Quotes from Ben

There are three things extremely hard: steel, a diamond, and to know one's self.
Benjamin Franklin

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.
Benjamin Franklin

Thoughts

I cast away through the dawn of time and what do I see? Yet another thing that I could have missed. Land so sweet, so fare, so beautiful, it flows from the richest parts of everything I've known. Where does it end? No one knows. But I'm on a journey, this journey, to find out where it leads, where the anchor is holding me and where it is not. I've come to find an island that is rich in it's own glory, that shines with a pureness that has never been seen or captured. So here I am, in the breeze, waiting for the perfect hint of what is to come. What will it look like? Who will it be? Where will I be and who will I be? Only a moment can tell. A moment that holds the promise of tomorrow at it's whim. So where will it take me? I am listening. Softly treading the paths of wet, green, forest. Serene, the trees around me that beckon and call with my every breath. Am I hiding or relaxing? Where am I going and what makes me think I'll get there? Calm, peaceful, breathing is what I'm looking for. Ultimate peace comes and why does it go? It slips out of my hands only to come back again. Am I too far gone for love or is it just beginning? My destiny right around the corner and I don't even know it. How can I sit and wait? I know it takes time and the process is what brings solidity to the future. A good foundation takes time to build.

You were talking to who??

I know it can't just be me. Is there anyone else out there that finds themselves making up dramatized conversations in your head with people that are far from being in the same vicinity as you? Lately, I've found myself doing that a lot, making up a situation that might happen with someone, putting myself in it and pushing the play button. When I step back and take a look at what I'm doing it's pretty ridiculous, because the situation would probably never happen, much less the exact conversation. Although, If my imagination was a reality TV show there might be some subscribers. Maybe that's why it's so engaging to watch drama on TV because everything is a little more thought out than a typical conversation in real life. Most of the time we can't plan out our lives before they happen, and I doubt my thoughts alone will affect anything else in the world. So, when my mind drifts off into it's own exciting world and I start to get a little stressed out with what to say next, I have to remind myself....It's not real. It's best just to live for the here and now and let the experiences of each day change who you are deep down inside - for the better. That way, when you run into some drama in your live, you might actually have something worthwhile to say, instead of wishing you would have planned it out a year before.

Feels Great to be a Clown

The Guifarro's are building a new school beside their house. It's not finished yet, so they started classes in their house. They were supposed to have a teacher for the new school but it didn't pan out so they asked me to help. It's been a nice change of pace. The kids are great and it's nice sleeping in a few more minutes before I walk down the stares to class. They are using the bathroom in my room for now but it's no big deal. Today, Mrs. Guifarro had to go to the other school, so her daughter Orieta stayed to help teach. Sometime during the morning, Orieta suggested painting with the kids. They put their hand prints on construction paper and I joined in with the fun. I guess Orieta didn't think the fun should stop there so she decided to try out her painting skills on my face. It was such a blast! The kids loved it and we had a good time.

Who left the piano in the rain?

I played the piano for the first time in three weeks last Sabbath at the church. I had asked Elias about it and he said it didn't work at all because they had left it out in the rain during construction. Now, leaving a piano out in the rain doesn't exactly leave much promise of it actually working, much less delivering any kind of pleasant sound. So, I didn't even consider trying it out. But after three weeks, I'll have to admit, I was getting a little desperate. So, I tried it, and it wasn't half bad. I mainly played the middle part of the piano, it's out of tune and some keys don't work, but hey, it was a nice reminder that I can still play. God has given me the talent to play and I have asked him to provide me with whatever is best, whenever is best. In the meantime, I've thought about it and I think not having a piano around gives me an opportunity to develop other areas of my life that may need more attention. I don't necessarily want my identity to be wrapped up in a musical instrument. "Oh yeah, Jonathan, he's a nice guy and I think he plays the piano pretty good too." No...that doesn't cut it. Music is definitely one of my biggest passions in life, but I know there's a whole lot more to life than music. I'm thankful for the time I have to discover more of who God has made me to be.

Take a Deep Breath

I was taking a walk Friday evening in the field behind this magnificent tree. It was so relaxing, so nice just to breath deeply the fresh Honduran air. There's a hint of smoke resting in the air that somehow gives me a warm feeling that there is life nearby, and people are enjoying their simple lives. As I strolled along in the field I came upon a horse, standing contently on the other side of a barb wire fence. "How's it goin' here, horsey," I said. And so started the pleasant conversation I had with horse. It didn't say much, but we bonded as I petted it's muzzle and tried to make friends. Sometimes I would do something that would make him jerk back, then I would jerk back from a quick shot of fear. "Sorry horse, I'm just not used to being around horses," I would say. It was nice, visiting with the horse, walking around, taking it all in. When's the last time you took it all in? When's the last time you had a chance to look far away, look past everything and forget about your thoughts. It's liberating, freeing, and it's good for any soul.

Torture Treatment

Here's an interesting contraption we came upon while visiting Peña Blanca. At first glance it looks something like an instrument of torture. The basic idea is that you sit in the chair, put your seat belt on, and it spins you around in all kinds of directions because it's connected to the three spherical bands. Jim tried to hold the thing steady while I attempted to get in but it didn't work. We would have needed another person to hold all the metal bands in place. It's probably a good thing, because I had just eaten and wasn't really feeling up for a torture treatment. Some schools have statues, some have monuments, some have plaques, this school has a spinning chair. Can't beat that.

A New Life

Well, as you can see I'm here. This picture gives you a pretty good idea of the craziness I am privileged to enjoy every day. I've been in Honduras for about 3 weeks now and everything is off with a bang. It's all been very exciting, stressful, fun, relaxing, and new. Culture shock? I'm not sure if it's hit me yet or not. Since I'm in the city, it's hasn't been to jolting, but there have been a few minor adjustments. I never really would have envisioned myself teaching, but here I am. I'm learning a lot of things that I know are priceless. Patience, learning to see through a child's eyes, disciplining in a loving way, giving the kids grace like God gives it to me, just to name a few. My mind frequently goes back to the picture of Jesus with the children. They loved being with him and he wouldn't let the disciples hold them back. I want to have that loving compassion for children that Jesus had. Being with these kids every day reminds me that life is meant to be fun, somewhere along the tough road of maturity that idea seems to fade away. But for these kids, it's as bright as ever. I'm happy to be hear and I know it will change my life forever. I hope I'll be more of a kid again.

With all the initial excitement of coming here and keeping up with e-mails and the picture gallery, I haven't been blogging much. I may post more but my primary updates will probably be through e-mail. If you'd like to be added to the list just let me know. E-mail me at jmeharry@gmail.com