re-discovering teguc

I was "forced" to make another trip to Teguc this month to take care of the next step in renewing my residency. Although I enjoy visiting friends and family there, it is 8 long hours in a bus that I don't relish doing all too often.

So I decided to make the trip more fun and spend a couple extra days with my host family...oh, and I took along a traveling companion :) I haven't posted too much on the blog, but I have been dating someone for several months now and decided it was time he (Henry) met my Honduran family.

Henry is from Santa Rosa, or as they say here "Copaneco" (meaning, someone from the department of Copan). He has not been able to travel much outside of this town where he has been born and raised, and our trip was his first time ever in the capital. It was fun for me to show him around, teaching him the ropes of public transportation along with other "tips" about living life in the big city. The best part was watching him take in all the new stuff around him and asking questions about everything. I loved re-experiencing the craziness of a city I have gotten to know over the last 2 years and share it with a Honduran who has never lived outside of his pueblo.

We did all sorts of stuff...rode rapiditos, took colectivo taxis, visited the mall, ate frozen yogurt (oh yeah, that was just me...), went to Picacho park, checked out some women's small business endeavors, hung out with my Honduran host family, hiked the mountain behind Nueva Suyapa, spent time with some MCC friends and ate lots and lots of food.

Thankfully there were no major incidents (H was nervous about this after hearing all kinds of news reports about the capital city) and we had a lot of fun with my host family. When my host mom found out what a handy man he is, she put him right to work fixing things around the house...kind of reminds me of some shingle-fixing experiences forced upon my brother-in-law when he started hanging around our house ;)

Here are some pictures of our weekend in the big city!

out to eat baleadas at our favorite place. L to R: Josue, me & Henry 

Yosua and Axel 

jam session for the new church band we are forming haha

the Christ statue at Picacho park

the handy-man earning points with my host mom

bird-watching with Virgil on our mountain hike!

beautiful view of the city

at the top of the mountain!

going to miss this lady a lot...

good friends! L to R: me, Virgil, Franklin, Kathy

with the boys. to be fair, i think Franklin was on lower ground...

feliz 2012

Happy New Year friends and family...or as we say here, feliz año nuevo!

I just got back from a nice loooong break and "vacation" in Tegucigalpa. I decided since I couldn't make it home to the states to be with my real family, the next best thing was being in Teguc with my Honduran family, and my MCC family :)

So, after a long 8 hours on a bus, I left the safe cocoon of Santa Rosa for a 10 day big city adventure. I took advantage of all the shopping the capital has to offer, not to mention restaurant and transportation options :)

My week included:
catching up with the host family on all the current events...going to the mall...eating the most delicious baleadas in honduras...traveling to choluteca for a day of tourism...learning to make christmas torrejas...playing dutch blitz with the brothers...watching tv...sleeping in a lot...taking rapiditos all over town....jumping at the sound of firecrackers at all hours of the day and nite...eating frozen yogurt!...going to the movie theatre where you can choose which movie you want to see...eating lots of beans...attending a friend's wedding...drinking lots of coffee...sharing holiday meals with good gringo friends...buying a fleece jacket for an upcoming trip to Guatemala...being heckled by men on the corner...heckling taxi drivers for being difficult...kind of learning how to dance bachata...wrapping presents for the bank program c-mas party...laughing and joking with the host family about everything and anything...laughing at people stepping in puppy pee around the house...taking bucket showers again...eating at the best pupusa restaurant in Teguc...

there might have been some more stuff, but this gives you a good idea. Generally I loved being back at "home" and catching up with a lot of great people.

Hope you all had a great holiday season and rang in the new year with good friends and family.
Excited to see what 2012 has in store :)

host bro showing off the new shirt

out to eat with the fam...the usual chaos ensued...

loved spending lots of time with this girl

favorite friends who live in Suyapa (minus one!)

good friends...old and new

leaving

So the goodbye parties have all come and gone...
the difficult, bittersweet goodbye with my host family is now over...
2 great friends in the YAMEN program are on the plane to South America...

and I'm ready to go home too!!

