Honduran Happenings: The new normal

I just got home from teaching ballet classes for the day. We are into week two and things are going well. I barely got in the door before the downpour of rain. Nearly every storm here is a tropical storm which makes for buckets of rain, super bright lightening, and the loudest crashes of thunder I could ever imagine hearing. Oh yes and the power just went out...let me tell you- life is never dull here, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else than where I am right now.

It has been a whirlwind since I got here. I can't believe tomorrow will be week 3! It seems like its been at least 3 months (in a good way). The friendships and bonds we are building with the people here are so wonderful! I am daily amazed at how The Lord has prepared me to be here...even in the little things. How faithful He is! One of my biggest struggles before moving here was not knowing how to prepare (dancers are used to always rehearsing and preparing)...yet The Lord knew all along what I needed and has been growing me and knitting my life together is such a way to make this transition smooth and enjoyable.

Within the first week of being here Amy and I had a TV interview to promote the ballet school and two radio interviews. Talk about jumping right in. :) We are definitely being stretched past our comfort zones, but I am loving the challenge and finding so much joy in my inadequacy so that my strength is only found in The Lord. What better place to be?! The second of the two radio interviews I had to do on my own (Amy was teaching class and couldn't go) but it was such a great experience. I was able to share more about my personal life and talk about what ballet and worshiping through dance means to me. It is so humbling to know The Lord has chosen me...me of all people... to come to Honduras and teach His children how to worship and glorify Him with their dancing. That fact has really hit me the past few days...Amy and I have the great pleasure of teaching others something that is so rare and beautiful. There is so much joy and freedom in worshipping with your entire body and all these people are looking to us for direction. Some of them have expressed to us how much they long and feel in their hearts a desire to worship more freely but don't know how. They know The Lord has sent us here to show them and they are so willing and excited! It causes me to be in prayer constantly asking The Lord for clear direction and wisdom on how He wants us to teach them.

So a normal day in our life here in Honduras would look something like this:
4am prayer- optional but The Lord really put it on my heart to be obedient and go. Yes, I know it's early but I am enjoying it so much. The believers in this community earnestly seek the face of God every day and are desperate for so much more. It has challenged and encouraged me to press in for more as well. It truly is a great way to start your day.
6:30-8:30am Spanish lessons (three times a week) with a precious young couple from the church. They are quickly becoming our very closest friends. They also are our translators for the sermons on Sundays so we interact with them a lot. I am so grateful for them and love them dearly! They are wonderful to be with and always have an encouraging word or nugget of wisdom to share.
8:30-12 This time slot is either ballet class or rehearsal for Amy and I, office work, lesson planning...etc. Soon we will use this time to go visit and minister at orphanages, hospitals, nursing homes, and other local schools to dance and/or share our testimonies with people. We are getting things going with the ballet school first and learning more Spanish so we can communicate better ;).
2-5pm Teaching ballet classes - we have about 14 classes a week right now.
Evenings are spent either in a discipleship class, studying Spanish, attending Friday night church service, cooking, or visiting with friends.
On the weekends we teach creative dance classes (less ballet and more worship) to several different age groups and even women from other churches come to learn how to worship with dancing.
Our days are quite full, but I am learning and growing so much. The speaker this past Sunday used the analogy that we are in a greenhouse here - it is a safe environment to be grown and matured so that we can be sent out and replanted elsewhere to thrive and share the Gospel. Such a great visual. I honestly was not expecting to be so nurtured here in Honduras, but I am so grateful and soaking it all in.

Some highlights of life here:
*We have an iguana that lives in the rafters of our house (yes the big ones you usually see in a pet store or at the zoo) It keeps Amy and I awake at night as it scratches and walks around with its long claws sounding like a dog walking on a tile floor. Still not sure what to do about that.

*There are tarantulas here. I've only seen one dead one and it was outside but I am praying I never encounter one in person. However, I am working on a bug emergency kit to keep in my room just in case. ;) A girl has got to be prepared.

*Milk and eggs at the store are not sold in the refrigerator section. That was a bit shocking at first.

Amy and I with our fresh-off-the-road coconut. Yum!