The Rumbaughs are a missionary family who live just up the hill from me, next to the Aldens (I teach Eryn and Benton Alden 3 days a week).  Amy, who is around my age, and I've gotten to hang out with a lot, always asks me when she sees me, "So what have you been learning about recently?  What has God been teaching you?"  I think she gets that from her dad, because I've heard him ask that many times as well.  But anyways.  I like this question.  I like the idea of sharing with one another what God has been doing in our lives.  It's cool to hear about.  So, the first thing that popped into my headwhen I sat down to write a post was what I've been learning.

Today in church, we listened to a sermon by some guy with a cool accent whose name I forget.  This is the second sermon in a series, which we started last Sunday, on the book of 1 John.  This guy has been explaining that at that time in the church, Gnosticism was the newest idea.  To say that you believed in hard, solid facts about who Jesus is and what he did was beginning to be looked down upon, somewhat like how it is now in American culture.  To tell someone that you know the truth and you firmly believe it seems arrogant and forward.  The whole idea of "to each man, his own" is big.

But John speaks boldly and clearly about the truth.  He doesn't round the corners or leave room for other ideas.  The preacher gave three words to specifically describe John's tone in this book: assurance, confidence, boldness.  John says things like, "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth" and "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth" and "By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God."

Anyways, the preacher emphasized the importance of knowing the truth.  Two quotes I wrote down from him are, "Stand solid" and "Beware the subtle seductions."  In Ephesians 6:13-14 it says, "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth..."  So I've just been thinking about all of that and what it means to be grounded in my knowledge of God.  I've been reminded of the importance of studying and memorizing, not just reading, scripture.  John says in chapter 2, "Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.  If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father...As his anointing [the Holy Spirit] teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie - just as it has taught you, abide in him."

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy...always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth...these men also oppose the truth...But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus."  ~2 Timothy 3:1-2, 7-8, 14-15~

That's what I've been thinking about.

I seem to be unable to write short posts.  Sorry.  If you only skimmed all that, I don't blame you. :)  To make up for so much writing, here's a picture.

 This is Daymond.  She's one of the 2nd graders I teach sometimes. :)

Monkey House

The view of the ocean

Howler monkeys outside my house...mama and baby

Very studious little kid from the bilingual school in Rio Esteban.  He was copying out the letter "D" and saying it over and over again. "D, D,D..."

Roni and I.  He's quite mischievous, and you can't tell from the picture, but FULL of energy.

Staff housing.  My window is the one all the way on the right. 

Beginning

Where to start?  So much has gone on in the first days I've been here, so I'll try not to write too much. :)

It is absolutely gorgeous here.  Mountains, ocean, green everywhere, brilliantly-colored flowers, billowy clouds, beautiful sunset - I don't think it gets better.  While Louie was here, he took me up to the water tower near the top of the little mountain that we're on and from the top of the tower the view is incredible.  You can see the islands out in the sea, the beautiful seashore, the mountains that reach right up to the coastline...it's so cool.  The heat is a tad bit of a downer, but it rains every now and then.  Actually it pours, and the rain cools everything off quite nicely, for a little while at least.

I went to the bilingual school in Rio Esteban this morning to get started working there.  I visited on Thursday, just to see the place and get an idea of what I'll be doing, but today I actually started teaching the kids.  The school bus comes by the hospital at 6:15am and goes back around 1:45pm, so I get a ride there and back.  I'm not positive this is what I'll do every time, but today I was teaching 2nd grade along with Rachel Paul, another intern.  Let me tell you, seven-year-olds are awesome.  So much energy, so much creativity, so able and ready to learn (with a little guideance :) ).  One little guy liked to play air guitar, and he told me that he liked the guitar but he thought the flute was weird.  Good to know.

The other thing I'll be doing while I'm here is tutoring.  I've met the three kids I'll be teaching, and they're all great.  They are Eryn (13), Benton (11), and Sammy (I think she's 13, too?).  Definitely looking forward to this, as well. :)

Speaking Spanish is fun, and sometimes difficult.  I'm starting to remember what I've learned in Spanish class, and I'm picking up new phrases, too, which is awesome.  Did you know that,  in Honduras, "en once" (or "in eleven") means "on foot"?  I didn't...apparently it's because two feet look like the number eleven.  Clever.

I'm loving the fresh fruit.  Avocados, which I've always been in love with, grow in a tree in front of where I stay in staff housing.  And there's a mango tree in my backyard, so I grab those every now and then.  I never used to like mangos because, to me, they have this pine cone-like aftertaste, but I think the combination of the attractiveness of getting free fruit and its freshness make them delicious to me.  There are also Honduran apples, but those basically are spongy, lightly-sweetened foam, so I don't go for those.

I can't tell you about my week without mentioning topos.  They're genious, and the best thing ever on a hot day.  They're basically popsicles in little sandwich bags.  They tie off the top of the bag so nothing leaks out, and you bite a little hole in the bottom corner of the topo and suck out the popsicle.  Like freezer pops (the long, skinny kind in a plastic tube), but without the rough edges of the tube.  My favorite kind so far is tamarind.

All-in-all, I'm looking forward to this year.  I would appreciate prayers, though, and I am so thankful for many of you who I know are already praying for me.  I think probably the toughest thing right now will be adjusting to living by myself.  After being in a family of 10, not having to ask someone to stop talking because I'm trying to sleep or to get up early Sunday morning so I can get in the shower before the hot water is gone is weird.  But other than that, just pray that God would give me strength, joy, and willingness to serve him well.

And here's a verse that I recently found about what Christ did for us and what our lives should be like.  I think it's super cool, so I want to share it with you.  "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.  O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" ~Psalm 30:11-12