A week ago at this time I was feeling overwhelmed by packing/suitcases/bus rides/goodbyes...and now, well...still overwhelmed by some packing that must happen tonight, but for the most part, I feel ready to go.

Goodbyes are difficult, but a necessary part of the journey. I have been so blessed to have multiple farewell celebrations with different groups of important people in my life in Honduras, specifically Nueva Suyapa. I have been so richly blessed in this year with great family and friends to fill in for those I've left in the States. God has taught me so much in this year and I am truly thankful for all the experiences, good and bad that have made my year in Nueva Suyapa all that is was.

Although it's often hard to think of the goodbyes, it's exciting to think about the next step too. And I gotta say, I'm ready for some vacation at home with my family!!

Here are some photos to commemorate all the goodbyes in Nueva Suyapa...

ode to Honduras

As you might remember from previous posting, I love lists!

On one of our "nights on the town," Elise, Allison and I found ourselves sitting on the patio of a Dunkin' Donuts/Baskin Robbins (note: this is after stuffing ourselves with expensive delicious sushi, a rare splurge! The ice cream may seem superfluous, but to us, a necessity :)
We always love to laugh and talk about crazy Honduran experiences, but we also reflect a lot about things that are such a "normal" part of life here that have required adjustment over time.

And so, in preparation for my pending departure from Nueva Suyapa, I would like to share with you not only a taste of our "You know you've lived in Honduras too long when..." list, but also our "You know you've been in Suyapa too long when..."

You’ve been in Honduras too long when…

You can sing along with more songs on the Latin Music awards than you can on the American Grammys.

You work hard to match your shirt, nail polish, eye shadow, shoes, belt, bracelet & hair accessories.

You’re not appalled by scrunchies.

You’ve started to wonder if your clothes are tight enough.

You can’t even feel comfortable wearing gym wear or a logo t-shirt in public.

You’ve had a meal completely made of carbs: rice, plantains, tortillas & potatoes.

You no longer ask for a knife to eat your hunk of meat.

You can eat soup with your hands.

You always work at having change and never assume anyone has change.

You don’t bat an eye at a bike helmet being used as a moto helmet or at seeing 4 people on a moto.

You no longer think the police are your friends (or you’re actually just afraid of the policia).

You know to monitor the gas station attendant to make sure he’s not robbing you of gas.

You expect the 2^nd question of a taxi driver to be “soltera o casada?” (single or married).

You guard your charger/cable/USB with your life.

You no longer refer to someone by their real name, only by physical characteristics i.e. big teeth, skinny one

You no longer differentiate between b’s & v’s and s’s and c’s.

You pride yourself in all the colectivo routes you know.

You walk into a store and don’t bat an eye when security guards have big guns.

You call people 7 times consecutively because they don’t pick up.

You wait for people to call you so you don’t have to spend your own saldo (phone minutes).

You know the best way to deal with customer service is to be rude & persistent.

You are much more rude to people than you ever were before. Mostly men between the age of 10 & 60.

Your tastebuds are dulled to the sensation of sweetness and saltiness.

Your conversation strategy revolves around family, food and relationship status.

The hardest words to pronounce are actually English words that require a Spanish accent: snickers, Gatorade

You give directions based on minor landmarks or buildings that no longer exist.

You’ve become fearless in asking questions.

You have no shame cutting in line…or you just get angry.

You know you've lived in Suyapa too long when...

You look both ways before you leave a house, not just when crossing the street.

You not only hide your phone/camera in a sock, but you also take out the chip and hide it in your bra.

You don’t even carry a purse because your bra has become multi-functional.

You interrogate the taxi driver if he really will take you to your house. The whole way. Really.

You have an urge to lie down in any green patch of grass.

You blame any illness on polvo (dust) or cambio de clima (change in weather).

You plan your errands around possible jalons (free ride).

