Brendan's Guatemalan Expeditions

Feels Like Home

2010-05-31T17:27:00.005-06:00

Two years here. I feel more at home than I ever thought I would. I've been packing my things to got back to the states for the summer. It feels weird to leave, yet I should already be home. A volcanic eruption closed the airport last Thursday, which canceled my flight. And then on Saturday the 29th a tropical storm rolled through the country. As of right now over 100 people have died because of tropical storm Agatha.

Here in my city the streets have dried out now, but on Friday night and Saturday the streets had turned to rivers. I stayed indoors as the rain fell on Saturday, but Friday night I got to see some of the early flooding first hand. I have lived here for two years and have experienced harder rain, but nothing that consistent. As I walked home from the graduation party, I started remembering the first time I walked around the city by myself. I had gotten lost trying to find the soccer stadium. Everything seemed so foreign. But now I felt comfortable. Even though it was nearly 2 am and the streets were flooded, I felt at home. I knew which streets would be on higher ground and so I zig zagged my way home keeping as dry as a tropical storm will let you. I felt relatively safe, if anyone wanted to rob me in that rain, man they could have my stuff. I made it home safely, but drenched to the bone. Two years ago I wouldn't have ever done that.

Now Xela feels like home, and so when I read about all the people who have really suffered because of these storms, I hurt. A mudslide killed four somewhere in my city. The road that leads to my school was nearly underwater. The street I lived on last year flooded. These are places I know. These are people I know. Yet, my weekend was spent packing to go home. To Colorado. I was supposed to fly out on the 31st, but Pacaya erupted and changed everything. Having a few extra days in country has been difficult. Yet, I have realized I have made some real connections here; my students and a few friends outside of school. And that makes me excited for my return trip in August.

Please keep Guatemala in your prayers.

Doctor's Orders

2010-04-21T20:26:00.012-06:00

I've spent my entire life in the doctor's waiting room. My mom used to think I should be a doctor, because I was constantly in and out of the doctor's office. But then again every mom wants her son to be a doctor. Thing is, I hated being in the doctors office. The magazines are always out of date.

Unfortunately, life here in Guatemala is hard on the body. Over the last two years I've had parasites, fungi (they aren't fun), amoebas, intestinal infections (dropped 10 pounds in a week), bronchitis, strep (this may have been a misdiagnosis), and a bladder infection which may've been caused by kidney stones. The latter was the hardest to diagnose. Or maybe it should have been the easiest, but the problem with going to doctors down here is that my Spanish isn't that good yet and most don't speak English. Do to all of my random illnesses, I have been forced to read out of date Spanish magazines. And with all of these visits to the doctor I have learned a lot, maybe even earned my medical license in professional patientry. My mom's dream of me becoming a doctor might've died on the emergency table, but I've gained a wealth of information I'm willing to share. So drop your copies of Better Homes and Gardens dated from June of 2001 and enter my office of knowledge and read my top ten things I have learned while going to the doctor.

10. If you didn't understand what the doctor just said in English you probably wont understand what he is about to say in Spanish, so don't respond with a yes to any of his questions. If you do, you might end up with a shot in the butt that you didn't need.

9. When you have an appointment scheduled for 8am on a Saturday morning, don't show up until 9am. Because, just like any social function in Guatemala, where no one is expected to show up until an hour after they tell you to, the doctors wont even show up on time. (For exceptions to this rule see #3)

8. Now, you've wised up and decided to bring a translator to your next appointment. No more shots in the rear, right? So, If your doctor tells your translator that you have a strep infection in your bladder (can that even happen?) and ignores the questions about kidney stones, you've been warned. But then after your appointment if he is talking to your boss and changes his apparent diagnosis to over working out, it's time to change doctors.

7. Always bring a translator, always. Or when making your payment to the doctor, always request the proper receipt. This also applies when you buy your medicine at the pharmacy. Guatemalan Insurance companies can be difficult.

6. I've always thought doctors are supposed to be experts on physical health, but Guatemalan doctors don't seem to be much into physical fitness. They believe that working out and staying in shape will harm your immune system and result in random illnesses. I wonder what med school they learned that in.

5. Always say a prayer when you have a bladder infection and are having an ultrasound on your bladder and have been asked to drink a lot of water right before the test and you feel something warm leaking down your leg.

4. If asked to do a 24 hour urine sample, don't drink a ton of water the day before or you might need another gallon jug.

3. The exception to rule number 9. If the doctor's lab says they close at 5 pm, then they close at 5 pm. In Guatemala if they show up late it's okay but if you show up late you just need to come back the next day.

2. If you know a doctor speaks English, go to her for a check up. She probably wont misdiagnose you like the doctor who only pretended to understand English. And if you're lucky She might also try to set you up with a doctor friend of theirs that wants to practice English!

1. Don't pull your pants down until the doctor tells you to. Spare yourself from the awkward situation of having your pants around your legs and the doctor not needing to check anything down there for another five minutes.

Don't Worry Be Happy It's Spring Break!!

2010-03-26T13:37:00.010-06:00

"A day at a time is long enough to sustain one's faith; the next day will have its own cares." Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

I love traveling to new places, seeing new countries, which is part of the reason why I am teaching here in Guatemala. A long trip can cause a little stress. Over Semana Santa (Easter) this year I made it all the way to Honduras. It took over 16 hours to make it there and I was a little nervous about how the week would shape up. I had doubts about going because I didn't want to be the only one not scuba diving.

Due to a random canon ball dive accident, which ruptured both of my eardrums, I can't scuba dive. The ear, nose, and throat Dr. was shocked when I told him how I'd jumped off of a four foot ledge, straight into a pool, and ruptured both of my eardrums. After a year long healing process, which involved transplants of cigarette paper and the fat from my ear lobes, I was able to dip my head under water, but the Dr. ordered that I never scuba dive. So, with all of my friends scuba diving, I was worried I would be bored with nothing to do.

Yet, when I arrived on the island of Utila, all of my worries melted away. It was so hot any desire to move around evaporated on sight. I knew that all I could do was relax. I'm positive that it's impossible to feel stress on an island. Island life seems to be the the embodiment of life the way Bonhoeffer believes we should life. One day at a time and no reason to stress. And yet I had reason to stress.

First, the place we'd contacted for housing had double booked and the rooms were slightly better than an outhouse. The girls raced off to find another place to stay. For some reason I knew we would be ok. Jon, my roommate, said he would watch the luggage if I wanted to go help find a room.

During my search, I met an incredible woman named Minnie. She owned one of the hotels I checked out. From the onset I could tell her faith was strong. I asked her about her rooms and she said, "I don't make any money here. I just give everything away." She explained that she lived day to day, trusting God would take care of her. As I sat and talked with her for about fifteen minutes, I realized I needed to try and live my life day by day. Unfortunately, her hotel was full and my search came up empty, but I knew that everything would be alright.

As I walked back to where Jon had been watching my luggage, I didn't expect him to be gone, but he was. Apparently, while I was gone the girls had returned. Having found a room they left with Jon and the luggage. Unfortunately, they left no note to tell me where they'd gone. Now I was lost on an island without any way to contact my friends. I knew I should feel at least a little stressed out, but I found that an impossible feeling on the island of Utila. So, I wandered down the main street, knowing everything would be alright. Ten minutes later I was with the rest of my group. Lorin, one of the girls, stepped out of a tienda with a Dr. Pepper in her hand, which she gave to me, and told me they'd found a great room for us to stay in for the week. The fact that everything worked out so well made me wonder why people worry so much. Stress shouldn't just vacate on vacations. Minnie didn't just live day to day trusting in God because she was on vacation, no her life was on that island.

The rest of the week was amazing. I went snorkeling, which I'll talk about in another blog, and God showed me time and time again that I didn't have any reason to worry. I took my vacation day by day and I hope that I can make that happen back here on the main land. I am glad I decided to travel all the way to Utila. I just wish I hadn't worried so much about the trip, but hey, let worry, worry for itself.

Bank Error In Your Favor Collect $200!

2010-03-14T20:35:00.005-06:00

What would you do if your bank gave you $200 by mistake? What an extraordinary gift to receive. I've been listening to a sermon series from Lifechurch.tv on blessings. The pastor is talking about all that God has bestowed to us and how we need to offer something back in return.

I went to the bank one recent Monday to cash a check for 170 Q, which is about 20 dollars. I was thinking about the bank giving me my money. I mean Jesus said it's better give than to receive. But I've always wondered about the person on the receiving end. I mean by receiving the gift he is in turn blessing the gift giver. This makes me think receiving is equally as good, or something like that.

Guatemalan banks give and receive money every day, but I doubt they are blessed because they're rather corrupt. A little corruption took place earlier that same Monday when I walked into the bank to cash the check. There was a huge line at the door, similar to the lines that trailed outside of movie theaters when the original Star Wars movies were rereleased. This line was galactic and growing. I slid into line like a bum waiting for free food. I was hungry and wanted to be out quickly. The guard at the door must have known this because he came up to me and asked me what I was doing. I explained to him (in Spanish) that I needed to cash a check. He told me to move over to a much shorter line. I had a feeling he was wrong, but what do I know. I'm only a gringo. Hesitantly I moved over to the other much shorter line. As soon as I reached the bank employee, she made it clear that I was in the wrong place and needed to hop back in the other line, which'd doubled in size. Ok, maybe that's not really too corrupt, but I stormed out anyway.

I walked up to another bank, which is pleasantly never busy, and close to my gym. It was almost five p.m. when I arrived inside the bank and all of the cashiers were starting to close up. There were a few people in front of me, but no galactic line, so I waited patiently. Shortly a cashier called me over and I handed her my check and my passport and we shared a few moments of awkward silence. I never really know what to say when I'm cashing a check. Yep, that's my signature. Oh, yeah my passport picture is horrible. Yes, I would like to take you out for coffee (only if they're cute and a girl). But typically I let the silence consume the room like a heavy fog.

"1 mil y setenta cientos?" she asked.

Confused I nodded and said, "si." She proceeded to count out the money. Why was she counting out so many 100's? How much was my check really for? Well, she probably knows what she's doing anyway. So I just said, "Gracisas," and headed out for the gym.

But the money felt heavy in my pocket. Had I done something wrong? The cashier was the one that counted the money and she knew her job better than I do, but maybe she'd read the check wrong. I kept walking. Had she really said Q 17,000 (about $200 more than I'd expected)? In the game monopoly you get 200 dollars if you draw the card that says bank error in your favor, maybe I'd drawn that card in real life. I tried to walk as casually as possible, but I felt like there was a huge sign on me that read "Money!!! Take my Money!!" My pace quickened and I could have sworn a police truck was following me. Finally I dashed into the gym, rushed up to the locker room, and counted the money. Yep, she'd given me way too much. I knew there wasn't anyway the check I'd cashed had been for that much.

So, what do you do when the bank gives you too much money? By the time I had counted the money in the locker room the bank had already closed. I could give some of the money away, pay off some small loans, buy my self some cool new toys.

But, what would that say about me? I'm reading a book that talks about how writers create true characters and he says that characters are defined by the choices they make and true character is revealed by the choices a character makes under pressure. I felt a lot of pressure to keep the money.

Or I could give the money back in the morning. I mean the bank would probably take the money out of the cashier's paycheck and she probably only makes 1,700 Q in a month. I can't take someone's salary. I don't want that to be a chapter in my story.

It's funny all of the excuses you can come up with when you don't want to do the right thing. Some of them even sound right. Like giving some of the money to a beggar on the street. Yet, in the end I knew I had to give it all back. God wants us to give him 10% of what he has given to us not out of what we have taken from others. The sermon I listened to challenged me to give what I have. I gave the money back the next day and it made the cashier very happy. I guess by returning that money, I was making her life a little better. I'm glad I did the right thing. I want that to be my story.

Spanish Slip Ups!

2010-02-26T11:38:00.008-07:00

Just the other day Isa, one of the 8th graders, exploded with laughter. It was my fault. I seem to be very good at making my students laugh. Not because I'm a great stand up comedian. No, that would probably mean my classes were entertaining.

Most of the time my students laugh at me for things I don't understand. Like one time I was at a birthday party. A group of 8th grade boys, they're in 9th now and much more mature now, were asking me questions in Spanish. They couldn't control their laughter. Apparently I was saying yes to a bunch of ridiculously inappropriate questions. They still haven't told me what they were talking about and now I know not to say yes to things I don't understand.

My Spanish has improved greatly from that night when I may or may not have said yes to liking certain really gross things like cats or butterflies (I am just guessing here). Yet, I still have slip ups.

I was in my Spanish class a couple of weeks ago and Letty, my teacher, asked me, "Do you have a girlfriend here in Guatemala?"

I chuckled and answered with a sad, "No."

"Are you looking for one?" She responded quickly.

"I have friends who were helping me," I said stifling a laugh.

"Who?"

"The secretary at my school said she would look for me." Or at least that is what I meant to say, remember all of this is in spanish, the only part I was sure of was when I'd responded with a sad no. What I actually said was, "Yasi is good looking for me." Letty started to chortle and at first I didn't really know why. Then I realized what I had said and a hard long laugh erupted from deep in my gut. After I regained my breath I explained to Letty that my secretary was just my friend and that I wasn't interested in her because she's married and has a child. Now every time I go to my Spanish classes, Letty gives me a hard time. At least Letty didn't hear my next slip up.

So, why did Isa laugh? Well, it was lunch time and I was on duty down in the middle school building. I was making my rounds through the building. Checking on the students, just the usual. Isa was sitting by the microwaves with her friend Danitza. These girls love it when I make a mistake with my Spanish and so sometimes they try to bait me. But I was being careful. It didn't matter. I set the trap for myself.

Isa had a Pizza Hutt box and so I asked, "Are you having Pizza?" Earlier this question worked to get me a slice of Pizza from one of the 6th graders, but this time I received a "I'm too cool for this," response, which I guess is the difference between a 6th grade boy and an 8th grade girl. But then I looked at the box and realized my error. She wasn't eating Pizza, she was eating a Calzone!

I love those. So I said, "Nice Calzone. How is it?" Isa and Danitza looked at me and then their laughter started to build like a giant title wave.

"What did you say, mister?" Isa replied.

"Calzone," I stated cautiously, what had I done wrong? They started to laugh harder and wouldn't tell me what I had just done. All I could do was stand there confused, but then Isa tossed me the second half of her calzone. She must have been feeling sorry for me, but not sorry enough to let me in on what I'd just said.

Fortunately Yasi, my secretary who I am not interested in, was able to help me out. After stifling a laugh she explained to me the error of my ways. In Spanish Calzone pronounced Kal-zown means women's underwear. I'd just asked my 8th grader if she was eating girl's panties.

Twenty-Sixth Birthday!

2010-02-18T16:28:00.007-07:00

On the day I turned twenty-six, just hours before my small celebration, I nearly died. This marks the second time I nearly died on my birthday. The other being the day I was born. I was premature and almost didn't make it past the delivery room. I am very fortunate that the doctors knew what they were doing and were able to save my life. But on my twenty-sixth birthday, if not for one of the millions of speed bumps here in Guatemala my fortune might have changed. Speed bumps, or as they are called here tumilos, are actually illegal in Guatemala. But that doesn't stop people from erecting them in front of their houses. Most small towns along the Pan American Highway have at least one tumilo for ever person living in the town (not kidding). Typically I curse these stupid speed bumps. But now I owe one my life.

It so happens that the tiny one way street I walk down every day on my way home from the gym only has two speed bumps, well one full one and one that's been chiseled away by annoyed motorists. I've walked this street manny times, it's almost second nature. So, on my birthday I was thinking more about being twenty-six and what that meant for my life than my walk home. It's funny what a birthday can make you think about. Thoughts of future relationships and the desire to start a family drifted through my brain. A glimpse of my life as a writer floated in front of my eyes. Right now I am teaching in Guatemala, but at twenty-six is that where I want to be for another year? Can I find what I am looking for down here? Do I want to go back to school and could I do that while I'm living here? Just teaching was okay for twenty-five, but the passing of another year sure makes me wonder. So, I was deep in thought and rocking out to Snow Patrol when I decided to cross the street.

