The Adventures of Mike & Caroline & Jack!

Christmas Letter 2009

2009-12-21T08:37:00.012-05:00

Dear Friends and Family,

As always, I am late writing this letter and sending cards, but better late than never! We have had a very busy year (as it always seems to be.) Jack keeps us busy, but there have been other things that have kept us busy as well!

From January through June we were still in Honduras. We had Jack’s first birthday party on March 12^th with about 80 people and Mike’s mom who came to Honduras to visit. The party was great and Jack has been in love with Elmo and Cookie monster ever since!

We were able to go on a student retreat in May with 7^th and 8^th grade students! Jack loved being with the students and they loved on him. We were able to spend some time with our good friends the Priests during the weekend too. What a great time!

We spent June packing and unpacking. We left Honduras on June 20^th and slowly moved things back into the house that we lived in before on Irving Street in Winston-Salem. Two years goes by so fast. I still can’t believe that we have returned and life will definitely never be the same! We became good friends with this family from our church. We were not able to communicate with each other very well, but we had a bond with them and their children. We loved walking to their house to visit and taking the kids to the playground at school. This picture was taken the day before we left. They were so giving to us though they had little.

We gained so many good friends while in Honduras…some are still there and others have gone other places or returned home. The friends that we have that are still there definitely need prayer. The country is so unstable right now and I am sure that is why the Lord brought us back here. We have had some of our closest friends robbed at gun point. In the most recent robbery the Kolmodin’s were robbed in their home (which was two houses down from ours.) They have prayed for those that robbed them, but the experience was certainly a frightening one. We are glad to be in the United States where it is safer than most places.

Though we are glad to be where it is safer, it has been a difficult transition to be here. I never knew how difficult it is for missionaries to go back and forth, adjusting and readjusting. I learned that life is all about what you are used to. It was an adjustment to get used to being in Honduras, but more so being in the United States again. There were things about Honduras that were difficult like…the lack of clean water, power outages, safety, and the dry season when people would burn anything and everything. Some things that were great were…the community where we lived, being able to walk and exercise outside almost anytime, windows open most of the time, being able to visit anyone almost anytime, seeing Mike at school almost anytime, and our church family at El Hatillo Baptist who were so kind to us.

Since we have returned we have been attending Twin City Baptist Church. We have enjoyed the preaching and teaching there and have learned so much in the just the small amount of time that we have been there. The church is about a 10 minute walk from our house which has allowed us to walk to it on occasion. It is a small church of about 125 and is a little bigger than the church we were attending in Honduras. Our good friends Mark and Kathy Sanger invited us there. Jack has enjoyed the nursery there and playing with the Sanger’s son nicknamed Woowoo. Jack loves saying “Woowoo!”

I have been staying home with Jack and Mike is working as an accountant. He is glad to not be teaching right now, which is much harder than sitting at a computer all day like he is doing now. He was a good teacher who cared about the kids, but didn’t enjoy the discipline part of the job. The kids we worked with in Honduras needed a great amount of discipline. I had helped coach track last year at Pinares and stayed home with Jack. I have enjoyed being home with Jack, but life in the states is so much busier and that takes so adjusting. Life was so simple in Honduras because we didn’t have very much to do. No car to take care of, no lawn to mow, less stuff to maintain and no house to do maintenance on. What did we do…socialized and played with Jack!!!

Since we have been back we have been working on getting Mike’s mom a house. She was living in our house while we were gone and she now has a house in Rural Hall that she should move into within the next few weeks. We have spend many hours working on it and Jack has enjoyed the big tree out in the front yard! We have also enjoyed some things here this fall that we didn’t get to in Honduras. We took Jack to the fair, a corn maize, a fall festival, and Christmas tree hunting. Of course, today we are enjoying the snow~which is definitely not in Honduras!!!

Jack has also enjoyed visiting his grandparents, uncles, aunt, and cousin. He loves his cousin Christopher and they have a good time together. We are glad that Jack gets to see his family in person rather than on the computer all the time. Jack has also enjoyed playing with our dog Annie.

We are blessed to have had the time that we did in Honduras and blessed to have brought back with us our biggest blessing…Jack!! We are also thankful for the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. John 1:16…From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.

May God bless you with one blessing after another…

Mike, Caroline and Jack Fleischer

Casa De La Vaca

2009-05-06T17:30:00.006-04:00

Last year when we went to Amapala we saw pigs on the beach...and now we have seen cows right outside of our house gate! I know I was raised on a cattle farm and I should be used to seeing cows right outside our door, but it still took me by surprise and Jack enjoyed it! Only in Honduras would the cattle run free...if they were out in the states someone would be calling my daddy to come get them back into the fence!

One Little Indian Boy

2009-03-18T22:52:00.003-04:00

I teach Jack words...Mike teaches Jack sounds! For example...Jack's first sound was that sound you get when you put your lips together and blow..which his daddy taught him, but his first word was Mama, which, of course, I taught him! Attached is an example of the latest sound that Mike taught him. Mike says that he is teaching him to express himself.

Jack's First Birthday!

2009-03-12T22:18:00.012-04:00

I can't believe...as of 6:20 PM on March 12th, 2009...Jack is 1 Year old!! The time has just flew by and it has been a wonderful year. I would have come to Honduras 100 times if that is what it took to have a child! He has been the biggest blessing.

We had a great party tonight with so many people...our rough count is 70...we did this M&M guessing game and 70 people wrote their names down...I don't know how many more people were there, but it was incredible! I made enough cake for 60 people and it disappeared almost immediately! We have lots of video and pictures...we will have to download the video later, but there are pictures below...We even got to do Skype with my parents and Mike's Dad. Mike's mom actually came here for the occasion, so she got to see him in person.

Waterfall

2009-02-23T14:05:00.008-05:00

Over the weekend we went to a Baptist camp here in Honduras on a teacher retreat. It was about a 4 hour drive to the retreat, but it was probably only 2 hours away. There are pictures below of Mike participating in some group bonding and we went to visit a waterfall. The waterfall is only 8 meters shorter than Niagra Falls and Mike went in behind it. There is also a picture of the group that he was with that went behind the waterfall. He loved it! He also went to the top of waterfall and looked over the edge! I didn't do either of those things...some things are better left to the imagination. The retreat was good. We actually got to hear our pastor preach for the first time in English and that was great!

Naked Baby

2009-02-17T17:37:00.008-05:00

We had been wanting to make some naked pictures of Jack for his future girlfriend/wife and here they are! He was so hyper after we took the pictures he would hardly go to sleep!!!

Dogs, Woodpeckers and Garbage Trucks..

2009-02-12T16:07:00.004-05:00

You know when the garbage man comes to get the trash there is always this loud beeping noise...well there is not that here, but there are other things that seem to have an alarm and go off just when you don't want to wake up. We just got a dog on February 3rd that we are taking care of for another couple that can't have a dog in the apartments. He is actually a puppy named Gideon and he is 8 weeks old tomorrow! I thought that babies were tiring, but this puppy has a thousand times more energy than Jack! He has been howling at all hours and the first night we had him really kept us up, but he has gotten better since. There are pictures of him and Jack below. Also, I thought that woodpeckers were called that because they peck on wood, not cement block houses!!! Anyway, at 6AM almost every morning we are greeted with a sound that is similar to a jackhammer on the outside of our bedroom wall! Does anyone know how to get rid of them besides shooting them??? Actually, they are very beautiful birds, apparently they are all good looks with no sense!

