Sunday, May 31, 2015
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Friday, May 29, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Friday, May 22, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Day 27 - Buying & Delivering Food for ISFP
Today was a super busy, but really fun day. We left the house at about 9am and Dale and I didn't get back until a little after 6pm. After we dropped Carolyn off at the office to do some training work with Kathy and Gillian, we headed off to Price Smart to meet up with our driver, Caesar, and start buying the food supplies for the schools for the feeding program. It was really cool because we got to go in with those really big, flat carts and just pile them high with bags of food. We bought rice, beans, flour, vegetable oil, cinnamon, and salt. We ended up with like about 5 or so carts of stuff! Then we had to load everything into the vehicles. The truck wasn't as big as Dale thought it was going to be, so we ended up having to pile a bunch of stuff into Dale's vehicle too.
I'm too tired to finish right now. To be continued...
I'm too tired to finish right now. To be continued...
Monday, May 18, 2015
Day 26 - Mary Flakes & Gillian from ISFP
Today I got to go to Mary Flakes for the first time. I did the work on MF Kinder with the guys when the team went to MF last, so it was my first time in those classes. I loved those kids. They were so adorable. One of my favourite parts is walking into the room and having all of the kids say "Buenas Dias Canadienses/Missionaros!" all in unison too. It instantly brings a smile to my face.
To be continued.... I know... I'm so far behind....
To be continued.... I know... I'm so far behind....
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Day 25 - Zion Church & CCI Testimonies
This morning we decided to go to the Zion church. It started at 11am (well it was a bit late cause you know, Honduran time) and it was all in Spanish. Dale and Carolyn like going there for the worship and I can see why. It was really good! I recognized a bunch of the songs, so I sang along a bit in English, but also a bit in Spanish as they have lyrics on the screen for us. We left after the worship part though, because Dale had a bunch of stuff he needed to do and also the sermon would be in Spanish and I wouldn't have a clue what was being said because there were no translators there.
The afternoon was pretty laid back. I mostly just played Town of Salem and surfed the web until around 3, at which time we left to go to CCI for the evening service.
To be Continued...
The afternoon was pretty laid back. I mostly just played Town of Salem and surfed the web until around 3, at which time we left to go to CCI for the evening service.
To be Continued...
Saturday, May 16, 2015
Friday, May 15, 2015
Day 23 - Filing & ERDO Forms
Today I got to work in the office again, but this time I got to do a lot more.
To Be Continued....
To Be Continued....
Thursday, May 14, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Day 21 - Kinder Classes & Maria Elena PM
It was an early morning today. We went up to Maria Flakes Kinder (I believe, I will double check and edit later if need be) for the morning. The kids were adorable. We did three classes in total and the theme was superheroes. They'd done Moses and Jonah previously and this time we were doing the story of Daniel. We had a kid in each class come up and dress up like a superhero. It was so weird. They'd be all energetic and excited when asking to be picked, but once they put on the mask, cape, and gloves, they became super shy! One little boy covered his face! It was cute though.
In the first class we went to, there was a little boy who every time a question was asked, he would call out, "Yo! Yo! Yo!" It was sooooo adorably cute!
TO BE CONTINUED...
In the first class we went to, there was a little boy who every time a question was asked, he would call out, "Yo! Yo! Yo!" It was sooooo adorably cute!
TO BE CONTINUED...
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Day 20 - Office Work & High School Concert
Today I was working at the office with Kathy.
TO BE CONTINUED
TO BE CONTINUED
Monday, May 11, 2015
Day 19 - Maria Elena & First Bible Bucks Store
Today we went up to Maria Elena for the morning. They were doing construction on the road in front of the school, so we had to go around to the other side to where the kindergarden students enter and go in from that way. We had to park outside and carry all of our stuff in with us.
TO BE CONTINUED
TO BE CONTINUED
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Day 18 - First Time at CCI & Post-Service Pizza Outing
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Or, as we say in Honduras, FELIZ DIA DE LA MADRE!
Today was my first time going to CCI, which is the church that the Ruttan's go to every week. I must make the correction that the service starts at 4pm, but we had to be there for 3pm, because Dale was on the worship team. Elisa showed me around the church, which was really big. There's actually a really big sanctuary, but that's not the one that we use because that's for the Spanish church. Elisa said that during services, the seats are all filled. There's not a single empty seat in the room, which is so amazing to hear :)
On one of the upper levels, there are a whole bunch of flags from different countries to represent in which countries there are CCI churches (there wasn't a Canadian flag, sadly).
The area where we had service was a lot smaller than the main sanctuary. There was an upper level where all the classrooms for the kids' Sunday School are so Elisa and I went up there when she was showing me around and we could look down and see the worship team practicing.
Today was my first time going to CCI, which is the church that the Ruttan's go to every week. I must make the correction that the service starts at 4pm, but we had to be there for 3pm, because Dale was on the worship team. Elisa showed me around the church, which was really big. There's actually a really big sanctuary, but that's not the one that we use because that's for the Spanish church. Elisa said that during services, the seats are all filled. There's not a single empty seat in the room, which is so amazing to hear :)
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| It's a little dark, but this is the main sanctuary |
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| This is the Honduran flag |
The area where we had service was a lot smaller than the main sanctuary. There was an upper level where all the classrooms for the kids' Sunday School are so Elisa and I went up there when she was showing me around and we could look down and see the worship team practicing.
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Day 17 - A Cold in Honduras?? & Prepping for Store
Only I could manage to get a cold while in Honduras. And really, I only have myself to blame. It's probably from staying up too late at night and therefore not getting enough sleep. But I can't help it. It's the struggles of a night owl. I mean, sleep is totally overrated anyways ;P So yeah, been dealing with that today. Otherwise, it's been pretty chill and uneventful. Dale and Carolyn are going out overnight tonight to celebrate their 20th anniversary that they had this week, so that means I'll be here with the kids. Elisa and I watched a movie on TV (I have no clue what it was called, but it was something on the Disney channel) and then we took a trip to La Loma to get some snacks to watch a movie tonight (planned on watching Frozen, but we didn't end up watching it). It was so beautiful out today <3 The sun was shining, there was a comfortable breeze, and everything was just perfect! I just couldn't stop exclaiming how beautiful it was outside today. It was like 28 degrees, if not warmer (I'm going by what my iPhone app tells me, but I don't think it's always right).
