settling in again

I have now been living with my new family for almost a week! Yesterday I also took possession of my car! And, I haven't done any work in 7 full days. Life is good. I am really enjoying the family that I live with. They have been very good to me in terms of helping me with Spanish and in terms of feeding me. I get three wonderful meals a day. Most of the time there are veggies, fruit and meat in addition to beans and rice tortillas, so I'm getting spoiled. The evidence of it will probably showing itself around the edges. Living with these Hondurans, I get to learn their special words as well as those of Nicaragua (from my co-workers). I'm really liking it. They eat together at every meal because the father is a pastor and spends a lot of time working at home. It's been good to just be around them. Because they have a TV, I have watched more TV in the past week than I have since I arrived seven months ago. There will be a few pictures below of my place. I will have to post a few pictures of the family and some more of the house. They will come--but look below for some pictures of my truck, which is parked in front of the house, and my room.

Tomorrow I'll be going to Tipi Tapa to spend some time with a co-teacher. He wants me to come to play basketball, help him with his English, and help me with my Spanish. So, it should be a fun day. Sunday I'm going to take it easy. I'll worship in the morning and then play games with some friends Sunday night. Next week I plan to take Spanish classes every morning with a friend. Then I'll try to walk around my neighborhood and get to know some of the neighbors and work on my Spanish. If possible, I also want to work on my preparations for next semester. I have some relatives coming down from Florida right as school starts, so that's even more incentive to work as much ahead as possible. I have plans to visit Herty Landia next Saturday with a couple of fellow teachers and their families. Herty Landia is a water park in northern Nicaragua. I'm sure it will be fun. Then Sunday I made some plans to go out of town and enjoy my "cuatro por cuatro" (4x4). :) Looking foward to that. When I come back, I will have another week to focus on work...not looking forward to that in the same way. :)

Those big changes I mentioned last time changed a little. The other English teacher, Cristhian, has left for some personal reasons that I do not know, and so that will shake up the English department a little. They are thinking of hiring someone from the staff of NCA. I don't know the guy but apparently he knows English pretty well and has even tought it before. I will likely be teaching the more advanced high school class now, rather than the less advanced class.

Without much more reading, here are the pictures:
(prayer requests at the end)

This is a 1989 Toyota Land Cruiser. It's got a 3.0L, 4 cylinder diesel engine. It's a real beast--the torque is crazy. It's got a 4 speed manual tranny, with reverse to the left and down. No power steering. The car doesn't look amazing, but I'm starting to like it anyway. :) The tires are different on the back because apparently the previous owner likes that kind better. They're 10-ply as opposed to the normal 3 or 4-ply that are on the front. He switched after too many flats on the other tires. Air conditioning blows cold. Guages work. I'm really pleased to have a good-workin' car.







My room is about 2 times bigger than my previous room, so I opted to leave the loft behind in order that I wouldn't have to climb into bed every time I want to catch a few quick z's. I do have a boxspring and frame now.

Prayer requests:

- Pray that my break will be both relaxing and very productive.
- Pray that the school will be able to figure out how to fill the gap Cristhian left, and that semester two will start really well.
- Pray that I will be sensitive to the Lord's leading in every area of my life, and that I have wisdom and knowledge to do all that he puts before me.