On the Playground...you know...Playground!

2009-01-19T22:01:00.005-05:00

It is very important for Jack to get outside...2 reasons...he needs Vitamin D from the sun and our place is so small he needs to get out (and so does his mommy). It is nice being so close to school and a good place to walk. We also live close to some friends. I have a friend named Patti that has a 5 month old (Alejandro), a little boy that just turned 2 (Diego), and a daughter that is 9 (Marjorie). Diego loves to run and play and wear his sister out! The pictures below are from a visit to the playground. Jack mainly watched, but seemed to be content doing that! Marjorie did take him down the slide, which he seemed to like. Patti enjoyed her break and was very grateful!

Dancing for the Lord

2009-01-19T21:07:00.004-05:00

When we came to Honduras we signed contracts that said that we would not smoke, drink or DANCE! I think that they did not want us to go clubbing and that was the main reason for the rule. I guess the rules do not apply to Jack. I don't know where he learned it, but he just suddenly started dancing. I tried to video it several times when I was alone with him, but he was too distracted by the camera. Saturday night we had friends over and I could catch Jack on video. Kyle Webb is holding Jack's toy computer, but Kyle is not dancing...he is only imitating the baby...really!!!

Christmas Visit

2009-01-10T11:19:00.018-05:00

While we were in the states we visited a lot. We didn't get pictures with everyone this time, but you get the idea! We had a great time and Jack especially liked getting spoiled! I finally got some sleep and I am now a much nicer person to be around! We all discovered that we are used to the humidity in Honduras and dried out with all the heat. Jack's poor cheeks were so red, he really did look like Santa.

The Muellers................Jack standing on Christopher

Jarrod, Christian, Christopher, Mike.....Jack and Granny

Amy, Tommy and Jack

Christopher and Jack..........Mike, Jack and Granny

Grandpa, Jack Mike and Caroline.......Granny, Jack and Caroline

Papa and Jack................Anna and David with Jack

Tommy and Christopher

Little Santa

Sam (Mike's brother), Tiffany and Jack.........Grandma and Jack

Superman, Mike and Jack's rosie cheeks!

Max and Joan..........................and Amy

Jack's little friends!

Jack's adopted Great-Grandma

Jack's biggest present from Grandma..

The closest we could get to Santa!......Aunt Maybelline and Jarrod

Jack's third present from Granny!!!

Jack with our dog Annie........Jack's second present from Orbelina

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T10:21:00.001-05:00

In Honduras they do not celebrate Thanksgiving, but the school takes the Thanksgiving holiday because of all of the American employees. Our pastor is an American and likes to have the Americans that go to the church over for Thanksgiving dinner. We all went to his in-laws house, which is the man (Jim) holding Jack in the picture. Below is all of the people that went to the dinner.

From left to right: Caroline, Mike, Jack, Andrea and her parents (in the back), Jim, Carla and her husband Nelson, Jenny, Bani and Herb (our pastor and his wife), and their daughter Carla.

Jack's Play Area

2008-12-02T08:44:00.005-05:00

Now that Jack is mobile we needed to make him a separate play area. Our kitchen, dining area and living room are one small room. As you can see from the pictures there is a gate that keeps Jack out of the kitchen. The floor is tile and we got foam matting to put down in his area so that he does not bump his head. He is crawling and standing, but falls a lot! I tried to model Kathy Sanger's play area, but I did not have nearly enough toys!

Jack likes to laugh and he laughs at the funniest things. I started blowing on the standing toy trying to get rid of a hair that was on it and Jack started laughing uncontrollably. I am not sure why that was funny, but his daddy caught it on video! Enjoy!

Market Trip

2008-10-28T13:20:00.002-04:00

Jack has been on many adventures. One recent adventure has been going to the market. Here he is picking out a flower to plant in our yard. Flowers are much cheaper here than in the states. For example, you can get a small rose bush for 30 Lempiras (which is about $1.50)....that is much cheaper than in the states! So...we got a rose to plant in our yard!

Party Time

2008-10-25T10:45:00.005-04:00

Last Saturday night we went to a "Fall" party. Since there is not really fall here we all really miss it and feel the need to pretend that it is fall. We brought fall foods like sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie. There are lots of sweet potatoes here, but pumpkin is a little harder to come by! We were supposed to dress up like cowboys and girls, some I think confused cowboys and rednecks, but I won't say who. I think that you can tell by the pictures! Jack had a great time laughing at Jayden Priest!

The Franck Family

Gene and Mary Smith (the couple that took us to the hospital when Jack was born)

Rachel and Aaron Halbert (our former next door neighbors)

Eating Time

2008-10-22T07:45:00.000-04:00

Jack has been eating some solid food since the end of August...and recently I have been letting him explore his food...the pictures at the top are of him exploring his food and the video at the bottom is Mike feeding Jack for the first time.

Piñata

2008-10-19T08:48:00.006-04:00

For birthdays here, it is a tradition to have a Piñata filled with candy. We went to a birthday party yesterday for Arelia Priest who turned two and she had a Hello Kitty Piñata. Mike got to hold it while each kid got ten hits at it until it came apart. I think Mike really enjoyed holding Hello Kitty! The Priest family are some of our good friends here...some of the only people our age!

Jack's First Track Meet

2008-10-19T08:01:00.006-04:00

Since the beginning of September we have been coaching track. We take turns waiting for Jack to wake from his nap and then take him to practice. The kids love him, especially the girls. They all want to hold him, which is good and bad. I think that Jack had a good time!

We still have one more meet in San Pedro Sula, but only Mike is going because it takes 4 1/2 hours to get there by bus! Meets here are different than in the states. One of the things that I find funny here is how they start a race...they have this clapper thing that consist of two pieces of wood they clap together (not a gun or whistle). There is a picture of it below! They also don't use blocks when they start a race like the 100 meter or 200 meter...they barely even get into a race position...weird! I tried to have them use blocks, but since no one else does they don't want to either. They did pray before they ran and I am sure that helped!

Getting out of the House

2008-10-09T09:23:00.005-04:00

Sometimes Jack and I need to get out of the house...so we go visiting. One of my favorite places to visit is is couple that are in their 80s that live here. They are our pastor's wife's parents. They are very good to us and usually feed us lunch when we come by. The last time that we were there we got to hold the puppies that their dog had just had a couple of weeks before...that was great! Jack was a little afraid, but got used to it! I used to hold puppies as a child all the time and have forgotten how cool it is!

Caroline's Relatives

2008-10-07T08:08:00.001-04:00

I did not include my family that we visited while we were in the states (besides my parents) and thought that you would like to see them too!

My brother Tommy and his wife Amy

My nephew Christopher

My Uncle James and Aunt Maybelline

My Cousin's children...Jarrod and Christian

My cousin Michele and her husband Keith

My mama's side of the family!

Oh...The Places We Went...and the people we saw!

2008-10-06T16:47:00.003-04:00

These are some of the people that we saw while we were in the states...they are not in order and it is not everyone that we saw...but it gives you an idea of how busy we were!

