Hoy Viernes, Byron y yo cumplimos 2 semanas de haber llegado a los EEUU. Parece que minimo llevamos un mes con todo lo que ya hemos hecho.
La gran noticia de la semana (hay varias, pero esta es la #1) es que ya tengo trabajo!!!!!!!!!!!! La larga espera y angustia ha terminado. Despues de tanto circo, maroma y pirueta, por fin me ofrecieron un trabajo y lo acepte. Estare dando clases de mate a 1o de secundaria. Me facina la idea!!! En esta escuela estare ganando un un tanto mas que en las otras dos escuelas en las que entreviste. Es mucho mas organizada, y en general, el condado al que pertenece tiene mas dinero. Ah, y otra cosa -- comienzan 10 dias despues que en la otra escuela. Por que? Por que estare trabajando en una escuela que se encuentra en Carolina del Sur y las otras escuelas en las que me entreviste estan en Georgia, las cuales comienzan una semana y media antes (por aquellos que no lo saben, la ciudad de Augusta -- donde estamos viviendo -- esta en la frontera de Georgia y Carolina del Sur).
Por otro lado, Byron y yo compramos el coche que estare manejando. Byron ya tenia una camioneta esperandolo, asi que solo mi coche faltaba por comprar. Es un Ford Focus 2003 plateado. Me gusta mucho!!!
Tambien, ya hemos elegido la casa en la cual queremos vivir. Falta por hacer el papeleo, y despues del papeleo, tendremos que esperar 30 dias antes de que podamos mudarnos en ella.
Por ultimo -- senores y senoras, su estimada Lauren ahora tiene doble identidad :p Hoy oficialmente cambie mi apellido por el de Byron :) En Mexico sigo siendo Lauren Andrea Charruf Frey, pero en los EEUU mi nombre completo es Lauren Charruf Morris (ya no soy Andrea, y mi segundo nombre ahora es Charruf -- esto lo hice asi por que mis papeles mexicanos tendarn mi apellido paterno todavia, y esperemos que esto minimice la confusion).
XOXOX
Friday, July 24, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Semana y media despues...
Saludos a todos!
Me encuentro sumamente agotada. Hoy es dia #11 desde nuestra llegada a los EEUU, pero por todo lo que ha ocurrido y por todo lo que ya hemos hecho, parece que ya llevamos como un mes.
Byron y yo ya hemos visitado aproximadamente 40 casas distintas. Hemos eligeido a 8 como nuestras favoritas. Manana por la tarde iremos con nuestro agente y uno de los hermanos de Byron que sabe de construccion para que revise la estructura. Esperamos que al finalizar esta semana estaremos cerrando nuestro contracto. Despues de cerrar el contracto de la casa, el proceso legal durara aproximadamente 30 dias, asi que estaremos habitando con mis suegros por un poco mas de un mes.
Con respecto a mi trabajo, todo ha dado un giro de 180 grados. Hoy tal vez ha sido el dia mas emocional para mi con respecto a esto. Como les dije en el blog anterior, tuve una entrevista el martes pasado con un director. Luego este Sabado con otro. Para no hacerles muy largo el cuento, en una de estas escuelas no se abrio la posicion y en otra, a pesar de que me ofrecieron el trabajo, por X o Y razon no funciono.
Asi que, hoy en la tarde, mientras reflexionaba y descansaba en los brazos de Dios, y mientras esperaba que mi madre me llamara, recibo una llamada de OTRO condado pidiendo que me presente en una de sus escuelas manana para ser entrevistada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Es una secundaria en una comunidad en las afueras de la ciudad donde estaremos viviendo.
Este es nuestro reporte. Un abrazo y beso a todos.... <3 L
Me encuentro sumamente agotada. Hoy es dia #11 desde nuestra llegada a los EEUU, pero por todo lo que ha ocurrido y por todo lo que ya hemos hecho, parece que ya llevamos como un mes.
Byron y yo ya hemos visitado aproximadamente 40 casas distintas. Hemos eligeido a 8 como nuestras favoritas. Manana por la tarde iremos con nuestro agente y uno de los hermanos de Byron que sabe de construccion para que revise la estructura. Esperamos que al finalizar esta semana estaremos cerrando nuestro contracto. Despues de cerrar el contracto de la casa, el proceso legal durara aproximadamente 30 dias, asi que estaremos habitando con mis suegros por un poco mas de un mes.
Con respecto a mi trabajo, todo ha dado un giro de 180 grados. Hoy tal vez ha sido el dia mas emocional para mi con respecto a esto. Como les dije en el blog anterior, tuve una entrevista el martes pasado con un director. Luego este Sabado con otro. Para no hacerles muy largo el cuento, en una de estas escuelas no se abrio la posicion y en otra, a pesar de que me ofrecieron el trabajo, por X o Y razon no funciono.
Asi que, hoy en la tarde, mientras reflexionaba y descansaba en los brazos de Dios, y mientras esperaba que mi madre me llamara, recibo una llamada de OTRO condado pidiendo que me presente en una de sus escuelas manana para ser entrevistada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Es una secundaria en una comunidad en las afueras de la ciudad donde estaremos viviendo.
Este es nuestro reporte. Un abrazo y beso a todos.... <3 L
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Un buen y largo dia...
