Hello all. Honduras is a pretty crazy place. Lots has happened since the last blog. I’m going to forget something, but no worries.
I’m actually not even sure where to start. So I was sick for about 2 weeks straight. When I sleep at the farm, I have a hard time waking up. In Yamaranguila, roosters start to crow at about 5:15. I haven’t needed an alarm clock for the last 3 months. Yet, at the farm, there are no roosters. So I slept late one day on accident. I woke up and ran in the cold all most of the way to the kitchen. For the next two weeks, I was sick. I’m just now finally getting back to feeling like myself. I didn’t really get to take any time off; maybe a half a day. Instead, I’ve been staying extra time at the farm to help girls study and for crowd control while Mrs. Pam is in the states. I’m glad I’m finally over whatever I had.
Lets complain about discipline for a while. My two least favorite things in Honduras are 1) walking to the Mission house in the dark at night and 2) disciplining girls. I don’t really have to discipline the younger girls since they aren’t in my classes at school. Only the older girls. The older girls do some interesting things. I’ve learned to read the girls’ actions as to tell if someone is doing something they shouldn’t be. Its pretty awesome. I feel like a detective most days. Yet, the better I get at spotting trouble, the more punishment I feel obligated to hand out. Also, its getting to where I can’t punish one girl without upsetting most of my class in the process. Some of these girls have lived together for around 10 years. They’re about the only family any of them have ever had. So if somebody does something ridiculous at school, my classroom turns into a battlefield real quick. I’m learning to handle the situations better, but those girls keep me on my toes. I feel like I’ll be better for it in the future.
Speaking of discipline and punishments, girls have been getting in trouble. A handful of girls earned a big punishment. They received about a month of manual labor every day (but don’t worry, the punishment fits the crime). So after a particularly stressful week and a rough day (with a sick Ben), one girl decided the punishments were too strong. So, come about 4:30 last Saturday, she up and left the farm. Folks started searching the houses, hoping she was only evading her work. I planned for the worst and took to the streets in the truck. After not finding her at the farm and not seeing her on the street, I returned about 15 minutes later. We got a call from Don Chilo who said he saw the runaway in the woods. So the next 2 hours of my life were spent treading through the woods, looking for a girl wearing a green and brown jacket. I eventually started yelling things like, “its going to be cold soon!” and “bears come out after dark!” Those didn’t really have any effect. Yet, after about 2 hours, a lady came walking up with the girl. She didn’t really have anywhere to go, so she went to this woman’s house. It turned out alright, just pretty scary for a few hours.
So in my last post, I asked for a big prayer request. I had two girls that were studying for a HUGE test on some pretty difficult material. Well, after lots of studying and even more lemonade, the girls passed their test today. They both made right around a 90. I think I was happier than they were. But thank you to those of you who were praying. I wasn’t sure that they would be able to learn the material, but somehow it happened.
So guess who has less than two weeks left till he comes home. No really, guess. Did you guess me? It is me. Good job. December 1st is coming up pretty fast. I’m not sure how I feel about it. Half of me can’t wait to get home, see my friends and family, make some money, and enjoy the comforts of my normal routine. Yet, the other half of me is not looking forward to leaving these girls. It seems like every time I get close to being frustrated with the farm, something will happen that changes my mind (and/or heart). After a long and trying day yesterday, a 5 year old climbed into my lap and fell asleep on my shoulder. I think I appreciated the act of being needed more than she appreciated the warm place to sleep. So as ready as I am to get back to my “home”, I fear that I’m going to be leaving a lot behind here in Honduras. Two months might be a bit too long after all. Please pray for me in the next two weeks if you get a chance. I look forward to seeing you all in December.
-Ben Heath
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