You now think ambulance sirens and flashing lights are overkill because in Suyapa the police/medics just don’t show up.

You know to put arms and legs inside the vehicle when passing a wet spot so you don’t get sprayed by sewage water.

You’re content with dirty water in your bucket bath.

You have favorite buses & cobradors and you have more than 5 taxi contacts in your phone.

You base friendships/interactions on whether or not people have a car.

independence

Happy 4th of July to all my American friends reading this blog. Hope you stay safe and enjoy some good American BBQ fun + fireworks for me.

My time in Nueva Suyapa is winding down...only 2 weeks left of work. 3 going away parties on the agenda. lots of purging and packing to be done...it's all coming so fast! As with each phase of my life, it is never easy to say goodbye, but you never can anticipate what is in store for the next adventure. A year ago at this time I had no idea I would be so blessed to have such a great family here in Honduras, a crazy bunch of coworkers who are truly great friends, and a pile of other experiences I can't even write down. If I had never said goodbye to my friends in central PA and my family, I would have never gotten to live like this!

So it is with the same anticipation that I must say goodbye to these friends in Nueva Suyapa (with the comfort that I will come back and visit from time to time) and forge ahead into the next phase of hellos and goodbyes.

It is in this spirit of wrapping up that I would like to share some stories from the Income Generation Program that I have worked in for the past 11 months. There are dozens more incredible, independent women just like the ones I'm going to post about this week. I hope you enjoy their stories and offer up a prayer for them, their loved ones and this community.

Gloria Maribel Reyes

Gloria Maribel is 35 years old and has lived in Nueva Suyapa with her family for 30 years of her life. Her husband left her 7 years ago, so she raises her 3 children as a single mom. Since then she has taken care of her family with God’s help and has seen how the community has grown and changed over time. There are better houses and streets, more schools, potable water, more churches and a growing population.

Gloria gives thanks to God for her friends Gloria Pino and Esperanza Sanchez who invited her to be part of their solidarity group at MCM 18 months ago. A solidarity group is a smaller group of women who co-sign on each other’s loans. In most cases, 5 or 6 solidarity groups will join together to become a community bank.

In the Matthew 6:33 group Gloria has made some good friends who have helped her grow her snack shop business. Before coming to the group, Gloria had very little capital to work with. The loan she receives each cycle has enabled her to buy an industrial stove to produce and sell more product. The trainings she has received through MCM have helped her see the importance of saving and managing money wisely.

About 12 months ago, Gloria was able to hire another women to help her in her snack shop because she has seen such an increase in her sales. She is happy to be able to provide employment to someone else who needs it, and by having someone else to work in her business, Gloria was able to achieve another dream: completing her nursing courses to be a certified nurse.


Although Gloria has not accepted Jesus into her heart, she feels that the devotionals at her bank meetings have helped clarify some of her doubts, and she has decided to send her children to Sunday school at a local church. We hope that she will soon be accompanying them.

Gloria gives thanks to God for MCM’s work in the community and how they have helped so many women like herself, single moms who need an economic spark to move forward and want to see their children graduate. Gloria is proud to belong to the Matthew 6:33 group and believes that with God’s help and that of MCM, she will one day be able to open a second location for her business.

transporte

So, you might not be able to fully appreciate this if you've never had the privilege of visiting Nueva Suyapa...but today is a very exciting day.

We got our first rapiditos in Nueva Suyapa!

Yes, I know it sounds like a terrible Mexican restaurant special...but really, it's nothing of the sort.

Right now, transport options are as follows...
1) direct taxi: the most expensive option, but will take you (almost) anywhere you need to go. if the price is right. as of late, it has been rising, due to the price of gas...clearly. Between $3-6 per trip, depending.
2) colectivo: this is a cool Tegucigalpa favorite...a taxi that waits until filled with 4 people. It has a set route and you know it always costs 15 Lmps. (like, 75 cents) or 12 Lmps. if you're downtown (67 cents?)
3) bus: yup, the big yellow ones you rode to elementary school (or in my case, high school too!) not the best option...often said to be most dangerous...but really we hate it because its so slow! it stops all the time and lingers if not full with people. also, when crowded, not the most fun experience. Cost is 3 Lmps...so like 15 cents.

but yesterday, a parade of 10 brand, spankin' new rapiditos paraded through the terminal in Suyapa!