Once we got back though, I started to have a bit of a headache, so I went and laid down for a bit until supper. It was nice to just relax in a dark room with the fan on. I talked to both of my bros for a bit, catching them up on my life here so far. It was nice to hear from both of them :)
After supper, Elisa and I chilled for a bit on the couch, watching Jake play Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. I love watching him play it, but at the same time, it makes me sorely miss playing that game and slightly regretful that I sold all of mine. I may have to look into buying a used copy of one of them when I get back :P
After we had rested for a bit, Elisa and I got to work sorting through a bunch of toys that were donated for the store for the schools where the kids can use the Bible Bucks they've earned to buy things. We had to sort them into 5 piles, for the 5 schools we were going to (technically we only have 4 schools, but one has a morning and afternoon session, therefore, we need two piles for the one school). We wanted to make sure that each school got roughly the same number of things so that all of the kids at each of the schools would have an equal chance of getting each of the cool things. We had rubber duckies, stuffies, stamps, stickers, gliders, bouncy balls, and so much more! It took Elisa and I forever to sort everything.
I think it was close to nine by the time we finally finished everything and cleaned up the mess we'd made in the process. I was too tired to watch Frozen, but yet somehow we ended up going and plopping down on the couch and watching Matilda, which was on TV. What a flash from the past! I haven't seen that movie in years! But I really enjoyed it :)
That's pretty much everything for today. Like I said, pretty chill and uneventful. Tomorrow I finally get to go to their church service, which doesn't start until 4pm. Apparently the whole congregation is going out for pizza after the service too, which sounds like a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to that :)
Until tomorrow, sleep well, don't get sick, and don't drink the water! Hasta mañana! :P
~ Cass Haines ~
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| I will never get tired of this view <3 |
Once we got back though, I started to have a bit of a headache, so I went and laid down for a bit until supper. It was nice to just relax in a dark room with the fan on. I talked to both of my bros for a bit, catching them up on my life here so far. It was nice to hear from both of them :)
After supper, Elisa and I chilled for a bit on the couch, watching Jake play Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. I love watching him play it, but at the same time, it makes me sorely miss playing that game and slightly regretful that I sold all of mine. I may have to look into buying a used copy of one of them when I get back :P
After we had rested for a bit, Elisa and I got to work sorting through a bunch of toys that were donated for the store for the schools where the kids can use the Bible Bucks they've earned to buy things. We had to sort them into 5 piles, for the 5 schools we were going to (technically we only have 4 schools, but one has a morning and afternoon session, therefore, we need two piles for the one school). We wanted to make sure that each school got roughly the same number of things so that all of the kids at each of the schools would have an equal chance of getting each of the cool things. We had rubber duckies, stuffies, stamps, stickers, gliders, bouncy balls, and so much more! It took Elisa and I forever to sort everything.
I think it was close to nine by the time we finally finished everything and cleaned up the mess we'd made in the process. I was too tired to watch Frozen, but yet somehow we ended up going and plopping down on the couch and watching Matilda, which was on TV. What a flash from the past! I haven't seen that movie in years! But I really enjoyed it :)
That's pretty much everything for today. Like I said, pretty chill and uneventful. Tomorrow I finally get to go to their church service, which doesn't start until 4pm. Apparently the whole congregation is going out for pizza after the service too, which sounds like a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to that :)
Until tomorrow, sleep well, don't get sick, and don't drink the water! Hasta mañana! :P
~ Cass Haines ~
Friday, May 8, 2015
Day 16 - First Official Staff Meeting
Today I had my first official staff meeting with Kathy and Dale. This is a weekly thing that they do. We met at the office at nine am to discuss how the week went and other official businessy stuff. I was worried at first at the idea of having these meetings every week, as meeting can sometimes be long and boring, but it was actually a lot of fun. I really like working with Dale and Kathy. They're both such great people. After the meeting, we did a little work around the office for a bit and then we went out to the mall for lunch. I went and got one of the hotdog pretzels from Auntie Anne's (that's what that place is called!) and a Japuccino from Espresso Americano (it's like a green tea frappe). After lunch, we went and did some grocery shopping. I'm getting more comfortable now with wandering around the stores by myself.
The rest of the day/evening was pretty chill. Elisa and I played some card games (Go Fish and Spot It). Carolyn bought me a mango and a tiny papaya at the grocery store so I disinfected those and ate them tonight. They were really good! The mango has a sweeter taste compared to the papaya, which has a more dulled down taste, but I enjoyed them both :)
Mother's Day is on Sunday, so tonight, I ordered some flowers for my mom :) Unfortunately, the only place I was able to get the kind I wanted wasn't able to deliver them until Monday. But that's ok, as long as she gets them. I came up with a nice little poem to attach to the flowers too.
The rest of the day/evening was pretty chill. Elisa and I played some card games (Go Fish and Spot It). Carolyn bought me a mango and a tiny papaya at the grocery store so I disinfected those and ate them tonight. They were really good! The mango has a sweeter taste compared to the papaya, which has a more dulled down taste, but I enjoyed them both :)
Mother's Day is on Sunday, so tonight, I ordered some flowers for my mom :) Unfortunately, the only place I was able to get the kind I wanted wasn't able to deliver them until Monday. But that's ok, as long as she gets them. I came up with a nice little poem to attach to the flowers too.
Love knows no distance, so no matter how far I go,
I can go there proudly, knowing that you love me so!
And I love you! Feliz Día de la Madre! (Happy Mother's Day)
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| These are the flowers I picked out for her |
I think she'll like them :) I also have a picture of us playing in the snow that I left with dad to give to her too :P
That's pretty much my day. Tomorrow I get to sleep in, which I'm looking forward to. It'll probably just be a chilaxing day. Until then, take care, sleep well, and hasta mañana :)
~ Cass Haines ~
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Day 15 - Shopping for Food Program Supplies
Today we went on a little shopping adventure in search of some items for the schools in relation to the Feeding Program. The schools needed things like some new plates, cups, spoons, etc for serving the meals to the kids. So we went to this big store called "Made in China". There, we ended up finding our plates. We had to pick out 600 of them! Luckily, they were half priced, so we got a really good deal on them.
Next, we went to a store that Dale and Kathy call Tony Macaroni's (that's not its actual name, it's something like Tony's Plastics). We tried to find our cups there but they didn't have the right size that we needed. We did find a scale and some measuring cups though, so that's something.
