Homework Helper

Steve and Luis are hard at work on fractions tonight.

Bundle of Joy

Our newest addition

Somos Historia

Somos Historia
A song of praise by Pastor Jorge Samuel Nuñez for the 60th anniversary of Escuela El Sembrador

Una sueño
Una cancion
Una meta
Una visión
Transformar el corazón que vaga sin rumbo sin dirección

One dream
One song
One goal
One vision
To transform the heart wandering aimlessly without direction

Ya no leemos historia,
Ahora somos historia.
Ya no leemos historia,
Ahora haremos historia.

We not just reading history,
Now we are history.
We not just reading history,
Now we'll make history.

Semillas que germinan
Árboles que mueren
Semillas que germinan
Árboles que producen

Seeds that sprout
Trees that die
Seeds that sprout
Trees that produce

Ese sueño
Ese cancion
Ese meta
Ese visión
Transformar el corazón que vaga sin rumbo sin dirección

That dream
That song
That goal
That vision
To transform the heart wandering aimlessly without direction

Seis décadas
Sembrando
La palabra de Dios

Six decades
Sowing
The word of God

Ya no leemos historia,
Ahora somos historia.
Ya no leemos historia,
Ahora haremos historia.

We not just reading history,
Now we are history.
We not just reading history,
Now we'll make history.

//Sembrador Halcones//
Es el sueño de Dios

//Sembrador Hawks//
Is the dream of God.

Backyard Bug

Check out the cool bug Steve found on his walk this afternoon.

Happy as a Pig in the Mud

VIA, Molly, is helping out in the pig barns today.

A Surprise Blessing

We're not used the schedule here at El Sembrador just yet. So tonight when the bell rang, we weren't sure what was going on. So we went to investigate. We found a group of students meeting under the Gathering Tree for small group Bible study and we're invited to join in. It turned out to be a completely student-led group. One student led us in a game. Someone led a few songs. And someone else gave the Bible lesson. It was beautiful to sit under that big ol' tree and listen to them share about the Lord.

We are so completely blessed by these kids. They are really special.

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, It's Off to Rake We Go!

Our campus doesn't stay neat and clean all by itself! Kenneth is raking up leaves around campus today. 

Lab Work

Steve was up early this morning helping to install electrical outlets in the new natural science lab at the school.

Oh, the Places You'll Go

Before we left Tegucigalpa for El Sembrador, we took a road trip with one of our Spanish teachers to visit her hometown and spend time with her and family. Gloria and her husband are gifted hosts and tour guides and the day turned out to be a highlight of our time here in Honduras so far.

When I look at these pictures, I'm in awe all over again that we get to live in this beautiful country and befriend its precious people. God is good.

Gloria and her grandson, Josue, preparing lunch in La Paz.

Steve, Nick and Josue enjoying the warm waters of the natural hot springs in the rain forest outside La Paz.

The old church that anchors the town square of  Comayagua

A close-up of some of the beautiful art that adorns the church.

The First Casualty

We made our first visit to the clinic today. And SURPRISE!

It wasn't Nick!

Steve got bit by something during the night and his hand swelled up. The treatment? A little ibuprofen, some Benadryl, ice and whole lot of TLC!

I'll never eat another cookie...

Ok, maybe just one, but a long, long time in a future that I can't imagine at the moment. Today was our first day working here at El Sembrador and everyone is busy getting ready for the big 60th Anniversary Celebration.

Steve put in some outdoor lighting to highlight the beautiful gardens around campus. Working on wiring during a rainy season downpour seems like a perfectly normal thing to do right? I, on the other hand, helped Andi in the kitchen. We made over 1,500 chocolate chip cookies...in one day. And get this: There are exactly three chocolate chips in each cookie. I don't know if that's the perfect chocolate-to-cookie ratio or what, but it seemed really important. I think I'll be counting chips in my sleep tonight!

Steve and I just arrived back at home covered in mud, sweat and baking flour. I think we forgot how exhausting this really is!

Andi and I were cookie-making machines!

Now what?

We've been preparing for this moment for years. We've dreamed about it. Our entire lives have been focused around this single purpose for so long that it's hard to remember what we thought about before. And now it's finally here. We're home—at El Sembrador.

Wow. It hardly seems real, but here we are. The bags are unpacked and the house is ready. Tomorrow a new week and a new life begins here. I'm excited. But I'm also anxious and yes, a little scared. Actually, more like terrified.

A million questions kept me awake last night. What if I don't fit in? What if the students don't like me? What if it isn't as great as I remember? What if my Spanish isn't as good as it needs to be? What if the expectations my co-workers have of me are too high and I let them down? What if I do more harm than good? What if I'm not really needed? How am I going to remember all these new names?!? AGHHHHH!!!!!

But tonight, I think I'm going to sleep like a baby. Because I've decided that there's only one question that really matters. And it's scary. But I'm feeling pretty brave. So here goes: Lord, now what?

El Sembrador Bound!

The Solheims are packing up for yet another move. We're starting to get used to this process, but it's still a lot of work!

Team Spirit

Honduras may have been eliminated from the World Cup. But we're still proud of our Catrachos!

Maybe they would have won if they'd put Nick in the game!

I didn't wear this silly hat in vain. Honduras did manage to score its first World Cup goal in 32 years!

Nordics in Honduras?

We found this little coffee shop here in Tegucigalpa and it reminded us of our Solheim roots. Guess we're not the ones with Scandinavian heritage here!