The traffic for the one-way street is supposed to come up the street towards the gym, the opposite direction I was walking, so I could watch the on coming traffic. As I was about to cross the street, a car turned up the street so I adjusted my pace accordingly and stepped off the sidewalk to cross before the car sped past me. Unfortunately here in Guatemala one way streets are really just a suggestion. Like flossing or changing your oil, no one really does it. I should have known that a car would be coming the wrong way on the one-way street. But I was to busy enjoying my birthday. So, I stepped out on the street and, Wham! Whack! However you describe being rammed into by a car and flung into the air. I landed on my feet a couple of yards away from the car. Instantly I started pointing with my index finger at the car, trying to help him realize that he was going the wrong way. Then like a spike being hammered into the train tracks I realized I'd just been blindsided by a car, on my birthday. Is this what I want out of my life? As I stood shaken next to the curb the car zoomed off and I was left to walk home with a sore knee, hip, and elbow.

Why didn't the accident do more damage to me? Was my health my birthday present from God? The car had just crossed over the speed bump and started to speed back up when it nailed me. These speed bumps might not be legal, but I am sure thankful for the one that helped save my life. The rest of my birthday was great. And I am very thankful for all of the Birthday wishes I received. Here's to turning twenty-six and having a shot at turning twenty-seven!

Almost a Pre-K Teacher

2010-01-30T09:23:00.004-07:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to teach preschool age kids? How about four-year-olds who's first language is Spanish? Oh, these kids understand a little English now, but sometimes I feel like they just don't want to pay attention.

Two weeks ago I was asked to fill in for the regular pre-k teacher and teach for a full morning. My first reaction was to throw a temper tantrum. With my semester's experience of teaching these kids, I know how to throw a good one. But I decided to handle it like a man and see what I could learn.

Big surprise, all of the kids, not just the ones that who excel (a word used loosely here) in English, knew their classes' daily routine. Routines are saviors for little kids. Early in my PE class I installed a routine. The pre-kers follow me out to the court. We walk on the wooden sandbox to work on balance, then hop around a set of stones that lead to the court, and finally we race to the center of the basketball court. At least that is the plan. If you can imagine the next part of the routine is even more chaotic. I try to lead them in stretches but they run around. Typically one of the little guys asks me if he can take off his jacket. This causes a chain reaction that ends in all the kids running-amuck, jacketless. On good days we follow our stretches with a bunch of different fun movements, like crawling like a bear, walking like a crab, and skipping. Then we try to play a game. My routine doesn't always work that well, but I had hope their class routine would lead to an easy morning for me.

But, back to my adventure subbing their class. According to the child in charge of moving the Weather Clip it was a sunny day. As soon as he picked up the card with a radiantly smiling sun on it, the entire class shouted "SUNNY!" I think they were supposed to wait for me to ask what type of weather we were having. We didn't make it that far, but we almost did. The rest of the day was filled with more almosts. We made it to chapel but I almost lost a kid. He decided to go to the bathroom for ten minutes. We made it to art and I almost didn't pick them back up. Just kidding. They ate all their food during snack time and almost listened to me while I read them a story. Recess was fun, they almost emptied the sandbox. And finally during free time the boys almost destroyed the classroom. All of these almosts caused us to be late for their parents to pick them up. Yet, without their routines I think I would've almost died.

Teaching similingual kids can be fun because they kind of say really cute things. They have huge imaginations and they smile a lot. But I was exhausted by the end of the day. My friends kept asking if I was sick. It's hard when you teach a class of kids who are all off in their own worlds most of the time. But, hey, they're just little kids and I don't think they should have to grow up too fast. I just hope I don't have to sub for them again. That was a lot of work.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-30T13:53:00.006-07:00

This was Addi's first Christmas and she decided to sit on my lap for most of it. I couldn't

have asked for anything more precious for Christmas. I hope everyone had a great Christmas

and has a great start to the new year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

A Tikal Thanksgiving

2009-11-30T20:00:00.016-07:00

Bruce Cockburn, one of my favorite musicians, wrote a song about Night Trains, which was probably inspired by a trip he took. I wanted to quote the song, but it has nothing to do with Mayans or Thanksgiving, but I digress.

Anyway, I took trip on a Night Bus to Tikal, a Mayan ruin, for Thanksgiving. I have no plans of writing a song about it, but I do have to say one thing, one of the passengers sitting in front of me had an old boom-box cd player and was blasting, if blasting is the correct word, old 80's soft rock. After that I had the song " Eclipse of the Heart" stuck in my head for most of the day.

Strangely the horrible Bonnie Tyler song and not Bruce Cockburn's song fit my trip, because the Mayan's were known to follow the lunar calendar. Whenever there was an eclipse, they ripped the hearts out of their enemies in sacrifice to their gods. In fact, most of the gigantic temples in Tikal were built in correlation with the sun or moon.

As I walked around the ancient buildings, I kept wondering what it would be like to walk around New York a thousand years after it had been deserted. I saw in the 2009 September issue of National Geographic what New York looked like when Henry Hudson discovered it 4oo years ago. Check this issue out, because the urban takeover on the island of Manhattan is very similar to the jungle takeover in Tikal, except in the opposite direction.

Manhattan, once a forest, now is a gigantic city and Tikal, once a sprawling Mayan metropolis, now is a gigantic jungle. During Tikal's peak, it was the epicenter for much of the Mayan world. Now it's a national park in the middle of the jungle. So, as you look at the pictures below try to envision Tikal as it once was, a thriving city. The temples were dyed red to symbolize life. The grounds were stone. It was immaculate. It was alive.

Yet, for the city to continue to live the Mayan's believed that someone had to die. It was their circle of life. Blood was sacred, life giving, and so at one time blood spilled down the temples, as the priests ripped out the hearts of their unfortunate human sacrifices. Mayans believed that when blood was spilled in sacrifice to the gods life was renewed. Mysteriously something, maybe famine, war, or overpopulation, ripped the heart out of the Mayan culture leaving it dead. But because of the death of the Mayan culture, many Guatemalan's make a living off of the national park. The Mayans understood the connection between life and death. Unfortunately they didn't know about Christ, the man who broke the cycle and quenched the need for sacrifices. Yet, for me, walking around their sacrificial monuments pointed me to Christ, because they reminded me of the world's need for a savior.

5 steps to running the Xela Half Marathon

2009-11-17T12:57:00.010-07:00

Step one: start off slow. Independencia, the main street in and out of Xela, was packed with runners bobbing up and down. Everyone trying to warm up their legs. Knowing that any last minute help would probably speed them onto the finish line. Up at the front of the line were the Kenyans, invited so they could win the race, and who could win the race with their legs tied. Fast is in their blood. The Kenyans were already starting their fourth kelimoter when I crossed my first. I was told by a very wise man to let everyone pass you because it's a long race. So, I started off slow.

Step two: find a running partner. A couple of my coworkers were runnig the race as well. Unfortunately for them they had not trained, so I kew they would not be good partners. They also started off very fast. The first leg of the race seemed flat, so almost everyone raced ahead. By the 7th kilometer I had caught and passed most of the people who'd raced ahead and I had a guy following my pace. I don't think it's possible to run 13 miles with out a partner. Your partner really helps push you on. Several of my patners fell behind, especialy on the bigger hills. But in some way or another I always had somoene running with me, helping me push on. My favorite partners were my students Danielle, Julio, and Melvin. Danielle and Julio were in the crowd and decided to run with me for a litte while and Melvin finished the race with me. When Danielle and Julio joined me, I was at a point where I wanted to slow down, but they reminded me that I am a PE teacher and so I must be faster. It was great.

Step three: remember your training. I spent over two months training for the race, not including last year's training. I had a couple of hickups. My shoes were stolen and I was sick a time or two, but overall my training went smoothly. And so when I was running up the big hills, not fast mind you, I knew I had run up bigger hills. And step by step I drew closer to the finish line. My training gave me the confidence to run fast when I was going down hill and the knowledge to conserve my energy by runnnig slower on the up hills. The best part was knowing I had run most of the harder sections during my training, so I knew I could do it. There's nothing like facing a challenge and knowing you have the skills to beat it. I don't think I could have finished without having trained for the race.

Step four: finish strong. Well, I tried this and it kind of backfired. I sprinted the last kilometer. I'm sure I looked good and strong while I was running, but I threw up afterwords. But as I was rounding the final bend I figured why not run as fast as I could, I mean I wouldn't be running again for a couple of weeks. Again without any training I couldn't have done this, but sometimes migraines just happen. Even though I was sick for four days after the race, I am glad I finished strong. I would rather give something my all and get hurt or sick than try something half heartedly. I finished the race and now I know that if I put my mind to something I can achieve my goal.

Step five: rest and repeat. I plan on running the Coban half marathon in May and so I'll probably follow all four of the steps I've mentioned above. I hope when I run in Coban I don't have to deal with a few of the things I have dealt with for the last two half marathons I've trained for. Hopefully swine flu doesn't rear it's ugly head and cancel the race again and most of all I hope no one steals my running shoes again. I would like a smooth training experience and a smooth race. But I guess I just need to remember that like life, running isn't always easy and the hard times will just make me stronger.

Friendships

2009-10-27T21:05:00.014-06:00

Xela seems to be a smelting fire for life and friendships. During the year I've been in Xela, God has been forging me into the man he first designed, minus my imperfections, by helping me make new friendships and strengthening old ones. Yet, I know God isn't done casting me into the mold he has designed for me. I've been learning with friendships, even the deep ones, where you care about the person immensely, it is still hard and risky. I believe that a true friendship can and will outlast the hard times.

I've got a cool example. Over the last year God healed a friendship that had fallen off the deep end while I was in college. Redeeming the friendship took work on both our parts. Metal can't be forged into the artist's desired shape without the artist spending time heating the metal, pouring the metal, and letting the metal cool. Friendships also require a process of time, effort, and patience. Through that process the friendship was reformed and in turn I was changed. Now I feel like God is forging me anew by the use of friendships and the work they take.

Work. A word that needs underlining when it comes to friendship. Every morning at work I focus on my job just like the artist or metalworker focuses on the metal. Now I can put in a ton of effort to make sure my students enjoy PE or creative writing, but if they don't match my effort the class struggles. Like when I tried to teach Volleyball to the elementary kids. They didn't want to play because the ball hurt their hands. They didn't cooperate at all, which made their thirty minutes of PE a bore. Friendships are the same. If both people in the friendship don't put forth the same effort, the friendship will be strained. Friendships require a give and take. If you don't give a little to your friend and don't receive in return, it's not a friendship.

I'm not the only one that thinks this. I asked a few of my students what they thought it meant to be a friend and here is what a few of them said:

"To me it means a relationship with a person that doesn't involve love (eros). You trust them deeply, talk about anything, and you have many things in common that you practically talk about anything."

"Friendship means to me loyalty and being nice friends. Hanging out. Having to go to places. But the most important part is caring for each other. Friends should be there for each other in good situations and bad situations."

"Friends care for you and they help you. We have fun together, sometimes we bother each other. Friends are one of the best things you have in the world."

"Friendship means to be there when a friend needs help or comfort."

"Friends like you for who you are."

"Always be there fore each other."

"Friendship means to always be there for each other to talk about stupid things."

"They are something very special to me because without friends we would be lonely. Friends are like your treasure box because you'll find things that you have in common or difference, you could also tell them secrets and they'll never say anything. Friends are cool, and they are always there for you whenever you need them or whenever you don't."

My students seem to know that friendships take being there for each other. I believe that when you care about someone and they care about you, you will meet each other half way. The only problem is this hardly happens with human friendships. As a friend, I can be selfish and when times get hard, even I can back out on the people I call friends. We humans don't try to meet each other half way. If friends are truly our treasures, then often we are fools gold. We guard our selves so we don't get hurt.

That is why the only true friend is Christ. He knew we couldn't meet him half way and so he went the entire way. He loved us despite our shortcomings. That's a true friendship. But, I believe what God is forging in me is the desire to be Christ-like with my friends. Even if a friend doesn't meet me half way, I feel like he is calling me to take that extra step. This is difficult, but if Christ could go to the cross after all the junk we humans did to him, then maybe I can make this one small step. Love with a Christ-like love.

Quinceañera

2009-10-10T18:45:00.020-06:00

"I've gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good night, that tonight's gonna be a good, good night."

No I'm not a fan of the Black Eyed Peas, but tonight's gonna be a good, good night. At least I hope. Tonight I'm going to a Quince, short for Quinceañera, which is Spanish for a girls coming of age party at 15. Oh to be a 15 year old girl again, um just kidding. I don't think I had a party when I turned 15, which might be because I'm a guy. For my 15th I went fly fishing with my dad in Oklahoma. The best part of the trip was tying minuscule flies with my dad, complaining about my icicle fingers, and still loving it. My best friend Philip came along and we used the tent stake bag for a hat. Philip and I spent more time throwing rocks than line, which might be why we didn't have fish to eat that night. That was a special birthday for me and yet it doesn't compare to the Quincaeñera.

While I've been to plenty regular birthday parties, and become rather famous for my dance moves, I do a wicked sprinkler that I morph into an up and down jabbing fist pump, It's wild; I've never been to a Quince. But the kids told me to expect a good meal and then to bust a move or two on the dance floor. I can't leave these parties without a little dancing. The kids request my moves, it's sad but true. The party will be held at Bonifaz, which I have been in once and is a beautiful hotel located near downtown Xela, and will probably last all night or until 4 in the morning to be exact. I think the Latin culture may know how to celebrate life.

For the party Bonifaz, a beautiful white hotel in central park across from my apartment, was

decorated immaculately. Purple balloons hung from the ceiling like big grapes and each table was decorated with candy and flowers. A great mass of people filled the hall, 300 of which were invited and the rest were colados, Guatemalan slang for party crashers. The party started at 7:00, but according to local custom you don't show up until an hour later. So like any good ethnographer I didn't roll into the party until 8:00, which was hard because I'm punctual. But as it turned out 8:00 was right on time. As I took my seat in the crowded banquet hall, Ale, the 15-year-old host of the party, hand in hand with her dad, danced out onto the dance floor. The dance was beautiful and I'm sure she will remember it for the rest of her life.

I could have celebrated my 15th birthday MTV style, but that's typically for girls and no real people celebrate like that. The show Sweet Sixteen is just ridiculous and I'm glad I went fishing. No real people celebrate a birthday that way. Or do they? The Quince comes close. But I think the only true comparison to a Quince in the states is a wedding reception. Now at 15 I wasn't getting married, so there wasn't anyway I was going to have a huge dance party. Heck, at that age I could barely move my feet to the beat; not much has changed.

Now, when I turned 18 I flew to Tulsa to hang out with friends. This was a great way to celebrate becoming an adult, but still not as big as the Quince. Maybe guys just don't place much importance on their birthdays. Maybe it's a gender thing because girls, even in the states, do love to be treated like princesses for a day. But as I look back at my sisters' celebrations, and their friend's celebrations, they didn't celebrate the Latin way. Turning 15 might not mean that much in the states. Really only turning 16 because you can drive, 18 because you can vote, and 21 because you can drink mean anything in the states. Yet, these don't compare to turning 15 down here where it means womanhood. I remember watching a movie in my Spanish class about a Hispanic girl turning 15 and working so hard so she could have a party. It meant everything to her. While, my students aren't in the same economic condition as the heroin in the movie the party still means a lot to them. They practice for days for their dance. They skip school to go dress shopping. And then they invite hundreds of people to come party in their honor. Even weddings are different than this. Weddings are the celebration of two people becoming one, but I think Quinces are just celebrations of life. So, I hope you all are invited to a Quince someday and can celebrate life the way it should be celebrated.