Hoy Byron y yo realizamos muchas cosas pendientes e importantes para nuestra transicion a los EEUU. Con tantas cosas por hacer, ni tiempo de almorzar hice, asi que al final del dia mi cuerpo ya no me daba mas y cene por demas.
El dia comenzo con una entrevista que realice para un condado (Richmond County). La entrevista fue con la encargada de recursos humanos, la cual verifico mis papeles, los cuales son muy confusos para la gente de Georgia. Larga historia corta, debido a que estudie la carrera en el estado de Iowa, y enseguida me mude a Mexico, mi papeleo para ser considerada una maestra ante el estado de Iowa no se finalizo. Este papeleo ha influenciado mucho mis pocas oportunidades de trabajo.
En fin, la senora de recursos humanos me hizo una entrevista apenas saliendo de hablar con ella para hablar con un director de una escuela. Esto fue un problema tambien por que a esa misma hora teniamos una cita con nuestro agente de ventas de casas, asi que Byron y yo tuvimos que hacer una maniobra magica que termino por involucrar a su padre para que me pueda ir a buscar a la escuela saliendo de la entrevista. Su papa luego me llevo a ver a Byron que estaba con nuestro agente, el cual nos llevo a 9 casas distintas, y por fin a las 7 pm llegamos a la casa.
La entrevista que realice fue en Cross Creek. Estoy ansiosa y nerviosa al mismo tiempo con respecto a la posibilidad de trabajar alla. Dios tiene mucho guardado bajo Su Manga que todavia no me ha dado a conocer.
Otro dia les comentare de nuestra busqueda de casas. Esa es otra historia por completo.
Saludos!
El dia comenzo con una entrevista que realice para un condado (Richmond County). La entrevista fue con la encargada de recursos humanos, la cual verifico mis papeles, los cuales son muy confusos para la gente de Georgia. Larga historia corta, debido a que estudie la carrera en el estado de Iowa, y enseguida me mude a Mexico, mi papeleo para ser considerada una maestra ante el estado de Iowa no se finalizo. Este papeleo ha influenciado mucho mis pocas oportunidades de trabajo.
En fin, la senora de recursos humanos me hizo una entrevista apenas saliendo de hablar con ella para hablar con un director de una escuela. Esto fue un problema tambien por que a esa misma hora teniamos una cita con nuestro agente de ventas de casas, asi que Byron y yo tuvimos que hacer una maniobra magica que termino por involucrar a su padre para que me pueda ir a buscar a la escuela saliendo de la entrevista. Su papa luego me llevo a ver a Byron que estaba con nuestro agente, el cual nos llevo a 9 casas distintas, y por fin a las 7 pm llegamos a la casa.
La entrevista que realice fue en Cross Creek. Estoy ansiosa y nerviosa al mismo tiempo con respecto a la posibilidad de trabajar alla. Dios tiene mucho guardado bajo Su Manga que todavia no me ha dado a conocer.
Otro dia les comentare de nuestra busqueda de casas. Esa es otra historia por completo.
Saludos!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Nuevos Tiempos
Los blogs que estare publicando durante las siguientes semanas son para compartir con ustedes nuestra transicion a los EEUU. Este Viernes pasado Byron y yo llegamos a Augusta GA, lo que ahora sera nuestro nuevo hogar.Ayer Sabado estuvimos manejando por la ciudad buscando casas para comprar. Al parecer las casas que nos estan atrayendo mas son casas que son por encima de nuestro presupuesto. Manana Lunes vamos a realizar algunas llamadas y esperamos poder inspeccionar por dentro estas casas y conocer sus precios.
Todavia no tengo trabajo para el proximo ano, y esto me angustia. Manana estare ralizando llamadas a 2 escuelas y el Martes tengo una entrevista con otra. Realmente no estoy en paz con ninguna de mis opciones. Dios me cerro muchas puertas y esta trabajando en mi corazon. Nunca antes me he enfrentado a una situacion donde las cosas no esten yiendo conforme a mi "perfecto" plan. Por favor esten orando para que cualquiera que termine siendo mi trabajo, Dios me de paz y animo.
En el aspecto emocional, todavia no he derramado una sola lagrima. Han habido muchas situaciones donde pude haber llorado, pero creo que me he enganado y por eso no lo he hecho. Me sigo diciendo a mi misma que este viaje es solo para el verano y que pronto regresare a mi tierra con mi familia y mi escuela con mis queridos alumnos, pero no sera asi. Creo que al mes de estar aqui, cuando mi corazon se de cuenta de esto, lo sufrire mucho.
Hoy en la iglesia casi lloro en varias ocaciones. No me gusta pensar que esta gente sera mi nueva comunidad. No tengo ganas de comenzar de nuevo. Como le dije a Byron hace unos dias: con lo que respecta a amistades, siento que tengo un corazon roto -- he dejado atras a muchas preciadas amistades, que por la distancia y tantos cambios, he tenido que dejar. Creo que mi corazon se esta resistiendo a amistades, con temor de ser roto una vez mas.
Temo que este blog esta muy largo. Solo queria que fuera informativo, pero ya se volvio un poco emocional tambien. Les debo una gran disculpa por mi ENORME falta de ortografia. Hace 6 anos que no tengo que escribir nada en espanol y cuando leo, casi siempre lo hago en ingles, asi que por favor pongan a un lado mi gramatica y mis faltas de ortografia. Lo hago en espanol por que este blog esta escrito con la intencion que nuestras amistades y familia en MEXICO nos sigan la pista durante nuestra transicion.
