Happily Exhausted

I have been teaching for a week now.  It is going so well!  My students are hilarious and awesome!  I LOVE what I am doing!

I have taught various versions and levels of "this/that/these/those" over 12 times in the last week.  Remember, I usually teach 4 times a day for a total of 6 hours a day, but I have a total of 6 classes that rotate throughout the week.  Each class is progressing at a different pace and the students are not always the same students within each class due to their schedule changes. I have taught the same lesson so many times that it is completely mixed up in my brain. Yet, I am able to pick up exactly where I left off with each class.  I'm not really sure how this possible...and yet it's happening....

Tomorrow, I am creating a market scene in the classroom for the students practice what they have learned.  I will buy some different types of fruit from the real market as well as bring some of my clothing to "sell." It should be interesting FOR SURE!

Thank you to so many people who have been praying for my friendships here.  I have had MAJOR breakthroughs! 

Last weekend, one of the officers and I talked for about 4 hours about the Lord.  He believes that God sent me here just for him.  Then, last night, one of my roommates was asking me questions about the cost of living in the States.  I explained the miracles that God has done in my finances in the past two years. I also shared my testimony.  I could see the wheels turning inside her head as she tried to comprehend that God is my best friend.

One night, I cooked for roommates. They loved it, even though it was my simple chicken with salt and pepper dish.  It's so amazing how a little food can break the ice and form friendships.

One of my students often comes to me in the evenings after dinner in order to have extra classes.  He loves the Lord and is so grateful for me to be here. I wish I could sponsor him to study.  He has a gift for quickly learning languages and loves helping tourists who don't speak Spanish.

At church on Sunday, I got to talk with the pastor's wife (Nancy Watkins from Iglesia del Camino) for a long time.  She is a sweetheart.  We went to McDonald's together on Monday.  I went back to the church on Wednesday for a potluck Bible Study and helped her serve food.  We have already encouraged each other greatly. She and her husband, Pastor Mike, are the official chaplains of the police.  I know we have much to learn from each other.

Yesterday morning, a French-Canadian guy who speaks French, English, and Spanish showed up asking about how he could get an escort to climb a nearby volcano.  The police told him that he had to ask a week in advance in order to get escort.  I decided that I wanted to go, too.  I asked one of the chief officers if they could take me this weekend and if Phil (the tourist) could just ride along.  He replied that the president was in the city and would not be able to take us due to their extra work load in providing security for him and the other delegates here. 

Today, Phil showed up and helped with class.  Afterwards, we went to lunch together to talk about how we could possibly still climb the volcano.  We even went to a travel agency that Officer Castillo recommended. In the midst of the conversation, he told me that he knows nothing about the Bible or Christianity.  So, I gave him a 10 minute version of what Christians believe and why we believe that Jesus died on the cross, etc. He says that it is all very interesting and that he is reading the Bible just to find out what it says.

At the end of afternoon, I asked a different police chief (Officer Rucal [God bless him! :-) ]) about climbing the volcano.  He said that I am important and that I can be taken wherever I want, pretty much whenever- no matter who is in the city.  He also said that I can bring whomever I want to come along.  So, the plan is for Phil and I to go to a volcano very early on Saturday morning and spend the day taking pictures, walking, and exploring!  This is a much better deal than paying $90 to hire a guide and gear to go!!

I'm sorry, but I don't have pictures from this week.  I've been so busy teaching that I haven't had a lot of time to explore or to even upload pictures from my camera.  It is currently after 10pm and I just now finished a conversation with my "late night" student.  I am exhausted, but thrilled that the Lord is doing so much here.  I knew there was a reason God wanted me in Antigua!!  The struggles I faced in coming here are so small compared to the amazing things God is using me to do.  I love being His.  I love His ways, even when they are hard.  I love being His vessel.  I love Him. Period.

By the way, I have been asked on numerous occasions by a variety of people (including the tourism office I went to today) to stay here for a year to teach English.  Honestly, it is so enticing! Guatemala is absolutely beautiful! Don't worry, though, I will return to the states.  Remember, I packed everyone's advice. ;-)