Indepencia y Rio Dulce

2009-09-30T23:08:00.021-06:00

Independence in Guatemala is a couple week long celebration. Last year I blogged about my trip to the fair and the grito that was celebrated Independence eve. This year I made it back to the fair twice, but instead of staying in Xela for Independence weekend I treked all the way to Rio Dulce, which is located close to the Caribbean. Both the fair and Rio Dulce were amazing and I figured I would share a few of my pictures with you all. I hope you enjoy. The first video I'm posting is of a ride that I tried to describe in last year's blog. It's nothing but insanity. I didn't ride it this year. After a week of stalling on the blog so I could make the video work,sadly it will not post. I will continue to work on the videos so you all will need to keep checking this blog. Trust me this ride is sick. So you know what you are missing from the video just picture a spinning wheel of death, no seat belts, and violent tremors. Okay, now for the pictures. The above is a shot of the Ferris Wheel of death that Guatemalan's love to ride while they're at the fair. It's powered by an old tractor and a foot pedal. Okay, you get the picture, now here are some my photo's from Rio Dulce and the Fair. It was a great time and I hope you enjoy the photos.

Darwin and the Evolution of Brendan

2009-09-17T20:21:00.008-06:00

Do you know why Charles Darwin boarded the HSM Beagle on December 27th, 1831 and what really happened to him as he sailed the world for five years? You may be surprised that the answer to that question won't be found in history books or even personal journals. To know the truth you have to study the heart of a man. This is what I think motivated Darwin.

First, Darwin's older brother exploded into the public's eye a couple years earlier when he introduced a new method for tossing chamber pots out of windows. This drove Darwin to step out from under his brother's shadow and window. Second, he'd grown tired of his mom picking out his underwear for him, but moving out of his parents' house would have solved that. No, I think he sailed away from England for five years because of a girl. Just like most broken-hearted men, he figured an adventure would cure his ills. Little did Darwin know that the hussy who dumped him like last night's chamber pot was a tramp and not worth his time, but I guess if he'd figured that out before his trip he wouldn't have set sail and never grown as a man. Growth is inevitable when you see more of God's creation. God evolves the heart and the mind through time. So as Darwin sailed from island to island he was changed. He forgot about his broken heart, his brother, but not his mom. He'd actually missed having fresh undies.

But seriously, a little more than a year ago I flew down to Guatemala not knowing what I was doing with my life or that God was going to evolve my heart and mind. I was a blank canvas waiting for an artist to paint on me his masterpiece. Now my canvas resembles the beginning of a fine painting. So why am I still in Guatemala? My mom stopped picking out my undies years ago and when I left no girl had broken my heart, nor do I have a famous sibling who hogs the conversation at the dinner table. I'm here to serve God and to grow. Last year I grew quiet a bit, but I know God is not done yet.

So, what does serving God look like for me this year? Well, I've been attempting to reach out to my students in a more personal way, despite the fact they can be mean and loving all in one class period, by inviting them to do things outside of school. I hope that God uses these times to show them how much he loves them. By doing this I'm changing. Like the little fox in Saint Exupery's The Little Prince I'm becoming tame to my students. They aren't just faces in a crowd, they're individual kids that need the love of Christ.

No matter why Darwin set sail, his trip around the world changed him and my time down in Guatemala is changing me. I know that I'm more self-reliant. I cook for myself, which means I've been eating a lot of pbnj's or going to friend's houses' for dinner. I'm slowly learning Spanish. Although my conversations in Spanish are still short, I can tell my friends all about my time at the gym. Quite frankly, God has made me more confident. Before I left I was having trouble talking to people at all because I felt so lost. I'd graduated but didn't have a purpose. I'm not that man anymore. I have a purpose. I know more of what I want out of life. I want to share God's love with those around me and use my writing to communicate the truth of life. I'm no longer afraid to open up to people, which is a must when you want to see your students open up about what is going on in their lives. I've found that when you share a little about who you are they often are willing to share a little of who they are. And that's how both sides grow; evolve. Mostly they tell me about their love lives and yet I sit down most every night and pray for them. I plan on returning to the states eventually and like Darwin I'll know a little bit more about the world. I'll know that I'm a man seeking after God's heart with my eyes wide open. That's an evolution I hope happens to everyone.

Back in Action

2009-08-15T08:50:00.008-06:00

My first two weeks back in the guate have been marathon-esque. Last year it took me a while to feel comfortable, but this year's different. I hit the ground running. Last Sunday I had a pot-luck at my apartment, after being back only 14 days. And on Saturday I took some of the new teachers on a hike up Laguna Chicabol, which is a lake in the crater of a volcano. The pot-luck and the hike were two great events that are helping build a strong community, which was one of my goals for my return. Without asking the new teachers, I'd have to say God has been answering my prayer.

My summer in Colorado was a blast, but I'm glad to be back. While I was in the states for the summer I attended a couple weddings and met my niece! She's almost seven months old now and has already won the Miss Universe title. Here are a few of her answers to the judge's questions, "'Out of all your family who do you love the most?' 'Brendan.' "If you could change the world what would you do?' 'I would live closer to my favorite uncle.'" The rest she answered with her adorable giggle. How could she not win?

I also enjoyed seeing all of my friends back in the States. I danced my heart out at all the weddings and even climbed a 14er. My time in the States seemed short, but it re-energized me for my return to Guatemala. I need that energy to teach because I am now chasing after little kids. Early childhood teachers should be sainted. But I know this is where God wants me to be, even if I am teaching something completely different than I was last year.

At first it felt a little weird to be back in Xela, because I was unsure of what I was going to do with four year olds in PE. It also felt weird to be back because even though I'd only been away two months, I'd managed to grow comfortable being in the States. Who doesn't like hot water all the time and toilets that flush paper to boot? But God uses those challenges to help me grow. I know God wants me here. He has strengthened my friendships from last year and he is helping me form new friendships with the new people on staff. I am excited to see how they fit in and I sure hope I can help them feel comfortable. I've been trying to use my apartment to help that desire. I'm loving living in a place on my own. I miss my host family, but being able to invite people over is worth it.

The pot-luck I hosted at my house was a blast and I hope to have more. Mostly so that I can continue to help make the new teachers feel at home, but also because when you have a pot-luck the leftovers are left over at your house. That's a nice perk for my roommate and me. God is moving down here! I just hope he can teach me how to teach pre-k PE. The kids are adorable but don't speak English and like to run all over the place. It's craziness.

What my students say!

2009-05-30T21:12:00.004-06:00

Check teaching for a year in Guatemala off the proverbial list of things to do, 'cause I'm done for the summer! I'm ready to tear through Guate con mi familia! I've a lot in store for them and I hope they're ready! As excited as I am for my family to be here and for the school year to be at the end, it's hard to say goodbye, even though I'm coming back. I've learned a lot and I hope I've taught a lot. I love my kids and I think they care a little bit about me. The following is what they wrote in my yearbook. I'm not showing you guys this so you think, "Oh Brendan thinks he's great because his kids say he's cool." No, you're getting to read this because I think its funny. I've left the grammar and spelling just as they wrote it (remember I taught English, History, and PE). They call me all kinds of different things from Mr. Scott, to Scottie, to Mr. 1999, to Brendan, only outside of school. Some of my students thought I was cool (I sure tricked them) and some didn't think much of me at all. Over all, I really connected with a lot of the kids at IAS (my school). I love that they care about my dating life or lack there of. I really hope that God uses me in their lives. I want to see them use correct grammar and better spelling, but that may take a miracle. I guess I'll just accept seeing them grow in Christ. So here are some of their quotes. They made me laugh and each has its own story. I hope you enjoy.

Mr. Scott,

you R really fun! I love your class! I hope you change your mind about girls! [Me here. I told the the 8th grade girls that I thought girls were useless, but I was just kidding and they gave me a hard time about it for the rest of the year.] I think that you have to start serching for your future wife because you have a long way to go! Jjajaja

-(8th grade girl)

Mr. Scott,

You're an awesome teacher bisdies your horrible laps. Keep rocking.

-(8th grade boy)

Mr. Scott,

You are crazy but it's okay! [She wrote all of here exclamation points with hearts]

You are not cool but it's okay!

Hope to see you next year hope you become funner! [One day during class she stopped me mid lecture and said, "I thought you said class was going to be fun." Ouch!] I love you as a teacher

-(7th grade girl)

Mr. Scott,

I aggree with [the 8th grade girl about me needing to change my mind about girls] HaHaHa! Thanks Mr. for the adivce you gave to me! I hope to see you next year. Thanks for all!

-(8th grade boy)

Mr. SCOTT

you're classes are awesome and overall you are cool and have a cold summer in coloRado. Mr. 1999, be a little less strict.

-(6th grade girl)

Mr. Scott

You r soo cool thanx 4 Every thing Cya next year!!!

-(7th grade girl)

Hey Mr. Scott!

Hope you have an awesome sumer! You are kind of cool! JK! [smily face] It was fun having you this year! See you next year!

-(8th grade girl)

Mr. Scott

Thanks for the cool PE class that we had See you next year

-(8th grade boy)

Mr. Scott

I hope you don't give a lot of exersize

-(5th grader who I will teach next year)

Scott,

You're cool! I'm glad you like Coldplay as much as I do! Have an awesome summer! Don't get lost!

-(8th grade girl)

Mr. Scott,

You are a awesome teacher, thank you for teaching us History. See you next year. Have a cool summer.

-(7th grade girl)

Mr. Scott you're cool but dont Make us run in P.E.! P.S. let os play rugby

-(7th grade boy)

Sccotie-

Have a nice summer. Thanks for the emarecing moments on P.E. I'll miss them.

-(10th grade boy)

Mr. Scott

Have a happy life.

-(10th grade boy that knows I'll be back next year)

Scottie (as they call you . . .)

You weren't my actual teacher . . . But, I really enjoyed hearing about your first kiss and bad influences. Heh.

-(10th grade girl)

Reading through all of these proves to me that I connected with my students in some way or another, which was my desire in coming down here. As I look to coming back and teaching next year I can only wonder where God will take these relationships or if he will help my students and me learn how to spell and use correct grammar. I heard he was in the miracle business.

Coban Canceled!

2009-05-17T18:02:00.008-06:00

Being that apologies via the blog are all the rage right now (Mark Cuban's, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, apology to K-Mart's, Power Forward for the Denver Nuggets, mom) I would like to apologize to my readers because this blog you are about to read isn't what you might expect and it isn't the blog I wanted to write. So please bear with me for a minute or two while I complain. Two weeks ago I wrote about how running has changed me. How I was so excited to run in a half-marathon here in Guatemala. Well, shortly after I jotted my last blog, the half-marathon was canceled. Why? Swine flu. Wow! Swine flu must be really bad down there, you may be thinking. Well, in Guatemala there has been one case and that was about a month ago. Did you notice the "has" and the "one." They both indicate singular and the "has" indicates past tense. So why cancel the race? I know that the swine flu isn't something to joke about, but I think the Guatemalan government over reacted by canceling the race.

I want to look at some international happenings really quickly. Mexico, the nation that had it the worst, allowed its fine people to start attending soccer games the same week Guatemala canceled my race. Maybe Guatemala just cares more about its people. I doubt it. If you've been following the world news you might know that President Alvaro Colom is in trouble for the suspicious death of a lawyer. I'd say more but I don't want to end up missing. (Just google search Alvaro Colom and you can find out more for yourself.) So how does this connect with the cancellation of the race? Well, they said they canceled it because they did not want to allow large gatherings. I mean a thousand or so people were going to run the race, many from other countries, all gathering at once could cause a pandemic. That could explain the cancellation except for the fact the government paid 30,000 people to rally their support for Colom and then they allowed another 30,000 to protest him. The government allowing 60,000 people to gather on the same day my race was scheduled to be doesn't make me think they really care for their people. But maybe they all were safe because they'd bought hand sanitizer and masks. I guess you can't quiet run in a mask, so I just wouldn't have been safe.

I wanted to write a blog today about how the race went, all the sights I saw, how my legs kept pumping even after my mind said stop. Instead I spent my day writing a test and watching the Lakers bumble past the Rockets. (Boring!) I guess you could say I'm slightly depressed. I don't think I've trained so hard for anything and then just to have it ripped away at the last moment really sucks. But aren't there other races you could run in the states? I know you're asking that right now. Yes there are. There is actually one on the 14 of June, but it's not the same. I just trained for 12 weeks to run this race in Coban. Coban is eight hours away and a beautiful place, from what I've been told. Part of running there was being able to visit a new part of the country I live in. I can't say that about the race in Denver. And with all of the training I put in I feel like I should be able to race now. I'm going to lose a toenail and I lost ten pounds while training (okay my intestinal infection helped with that). But it's just a race. I think I can read your minds now. It's not just about the race though. I never thought I would run a half-marathon until Yasi, my school's secretary, convinced me to run with her. Yasi is probably the most helpful person in the world and loves to run more than I do. All of the races in the states wont have my training partner in them, she's got to stay with her husband and kid in Guatemala. I don't want to run alone.

The moment I found out that the race was canceled I felt awful. I can only relate it to what it feels like to end a relationship. My blood, sweat (gallons), and other bodily stuff were lost to this race only for it to be torn away from me. I'm still very mad about it being canceled and it doesn't help that I should have run the race today. Instead I went to the gym this morning and ran seven miles on the treadmill. Lame. I wanted to achieve the goal I worked so hard to attain. Now I have to say, maybe next year. But maybe I need to look at what good things training for this race led to. I'm in the best shape of my life; I keep on being able to say that because I keep on getting in better shape. Training for it gave me an outlet for the stress of teaching 12 year olds. And lastly I've made friends because of this race. Along with Yasi, I've gone running with a couple other people and now when I go to the gym I can have small conversations with them in Spanish. The race may have been canceled but it has opened my world here in Xela. I guess that's a good thing and I'll just have to be patient and see where God takes this.

Two Weeks until Coban!

2009-04-28T18:08:00.011-06:00

I swear I'm still the same boy who couldn't run a mile. Every time I run, every footfall on the treadmill, or the pavement, I'm reminded of that boy. How every time I was forced to run a mile in gym class I would lose my lunch. I know that a lot of people throw-up after running because they're out of shape, but for me this always signaled the onset of a long migraine. These migraines were debilitating; typically I would be out for a week because I couldn't stop throwing-up. After an abundance of hospital visits, which is another story, we finally figured out that I was suffering from abdominal migraines, which are abominable. Before I was diagnosed with abdominal migraines, I made every attempt to avoid running the mile, but gym coaches never listen if you don't have a doctor's note. Finding out that I was suffering from migraines did little to stop the migraines from coming. At one point I decided to stop all physical exercise because over-exertion seemed to be what triggered the migraines. All of this added up to me not being able to run a mile. And I still feel like that boy even though I'm about to run a half-marathon.

This last Monday I ran a 15-k out on the streets. Up until now all of my training for my half-marathon was on a treadmill. It's hard to run outside when you don't know the area that well and all of the distances are in Spanish (okay they're in kilometers, which are as foreign to me as Spanish). I finally found some people to run with and took off for a jaunt through town. Running on the streets in Xela is an interesting experience, filled with pot-holes and fast cars. I sucked in a lot of exhaust from the buses, which doesn't actually help you run faster, and saw a dead dog on the side of the road. Once we reached the edge of town the run improved. The scenery changed from Burger Kings and hospitals to beautiful farm country with the Volcano Santa Maria looming in the distance shrouded by clouds. The roads cleared a little bit and the hills we'd been climbing flattened out, but then it started to rain. If you ever want to feel hard-core, really manly, go run a hill and then watch everyone else hide under shelter as the rain starts to turns to hail and you push through it. After completing the 15-k in the rain, I've decided I'm going to be able to run the half-marathon. Knowing I have the ability to run 13.1 miles still doesn't tell me how I mutated from the boy who couldn't run a mile to the man I am now.