James, Amy and Jackson......... Greg and Pauline

Todd, Mary and Joshua............ Tim and Julie

James and Margie.......................... Lisa

David and Tammy............................ Mary

Sandy and Amanda

Ann...........................................Meg

Mark

David and Anna

Claire

Matt

Lillian and friends

Todd and Mary

Jason and Amy

Scot, Eleta, and Manda............. Sherley and Max

Celia and Grandpa

Steve and June..............................Jennifer

Brad, Melinda and Justin............Uncle Frank

Mark, Kathy, Lydia and Baby Mark

Amy

Bert and Janet...................................Alan

Lily and Amy

Scott and Sarah

Johnny and Angela................Pedro and Kenny

Lydia, Mark, Melinda and Justin

Randall and Michelle

Missing in Action!

2008-09-28T08:47:00.008-04:00

You might have been wondering where we have been...Well, we have been coaching track at Pinares since the beginning of September and have not had much free time...in addition to moving into our new house here and having a lot of problems to take care of. Jack has been going to track practice and really enjoys all the attention...this is him at track practice watching while his daddy gets hit with a soccer ball (don't ask, I am really not sure what is going on here). The kids just love him and want to hold him or touch him all the time. He is definitely a people person like his mommy!

Our Little Sitting Farmer

2008-09-26T22:11:00.007-04:00

Jack can now sit on his own and that has lead to a lot of scooting around and I am sure that he will be crawling soon! He is so active and loves to laugh. This was the first time that we put him in overalls...how fun! We lowered the bed on the pack-n-play because we were afraid he would climb out of it!

How precious is sleep, or lack of it...

2008-09-03T22:21:00.009-04:00

Well, against all the advice I keep getting, Jack is still not sleeping that well at night...so many people just keep telling me to let him cry, but I can't do it. I will say that I do love rocking him to sleep and hold him tight. The routine is to get him ready for bed and turn on the music. I made a CD of some of my favorite songs to sing him to sleep by. One of them is "How Deep the Father's Love for Us." I listen to the version by Phillips, Craig and Dean, which I like best, but whoever sings it sings the same words. I didn't ever remember actually seeing the words written out until this past Friday at school devotional and is a powerful song. Whenever I sing that song to Jack now and think about the fact that God gave up His one and only Son for us, I could not imagine doing the same. We have been blessed with the most precious gifts (of Jesus and Jack) and I intend to enjoy every moment, even when I am tired.

Here is a link to the song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8tUP1R6hPo&feature=related

Here are the words:
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

The 5 Month old Appalachian Fan!

2008-08-28T16:44:00.004-04:00

We were really sad to learn that Appalachian lost recently to LSU, but Jack still has a smile sporting his Appalachian wear!

Jack in the Bus!

2008-08-28T16:40:00.008-04:00

Here we are on the bus from the airport on August 13th. It was really warm, so I stripped him down and Leslie Hoke (one of the other teachers) is making him laugh...he wasn't laughing with her, he was laughing at her! He likes to laugh..his first real laugh was with Amy Mueller in Boone on our first Saturday back in the states (June 21st).

Jack's First Portrait

2008-07-15T14:48:00.017-04:00

Well, I can't believe that we broke down and had pictures taken of Jack. We went to this place called Portrait Innovations and they did a good job, and we got a CD with the pictures so that we could put them on the blog...so here they are. We got them taken on July 13th (which is our anniversary, and Jack had just turned 4 months old!) I guess that makes it our anniversary present...

Visiting with Grandparents!

2008-07-12T16:53:00.013-04:00

Well, Jack finally got to meet all his grandparents and it has been great to be able to spend time with them. My mama and Mike's mom have enjoyed holding him while he is napping and Mike's dad has been singing to him, while my daddy is teaching him how to smile because he is smiling at him all the time! Jack's personality is showing more and more every day and I think that he is like me...I don't know if that is a good thing or not. When I used to get on my mama's nerves she would always say..."I hope you have 10 just like you..." I'm not sure if she was being nice to me or mean to me...I guess we will see! These are some pictures of Jack meeting his grandparents. He may look scared, but he's not! I think the picture of Jack and my mama is the funniest picture ever!

Mike, Mike's Mom, and Jack's arms

Mike's Dad and Jack

Caroline's Mama and Jack

Caroline's Daddy and Jack

Jack's First Airplane Ride

2008-06-27T17:26:00.011-04:00

What a long day...we woke up at 4AM on Sunday, June 15th to come back to the states. Our van to the airport left at 5AM and we arrived at the airport a little before 6AM. Our flight was supposed to leave at 7:55AM, but didn't actually leave until after 9AM. We flew from Tegucigalpa to Guatemala City and then to Atlanta and then to Greensboro, NC. We arrived in Greensboro at 12:20AM on June 16th! Jack did very well, he slept most of the the flights and I nursed him when we felt our ears popping to make sure that his ears would be OK. He was only fussy on the flight once and it didn't last long. Laura Connley (a friend from Pinares) was with us most of the way and was a big help and quite entertaining. The pictures below are on the flight from Tegucigalpa to Guatemala City. The one with Jack wearing the check-in tag was Mike's idea! The last one is with my parents when we arrived in Greensboro! We were so tired when we got back. It was good that Granny was around to help with Jack so that we could get some extra sleep. Jack must have been really tired from the flight too because he slept for 9 hours on Monday night after the flight! We are so glad to be home!

It's finally happening....

2008-06-12T14:49:00.003-04:00

It's finally happening...we are coming home for the summer. Yes....it's Mike again. It's been a long time since I've posted anything. Yes, I do still exist despite the obvious limelight little Jack has taken in our lives. I have some evidence to prove that I've been busy. And don't be surprised....it was bound to happen. I have developed a bit of, well, a bit of a balding spot. Not a bald spot per se, but a balding spot. I never believed in stress until now. I mean, I believed it existed, I just believed it really didn't affect me that way. I wonder if it's being a new dad, being a new teacher, or being in Honduras that has "done me in." Either way, I'm gettin' old! Please pray that we have a safe trip back home.---Mike

Coming Home

2008-06-12T02:56:00.005-04:00

Every where you go you meet people that influence your life by changing the way that you think and the things you do. This year has definitely been a year of growth and changes. When we first got here all I could was talk about all the things that I did not like about Honduras...the bugs, the diesel fumes, lack of transportation, not being to go anywhere we wanted, not having access to things that I thought were “basic.” The first two months I was here (in Honduras) I did not want to be here. I wanted to be with my friends and family and in the states where things are “normal.” Nothing seemed normal here. I still think things are not “normal,” but my idea of “normal” is different than it was a little less than a year ago. I love being able to walk outside my door and walk across the courtyard and go visit people, or just borrow a cup of sugar. I have loved people coming over to visit the baby or just hang out and watch TV (our computer screen) at the spur of the moment. The doctors that we have had before and after Jack was been born have been wonderful. The doctors here are really people oriented too, not like most I have seen in the states that are in a hurry to get patients in and out. The weather most of the year was wonderful (except the past month when it has been so hot and dry, still not as hot as North Carolina summer.) It has been nice to be able to just walk outside my door and visit the students on campus anytime I want (and sometimes they come over and visit...surprise!) There is a strong sense of community among the teachers, which I love. I have also enjoyed living a more frugal life. There are so many things that we do not need and we can live with so much less. We have learned to eat in more (all the time) and with a lot less convenience foods. We have learned to entertain ourselves when we loose power. We appreciate warm showers, hot food and cold drinks. People are much more important than possessions...culture in the states is so possession oriented at times. When you have less you enjoy life more...I think. Honduras is still not my favorite place on Earth (Boone is, of course) but we can't wait to come home to the states on June 15^th to see our family and friends and to share the experiences we have had here.