After that, we decided to go try the Pina McFlurry at what they call the Puppy McDonalds. It's called that cause there are a bunch of guys outside who are selling puppies. That's where the Ruttans got Ruben. There was this one little brown puppy that was absolutely adorable! But yeah, we got pineapple McFlurries. They're were pretty good, actually. I'll have to try pineapple when I go home because I really do like it here. The only complaint I had with the McFlurry was that it wasn't really a McFlurry but more so just vanilla ice cream with pineapple bits and some sort of graham crumble on the top. It wasn't even mixed in! But I just mixed it in myself and it was good :)
We didn't really do much else today. We stopped and got some groceries on our way home. I started watching a TV show called Macgyver tonight. Nic recommended it to me. The main character, Macgyver, is really cheeky. It's a fun show :P I've also been told to add Stargate SG-1 to my to-watch list. But that's pretty much all I did today. Tomorrow we're having our first real staff meeting. I'm excited for that cause it makes me feel important, having staff meetings :P
Until tomorrow, take care, sleep well, and don't drink the water! ;P
~ Cass Haines ~
Next, we went to a store that Dale and Kathy call Tony Macaroni's (that's not its actual name, it's something like Tony's Plastics). We tried to find our cups there but they didn't have the right size that we needed. We did find a scale and some measuring cups though, so that's something.
After that, we decided to go try the Pina McFlurry at what they call the Puppy McDonalds. It's called that cause there are a bunch of guys outside who are selling puppies. That's where the Ruttans got Ruben. There was this one little brown puppy that was absolutely adorable! But yeah, we got pineapple McFlurries. They're were pretty good, actually. I'll have to try pineapple when I go home because I really do like it here. The only complaint I had with the McFlurry was that it wasn't really a McFlurry but more so just vanilla ice cream with pineapple bits and some sort of graham crumble on the top. It wasn't even mixed in! But I just mixed it in myself and it was good :)
We didn't really do much else today. We stopped and got some groceries on our way home. I started watching a TV show called Macgyver tonight. Nic recommended it to me. The main character, Macgyver, is really cheeky. It's a fun show :P I've also been told to add Stargate SG-1 to my to-watch list. But that's pretty much all I did today. Tomorrow we're having our first real staff meeting. I'm excited for that cause it makes me feel important, having staff meetings :P
Until tomorrow, take care, sleep well, and don't drink the water! ;P
~ Cass Haines ~
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Day 14 - First Official Day in the Classrooms
Today was my first official day working with Dale. Yes, I have been working with him for the past two weeks, but today felt like my first real, official day because I was more involved in the classrooms this time. We went to Maria Elena today, which is where we did the Fun Day last week. We planned to do 4 classes in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. We only had time to do one class before recess, which I believe was a grade 1 or 2 class. We started out doing Bible Bucks, using the story from the Fun Day about the boy with the headache. I was surprised by how well the kids remembered the details of the story. All of the kids, actually, like in all of the classes. They were all able to answer all of the questions, even remembering that the boy sneezed 7 times before he woke up. I was impressed.
After the Bible Bucks, we told the story of Naaman, who was the captain of an army but had leprosy. He was sent to see Elisha, who sent him to dunk himself 7 times in the Jordan River. Basically, the moral of the story was about being humble or meek and not letting your pride get the best of you and allow you to get angry. After the story, we did an object lesson in which juice was poured onto a plate with a candle on it and when a cup was put over the candle, no liquid was inside the cup, but when the candle is lit and then the cup put over top, liquid is pulled into the cup, filling it. This represents how when we have the presence of Jesus in our lives, God comes in and fills us. After the object lesson, we played a game, girls vs. boys, in which they had to spell out the answer to different questions. Then we sang Trading My Sorrows, in Spanish, of course. And then we closed in prayer, which, in the first classroom, Dale suddenly called upon me to do. Ahhhhhhh! :O But I managed! Thankfully we had Lucia with us translating so she makes everything sound better for the kids :P
As I mentioned, we only got through one class before recess, so we just chilled on the steps while the kids ran around. At one point, as the kids were running by Dale, he'd reach out and grab them and start tickling them. The kids LOVED that and soon they were all darting in and out of Dale's reach, trying not to be caught by him. At one point, one of the girl's was pushing her friend towards Dale, so I grabbed her from behind and pulled her over to me and started tickling her. And of course, the kids absolutely loved that! Soon they were taunting me, getting close and then backing out of my reach. It was hilarious. And then some kids decided to be brave and try tickling me! There was one little boy that even climbed on my back at one point, so I stood up and ran around and spun him around a little, which he thought was a hoot. When I let him down, since I was already standing up, I decided to go chase some of the kids around, particularly the ones that would always dart out of my reach. Within minutes, I was suddenly surrounded by kids who were all tickling me! I was tickle-attacked! I was fighting them off in hordes! I was finally saved as one of the older boys grabbed my arm and pulled me back over to where the rest of our team was sitting, just in time for recess to end. I had a blast with those kids though, even if I was being crazy tickled (and if you know me, you know that I am super ticklish)!
The rest of the classes pretty much carried out the same as the first class. We each took turns doing the story and the object lesson and the game. I got to do the object lesson twice, the story once, and the game I read the questions once, but all of the other times I helped the kids find the letters. Overall, it was a really good day. The kids were all well behaved and engaged. I absolutely loved it. If this is any indication of what my next 6 weeks here are going to look like, I'm in for a great time.
Not much else happened today. I worked on one of my assignments for Graham and got that submitted. Then I finally got caught up on Once Upon A Time, so I'm all ready for the season finale this Sunday. Mostly I just introverted in my room for the night, which was nice. Tomorrow, Dale and I have to do some sort of internship mentoring thing with Eldon online around noon and then in the afternoon, we're hoping that we'll be able to buy and deliver stuff for the Feeding Program in the schools. I'm looking forward to helping out with that.
But for now, good night, good dreams, and hasta mañana!
~ Cass Haines ~
After the Bible Bucks, we told the story of Naaman, who was the captain of an army but had leprosy. He was sent to see Elisha, who sent him to dunk himself 7 times in the Jordan River. Basically, the moral of the story was about being humble or meek and not letting your pride get the best of you and allow you to get angry. After the story, we did an object lesson in which juice was poured onto a plate with a candle on it and when a cup was put over the candle, no liquid was inside the cup, but when the candle is lit and then the cup put over top, liquid is pulled into the cup, filling it. This represents how when we have the presence of Jesus in our lives, God comes in and fills us. After the object lesson, we played a game, girls vs. boys, in which they had to spell out the answer to different questions. Then we sang Trading My Sorrows, in Spanish, of course. And then we closed in prayer, which, in the first classroom, Dale suddenly called upon me to do. Ahhhhhhh! :O But I managed! Thankfully we had Lucia with us translating so she makes everything sound better for the kids :P
As I mentioned, we only got through one class before recess, so we just chilled on the steps while the kids ran around. At one point, as the kids were running by Dale, he'd reach out and grab them and start tickling them. The kids LOVED that and soon they were all darting in and out of Dale's reach, trying not to be caught by him. At one point, one of the girl's was pushing her friend towards Dale, so I grabbed her from behind and pulled her over to me and started tickling her. And of course, the kids absolutely loved that! Soon they were taunting me, getting close and then backing out of my reach. It was hilarious. And then some kids decided to be brave and try tickling me! There was one little boy that even climbed on my back at one point, so I stood up and ran around and spun him around a little, which he thought was a hoot. When I let him down, since I was already standing up, I decided to go chase some of the kids around, particularly the ones that would always dart out of my reach. Within minutes, I was suddenly surrounded by kids who were all tickling me! I was tickle-attacked! I was fighting them off in hordes! I was finally saved as one of the older boys grabbed my arm and pulled me back over to where the rest of our team was sitting, just in time for recess to end. I had a blast with those kids though, even if I was being crazy tickled (and if you know me, you know that I am super ticklish)!
