I am so sorry, blog followers, that it has been over a month since my last post.
Partly it is because my life here is so busy, and partly it is because I haven't known what to write...
And I'm sitting here still without any focused thought or something profound to say, so I hope you're OK with scattered thoughts and random updates from my life in this past month.
My life has developed a rhythm here. Things are becoming normal here, and increasingly, when I think back to life in the states, I think about how weird it will be to be back there in December. Granted, it would be a whole lot different if I were in Africa or some remote part of Asia or somewhere where life is completely different and I might not have all the conveniences here that I do. But still. I'm realizing going back and forth at Christmas and summers will be hard and strange and definitely play a toll on my emotions. I feel that happens whenever I leave somewhere...even if it's just going back to Taylor after a Christmas break at home, 4 hours away.
I'm realizing increasingly that I like to be rooted. And signing a 2-year committment to something far away from home, expecting to return to the states again one day (at least right now...) seems like a really stupid move. I am not flighty in anything I do and I want close friendships I've made over my lifetime to grow and develop throughout my life. I hate being uprooted. I hate leaving places. I can't imagine continually moving to different places all over the world as much as I love experiencing new cultures and seeing new things. For that, I will travel, not uproot myself. Unless I feel an extreme calling from God to go somewhere.
My heart, after not even 3 months, is already beginning to feel rooted here...at this school, with my students and even other students who I see and talk with often, in the community of teachers around me, and in the community of Bolivians I'm getting to know at "Tuesday Gathering" every Tuesday night.
I always look ahead so much and my mind wanders to the future if I let it and I know it's dangerous for me. I need to entrust God with my future, realizing he knows best. Even though future decisions, seeing people come and go from Highlands and from Bolivia will be so hard, relationships in the states have to be long distance, and friendships I form here might have to be long distance someday, I can't let that influence how I live in my life. I firmly believe God brings people in and out of our life at certain times and is the God over my relationships and my life. I have to keep reminding myself of that.
So, what does my life look like here? I'm sure some of you are wondering, and I don't think I've painted a clear picture of that for you.
My life is really not all that "exciting" just because I live in a different country. My alarm goes off at 5:45 every morning (too early) and I don't get up to it. I get up the second time it rings, at 5:50. I've only overslept ONCE, in 3 months. (Can you believe it, those of you who really know me? ha) And it was fine...I just got ready fast and I think we just left a few minutes later. I leave with my roommates, Sarah and Bekah at 6:35ish. We usually take Sarah's beat up landcruiser (affectionately called "The Beast") unless it is in the shop for something. Then we take a Taxi. If we take The Beast, we pick up the guys--Scott, Isaac, and Bjorlie. Sometimes my director, Scott Frost also comes with us...then we really have to squeeze to fit. It's a fun and bumpy 15-minute ride to school.
We have staff devotions Mon-Thurs at 7:45 with someone different leading it Mon-Wed and then we have "Prayer Thursdays" where all we do is pray...for specific prayer requests and for students that are struggling. It's a great way to start the day and I love that we do it.
The school day is from 8:20-3:00. I have an aide in the morning that I am having to train.....and another aide in the afternoon, Paola, who is becoming a great friend and is a huge help to me! I have 9 crazy, talkative boys with little self-control so it is difficult. But I am excited about how much improvement has happened--both academically and behavior-wise since the beginning of the year with just about all of my 14 students. They are really learning and growing and it's great to see. Jess, the second grade teacher and a good friend, keeps me sane during the day when we talk during recess or lunch. This is her 5th year teaching (she's new, but she taught 4 years in Korea prior to this year) so she gives me great advice and encouragement and comfort when I need it!! She is wonderful.
Mondays I tutor after school. I usually have about 5 of my students that stay with me, and 3 of my students who are really low in English go with a couple high schoolers who know Spanish. It's hard because the students that stay with me are at different levels, so I wish I could give them more one-on-one help. But at least it's something extra.
Tuesdays we have staff meetings after school, and then at 7:30 Bekah and I have been going to a gathering of young adults--most of whom go to the only English speaking church in La Paz, but there are people that come from other churces too. There is someone who leads kind of a Bible study or we have watched a movie a couple times, and we take prayer requests and pray for one another. It is a great group of people and I love feeling loved and welcome in the group even though I am new, not Bolivian, and don't really speak Spanish! (yet!!)
Wednesdays after school I play volleyball with any teachers or students that want to play. It's a lot of fun and I look forward to it every week. Then, at 6:30 we have women's Bible study at our apartment with all of the women teachers who work at Highlands. We eat dinner and dessert together and someone different leads every week. This coming week is my turn to lead! We are studying the book of 1 John. It's a lot of fun sharing stories about our days and our students, laughing together, and looking at the way John talks about love and inviting people to experience what he has experienced...the gospel message of grace and love...when the church at that time experienced a lot of corruption and had fallen into gnosticism.
Thursdays, Jess and I take Spanish lessons after school with Orieta, the kindergarten aide. She is wonderful and a great teacher. I'm learning a lot, but I need to study and practice all that she teaches us!! It's kind of hard when most everyone I'm in contact with on a daily basis speaks English and Spanish. It takes discipline and self-motivation. Sometimes Thursdays I'll go with a friend to dinner or for ice cream, or I go out with a bunch of teachers to Highlanders, a Mexican restaurant nearby. I'm going to try to make Thursdays my "date nights" with friends...I want to get to know a lot of the staff better.
My weekends are sacred. I am so tired at the end of the week. Weekends are always different and different things have come up that have been really fun. I went with 7 other teachers to beautiful Coroico (about 3 hours away) for a long weekend awhile back...it was wonderful. I've seen Korean theater (beautiful dancing and music), a classical guitar concert, gone out to dinner, movie nights, etc....it's hard to even remember right now. Saturday is kind of my sabbath. It's hard to make myself do any lesson planning or grading on Saturday. I also get kind of introverted after a week of constantly needing to be on my game in the classroom and then socializing just about every night. I enjoy spending the majority of my Saturday in my room! Sundays Bekah and I frequently attend Bedside Baptist...we love listening to our pastors from the churches we attended during college, and they both stream their sermons online. And once I listened to hers, and once she listened to mine. We've worshipped together too--I'll play guitar while we both sing. Sundays are also our grocery shopping days and the days where I plan and grade. Sunday nights we've been having roommate night and the 3 of us eat dinner and watch a movie together.
That's kind of my typical week in a nutshell, for those that were wondering what my life is like! I hope I didn't bore you!
Also, we just had parent teacher conferences. It was kind of nerve-racking, but it all went fine! Also, if you saw my Facebook status about one of my students' with a rough family situation, some of the facts were lost in translation since I had to have Paola translate for me with a lot of the parents/grandparents. Her mom is NOT addicted to drugs or alcohol...there was an instance at the beginning of the school year where she was drugged and robbed and taken to the hospital. Which is horrible and still super traumatizing. But the situation right now is better than I thought...she is not living with a mom who is addicted to any substances....just recovering from that horrible incident. And it is not only that girl, but a lot of my students have hard family situations, so please pray for them....
Well, as you can see, I'm definitely staying busy and am involved in a lot. I really do love my life and am sometimes overwhelmed by the grace and kindness God has extended upon me. I am truly blessed by the people around me, by my students, and through the job I have the opportunity to do.
Also, 63 days until I'm home sweet home with my family for Christmas. But who's counting?