Los queremos mucho, Byron & Lauren
Monday, August 04, 2008
Summer up North
Summer eventually said "hello" to me 2 weeks ago. Byron and i had been planing our trip to the States for what seemed to be months now. We had agreed that my one month off from school would be spent in the States. But as school started to wrap up and i kept looking forward to a break, i found myself wishing we would stay in Mexico instead, or at least for part of my summer time. I guess that only means that Merida is now my home.
But we've had a wonderful time visiting with friends and spending time with family so far. We are definately not doing as much as we wold like to or are visiting as many people as we would desire, but i guess that's how it goes. Byron is still working, but he had a week off last week, which we spent with his family at the beach which was so much fun and so refreshing at the same time.
I've also read some, thought i am currently stuck on a book now that is so bad that i can barely read through it, but at the same time i had to have spent $8 usd on it and not read it through. The book is ATONEMENT. The movie for it came out not so long ago and that's why i started reading it, but it's just plain bad! Don't read it :p I've also read The Kite Runner -- great book! Heavy stuff, but excellent writing and excelent story, though i think i still like the author's other book A Thousand Splendid Suns. If anyone has ready Hosseini's books, i'd like to hear which one of thse two you prefer.
So that's an update of life :) We are now currently in Augusta with Byron's family and my good friend from college Lisa is visiting me ... yaya!!!
But we've had a wonderful time visiting with friends and spending time with family so far. We are definately not doing as much as we wold like to or are visiting as many people as we would desire, but i guess that's how it goes. Byron is still working, but he had a week off last week, which we spent with his family at the beach which was so much fun and so refreshing at the same time.
I've also read some, thought i am currently stuck on a book now that is so bad that i can barely read through it, but at the same time i had to have spent $8 usd on it and not read it through. The book is ATONEMENT. The movie for it came out not so long ago and that's why i started reading it, but it's just plain bad! Don't read it :p I've also read The Kite Runner -- great book! Heavy stuff, but excellent writing and excelent story, though i think i still like the author's other book A Thousand Splendid Suns. If anyone has ready Hosseini's books, i'd like to hear which one of thse two you prefer.
So that's an update of life :) We are now currently in Augusta with Byron's family and my good friend from college Lisa is visiting me ... yaya!!!
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The Time of Truth
I've been a Xtian for about 10 years now. I always thought about myself as a strong and mature one, based on the fact that i always knew and did the right things: i did not randomly date before i got married, i never let the sun go down on my anger, i never swore, i did not own pirated music, i was kind and polite to the people around me, etc. and sadly, i was even proud of myself for being like that (who wouldn't?). I would think of myself as very mature in my Xtian walk when truth was that, even though i have done the right things, there was still LOTS of things i still had to grow in.
This week my school is having us take some intro to Bible classes. Because my school is Xtian and we are going through some international Xtian certification, all teachers have to take this intense course. This course was all it took for God to bring me back to my senses. Our first assignment on the first class was to write all of the books of the Bible, preferably in order. While most teachers where scribbling away, i could not get past the first 12 books of the OT and the first 15 in the NT. Most teachers got them all. I thought to myself "well, who cares about the order of the books, it's no big deal". But the moment of truth came when our instructor had us write what each book was about or what major event happened in each book. I was in shock when even the books i had already read, i didn't really know what they were about.
Then as a group we started to go through them, one by one, saying what they were all about. People started shouting out events, verses, location of the verses -- i knew nothing!!! I didn't even know anything about the Israelites exile after Solomon's kingdom... how sad is that???!!! For a 10 year old Xtian, that is just plain embarrassing.
For most teachers in my school, this is all review, but for me it's all new. I am trying to soak in as much as i can, still knowing i will probably forget most of it. I am purposely reading more and more my Bible and studying it more intentionally. I may have done all the right things in the past, but there is still a part of my Xtian life that is very immature still and i need to grow in it.
This week my school is having us take some intro to Bible classes. Because my school is Xtian and we are going through some international Xtian certification, all teachers have to take this intense course. This course was all it took for God to bring me back to my senses. Our first assignment on the first class was to write all of the books of the Bible, preferably in order. While most teachers where scribbling away, i could not get past the first 12 books of the OT and the first 15 in the NT. Most teachers got them all. I thought to myself "well, who cares about the order of the books, it's no big deal". But the moment of truth came when our instructor had us write what each book was about or what major event happened in each book. I was in shock when even the books i had already read, i didn't really know what they were about.
Then as a group we started to go through them, one by one, saying what they were all about. People started shouting out events, verses, location of the verses -- i knew nothing!!! I didn't even know anything about the Israelites exile after Solomon's kingdom... how sad is that???!!! For a 10 year old Xtian, that is just plain embarrassing.
For most teachers in my school, this is all review, but for me it's all new. I am trying to soak in as much as i can, still knowing i will probably forget most of it. I am purposely reading more and more my Bible and studying it more intentionally. I may have done all the right things in the past, but there is still a part of my Xtian life that is very immature still and i need to grow in it.
Friday, July 04, 2008
Staying Strong
It's been almost a week since my friend passed away and life is still going on. I realized that if i wanted to move on with life and not be a moribund, i had to de-attach myself. It sounds insensitive, but it was the only way i could go on with life without wanting to cry/crying like a mad-woman all the time. I think i've reached that point. I am very thankful for my husband who was very understanding and of great encouragement to me. I can't imagine having to be there for your wife as she cries for a guy-friend. But he was great!
