The Boys - Part 3: Mario

Mario

Mario.  Where to begin.  Mario is all over the place.  Especially after a little bit of sugar.  Really, seriously the kid should not be ingesting sugar.  However, that is all beside the point.  Mario is ornery.  He is great at getting in trouble and with his cute smile equally as good at getting out of trouble.  He tends to keep that behavior at home though.  In school he is a model student.  Honor Roll student.  His Spanish teacher recently told me that, "Mario is a born leader."  Maybe she was giving him a compliment or maybe just saying he really enjoys bossing people around.  I can see it being taken either way.

Mario is very good at taking the temperature of a room.  He knows when it is time to play and when it is time to help someone through a rough day with a hug.  He cares for all of us here in the house.  Always willing to tell a quick joke or just be there when someone needs it.  His heart is just about as big as you will find in a 13 year old his size.  Yea that's right folks, Mario is officially a teenager!  Now we have five of those in the house!

Mario loves music.  Especially music in English.  He is constantly singing even if he isn't quite sure about the lyrics.  He also loves reading.  He has read a few chapter books this year including the first two book of the Chronicles of Narnia.  He is hoping to read a few more during our upcoming break from school.  He also recently made his debut on the school's soccer team playing defense. 

We love our Mario and love watching him grow into what we are sure will be a great man.

The Boys - Part 2: Francisco

Francisco

The brothers are certainly all very individual.  They all have their little quirks that make them unique.  However, Francisco stands out.  He is very different from his brothers.  He has a logic and reasoning to him that is far beyond his 11 years.  He thinks things through all the way before he acts.  He rationalizes his different actions and reactions like no other child I have ever seen.  Really all this is to say I'm impressed every single day by this guy.  He is so much more than that cute face we see at first.

I guess the best word I can use to describe Francisco is honest.  It's a hard thing to prove to people.  Especially when you are in third grade.  I'm gonna tell you a little story that amazes me to this day.  A story that brought Francisco and I together and helped seal the bond that we have.  A few months back the boys were doing their exams at school.  Francisco needed to learn the multiplication tables but was having trouble with the 7's and 8's.  We would practice for hours after school but still he struggled.  I mean come on those are the toughest ones!  Well the day of the exam came and went.  His teacher told me he got 30/30 a perfect score!  I was so proud!  All that hard work had paid off.  When we got home we started studying for the next days exams but there was something wrong with Francisco.  He just wasn't his normal upbeat self.  I had it in my head I was gonna talk with him after we finished studying but he had the same idea brewing in his head I guess because before we even finished he stopped me and asked to talk.  He looked me square in my eyes and said "I cheated on my exam today, Corey...."  I wasn't sure what to say at first.  No one had caught him cheating, no one asked him if he did, and no one suspected he did.  However, here he was admitting to something.  It took me a second to gather my thoughts and I said, "Well buddy, why are you telling me?"  Without skipping a beat he spouted off how horrible he felt for cheating, how he knew it was wrong, and how he desperately wanted to fix it.  I told him the only way to fix it was to be honest.  The next day he headed in to school and admitted to the teacher what he had done.  She was just as confused as I was to hear this child, yea a kid, telling the truth so openly.  Feeling so bad about what he had done.

When we got home from school that day we had a long talk including some big old tears.  I told him how proud I was of him for doing the right thing.  I am always proud of our boys.  Always.  I love the relationship Francis and I have.  I love that he is able to come to me with anything.  Knowing he will even tell me when he cheats on a test shows me that.  Francisco has improved academically a lot this year.  The honest way.  Hard work and determination.  This little speed bump did't stop him.  He recently was selected for the school's soccer team and played in his first game.  I am so happy to be helping coach the boys because seeing them on the field using all that energy is pretty awesome.  In his first game he played every second and did a great job.  The coach on the other team even came up to me after the game to say how impressed he was with Francisco's enthusiasm on the field.

