Living in the along

Friends,
Perhaps this may become tradition, I sure hope so, but below is another lovely poem that succintly captures my philosophy on life right now. My preparations for school thus far are in sore need of some help, many prayers coveted.
I was able to visit my old neighborhood Miraflores (woot) yesterday which was wonderful because I finally got to walk around a place I knew in Tegus. Although I did not find her at home I was able to talk with my host mom later that night and felt uplifted by her warm greeting and her statement that I was welcome back at"my house." I also went to the university, la UPN, where I had taken a literature class and magically ran into my old professor. It was one happy reunion.

Speech to the Young, Speech to the Progress-Toward

Say to them
say to the down-keeprs,
the sun -slapers,
the self-soilers,
the harmony-hushers,
"even if you are not ready for day
it cannot always be night."
You will be right
For that is the hard home-run

Live not for battles won.
Live not for the-end-of-the-song.
Live in the along.

by Gwendolyn Brooks

I know I am not ready for day, but I am learning that God is not interested whether I feel ready or not,whether I feel confident or not, or even if I feel called or not, he calls me to be obediant, to live in the along because that is where authentic faith and complete submission to the will of God is required. I am finding living in the along hard to do.

Much love

I thank you God for most this amazing day......

Hello from the city of Tegucigalpa, Honduras!

I am sitting here in my classroom at the International School, with a beautiful view of the city below, happily contemplating the events of the last three days. I arrived just fine on Wendesday and was able to meet up with most of the first year teachers in Houston. The flight landing into the "bowl" was exciting and hilarious as before and the moment I stepped outside of the airport I took a deep breath and felt so happy being back in Honduras. To make matters even better, it rained the first night which of course put me in high spirits.
We had a wonderful reception from our collegues at the International Schoo, complete with traditional dances and warm hugs. Since then, we have been shuttled to orientation everyday since classes start about one week from today for most of us. In case I didn't mention it to you, I will be teaching 10th and 11th grade English,Drama, Media,and Speech ( I know, I just found out myself). I would greatly appreciate your prayers since I know I have so much to learn about being a teacher and mentor to the students in my class. I would also request that you pray that God may give me patience as I have felt frustration about being oriented as just another North American foreigner and as many of you already know I struggle to see how I fit into these different molds that I always find too limiting.
I am been overwhelmed, encouraged, challenged, and invigorated in many ways already and everyday I find another reason for why I know I am supposed to be here. I am also reminded of one of my favorite poems as I reflect on the awe and wonder I feel about what God is doing in my life and in the rest of the world and creation.

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any--lifted from the no
of allnothing--human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

by E.E. Cummings

I wish I could talk to you all and I hope this can be just one means through which we communicate ( skype, think skype). I think of so many of you often and the ways that God has used you to do a good thing in my life. Thank-you for caring and loving me.

Mucho amor