I guess i've just dealt with death this past year more than my entire life put together. My dad died, Eduardo died, and Soco (she is like an aunt to me) is currently dieing from cancer. All of these three people cared for me at a particular point in my life. Each meant a lot to me -- some, of course, more than others, but still, their loss is hard enough, but when it's all together, it's just too painful.
But God has been reminding me of His love for me each day. He has given me peace in spite of the challenges he has been having me face.
I guess i've just dealt with death this past year more than my entire life put together. My dad died, Eduardo died, and Soco (she is like an aunt to me) is currently dieing from cancer. All of these three people cared for me at a particular point in my life. Each meant a lot to me -- some, of course, more than others, but still, their loss is hard enough, but when it's all together, it's just too painful.
But God has been reminding me of His love for me each day. He has given me peace in spite of the challenges he has been having me face.
Monday, June 30, 2008
When a friend dies...
I am really in a confused state right now. Two and a half hours ago Alison (my sister) called me to tell me that Eduardo Bermudez had died in a car accident yesterday morning on his way from Cancun. I went to the visitation right away to give his parents and brother a hug, and cried a bit.
Even though i had not seen Eduardo for over a year, and we were no longer in touch, the news of his death hurt as if i had seen him just yesterday. You see, Eduardo was like a brother to me in my early teens. When i started going to karate at age 12, i did not know this sport would be such a big part of my life. I suddenly became very involved competing, training, and of course wining :) My closest companion soon became Eduardo since we were close in age and in height. We were sparring partners, and because he was 2 belts ahead of me, he would many times assess me in training, giving me tips on how to do certain things better.
On every tournament trip i went to, he went as well. Along with our karate academy, we went to Puebla, Acapulco, Mexico City, Sonora, and Campeche. I remember on one of the trips, we were all ready to head back to Merida, all of us were nicely showered and cleaned up, our bags were packed an in the bus, and we were all in the terrace area gathering together. Well, somehow i felt the urge to throw him in the pool as i saw him standing right near it. And, well, as you could guess, i went ahead with my urge and threw him. Haha :) I ran as fast as i could towards his parents and hid. I told this story to his mom today and she remembered. But... he finally got his revenge when we were in Sonora a few months later and threw me in the pool :)
I also remember during one of our trips on two different ocations people thought we were siblings. Since we kind of just followed each other around, we would find our selfs arguing about dumb stuff, or just constantly talking. We got such a kick out of it the first time it happened, but then when it happened again, we decided we would start referring to each other as "mi hermanito" and "mi hermanita".
Towards the end of my sophmore year i started to notice that he was getting involved with the "wrong crowd." I would suddenly start hearing of parties he would go to and get drunk, but he would always tell me: "Oh, i was just with my friends, and i really didn't get drunk, they just say that." That next year (my junior year) i went to the States for a year and lost a lot of contact with him. Then when i came back my senior year, things were no longer the same. He was now constantly drinking, partying, etc. I got very very anemic and stopped going to karate as often. Sooner than later, we stopped being constantly together. He had started dating a girl and i met Byron that year.
I saw him a few times after that year, during my summers back from from college in the States when i would start training karate again. Rumors were that he was becoming an alcoholic and in 2005 was expelled temporarily from his college because he had gotten involved in some vandalism.
His death was the fruit of alcohol. His friend and him were driving over the speed limit and drunk from Cancun to Merida. They lost control of their car and it got totaled. Eduardo died a few hours after the accident in the hospital and his friend is still in intensive care.
I find myself very confused by his death. In a way i feel like i could have been a much greater influence to keep him from getting so involved in drinking, but i know that that was not the case. Out of all of his friends, i think i was the only one at that time who did not drink -- peer pressure was much more demanding then. In another way, i feel angry at him and all those people out there who do not realize the consequences of alcohol. Each day it seems like there is a reported death due to alcohol and still, people continue to drive irresponsibly. But then also i feel very hurt. He was like my brother when i was in jr. high, and even though many years have passed since, today it feels as if i had lost a sibling.
Even though i had not seen Eduardo for over a year, and we were no longer in touch, the news of his death hurt as if i had seen him just yesterday. You see, Eduardo was like a brother to me in my early teens. When i started going to karate at age 12, i did not know this sport would be such a big part of my life. I suddenly became very involved competing, training, and of course wining :) My closest companion soon became Eduardo since we were close in age and in height. We were sparring partners, and because he was 2 belts ahead of me, he would many times assess me in training, giving me tips on how to do certain things better.
On every tournament trip i went to, he went as well. Along with our karate academy, we went to Puebla, Acapulco, Mexico City, Sonora, and Campeche. I remember on one of the trips, we were all ready to head back to Merida, all of us were nicely showered and cleaned up, our bags were packed an in the bus, and we were all in the terrace area gathering together. Well, somehow i felt the urge to throw him in the pool as i saw him standing right near it. And, well, as you could guess, i went ahead with my urge and threw him. Haha :) I ran as fast as i could towards his parents and hid. I told this story to his mom today and she remembered. But... he finally got his revenge when we were in Sonora a few months later and threw me in the pool :)
I also remember during one of our trips on two different ocations people thought we were siblings. Since we kind of just followed each other around, we would find our selfs arguing about dumb stuff, or just constantly talking. We got such a kick out of it the first time it happened, but then when it happened again, we decided we would start referring to each other as "mi hermanito" and "mi hermanita".