The Boys - Part 1: Antonio

Okay well I've gotta start off by saying "I'm sorry." Yea it has been over a year since my last blog, 370 days to be exact. I've gotta thank Amber Foster for getting it in my head and heart that I should bring my blog back to life. Speaking of life mine revolves around some really special boys. Over the past year they've changed from being the boys to well no other way to say it but "My Boys." (And Carlo's and David's of course) This last year has been full and I mean FULL of ups and downs. Luckily Our God has given way more ups than downs. The boys have been on the Honor Roll for every grading period this year and have been model students. I can't begin to tell you how often I get to hear from teachers and staff how amazing these boys are. Each time I hear something I can't help but grin ear to ear with pride at how much they have grown.

 Let's start with the little guy, Jairo Antonio. That's not a typo. His legal name is Jairo. Hard to imagine after being called Antonio for so long. My mom calls him her "Little Man." It is literally impossible not to love him. His smile is so big it actually overtakes his face and causes everyone around him to smile as well. I've been so impressed by how he has grown in the classroom. Last year at this time he was just learning how to read. Now he is reading every chance he gets and is one of the top students in his class. This is in large part due to two amazing ladies at my school that have been great teachers for my mom's "Little Man." Thanks Ms. Claudia and Ms. Fanny so much for all you have done for him over this past year. We know that without these awesome women he would not be the student he currently is in the classroom. Being the youngest in the house isn't always easy, but Antonio does not let that stop him from doing everything that his big brothers are doing. He is always outside playing soccer with the kids that are twice, well maybe three times, his size. His intensity in the classroom definitely spills over to the soccer field.

 Recently we had a parade at school to celebrate Honduras Independence Day. Antonio and his classmates were athletes carrying different flags and just having a good time in general. As my class and parents walked a little ways behind him one of my parents pulled me aside to comment on how this little boy in Second Grade was having more fun than anyone else at the parade. She showed me a picture she had taken, and of course it was Antonio's giant grin showing up on her screen. Just goes to show how he brings joy to just about every activity he is a part of.

We love our "Little Man" a lot. When things seem a little down around the house he is always there to bring a smile to our faces. I can't imagine my life without Jairo Antonio, he most certainly is a blessing.

Teacher's Day 2013

Today is Teacher's Day here in Honduras. Yea thats right an entire day for Mr. Corey! Well I guess it is for all the teachers but you are here reading this blog so yea an entire day for Mr. Corey. The best part of Teacher's Day you ask, well of course the day off school! I've now had three different groups of students. This year by far the most, 30 in total now. The most staggering statistic is how many of them are boys in that number... 23. Yea not a typo, 23 boys. So as you can imagine my classroom is many things. The list includes never clean, always pretty smelly, decorated in mostly sports stuff, always loud, and of course avoided by all other teachers. That being said I've NEVER enjoyed going to work so much before. I love these kids. They are so smart and everyday just want to learn more. I haven't had one let alone 30 kids before so excited to learn new things. I literally have 30-60 hands depending on how excited they are raised trying to answer questions at all times. Even if I didn't ask a question. By Sunday nights I miss them and am completely okay with going to bed early just to start my Monday with them. I read somewhere that hugs have huge health benefits and help improve your mood, I can certainly attest to that being true. My students are the definition of "huggers" this year and I seem to have a line forming each day before they leave to tell me goodbye. This year has taught me that God has me exactly where I need to be right now because I couldn't imagine a better group of kids to spend so much time with each day. Needless to say I'm gonna miss these kids like crazy when the school year ends in less than two months.

