Buenos Dias de Honduras y que El Señor les beniga!
Oh how many joys I have to tell you of God’s faithfulness and beauty seen in this place!
I have officially survived the first full day of school, Thursday and Friday of last week being half days, so it is very exciting to be at this point and to look forward to so many good things!
It was quite a push to get the classroom ready for the first day of school and I spent many days working late into the night. Everything takes more time here, so I had to keep reminding myself of that so I wouldn’t get frustrated. Between power outages and waiting for books and supplies to arrive and meeting after meeting repeating much of the same information, it became a task to keep the focus on the Lord and not get wrapped up in the struggle to get everything done. We learned in one of our cultural seminars this past week that you need 3 things(these are just the top 3) to adapt well to a new culture:
1. Sense of humor
2. Ability to fail
3. Adaptability
I have definitely been understanding these 3 things on a whole new level, and it has been a good stretch! Needless to say, God has been filling in all the gaps and providing in the places where I have fallen short.
On my first day of school I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up, but the minute I saw the smiling faces of the kids I knew everything was going to be fine!
We are now learning each other’s sense of humors and building our classroom environment, and things are going well! I’m definitely making a lot of mistakes, but they say here “Se vale equivocarse” – there’s value in making mistakes! I know God has specifically picked this class to help me and understand me through my first year of teaching. As you can see from the pictures…they are precious!
Apart from school(although there hasn’t been much else) – I am building good relationships with my roommates and I enjoy coming home to them each day. I have a small group which I know will be a blessing this year as I transition – it will be so good to have support through everything.
Oh how many joys I have to tell you of God’s faithfulness and beauty seen in this place!
I have officially survived the first full day of school, Thursday and Friday of last week being half days, so it is very exciting to be at this point and to look forward to so many good things!
It was quite a push to get the classroom ready for the first day of school and I spent many days working late into the night. Everything takes more time here, so I had to keep reminding myself of that so I wouldn’t get frustrated. Between power outages and waiting for books and supplies to arrive and meeting after meeting repeating much of the same information, it became a task to keep the focus on the Lord and not get wrapped up in the struggle to get everything done. We learned in one of our cultural seminars this past week that you need 3 things(these are just the top 3) to adapt well to a new culture:
1. Sense of humor
2. Ability to fail
3. Adaptability
I have definitely been understanding these 3 things on a whole new level, and it has been a good stretch! Needless to say, God has been filling in all the gaps and providing in the places where I have fallen short.
On my first day of school I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up, but the minute I saw the smiling faces of the kids I knew everything was going to be fine!
We are now learning each other’s sense of humors and building our classroom environment, and things are going well! I’m definitely making a lot of mistakes, but they say here “Se vale equivocarse” – there’s value in making mistakes! I know God has specifically picked this class to help me and understand me through my first year of teaching. As you can see from the pictures…they are precious!
Apart from school(although there hasn’t been much else) – I am building good relationships with my roommates and I enjoy coming home to them each day. I have a small group which I know will be a blessing this year as I transition – it will be so good to have support through everything.
I LOVE my partner teacher Gina, and Stacy brings a lot of life and passion to our 5th grade team, so all three of us are new to teaching 5th grade, however by God’s grace we are feeling equipped and excited about working together this year. (*please pray specifically for these relationships as we truly need each other to make the best learning experience for the kids)
I have tried out 2 more churches and am still seeking out a church to call home, it may take a while to find, so I am trying to be patient and yet not get discouraged. I definitely miss my amazing church family on Sunday mornings!
(*Please pray God will specifically lead me to a church and plant me there to expand my ministry outside of the school and that it wouldn’t take too much longer to settle in to a place.)
I feel as if I am still in the “honeymoon” stage of this whole experience, even though I have been working so hard, everything is new and wonderful. (*Please pray that I will continue to keep the same attitude as the semester moves forward and things get harder)
In all, please join me in praising the Lord for the ministry He has given me here, the way He is equipping me, and the joy He is pouring over me as I serve Him.
Much love to all of you and a big hug!