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| Tickle attacked! |
The rest of the classes pretty much carried out the same as the first class. We each took turns doing the story and the object lesson and the game. I got to do the object lesson twice, the story once, and the game I read the questions once, but all of the other times I helped the kids find the letters. Overall, it was a really good day. The kids were all well behaved and engaged. I absolutely loved it. If this is any indication of what my next 6 weeks here are going to look like, I'm in for a great time.
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| Me doing the object lesson |
Not much else happened today. I worked on one of my assignments for Graham and got that submitted. Then I finally got caught up on Once Upon A Time, so I'm all ready for the season finale this Sunday. Mostly I just introverted in my room for the night, which was nice. Tomorrow, Dale and I have to do some sort of internship mentoring thing with Eldon online around noon and then in the afternoon, we're hoping that we'll be able to buy and deliver stuff for the Feeding Program in the schools. I'm looking forward to helping out with that.
But for now, good night, good dreams, and hasta mañana!
~ Cass Haines ~
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
Day 13 - Lunch at Chili's & The Avengers
Today I went out for lunch with Dale, Carolyn, and Kathy and we went to Chili's, which was my first time ever going there. But everything was in Spanish, so trying to figure out what to order was a challenge because I couldn't figure out what was on the different things. I ended up doing with one of the lunch deals, which consisted of chicken quesadillas, a small starter salad, a side of fries, a drink (ice tea, of course), and a dessert, all for under $10. The salad for some odd reason was like the tiniest salad I have ever seen in my life. Literally, it was a few pieces of lettuce with some tomatoes and some sort of flat crouton topping and a bit of dressing.
Carolyn and I just laughed when we saw them come out because they were so tiny. The quesadillas, unfortunately where filled with onions, Seriously, they were basically chicken, cheese, and onion quesadillas. In case you didn't know, I'm not a fan of onions. But I sucked it up and ate them, though I did pull out a few onions here and there just so I wouldn't have to eat as many. And the dessert? It was supposed to be a brownie, but it was very thin and tiny and really lacked on the chocolatey taste. But even though the food wasn't what I expected it to be, I'm still thankful that I have food to eat. There are many people here who struggle to put food on the table every day. I'm thankful that I was able to leave there with my belly fully. Also, I'm thankful for the free refills on the ice tea! :P
After we ate, Dale and Kathy started planning stuff for the next month. It was interesting for me to watch them because some of those things I'm going to be involved in. They also started planning out the schedule for the next team we have in, which is from Lakeshore. There's only going to be 7 of them coming, as opposed to the 11 we had from Essex. We also discussed the possibility of me sharing my testimony on the Sunday that the team is here, so that'll be scary.
After that, Dale, Carolyn, and I did some running around for a bit before returning home. I relaxed for a bit before going for a walk with Elisa to the pouporia to get a couple bags of juice so Elisa could make popsicles. We actually ended up having way more juice than we needed so I got to drink the rest of the juice in one of the bags. It's the weirdest thing ever, drinking juice out of a little baggy. It was green apple flavoured. For supper, I got to try pastelitos, which are a fried pastry filled with potatoes. We also had chicken, carrots, and salad.
After supper, I got to go experience my first movie in Honduras! Dale, Jake, Ben, Elisa, Kathy, and I went and saw The Avengers: Age of Ultron in 3D. Their theatres here are so different! For starters, you actually have assigned seating! It's not just go in and sit wherever! But you actually have a row and seat on your ticket! I sat in H14. And the seats! They are soooo much nicer than the theatres back home! They're like a leathery type material and the seats actually kind of recline back a little! It kind of startled me when I sat down and leaned back into the seat and my chair leaned back with me. Overall, I really liked their theatres. And the movie was AMAZING! It was funny, action-packed, the whole package! I quite enjoyed it :)
Tomorrow is my first real day at the schools. We're telling the story of Naaman and about being meek and humble. I'm looking forward to actually being able to work with the kids :)
Until then, buenos noches, sweet dreams, and hasta mañana :)
~ Cass Haines
Carolyn and I just laughed when we saw them come out because they were so tiny. The quesadillas, unfortunately where filled with onions, Seriously, they were basically chicken, cheese, and onion quesadillas. In case you didn't know, I'm not a fan of onions. But I sucked it up and ate them, though I did pull out a few onions here and there just so I wouldn't have to eat as many. And the dessert? It was supposed to be a brownie, but it was very thin and tiny and really lacked on the chocolatey taste. But even though the food wasn't what I expected it to be, I'm still thankful that I have food to eat. There are many people here who struggle to put food on the table every day. I'm thankful that I was able to leave there with my belly fully. Also, I'm thankful for the free refills on the ice tea! :P
After we ate, Dale and Kathy started planning stuff for the next month. It was interesting for me to watch them because some of those things I'm going to be involved in. They also started planning out the schedule for the next team we have in, which is from Lakeshore. There's only going to be 7 of them coming, as opposed to the 11 we had from Essex. We also discussed the possibility of me sharing my testimony on the Sunday that the team is here, so that'll be scary.
After that, Dale, Carolyn, and I did some running around for a bit before returning home. I relaxed for a bit before going for a walk with Elisa to the pouporia to get a couple bags of juice so Elisa could make popsicles. We actually ended up having way more juice than we needed so I got to drink the rest of the juice in one of the bags. It's the weirdest thing ever, drinking juice out of a little baggy. It was green apple flavoured. For supper, I got to try pastelitos, which are a fried pastry filled with potatoes. We also had chicken, carrots, and salad.