Basically, a rapidito is a microbus (see photo below). It holds maybe 20-30 people and goes FAST! well, mostly because it doesn't stop so often. I have used these in a few other parts of the city and they are great. People usually arent allowed to stand, so when its full, you just fly. When people get off, more can get on! So ingenious!

So...today, my friend and I decided we had some "pressing" errands downtown and needed to "estrenar" or "inaugurate" the new rapiditos of our neighborhood. It was so fun! Everyone on the bus was so happy and excited. People watching from the street looked so curious to see the new addition to the neighborhood transportation...and the best part is, a trip to the stadium which might normally have take 30-40 minutes in a school bus to us 17-20 minutes! Score!

a view of all 3 options, from Left, rapidito, taxi and bus

The cost of a trip is 10 Lmps...or 50 cents. So that puts it right between the colectivo option (15 lmps) and the bus (3 lmps). Obviously, this is bad news for the taxi drivers...but I still think there will be enough business for the buses, as it is a much more economical options for families in Suyapa.

I was a little nervous that there might be some fighting because of the new transportation, like between the drivers, etc. but so far so good. We will have to wait and see how things continue.

But, for now, we are all a-buzz with the fun of something new and cool. They are so clean and fresh, its just fun to ride around in them and enjoy a new view of the city.

a visit from PA!

I was very honored this week to have a very special friend visit from PA! Also, her initials are PA, so the title works out nicely J I tried to give Paula a good mix of touristy activities while also showing her what my life is like here, and getting to know some of the various projects me and MCC colleagues are a part of.

Paula arrived on Sunday and we spent the day hanging out with my family, resting up after a long morning of travel, and generally adjusting to life in my house in Honduras.

On Monday we ventured out to Valle de Angeles, a touristy little town nestled in the mountains outside Tegucigalpa. It was a pretty quiet day, but we enjoyed some time to shop, catch up and have lunch together. In the evening we played Dutch Blitz with my host brothers (they have pretty much loved it from the day I taught them!) and were thrilled that team Honduras kept scoring “goals” on team USA. A bit embarrassing, since I taught Axel everything he knows :P

Tuesday morning we left early to head to Amor, Fe y Esperanza, the school where my MCC friend Johanna teaches. She gave us a great tour and overview of the ministry there. They work with children and families who live in the city trash dump…not easy work, but they have seen some tremendous change in the community there and are continually expanding their projects and programs. We had lunch at Johanna’s house and then went back downtown for the afternoon. We took in the National Identity museum (interesting, but completely in Spanish…and I got tired of translating!)…checked out the 2 main catholic churches (a requirement of any visit to Central American countries)…did a bit of shopping, and had dinner at a crepe restaurant. To wrap up the day of events, we met up with a bunch of foreigner friends and went to a free jazz concert at the National Theatre. It was a fun day, but we were pretty tired by the time we got home at 10.

Wednesday was Paula’s MCM orientation day. I let her sleep in a bit, then brought her to my office to meet my coworkers and show her the different components of MCM. After lunch, we sat in on a bank meeting (for our mutual microfinance interest :) and then Paula went to visit the after-school library program started by our Danish volunteers. Although she does not know much Spanish, she did not let that keep her from playing with the kids and even playing UNO for about an hour. In the evening we went to the Troyer’s house for a delicious dinner and good fellowship. We spent the night there and took regular showers in the a.m! (as opposed to the bucket showers Paula learned to master at my house :)

Thursday we visited ASJ (Assoc. for a more Just Society) where my MCC buddy Elise works. She did a great job sharing the work ASJ is a part of in Honduras, working to create more just systems and helping people who often have no voice with the government. We visited one of their community centers where they offer free legal advice and psychological counseling to the community. It was really inspiring and fun for both of us to learn more about what Elise does.

