August
A few days ago, I was complaining to my twin about the hardships of moving to a new country: feeling uprooted from all that’s known and normal.
I can’t help but laugh at myself. Comfort is nice and has its place, but being forced to change and adapt produces growth. I never want to get caught chasing comfort. And, I keep reminding myself: building relationships and rhythms takes time.
I know that while living here my emotions will continually shift, but praise God He is a solid rock, and my character can remain constant in spite of circumstance.
I already have so much to be thankful for
Four of the kiddos have had birthdays since I’ve been here! And two of them were quinces! I felt so honored to celebrate these precious lives
Everyone is so kind and welcoming! I walk out of my room and have kiddos running up for a hug or am greeted with a smile and wave from one of the Tias
The nature here is really beautiful: so many types of birds and butterflies, as well as trees all around. I can’t wait for planting season to start growing flowers and vegetables with the kiddos
God has fully equipped me for my work here of teaching and creating curriculum (Even though I have so much to learn)
The kiddos’ favorite sports are volleyball and soccer, consequently my favorite sports too
The young and older girls love to dance and make fun of my dorky moves. It’s been a great source of laughter and connection
The Work
The home here has not had a consistent English program for years, and they are hoping to create and implement their own curriculum to teach the kiddos. The goal of the curriculum is to disciple the children as well as give tools for internal healing and a global perspective, ultimately widening their horizons to the world beyond the home.
But, this practically means we are starting from scratch with no up-to-date resources, book or outline to follow. Most of the kids, despite having English classes at school, are at a beginner level. So, for this year, I am working to create strong introduction courses for kids ranging from five to sixteen years old. Long-term, the home would love to have leveled course work so the children can advance into intermediate language levels. This means that while I’m planning curriculum, I am trying to create sustainable and customizable lessons for the years to come.
It’s a big task, but I am thankful for teachers and online resources that are helping make it more feasible.
The lesson planning and preparing of the classroom will be my main work for a few more weeks until I start teaching in mid-September.
Current Classroom Space: Lots of room to dream
We just got some desks (many are broken) and a whiteboard.
Prayer Requests
Creativity and Diligence. Creating lessons has been a lot of solo computer work, which can wear me down. Pray that I will see the long-term benefits and stay diligent in creating hands-on, fun lessons that will prepare and uplift the kiddos in language learning
Language. While I have a solid foundation of Spanish, it still takes much more effort to understand and be understood than speaking in English. Pray I would improve quickly, so I can more deeply and wisely interact with those here
Relationships. One night, while talking with the teen girls, one of them asked why I was here. I started to explain, when another girl cut me off. She said, “No, no, no. That’s not why you are here. I prayed God would send me someone. I asked and asked, and He said, ‘I will send you Olivia.’” While she was half-teasing, it re-opened my eyes to the girls’ vulnerability and to the potential discipleship that can happen during this upcoming year. Pray that I would wisely and intentionally build God-centered friendships that uplift these girls
