Escuela en Ceiba

Como esta el nieve?? How is the snow? I don't miss it but I do miss my sunny Kansas skies. The rain has been crazy this week and last week here in Ceiba. Michael and I are in language school trying to better our spanish in the northern part of Honduras. It has much more of a Garifuna population, an African indigenous group that decended from slaves. Now there are various Garifuna villages here that speak Garifuna and are known for dancing punta and eating lots of seafood. Punta, their traditional dance, is composed of fast beats and moving your butt in tiny circles. Various kids at Montana de Luz can do it and its impressive, not to mention wonderful exercise!
Things are going well here at language school. I feel encouraged with my spanish and I can tell that I am learning more right now. We attended a Mennonite church here and the service was surprizingly short but I guess I've just finally gotten used to the 3 or 4 hour church services here. Its great to finally know the music that is playing on the radio stations around me and feel at ease speaking to basically anyone around me. I'm still bothered by the machismo but I am learning to ask God for more courage.
My 23rd birthday is this Friday and I'm excited to spend it here in Ceiba, discovering the world around me. I've tried pastelitos de carne *(like empanadas) and various soups here. I've also heard that this was the birthplace of baleadas and have yet to eat one that has been "authentically" made. It will be a pleasure. Michael and I also went to a Dole company park here. Honduras was one of the most passive countries in the fight with the United Fruit company and it is evident in how active the Dole companies and other banana farmers are still present in this area. It will be hard, but I feel convicted to give up bananas especially after seeing how much control foreigners have on this sector of the Honduran economy contributing to more poverty here.
I hope you are all well and finding new reasons for getting out in the cold world in which you life right now. Enjoy this season, whatever it may be for you, and remember to enjoy some kind of chocolate for me on Friday, probably kitkats are the best!