I think God has something to do with it. He changed me so I could enjoy physical activities at a semi-competitive level again. I know the change didn't happen over night. It was slow and has taken a lot of effort on my part. I've had a lot of setbacks. I've gotten a few migraines, but I've decided to push through. That is why when I run the half-marathon in Coban in two weeks I will be thanking God at every mile. I might still feel like the boy who couldn't run a mile and always stood shamefully next to his PE teachers while the rest of the guys ran the mile, but He has blessed me with the legs to run and the body to endure and I'm rather grateful for that.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T10:09:00.005-06:00

It's Easter Sunday and I just returned from a week in El Salvador. I spent my spring break, or Semana Santa as it is called in the Latin culture, relaxing on a beach. In case you didn't notice, I spent holy week in the country of The Savior. What a great reminder that Jesus has risen! The fact he rose from the dead saves me from the sting of death. I really like that fact.

Besides being the country of our Savior, El Salvador has well paved roads, beautiful people, and amazing beaches. I traveled down to El Salvador with two other teachers. We spent the first few days in Suchitoto, the old capital, and then finished off our trip at El Zonte, the beach town. Sitting on the beach with a good book is probably the best way to pass time, at least I think so. After finishing Into Thin Air, Jon Krakauer's account of the 1996 Everest disaster, I decided that living in Guatemala is enough of an adventure for me. I like being able to breathe. And now I've been digging into The Poissonwood Bible, a fictional account of some missionaries to the congo. They travel to the Congo to offer Christ's salvation, but forget that that salvation is a gift of grace and love and not something you have to work for. I'm glad God has taught me about his grace and I'm not trying to work for my salvation.

My salvation came on the first Easter Sunday a very long time ago. I don't have to climb the highest mountain in the world to find my self-worth or save a thousand Guatemalans to know that Christ loves me. He died for me while I was still a sinner and he rose from the dead setting me free from all my failures. That is what Easter is all about. Happy Easter!

Sick in the Guat

2009-03-22T16:36:00.008-06:00

It's March, month 8, day about 240 in the Guat and I finally had to go to the doctor. As I've documented my time down here I've noticed one fact, most of the other teachers down here weren't able to stay away from the doctor quite as long as I did. Until last week I didn't really know what going to the doctor in Xela meant. I walk past the small fenced in private hospital every day on my walk home from the gym, but my goal was to say fenced out. Alas, my body betrayed me and after six straight days of hell in my stomach I finally crossed the fence and found out that at the private hospital, you do private things.

Day one of being sick, before I made my trek to the hospital, I thought I had the flu. I'd come down with the chills and a temperature, which I thought I could beat. I mean I'd held out on falling into the life of the infirm for so long, why couldn't I fight this off and get healthy without the help of a doctor? Unfortunately, my self diagnosis was so far off that I dehydrated myself and caused some serious problems for my body, but I didn't find this out until day six. So from day one to day five I assumed I could fight it off with plenty of rest.

On day two I went to work, gave a test, and nearly passed out. Everything was rushing through my body and I barely made it home that night. I might be sounding a little over dramatic, but I felt as though all my energy had been drained out of me and flushed down the toilet. That night I made my way to Kristin's house so I could watch her dog while she was out of town. Kristin's dog, Calli, and I have a special connection, she's my second favorite dog in the world, so as soon as I walked in the door she knew I was sick. All weekend as I wasted away she did her best to comfort me. During the nights when I couldn't keep myself warm because of the chills she curled up next to me and shared her doggy warmth. It was a blessing to be able to stay at Kristin's house all weekend. I hate being around people while I am sick, they don't share the unconditional love dogs have. Unluckily the weekend ended and I was still sick.

On Monday, day five, I thought I could teach again, but by the end of the day my chills had returned. It was becoming clear that I needed the help of a doctor. The next day, day six, I forced myself to go to school so I could get a ride to the hospital. A couple of my co-workers demanded I have myself checked out because, as they said, "I looked like death." So, I taught my classes and then made my way to the hospital. That night I found out that I didn't have the flue. My next guess was the common stomach ailment of parasites or amebas, but it wasn't those either.

On day seven I was informed that I had a major infection in my intestines, which I guess, according to some of the other teachers, isn't that bad. But I'm not so sure where they received their medical degrees because I'd like to disagree with their statement. If what was wrong with my stomach wasn't that bad then I never want to contract anything worse. To kill off the infection I was placed on some gross medication and told to eat bland food for a week. I lost 10 pounds to this infection and learned that I should go to the doctor at the first sign of illness. I also learned that no matter how carefully I eat down here in the Guat somethings are still going to get you.

May My Eyes See the Glory of the Lord

2009-03-08T19:51:00.012-06:00

I've been reading on the roof of my house lately. It's dirty up there, full of laundry lines and cat scratch, but I like it because I can see the city I live in. Xela's a busy city and from my rooftop I can see people walking her streets, cars swerving around those people, and street dogs fighting over bags of trash. This is the physical world I live in, but I long to see so much more. I want to see with my heart and be open to the spiritual world.

Have you ever thought about what it might be like to be blind? When I was little, I used to be afraid of going blind. This fear typically surfaced after I'd been reading and my eyes would've focused in on the words, then I would look up and my surroundings would be a little blurry. This sacred me out of reading for a while. I've never wanted to wear glasses. I'm 25 and I still have perfect sight and I've always prided myself on that fact. I love being able to see God's creation. The blues, greens, reds, oranges, and browns that paint the landscape of my life are colors I don't want to live without. But lately I've been thinking about how there is more to life than what I can see. So what would it be like to be blind?

I've been reading "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek," by Annie Dillard. It's a hard book to read. My vocabulary isn't that big and she hits on some real deep issues. One of the chapters deals with sight. She talks about how people who are blind from birth and then regain their sight have a hard time with spatial reasoning; the thought that a blind person may not be able to judge sizes and distances had never occurred to me. Without sight your connection to the physical world would be based on your other senses. Your understanding of the world would be completely different. As a person who can see I describe my experience living here on Earth by telling people about what I see. A blind person might describe their experience living here on Earth by telling people what they feel, physically or emotionally.

I might be wrong, but I think a blind person might be more in tune with God's creation at times because he or she isn't distracted by sight. In "A Wrinkle in Time," by Madeline L'Engle, there are creatures that cannot see. They're not blind because to be blind you would need to be created to see through eyes. They don't need eyes because they sense everything. I'm reading this book with my sixth graders and when I read through the chapter with Aunt Beast, one of the creatures that can't see, it hit me that there is more to my world than what I can see. We live in a spiritual world too.

I live in a world where I can only see the physical. But as the apostle Paul says, the physical that we can see doesn't last but the unseen is eternal. L'Engle uses this quote in her book. She has Aunt Beast, the unseeing creature, utter the words, which I find interesting because Aunt Beast seems to be able to see the unseen. Minutes later I read this quote by Paul again, in another book I'm reading, "Waking the Dead," by John Eldredge. Mind you this reading occurred on my roof in a single day. Like I said I like to go up to my roof and read because it is warm and I can see the mountains surrounding the city. I had just put down "A Wrinkle in Time" and picked up "Waking the Dead" and I was still thinking about not being able to see. It so happens that the chapter I'm on in "Waking the Dead" is titled Eyes of the Heart. Eldredge is talking about how we need to see with the eyes of our heart.

What does it look like to see with the eyes of your heart? This is just what I'm trying to figure out. I love being able to see, but I want to see more. I want to be in tune with the world the way Aunt Beast is in "A Wrinkle in Time." I want to be able to see the glory of the Lord. I know that God has a plan for my life and I know that my heart and not my eyes will be able to see it. This is the prayer that I have for my life. That I slow down and look for God in everything. He is there and my heart burns when it senses him, but my eyes are unfocused and can't judge what they're seeing. I'm a blind person who has just received his sight and is having a hard time with spatial reasoning. I want to be like a blind person and rely on my other senses. Right now I'm looking at something that is totally foreign to me and I want my eyes to see the eternal glory of the Lord.

25th Birthday

2009-02-22T11:24:00.004-07:00

This last Tuesday was my 25th birthday. I can now rent a car; my car insurance rates have dropped, but I don't drive anymore, so what's the point. Lately I've been thinking about how my life has been changing slowly and changing in some ways that are a bit more noticeable than the turning of an age from 24 to 25. I think one change that is noticeable is the fact that I'm training for a half-marathon. I remember stating very clearly to one of my friends that I would never run a half-marathon, but I guess I'm trying new things.

So last tuesday I also changed in age. Some people think that a birthday is just another day. I look at it as a celebration of life. On the day I was born I nearly didn't make it. I was born way early and with highly underdeveloped lungs. That may be why my mom remembered this is just the second time I've ever been away from my family on my birthday.

So each birthday is a true celebration of life for me. God gave me this life and I'm very thankful for that. Sometimes I think that I owe him just a little bit. Maybe that's why I'm here in Guatemala.

I hope that for whatever reason I'm here, God is pleased with all I'm doing. I think he must be because he blessed me with a great birthday. He typically does. Like the year I went up to the mountains with the guys from my bible study or last year when I had a huge party at my Gradparent's house. For the last eight years I've had my birthday off from school or work, but this year I had to work, which wasn't that bad. It was fun being with my friends at work and all of my students. I was sung to twice and one of my students gave me a box of toilet paper. Two-ply! After school I talked with my family on Skype. They all looked older, no wait that was probably just me. I now look like I'm at least 21.

But like I said earlier I don't think the big changes that God is making in me are numeral, but a little deeper. A big change is how I am actively trusting God. I still don't know what I want to do with my life, but I'm going to stay here in Guatemala for another year and see what God has for me. I trust that God will take care of me. I trust that God has a plan for me here in Guatemala for at least another year. I'm excited about that, just about as excited as I was for my birthday dinner. For dinner that evening I went to a new restaurant here in Xela. A good sized group of my friends came out to celebrate with me. After the main meal I was still hungry, so it was fortunate for me that Kristin and Annie brought out the cake they'd made for me. They designed it to look like a Denver Bronco Football helmet and I think it's probably my favorite cake ever; I'm still eating it. Over all it was a great birthday and even though I was away from all of my friends and family back in the states I still felt loved and blessed to see another year come to pass here in Guatemala.

Santa Maria!

2009-02-08T14:01:00.007-07:00

Santa Maria is the Volcano that dominates the sky line here in Xela. Last night I dominated it. Or I guess you could say it graciously allowed me to make an ascent. Santa Maria towers above the skyline at 12,375 feet tall. It's not the tallest volcano in Guatemala, but it is rather impressive. The ascent, 5,000 vertical feet from bottom to top, took us around four hours to accomplish. We started a little after midnight and got to the summit a little after five. You might notice that the time frame here doesn't fit. The four hours is actual hiking time and does not count the 30 to 45 minutes we hid bellow the tree line to stay warm.

The hike takes you up through onion fields and burnt-out trees. All of this was hard to see at night even though we had a full moon. So with our head lamps on we reached the top and huddled together for warmth. Around 6 am the moon vanished beyond the horizon. Because we were up so high the moon looked as if it had several turquoise and orange rings circling it, so as it vanished it created a beautiful other worldly image. I have been reading A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard and she talks about how ancient Europeans used to think that birds would migrate from the moon. So I had this picture on my mind as I stared at the moon. If birds really did fly to the moon and back I think I'd want to ride with them. How cool would that be. Once the moon slipped away it took the sun about 45 minutes to break the mountainous horizon. It was a cold 45 minutes and the instant the sun appeared the temperature jumped about 10 degrees. With the light of the sun I could see all of the other volcanoes lining the horizon. They looked like large ant hills poking through a sea of clouds.

Right below Santa Maria is Santiaguito, which is a small active volcano. It erupts about every twenty minutes and so we waited for nearly an hour just to see it erupt. You can see it by walking to what is called the look out point. Because it is an active volcano it is dangerous to get too close. This look out point is on the west side of Santa Maria and so in the morning it is still a very cold spot. I froze as I waited for an eruption. Nothing. Just a couple puffs of smoke. Frozen stiff I gave up and walked back into the sun leaving Santiaguito out of sight. It erupted a couple minutes later. I guess that's my luck. After a couple more pictures, we hiked back down. It took 3 hours and the constant down hill hurt my knees. I'm glad God invented volcanoes and gave me strong legs to hike them, two good eyes to enjoy his creation, and friends to share the memories with. The pictures above are from my trip so I hope you enjoy.

Challenging my self

2009-01-29T16:51:00.002-07:00

I tend to dream about the weirdest things. I've dreamt that I was a super model, blue steel anyone. I also had a dream once that I could heal people. I'm not Jesus and I'm not Zoolander, I just have weird dreams. Lately I have been dreaming about eating meat. The first dream happened about two weeks ago. I was out to dinner with my friend Jon, he teaches middle school with me, and we were eating pizza. I love pizza, especially pepperoni pizza, but in the dream I was shocked that I had just eaten a slice of pepperoni and I started to try to vomit. The next dream didn't happen until a couple of nights later. This one was not as clear but still had the same point. I was eating a piece of chicken and the same regret happened. Finally this last Saturday night I had a dream that I was eating steak. This steak was great. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. It was moist. It was perfect. Yet halfway into my second helping of steak I realized what I was eating and I started to pull the meat out of my mouth like someone would pull tokens out of a skeet-ball machine.

These dreams are weird, but they've come from somewhere. I gave up meat about three weeks ago. So in each dream I am facing something that I gave up. Now before you start calling me a Vegetarian I want you to know why I gave up meat. Have you ever wanted to challenge your self? Basically I wanted to see if I could go without something I love for a month. It is kind of like a fast but a little different. One of the reasons I came down to Guatemala was to get out of my comfort zone. I wanted to change and grow closer to God. I have found that it is dang near impossible to grow closer to God when I'm comfortable. I've tried to seek God most of my life, but when I've got it easy I tend to become complacent. I don't want to become complacent here in Guatemala. Back in August when I first arrived life was challenging. I was constantly looking to God for help. Things aren't so hard anymore. I have friends, I have a good rhythm with my job, and most of all I like it down here. So last Thanksgiving I started thinking about how I could challenge my self. I decided to give up meat for a month. Life as a vegetarian, if only for a month, isn't that bad. I've been eating more vegetables, which I like, and I've even tried Tofu, not half bad. The hard part is when I've been invited to bbq's, passing up hamburgers is not easy. This has happened more than once. And so the dreams have haunted me with the thought that I can't stick to my goal.

Where has God been in all of this? Same place he always is. Right beside me. While not eating meat might seem like a little thing and I'll be honest it hasn't been that hard. I'm really seeing how God provides for me. He has given me food every day that I have enjoyed. This may seem simple, but if you think about it I decided to do something that I knew was different and God is rewarding me with good food and with a new perspective on the world. I can now understand what it is like to not have meat. With all of this said I do I look forward to having my first taste of meat around my birthday in February, but I can now say that I can do without the things I like because God provides me with what I really need.

Excited For A Change!

2009-01-18T08:05:00.002-07:00

I'm back in Guatemala and excited about a few things. Christmas break was great and really helped me reenergize. I won my fantasy football league a couple of weeks ago and was able to celebrate the win with my family! Being with my family was amazing. We played games, watched movies, and talked. This was exactly what I needed. Hanging around my family really made me excited for life in Guatemala. Life down here is a challenge and I feel like God is constantly changing me. Life back home for my family is changing as well; its an exciting time.