The afternoon of Thursday deserves its own post…so I will try to post about that soon. But, it was the last class of the 8 week training I have been working on for awhile, and then the “graduation” dinner or certificate ceremony in the evening. It was a great day, and I was so glad Paula could be here to share in it with me. I have to admit, this made her think I am very busy and always doing important things…I assured her (and now all of you) that this is not the case. I work for about 3 months without much to show for it, or at least much to keep me going, for 1 or 2 days where I feel like something is happening. I guess I’m just glad she got to witness the “something happening.” It was a really fun evening and even though Paula didn’t understand every word, she definitely could share in the general sentiment of joy and accomplishment that filled each one of the women who came Thursday evening.

Friday and Saturday did not go quite as we planned, but turned out well. We went to Picacho, the National Park across the city from where I live. We visited the zoo (a bit scary with monkeys roaming around outside their cage), checked out the view of the city, saw the large Jesus statue presiding over the mountain and had a good time together. On Saturday we spent more time with Virgil and Kathy and even made bagels from scratch! We were very proud of our efforts and enjoyed a relaxing day at the Troyer’s house.

Sunday was a bit crazy, as we went to church and then had to leave early to head to the airport. Although it was sad to say goodbye to Paula, I was ready to go home and take a nap J

I appreciate Paula’s willingness to come and visit me here in Teguc, even when her family told her it wasn’t a good idea. She was very flexible and willing to live just like I do for a week, and that meant a lot to me. It was so fun to catch up and share my experience with a great friend. I can’t thank her enough for coming!

enjoying baleadas, a Honduran essential.

making bagels! from scratch! won't my momma be so proud of me?

christmas in Honduras

As I write this I am compulsively checking the Delta Airlines website to make sure the flight is on time from Atlanta...I know that I wrote about patience the other day, but this morning might just be the longest morning of my life!! I am praying all goes well and that my parents and sister will be arriving safely at 1 pm right here in Tegucigalpa. My Honduran family seems adequately excited too (though we know communication will be a challenge!). Since I will be taking a week "off" to spend time with the family, I thought I'd post some reflections on Christmas here in my home in Honduras.

The 24th of December is the big holiday here...this meant we all slept in and were in our pajamas til about 2 or 3 pm. Trademarks of Honduran Christmas include tamales, torrejas, lots of fireworks (cohetes) and church. Here are some thoughts on each of those:
1. Tamales: major process to make a batch of tamales. You have to make enough for your family plus the relatives, plus enough to eat on both holidays, the 24 & 31. It takes most of the day, and a couple hours to cook over the fire. Since I was still working hard on the 23, I missed most of the process, but got to enjoy the "bonfire" out on our patio. It was a nice evening outside and I was having fun looking at the stars with my nephew (who has adorable, endearing moments every now and then).
I should also mention I do not love tamales, but its tradition to eat 10 or 12 during the holidays...somehow, I have made it this far only eating 1! The family is a little worried that I hate them b/c I dont eat them enough, but they keep giving me other options, so I choose to not eat tamales :)

2. Torrejas are another food related tradition, more delicious to me than tamales. Basically, you make french toast, using fluffy egg whites instead of the whole egg...than you cook a stack of bread in a delicious sweet syrup and enjoy it hot or cold. I ate this most of the evening (while avoiding tamales).

3. Fireworks are a HUGE tradition on the 24. I mean, we've been 'enjoying' them for the past month or so, always right outside the house, at all hours of the day and night...but on this night children of all ages are allowed in the street past midnight (this is really rare in our neighborhood) and they are allowed to use everything from sparklers and poppers to what I would call mortars and newspaper bombs...yeah, it gets a little crazy. around 12, one went off very close to our spectator spot and I thought I was losing my hearing...but it came back :)
They tell me it is nothing compared to the 31st....can't wait for that!