Towards the end of my sophmore year i started to notice that he was getting involved with the "wrong crowd." I would suddenly start hearing of parties he would go to and get drunk, but he would always tell me: "Oh, i was just with my friends, and i really didn't get drunk, they just say that." That next year (my junior year) i went to the States for a year and lost a lot of contact with him. Then when i came back my senior year, things were no longer the same. He was now constantly drinking, partying, etc. I got very very anemic and stopped going to karate as often. Sooner than later, we stopped being constantly together. He had started dating a girl and i met Byron that year.
I saw him a few times after that year, during my summers back from from college in the States when i would start training karate again. Rumors were that he was becoming an alcoholic and in 2005 was expelled temporarily from his college because he had gotten involved in some vandalism.
His death was the fruit of alcohol. His friend and him were driving over the speed limit and drunk from Cancun to Merida. They lost control of their car and it got totaled. Eduardo died a few hours after the accident in the hospital and his friend is still in intensive care.
I find myself very confused by his death. In a way i feel like i could have been a much greater influence to keep him from getting so involved in drinking, but i know that that was not the case. Out of all of his friends, i think i was the only one at that time who did not drink -- peer pressure was much more demanding then. In another way, i feel angry at him and all those people out there who do not realize the consequences of alcohol. Each day it seems like there is a reported death due to alcohol and still, people continue to drive irresponsibly. But then also i feel very hurt. He was like my brother when i was in jr. high, and even though many years have passed since, today it feels as if i had lost a sibling.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Reading through the Bible
Ever since i became a Xtain, i've made several attempts to read the entire Bible. Having been a Xtian for about 10 years now, i think i've covered about 2/3 of the Bible just from sermons, small group studies, devos, etc, but i am ashamed by the fact that i cannot say that i've read my entire Bible.
For a while i kind of pushed this thought to the side, but this week i was challenged by a pastor i admire a lot at a conference i attended. He said that a growing Xtian reads his entire Bible once a year. That means, that as a 10 year old Xtian, i should have already the entire Bible 10 times now. Granted, this thought is not at all biblical. It is unwise and unrealistic to say that only those who read through their Bible each year are the only growing Xtians, but the fact that i have not done it at least ONCE is just plain embarrassing.
So i am back on track. I started reading through my Bible 2 years ago and got through Deuteronomy in the OT and Luke in the NT but then stopped, so now i am starting off from where i left off last time. I really hope to finish up no later than the end of 2008. So please, in the next few months, don't hesitate to keep me accountable and ask me how my bible reading is going.
For a while i kind of pushed this thought to the side, but this week i was challenged by a pastor i admire a lot at a conference i attended. He said that a growing Xtian reads his entire Bible once a year. That means, that as a 10 year old Xtian, i should have already the entire Bible 10 times now. Granted, this thought is not at all biblical. It is unwise and unrealistic to say that only those who read through their Bible each year are the only growing Xtians, but the fact that i have not done it at least ONCE is just plain embarrassing.
So i am back on track. I started reading through my Bible 2 years ago and got through Deuteronomy in the OT and Luke in the NT but then stopped, so now i am starting off from where i left off last time. I really hope to finish up no later than the end of 2008. So please, in the next few months, don't hesitate to keep me accountable and ask me how my bible reading is going.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
I <3 to teach
Throughout my life, i never really knew what i wanted to be "when i grew up". I remember talking about being a nurse, an architect, an artist, an astronaut, an engineer, some kind of teacher, etc. During my freshman year of college, i decided that i would become a math teacher.
I loved my career! I loved most of my classes and absolutely LOVED my classmates. It was a fun career to be in. But during my last semester at school, while i was student teaching, i thought i had made the hugest mistake of my life -- i hated teaching!!! Teaching was not what i had expected it to be. But oh well, i graduated and got a job in Mexico at Blas Pascal.
I sooner than later realized that teaching was more of a passion than a job for me. I started watching my students learn and work hard in my classes, improve their math skills, get more comfortable in English, etc. I also started realizing that more and more i was "falling in love" with my students. During some classes i could not help myself but constantly laugh out loud, and my students loved it!! The work environment was so comfortable and relaxing. It was almost as if
we worked as a team!
Now the year is over with. Last night was my last day seeing most of my students (I'll see some at graduation), and well, for some it was goodbye. I have a lot of work to do for next year, and i very much look forward to my summer vacation, but i cannot wait to start again next year.
I loved my career! I loved most of my classes and absolutely LOVED my classmates. It was a fun career to be in. But during my last semester at school, while i was student teaching, i thought i had made the hugest mistake of my life -- i hated teaching!!! Teaching was not what i had expected it to be. But oh well, i graduated and got a job in Mexico at Blas Pascal.
I sooner than later realized that teaching was more of a passion than a job for me. I started watching my students learn and work hard in my classes, improve their math skills, get more comfortable in English, etc. I also started realizing that more and more i was "falling in love" with my students. During some classes i could not help myself but constantly laugh out loud, and my students loved it!! The work environment was so comfortable and relaxing. It was almost as if
we worked as a team!Now the year is over with. Last night was my last day seeing most of my students (I'll see some at graduation), and well, for some it was goodbye. I have a lot of work to do for next year, and i very much look forward to my summer vacation, but i cannot wait to start again next year.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Our Primer Aniversario
Last weekend Byron and i were blessed with the opportunity to go to Cancun for the weekend and celebrate our first wedding anniversary. My family has owned an apartment there for as long as i can remember, but due to hurricanes, it had been destroyed and just recently remodeled. So we decided to try the apartment out and very glad we did.