I don’t know that I can completely say this verse...in fact I know I can’t, but I am certainly closer now than I was a year ago:

Philippians 4:12

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

These are pictures of Caroline’s care group and the ladies’ prayer group in Honduras:

Jack is a man on the move!

2008-05-29T11:11:00.004-04:00

Jack has been much more alert the past few weeks and has become very strong. Since he is more aware of the world around him he never wants to sleep...which makes mommy and daddy very tired. He is very cute though, even when we are exhausted! He is actually sleeping now, that is how I am able to post this entry...I guess he finally got tired too!

Baby Dedication

2008-05-17T14:10:00.000-04:00

The first time Jack went to church was Easter Sunday morning. It is customary at El Hatillo Baptist for them to dedicate the baby the first Sunday they attend church. It was all the more special being Easter Sunday.

These are the scripture verses that the Pastor (Herb Caudill) used:
Luke 2:21-22 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was {then} called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY {firstborn} MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD")

Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

Here is the video of his dedication. We pray that he grows up to be a godly man as what the Luke 2:52 verse states...

Jack's first real taste of this world!

2008-05-16T17:05:00.003-04:00

This week Jack got to experience two of mommy's favorite things...sleeping in a hammock and eating ice cream!!! Jack really wanted key lime pie ice cream, but they don't have that at Baskin Robbins...they did have Mango Tango which mommy enjoyed! No wonder Jack is now up to 10 pounds, 4 ounces!

Potty Time

2008-05-10T17:09:00.006-04:00

Some of our favorite pictures of Jack have been taken when he is going to the potty! Even the man type noises that he makes are cute (if that is possible).

Two Months of Jack

2008-05-10T11:22:00.016-04:00

People have been asking to see more pictures of Jack and so here they are. On Monday, May 12th, Jack turns two months old! I can't believe how much he as grown!

1Week Old...................................... 1 Month Old

2 Months Old

Like Father like Son

2008-04-19T10:59:00.003-04:00

Jack makes the sweetest sounds while he sleeps...so does his daddy...listen carefully!

Sharing our Blessing

2008-04-16T16:10:00.019-04:00

So many Hondurans cannot believe that I would bring the baby out of the house with him being so young. They have this unwritten rule here that women don't bring their babies out for 40 days after birth and don't bath them or themselves for those 40 days!! I think that there are not as many women doing the not bathing, but many still don't bring their babies out because they are afraid of them getting sick. Well, I have definitely bathed and it seems that Jack is bathed pretty frequently as well because of all the poop and spitting up that he has been doing recently. I have also brought him out of the house. I have had many people hold him (as long as they wash their hands first) and I believe that since God has given us this wonderful blessing we should be able to share that blessing with others. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to hold him and I have loved every minute of it (that is why I have not posted much recently). Here are just a few of the people that have held him...

The little sucker!

2008-03-31T23:19:00.004-04:00

Picture this: It's early Sunday morning and everyone in the apartment is pretty tired. Caroline goes to the bathroom and leaves little Jack with me. I put him on my chest to help him STAY asleep and the next thing I know I hear this little noise and feel him kissing my chest. My collarbone to be exact. And to be more exact, he wasn't kissing me either.....ya gotta love this kid.---Mike

Jack-ups

2008-03-18T22:58:00.004-04:00

OK...couldn't wait...Today Jack had a very new experience with hiccups, or as I call them, Jack-ups...because, well, he's Jack. Actually, it's a new experience for me as well. I've never seen so cute a kid with such a cute reaction to the hiccups. I know, I know...everything he does , I'm going to think is cute....he's an infant and my son---yadda yadda yadda. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful gift.---Mike

Jack's first televised performance

2008-03-18T13:12:00.005-04:00

Here's a video of Jack about an hour after being born. I'll let the video do the talking. I'll post a few more videos tomorrow....this one took all day to upload. So far we are all doing well. Caroline and Jack are asleep. They both really are very cute when they sleep!--Mike

John Daniel (Jack) Fleischer Arrives

2008-03-15T12:07:00.014-04:00

It all started at 4:30 PM on Wednesday, March 12th, 2008. Earlier in the day I had just washed everything that needed to hang on the clothes line (including the car seat cover) and had gotten most of it in from outside. I had also earlier in the day got dinner ready for some friends (Kyle and Melodee) that were going to come over and cut Mike's hair. I was tired from all the stuff that I had done during the day so I laid down on the couch at about 4:00 PM to take a nap. When I woke up I laid there for a minute or so and then all of a sudden I felt the baby moving his arms and then I felt a "POP" and then a gush of water! Even though I had never had my water break, I knew for certain that had to be it. We called the director of the school (Gene Smith) and asked if he would drive us to the hospital. After running a red light and passing by other drivers in 5:00 PM traffic, we got to the hospital at about 5:15 PM. They rushed me to the delivery room since I tried to time my contractions and they were getting closer and closer together (first about 5 minutes at the top of the mountain, then 3 minutes by the time we got to the bottom of the mountain.) When I got there I was already 9 cm dilated...within a couple of minutes I was 10 cm dilated. I was not the most cooperative patient. He wanted me to push, but I was not ready. When I was finally ready I pushed and prayed that the Lord would give me strength. There is no way that I could have pushed little Jack out on my own without the Lord's help. John Daniel Fleischer (which we actually call Jack) was born at 6:19 PM on March 12th, 2008. He weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces (3 kilograms) and was 20 inches (49 centimeters) long. I am just amazed how life is such a miracle. We are so blessed and cannot describe how happy we are and how much we love him. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. We thank God for out little, wonderful blessing!
Caroline

Honduras Baby Shower

2008-02-29T12:53:00.005-05:00

On Wednesday, February 27, 2008, I had yet another baby shower. This shower included our church and teachers from the school. Mike has always wondered who would make my baby shower cake since I have made so many. There is this great lady (Robin Parsons) who made the baby shower cake and it was wonderful! I was so excited that someone spent the time to do that for me. We played lots of games like pin the baby clothes on the clothes line while holding a baby and a telephone...that was interesting! In the other picture, the ladies gathered around me and prayed for me. That was so neat. On the left side is mostly people from the Spanish speaking church that we attend and they prayed for me in Spanish. I could not understand most of what they were saying, but it was such a blessing and their prayers seemed so heartfelt. One of the ladies that prayed for me is also pregnant. She went to the doctor because of some pain that she was having from gall stones that she had and they discovered that she is 3 months pregnant. Please pray for her that her pain would end and that the rest of her pregnancy would be pleasant. She cannot have surgery because it would cause trauma to the baby. She has a one year old already and was surprised to be pregnant because she was still breastfeeding and had her tubes tied! The shower actually ended with us praying for her as well and that was wonderful too.

