As I sit in our kitchen eating a burger and quinoa for lunch this Sunday afternoon, it is hard for me to believe it has only and already been 33 days since I left sunny summer in South Florida to move to the sunny, but much chillier, mountains of Bolivia. Since week 1, my days have been packed with the responsibilities of teaching. Lesson planning and grading have taken a lot of my time, but I've also had several chances to relax and have fun with other teachers from school. Game nights, watching Mr. Popper's Penguins in Spanish at the Megacenter (our local equivalent of the mall), Bible study, ultimate frisbee, and several meals in and out have filled some of the small windows of free time I have here. Each week, we get to know our way around a little bit better, and last weekend I had fun exploring the shops of San Miguel and getting "lost" on a minibus that was not heading to its specified destination...(After 5 minutes of me riding the bus as the only remaining passenger, the driver asked me where I was going. I told him my destination. He proceeded to tell me that the bus was not, in fact, heading to Obrajes, and he subsequently took the "Obrajes" sign out of the window. I apologized for my mistake...) :)
School itself has been very busy and very fun. I am teaching 5 classes altogether right now. I have my 6th and 7th graders for both math and science each day, and I see 8th grade once a day for Algebra. Each of the classes has a "unique" personality, and it has been fun to get to know the students in each group. There are days when I feel overwhelmed or confused about how and what I should do in the classroom, but God has been calling me to depend on him to teach me how to teach all of my students. Along those lines, I have been thinking a lot on these verses from Isaiah over the past few weeks: "In repentence and rest is your salvation; in quietness and trust is your strength...Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are those who wait for him...Whether you turn to the right or the left you will hear a voice behind you saying, 'This is the way, walk in it.'"
Thank you all for your many prayers on my behalf. God has been so faithful to me here. My roommate and I have been healthy and, even with some minor inconveniences, life has been settling into a steady routine. A typical day for me is...
5:40 a.m. - Wake up and get ready for school
6:45 a.m. - Brush my teeth with bottled water
7:00 a.m. - Meet our taxi on the street in front of our house (Mario takes us to school every morning)
7:15 a.m. - Get to school, drop things off in my classroom, print worksheets or make copies in the teacher's lounge as necessary, review the schedule for the day
7:45 a.m. - Morning staff Bible study - This is a pretty cool way to start the school day. :)
8:00 a.m. - Back to the classroom for last minute prep
8:15 a.m. - A "warning bell" is supposed to remind the kids it's time for class...The warning bell is usually me or Ms. Youtzy calling all of the students to head to class
8:20 a.m. - Time for class! I start the day with 15 super 6th graders!
3:00 p.m. - Whew...the kids head home after a busy day of class.
3:45 or 4:00 p.m. - I head home with my roommate Jess and our neighbor, Jill.
After 4:00 p.m. - My afternoons are usually composed of getting things ready for school, making dinner, and catching up with friends or family. We have Bible study on Wednesday nights, and sometimes we have a movie night or dinner with friends. Other afternoons are filled with visa and immigration business, and next week, I am planning to start Spanish lessons with 2 other teachers from school one day a week.
9:30 p.m. - Get ready for bed...The day starts and ends early for us teachers!
My roommate and I have been going to a Bolivian church that meets at the school each Sunday, and it has been fun to worship God in Spanish and I have really enjoyed the messages each week. The pastor is preaching through the book of Genesis right now, and today's message was about Jacob and Esau.
So...one month in, I still am awed by the mountains that rise all around us as I step outside each morning, I still can't remember how much it costs for a trufi, and I still smile everytime our landlord's dog, Diana, greets us at the front door (and when she sneaks into our house!). There are still so many lessons still to be learned and so many places to be explored.
As you pray for me, please pray for continued health and energy. Please ask God to give me wisdom and discernment as I plan lessons and deal with the different personalities and needs of my students. Many of our middle schoolers do not know Jesus and have a lot of questions. Please pray that they will see Christ genuinely at work in the lives of their teachers and that they would have a desire to know God. We also have a few new teachers who will be arriving to the school in the next few weeks. Please pray for them as they finalize their plans for the move and begin the transition to Bolivia.
And, finally, please keep me posted on life in the states! Shoot me a message to tell me what's new with you. :)
With love from La Paz,
Joy
33 days and counting!