Our time there went so smooth. We drove there, so we didn't have to worry about chasing taxis or buses whenever we wanted to leave the apartment. The apartment had AC in every room, so we would just lay on the couch and enjoy cable TV (we don't have that at home) and an AC in the main room (which we don't have either). We went to every single mall (thanks Byron!) and went out to eat at night. My favorite place where we went was the Hard Rock Cafe. The live band there was amazing and highly enjoyed their performance. We also enjoyed swimming in the pool and in the ocean -- how beautiful!! Can't wait to go back again, hopefully sooner than later :)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Looking back to the past year
Today Byron and I celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. It seems like it was just yesterday, but at the same time it seems like it was ages ago.So much has happened in the past year. From one day to the other i went from being a student whose greatest responsibility was passing her classes, to a full time teacher and a housewife. I was suddenly in charge of cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry, lesson planning and teaching. At first, it was nuts!! I remember the first time i went grocery shopping i ended up buying 2 kg of meat!!!! One time i forgot to check the jean pockets and ended up doing laundry with my chap stick. So you can imagine how our clothes was when i took it out of the dryer :s
But eventually things got under control. I learned how to shop for food and how to do it only once a week instead of 2 to 3 times a week. I learned how to organize myself time-wise, and teaching got under control after many frustrating mornings at school.
Of course, one of the most defining things that i went through this year was my dad passing away. I always knew that my dad would pass away sooner than later -- he had survived many scares. But i guess whenever the time comes for someone you love to leave, you are never ready and it is always too soon, regardless of how ready you are. Since we got married, my dad had been in the hospital on two occasions for about a month each time. I loved my dad so much!!! His love for my sister and i was so evident. He would rejoice doing anything with us: going out to eat, having us over to his house, laying next to him in bed, and even giving us our allowance, even after i got married. It will be 7 months tomorrow since he died. His absence is evident each day.
But all of this, one way or the other, has been a crucial part of my life. I've grown so much!! Of course, there are things that you wish would have never happened, but I'm a different person now. At age 23 i can say that i am right where i want to be and pleased with the life God has allowed me to walk through.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Parables of Jesus
I've been blessed with the opportunity to listen to a very knowledgeable man these past two days: Dr. Simon Kistemaker - an erudite in the New Testament and especially in the Parables of Jesus. He was invited to come by the presbyterian seminar in Merida and an announcement of his seminar was placed at my school, inviting those who wished to attend. The idea attracted me, not really having any expectations for it besides just learning more.
The sessions are 4 hours long each. One yesterday afternoon, one this morning, on this afternoon, and then repeat tomorrow. So they are very long. So far, in just 3 sessions, i've managed to take 11 back-to-back pages of notes -- i'm quite proud of myself :)
Before yesterday, when i would read a parable i would always conclude that Jesus is talking about the difference between the believer vs. non believer. For example, in the parable of the sewer, i always assumed that as long as you were a believer that meant by default that you were the seed that fell in good ground, and that the previous 3 seeds (the one that falls on the road, the one that falls on the rock, and the one that falls between the bushes and thorns) were the non believers. But to my sad (and raveling!) surprise, as Dr. Kistmaker went through the kinds of seed, i found myself identifying with the third seed (the one that falls between the bushes and thorns). What do i mean by that?? My "plant" grows, but it's constantly battling with the roots of the bushes and the thorns -- thinking more about the way i look, about my students, about my job, about my husband -- instead of putting my full focus on Jesus. How revealing!!!
A second parable that really confronted me was the parable of the talents. A master gives 5 talents to one servant, 2 talents to another, and one talent to the last one. The first and second one invest it and get twice as much, but the 3rd one goes and buries it and guards it, making sure nothing happens to it. When the master comes returns to them, the first and second give him everything they've earned, and the master brings them to his table to celebrate. But when the third one comes, he condemns him and sends him away.
I must say that i never fully understood this parable until today. Dr. K said that the talent was parallel to the word of God. He also said that the jews are like the 3rd servant -- they guard and take good care of the word of God, but never multiply it. I FOUND MYSELF IDENTIFYING MYSELF WITH THE JEW!!! I meditate and take care of the word of God -- i dress modestly, my vocabulary is clean, i go to church each Sunday, etc -- but never go out and multiply!!! What a terrible (and wonderful at the same time) thing to realize this!!!
Lord, you have given me a talent -- don't let me continue being content with just guarding it, i want to multiply it!! Amen.
The sessions are 4 hours long each. One yesterday afternoon, one this morning, on this afternoon, and then repeat tomorrow. So they are very long. So far, in just 3 sessions, i've managed to take 11 back-to-back pages of notes -- i'm quite proud of myself :)
Before yesterday, when i would read a parable i would always conclude that Jesus is talking about the difference between the believer vs. non believer. For example, in the parable of the sewer, i always assumed that as long as you were a believer that meant by default that you were the seed that fell in good ground, and that the previous 3 seeds (the one that falls on the road, the one that falls on the rock, and the one that falls between the bushes and thorns) were the non believers. But to my sad (and raveling!) surprise, as Dr. Kistmaker went through the kinds of seed, i found myself identifying with the third seed (the one that falls between the bushes and thorns). What do i mean by that?? My "plant" grows, but it's constantly battling with the roots of the bushes and the thorns -- thinking more about the way i look, about my students, about my job, about my husband -- instead of putting my full focus on Jesus. How revealing!!!
