Aqui en La Ceiba!

(Written Domingo tardes (Sunday afternoon) 21 Junio by Katrina)
Hola, from La Ceiba! We finally arrived at our destination yesterday, after a three and a half hour bus ride from San Pedro Sula. Even though the ride was a little long, it was very comfortable as the bus was complete with reclining seats, air conditioning, and even a movie. When we arrived at the station, the son of the language school director, Carlos, was there to take us to our host family. When we reached the right street, the oldest son from out host family, Carlos Alberto, jumped in to direct us to his house. There, we were greeted by his father, Carlos Hugo, and his mother Gloria. Today we got to meet their youngest son, Ricardo. The whole family is very welcoming and hospitable. When we had unpacked and settled in, Gloria gave us a wonderful supper of tortillas, rice and beans, ham, and eggs. Then Alberto sat down with us and we talked for over two hours. He speaks very good English, while Gloria speaks only a little and Hugo almost none. Alberto is actually one of the teachers at the language school, so while we had conversations in half English, half Spanish, he would teach us new words and correct our grammar. He is very patient and has taught us a lot in just the one day we have been here.

This morning Gloria drove us down town to the Mennonite church there called Iglesia Evangelica Menonita Central. Everyone seemed very excited to see us and even had us come up front and give greetings from Pennsylvania. It was a new and awesome experience worshiping with them. Despite the language barrier, it was evident that the Holy Spirit was present there. Another blessing was that there were two people there who were fluent in English. We stayed a while after the service and talked with them. One of them is a girl my age who attends a bilingual school. She hopes to someday become a cardiologist. The other is a woman who this fall will be moving to New York City to work with Mennonite Central Committee. It is always encouraging to see how God is at work all around the world.

Tomorrow is our first day of classes, and we are all very excited! We will tell you all about that later. Until then,

~Katrina