My New Home!

I am happy to say that I'm finally getting settled into my new home of Nueva Suyapa!  A week ago, after a relaxing retreat with my MCC Honduras team (see picture on facebook), I moved into what will be my home for the next 11 months.  It feels so good to not be living out of my suitcase anymore, and to be able to put up pictures that remind me of home.  Colonia Nueva Suyapa is located on the outskirts of Tegucigalpa, which is the capital and biggest city in Honduras.  Nueva Suyapa is in the hills behind the Basilica Suyapa.  It feels like a big city in a way,  but also has a small town feel in that chickens, horses and pigs can often be found walking the streets.

At work, I have not worked in the library yet.  Right now I'm in the process of getting to know the teachers and kids, which means a lot observing and helping out in the ten classrooms here at El Verbo.  As you may know, in Latin American countries relationships are extremely important, and time/efficiency is not as important.  So if I want to accomplish anything in the library this year, I will first need to built trust and relationships with the people who live here.  Relationships also help with safety.  In this community, petty crime and theft is not uncommon (more serious crime also happens pretty regularly), and I have been told that the more I get to know my neighbors and gain their trust, the less I will be at risk or in danger.  In the school, one thing I have definitely learned is that discipline procedures are not the same as they are in the U.S.  Here, it seems to be acceptable and expected for students in class to talk over their teacher, yell, run around, fight (maybe not, but that's what it looks like to me), and basically create chaos.  Amazingly, this does not seem to phase the teacher!  This goes against everything I have been taught in my education classes;  however, I understand that it is a different culture, and there are things that I need to come to accept, understand, and adapt to.  One way is not right or wrong.  This will certainly be a struggle for me this year, especially since I do not speak Spanish very well at all, but I'm praying that I will learn from it.

This year, Internet access is going to be very limited for me.  I don't have Internet in my home or at my work, and I do not live very close to any cafes.  My Internet time is over for now, but there is much more that I would like to share here.  I will do so as soon as possible, hopefully later this week!  I hope you are all doing well, and know that I miss you all and think of you often.