A second parable that really confronted me was the parable of the talents. A master gives 5 talents to one servant, 2 talents to another, and one talent to the last one. The first and second one invest it and get twice as much, but the 3rd one goes and buries it and guards it, making sure nothing happens to it. When the master comes returns to them, the first and second give him everything they've earned, and the master brings them to his table to celebrate. But when the third one comes, he condemns him and sends him away.
I must say that i never fully understood this parable until today. Dr. K said that the talent was parallel to the word of God. He also said that the jews are like the 3rd servant -- they guard and take good care of the word of God, but never multiply it. I FOUND MYSELF IDENTIFYING MYSELF WITH THE JEW!!! I meditate and take care of the word of God -- i dress modestly, my vocabulary is clean, i go to church each Sunday, etc -- but never go out and multiply!!! What a terrible (and wonderful at the same time) thing to realize this!!!
Lord, you have given me a talent -- don't let me continue being content with just guarding it, i want to multiply it!! Amen.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Cleaning Day
Saturdays are officially "cleaning day." It's the one day our house gets nice and clean, but it continues to amaze me how fast it gets dirty again. When we first got married, cleaning day would take around 2 hours (our house is SUPER tiny, it should have never taken us that long being that the two of us worked at it). So Byron's brain began analyzing the situation, trying to figure out what kind of system we could use in order for it to take less time. And we figured it out! It's now down to 1 hour. But still, with the Merida heat, to clean the house always seems to take us 6 hours, regardless of what kind of system Byron figures out.
Friday, June 06, 2008
A New and Improved Blog :)
For the past few weeks I've enjoyed reading other people's blogs and hence decided to have my own. I then realized that Byron had an old one, so I decided to customize it and pretty much take over it (Byron told me he is a terrible person at blogging, so he is leaving it up to me). I would like to use this space to keep our friends and family who are in the States updated with our lives here in Merida -- our home for the past year. So please feel free to read and leave messages!!!
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Teachers' Retreat 2006
I'm back!
Where have you been? you ask. Sorry, and you'll recall that I set this blog up so that I would be better about updating more often. Well, thank you to the many that keep me accountable to keeping this somewhat up-to-date.
The subject today is this year's teachers' retreat. I must admit that I always approach the teachers' retreat with some reserve. I think it must be something in my personality, knowing that I can't be my usual reserved self while on the retreat. I'm the same way, it seems, when it comes to summer camps. But as is often the case with the summer camps, I always end up enjoying them immensely. I would say there were three aspects to the retreat which really made it a great experience for us all.
First of all, well, it is a retreat. From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon we were away. Away from students, classes, work, routine, etc. There is something to that that, if you let it, is always very relaxing and refreshing. It helped that we were on the beach. Granted it was the middle of "winter" and there are days, even in the Yucatan, when you cannot enjoy being at the beach to the fullest. But the the ocean with its waves and breeze and sandy beach is a retreat in and of itself, which I always enjoy.
Secondly, it was a time of bonding for the teachers. We played beach soccer and kick ball together. We laughed charades and jokes. We spent time together that we just don't seem to find during the day at school. Again, away from it all (even the director declared that she was not the director while on the retreat) we let our guards down, forgot about our worries, got to know each other and enjoyed each other.
Now, so far, it is a decent retreat. I think we would have walked away relaxed and feeling a little bit closer to each other than we were before. But what really made this retreat unforgettable and invaluable was the spiritual nourishment we received. I should have known. I should have expected it and eagerly looked forward to it. I can remember clearly last year's teachers' retreat and how much it meant to me. This year was incredible.
I missed the first session Friday afternoon because of a wedding. Saturday morning, we continued with the self-evaluation they had seen the day before. The overall theme for the retreat was self-evaluation and mutual accountability. The topics for the morning were Humility and Love. We had a time of worship together and then spent some time along to pray through a list of questions. The first was "How honest a person are you?" Of course this is just setting you up the the next 20 or so heart- and habit-probing questions. It was intense and, really, it was cleansing. Later we would get back together in groups of 3 or 4 to share some of the areas we struggled in.
In the afternoon a pastor, whose son attends the school, came to speak to us. I mentioned before that the morning's session was intense and probing. Even so, I was shocked when the pastor, who is somewhat of a friend of mine, started out addressing a group of evangelical church-going, Christ-professing teachers of a Christian school regarding the none-too-light subject of losing your salvation. The room went from laughs and light remarks to dead silence in an instant. This was not exactly your everyday weekend retreat material. As he continued, however, there was no fire and brimstone and he steered well clear of any doctrinal controversy. The message was basically this:
The mark of a believer is not whether or not he goes to the right church. There will always be those who seem to be lost but are not and those who say they know Christ but do not. So then we talked about what the true marks of a Christian and those of an unbeliever are. Pulling mainly from 1 John, an unbeliever continues in his sin, disregarding the teaching of the Bible, though he may claim to believe in Christ. The mark of a true believer is repentance, turning away from the sin in our lives. At this point, he pointed out that this applies just as much to gossip (a prominent sin in the church and among Christians here as well, I'm sure, as everywhere) as it does to adultery. The question we need to ask ourselves is "Am I content to keep on sinning or do I want with all my heart to rid myself of sin?" Another mark of a true believer is a desire for God, which manifests itself through among other things prayer, Bible study, and spending time with God. A no-brainer, huh? But how many of us, through either laziness, apathy, or "lack of time" just don't spend much time with God. Now we have begun to understand the pastor's original remarks about the security of our salvation.