No Power-No Hot Shower

2008-02-03T10:49:00.000-05:00

A funny thing happened yesterday. To me. Shortly before we made our weekly shopping trip down the mountain, the power went out. This happens occasionally, and we go on about our lives here until it comes back on. Well, when we got back we had just enough time to put our food up and relax for a few minutes before we had to head back down the mountain to celebrate a friend's birthday. The power was still out but I wanted a shower...even if it was cold. So, I take my (quick) shower, freezing, muttering, and wondering if there was someway I could build a solar power generator. Caroline decides she will take a shower to to freshen up---the trip down the mountain is filled with toxic fumes and smog. I'm still drying off trying to rub the circulation back into my legs and fingers and as soon as she gets in, she says "Oh, the water isn't that cold. In fact, it's kind of warm. I promise, it's warm!" I thought she was kidding. She wasn't. From the time I got out of the shower to the time she got in (about a minute), the power came back on. In case you aren't aware, we don't have a hot water heater, but rather this contraption that IS the water heater. It's just a heating element (220v) that heats the water as it comes in contact. Around here it's affectionately called "the widow maker" cause you can get quite a shock from it if you touch it while the water is running. It won't kill you (don't ask- curiosity is one of my strong points), but it can indeed wake you up!---Mike

Day of Rest

2008-01-20T11:30:00.000-05:00

Today I am spending the day in the apartment just like yesterday because Mike and I ate something bad on Tuesday night...we think it was some carrots, but who knows? This morning I had even more time for my quiet time. I am redoing the Bible study "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place: The Tabernacle." It is a Beth Moore study that I did about 5 years ago and got 3/4th of the way finished, but never finished. Those Bible studies take so long to do and I always felt rushed doing them. For me, they take longer to do because there is so much information in them that I can never finish in the time they allot. I have gotten so much out of doing it at my pace. This morning the study was talking about how God created the Earth in six days and then he rested. Since He created the day and the night and that is considered a day, then I believe it is literally six days and not thousands of years. He worked for six days and rested on the seventh day. Does God get so tired that He needs to rest??? I think He wanted to show us a model of what we should do.

Last December when I was working at FROG (Fully rely on God) ministry at South Side Baptist the kids had to do an activity in which they had to list their wants and needs. I decided to do this list and I even hung it on our refrigerator until we moved here. My main want was a baby, the others I can't remember now, but my needs I remember well. I needed the people that I was working with to be nice to me, I needed less stress in my life and I needed more free time for myself and to spend with the Lord. Well, I can truly say that the things that I needed and wanted most God has brought those to my life. God has blessed us with the gift of life with a baby boy to be born soon, God has blessed me with some wonderful, Christian adults to work with that are our friends and coworkers, He has blessed us with more time to spend with each other and with Him which has given us less stress. I had no idea when I made that list that God would provide those things for us. Life here is harder in many ways and it was certainly hard to leave our family and friends, but God has truly provided for all of our needs. After being home for Christmas and the busyness that was our Christmas vacation I realized that even though I missed my family and friends that God brought us here to do His work and to provide for our deepest needs and one of my deepest needs was to spend more time with the Lord.

When we have power we try to listen to the Calvary worship service on-line. This morning the music was wonderful and in between one of the songs the pastor talked about going outside at 4:30AM on Saturday morning and looking at the snow and how in our busy lives we don't always get to enjoy God's creation. It is so true. When I was in the states I didn't really get to have a "day of rest" and now that I have that I don't know that I can go back to that busy life. God calls us to do all kinds of things, but busyness is not one of them...there is no where in the Bible that talks about being as busy as you can, but He does talk about rest. I believe that God has called us here to witness to our students and both of us have specific things that the Lord wants us to do here, but I believe He brought us here to teach us to rely on Him and rest in Him. -Caroline

Here are a couple pictures of the Statue of Jesus Christ in El Picacho City Park overlooking Tegucigalpa- it is a big statue of Jesus overlooking the city similar to the one in Rio De Janeiro. We went there in the middle of September, but never put the pictures on the blog. In the picture of the mountain the statue is about 10:00 from the Coca-Cola sign.

Baby Shower and Honduras Medical Center

2008-01-10T20:47:00.000-05:00

We had two great baby showers while in the states given by some great people. We have been so blessed. God has provided for all of our needs and more and we are so grateful.
We had our most recent doctor's visit to Honduras Medical Center on Monday, January 7th when we returned to Honduras. The doctor again said that we are having a boy! He said he was about 2 1/2 lbs. and that we were both doing well. I am currently 28 weeks. Our baby boy is supposed to be due on March 30th, so I hope that is the case. I will stop teaching around February 15th to start my six weeks of maternity leave before the baby is born. I am very excited about being able to stay home with the baby. Here are some pictures from the baby showers and Honduras Medical (the location of my doctor and where the baby will be delivered.)

Baby Showers and Nice Hot Showers

2008-01-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

Well, we had great time coming back for the Christmas break. Caroline had two showers thrown for her....one at Mary Lockhart's and another at Antioch UM (her mom's church). We were so blessed by everyone's generosity and kindness. We got LOTS of blue stuff. The many blue items were appropriate as was confirmed yet again by the doctor visit yesterday. Dr. Figeuero is a very good doctor and we are lucky to have him. Here is a picture of just outside the the hospital where the little one will be born.
Oh yeah, school started back this past Monday. I think coming back after a nice break like we had is harder than beginning the new school year. It was nice to see everyone again but we are still pretty tired from visiting ALMOST everyone we know. Hopefully, if we missed you we will get to see you over the summer, although it may be interrupted with the occasional "WAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" If you're reading this, you are probably a good sport and won't mind the "music."----Mike

Feliz cupleanos!

2007-12-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

Guess what?! I almost forgot! I got older the other week and we celebrated with a "not-a-surprise" birthday party that my darling wife threw for me. She made about seven or eight pizzas from scratch, made yet another great tasting birthday cake (interestingly, it was flavored with lime) and then...FINALLY....I got to watch TRANSFORMERS. I have been waiting to see this movie not since it came out, but since I was about 11 years old playing with my imitation, knock-off transmo-bots (girls, I don't expect you to understand this part of the post but you guys will).

Shortly before we left for Honduras, I bought a really cool Spider-man t-shirt and brought it along. Then to my delight and surprise, the principle of the High School (Jonathan) has one exactly like it, albeit a slightly larger size....he is obviously an excellent dude. He has also gotten me kinda hooked on Dr. Who TV series. Never watched it before but it really is a cool show. He also got a "hell-O nurse!" reference which absolutely floored me. I don't think anyone I've ever known has gotten that reference. Google it and look for the Animaniacs.

One really neat thing to share with you. Jonathan brought his son Jaden to the party. Jaden brought a couple of hot wheels and gave me one for a present. I, of course, being the adult said, "Thanks Jaden...can you take this with you so that when I come over to your house I can have something to play with?" to which he replied "No...it's a present. You have to keep the present with you or it isn't a present." That's kind of like the present that God has given us. It's only good if we keep it and use it. If we just say to God "Thanks for letting your Son die for me. I'll open that present later when I'm ready to. Until then, thanks for coming to my party." How pointless would that be? What a great lesson to learn from a 5 year old.---Mike

Our Church

2007-12-02T20:44:00.000-05:00

Currently, we are attending Iglesia Bautista El Hatillo. In English, it means "El Hatillo Baptist Church." It is pastored by Herb Caudill, a good friend of Max Furr's. Herb has spent a good part of his life working to bring pure, safe drinking water to third world counties. If I had to do it over again, it sounds like a great option for a vocation in life.

We meet every week at his house on the big back porch they have. The church has grown so much in the last 6 months that they are ready to start building a formal church. They have almost enough money to buy the land and will break ground (Lord willing) very soon. From where we live it's about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the school down a dirt road and up a STEEP hill. The church has about 80 members and is given in Spanish. Herb's wife, Bonnie, sits in the back with few of us "gringos" and translates for us. His messages are clear and simple and we both look forward to the day when we can hear and understand them in Spanish!