My older sister Katie, who I got to visit while I was home over Christmas, is pregnant. She should pop in about two or three weeks. I'm so ready for the little girl to come into the world. This will be such a cool change for my family. When I was home everything we did had something to do with the kid. I'm ready for this change, ready to spoil my little niece, and see her grow in Christ. I know that Katie and Michael, her husband, are ready for her to wake them up at all hours of the night, ask to be held, and fed. I know bringing a life into this world is kind of a scary thought, such a huge responsibility, but I'm positive that my sister and bro-in-law will do fine. I'm positive that she will bring such joy to their lives. The only thing that I'm not really that excited about is the fact that I wont be able to meet her until June. I'm going to miss out on the biggest change to come to my family in a decade or so, but I'm confident that God has me right where he wants me.

Like I said I loved seeing my family while I was home, but by the end of the break I was ready to head back. I got to see how God is using my dad in South West Denver. His church is growing and things seem to be following God's will. I hope that someone will be able to say the same thing about my life and my job here in Guatemala. I guess the excitement in that last statement is knowing that as long as I seek God he will be glorified. I'm challenging my students to trust him more and I guess I'm doing the same thing. I'm excited to be where I am right now and I'm joyful because God is changing me, making me more into the man he crated me to be. A big change is coming and I'm ready.

Last Day in the Guate

2008-12-17T10:48:00.003-07:00

Finals wrapped up about two hours ago. I'll hop on a buss for the city (Guatemala City) in another two hours and then I'll fly home tomorrow morning. I'm rather shocked that my first four and a half months are over. I feel like I've learn a lot and am very ready for a break. I'll be in Colorado for most of my Christmas break, save for a weekend in Tulsa for the Rice wedding, so if you want to hang let me know. But before I fly out I wanted to write my last blog of the semester. I've tried several different styles with this thing, and I hope you've all enjoyed it. This is a list of the 10 most important things I'v learned while living in Guate, so have fun reading!

Never say you'll race a 6th grade student and then loose.

Always dance at your students christmas parties. Always.

Tacky Christmas Sweaters are to be worn at Tacky Christmas Sweater Parties with friends and not out in public.

Always hike with friends. Never hike alone.

Never be afraid to jump, the waters not that cold.

When the Teacher asks you to dress up for a presentation, you should do it.

If you can grow a stache do it, if you can't, do it.

If you see a funeral procession walking towards the cemetery join in and have some fun!

Catholics enjoy processions and you should too.

Don't ever go anywhere expecting to remain the same.

Walking and my driving addiction

2008-12-10T18:32:00.002-07:00

Hello, my name is Brendan Scott and it has been four months and eleven days since I last drove a car. Or as my students might say, "drived a car." Before I left for Guatemala I didn't know I was addicted to the open road; the high speed freedom of 70 mph and a full tank of gas. But I quit that high octane ride, cold turkey, for a much slower means of transportation. Walking.

Besides the morning ride on the micro (pronounced meek row) bus, which takes me to school. I walk everywhere. First I walk to the bus stop. Then I walk to the middle school building, which involves a nice flight of steps down a beautiful hill. Then I walk around my classes, while helping my students learn that it's drove and not drived or loan me, not borrow me. I'm also trying to teach them that I wont let them barrow tissue paper, because I sure don't want it back after they blow their noses in it. But the thing I hear the most while I'm walking around my class room is a simple question. My students constantly ask, "Can I go to the bathroom." Frankly I don't know if they can or not. I'm not their doctor, so I don't know their medical history. I can't tell what they can or cannot do. But if they really need to go I tell the they may go to the bathroom. It is fun having the power of permission. After school I ride the bus to the gym. At the gym I lift weights and run. Then I take a nice twenty to thirty minute walk home. On the walk home I pass three pinata shops, two other gyms, two hot dog stands, a beer factory, a park with a big star of David in the middle, and several hundred Guatemalans speeding by in their cars.

Seeing a car gives me the shakes. I want to drive rather badly. I know the benefits of walking everywhere. I feel healthier and I've probably saved a ton on gas, which is good because my stipend definitely couldn't cover how much I was spending on gas before I left. I was so addicted to driving I was traveling from Denver to Boulder almost three times a week. That drive had nothing to do with wanting to see my friends. Now I walk everywhere and I've started having dreams about driving. I guess the old saying of you never know what you've got until its gone is true for me and my car. I'll be back in Colorado in a week and I think the first thing that I want to do is drive. Maybe then I'll miss my daily walk home from the gym and all of the crazy drivers that swerve to try to hit me. But for now I am longing for home, not to stay their permanently, but to be able to drive around for a little bit and recharge my battery.

Thanksgiving!!!

2008-11-30T20:47:00.007-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving!! This was my first Thanksgiving away from my family and so I really didn't expect to eat well. I also expected to be a slight bit lonesome, but as these pictures will show you I was neither friendless or foodless over Thanksgiving.

These are the friends I got to share my thanksgiving meal with. The Parents at the school provided a huge Thanksgiving meal for everyone, almost 300 people, and the food was

amazing!

This was the massive amount of food the parents provided for the teachers. What a great way to celebrate an American holiday in Guatemala. I also had a large dinner on Thursday over at my friend's house. Both times I left thinking that I never needed to eat again. That's a Feast.

And finally this was how I spent my Thanksgiving day. I hiked up La Muela (The Muller) with some friends. It was a beautiful hike and I had a great time. Thanksgiving to me is about friends, family and food. I usually spend my Thanksgiving eating and eating and watching football and eating some more. All done with and around my family. This year I didn't have the opportunity to be around my family, but as you guys can see I was blessed with a few friends to spend my Thanksgiving break with, and sometimes friends are as good as a family. I want to close with a question. What is Thanksgiving to you?

Prayer

2008-11-23T16:18:00.002-07:00

Sometimes I feel infatuated with God. My love can be a fleeting feeling. I want more than that for my life and the love I fill with it. I want to love deeply and love with reason. I want my heart to beat in rhythm with God's, like a guitar strumming in rhythm with God's drum beat. My heart desires to express my love for him when I'm worn out and broken. To love him when I'm full of awe and gladness. My love should be deep, maybe as deep as the sky and as close as the air. I know that at times it's not. I worry about what others think of me. I know friends don't satisfy the way God does. I don't want to worry, I want to be profound and to live with a strong secure love.

Can I find joy in the simple things? Sheets that fit. Air to breathe. Legs that carry. Mountains to hike. Hands that write and feel. Eyes to see. Sunsets to view. Mouths to feed. Mouths to chat. Conversations in spanish. Conversations in English. A child's laughter. Ears to hear. A child's cry. Friends that cry. Friend's laughter. Friends to love and be loved by. Too often I look past these moments and float on with the breeze. My feelings flutter with the wind. I don't want to fly where the wind blows. I want to be firm, yet changeable, because God's love is at work in my life. Changing me to be alive in him. Making me more than I am right now.

This is a prayer I'm praying for my self. There's a couple more days until Thanksgiving break. I'm ready to sleep in and have a long weekend. I'm pretty sure my kids are ready for the break too. After Thanksgiving there's only three weeks until Christmas break. This semester is flying by and God has really taught me tons. I can't wait to see what's next.

Friendships

2008-11-17T18:57:00.002-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about friendships lately. I guess I've had friendships on my mind because I'm relearning how to make them, in a new culture none the less. I've found out that making friends here is very similar to making friends in the states. It takes time. Fortunately I've been down here for a little over three months and I'm starting to make some good friends. Yesterday I went to a beach called Champerico with a couple of my new friends; Laura, who graduated from Union High School in Tulsa, and Kristin, who also goes by the name Scarface because she has a nice Harry Potter scar on her forehead.

While I was at the beach the crashing of the waves started me thinking about how people change when they make friends. Each time a wave crashes in on the beach sand is dragged back out to sea and the beach is changed. Maybe its only a slight change, but a change none the less. The sand that was loosed from the shore is now out to sea. There is no stopping this beautiful natural process. Until the end of time waves will break on the shore and pull little parts of the world apart.

Like ocean waves friendships pull little parts of your world apart. A good friend will crash in on you and pull you out into the water. They will not leave you the same. I feel like I am making a few friends that are really challenging me. Kristin is the art teacher at my school meaning she's payed to be creative all day long. When I talk to her I feel challenged to be more creative with my writing and my English class. I can tell that she expects greatness out of her friends. A good friend wont let you slide by or underachieve. They'll crash in on you and pull you out to sea where life is a bit more dangerous but probably a lot more rewarding.

I could have stayed at the beach all day long, just sat in the sun, and had a great time. But the real fun didn't start until Laura and Kristin got me to jump into the water and let the waves pull at me. We played in the surf for a long time. The waves were huge and the black sand on the beach was hot so staying in the water was a little more appealing. Friends will take you to that place. Little bits of you will be taken away as you go, but in the end the I think you'll be a better person than when you started.

Seasons: Invierno y Verano

2008-11-12T18:19:00.004-07:00

I am now ready to say that the rainy season has ended. I arrived in Guatemala on August first and it rained. It has rained almost every day I've been down here, but as of this week it has officially stopped. The loud noise you heard last week was the entire population of central America shouting for joy because the rain has stopped. During the rainy season it was borderline psychotic to leave your house without a rain jacket or an umbrella. I only did it once.

As my spanish teacher explained to me tonight Guatemala really only has two seasons. Rainy and dry. Notice this does not include Summer, Fall, Winter, or Spring. During the rainy season it is warm and rainy and during the dry season it is cold at night and hot during the day. Not much change. I really missed the changing of the leaves last month. I love driving through the mountains watching the Aspen leaves turn from green to golden yellow and red. The cool crisp air biting at your lungs in the mornings. Other than football and hunting that's what makes September and October great.

Here in Guatemala September and October are filled with rain, but every once and awhile the air would feel crisp and if you closed your eyes you just might be able to trick yourself that it was fall time in the rockies, only until the rain starts to fall again. Then the air doesn't feel crisp at all. It just feels wet. No me gusta mucha lluvia. (I don't like a lot of rain.) My spanish teacher taught me that one tonight. But like I said the rainy season is over. Now in the mornings it is cold, cold, cold out. Something like forty degrees and then by the mid afternoon when the sun is at its zenith it might be eighty degrees out. Maybe a little less maybe a little more. It is now November and that means hiking and sunshine. It is hard not experiencing the seasons, but experiencing a new culture seems to be worth it and I am thankful for that. I know that I'll be longing for a little snow here soon, but in the mean time I'll enjoy being able to hike up the volcanoes that line my horizon.

Hallowelections!

2008-11-04T06:43:00.002-07:00

Paul writes in the book of Romans for everyone to submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. (Romans 13:1) Simply meaning God's in control so trust in him. God is greater than the government that is in place, or the government that is going to take control.

If you've been hiding under a rock with your fingers plugged in your ears while screaming lalalalala you might not know that it is election day back in the states, and everyone here in Guatemala is all a buzz. It's as if their country is electing a new president. I was able to vote by mail in ballot about two weeks ago, so hopefully my ballot arrived in on time. Before I sent in my ballot I showed each one of my classes what it looked like so they could understand what it takes to vote. (For some of the amendments it takes a masters degree in political science to know what you are voting for.) With all of the buzz and excitement in the air about the elections I am also sensing a little bit of fear.

It almost seems like the election process is as scary as Halloween to some people. People are likening one candidate to the boogie man and then the other to Chuckie. I've read a couple of facebook statuses saying that you need to vote for one candidate or you're not a true American or Christian. That sounds like fear and bad logic to me. I don't think fear is an appropriate response to the coming change, cause God's in control. I don't like change much, but I am learning to trust God with my future. I took a big risk in coming down to another country to teach. God has been with me the entire time I've been down here. I came down here alone, leaving all of my friends behind. Since arriving down here God's blessed me with a few friends. And I say if God can look after me, a rather insignificant person in the scheme of the world, how much more do you think he's concerned with the United States of America.

Yet fear and hatred still exists between the parties. Does that amount to a lack of trust in God? Yes, I have an opinion on they way I think the government should work, but in the end does it really matter? Jesus says in Mark twelve that the most important thing for me to do as a follower is to "love the lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind and with all my strength," and the second greatest thing for me to do is to "love my neighbor as myself." There are probably a thousand different ways to honor him and love my neighbor, but no matter what way I do it, what matters is that I'm loving those around me and honoring God while doing it. I believe this is what is important and I am pretty sure that I can love my neighbor no matter who is my president.

So this is what I'm going to do. I am going to trust in God and believe that he will bring everything around for his glory no matter what happens. There is no reason to treat election day like Halloween.

Mexico and Extortion

2008-10-26T21:09:00.004-06:00

I experienced a couple of new things this last week. Sushi for one. I'll let my buddies back in Boulder take a moment to catch their breath. I know you are scratching your head in wonder. What got Brendan to try sushi? We couldn't get him to eat it, ever. He refused and ate pizza the last time we tried. What brought about this big change? Lets just say some people are a little more persuasive than others. I will also admit that I didn't like it, but I figured I needed to try the sushi roll because I was in Mexico and you know the old saying, when in Mexico eat Japanese. Or something along those lines.

Mexico was another new experience. Now I've been to Mexico before, but I've never been there to renew a visa. Walking across the boarder from Guatemala to Mexico was very interesting. The Guate site was very crowded, people everywhere trying to sell you something or get you to exchange money with them. It reminded me of the Mexican side of the boarder near Juarez, dirty and dangerous. I walked through with my hands in my pockets trying to make sure no one else snuck their hands in there as well. While the Guate side was a reminder of third world poverty, the Mexican side of the boarder was clean and peaceful. There weren't any beggars or hustlers. I know that Mexico, just like any country, isn't all that great, but it sure seemed like a peaceful sanctuary compared to what I'd just walked through.

After a brief stay in Mexico we crossed back safely to Guatemala. Leaving behind cheap movies and bad Sushi. (Side note we saw The Strangers while we were there because the main Character's name is Kristen McKay, which is the name of the art teacher at my school. Only she spells it Kristin. Well, she really wanted to see the movie because of this fact. Half way through she was scared, screaming, and regretting her movie selection.) Leaving Mexico was easy. Entering Guatemala was difficult. The official didn't want to let us back in. We'd only stayed in Mexico for one day instead of the typical three days required to renew a visa. So, we bribed him with cigarets and booze. Factually not true, but we did accept his request of 10 Q each to re-enter the country (should've been free). I'm sure he pocketed the money. This experience made me wonder, do you work with a corrupt system so you can continue to share Christ's love, or do you hold to your standards, meaning going back and waiting three days? We payed and returned to Xela a couple of hours later.

I know that 10 Q isn't all that much, a little more than a dollar actually, but it is the fact that there are people out there that are willing to bend the rules for profit. This was small amount, but the guy still had an asking price. Do we all have asking prices? I hope that I can't be bought off. I mean I guess I'm not my own to sell, I've already been purchased by Christ. But what about the people who see money as their salvation and are willing to put others in danger just to obtain it? Things work a little different down here. In the presence of such poverty money is a get out of jail card. I'm not saying Guatemalans are greedy, more so needy. And when you are in need money sure seems like a good answer. Maybe that is why the man requested 10 Q from each of us. Maybe he needed the extra money for something noble like a starving child, but most likely he just wanted a little extra cash. Greed is ugly, it can turn a fun weekend with friends into a sour experience.

Pandaemonium!

2008-10-20T22:27:00.004-06:00

I pooped my pants. Not today, not this last week, and not even while I've been in Guatemala, at least not this time. I pooped my pants a couple of years ago while I was skiing in Vail. I was on my way down the mountain and only made it as fare as mid Vail. Some of you know this story. It is pretty funny and has always gotten some good laughs. Well, I decided to share this story to my middle schoolers during chapel. I thought it would be a good ice breaker. I thought this was a good story for them to connect to me with. I mean everyone poops.