My Life

I sat here trying to put a title on this blog post for a good week. Couldn't think of one that fully explained and expressed how I feel about what I've written below. Sorry it took so long to post. Probably anyone who is reading this already knows what it going on in my life. From my facebook posts and a newsletter I've kinda made it clear what has happened. Five kids have moved into our house. Most of you probably know their names and faces already actually. Antonio, Francisco, Mario, Marvin, and Yovani. Five precious kids with a mountain of potential that has not been utilized the past year or more. After many long meetings, discussions, and of course prayer David and I have welcomed these awesome guys into our home. The decision wasn't taken lightly. We talked to trusted friends and tried to think of all the details before the paperwork was drawn up and school was started. You never really expect to see your life change forever in a matter of days but that is what has happened. Long nights of homework and studying have already happened. With many more of the same nights coming our way. I've done the homework/studying game before so that wasn't anything new. At school I've had more long conversations on the staircase to my classroom than I can count. So the talks about behavior and change, well those aren't very new either. What is new is how responsible I am for all these things now. What is new is waking up each morning and getting ready for school with 5 new faces. What is new is the fact that once something like this starts you can't go back. Personal failure now means so much more when these kids' lives are so intertwined with my life. I looked back at some of my first blogs from my mission trip here over two years ago as I wrote this blog. "During the building of the house Mario, one of the middle brothers, was by my side helping me for most of the day. He hasn’t said much to me so far on the trip but today he was extremely chatty! Mario’s story is a long one and to see him thrive is awesome. Whenever we have been around kids his age he is the center of attention and is always sharing with the other kids. Its amazing to see someone that has less that me give without even batting an eye. He is inspirational. On our ride home Mario, Marvin, and I sat in the back of the bus. Marvin was passed out after a few minutes but Mario and I were talking, singing, and dancing the whole way back. He is an awesome kid and I am so very thankful that I got to know him a little better today!" I feel blessed to be able to look back at my first experiences with these kids. To know that I've felt this way about them from the beginning. That I can be so thankful for their presence in my life. My blog has always had the same background photo on the top. A picture of me with Mario on my shoulders looking out at a beautiful view. I had no idea that day that I had my life sitting up on my shoulders already. That all we had to do was wait for God's perfect timing to put us back together.

I pray I can be exactly what they need. I pray I continue to learn patience. I pray that I take advantage of this opportunity to be prepared for what He has in store for my journey.

A Song

Sometimes I forget to blog because I'm busy, sometimes because I'm lazy, and sometimes I just find myself without words to say. I have had a song in my head for literally weeks. A group from Portsmouth Ohio was here and they played it LOUD on the way out to see the kids (Jonatan, Rosie, and Dayana). I've heard it before but it never struck as much at is did there. The song is "Where I Belong" and the chorus goes "All I know is I'm not home yet, this is now where I belong, take this world and give me Jesus, this is not where I belong." It says a lot and can mean a whole lot in not so many words. I took so much from it that morning as I saw these three little faces that were my life for over a year. I know things might never be the same with them, I might never get to spend the afternoon helping Jonatan with homework while we laugh and talk. Those memories were life for awhile and I never fully appreciated them while I had them. However as I sat and spent time with him that day I was able to really sit and realize that this isn't the end, we all aren't home yet, and we have so much ahead of us. We will both keep walking our paths in life and they will come together again whether or not it is the same as it was before. I love that kid more than I could put to words and that was the reason it took so long to put it into words. Somedays you just don't have words and you just wait until you realize thats okay.

28 students, and then some

We have been at school for three weeks now and the time has flown by! I guess that happens when you have 28 kids (21 boys and 7 girls, yea I know) The kids are very intelligent and are so eager to learn new things! I love 4th Grade and this year promises to be filled with new adventures at school. Not only am I teaching all the 4th Grade classes but I am also teaching 7th Grade Literature and History this year. I was a little apprehensive when the year started but now I really look forward to these classes, even though it does mean I'm spending a lot more time lesson planning! March has started and that means one thing here in Honduras... GROUPS! The gringos are coming and we will be busy! The madness begins Friday and I can't wait! Even though I can only spend weekends and evenings with the groups I sure do love group season (and not only because it means plenty of visits to Didasko!) Building houses has really grown on me and there will be some very memorable builds coming at the end of this month! I can't wait to see friends I haven't seen since last year!