We meet every week at his house on the big back porch they have. The church has grown so much in the last 6 months that they are ready to start building a formal church. They have almost enough money to buy the land and will break ground (Lord willing) very soon. From where we live it's about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the school down a dirt road and up a STEEP hill. The church has about 80 members and is given in Spanish. Herb's wife, Bonnie, sits in the back with few of us "gringos" and translates for us. His messages are clear and simple and we both look forward to the day when we can hear and understand them in Spanish!

I recently got to speak at the Thanksgiving dinner at the church for a bunch of other missionaries. As many of you know, when I had to speak in front of the Gordon class it was nerve-racking. And I'll have you know, it still is!

Pictures for Randall and Michelle

2007-11-19T21:35:00.000-05:00

Yes, Caroline is getting bigger. And yes, she is supposed to be getting bigger. She is now 5 months along in the pregnancy and is starting to have difficulties with her...wardrobe. We were talking to Randall and Michelle this evening and they said they wanted some profile pictures. So here are a few...
9/3/07 9/26/07 10/15/07
11/5/07

11/19/07

Honduran Suprise

2007-10-31T19:27:00.000-04:00

Packing to come to Honduras was very stressful and tiring. I was very grumpy and wanted to smack Mike most of the time. I had never felt that way before and thought that it was the stress of packing up everything we owned. Once we got to Honduras, I was so tired and so out of breath. I had been hiking at Grandfather Mountain (which is a higher elevation than where we are) and had not been out of breath like when I got here. After being here a week and still being out of breath and tired, I thought that something was wrong. I just took a pregnancy test at the end of June that was negative, but I thought that I might as well check and see if that was why I was so tired and out of breath. I didn't have a pregnancy test on hand, so I borrowed one from the couple next door. On August 9, 2007, the above picture is what came of the pregnancy test I took. The neighbor did not have the directions sheet for the pregnancy test, so she took one and compared the results. They were different, so then we had to look it up on-line and I found out that I was pregnant. I didn't tell anyone in the states until I had my first doctor's visit on September 7th and knew for sure. The picture here is the picture of the first ultrasound.

Seeing Mike's face at the doctor during that ultrasound was priceless. The doctor told us that the expected due date is March 30th. Our second appointment was October 8th. Dr. Figueroa was pleased that the placenta is in a good place and the baby has a good heartbeat. At that time I was 15 weeks and he could not be 100% sure of the baby's gender. We have another appointment on November 5th and hopefully he can tell then. Even still, green and yellow are good colors in baby clothes!

We are so thankful to have this wonderful blessing in our lives and thank God for His blessing on us. We had been trying to have a baby for 2 and 1/2 years and we are for certain that God has perfect timing and this is His timing!

Caroline and Baby

More pictures from Amapala

2007-10-30T20:19:00.000-04:00

I thought that you should see more pictures than pigs on the beach!

Track Team

2007-10-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

Well, I suddenly have more free time now that track is over. I am very thankful to be done with that so that I can do some sewing and paper grading! This is a picture of our entire track team!

I have missed coaching with Scott Brent, Kenny McClellan and Allen Rice...but this chair reminded me of them...there is a chair almost exactly like this at North Forsyth where all of the track supplies are located!!! This chair was at the track where we practice and have meets!

Outside our door

2007-10-22T19:55:00.000-04:00

About 50 feet from our front door is the guard house/gate. Every so often, the guards "serenade" us around dinner time. It's really kind of neat to enjoy your meal with the sound of "Honduran Bluegrass" wafting in the front door with the cool evening air. This is a quick clip of this evening's entertainment.---Mike

The rainy season at track time...

2007-10-17T19:35:00.000-04:00

Here is a quick video of the track meet getting rained out. They actually thought about "waiting it out"....In this video, a kid is showing us his diving skills.

It rained for an hour. And then we went home. They say October is the most rainy month. I believe it. We get buckets of rain for an hour or two, then, almost like the sky is taking a break to fill back up, it starts again. We have had some sunny days, but not many.---Mike

SLACKER!!! (and a quick trip to Amapala)

2007-10-17T18:49:00.000-04:00

FINALLY!!!! A new post. It's about time. I know and greatly apologize to you all. We have been busy with track (It's over, at least, it was until the last meet had to be rescheduled due to LOTS of rain), school, and even a trip to Amapala. This was a scene from our visit there. Yes....those are pigs on the beach...they were friendly enough but we "steer"ed clear of them. Amapala is a dormant volcano with black (and kinda dirty) beaches. We stayed here a few weeks ago : www.miradordeamapala.com/ and here is the gallery of more
pictures: http://www.miradordeamapala.com/gallery/

Here is a link in google maps...I hope this works:

View Larger Map

We got to the beach about 10:30 and around 11:00 the people who were running the "restaurant" came out with a few fresh fish, some really big shrimp, and lobster and asked us if we would like some for lunch. They took our order and an hour or so later we were sitting down to a nice meal for about $5.00. I had just given a test a few days before and needed to get them graded before we got back. So I got in the water for an hour or so and then got out to grade papers. It was nice to get away and see some more of Honduras but I wish I could have enjoyed it more but them kids need them grades.
More posts coming up....
Mike

Yes....we are still here.....

2007-09-20T20:14:00.000-04:00

And yes...we are somehow still WAY too busy. My excuse: I'm a first year teacher who has been "drafted" help out coach track because my spouse was a head track coach before and she got snookered into coaching too even after she desperately tried to say no. Her excuse: She's married to me. It has been a struggle to get through from one day to the next. We've had power outages, cable outages, and a few days of sickness. We are back trying to get into the groove of teaching. A fellow teacher and friend of mine told me that out of the first 15 days of school, we were only in school for 10 of them. The break is nice, but it has really messed with the rhythm of teaching. Caroline got a bug for a few days...I'll let her share her own thoughts on that. Needless to say, she could only eat cheerios for a few days. She is back in true form now......

Any way, not a bunch of time left...I have to go grade a HUGE BUNCH of tests before the weekend. I'll try to post more often. I know it's kind of unfair to you guys who want to know about what is going on in our lives. We are going to get a local phone very soon so we'll let you know soon.

Talk to you later---mike

Hurricane Felix Update

2007-09-05T08:28:00.000-04:00

Currently outside the front of our apartment

I just wanted to let you know that we are fine. We had yesterday out of school and today out of school. We do not have to make-up either day so far because they have 5 built-in days in the calendar. It is currently about 6:30 AM on Wednesday, September 5th and they said the storm was really going to hit here at 6:00 AM today, but all it has done since 6:00 PM last night has been a steady rain (not a down pour at any point). There has not been a lot of wind so far either. Currently, it is actually not raining at all!! I just looked this up on the national hurricane center site:
...FELIX WEAKENING RAPIDLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL AMERICA...HEAVY RAINS STILL EXPECTED... AT 400 AM CDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION FELIX WAS ESTIMATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.0 NORTH...LONGITUDE 87.0 WEST...VERY NEAR TEGUCIGALPA HONDURAS. (we live 30 minutes away from that)
THE DEPRESSION IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 9 MPH AND THIS MOTION SHOULD CONTINUE TODAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE DECREASED TO NEAR 30 MPH...45 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FELIX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TOTAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 10 INCHES ACROSS NORTHERN NICARAGUA AND EL SALVADOR...WITH 8 TO 15 INCHES OVER MUCH OF HONDURAS. ISOLATED MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF 25 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN MOUNTAINOUS AREAS. THESE RAINS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE LIFE-THREATENING FLASH FLOODS AND MUD SLIDES. PERSONS IN FLOOD-PRONE AREAS SHOULD TAKE ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. (we are not on a mountain side, so we should be fine)

Thanks for your prayers...apparently they are working!!!! We will keep you updated!
Caroline and Mike

.....Currently outside the back of our apartment

Here are some other Honduras Plants!