Well, as I wrapped up my story. One of the eighth graders shot his hand into the air. I thought he was going to ask a question. He had something else planned. "Yes," I said acknowledging his raised hand. "Well, this last week I peed my pants," he said. I told him I had heard about that, and tried to save him from divulging further detail. He didn't stop. "I had to go real bad and I got 'it' stuck in my zipper. I couldn't get it out and so I started to flip it around and I ended up peeing all over my pants." No shame. I was laughing hard at this point. The other teachers rushed out of chapel crying laughter. I couldn't leave because I was in charge. "Okay," I said calmly after I'd taken a deep breath, " yeah, I'd heard that." I was trying to move into my talk, but he continued. "I got it cut on my zipper," just like this has happened to every man, which is a false assumption. His friend replied, "And he had to get a band aid." Simple pandaemonium. Boys and girls rolling on the floor with laughter. If I'd wanted an icebreaker I'm pretty sure a glacier had just broken free.

I gave the students about a minute to laugh it out then told them to regroup. This worked rather well. Then I smoothly moved into my talk about how to be a lover in a dangerous time. We've been sharing how to fit our lives stories into God's greater story, even our poop and pee stories. I think that the rest of my talk went well, but I don't think anything will top the self admitted peeing of the pants. The kids at this school are amazing. That is all I have to say. If you want to know more about my own poop story or about what I talked about during chapel let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Fantasy Football

2008-10-13T21:28:00.002-06:00

In the last couple of months I have become culturally fluent in a couple of areas. One is snapping my fingers together like I am tapping a can of chew. Everyone does this down here, even the women. If you want to fit in around Guatemala you need to learn this action. I don't mean you need to learn how to chew, but how to snap your fingers. This isn't a regular snap and to achieve the action you must touch your thumb to your middle finger and whip your hand up and down resulting in a popping sound. I learned how to do this in the seventh grade from a hispanic kid. Who knew I was learning how to be fluent in another culture.

The second area I have become fluent here in Guatemala is Fantasy Football, American football that is. Okay to be honest this isn't really a Guatemalan thing, but more so an IAS teacher thing. I am still fundamentally against the game. I drafted a few players that play for teams that I hate, Justin Fargus and Darren McFadden, whom I promptly traded for Tony Scheffler. I decided that if I was going to play a game that forced you to cheer for teams you typically hate I would fill my roster with Broncos. For the first two weeks this worked beautifully. Since then I've gone winless. I have a good team, but they just haven't been performing well. I bring this up because this is what "we" do down here. From the bus drops us off at school to the time it picks us up at the end of the day you can find someone working on their fantasy roster. When a trade or some other type of roster move you might see one of the teachers snapping their fingers together like a Guatemalan.

Right now I am not snapping my fingers together like a Guatemalan or enjoying fantasy football. My status among the teachers is slipping. I might be connecting with the students and teaching them how to speak correct English, but I sure can't seem to pull together my fantasy team. Living in another country sure is hard. I feel like I'm being stretched like too little butter over to much bread. From teaching to fantasy football to figuring out how to fit into Guatemalan's culture I don't seem to have a minutes rest. I am loving it though. I know I'll look back at this experience and smile. Maybe I wont win my fantasy league. Maybe I'll never learn the language and only be able to communicate with my Guatemalan friends through the finger snap. But even so God is creating something in me. I can feel it and I am excited to see what it is and where all of this goes.

Dia de los ninos!

2008-10-06T18:47:00.002-06:00

If you can't do you teach if you can't teach you teach PE. You might recognize this quote from the Jack Black movie "School of Rock," but I'm pretty sure it didn't originate there. I remember living by this moto in middle school. Even in college if anyone asked me what I wanted to do with my English major I would've answered not teaching, I wanted to do. So it comes as big of a shock to me as it probably does to everyone else that I'm teaching in Guatemala, let alone loving it. I think I am loving it because I am connecting with my students and slowly being able to share my faith with them.

I'm real big on community. I like being around people. So when I was working at Cherry Hell Hole Country club and being forced to wait hand and foot on people who didn't want to know who I was. I knew I needed something else. My parents challenged me to look outside of the country, which I did. God promptly directed me to Guatemala and then some how tricked me into teaching.

Here is what I love about teaching. The kids. I love them and long to see them grow into adults who are actively pursuing Christ. I still don't think I'm the best teacher, but I sure hope God is using me. I'm slowly getting to know my students better. In the last two weeks I have been to dinner at one of my student's houses and then to a party celebrating the day of the Kids. The dinner was great and the party was hilarious.

Just incase you're wondering, you did read the day of the kids, or the "Dia de los ninos." I remember, as a youth, wishing for a day completely devoted to me, other than my birthday or Christmas. I mean parents have Mother's day and Father's day. My request for a Kid's day would always result with a reply of, "every day is kid's day." Well, here in Guatemala October first is a day completely devoted to the kid. It's celebrated with pizza parties and presents. I was invited to the seventh grade party after school where I was served pizza, pop, and candy, which I ate gladly. Only to regret the food later. At the party all of the seventh graders were decked out in halloween garb. (Yes they are a month early, but who cares!) They even had a haunted house. One of the girls was dressed up as a bunny rabbit so I asked her several times how long it took her to grow out her ears and whiskers. Oh the joys of being a teacher.

Then today in PE I had a great discussion with my guys about life and girls. I hope they heard what I had to say about God and his greater plan for our lives, who knows. I really have enjoyed getting to know my students on a less formal level. I feel like I'm their teacher, but also a person that can relate with them and share Christ's love. I feel like the later is happening slowly, but is happening because I'm taking the time to know them. So I might not be able to do or teach or teach PE, but God is using me anyway. I hope.

Comer con Brendan

2008-09-28T23:32:00.001-06:00

Just this last week my host family bought me real milk. 100% leche de vaca. Making my breakfasts 100% more enjoyable. Cereal and Milk are like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, together until the end. I could consume a gallon of milk a day and eat cereal every meal. So for the last month-and-a-half I had a difficult time downing cornflakes with dried milk, which I thought was just one of the small hardships of living in another country. But now I am back to pure cow milk! I have, however, found that most everything else about the food down here is not a hardship. It is more like a blessing. I still haven't tried everything down here, but I've eaten almost everything that is "worth" eating and have made a list of my favorite foods. Buen pervecho (Enjoy)

-Flour tortillas made by Naomi, my host mom. These aren't your regular home-made tortillas that look like Africa. They’re a treat all by themselves. She puts a bit of sugar into her dough, which makes them extremely delicious. At the size of my head I can eat them as a stand-alone meal.

-Chocobananas are a mix of banana and chocolate and heaven. Naomi sells them to make a little extra money, but about twice a week she sends me to school with a couple of bananas that have been dipped in chocolate and frozen like a Popsicle, a true Guatemalan treat.

-Pache is a meal made with either rice or potatoes; I prefer potato. It is muy rico with a texture that is soft and pleasing similar to mashed potatoes. They wrap the rice in am oha leaf, which is a large green leaf and very similar to the leaves that Elves used to wrap lambus in, and then serve it hot with a slice of chicken in the middle. It is great for a snack or a full meal.

-Pancakes, okay these aren't a local anything, but my host mom makes great flapjacks. Again, I am sure she puts about a pound of sugar into her batter. My host mom makes these for breakfast about once a week and when she is cooking them in the kitchen directly bellow my room the sweet aroma lifts me out of bed.

-Scrambled eggs with refried beans are more common down here than beautiful women with dark eyes. I've had this dish for both breakfast and dinner. If you add a little picamas hot sauce to the eggs you get a nice spicy meal. Sometimes my host mom adds peppers and cut up hotdogs to the eggs, which makes me happy. When I am served eggs for dinner, I typically make an egg sandwich with pan and a paste of refried beans. It fills me up and is good and cheap.

-Tacos are good down here. Can you believe that? As I mentioned last week, I had a great taco at the fair the other week. I've also ventured out into the street for a tasty taco. And I’ve been treated to a taco or two at home. All three have been different and delicious. I've eaten crunchy, soft, and amazingly soft and crunchy together. (I know your thinking of taco bell, but stop this isn’t the four for a dollar Rockies special, this is the real thing.) The best thing about the tacos is the flavor of the meat, simply a miracle, which cures all of the taste buds in my mouth. I’d eat a taco any day if I could.

-Chevres are cheap hotdogs sold on the streets. They’re served with mustard, a sourcrout like mix, ketchup, and mayo. I don't like mayo so I make sure the street vendors don't ruin my chevre with it. I think the best part of the chevres are the silver stand they are sold from. They’re similar to ice cream stands you’d find rolling down the beach down the beach on a hot day. I walk by a set of stands every day after I leave the gym. The aroma is intoxicating. It's all I can do to walk all the way home with out buying a dog and ruining my workout.

-Home cooked chicken with rice and beans is another typical meal I've been served for dinner and lunch. Everyone jokes about how much Latin American’s eat rice and beans, but honestly I've only had this dish a few times and I've enjoyed it each time. Today I had fried chicken with rice and corn off the cob. It was delicious, but probably not healthy.

You can tell that I am eating very well down here. I didn't list all of my favorites here, because I already listed a few last week when I talked about all of the food I ate at the fair. My older sister, Katie, predicted that I would lose weight when I came down here. Her prediction was based off of the change in diet. Well, I have lost weight but that is only because I've been running and lifting weights almost every day at the gym. I'll need to keep my gym membership if I plan on eating as well as I am right now.

La Feria y el Grito

2008-09-23T22:50:00.008-06:00

Independence in Guatemala means two things, the fair and the grito. La feria, as the locals call it, is a mix of rides that would never pass safety standards in the states and food, which easily pass my standards, as well as make other things pass through my standards. The fair lasts for a little over a week and is extremely fun. The grito, which is Spanish for the shout, is like our fireworks celebration on the 4^th of July. Except they throw a concert into the mix and give a shout out at midnight. Both of these events are something a person living in Guatemala must experience. I started salivating for the food at the fair about the moment I first heard about it, which happened August 1sth (the day I arrived in Xela). Can you blame me? All the greasy Guatemalan grub a guy could grab and crazy rides.

Guatemalan’s official Independence day was last Monday, the 15^th, which was celebrated with a gigantic party lasting from Sunday night until early Monday morning. This was definitely one of my most enjoyable nights in Xela, even though no one gave a shout out at midnight. The best part of the grito (just a little spanglish here) was hanging out with the crazy Guats, which was highlighted by convincing a friend to kick a sign because she was mad at someone. She asked me to hold her drink, which I accepted and she preceded to kick around the sign and knock the drink into my face. Yuk, about as bad as crazy corn.

The grito was a blast and something no one should miss if they are in Guatemala, but wasn’t the food fest that I had been looking forward to for a month and a half. I’d say it was a good appetizer to the main feast. On Wednesday night, the 17^th, the main course finally was served. Oh what a dish!

I shall start with the rides first, because if you eat first you will throw-up, heck even if you don’t eat first you will throw-up. I rode two rides and cut my self off. I was way too dizzy and sore. The first ride, the tagada, which is Spanish for ride of death, or ride at your own risk, was insane. Even some of the Guatemalan’s won’t ride this one. More people watch this ride than actually tempt their fates by getting on the ride.

The tagada looks like a large upside down frizbee. A bench sits along the outer rim with only a couple of bars behind it for “safety.” Riders sit on this bench and hold onto the bars as the ride spins and tilts up to a 35-degree angle, riders have to hold on because there aren’t any seat belts. Then it starts to bounce up and down in an attempt to throw the riders off the bench. At all points on this ride death is a possibility.

At about half past six I tempted my fate. It was starting to get dark out, lights were bursting to life. I sat down on the hard red bench, no seat bets, remember. I grabbed the “safety” rail behind me with my right hand, my other hand was blocked by Tony, who sat down next to me, pinning me neatly in the middle of himself and Josh. Not a safe place. The ride started to spin, tilted up a little making my butt slide off the seat. Josh started kicking my legs, trying to make me slip off the seat. I resisted. The ride started to spin faster; then it stopped. No time to relax. At this stage the real danger started. Still at a tilt the ride started to bounce me up and down. I flew up out of my seat, or jumped as one of my students recalled who was watching from the crowd. Fate would’ve taken my life if not for my iron grip. I landed back on the hard bench with a thud and quickly readjusted my body so I could fend off both Josh and Tony. This worked beautifully. With my body turned to the side so my back was facing Tony and both feet up on the bench next to Josh’s butt. I started pushing with all my might and nearly pushed Josh, who is about twice my size, off the bench. The ride continued to spin and bump, but as a cowboy masters the bull, I mastered the ride. Bruised, but satisfied I excited the victor.

The next ride conquered me. It spun me up, down, inside out, and upside down. If there was a way to spin a rider this ride spun me that way. When the ride ended I nearly puked. Puking would have ended my night, before the main event, which meant no more rides for me.

Around 7 p.m. we moved into the food tent, not a moment too soon. The clear night quickly turned into a flood. Perfect time to eat. My first dish was a Burrito con pollo. Amazing! During the burrito feast I tried a bite of crazy corn. Let me just say, yuk. Although the Guatemalan’s don’t agree.

Next, I walked through the maze of eateries to the taco booth. I ordered my new favorite dish, a taco on a soft flour tortilla with beef, hot sauce, and a lime. This taco was the highlight of the night, at least food wise. My stomach was starting to feel full, but I still had so much more to try. After a small break I grabbed a plate of pizza. The crust was light and fluffy, but enough to make me full. There was so much more I wanted to try, but alas I only had room for one bag of churros. Unfortunately the consuming of the churro meant saying ciao to the Guatemalans. I had to get to bed so I could teach the next day.

I wanted to stay and continue to eat with the Guatemalans, but I had to be responsible, and buy a churro on my way out. Churros are fried bread with sugar dumped on top. This desert was fabulous. I scarfed down my churro and was surprised to find about a cup full of sugar at the bottom of my bag. Quickly I dumped the sugar into my mouth and called it a night. To anyone living in Guatemala this is a must.

Hogwarts!

2008-09-16T10:48:00.000-06:00

J.K. Rowling is a genius. Not because her books are so entertaining (which they are), but because she describes school life so well. I’m sure she must have taught at some point in her life. During my month of teaching I have found that I may be actually teaching at a Guatemalan Hogwarts. There are some very interesting similarities between the schools. And yes that means magic. Actually, no that doesn't mean magic, but I wish it did. But there are similarities between Christianity and magic so I'll substitute there.

Here in Xela at the Inter American School we have everyone from the Weasly clan, families that have five or more students at our school, to Harry, the orphaned child. Rowling nailed the private/boarding school sibling atmosphere. There are so many brothers, sisters, and even cousins at this school that the assemblies must feel like big family reunions. Rowling’s depiction of middle schoolers also rings true. I could probably name at least one Neville here at IAS and probably even a Draco. I have a Hermoine or two, life is fun teaching over achievers, but then I also have the under achieving Ron or Harry.

I don’t have a kid that is the chosen one, just a couple that think they are. A couple of my students enjoy bending the rules, but I don’t think they really mean any harm. The other day I noticed that a couple of my kids had written their names on their desk with white out. Clearly damaging school property. Very disrespectful. I gave them all a middle school detention. Filch would have strung them up their toes, but we don’t work that way here. I think it’s stupid that they did that. The kicker was their reason for doing it. One of the guys, a squirrelly little sixth grader, told me he wrote his name on his desk so he would know where he sits. Sadly he was telling the truth. I mean didn’t we all learn from Harry and Ron that some rules are meant to be broken? I mean who really cares if the students don’t listen in class or do a lazy job on their homework? Wait a second what kind of example was Harry setting? I mean he did save the world, but does that really make him so great when he was constantly breaking the rules in school?