4. Church--of course, we knew all day long we had church at 6pm, but for some reason my host mom did not stop cooking food and start getting ready til 6:05...then my brother starts eating a tamale at 6:20... somehow, we made it to church by 6:35 and only missed some singing. There was lots of upbeat music, a rowdy drama, more focused on the arrest, death and resurrection of Christ than his birth (which was weird for me) and plenty of clapping and singing. It was very different from the quiet, more somber, candlelit Christmas eve services I know and love...but I guess adjusting to new cultural traditions is what this whole thing is about!

For me, this was the point in the day where I missed home the most, and was most strongly reminded that it was Christmas, and I was not with my family. But, it was a good experience in learning how others celebrate, and that the iconic things we hold as being quintessentially "Christmas" really don't matter all that much. Pretty much, it all comes down to sharing time with people you love. oh and food. I think those are the 2 common denominators world-wide :)

The other tradition I participated in is staying up really late...I mean, for me it was 2:30am, but some in my family made it til 5am...I'm usually the first in bed at 10:30 or 11, so I felt like I made a good effort.

Christmas Day was pretty quiet and relaxing. I was able to call my family to wish them a Merry Christmas (well, almost all of them :) and then enjoyed Christmas dinner with some other friends from the US, England and Denmark. What a fun way to enjoy the holiday.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas holiday, blog reader, and that you enjoy a festive New Year celebration. I will be enjoying some vacation time with my family and will fill you in on the craziness of the 31st next week.
happy merry Christmas holidays!

wow. its october!

Some days it feels like I have been away from home for a really long time...then other days (like today) I stop to reflect and realize A) its already Oct. 7! and B) I have been 'away' for almost 8 weeks....that's crazy! 8 weeks ago I did not know anything about what my new home would look like, who I would meet at work, and how I would get around. It's crazy to think that 8 weeks ago there are so many cool people that weren't in my life :) Each day I am more and more thankful for the way God has been answering so many of my prayers, and the hundreds of prayers that so many other people have offered on my behalf. I am really at peace about living and working in this little spot God had in mind for me. Not everything is perfect...there is good and bad stuff...but I am really content with where I am at the moment--and for me, thats a rare, but cool feeling.

Some times I feel like I don't have anything to blog about because I haven't been doing anything majorly interesting, or gone on many adventures. But--most days I'm glad there is nothing too earth-shattering to report...that's just fine with me!

Over the weekend my family took me out for dinner, which is the first we've done that since I've been here. We went to Pupusas Miraflores which was fun and delicious. Pupusas are really from El Salvador, but Hondurans like them too. A little hard to describe, but they are kind of like round pita bread filled with cheesy goodness. You should all come and try them :)

Also in family life, my 13 year old brother does not like to study! (Shocking, I know!). They all give him a pretty rough time because he's always into sports and never wants to do homework. Now that I am here, they have given me the great privilege of being his English tutor. He really hates English...and really doesn't know much...so...its a struggle. Also--I do not feel called to be a teacher. Thankfully, I've had enough Spanish grammar training that I can kind of convert it into English lessons. So, last night I spent a couple hours with him, crafting fill in the blank sentences and examples for him to practice. [To all my Messiah education friends, I think you would be proud of me]. I have another friend who wants English help too, so I might just borrow Axel's notes and teach her the same stuff.
*By the way...who the heck uses the passive voice in English? I was always taught to avoid that like the plague when writing essays...apparently teenagers learning a 2nd language need to understand this unfortunate grammatical construction. Just in case you cared.


Here are some photos of the family:

me and my host sister, Kati 

Josue & Axel

The only other news that I have right now is Monday is Canadian Thanksgiving! Since there is one other gringo in my neighborhood who is from the Great White North, his wife is throwing us a little Canadian Thanksgiving party :) I think we might even have turkey. I'm pretty stoked.

