In our trip training, the word “flexible” is BY FAR the most frequently used term, and for a good reason. Today, our group planned to teach English to children in grades 1-9. We made lesson plans before the trip, printouts, planned games and songs. We didn’t know exactly how many kids to expect, but we assumed 50-100 per class, with three classes total that would rotate all week to eventually learn four separate lessons.

For the two of us writing you tonight, we both had a different experience that we would like to share.

Here’s what Lizzie had to say:

I came to Honduras through the suggestion of others. The majority of people typically go on mission trips because they feel compelled or “called” to do so. I came because I have a passion for traveling, the Spanish language and adapting to different cultures. I’ve done many things in the past that have pushed me outside of my comfort zone: studying abroad, speaking in public, traveling solo. We’ve all probably had to do something, either by choice or by the influence of somebody else, that has made us feel uncomfortable at some point in our lives. But one thing I’ve learned is that regardless of how many times you’ve considered yourself to have “stepped outside your comfort zone” there are always opportunities to step even further. No matter how much you plan for something, you have to prepare yourself for curveballs thrown your way; they’re inevitable.
We prepared ourselves to teach English to these kids before coming on this trip, but we had no idea that some of these classes were going to have over 100 students. In the beginning, I had no idea that I was even going to be teaching English as a part of this mission trip. I assumed that, like a lot of other mission trips, our work would mostly consist of construction. I learned today how to adapt to a whole new level of discomfort and nervousness. I also learned that immersing yourself into that discomfort can only build you up even stronger for your next encounter that you may consider to be “uncomfortable.”
One way to help with this is to dig deep and try to find the root of what’s causing this discomfort. For me, it’s doubt. Doubt in myself. Doubt in what I’m capable of doing. It’s important to try your best to let go of whatever it may be that’s keeping you from being able to fully give yourself and your heart to others.
The overall themes I got from today were flexibility and open-mindedness. You can have a specific plan in your head for how things are supposed to go, but just make sure to prepare yourself to be flexible and remember that vulnerability is a good thing and an opportunity for growth.

Here’s what Colby had to say:

As soon as we walked into the school, the ROAR of children’s voices sparked INSTANT anxiety. Quickly after, I find out that we would be teaching 500 students, not 150. We scrambled to reorganize. I was able to work with Alejandro (both pastor of the church and principal of the school) and a couple teachers to create a plan. We decided to divide the 500 into more manageable small classes, leaving room for a balance for the three translators and the two of us who are also bilingual–five groups total. We quickly divided grades 4-9 into groups of 40-60. However, given the fact that we needed at least one Spanish/English speaker per class, the 125 kids in grades 1-3 needed to be together. Not to mention, all of the groups needed to teach the SAME lesson. Of the four lessons we had prepared, only one group had specifically prepared for the lesson we chose for today. Flexible, flexible, flexible.

I felt like since I was the one assigning groups and organizing details, I could not drop that 125 pound bomb on anyone else.

So, I took it, and brought two very willing and “flexible” team members with me:

1st-3rd Grade: Colby (bilingual), Jory and Dylan
4th Grade: Kat, Bryan and Mario (translator)
5th Grade: JT (bilingual), Derek and Riley
6th Grade: Amber and Belkys (translator)
7th-9th Grade: Lizzie, Audrey and Danilo (translator)

Discomfort is a good place to start, and we all felt it. As soon as the kids came rushing into the class, reality hit. I’m not a teacher. I’m not an ESL teacher. Can I do this? We all did what we needed to do. Some groups had amazing success and some felt they could have had more content. But every group walked away with helpful information about the grade they taught and how we could incorporate more effective ways to teach them. We are all sticking with the groups we taught today, and customizing our lesson plans to fit the grades we teach.

Vulnerability is an amazing gift, because as we are finding here, the more we choose discomfort, the more comfort we find in being uncomfortable. We’ll continue to teach the kids this week and face our fears of failure, judgement and not being good enough. What’s beautiful about it is that “we are imperfect and we ARE enough” (thanks, Brenè Brown). These kids absolutely adore time they spend with us and will literally use every second they have with us to connect. They are so grateful, so kind and so understanding.

Tonight at our group devotional, we all shared what our favorite thing of the day was. For Lizzie, it was during construction, when took a quick break and started interacting with the kids watching. She “let herself go, and let herself Spanish.” It was the first time that she felt really connected to the kids and let herself speak the language without doubting her own abilities.

For me, Colby, surprisingly enough, it was the morning chaos. I loved being able to connect with the pastor and teachers and make something really productive happen. The teachers got a break and the kids were able to learn something new. In that moment, I knew my help was needed and I felt really blessed to be able to step in.

We continued the morning with basketball and volleyball camps, which the kids loved. After lunch, we helped with construction at Alejandro’s church, just a short walk away from the school. We helped dig trenches, fill trenches and help to lay the groundwork for foundation walls, to a much need church addition that will serve as an Internet Cafe to the community.

Thank you so much for reading our blog. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate your thoughts and prayers this week while we are in Honduras!

HN