The students aren’t the only ones that have Hogwarts counterparts. The teachers also share some similarities. I think if I were to relate myself to a Hogwarts teacher I'd probably have to say I’m Hagrid, mostly because I have a full beard, no wait not true. I mean because I have no teaching experience. I’m learning how to handle a class. Two weeks ago I wouldn’t have known what to do about the white out incident, so I hope to move up to the level of Madame Pomfrey soon, or even Gilderoy Lockart. But that might be asking a little too much.

With all these similarities between the two schools I have noticed some differences. I think the one thing where IAS is not at all similar to Hogwarts, besides the fact that our students can't perform any type of magical incantation, is the fact that we don't have any school sports team. They all like soccer, probably as much as Harry liked Quittage, but we don't have any inner school competitions on the soccer field, nor do we have any games between other schools. As the PE coach this kind of makes me sad.

Our focus is elsewhere. We work hard on teaching the kids how to speak and read English. This is kind of like their magical power. Sounds lame, but it will help them get into better schools and open up all kinds of opportunities for them around the world. The fact that we are teaching English in Guatemala is one of the biggest similarities to Harry Potter for me. It is like we are set apart from the rest of the community. The school is set apart even more because we are a Christian school. I think the struggle of how to live a Christian life in a non-Christian world is one of the hidden themes in Harry Potter. As a Christian we are different and set apart from the world. IAS isn’t perfect but neither was Hogwarts. What matters is that our end goal is to honor Christ and I think we are doing that.

I came down to Guatemala with the blessing from my friends and church family. And I've taken the responsibility seriously. I think it is very important to share my love for Christ with all of my students. I don't preach in my classroom, but I'm forming relationships. This is what matters.

I need to go back and read Harry Potter again so I can become a better teacher. It has been my reference point to teaching so far and I believe if I had a better working knowledge of the books I might actually start to become a great something or other. I am truly enjoying my time down here and I hope that this blog has encouraged at least all of you to go read Harry Potter.

Food Review Blog coming soon!

Time

2008-09-07T18:19:00.002-06:00

I feel a little disoriented.

This feeling could be explained away by the fact I had a 101.4 degree fever on Friday. I still taught all of my classes, which included lecturing on the writing process, discussing current events, giving a spelling test, of which I would not have aced, and administrating a quiz for my seventh graders. They didn't fair so well. During each class I had to fight off the urge to vomit or fall over because I was dizzy. I think I got sick because of something I ate, but I don't really know. I know I need to start getting more sleep. For the most part my kids were really good to me because they could tell I wasn't feeling well. They're just fortunate I didn't give the quiz to the sixth graders and the spelling to the seventh.

Or it could be linked to the fact that my watch doesn't work. The battery died about three weeks ago. I'm still wearing it because I have a watch tan to protect, but I'm getting a little tired of looking down at my watch and being told that it is 6:45 a.m. and knowing that it might really be around 2 in the afternoon, maybe. Or maybe it's because the clocks in the school are set ten minutes behind Guate time or is that ten minutes ahead of Guate time (And what really is Guate time?) and the middle school's clocks are behind the rest of the schools clocks, which makes my day longer or shorter, I'm really not sure. Outside of the school where Guate time is supposed to be the standard I have noticed something odd. At the gym both of the clocks are way out of whack. If you go upstairs to where the cardio equipment is the clock says one thing and if you go downstairs where the free weights are (I spend most of my time down here, I'm a beast) the clock says another thing. So I never really know what time it is. The only place where I am sure of the time is at home sitting by my computer, which has the correct time according to GST (global standard time, a term I might or might not have made up).

But here I am in Guatemala living on Guate time, not really knowing what that really means, but living on it anyway. I know that if someone wanted to brainwash me this is how they would start. They would constantly keep me in a state of confusion. Maybe Guatemala is trying to convince me to live a more laid back life style. Wait, I'm already laid back. Maybe they just want me to forget how the rest of the world works and realize that I should live my entire life down here, but then again the clocks could just be wrong. This is the third world after all. I have been here a month and well, I think another month will sort things out a bit more.

God is teaching me a lot. I'm still not sure what I think of teaching. I have up days and down days. I am ready for the rainy season to end so I can go hiking more. Maybe I just feel disoriented because I am used to an easy life where I don't have to deal with much. God is teaching me how to face my problems. I don't have a job where I can check out at 5 when I get home, if it really is 5. I'm working with lives and thats a whole different ball game. These kids require my time and my love. I guess the thought of responsibilities alone is a little disorienting. But God has my back, and that is a good thing.

Loving the Rockies!

2008-08-31T10:12:00.010-06:00

Early June 2007 the Rockies were mired in another season of futility. Their record was somewhere around 25-30 and they looked to be going no where. That summer I went to Disney land with my family to celebrate a bunch of graduations inside the family. My dad just received his Doctorate from Fuller Seminary, my older sister Katie had just graduated from NMSU after seven grueling years with her bachelors degree, and I was just about to graduate from the University of Colorado. Emmy had just conntinueated (the spelling dictionary doesn't even know this word), but I don't think this really counted for anything and I'm still not sure what it really means. All I know is she was in the 8th grade and she was on summer break before she started High School. My mom and my Brother-in-law Michael were allowed to come on the trip even though they weren't graduating from anything. I guess we let them come because we love them. Well, anyway we were in Southern California and going to Disneyland as a family for the first time. This was a not a first for my parents nor was it a first for Michael, but as a 23 year old it was a first time for me. I don't think I was to old to go, but I sure wouldn't have minded being able to ride all of the amazing rides at a younger age too.

However, this is not about my first magical experience at Disneyland. This is not about how I sang Yo Ho (A Pirates life for me!) as I floated through the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, nor is it how my mom waived to Barre Rabbit right before we splashed down on Splash Mountain. This is about my love for the Rockies and how they gave me a little treat this season.

If anyone were to look at the family photos from the trip they would notice me wearing a well worn out Colorado Rockies hat. During the previous season I started wearing my hat everywhere to show everyone that the Rockies had true fans. Now remember at this time the Rockies had yet to do anything to garner any respect. So here we were on our family vacation, me clad in my rockies hat, and my mom asks, "Brendan, why do you still like the Rockies? They aren't any good." I was shocked. My first thought was of my Grandma who had been a die hard Rockies fan almost her entire elderly life. She probably would have told my mom to do something crass. I, however, had a little more grace. It took me a minute to regain myself. I didn't think my mom would ever say something that ridiculous.

Calmly I replied. "Mom, a true fan loves his team no matter what. I'm not a fare weather fan and I will stick with the Rockies no matter what." Little did I know that my faithfulness would be rewarded. Last season the Rockies swept the Yankees. How about that, the Yankees. Any other year for a true Rockies fan like me I would have been able to live on that sweep alone. But the Rockies didn't stop there. As June rolled into July they continued creeping

up the standings. By Late August they were five games back of the Padres for the west and four games over five hundred. I think at this point I was really hoping for a winning season, nothing more. September of 2007 blew me away. All of a sudden they couldn't lose. Every game they had to win they did. During this stretch I wore my rockies hat very proudly, but I would have still worn it with my head held high even if they hadn't been on such a great run. On Friday September 28th I finally went to a game. The stadium was packed. Jeff Francis was pitching against Brandon Webb. And wouldn't you know my luck the Rockies lost. The game was hectic, we had runners on in the 7th 8th and 9th but just couldn't score. I felt so let down. I figured the magical season was over. I was wrong. The regular season ended with the Rockies in a tie for the Wild Card Spot with the Padres.

What followed next was the greatest game ever played in baseball history. I know some of you will argue with me on that fact. But I want you to know this, I'm right and you live in an East Coast centered media bias and need to get your head out of your, um well anyway. The game was a back and forth battle with the game going into extra innings. What a thrill ride. In the top of the 13th the Padres scored twice. My entire family groaned. My mom was even there watching with anticipation. Almost all hope was lost. How could the Rockies score three runs to win it? They hadn't produced any type of scoring threat since the 6th. But against Trevor Hoffman, the greatest closer the game has ever seen, the Rockies scored three runs. The last a dramatic head first slide into home plate by Matt Holliday, the real MVP (again East Coast Bias would claim differently). His chin bleeding he rose in triumph. I was ecstatic! The Playoffs! The Rockies made quick work of the heavily favored Philies and their MVP short stop, who wasn't even as good as our short stop Tulo (the real rookie of the year), and then they took care of the Diamondbacks to sweep their way into the World Series.

Just a side note on the east coast media bias. The Rockies had the best deffence ever in baseball history and didn't win a single gold glove. How do you figure that? Popularity contest, maybe? And what about the fact that Tulo finished near the top ten in MVP voting where E5 Braun who won the rookie of the year didn't even finish in the top 20 for MVP voting. Weird, huh?

The World Series was a let down, but I'll settle for National League Champions any day over missing the playoffs again. Their ride to the World Series was nothing short of amazing. They won 21 out of 22 games to get there. No other team has ever been that hot. Unfortunately they finished ice cold. 8 days off before the fall classic cooled their bats off. I still loved every minute of it. I saved every newspaper article I could. I'm all about memorabilia, but I was also thinking of my Grandma. She loved this team more than anyone. She would have had a crush on Tulo and would have been so happy for Todd Helton. I cried when they beat the Dbacks to reach the World Series. I was excited for my team, but also missing my Grandma. She would have loved this entire experience so much. I credit her with instilling in me the love of my team. We used to watch the games together. Back when the Blake Street Bombers lit up the night. So I saved every article with her in mind. Maybe when my mom asked me that ridiculous question back in June of 2007 I should have said I love the Rockies because my Grandma loved the Rockies and I love her. I think that would be my real reason.

To me watching a Rockies game takes me back to her small apartment. It takes me back to my youth. It also reminds me of lazy summer evenings with my dad. He loves the Rockies too. But he lets his emotions sway his loyalty a little. He gets mad at them more than I do. Watching the Rockies reminds me of the love I have for my family. It is something we all share. My little sister Emmy has even started to follow the team!

This brings us to this last Friday night. I was feeling a little lonely and a little left out. Most of the guys had gone out of town and I was left behind to sit and read or watch tv. It is hard being the only new guy who didn't already know anyone down here. Friendships don't just spring out of no where, they take time. And a month in I am still working hard to form connections with the guys down here. So instead of feeling lonely and sorry for my self I decided to watch tv. I was flipping through the channels, most everything was in spanish and so I didn't know what was being said (I don't start lessons until next tuesday), but I hit a channel with something familiar on the screen. A baseball player. The team that was up to bat was the Padres. I figured I would watch some baseball even if I didn't like either teams playing. Then I remembered that the Rockies were playing the Padres this weekend. And sure enough Aaron Cook was on the mound for my team, the Rockies!

What a treat. A little slice of home at a time when I was feeling a little home sick. I watched the entire game. I got to see Garrett Atkins blast two home runs out of pitcher friendly Petco Park. To me this game was as meaningful as game 163 that blasted the Rockies into the postseason and ended the Padres season. Neither team has been as good this year as they were last year. The Padres suck and the Rockies have been inconsistent at best. They have been playing well recently, but they need to do more than that. I am not sure they will make the runl like they made last year, but I will love it if they do. Heck I'll love them if they don't. They gave me a treat Friday night when I needed it most. As I watched the game in spanish I felt at home. I'm not sure anything else could have comforted me the way watching the Rockies did that night.

Quick update on my life outside of baseball. The second week of teaching was fun, but by friday I was ready to have a day off. I am getting more comfortable with my Spanglish. Yesterday I went on my first hike. One of the other new teachers who has lived down here for a while took me up above the city. It was beautiful and just what I needed. Its hard being a mountain boy living in the middle of a city, even if the city is small and surrounded by mountains. I am going to try to make sure I go on a hike at least once a week. Again, thanks for all of the prayers. I love and miss all of you.

Also you might notice that I'm not wearing my NL champions hat in the last two pictures. That is because I am superstitious and am trying to make the Rockies win by not wearing my hat.

First Week Teaching

2008-08-24T12:20:00.005-06:00

I would like to say a big thank you to all of the teachers that took time out of their lives to help educate me. This includes my mom and my dad. They are great people and great friends. After teaching for a week I now realize how much work this profession takes. I am learning that I must dedicate myself to my work so that my students receive the best education possible. This means I can only check espn.com twice an hour instead of four times. This is going to be very difficult to do since I just joined a fantasy football league (I'll explain more about this later). I will still need time to see how the Broncos are doing. I know they lost this weekend, but by half time when the starting offense left the field they were winning so that is good enough for me. I am still concerned with their defense. Hopefully they can turn it around by the time the season starts. The way the Rockies are playing baseball season will be over soon, which kills me to say, but that will clear up more time for me to work on my lesson plans. Or as I call them, my game plans. Another thing that will give me more time to get my work done is the closing of the Olympics. I am very proud that the United States did so well. I am still a little bitter over them losing the Gymnastics team Gold to the Chinese. They should not have lost considering they won Gold on all of the individual events except one or two, not to mention the cheating commies (sorry had to say it). I have been spending way to much time reading about that controversy. I have also been reading about the U.S. men's basketball team. I didn't get to watch any of the games because of the time differences and such, but I am very relieved they won gold. I really expect nothing less. I mean we invented the game. So now that most of these things are wrapping up I'll have plenty of time to game plan. I'll just have to learn how to work the Broncos, CU Buff's (cool story I was walking around town the first weekend and I saw a CU Buff sticker on the back of one of the cars!), the Rockies (threw September at least!), and fantasy football into my busy teaching schedule.

Here are my first impressions of teaching. I am blind and my students aren't. They can spell and I cannot. I surprised them with a pop quiz spelling test and they all aced it. I would have failed this quiz miserably. As a matter of fact if there wasn't a little thing called spell checking most of this blog would look like it was written by a first grader instead of resembling the writing of a fifth grader. How did I get a job teaching sixth grade English? I am pretty sure

they are smarter than me, or better students than I ever was. I have been enjoying my time with them in class. On Monday we played a couple of icebreakers. I think they enjoyed it because they keep on asking to play more games. (If anyone has any game ideas you should share them with me.) On Tuesday we actually opened the books and I taught a real lesson. Shockingly I have been very comfortable in front of the classroom. I am working my hardest to be fair, but strict. I cannot let my students walk all over me. My seventh grade Latin American History class is a little bit more difficult. Not because of the students but because I don't know the subject as well. The seventh graders are also quite a bit more talkative than my sixth graders.

I think something else that is helping me stay calm while I am teaching is the knowledge that I don't have to be the greatest teacher ever and I don't have to expect to be amazing at it either. I didn't go to school to learn how to teach. And because I don't have any background in teaching I know that I need to lean on God for support rather than my own knowledge. With that being said I am starting to realize that I have something to offer to my students. God is showing me how to lead them and use the gifts he has blessed me with. I have 11 sixth graders. They are all learning how to use their lockers and turn in assignments for different classes. My seventh graders seem to be very comfortable with this middle school thing. They don't like homework

, but when they do turn it in they typically do a very good job. My eighth graders are a mystery. Mostly because I haven't had a class with all of them yet. That will change tomorrow. My middle school PE class is very funny. I had them run and do stretches this last week. Lets just say most of these kids are out of shape. I'm working on fixing this situation. My high school PE class has been fun. I only have 6 guys and they are all very willing to run around and be active.