2007-09-04T20:24:00.001-04:00

Some of these flowers/plants are around campus and some are on hikes that we have taken...enjoy...

Hurricane Felix

2007-09-04T18:23:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, it is currently 6:16 PM on Sept. 4th and the storm has not really hit us yet..just a little windy and some rain...we will try to keep you posted...We don't have school again tomorrow, so pray that we have power!
Caroline

attempt at a video snippet?

2007-09-04T00:13:00.000-04:00

This is a link to something we took a video of...

Felix schmelix

2007-09-03T22:07:00.000-04:00

The word on the street right now is that Felix the Hurricane is going to in fact hit Honduras, but it is not going to be near us. We are expecting rain, and there was a slight chance of schools being closed, but that threat seems to be very small. We were watching CNN and they were talking about Honduras and even mentioned "Tegucigalpa." It was almost like we weren't here and it was something that was happening very far away. Then everything comes back into focus and you realize "Hey, that's us!" Kinda weird. Well....as far as life here is concerned, Caroline has once again volunteered to be involved with track, and I have of course dutifully followed here down the dark trail of "helping." It's a TON easier though...it's only about 6 weeks, the practice HAS to be over by 4:15, and there are only two track meets. Plus, it gives us a good chance to interact with the kids, which is ultimately, kinda why we are here. Anyways, the whole coaching thing went well enough....we'll see how it changes when the kids are whining about having to run so far!
I've made a few "rookie" teacher mistakes, but nothing serious. I'm slowly changing me teaching philosophy to reflect the culture here...things go slower, so I need to go slower. The whole "hurry up and get it done, and it better be perfect" attitude is slowly going away.

Hey, write us sometime, mkay?

Track and Field

2007-08-29T20:26:00.000-04:00

We start track and field on Monday, September 3rd (yes, we have to work on Labor day...that is a US Holiday, not a Honduran Holiday!) I am the head track coach (because I have so much experience and everyone else is pretty recently out of college) and Mike is coaching hurdles...yes, he ran 300 M Hurdles and 110 Hurdles in high school. The track season only lasts for a month and a half, unlike the track season in the states that lasts 3 months! They also only have two meets a year and not one or two every week! We only have to practice 3 days a week and not 5 like in the states either...I won't have to take anyone home because they have an activity bus that takes them home at 4:30 in the afternoon!! Why can't they do that in the states?? Things are just so much more laid back here than in states, I am so much less stressed and it is wonderful!!! Above is a picture of the gym and soccer field area where we will be practicing...there is no track.

Out of School for Strikes

2007-08-28T22:05:00.000-04:00

No More Strikes............................Beautiful View

Aaron and Rachel Halbert

We didn't have to to go to school on Monday, August 27th because all the public school teachers, doctors, bus drivers, and anybody that had a problem with the government was striking and they blocked the road...so no school. Some of the other missionaries' children were striking against the strike and they were shouting "No more strikes!" We hung out and I helped the neighbor, Rachel, work on some covers for her bookshelf. Then Rachel and her husband Aaron took us to dinner to this restaurant that we walked 30 minutes up hill to go to called La Cumbre. It is a German restaurant and it was wonderful. It had a beautiful view of the city and we took lots of pictures. We hope you enjoy them.

Fabric Store Visit

2007-08-26T10:30:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, Mrs. Smith (Mary, the director's wife) took us into town to the Market and to the Fabric and Craft stores. There were tons of fabric store, but none of them had notions (thread, etc.)...they had separate stores for that. I needed some yarn for class and that was so expensive! It was 83 Limperas ($4.36) a skein! I bought drapery fabric and that was 45 Limperas ($2.37) a yard and it was 110" wide!!! So fabric is cheaper, but yarn is not. Mike was excited about taking pictures. He took some pictures at the market and some in town. There was this little girl under a table at the market playing with another girl and they were so cute! It is amazing the wealth and poverty here. There are so few middle class.

First Full Week

2007-08-25T16:00:00.000-04:00

This was our first full week of classes. Since it was the first week, they decided that it would be Spiritual Emphasis Week. I went on a retreat with the 7th and 8th graders on Tuesday to a camp about an hour away and Mike went with the 9th and 10th graders on Wednesday. I think Mike had a better time than I did because he didn't mind having Vaseline smeared on his face with cotton balls! Yeah, that's right, the kids did a relay in which they put a cotton ball in their mouth with Vaseline on one side of it and ran and had to put the cotton ball on our face! That was terrible and I have the zits to prove it! There was no hot water or soap! About 12 hours later I got to wash my face...yuck! The rest of the time was fine and a good time to get to know the kids that were in my group. I really like the 7th graders...they are very sweet. Here are some pictures from the retreat... Enjoy... Caroline

Mike's Group

Caroline's Group

Hey, guess what? I'm teaching...

2007-08-21T17:31:00.001-04:00

It's kind of weird changing careers like this but so far it hasn't been that bad. I'm teaching Algebra I and Geometry, both of which I did during my student teaching. Here is a view of one of the hallways. The kids are really good...a bit talkative, but not too bad. One of the neatest things is that Caroline's classroom is pretty much next to two of my classes, and less that a minute away for the other classes. I get to taunt and make fun of Caroline all day long! It's great!!!

By the way, we installed Skype so we can call over the Internet. Our connection has been intermittent at best. Every time it went out we had to shut everything down and reboot. The cable company came out today to fix it and praise the Lord (seriously) it is working now. It seems like we aren't that far away of we can pick up the phone and call or send an email.

It's almost a working vacation. Except for the bugs. And the milk. And the water. But other than that, it's great and God is blessing us daily as we realize how lucky and blessed we were (are) to have the things we have. Some here have far less than us and it's hard to see kids just come up to you out of the store begging to help you carry your bags for a nickle. Please pray for us to somehow be a witness to them.

I'll write more now that the connection seems to be working.

Caroline's Classroom

2007-08-18T20:33:00.000-04:00

Thursday was the first day of class. We had a half day on Thursday and Friday and will have a whole day on Monday. Monday will be a shock to the system since I have taken a nap every day after lunch since I have been here. I guess I will have to wait until after 2:30Pm for my nap! These are some pictures of my classroom when I first got here. I have cleaned some since, but it is not exactly how I want it. When I get it how I want it I will post picture of it then. Notice below pictures of some tables with equipment on them...that is all the small kitchen utensils that are in the classroom. I threw more away than that in my old home ec. room! It is amazing what North American's have and what Central American's don't have!

Adios!
Caroline

About the landing

2007-08-10T00:22:00.000-04:00

By the way, Mark Pemberton and James Milner said the landing into Tegucigalpa was a harrowing experience. I don't fly well, so I was really nervous about it. Guys, either I am getting less nervous or the pilot made it look pretty easy. I am thankful for a safe landing, and pray the return trip is just as uneventful.... That's all I want: an uneventful flight.

