Kathy's Adventures

Good Intentions

Posted on August 5, 2018 by kmizen

Phase 2 of our PROTEDE (Spanish acronym for Schools of Hope Tutoring Program) tutoring program started Saturday. English and computer classes for high school students in our ChildCARE Plus program.

Close to 50 students came from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm Saturday morning. For most of them, these classes are not offered to them in their school. For 2 years, these students have been asking for these classes and I wanted to make it happen somehow. Earlier this year, we started tutoring Grade 6 students in Math and Spanish. We have had about 18 students come consistently Thursday afternoons for 2 hours. That was Phase 1 of my dream, you can read more here in a previous blog post. We still plan to expand that program to more classes in the years ahead, but for now, we are taking baby steps and doing what we can. I’m excited to see how God works next school year as we work out the kinks and details.

I am so thankful for the great working relationship we have with Moises Starkman School and the Principal there, Director Carmen. She has graciously been allowing us to use her school to offer these programs free to the children. Her office/computer lab has been sitting there with 15 computers, that I have never seen used. Recently we found out that the computers were donated to the school 9 years ago and have basically never been used. Covered in dust, dirt and sitting there. When you walk past the class, you think ‘Oh cool, they have computers for the children.’ But in reality they have barely been used. Why? Because they do not have a computer teacher who can teach the students to use the computers and programs.

It is hard to find teachers who will come to this area to teach, because it is considered one of the poorest and dangerous communities in the city. Sadly, the children and teachers have never had the opportunity to use what was so easily accessible.

The other day while our team was preparing the computers to be used for our tutoring program, I got to thinking. We have many good intentions to help, to give and bless others. As North Americans, we think we know what is best for another country based on our worldview and perspective. But the longer I am in Honduras, the more I see a different worldview, a different perspective.

These computers were given with great intentions, but sadly have sat dormant and unused for 9 years… 9 years. I am excited to say that 11 of the 15 are up and running. The others need a few repairs and will be working soon. They were used Saturday morning for the first time with 18 students who will now have the opportunity to learn skills they can use now and in the future. Also, now the school will have access to them as well. But they still need a computer teacher – so that’s my next dream. Not sure how God will work that one out, but I believe he will in some amazing way!

The English class also went extremely well. 30 students were there! I came into the class near the end of their time and several students came forward and practiced with me. My heart was so full. I know that learning English will give these students opportunities for the future.

I challenged them to not get frustrated or discouraged. Language learning is not easy. I shared my story of learning Spanish, as it’s been almost 4 years and I am still not fully fluent. I also shared Delmys’ story, she works with us in the ChildCARE Plus program. She started learning English 3 years ago and now translates all of our sponsor letters to the children and to sponsors. She is not fully fluent speaking but does an amazing job with the letters, and she is helping teach this class!!! My heart is bursting with joy for her and this program!!!

Giving the students skills that can help them in the future is priceless. I am so glad we get to opportunity to help make this possible.

Control Freak

Posted on July 29, 2018 by kmizen

Patience.
Delays.
Waiting.

I am not good at any of the above. I don’t know a lot of people who are, actually, except my Honduran friends. They seem to have this gift.

Something I admire about my Honduran friends is their gift to calm me down in these difficult and frustrating situations. Recently, I have dealt with several little frustrations. Losing my brakes while driving.
Our new truck broke down after taking it for a run… still waiting on parts to fix the problem.
Protesting blocking traffic and spending 6 hours in my car (2 hours driving around trying to find an alternate route and 4 hours parked).

A friend said to me ‘God is trying to teach you something’. I laughed and said ‘Yes, patience.’ He said ‘No. That nothing is in your control’.

This is what I am learning more and more lately. I can not control the things that happen in my day, but I can control how I deal with them. It is a hard lesson to learn, for a control freak, detail person like me. I like things done, the right way, the first time. 🙂 But if I can learn something from sitting in my car for 4 hours, it is this.

God wants to slow us down. Interruptions are not always a distraction, sometimes they are there to get our attention. While sitting in my car, I ended up people watching. Kids were not phased by the situation. Teenagers were playing futbol (soccer) on the blocked street. People were talking with others who were waiting alongside them. It forced me to chill and realize there was absolutely nothing I could do. Although, I did wish at one point that I had superman like strength to go move a moto taxi out of the way so we could all pass through. But my coworker Victor told me it would probably cause more problems, so I stayed in my car. lol

So, I’m learning. Sometimes I burst out laughing and say ‘Ok God, what are you trying to teach me today.’ Other days, I don’t react so well. That is why I am thankful for great friends who can say the right things to calm me down. They truly are a blessing.

Categories: missions, Personal, Spiritual growth | Leave a comment

Believe in Faith

Posted on July 14, 2018 by kmizen

Most of you may know that our ministry has been successfully moving along with our water filtration project this year. For the past year, the Evans family has joined us to help make this happen. Mike, Trisha and their 3 kids moved here last August to join our Schools of Hope family.

Mike’s main focus as Project Manager was to move our filtration project forward and train up his replacement before he left. He has successfully done this and we are excited to see how God continues to move in the communities that are in desperate need of safe, clean drinking water.
Trisha’s main focus was to help me organize our finances and train up one of our staff to assist me in managing it. She has successfully done that! Of course, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted them to stay. They have been a HUGE blessing to our team and became a part of our family. We will be saying goodbye to them next Friday, and I’m trying to pretend it’s not happening.

BELIEVE IN FAITH
A few months ago, Mike and I were talking about the future of the water project. He has been using his vehicle to transport all of the supplies for installations, but when he leaves we would need to have something. Marco, our new Filter Project Manager, has a truck that he could use after Mike leaves, but we would need to pay him to use his truck and consider the wear and tear of the vehicle, etc.

So Mike says to me ‘You need to buy a truck.’
To which I respond, ‘Well then God’s going to have to bless us with one because I’m not going to ask for money for it.’

Our ministry is fully funded by supporters. We partner with ERDO for three of our programs, but again, those funds have to be raised. We do not make money here in Honduras and rely heavily on funding to operate, maintain and grow our ministry. God has been so faithful in providing for us, but I felt like asking for money for a truck was just ‘another thing’ we needed money for, and I didn’t want to do it. I genuinely believed that if God wanted us to have a truck he would make it happen.

Well… earlier this year I found out that we had ‘some money’ in an account that was not designated to anything specific, but was for Schools of Hope. (By ‘some money’, I actually mean quite a bit) I shared this with Mike and he said, ‘Ask if we can buy a truck with it’. I laughed because I wasn’t sure if they would agree. We do run three ERDO projects (ChildCARE Plus, a nutrition program and the water filtration project) and the truck would be used several times of week for various projects… and we needed it. So I asked, and shortly after received the news that yes, we could purchase a vehicle. #justASK

Jesus said ‘Ask and you shall receive…’ Matthew 7:7

I remember praying about this and saying the same thing I said to Mike. ‘God, if you want us to have a truck, then you will have to provide it for us.’ It was a simple ‘ask’ and I left it with him.

I think we sometimes don’t ask God for things because we’re afraid, we don’t believe or we don’t think it will actually happen. I had no idea if this would happen, but I do believe in the words ‘God’s will be done’.
I am thankful that it was God’s will for us to have a vehicle.
I am thankful that we had the funds to do so, before I even asked.
I am thankful that we found a beautiful black truck that meets all of our needs and wants! (It’s automatic – which is hard to find here).

Thank you to those of who have prayed for us and supported our ministry here. God is truly doing great things and I am so glad I get to be a part of it!!!