So far my typical teaching day looks a little like this. I teach a first period class, what class it is depends on what day of the week it is. Then I have two hours to plan or check my email or read up on the most current sporting news. If I am on top of my game I can use this time to relax a little more. Then at 11 I teach the first part of my English class. Then we have lunch. I have enjoyed my time at lunch because the kids don't mind me eating with them. They all really want to get to know me. In fact in my seventh grade Latin Am. History class I was asking them what they wanted to know for the class and one of the kids said they wanted to know about me. Pretty sure they were just trying to get out of doing class work. After lunch I teach the second part of my English class. Then I teach my Latin American History class. By this time the seventh graders are ready to be doing almost anything but sit around in their seats. High School PE, my last class, is all the way back up the hill. The school is built on a hill and is separated by grades. Middle schoolers are all the way down the hill. This hill is ridiculous and most of the middle schoolers struggle to walk it every day. I am starting to get used to it, but it's still not fun. My high schoolers seem to appreciate the fact that I have to

walk up from the middle school building because it gives them extra time to dress out. That is my teaching schedule as best as I can give it right now. My middle schoolers are adorable and I am very glad that I came down to Guatemala to teach. I think my favorite thing about teaching so far is getting to know my students. I have assigned a couple of projects where my students have to tell a little bit about themselves. They are all so unique. My favorite assignment so far was my biography assignment I gave to my sixth graders. Most of them wrote the most caring things about their moms, some wrote about their best friend, but each assignment was just so cute. Not all of them were done correctly, but cute none the less. Reading over them really made my day. I was sitting in my little office/storage room listening to Darrell Evens and grading the assignments and the song "I am so in love with you" came on. Darrell really captured the way I was feeling right then. God has me where I need to be and I am really grateful for that. Besides learning how to teach and keeping up with all of my sports teams I have been keeping myself busy by hanging out with the other teachers. I am now a regular at the gym. I hope to be back in tip top shape as soon as possible. On Friday night I went out with a group of teachers to celebrate Becky's, a fellow middle school teacher, birthday. We made our way around town and some how ended up at a dance club. At the dance club I made a fool of myself. But I had a very good time anyway, plus I had to dance off all of the tres leche.

Yesterday was the fantasy football draft day for the league I joined. I have fundamental problems with fantasy football. I don't like how it forces people to cheer against their own team. Like when the Broncos play the Raiders on Monday night football here in a couple of weeks I am going to be forced to hope that both McFadden and Fargus have good games because I drafted them onto my team. I really just took both of them because I didn't want anyone else to have them, but now I have to root for the Raiders. Dad you can disown me. Maybe I'll just trade them so I can feel okay about myself. The only reason why I am playing fantasy football is to fit in. Okay I know that sounds bad, but I am in another country and well I want to be able to do things with my friends down here. My team is mostly made up of Broncos. I am a homer and I know it, but I couldn't not pick Brandon Marshal and Jay Cutler and Eddie Royal and Andre Hall. My team is going to be sick. After the we completed the draft (it only took 2 hours) we all went to the soccer game. I didn't get lost this time, but I almost got stuck in the rain with out my rain jacket. Fortunately it stopped raining right as we were leaving for the stadium.

The game was very boring. In the first half the forwards were not running creative roots and their touches were lackluster. But in the second half, while I was using the restroom the Super Chivos (Xelaju's soccer team) got a penalty kick. I made it back down to my seat just in time to see the goal. I jumped onto the fence with every-other crazed soccer fan and screamed my guts out. This was repeated when they scored their second goal and repeated again when we thought they scored their third goal. I still don't like soccer, but I had fun with all of my friends at the game. I do have to say that I still don't think anything beats a good CU football game. I am sure going to miss singing the fight song with all of my friends in Folsom Field.

Things that I didn't mention from this week; Chinese food, Montazoma's revenge, farting in class, and the decision never to have Chinese food again. I have eaten out on the street a lot and in a coming blog I will write about all the great food I have had. I am waiting until the fair when I get to try all kinds of cool food. I also used a Brian Regan sketch explain the I before E rule. Which goes something like this I before E except after c and and when sounding like a as in neighbor and weigh and on weekends and holidays and all throughout may and you'll be wrong no matter what you say! They also know their plurals. They now know that the plural form of box is boxen. I think I might start to write more often so the blog doesn't end up being so long. Again, I am working on putting up pictures. I have been busy teaching so give me a break. Also, I would like to thank all of you for the prayers and emails. I am grateful to have you guys in my life.

I just added a few pictures. The top one is the middle school building I teach in and the other one is at the soccer game.

Flexibility is Key! and someone is using my toothpaste.

2008-08-17T14:12:00.004-06:00

Word around the street is that Michael Phelps is a beast, but is scared to compete against me in the 100 meeter splash and flail. I own that event. Everyone here in Guatemala, or at least my host family and all the teachers at school are enamored with his abilities. I just wish I could swim normally let alone set world records every time I get wet. I'm also very pleased to see that the Broncos dominated Dallas. The starters won the game 14-0 and the second string played a solid game as well leading to a 23-13 game! The Rockies have won three in a row, which wont get them back into contention, but it's a start. I am loving that I have been able to stay on top of my sports teams. I also found out that We get ESPN Thursday night college football, which means I will get to watch CU play at least once this year! Things are on the up and up.

Now to the stuff that matters. First, I want to thank each and everyone of you who have emailed me with encouragement. This las week has been very busy, but fun. On Monday the girl who was to be teaching English with me in Middle School didn't show up. Apparently she was very sick. On Tuesday she still hadn't made it to school. By Wednesday I was starting to get worried that she was going to back out and I would have to teach her classes as well as my own. By Thursday it was announced that she was not going to be teaching at IAS (my school, check it out at ias-xela.org). Michael, the director, asked me if I was willing to be flexible and I told him I was up to doing whatever. Later that day I found out that I would be teaching sixth grade English and seventh grade Latin American History, instead of seventh grade English and sixth grade Old Testament Bible, Jason (aka Tank) moved up from fifth grade to middle school, and they found a new teacher to replace Jason's empty fifth grade position. Jason majored in Theology so that is why he took my Bible class, which forced me to switch classes as well. As a result of these changes I had to re-plan my classes. This was a little stressful, but I got everything completed. I know that God is in control and will use me as long as I step forward. I am very glad that I came down here to try something new. I just hope that I continue to live each day in the present. As long as I don't think about how long it is until June I'm fine.

All of the returning teachers arrived this week, which was very cool. They have been a great source of information and really have helped me plan out a lot of what I am going to be doing in my classes. I will now be teaching sixth grade English, sixth grade Geography, seventh grade Latin American History, seventh grade current events, eighth grade current events, middle school PE, and high school PE. Teaching sixth grade English will be interesting. Mostly because I'll be teaching spelling. I am slightly unqualified to teach this subject. Something like the blind leading the blind. I'll do my best but if these kids come out knowing how to spell we'll all know a miracle occurred. I at least know something about history, so that change won't be too bad. I'm very excited to start teaching tomorrow, or let me put that a different way, I'm excited to meet the students and a little nervous about teaching. But, I am learning to trust God with the things I really don't have control over. I can't make myself a perfect teacher in the time I was given to prepare. All I can do is put my best foot forward. Like I said the returning teachers have been great and I am going to use them a lot.

Another good thing about the returning teachers is the fact they want to hang out and do stuff. I joined a gym with a couple of the teachers on Wednesday and I have gotten back into running. My knee has been feeling fine, which excites me. What doesn't excite me is I get winded after 1 mile. Oh well. I do enjoy going to the gym and I know I'll get my endurance back. None of the other male teachers work out at the gym so I go with Randi (she is from Nashville and teaches High Science and middle school girls PE), Becky (she is from Houston and teaches middle school science), and Liz (she is from Florida and teaches third grade). All of the guys talk about or actually play sports. I might try to practice on one of the teams. But I enjoy going to the gym. I want to stay healthy for life. On Friday after the gym we met with some of the other teachers for drinks. I had a weird lemonade drink. Not sure I liked it. I had a lot of fun though, and I'm excited to see how my new community continues to form. I'm really enjoying where God has me right now.

I have been going to Palabra en Acion for church the last two weeks. They provide translators, which is great because I am only starting to learn spanish, my lessons start this week; I hope. It is a Pentecostal Church so they stand up a lot. The service is 2 plus hours long, but the service is very enjoyable. Although I don't think I should stay up until 3 a.m the night before church again. At least I got up and made it to church by 8 a.m. and I was able to stay awake and pay attention to the service. So I guess that is a good thing.

Last night a group of us went and watched Michael and Tank play basketball against a team from the coast. I love basketball but it is really hard to pay attention to a game when the scoreboard isn't working. I was pretty sure Xela (pronounced Shea la, the team Michael and Tank play for) was blowing out the other team, but apparently they only won by 4 points. After the game we all went to a birthday party for a couple of local guys. It was rather crazy and there were a few hot words between a few of the Guatemalan's who had probably consumed a few to many free beverages. This was my second venture into Xala night life. I think I want to learn how to salsa dance so I can be more of an active participant in the revelry. I guess I'll have to see if I can fit that into my busy schedule. Lets just say it is very very very last on the list of things to do.

Top on the list of things to do is to find out who is using my toothpaste. I have been keeping my toiletries in my room and twice I have found my tube of toothpaste squeezed from the middle and I only squeeze from the bottom. I need Monk to come down here and solve this case. I just think its weird that someone is coming into my room to get my toothpaste. If they want to barrow some just ask. I'll say yes because I wont know what they are really asking about because they'll be speaking Spanish.

Last thing I wanted to say was I am very grateful for all of your prayers. I was feeling rather lonely last week and this week I have felt very comforted and accepted by the people I am working with. I'm not a lone. Each of you are here with me through your prayers. God is with me and will use me tomorrow when I start to teach the sixth grade class how to spell. God can raise the dead, surly he can use me to teach them how to spell.

Though I feel Alone

2008-08-10T14:54:00.004-06:00

I would like to start off by making it clear that I still do not like soccer or futball as they call it here in Guatemala. I'm still a God fearing football loving American. I am upset that the Broncos lost their preseason opener last night, but the starters scored a TD so I can count that as a win. I hope Boss Bailey is alright. I really want a healthy team for this season. Someone has to pick up the slack that the Rockies have been making. I have enjoyed watching the Olympics with my host family.

I think it is amazing how sports transcend cultural boundaries, and in the end leave us united by the love of the game. I don't know what my host family is saying most of the time, but we can sit down and watch a sport and enjoy ourselves. (This does not include Futbal, while I have watched it with my family I'm not enjoying it.) I do sit there and watch whatever they watch, because I would rather be around people than sit up in my room all by my self. I also figure that the more I hear spanish the easier it will be to learn. I'm going to start taking private lessons here very soon.

I'm waiting to start my spanish lessons until I figure out how much time my school planning will take. I'm teaching three middle school elective classes, an old testament bible class for sixth graders, seventh grade English and grammar, and Middle School/High School PE. Just call me a renaissance man. Or a jack of all trades, lets hope I'm not a master of none. I'm a little nervous about my teaching load, but I know that I'm not alone down here. God is with me and he has placed a great support staff around me. There are about twenty or so teachers at the school. I have only met the other teachers, who are like me, are new to the school, but unlike me they are all girls. I have really enjoyed getting to know them and I look forward to working with them.

I'm working on getting pictures of the school and where I live, so I will post those as soon as I have them ready. The school is on a hill that over looks the city. While I feel cramped inside the city, it is a breath of fresh air to be able to work where I have a view of the surrounding mountains and volcanoes. I'm really starting to realize how much I value open space. I miss the mountains of Colorado, but I am starting to find beauty in the city. Most of the buildings look old and weathered. It has rained here everyday, which I love and have felt comforted by the afternoon storms. They remind me of living in the Rocky Mountains. The rain has been my friend when I have been separated from the rest of the teachers. Most of the teachers are living with host families, which means once we're done with work we all go home alone. We live alone to stop a real world Guatemala situation from happening between the teachers, but at times I have felt disconnected.

Here is what I am doing to battle loneliness: I am going on walks around the city. Mostly before nightfall because the city is not the safest place, especially since I can't talk my way out of a problem. I have also been listening to worship music, in-particular Enter the Worship Circle by 1000 portraits and Waterdeep. It is good to worship God when you feel lonely. As I mentioned earlier I'v been making a point to hang out with my host family. Being around people helps a lot. Tomorrow I am going to join a gym with another one of the teachers. I'm also considering joining a rec. basketball team or playinf rugby on the team the principle formed. I just have to remember that creating a community takes time. And as soon as I remember that someone typically calls and invites me to come do something. On Monday I went and played video games with Michael, the director, and Josh, the principal. I had just walked out of my house to walk around the neighborhood when Josh called and invited me to dinner.

I think it is funny that God met my needs on Monday night and by Tuesday night I was feeling alone again. Again community takes time. I have used my down time to work on my school preparations. Having a reason to be busy helps the loneliness too. I think teaching is going to be hard, but I'm not all that nervous about it because I don't really know what I'm getting myself into and as they say ignorance is bliss.

Friday was a hard night. Josh and Michael were busy with something so I couldn't hang out with them and all the other teachers didn't seem to be up to anything. Maybe I should have tried to get them together, but I decided to be lonely and watch movies. I was sitting on my bed feeling bad for my self and journaling. Enter the Worship Circle was playing and right at that moment the song Though I Feel Alone came on. These are the lyrics:

Though I feel alone

I am never alone

You are with me

Oh, my Lord

In the night time while I'm on my bed

I will let every thought be of you

For you are good

You take all those who come to you

In the morning as I face the day

I will let ever thought be of you

For you are good

You take all those who come to you

This song hit me and stuck. I am not alone. Before I departed on my adventure I was prayed over by my friends and family. I was anointed to come and serve here in Guatemala. I was sent out to serve and my friends who sent me, by praying for me, have come on this journey with me. God sent my friends with me. They are here with me just as God is here with me. I went to bed Friday night feeling loved. I woke up Saturday morning feeling loved. Before anyone called me to invite me anywhere I felt loved.

Saturday I walked down to the school and hung out with a couple of the teachers. I got some work done, but most of all I started making deeper connections with my fellow teachers. I found out that they have been feeling the same way. I guess I should have called them Friday night to try to get something together. I walked them home. I'm the only new male teacher so I guess I can take up the responsibility of escorting the girls around when they feel unsafe. After I dropped them off it started to rain. This afternoon rainstorm wasn't nearly as comforting as the ones earlier this week. Maybe it was because I wasn't feeling lonely anymore. Or maybe it was because I was actually walking in the rain rather than just listening to it from my dry room.

First impressions

2008-08-03T19:12:00.005-06:00

I have been sitting around for most of the day trying to figure out email addresses and skype accounts. I guess sitting around on your computer is an acceptable thing to do when it is raining out. I'm living with a host family that consists of a mom and dad, three daughters, a son and a grandson . Two of the daughters speak English, but they are married and live with their husbands. I'm actually glad that there aren't any English speakers in the house besides me because it'll force me to use Spanish. It's weird being in a setting where I have to work to understand everything that is said. This must be what a young child feels like when they are first learning to speak. I'm very glad that I have a group of people where I can speak English and understand everything that they say. I know that if I want to really improve my spanish I'm going to need to stop relying on my English, but for now it is nice to have a little break.

Being fluent in Spanish probably would have come in handy last night when I got lost going to the soccer game. I eventually found the stadium, but then I couldn't find any of my friends. The stadium was slightly packed with completely crazy fans. Everyone was decked out in red and white, the colors for Xelaju, and every time they got a shot on goal the place erupted. Unfortunately no one scored, which I think happens a lot in soccer, and so I left a little bit before half time. I don't like soccer enough to watch a game by my self.

Tomorrow I start training for teaching. I am sure it is going to be a blast. I am really getting excited to teach PE and grammar. Yes you did just read grammar. Now please go back up and check for all my mistakes and please send your corrections to Idonotcare@gmail.com. I hope that I can teach the kids a thing or two. But I know this teaching thing will be more God than me.

Alright I hope everyone enjoyed reading this blog. I am going to try to make it a little more entertaining. I mean I guess I could mention the couple I saw making out in the hotsprings pool up at the top of the mountain. I guess PDA is very okay here. Alright, I will write more later.

Brendan