Mike

Our first REAL trip downtown

2007-08-10T00:03:00.000-04:00

We went down to the "city" Tegucigalpa today on a "Rapidito" which translated means "a bus with twice as many people on it than should be" It only cost about 60 cents round trip. Once we got down there, we did a little shopping and then went for Chinese food. For about $7, we got enough food for two meals for both of us. This picture is where we went shopping for drapery fabric. We didn't find anything, but our friend did get some nice pictures of the plaza where we went shopping. Walking back to catch the Rapidito was a long walk back but better than walking up the hill. Thanks for continuing to pray for us. Please pray for Caroline especially. She has been really worn out from the packing and thinner air. They say it can really wear some folks out. Talk more to you later.

Mike

What to Send!!!!!

2007-08-09T13:04:00.000-04:00

Some of you have been asking us what you can send. These are some things that would make our lives better:

Damprid (or anything to remove moisture)!!!!!!!!
Spices of any kind
Good recipes of any kind that you have...(we have to do much more food preparation here)
Plastic Containers of any kind
Bulletin Board Border (for Home Economics and Math)
Any kitchen utensils (to be used in the classroom, there are three kitchens)
Hemguages (to be used in the classroom)
Any sewing supplies that you don't need (to be used in the classroom)
Paper muffin cups
Ziploc Bags
Powdered Gatorade
Yarn and Thread (they are way more expensive here)

Just to let you know...apparently it cost between $25.00 and $30.oo to send anything here and it takes almost a month to get here even if they tell you it will take 6-10 days. Letters take that long too. If you would rather give us something to take back when we come home in December that would be great too! Thanks in advance for all of your prayers and whatever you send! We are so blessed in the states. This school is blessed as well compared to other schools here, but still has no where near what we have in the states. A lot of the stuff that we threw away in the home economics labs when we were cleaning out at North Forsyth is the type of thing that they are using here! It is amazing what you make do with when you don't have it!

Visiting the City

2007-08-08T19:44:00.000-04:00

We have been to the city many times to get things like bug killer, groceries and ect. It has been an adventure to ride the bus down the mountain. I don't usually get car sick when I looking out the window, but there are so many curves that I have really felt nausous. Here is a picture from the bus! It is beautiful here!

Caroline

Another Busy Day

2007-08-06T22:54:00.000-04:00

Today was a very scary day. We got our tour of the school. Caroline has a pretty nice sized room with lots of space and supplies.I'll let her tell you abouyt that later... I on the other hand, don't really have a room. Yet. My room will be in a new building they are working on and is scheduled to be finished in September. Until then, I will float around using other people's rooms which is actually a blessing since I don't really have any teaching supplies save a calculator and pencil. Here is a picture of us after the toor in front of one of the high school buildings. One prayer request: The girl in the next apartment got some kind of bug and has been hospitalized for dehydration. Please pray that she recovers in time for school ---it begins on the 16th. Also pray that I can "remember" all the math stuff I learned so long ago!

Love you all and tahnsk again for praying for us,

Mike

Unanswered Questions

2007-08-06T19:05:00.000-04:00

We have had a lot of questions that I think that I will try to answer...if you have anymore, just let me know!

First of all, the weather is wonderful! I am sitting outside right now connecting to someone's wireless Internet connection and have great reception...it is not so good inside. I don't think I have sweated at all since I have been here. We will be here until Decemeber 19th and then we will come back to the states for Christmas.
Our little dog is staying with my parents at the Kapp Farm in Rural Hall if anyone wants to visit her! My mom told me that she missed us the first few days, but I think she may be better now.
We are in orientation right now and school starts on Thursday, August 16 with two half days Thursday and Friday. The other teachers arrive on Wednesday and they will be doing training with us.
We have not gotten our 60 cubic feet of boxes yet and probably will not get them before school starts. That is concerning because my teacher stuff is in there....so pray that they come before that!

I think ths is the craziest thing I have ever done, but it has been a fun adventure so far! God bless you and we miss you!
Caroline

Our Apartamento...

2007-08-04T22:33:00.000-04:00

Incase you were wondering what our apartment looks like...here it is! Right now, we are still unpacking but cannot believe how much space we have and how little stuff we have! I think everyone should get rid of their stuff and then you realize how little you need. Enjoy the pictures! Please pray that we will get rid of all the bugs (ants, roaches and some kind of knat thing.)

Caroline

Super Paiz!

2007-08-04T17:11:00.000-04:00

We just got back from "Super Paiz" which is basically a Wal-Mart....only for some reason they can't call it that. I even saw Wal-Mart boxes! Some things are cheaper like fruits and vegetables but others things cost more like prepared foods. We went to Quizzno's for lunch and my meal was about $6 which is about the same as it was in the states. There is pretty much everything you need here it's just a matter of finding it. Here is something I haven't seen in the states: Spiderman themed Taco kits. I almost bought one.

There are some things that we cannot find and would love to have...starting with family sized tea bags. Some of you wanted to know if you could send us stuff...we'll let you know...Most of all, continue to pray for us.

So far, we have enjoyed it and has been very eye opening and has made us so thankful for the basics we have taken for granted.

Mike and Caroline

House RENTED!

2007-07-27T07:26:00.000-04:00

We have an awesome praise! As my friend Jason was helping me move out some furniturethis past Monday, the next door neighbor's boyfriend came over and said he would like to rent the house. He had mentioned it before but never got back to us so we assumed he wasn't interested. When we spoke to him the first time we said we would leave some furniture since he didn't really have any (he drove all of his belongings from California) so I guess when he saw the stuff coming out of the house he figured he'd better make his move before we took any more stuff out. He seems like a very nice guy....probably neater and cleaner than me so we feel like he will take care of the house.

So now we are still faced with a lot of junk to pack up and move out but we will get it done one way or another. And I still have some paintikng to do. I guess I'd better get to it.

Less than 2 Weeks Left

2007-07-23T16:16:00.000-04:00

Yes, that is right, we have less than 2 weeks left. We are very excited and nervous (mostly nervous that we have not sold the house.) We still have some stuff to do, but we finally got our 60 cubic feet of belongings sent ot Honduras. Thanks to Michelle Whisenant that helped us box up those items and kept us from killing each other! We have some great friends that have helped us a lot that we are going to miss very much.

Caroline

Getting Started

2007-06-05T08:58:00.000-04:00

Well folks, here we are....getting started on the first day of the rest of our lives. As you (hopefully) know, we are quitting our jobs, selling house and home, and moving to Honduras to teach in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. I've told people I was going to start a blog to keep them apprised of what's going on and what we are doing, so here it is. Caroline likes to take LOTS of pictures and I can be quite long-winded when it comes to typing (I know the idiom or whatever doesn't match...see what I mean about being long-winded???). Anyways, big things are happening now. The house is officially up for sale. We are using a great friend (Mark at Sanger Realty) to list it. I just sold my car last night to a very dear friend Jason. I hope it doesn't give him any problems. It's been kind of depressing not because we are getting rid of our stuff, but because I am having to fix up everything and clean it up and it all looks nice and shiney. All this stuff that has needed to be fixed is finally getting done and I wish I had done it sooner so I could have enjoyed it longer. Oh well, at least it's getting done.

We will be posting pictures and notes and hopefully keep this updated so if you want, you can see what God is doing in our lives.

We thank you all for supporting us and praying with and for us.

More to Come!

Mike