After supper, I got to go experience my first movie in Honduras! Dale, Jake, Ben, Elisa, Kathy, and I went and saw The Avengers: Age of Ultron in 3D. Their theatres here are so different! For starters, you actually have assigned seating! It's not just go in and sit wherever! But you actually have a row and seat on your ticket! I sat in H14. And the seats! They are soooo much nicer than the theatres back home! They're like a leathery type material and the seats actually kind of recline back a little! It kind of startled me when I sat down and leaned back into the seat and my chair leaned back with me. Overall, I really liked their theatres. And the movie was AMAZING! It was funny, action-packed, the whole package! I quite enjoyed it :)
Tomorrow is my first real day at the schools. We're telling the story of Naaman and about being meek and humble. I'm looking forward to actually being able to work with the kids :)
Until then, buenos noches, sweet dreams, and hasta mañana :)
~ Cass Haines
Monday, May 4, 2015
Day 12 - Sabbatical & a Peek into my Past
Today we took a sabbatical from work. Basically, after a team comes, our team takes a one day sabbatical to kind of relax and unwind from hosting a team for a week. So today was kinda another lazy day for me. I got up, finally put up my pictures in my room, and then got ready for the day. And by ready for the day, I mean ready to just chill and watch more Netflix. Actually, come to think of it, I didn't watch any Netflix today. I did watch a TV show though. It's called Young & Hungry. It stars Emily Osment and it's actually really funny. So yeah, a rather uneventful day. I am feeling better though, so that's a plus :)
After supper though, Carolyn asked me if I wanted to go for a walk with them, so I did. I'm trying to get into the habit of whenever someone asks me to go for a walk, I say yes. It's good cause it's actually getting me outside and active. Elisa came with us, but she jogged/ran rather than walked. At some point, I want to join her and actually starting running too so that I can get more exercise into my routine.
Oh, speaking of walking, I did go for a walk earlier today with Elisa when she got home from school. We went to Plaza La Loma, which is literally like a block from her house and has a little convenience store and pharmacy and stuff. I bet you can guess what I bought there. Yep, té frío :P I'm so original. Ben made a comment about me being addicted to ice tea at supper today. I didn't deny it. Can't deny that which is true :P
Since I've talked about the other kids, I should mention that Jacob and I are starting to bond a bit, I think. He likes to tell me about his accomplishments in his video games and I actually do enjoy coming out into the living room and just sitting there and watching him play. My cousin, Joel, used to play video games a lot whenever I'd babysit him and we'd play together, but sometimes he'd play single player games and I'd just sit and watch him, so it kinda reminded me of that, which was nice :) Joel was actually the one who got me into a lot of video games, like Halo and Assassin's Creed and Fable. Which is kind of cool because those are games that Jake likes and he likes to show me them. It's cool because I'm able to relate to him in that way. It's cool that he likes to show me things because it kind of shows that he accepts me. Being the oldest and the one who at the beginning seemed kind of closed off, I wasn't sure how well we would mesh, but we've actually been getting along really well. I've been getting along with all of the kids really well actually. They don't necessarily get along with each other, but they all seem to like me :)
Elisa made a comment today, one that she's pointed out before, but it makes me feel good when she does. She pointed out that I'm always smiling (or at other points always laughing) and that's actually something that I'm really proud of :) There is a lot to smile about. True, there is poverty and pain and sadness in this world, but you know what else is in this world? Jesus. He's the reason I smile. He's the one that gives me so much joy. How can you not look around at this world and see the immense beauty that God has created and just revel in it? I'm constantly revelling in the beauty of Tegucigalpa. We have such a beautiful view of the city from the house and I'm constantly looking out over the city and just smiling because it is so beautiful. That's probably one of my favourite things here: the views. I don't think I'll ever stop being fascinated by the sites here.
Unfortunately, I actually don't smile all of the time. I wish I did, but sometimes darkness can creep in and blot out the light. For me, this comes in the form of insecurities. They're something I've constantly been struggling with since grade 8 and, tonight, the devil pulled out that ball of insecurity and hit me right in the face with it. And unfortunately, it left a mark.
I wasn't sure if I was going to share this, but I'm not afraid to talk about my past. To better understand my insecurities, I'm taking you back to grade 8 with me. This was the year that changed me.
It's the summer of 2005 and my family decided to pack up our life in Meaford and move to Sault Ste. Marie. There were a lot of reasons why this was a good move for us, but I won't go into those. It was hard to leave the only home I'd ever known and all of my friends, but I was excited for this new opportunity. That is, until the school year started. This was the year that I was going into grade 8 and I didn't know anyone in the class, except for a girl named Taylor, who went to my church. She made it seem like she was going to introduce me to her friends and show me around the school and such, but from day one, she turned her back on me. I didn't see it at the time because I honestly was kind of naive and thought the best of everyone. But right out of the gate, I was alone. For reasons I could never understand, Taylor pulled everyone away from me. Even when one girl tried to be nice to me and befriend me, Taylor stepped in and pulled her away. I felt so alone and unwanted. Unaccepted. I got involved with lunch monitoring for the younger grades and volunteered at the library at recess so that I'd actually have something to do rather than be alone. Whenever there were pair or group projects, I was always last picked. It didn't help that there were 13 girls in the class and that doesn't divide evenly, aka, I was always the odd one left out. I couldn't understand why. Why did no one like me? Why was I not being accepted? I had always been the type of person who could make friends easily and everyone always seemed to like me because I had such a friendly and warm personality. But yet here, suddenly, I was an outcast. I felt things I had never felt before. I felt unwanted, unaccepted, unloved. I started to question what could be wrong with me that would cause me not to be accepted by anyone. Was I too ugly? Was I too fat? Was I annoying? What was wrong with me? This rejection cut me deeper than any physical wound ever could and I started crying myself to sleep at night. I'd dread going to school because I didn't want to feel the rejection. I fell into a really dark place. I started to tell myself that maybe it would be better if I wasn't even here. I mean, no one even cared about me, so they wouldn't care if I was gone. I even convinced myself that my family would be better off without me. I was a screw-up. I couldn't do anything right. No one wanted me. No one loved me. In the darkest time of my life, I contemplated committing suicide.
Thankfully, I never did go through with anything. The one thing that kept me from doing anything to myself was knowing that I couldn't be with God if I killed myself. So all I could do was keep my head down and try to make it through grade 8. Which I did. And then I moved on to high school. High school was like a breath of fresh air for me. I completely broke away from the kids at my elementary school and found friends that actually liked me and accepted me for who I was. I got into drama and musical theatre and discovered my passion for singing and acting. My life got better. But though I moved on from grade 8, the insecurities stayed. Because I've experienced so much rejection, I'm now afraid of it. I'm afraid of not being accepted by people. This could be why I'm such a people pleaser, because I want them to like me. I want to be accepted by them. But it's also why I'm so insecure. I'm constantly worried about upsetting people or annoying them, because all I want is to feel accepted and wanted. To feel loved. This doesn't mean a romantic kind of love, though that is something I want someday, but just to feel loved by my friends, by the people I care about. To know that they actually enjoy having me around and want me to be there. That I'm not a bother to them. Because I don't want to go back to that place I was at in grade 8.
