Driving update

Thankyou to all who prayed over Thanksgiving for my driving adventure...it was an adventure :P! I had so much fun...and would do it all over again. Tracy came in on Nov. 20 and after school I picked up the car and they showed me all of the things I would need to know...including where the deactivating button for the alarm was :) (I would really need to know this later- hee hee) So I picked Tracy up from the airport and as we are driving away the alarm begins to beep telling you have a few seconds to push the deactivating button. WELL, I can't find the button...a few seconds go by...then a minute...and I'm starting to panic a bit because if I can't find this button the car will automatically shut down. I finally pull off to the side of the road (a busy road) to better concentrate...and just as I pull off the car shuts down (this is all within an hour of having the car :)) and the alarm starts going off full force. We're talking crazy loud sirens, beeps, and flashing lights. And I still can't find the button to deactivate it. I get on my cell phone and call the rental place and we shout at each other over the noise of the car to figure out how to turn the alarm off. Still nothing is working. They graciously tell me to wait (as if I was going to go somewhere...:)) and they would come over to where I'm at (at least a half hour drive). SO...no kidding, Tracy and I sit in this beeping, flashing car on the side of a busy Honduran highway for AT LEAST a half hour...all the while I'm pushing buttons from every angle...trying to figure this out. Finally, very randomly I push two different buttons at the same time and the alarm turns off. I quickly call the rental place to tell the guy to go back...and we drive home incident free. BUT...oh how funny, Tracy's first few minutes in Honduras are spent prisoned in a car with the alarm stuck on. Very memorable.

Then....the next day we head out for Copan...a tiny city very close to the Guatemalan border where some of the best Mayan ruins are at. I do get a little lost about half way there...but that all worked out no problem. We spend 2 days at the ruins, which was very interesting and enjoyable (although cold...we were in fleeces/hats/and wool socks :)) Then comes the drive home...It is a beautiful drive...although mostly through moutains...so I'm going up and down and passing on blind curves- doing everything very safely of course...;)...anyway, we get to one of the only straightaways...and remember, I'm not going very fast 60ish...and I see something dart out in front of me towards the left. I swerve and just hit a stray dog on the right hand side of the car. Oh, how awful I felt. Now, please understand this was a stray dog...and there are dogs all over the place here...so it wasn't someone's best friend....but STILL I felt horrible. AND THEN...when we stopped I had cracked the front bumper slightly, which of course I had to pay extra for...BUT, we got home safely and we definitely made some memories in the process :). So those were some of my adventures while driving in Honduras :).

The rest of the time we spent around Tegus doing some short day trips (using public transportation :)) It was so wonderful to have someone from home here...it's just so nice to share my world that I love so much.

School is going very well, I can't wait for Christmas Break, as I'm sure all my students feel the same way :). I'm done on Dec. 15 and I don't have to go back until Jan. 8...AND Paula flies in on Dec. 18- I'm not sure what we'll do, perhaps travel, perhaps hang around here...but either way, I can't to see her! AND...Leah just emailed and said she's going to fly down in Jan for a week and a half...YAY...both of my sisters in Honduras with me...I can't wait! (Mom and Dad...you better be next ;)) There's nothing like sisters!

I do have another prayer request before I end this novel of a post :)...I am praying about whether to stay in Honduras another year, or to pursue something else in the States. Over Christmas I hope to take some significant time and pray and fast about my decision, but I would really appreciate/need your prayers as well. As of right now I want to stay...but not necessarily at the school I'm at (International School or IST). There are some circumstances and situations that I want to separate myself from at the school, but I would still love to stay in Honduras. I love teaching, and teaching here, I love the country, language, and people...I'm just not sure about where God wants me next year. I have been getting more and more involved at my church- and I feel like I'm growing spiritually here, I have wonderful friends etc. SO...other than my amazing family back home, I don't have a lot drawing me back, in fact I feel as if I have more keeping me here. AND THEN....let's throw the monkey wrench of money into the situation...I do have school loans that are coming up, so I really need to be making more money than I am now...but I would hate to have money be the sole reason I come back (although a very legit reason). Yet, I want to be wise as well about my decision. So...I say all that to sort of explain the position I'm in and to ask for you to pray for me to have wisdom and guidance. More than anything else I want to obey God, and I know He'll provide for my needs...but I still just want to know I'm listening and hearing His voice....and then obeying. Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou!

I love you all, and hopefully these pictures from vacation will post too! The cow picture is when we had to completely stop to allow a herd of cows to pass around us...I felt like I was parting the Red Sea....except instead of water we were surrounded by cattle. Gotta love Honduras :).
Tash!

P.S. Grandma...your package was amazing! I shared some M&M's with my 9th graders...they love you :)! I told them it was my first Christmas present :)- Thankyou!