run a coffee shop with our husbands. 😉

Anyways, the point of me sharing all of this is that at the end of January, I found out that one of the local coffee shops was offering a “curso de barismo!” I decided to sign up and I did not regret my choice.  I learned how to use the espresso machine, V60, Chemex, Aeropress, and French Press. It was kind of scary learning something new in my second language, not knowing anyone beforehand, but I enjoyed it and I came away much more informed about the in’s and out’s of coffee; and, as it happens, a lot more aware of how much I really don’t know. Thankfully, I only exploded a little pitcher of milk and caused my teacher to get burned one time. Here’s a picture of me with my class. (:

If you ever have a desire to take a barismo course in Honduras from kind, knowledgeable, and professional people at a reasonable cost, this is the place to do it! If you’re a girl you can come stay at my house. (: If you’re a boy, I’ll help you find a place. 😉

And now, I would like to close asking for prayer in these areas:

1. That our church leaders would be united, humble, and wise during this new season with a new pastor.
2. That God would continue providing the financial support that I need and that He would lead Michele and I concerning our housing for the next school year.
3. That God would help me to love people and do what I know is right even when I don’t feel like it; that I wouldn’t let my feelings control me.
4. For wisdom for the staff and leadership of WGO; that we would be led by God in all that we do and bring Him glory through this ministry.
5. That the kids and youth of WGO would experience God for themselves and understand the height and depth and width and breadth of his love for them.

Thank you for reading. You made it all the way to the end! I don’t ever ask for comments, but this time I think it’d be fun if you would submit a comment telling me something new you’re learning or would like to learn. (: I’m interested to know.

Thank you so much for your love and support. I’m grateful to God for you!!

Peace & Love,

Linds