It's hard. I know Jesus heals and He has been helping me heal from this, but every so often, the devil sneaks in a hit. I've struggled with my own self image and my self worth. It's definitely hard living in a world that's so focused on beauty and perfection and not "living up" to this world's standards. It's hard being surrounded by girls who are thinner and prettier while trying to look in the mirror and see yourself as beautiful. I will admit it, there are days when I've let the devil creep back in and cause me to doubt. I've said things like, "Who could ever love me?" "I'm ugly." "I'm fat." I know I shouldn't, but sometimes you just can't help it. Sometimes you let your insecurities cloud your vision and distort your view of yourself. I know I have.
But though what I went through really shook me up, I wouldn't change my past. My past and the experiences I've had are what make me who I am today. I think being rejected in that way is what has made me so accepting. I want everyone to feel accepted so that they don't have to feel the way that I did. I want everyone to know that they are loved, that they are wanted. Honestly, I think that's kind of what led me to want to do missions work. I want to share God's love and acceptance with the world because I don't want anyone to feel like no one loves them, that no one wants them, that they aren't accepted, because they are. Without having experienced that, I don't know if I would have had the passion for this that I do now. So yeah, it sucked and sometimes the insecurities still swing a few punches here and there, but ultimately, God has taken something that hurt me and turned it into something that can heal others. And for that, I wouldn't change a thing.
After supper though, Carolyn asked me if I wanted to go for a walk with them, so I did. I'm trying to get into the habit of whenever someone asks me to go for a walk, I say yes. It's good cause it's actually getting me outside and active. Elisa came with us, but she jogged/ran rather than walked. At some point, I want to join her and actually starting running too so that I can get more exercise into my routine.
Oh, speaking of walking, I did go for a walk earlier today with Elisa when she got home from school. We went to Plaza La Loma, which is literally like a block from her house and has a little convenience store and pharmacy and stuff. I bet you can guess what I bought there. Yep, té frío :P I'm so original. Ben made a comment about me being addicted to ice tea at supper today. I didn't deny it. Can't deny that which is true :P
Since I've talked about the other kids, I should mention that Jacob and I are starting to bond a bit, I think. He likes to tell me about his accomplishments in his video games and I actually do enjoy coming out into the living room and just sitting there and watching him play. My cousin, Joel, used to play video games a lot whenever I'd babysit him and we'd play together, but sometimes he'd play single player games and I'd just sit and watch him, so it kinda reminded me of that, which was nice :) Joel was actually the one who got me into a lot of video games, like Halo and Assassin's Creed and Fable. Which is kind of cool because those are games that Jake likes and he likes to show me them. It's cool because I'm able to relate to him in that way. It's cool that he likes to show me things because it kind of shows that he accepts me. Being the oldest and the one who at the beginning seemed kind of closed off, I wasn't sure how well we would mesh, but we've actually been getting along really well. I've been getting along with all of the kids really well actually. They don't necessarily get along with each other, but they all seem to like me :)
Elisa made a comment today, one that she's pointed out before, but it makes me feel good when she does. She pointed out that I'm always smiling (or at other points always laughing) and that's actually something that I'm really proud of :) There is a lot to smile about. True, there is poverty and pain and sadness in this world, but you know what else is in this world? Jesus. He's the reason I smile. He's the one that gives me so much joy. How can you not look around at this world and see the immense beauty that God has created and just revel in it? I'm constantly revelling in the beauty of Tegucigalpa. We have such a beautiful view of the city from the house and I'm constantly looking out over the city and just smiling because it is so beautiful. That's probably one of my favourite things here: the views. I don't think I'll ever stop being fascinated by the sites here.
Unfortunately, I actually don't smile all of the time. I wish I did, but sometimes darkness can creep in and blot out the light. For me, this comes in the form of insecurities. They're something I've constantly been struggling with since grade 8 and, tonight, the devil pulled out that ball of insecurity and hit me right in the face with it. And unfortunately, it left a mark.
I wasn't sure if I was going to share this, but I'm not afraid to talk about my past. To better understand my insecurities, I'm taking you back to grade 8 with me. This was the year that changed me.
It's the summer of 2005 and my family decided to pack up our life in Meaford and move to Sault Ste. Marie. There were a lot of reasons why this was a good move for us, but I won't go into those. It was hard to leave the only home I'd ever known and all of my friends, but I was excited for this new opportunity. That is, until the school year started. This was the year that I was going into grade 8 and I didn't know anyone in the class, except for a girl named Taylor, who went to my church. She made it seem like she was going to introduce me to her friends and show me around the school and such, but from day one, she turned her back on me. I didn't see it at the time because I honestly was kind of naive and thought the best of everyone. But right out of the gate, I was alone. For reasons I could never understand, Taylor pulled everyone away from me. Even when one girl tried to be nice to me and befriend me, Taylor stepped in and pulled her away. I felt so alone and unwanted. Unaccepted. I got involved with lunch monitoring for the younger grades and volunteered at the library at recess so that I'd actually have something to do rather than be alone. Whenever there were pair or group projects, I was always last picked. It didn't help that there were 13 girls in the class and that doesn't divide evenly, aka, I was always the odd one left out. I couldn't understand why. Why did no one like me? Why was I not being accepted? I had always been the type of person who could make friends easily and everyone always seemed to like me because I had such a friendly and warm personality. But yet here, suddenly, I was an outcast. I felt things I had never felt before. I felt unwanted, unaccepted, unloved. I started to question what could be wrong with me that would cause me not to be accepted by anyone. Was I too ugly? Was I too fat? Was I annoying? What was wrong with me? This rejection cut me deeper than any physical wound ever could and I started crying myself to sleep at night. I'd dread going to school because I didn't want to feel the rejection. I fell into a really dark place. I started to tell myself that maybe it would be better if I wasn't even here. I mean, no one even cared about me, so they wouldn't care if I was gone. I even convinced myself that my family would be better off without me. I was a screw-up. I couldn't do anything right. No one wanted me. No one loved me. In the darkest time of my life, I contemplated committing suicide.