Oh, and in parting...Today is October 7. One month away from November 7. This should be plenty of time for a package to make it to my hot little hands ;) If you don't know why November 7th is important...well... check facebook.

the honduran bachelorette...

yes, apparently I was not aware of this at the time, but instead of signing up for the SALT program, I really was signed up for a reality TV show called "Soltera Catracha"...which basically means, the bachelorette of Honduras.

While often times in the US we are defined by our work, it is much different in Honduras. Your value and association comes from your family and your marital status....lucky for me--I'm single! This means there is an unending stream of willing matchmakers.

Take my first visit to church on Wednesday evening...
The pastor noticed there was a new visitor among the flock. So of course, she had to be introduced.

My host mom stood up and told everyone who I was and what I would be doing, and that I was staying for 10 months. The congregation gave me a round of applause. Then the pastor asked "does she speak Spanish?"..."of course!" answered my host mother, happily. I started sinking lower in my seat, hoping I would not be called upon to share a sermon. Then the pastor asks me directly "Soltera o casada?" ...which means single or married. So of course, I answer "soltera"...This also receives a slight round of applause. "well, do you have a boyfriend in the United States?" he asks. "No," I respond, turning a few shades of red. (This time, quite a rousing round of applause from the church).

"Well, there are many men in Honduras, in fact many right here in this church. Don't worry, we can have you married before you leave." Then--he called on special men or "hermanos" in the church to give me a "warm welcome"...I did not have to wonder if they were single.

This is only one of several matchmaking stories, though assuredly the most public. And this is only week 1!

in Nueva Suyapa

I am finally in my home in Nueva Suyapa...my neighborhood or "colonia" of Tegucigalpa for the next year-ish.
After a great MCC Honduras retreat this past weekend, 7 of us made the journey to Teguc. 3 of us from the SALT and YAMEN programs will be in various parts of the city, living and working.

My host family was SO incredibly excited to meet me and have me come on Sunday. They have been waiting for awhile to know who I am...I can only hope that I don't disappoint them :) They have hosted some Americans before, and the 3 year old grandson likes to play with the feet of the the gringos. He was very shy at first, but they other evening he crept into my room while I was on the phone and started imitating everything I did and then was playing with my feet....I guess this means I have been accepted!!

Other family members are my host mom, Lucia; oldest son Josue (22), daughter Kati (19 who is quickly becoming a fun friend) and younger son Axel (13). With the grandson of 3 years thrown in the mix it makes for a lively household. They have all been so warm and welcoming. They even compliment me on my Spanish frequently...which is pretty nice, because my Spanish is pretty bad at times (early in the a.m. and late at night).

Work has been pretty good so far...a little (ok, a lot) overwhelming. Not only is there a lot to learn, but its all in spanish! Thankfully the girl who is leaving the position I'm taking is still around for the week to show me how things work. Rachel has been a lifesaver, for sure. So far i have sat in on the meeting with all the loan officers that work here at MCM and 3 community bank meetings...i think tomorrow we are going to go visit one or two clients and see their businesses. It is really interesting and exciting. The one loan officer who I will be sharing an office with uses this incredible spreadsheet to track each of her community banks, and then each individual client's repayment history...it is pretty amazing. She is the only female loan officer here, and has a very different style than the men....much more relational. i love it :)

so far, it seems like I will be helping with possible training for the loan officers (dont feel totally competent here, but oh well!)....and, my bosses really want to get a business training school going, so i will likely be working on that too. They want to offer classes for the women on how to improve their businesses, so i will be organizing curriculum, promoting it, possible teaching the teachers how to teach it (!!) and maybe working on some kind of certification process. So...i'm pretty stoked about that...but feel very inadequate! 

That's about all for now. I appreciate your continued prayers as I struggle through the akwardness of a new home and new job, and as I learn the ropes of living in this particular neighborhood of Teguc.

love to you all.

~c