a day in the life

Exactly one month ago today, I remember not being able to stomach breakfast as I said goodbye to my family and the surprise I felt when tears welled up in my eyes as I walked through the maze of security lines at Hartsfield-Jackson. And what a whirlwind it has been since that day. It's hard to decide which moments, of the many I've experienced here in Guatemala are worth sharing. I could try to walk you through a typical "day in the life"... each day is SO different, but I'll give it a shot:

I wake up, shower if I absolutely have to, put on a tshirt and jeans, TONS of insect repellent, pack my bag and I'm out the door. At Mana, I check each kid's attendance and compliance with dress code, and then I get to sit down and eat breakfast with them--blackbean sandwiches and sweet bread, and sometimes eggs! 

I help everyone get ready for the day--bring teachers special materials, like crayons or dictionaries they might need, and make sure everyone gets to class on time. Then my work begins. I spend the first half of the day with Yohanna. Together, we individually interview students who are either new to mana de vida, or are having behavioral issues. The Lord is really using these interviews to test my patience and my social work skills. Sometimes, the interviews are frustrating--none of the questions we ask seem to give us the information we need to know. Other times, we find out hard things--"my dad hits us when he comes home drunk," and our next question becomes, what do we do now that we have this information? One thing I know without a doubt, we need God's wisdom and guidance to know what to do, but more, we need people to be praying that the spirit of the Lord would enter these homes and bring healing to families through the church. 

One of my favorite parts of the day comes next: story time with first, second and third grade. It can be frustrating getting all of them to listen at once, but asking questions about the books, and watching the children light up when they know the answer is so much fun. And after story time, we get to have LUNCH! 

Throughout the day I have pockets of time designated to prepare for my English classes, which I usually give in the afternoons, alternating between 4th 5th and 6th grade and middle school. Teaching is probably the most difficult part of the day, because it's really hard to keep everyone's attention at once. I have a really hard time going on talking when I specifically see students who are talking or not paying attention. Often, I spend more time waiting for quiet sometimes than I do actually teaching. But I'm learning. Strategies that work better than others, each day is trial and error, a new test of patience, and a new way for the Lord to remind me that he loves me regardless of how little I accomplish, and that I need him constantly. 

After classes, I work organizing the school library--right now I'm working on entering all the books onto an excel document in order to organize them alphabetically and create a computerized system for checking books out and returning them. My knowledge of Excel and technology in general is limited, so if you think you can help me--PLEASE contact me! 

If I'm not working on the library, I'm helping prepare for church on Sundays (creating the set for the stage, folding pamphlets, creating invitations, etc.) or I'm helping the middle and high school kids study for various things. Today in particular I had to relearn the difference between parabolas, elipses, and hyperbolas--I wish I had paid more attention in algebra and pre-calculus!! 

When I get home from work, on any given day, I have some time to relax, some days I have English lessons with Marlon and Jessica, my "parents," and I spend time rehearsing music for Sundays--I'm now on the worship team at church. I make it sound like work, but English lessons are such a fun way to be able to connect one on one with both Jessica and Marlon, so I cherish that time, and learning to sing worship songs in Spanish is one of my favorite ways to spend my free time. 

In this brief (yet somehow really long) summary of my day in the life, I realize I've neglected to depict so many aspects of my life here, including the close friendships I've begun to form, and the fun and laughter I've gotten to have along the way...

One thing is for sure, though. God has blessed me already in this one month in more ways than I ever imagined. And he has demanded me to give to him more of myself than I even realized I had to give. And, as I keep saying, this is STILL ONLY THE BEGINNING! So PLEASE keep praying for me and for this ministry!