The Teaching Life

I wrote this letter for a Sunday School class that is is supporting me. It provides an overview of what I'm dong so I thought everyone might enjoy it.


Dear Upper Room Sunday School Class of 1st Christian Church,
I want to thank you for supporting my year of service in Honduras. It's hard to believe that I've almost been here a month! Five Americans are serving as teachers at Destino del Reino this year. Zoe Tolson from Augusta, Georgia, Amanda Bruin from Falmouth, KY, Nathaniel and Mallori Diener from Granger, Indiana and myself. Amanda Bruin and I have known each other since middle school and I found out about Destino through her. We are co-teaching English as a Second Language in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. Zoe taught at Destino last spring and speaks Spanish so she is a great help and has made the adjustment to living in Honduras much smoother. She teaches ESL in 2nd and 3rd grade. Nathaniel is teaching physical education, and Mallori is teaching music and english in 4th and 5th grade. They also work with another ministry in Siguatepeque that plants churches throughout Honduras.






The Destino English Teachers, Mallori, Zoe, Myself, Amandan Bruin



Our first two weeks in Honduras were spent in training sessions. I'm so glad we had the time to adjust to living in a new environment and culture before classes started! September 1 was the first day of school. Approximately 27 students are in each grade and the Destino school currently has preschool to 5th grade. A new grade is added each year. It's been difficult to learn 85 new names but I am slowly starting to remember. The first week for first grade and kindergarten was spent reviewing the basics such as the english alphabet, counting in English and basic vocabulary. The first week in preschool was quite different. Before we can teach them anything the preschoolers need to learn to sit and listen. Many of Destino's students come from small mountain villages and have been given quite a bit of responsibility at a young age or have grown up with little structure or discipline. When you place these kids in a classroom with two teachers who barely speak any spanish(Bruin and I) things can get hectic. It's probably a good thing that I'm teaching kindergarten and first grade too because it reminds me that eventually....all the preschoolers will master listening and sitting in their chairs. Then we'll be able to teach them some English.




Lunchtime with Preschool







Kindergarteners coloring.




Destino del Reino consists of a children’s home and church in addition to the school. Construction on a medical clinic is currently underway and the ministry also plans VBS and other ministry projects for local villages. Three of my students are Destino kids, Sammy in preschool, and Jonathan and Josue in first grade. You can learn more about Destino by visiting their website. http://www.destinodelreino.org/ddr/home Be sure to read about how Destino was founded.





Sammy, a preschooler, and I.