Homesickness

I have been grumpy today.  Really grumpy.  I have been trying to figure out why all day and I couldn't come up with a reason.  It wasn't until this evening that it hit me...I'm homesick.  I miss my friends, my family, my dog, my grocery store...everything.

For the last few days, we have been on break because of October Holidays here in Honduras.  This break has been beneficial in many ways.  It allowed me to get some much needed sleep, catch up on things in my classroom, and spend some time exploring Honduras with some friends.  The break also allowed me to think.  During a normal school week, I stay really busy, but this break allowed to me think about everything back home and made me realize how much I miss it. Don't get me wrong, I am truly enjoy being here in Honduras, but I also miss home.

Anyways, it has been a while since I wrote a blog post because it has been pretty busy here.  We have had some different holidays and special events happening at school.  I have also been working hard with my 5th graders.  I think I have made a good amount of progress with them.  I have been doing research and watching videos about things to try with difficult to manage classes.  There have been difficult times, but there have also been some pretty fantastic days as well.

On Friday, I was able to explore some of Tegucigalpa with some friends.  We went to a zoo that is a few minutes down our mountain and they explore the park next to it.  It has a giant Jesus statue that looks down over the city.  This is the view from the park:

We also went out to lunch and drove around the city.  All around, it was a really relaxing day.

Blessings:
1. Delta Airlines.  Seriously.  I booked my flight back to Honduras after Christmas and Delta upgraded my seats on both flights for free.  They were also willing to change my flight home for Christmas for free.
2. Internet.  Being able to talk to my family over internet makes them feel a lot closer.  I can't imagine doing this without that contact.
3. A break from school.  I was getting really overwhelmed with many details and having a break has allowed me to breathe again.  I feel like I am ready to tackle this next week.

Prayer Requests:
1. For my Honduran residency to come through.  Right now, I am having to get my Honduran visa renewed every 30 days which is a big hassle.
2. My health.  I have stayed pretty healthy so far and I pray it stays that way.  My goal is to not have to go to the doctor while I am down here.  (I sprained my ankle about a month ago.  I was stubborn and refused to go to the doctor.  It eventually healed.  Slowly, but it healed.)
3. My family's health.  I know several of my family members are going through some different health problems and I really wish I could be there for them.  I pray they start feeling better quickly.
4. My homesickness.  I have a countdown on my phone that tells me how many more days until I see my family again.  I don't want to wish away my time while I am here, but it brings me back to reality when I feel like I will never see my family again.