Thankfully, I never did go through with anything. The one thing that kept me from doing anything to myself was knowing that I couldn't be with God if I killed myself. So all I could do was keep my head down and try to make it through grade 8. Which I did. And then I moved on to high school. High school was like a breath of fresh air for me. I completely broke away from the kids at my elementary school and found friends that actually liked me and accepted me for who I was. I got into drama and musical theatre and discovered my passion for singing and acting. My life got better. But though I moved on from grade 8, the insecurities stayed. Because I've experienced so much rejection, I'm now afraid of it. I'm afraid of not being accepted by people. This could be why I'm such a people pleaser, because I want them to like me. I want to be accepted by them. But it's also why I'm so insecure. I'm constantly worried about upsetting people or annoying them, because all I want is to feel accepted and wanted. To feel loved. This doesn't mean a romantic kind of love, though that is something I want someday, but just to feel loved by my friends, by the people I care about. To know that they actually enjoy having me around and want me to be there. That I'm not a bother to them. Because I don't want to go back to that place I was at in grade 8.
It's hard. I know Jesus heals and He has been helping me heal from this, but every so often, the devil sneaks in a hit. I've struggled with my own self image and my self worth. It's definitely hard living in a world that's so focused on beauty and perfection and not "living up" to this world's standards. It's hard being surrounded by girls who are thinner and prettier while trying to look in the mirror and see yourself as beautiful. I will admit it, there are days when I've let the devil creep back in and cause me to doubt. I've said things like, "Who could ever love me?" "I'm ugly." "I'm fat." I know I shouldn't, but sometimes you just can't help it. Sometimes you let your insecurities cloud your vision and distort your view of yourself. I know I have.
But though what I went through really shook me up, I wouldn't change my past. My past and the experiences I've had are what make me who I am today. I think being rejected in that way is what has made me so accepting. I want everyone to feel accepted so that they don't have to feel the way that I did. I want everyone to know that they are loved, that they are wanted. Honestly, I think that's kind of what led me to want to do missions work. I want to share God's love and acceptance with the world because I don't want anyone to feel like no one loves them, that no one wants them, that they aren't accepted, because they are. Without having experienced that, I don't know if I would have had the passion for this that I do now. So yeah, it sucked and sometimes the insecurities still swing a few punches here and there, but ultimately, God has taken something that hurt me and turned it into something that can heal others. And for that, I wouldn't change a thing.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful; I know that full well ~ Psalm 139:14
No matter what you are going through, God loves you. Even when it seems like the world has turned against you, He will stand for you. Through Him, all things are possible. You are a child of God and He loves you. He created you and what He creates is perfect. Never doubt that God has great things in store for you. Hold on to Him and He will carry you through the storms in life. What the devil intends for evil, God will use for good. Joseph was betrayed and beaten by his brothers, sold into slavery (in which he was a slave for 11 years), and thrown in prison for two years, but through all that God was able to bring him into a position of power that ultimately helped him save thousands of lives during the seven years of famine, including the lives of his brothers who had betrayed him. So those hard times you're going through now are just the stepping stones on the path for God's great plan for your life. No matter what you're going through, you can trust that God's got His hand on the situation. And, like Kelly Clarkson says,
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!"
Or as the Bible says,
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me ~ Philippians 4:13
~ Cass Haines ~
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Day 11 - Hitting a Rough Patch
Unfortunately, today was not the greatest day for me. I ended up being under the weather today, with an upset stomach and a headache, among other unpleasantries. It's really rough to feel like this because I'm here on my internship and I want to be able to give 100% to my work here, which I can't do when I can't even stand up without feeling pain and nausea. Luckily, I wasn't actually required to do any work today, but I did miss out on going to CCI for the first time, which is the church that the Ruttans attend here. It's weird because the service doesn't start until like 3:30ish, which is so unlike any service I'm used to (aka 10:30am services). I wanted to go and I even got all ready to go, but when the time came to leave, my head was throbbing and my stomach was reeling and I just didn't think I could do it. Carolyn told me it was ok for me to stay home, that I didn't have to go when I was feeling so rough and that there'd be more chances to go while I'm here.
So today ended up being kind of a laid back, not doing much day, mostly because there wasn't much I could do. I mostly just spent my time watching Netflix and the cooking channel and texting friends. It was rather uneventful.
Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better. I was feeling better earlier this evening, but I'm feeling a bit rough again right now. Hopefully with a good night's rest, I'll be back to my normal self by the morning.
~ Cass Haines ~
So today ended up being kind of a laid back, not doing much day, mostly because there wasn't much I could do. I mostly just spent my time watching Netflix and the cooking channel and texting friends. It was rather uneventful.
Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better. I was feeling better earlier this evening, but I'm feeling a bit rough again right now. Hopefully with a good night's rest, I'll be back to my normal self by the morning.
~ Cass Haines ~
Saturday, May 2, 2015
Day 10 - Saying Goodbye to the Essex Team
Goodbyes are never easy. This is especially the case when the ones you're saying goodbye to are people who have found a new special place in your heart. This is how I feel about the Essex team leaving today. It really sucks. I've just gotten to know them and now they're leaving.
We got to the Team House at about 9am and had our final debrief with the team, after which we had communion. Then it was time to pack up the vehicles and head to the airport. We got them through the baggage check in and the exit fee payment place and then we headed up to the security gate. This is where we had to say goodbye. This was tough. I didn't cry or anything, but I was really sad. It was hard to see them all go.
We went around to this one side where there are windows where you can see people after they've gone through the security check and waved goodbye to everyone after they passed through. And then they were gone :(
Before we left the airport, we got drinks from the Espresso Americano. I don't really know what they have there so I ordered the same thing that Dale got, a lachino yogurt. It was kinda like a strawberry smoothie and it kinda tasted like a creamsicle. It wouldn't be my first choice of drink as I much prefer raspberry over strawberry, but it was interesting to try.
After we left the airport, we went and did a bit of shopping. This time I actually wandered off by myself in the grocery stores, whereas last time I stuck close to Dale or Carolyn. It was fun trying to figure out how much everything equated to in American. We went to a few different stores before we headed home for the night.
There was a really pretty rainbow that we saw after supper. It was the first rainbow that I've seen here, so of course I had to get a picture of it.
We got to the Team House at about 9am and had our final debrief with the team, after which we had communion. Then it was time to pack up the vehicles and head to the airport. We got them through the baggage check in and the exit fee payment place and then we headed up to the security gate. This is where we had to say goodbye. This was tough. I didn't cry or anything, but I was really sad. It was hard to see them all go.
