What 2011 Will Not Bring...

January 27, 2011

It would seem that 2011 will not bring lots of blog entries. I simply have been out of time for writing and updating my blog. I suppose that I could be writing at 4:00AM when I first wake the girls up to get ready for school but for now that is a good time for me spend with the Lord.

The year will probably not bring me much snow either though I know that Lancaster County is currently covered with a blanket of white snow. I am sitting here in El Salvador on the porch on a bright, hot sunny day. I know that many would like to trade places with me and I of course would love the snow adventures. This past week and a half have held lots of days as a tia. For the most part it has gone well though I am getting tired and looking forward to some time off on Saturday. The children are in school this week which does mean that I have some free time in the mornings -- a big blessing. I have yet to actually sleep though as naps have always been difficult for me. I am with the "medianas" or girls between 11 and 14. There are only four of them and really they have been doing quite well. They are much easier to be in charge than the six youngest girls as will be my responsibility several days in this next month.

As for what else the year will not bring, I do not know since we are only in 2011. But realy overall, I expect 2011 to bring adventures, joys, and of course challenges since they are inevitable in life. But as I have seen in the past, I believe for the future that God will continue to show Himself faithful.

And I'm Back!

January 12, 2011
After what seems like years (and really it has been a year as far as the numbers go), I am back to blogging. My travels over Christmas and New Year’s ended up being longer and more involved than I had originally thought and so writing did not make it on my “To-do” list. But now I am here in El Salvador once again getting settled into a routine that will change in another two weeks as the children head back to school.
All in all I was out of El Salvador for almost 2 ½ weeks and when I made it back to the home for the first time last Saturday, I was very happy to see the children’s smiling faces. They are good at giving hugs! At the same time I did enjoy the majority of my time away. How thankful I was to be with my family again – all thirty-five of them over Christmas! This was the year where all of the cousins show up so we had lots of fun together. Because of a large portion of us getting sick on Christmas Day, our annual soccer game did not make it on the agenda. But there were other fun games and good conversations. I, of course, was delighted to be with my nephew Jack again and to see his love of water (including seeing others get wet – I think he will be mischievous yet). A few of the small luxuries of the United States that I enjoyed were: driving with the windows down, brushing my teeth with tap water, and not having to worry if my dishes or foods were completely dry after having been washed.
On December 28th I set off for Central America with a stop in Honduras. Due to snow in the north I ended up spending more time in the airport than I had planned, but thankfully I still got out the same day. My intention was to be in Honduras until the New Year since there were no children left to take in here in El Salvador for New Year’s. (The children at La Casa de Mi Padre are divided among the staff families for Christmas and New Year’s so that everyone can experience Christmas in a family setting.)
I will expound on the Honduras happenings in the next blog entry. For the most part settling back into life in El Salvador has gone well. It was good to be back at my church here in San Salvador and be challenged by the message once again. I had opportunity over the weekend to connect with some of my friends from Bible Study here. For me, one of the best things too was just to have some time alone. For 2 ½ weeks I had been living out of a suitcase in places that were not my home and I was ready for more of routine.
This week I have gone with the girls to the park several times to help them both get exercise and have some fun. I enjoyed introducing some camp games from years ago when I worked at Black Rock Retreat. Of course some ended up being rather chaotic considering that the age range was 5-21 (and then two adults). From that time in games, I have on my heart trying to help the girls become aware of (and care about) the power of their words. It seems worse than before the manner in which they talk to each other. Perhaps it is good that vacation time is coming to an end and they will be spending time at school and not always with the same sixteen girls.
Today we had story hour with the younger girls and due to be able to mold play-doh into something mentioned in the story, they enjoyed the time. Even Ralph and the Motorcycle has a lesson or two to teach to children. With a few of the older girls, I played a table game before they got involved in a movie and game cube. I am all for challenging the minds, which is what the game Blokus does. Yesterday I baked Jamaican Banana Oatmeal cookies with a group of the girls so we have been busy.
Perhaps my favorite moments since my return to El Salvador have been those of praying with various staff members and encouraging them. The Lord taught me a lot personally through the coaching course that I was finishing up last year and many of the concepts I am finding applicable to all areas of life. I pray that the Lord can continue to use me to encourage and be present to support those who are passing through difficult moments.