Adjusting to the Old Normal...

Well we have been back in the United States for four days now.  We never realized how difficult it was going to be to come back to the busy lifestyle and culture.  We left our hearts in Honduras and especially with the boys at Jovenes.  An hour doesn't go by when I don't think about what the boys are doing or saying a prayer that they do well on their exams this week.  They are constantly in the back of my mind and their faces and voices show up every night in my dreams.  They are family and we are missing them so much it hurts.  Plans are under way for a return visit.  During our last few hours at Jovenes many of the boys came up and gave us little things for us to remember them by.  Many of them wrote us notes and gave us pictures of themselves.  In just about every note, the boys wrote about being excited to see us in December.  They are expecting us now and I don't think we could go longer than five months without seeing them.  As difficult as it has been to adjust to life here, we have a peace that God knows what He is doing.  He is continuing to open doors and  showing us different avenues of service in Honduras.  We are excited to see where our lives will go form here.  All we know is that Jovenes and the people that live there, will forever be a very big part of our life.

So we didn't get to finish writing about the boys while we were there so I am going to finish it now:

• Gustavo - This small boy has the greatest amount of energy.  I never see Gustavo sitting around.  He loves a good laugh and is always making me laugh as well.  My favorite thing is to see him dancing in the living room when he thinks we don't see him.  He just recently got  a bike and some new clothes from his sponsor, and Laura and I think he looks like a little American kid.  He wears his under armor outfits with neon colors and rides his new revolt bicycle around.  We love his smile and the name he have Laura and I (HannyLaura).

• Juan Carlos - The last of the high school boys in Casa Rosada.  This boy is just precious.  His sweet smile and warm greetings always make my day better.  The last three weeks of the summer he began calling me "Hannita" and called me that the rest of the summer.  When it got closer to the time for us to leave, Juan Carlos asked me, "Do you have school when you go back?" I told him no, and he replied, "Then why don't you just stay here and live with us?".  I didn't really have a good answer for him...I will miss his blue under armor shirt and his yellow fish swimsuit that he wore at least four times a week.

• Manuel - He is one of the three sixth graders that will be going into high school next year, along with Nery and Wilson.  He is quieter than some of the other boys but you cannot help but smile when he really gets tickled about something.  His laugh is so high pitched that when you hear it, you have to stop and look around.  His little brother is Noé and they definitely take care of each other.  They do not hang out together all the time, but when you do catch them together, they will have there arms around each other.  Manuel is also a champ at soccer...but then again, which boy isn't?

• Wilson - Wilson is one of the smartest boys I know.  From the very first day, we could see the wheels turning in Wilson's eyes.  He thinks about everything very hard.  He is not the most talkative of the boys, but when he does have something to say, you can tell he has been thinking about it for a while.  We had a whole conversation one day about America, my school, my family and when I am coming back to Honduras.  He would not take "I don't know" for an answer.  He also told us several days before he left that he was going to give us 40 hugs on the last day and that it would at least last him for 40 days while we weren't there.

One the right

• Nery - Too cool for school.  He is one of the other sixth graders in Casa Rosada and being one of the oldest of the escuela boys does not always help his ego.  He tries to act really cool,  but he always shows his true side whenever he is really laughing or when he is singing during devo.  I love catching him during the moments when he is really being himself, but he doesn't know anyone is watching.  One of his favorite things to do is go to the pulperia.  Anytime we needed anything (uva, chocolate, etc) he was there to go get it for us.

On the right

• Selvin - The last boy from Casa Rosada.  I definitely have a love/hate relationship with this boy.  After about week three, he began calling me "mama" which, at first, was really precious but it never really ended.  Selvin needs lots of one on one time, and when he gets the attention, his smile is to die for.  Marlon Carazo is his older brother, and although they try to pretend they are cousins and not brothers, they love each other. Selvin is always asking Marlon for help with homework, especially math.

We are going to try to keep up with our blog and keep everyone filled in on how we are doing and how we are adjusting to this new culture. Continue to pray for Laura and I as we continue to figure out what our future holds.  Now that our lives have completely changed and now that we are different people, a lot of things are about to change for us.  Prayers that we will continue to follow God's will for our lives!

Hannah and LauraBeth