We went around to this one side where there are windows where you can see people after they've gone through the security check and waved goodbye to everyone after they passed through. And then they were gone :(
Before we left the airport, we got drinks from the Espresso Americano. I don't really know what they have there so I ordered the same thing that Dale got, a lachino yogurt. It was kinda like a strawberry smoothie and it kinda tasted like a creamsicle. It wouldn't be my first choice of drink as I much prefer raspberry over strawberry, but it was interesting to try.
After we left the airport, we went and did a bit of shopping. This time I actually wandered off by myself in the grocery stores, whereas last time I stuck close to Dale or Carolyn. It was fun trying to figure out how much everything equated to in American. We went to a few different stores before we headed home for the night.
There was a really pretty rainbow that we saw after supper. It was the first rainbow that I've seen here, so of course I had to get a picture of it.
After supper, we also went for a walk through the gated area across the street (I think it's called Monté Verdé, or something close to that). It's a nice little area that has a series of connecting streets and you can feel fairly safe in there because there are police officers who actually live in some of the houses there. There are a couple spots that have really nice views while you're walking and I got a nice sun-starting-to-go-down shot along the way.
The rest of the evening was pretty mellow. I just kinda hung out in my room and watched some videos. I wanted to stay up so that I could hear from Nic when they got home safely. I can be a bit of a worrywart at times. But hey, that can be a good thing. It shows that I care about my friends. But until I heard from him, Netflix was my best friend for the night :P
Speaking of night, it is time for sleep. My friends have returned safely to their country and are now in their beds and so too must I retire to mine. Until tomorrow, sleep well, sweet dreams, and hasta mañana :)
~ Cass Haines ~
Friday, May 1, 2015
Day 9 - Painting & Final Night with Essex Team
I also helped paint some wooden shelves (or whatever those things were), but we were rushing to finish them because we had to pack up and leave so I, along with Taylor, Lauren, Kaitlin, and Doreen, ended up getting paint all over ourselves as we tried to rush paint. And of course, this was the paint that doesn't like to come off easily. I still have paint blotches on my skin at the moment, hours later.
Here's a couple pics of me hard at work on my flowers (stole these pics from Nic).
We hit some rain on the way home again. When it rains here, it absolutely pours! It's so crazy how much water they get here in such a short amount of time! It started raining on our way back in from the school and this was how deep the water was when we stopped at Price Smart (the Honduran version of Costco).
So tonight was our last night with the team. It was really bittersweet. I got to help set up and put on the final send off dinner for them. Judy, Kathy, Dale, Carolyn, and I set up the tables and place markers and stuff and we hosted the entire evening. For supper we had enchiladas, which were AMAZING, and tacos, which are nothing like the tacos back home. Elisa had warned me about this though so I was prepared for it. They're basically like chicken wrapped in a tortilla and deep fried. They were really good though. I have yet to have any nachos here yet, which I'm disappointed about considering my constant nacho cravings this past year at school. I miss being able to order nachos from El Caminos at 1am </3
The flat things are the enchiladas, which you fill with ground beef and potatoes, a mixture of tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and cheese. You also put this red sauce on it which is so good. I was worried that it was going to be spicy, so I only put a little bit on, but thankfully it wasn't. The tube thing at the top of the plate is the taco. And then I also had plantains.
After we ate, Judy, Kathy, Dale, Carolyn, Victor, and I sang a song to the team to the tune of the song "I's the B'y", in which we brought up different highlights from the week. We wanted Dale to wear the blue wig that Pastor Brent had for the Fun Day, but unfortunately it wasn't at the house, so we found a different wig instead and it was absolutely hilarious on him! So then we decided that we each needed to have something goofy to wear. I had on giant sunglasses that wouldn't stay on my nose, Carolyn had a pig nose, Kathy had a giant bow on her head, Judy had a clown wig attached to her bun, Victor had an old man mask and blond wig, and Dale had the brown wig (he looked like the young adult version of Dexter from the TV show "Dexter").
 |
| His hair looked like this :P |
It was really funny and everyone was laughing. After the song, we gave out awards to everyone to commemorate their actions over the week (for example, Doreen got the Sponsor Queen award since she sponsored 4 new kids this week and Nic got the Techi award since he helped with computer stuff and set up the new router). Everyone really enjoyed their awards. Overall, it was a really great evening. It was sad though, because this was our last night with the team. I'm not ready to say goodbye to them yet :(
Before I go, you'll never guess what happened! Remember that pine cone that I said would come into play again? Well, I happened to looked over at my bedside table and I was surprised to find an odd shape sitting there! The pine cone opened! I didn't know they did that! When they're still on the tree, yes, I can see that, but when it's not? Never saw that coming!
I've decided to name him Chris Pine... You know... cause he's a PINE cone? :P ...yeah, that was lame... Well I decided to give him to Nic cause technically I did give it to him at the zoo but he'd put it in my bag for safe keeping. He said yes when I asked him if he still wanted it so I'm hoping that he actually does keep it and doesn't throw it away cause I think it's really cool looking. If he hadn't said yes, I would have totally kept it myself. So Nic, if you're reading this, you'd better keep it! ;P
That's all for tonight. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow because that means the team is leaving, but unfortunately they have to go :( It's going to be tough saying goodbye to my new friends. I never like having to say goodbye. Especially since I don't know when I'm going to see any of them again. I know I'm going to see Pastor Brent in June because he's coming up to the Sault to speak at our church on Father's Day, but as for Doreen and Nic, I don't know and that makes me really sad. I'm hoping that we'll continue to keep in touch after they leave, especially Nic. I've really become close with him this past week and I don't want to lose him.
I think that's been one of my biggest fears in life, losing the people that I care about. I know that this especially came to light a few weeks ago when I left Master's. Since I'm not going back next year, I'm afraid that all of my friends there are going to forget about me, that I'll never talk to them or see them again. I know it's a silly fear, but I can't help it. It was talked about this week about being filled with the fruits of the Spirit and I really believe that God has filled me with the fruit of love. I just have this heart that's bursting with love for people. And when those people are my friends, my heart just swells even more for them. The downside to that is that it makes my heart hurt that much more when I lose them. I think that also ties in with my fear of rejection. I don't want to be rejected by the people that I care about. It's a blessing and a curse to have a heart this full of love. I have so much to give but at the same time, there's that much more to be rejected... Ok, wow, that got deep fast. Well, I guess now you have a bit of insight into the mind of Cass. I tend to over think things... a lot. Sorry. Oh, I also tend to say sorry a lot... Ok, I'm just gonna end this for the night before I ramble on any more. Until tomorrow, take care, sweet dreams, and hasta mañana!
~ Cass Haines ~
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