AFE Graduating Seniors 2011

First Graduating Class from AFE, 2011

Rene, AFE's first student

Pastor Jeony and Principal Jesy

Miracles happen.  Last week, Ryan and I got to be witnesses to one of the greatest miracles in AFE’s history: the FIRST ever graduating seniors walked across the stage to accept their high school diplomas.  This was an emotional night for everyone, both present and in spirit. 

Marlyn

Gabi

Mariella

Lewis' and Diaz'

Ryan and I had the pleasure of getting to know these seniors these past few months and they are truly amazing.  I have heard them say at different times that they are so excited to be examples to all the remaining and future students of AFE.  They all will tell you that this miracle never would have happened without Dios, God. 

Erika and the graduates

AFE's Honduran Teachers

These students will go to the university here in Honduras next year to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, and professionals.  This is so different from what I hear they said they wanted to be when they were asked this same question when they first started attending AFE 11 years ago: the driver of the garbage truck.  These students are an inspiration to all of us, and it was such a blessing to have been able to attend this beautiful ceremony.  There was a party in heaven this same evening, too, I just know it! 

Please keep these 9 students in your prayers as they start to make life changing steps in the next few months to start attending a university.  And also keep the rest of AFE in your prayers as we begin “summer break” here in Honduras. 

Read more about these events in AFE’s blog: www.afehonduras.blogspot.com

Kindergarten & 6th Grade Promotion

Congratulations 6th Grade!

The start of a week of celebration began on December 8, 2011 with the promotion of kindergarten.  There were 5 “graduates” that will begin 1^st grade next school year.  This was an adorable ceremony where they even did a dance for all of us! 

Congrats Paula!

Just a quick note: Paula, who just was promoted to 1st grade and is shown above, is probably thee biggest tomboy I have ever met for a little girl.  She is also someone that isn't fast to give her trust...Ryan relates her to the personality of a cat - you have to work for any affection.  After almost 3 months, she finally is giving us the time of day, and we have fallen in love with her.  She also doesn't like girly things and has somewhat of a "tough-girl" attitude...BUT when we saw her in her beautiful dress this night, she couldn't stop smiling.  She was so proud of herself, and we were all proud of her.   

In addition to the promotion of kindergarten, 6^th grade also gets promoted.  In Honduras, this is a big deal because the majority of students who attend primaria or primary school, don’t even finish all the way to 6^th grade, and if they do complete 6^th grade, they don’t continue to colegio or high school.  At AFE, completing 6^th grade is a big deal, too, and there are incentives to continuing to colegio.  Starting in 7^th grade, students receive a uniform – which here in Honduras is a special deal – and they also have multiple teachers as opposed to staying with one teacher for the entire day.  

Congratulations, Leily!

This was a day full of many miracles because there were 16 graduates from 6^th grade including 3 adults from the afternoon school!  This was the FIRST graduation with adults!  Praise God!  

Lindsay, Nancy, Me, Hollie

Elise, Me, and Becky

Thanksgiving 2011 - Island Style

 

 We were blessed to spend a week in the beautiful island of Roatan with my parents during the week of Thanksgiving.  It was a week filled with great food (thanks Mom! and the Bananarama and Blue Parrot Bar and Grill) and great fun! 

Ryan and my dad golfed, yep you guessed it, every single morning!  While they were out golfing, Mom and I had a great time catching up on the latest happenings in Honduras and back home.  I think if I didn’t already know it, there’s nothing better than having your mom with you.  She is my best friend and I didn’t realize how much I missed spending time with her. 

 When Ryan and Dad came back from golfing each day, we did a work out – Mom and Dad ran the hill, and Ryan and I did Insanity out on the patio…I tell you what, the hot humid air made it extremely insane. 

We kayaked out to the reef, went diving one day, worked on my tan, and I read almost 3 books during that one week.

The evenings were so much fun catching up with my dad and just hanging out.  I forgot how much my dad can make the simplest dinner fun.  

Building Team Nov. 11

Ryan and I love the anticipation of family and friends coming to visit us.  We had been waiting the arrival of my mom and a building team to come to Tegucigalpa 2 weeks ago.  This was a team of just 4 people, 6 if you include us, but we worked hard even though we were only spackling the walls – and mostly ourselves.  It’s a really difficult technique and I was impressed by the teams’ willingness to learn and keep going all week. 

Ryan Phillips

Mom and Ryan

Me

Uncle Doran and Mom

Jessica Decker

 The day the team arrived, Rey’s American (Honduran) football team had the semi-final game for their league.  Ryan has been a part of the team, so he played, but the biggest surprise was that Ryan Phillips, NFL legend ;) decided that he wanted to suit up for the game.  It was a great night and so much fun watching the guys play – especially since Ryan Phillips got an interception, touch down!  It was actually a close scoring game, but they pulled out the win!

 

Thursday morning, we went to Picachu, which is a big Jesus statue that overlooks the city put in place after hurricane Mitch. 

The most meaningful thing about this trip was the relationships that were built between the North American team and the Honduran workers.  We joked, ate lunch and shared stories all week.  The relationships are such a big deal to Ryan and I since after the team leaves, we are that much closer to being able to reach the workers spiritually because we have made that friendship connection.  About half of the workers wouldn’t consider themselves a Christ Follower and also live in the same community as us.  Please keep praying for these workers and that we can continue to be an example for them this next year in the Linda Miller Community.

A Night Out & Christmas Cards

We were invited by JJ and Lindsay last weekend (who are at AFE making a documentary on AFE’s seniors) to spend the night at the Intercontinental which is one of the nicest hotels in Honduras.  We couldn’t pass up this fun opportunity to hang out with our friends and to celebrate with them over 50 hours of footage and one month of filming at AFE.  We had a wonderful night and ate some super ginormous burgers at the hotel’s restaurant!

Me and Eyvin at AFE

I have been busy this week with a project at AFE with all the students (all 150 of them) to make Christmas Cards for all their sponsors.  It has been a great way for me to get to know the students and teachers better, and also a great time for me to practice my Spanish which I feel is coming along. 

8th Grade working on Christmas Cards

This week the high school is in Final’s Week, and we ask that you join with us in prayer for these kids during the last weeks of the school year.