He wasn't really suggesting that some of us were not saved. He was asking us, honestly, "Are you a follower of Christ?" And if you say yes, do you bear the marks of a believer or do you, like so many in our churches, bear the marks of an unbeliever. It is a standing challenge to me. [Actually, the Bible reading for my weekly Bible study was from 1 John when he discusses these things. Aside from really driving home that message, it showed me that this was not a message from a pastor on a retreat, but a message from God.] It has been a challenge to all of us. From time to time, you still here the teachers in groups of 2 or 3 discussing what this means for them. How does this apply to my life? Do my actions and habits confirm Christ as my Lord and Savior? What sin do I need to get rid of? How can I improve my relationship with God.
I said before that the retreat was unforgettable and invaluable. Well, that's it, right there. The Word of God planted in our hearts. The Spirit at work in our lives. Teachers with a zeal to live for God. The retreat was truly a renewal of our spirits. It was priceless.
Where have you been? you ask. Sorry, and you'll recall that I set this blog up so that I would be better about updating more often. Well, thank you to the many that keep me accountable to keeping this somewhat up-to-date.
The subject today is this year's teachers' retreat. I must admit that I always approach the teachers' retreat with some reserve. I think it must be something in my personality, knowing that I can't be my usual reserved self while on the retreat. I'm the same way, it seems, when it comes to summer camps. But as is often the case with the summer camps, I always end up enjoying them immensely. I would say there were three aspects to the retreat which really made it a great experience for us all.
First of all, well, it is a retreat. From Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon we were away. Away from students, classes, work, routine, etc. There is something to that that, if you let it, is always very relaxing and refreshing. It helped that we were on the beach. Granted it was the middle of "winter" and there are days, even in the Yucatan, when you cannot enjoy being at the beach to the fullest. But the the ocean with its waves and breeze and sandy beach is a retreat in and of itself, which I always enjoy.
Secondly, it was a time of bonding for the teachers. We played beach soccer and kick ball together. We laughed charades and jokes. We spent time together that we just don't seem to find during the day at school. Again, away from it all (even the director declared that she was not the director while on the retreat) we let our guards down, forgot about our worries, got to know each other and enjoyed each other.
Now, so far, it is a decent retreat. I think we would have walked away relaxed and feeling a little bit closer to each other than we were before. But what really made this retreat unforgettable and invaluable was the spiritual nourishment we received. I should have known. I should have expected it and eagerly looked forward to it. I can remember clearly last year's teachers' retreat and how much it meant to me. This year was incredible.
I missed the first session Friday afternoon because of a wedding. Saturday morning, we continued with the self-evaluation they had seen the day before. The overall theme for the retreat was self-evaluation and mutual accountability. The topics for the morning were Humility and Love. We had a time of worship together and then spent some time along to pray through a list of questions. The first was "How honest a person are you?" Of course this is just setting you up the the next 20 or so heart- and habit-probing questions. It was intense and, really, it was cleansing. Later we would get back together in groups of 3 or 4 to share some of the areas we struggled in.
In the afternoon a pastor, whose son attends the school, came to speak to us. I mentioned before that the morning's session was intense and probing. Even so, I was shocked when the pastor, who is somewhat of a friend of mine, started out addressing a group of evangelical church-going, Christ-professing teachers of a Christian school regarding the none-too-light subject of losing your salvation. The room went from laughs and light remarks to dead silence in an instant. This was not exactly your everyday weekend retreat material. As he continued, however, there was no fire and brimstone and he steered well clear of any doctrinal controversy. The message was basically this:
The mark of a believer is not whether or not he goes to the right church. There will always be those who seem to be lost but are not and those who say they know Christ but do not. So then we talked about what the true marks of a Christian and those of an unbeliever are. Pulling mainly from 1 John, an unbeliever continues in his sin, disregarding the teaching of the Bible, though he may claim to believe in Christ. The mark of a true believer is repentance, turning away from the sin in our lives. At this point, he pointed out that this applies just as much to gossip (a prominent sin in the church and among Christians here as well, I'm sure, as everywhere) as it does to adultery. The question we need to ask ourselves is "Am I content to keep on sinning or do I want with all my heart to rid myself of sin?" Another mark of a true believer is a desire for God, which manifests itself through among other things prayer, Bible study, and spending time with God. A no-brainer, huh? But how many of us, through either laziness, apathy, or "lack of time" just don't spend much time with God. Now we have begun to understand the pastor's original remarks about the security of our salvation.
He wasn't really suggesting that some of us were not saved. He was asking us, honestly, "Are you a follower of Christ?" And if you say yes, do you bear the marks of a believer or do you, like so many in our churches, bear the marks of an unbeliever. It is a standing challenge to me. [Actually, the Bible reading for my weekly Bible study was from 1 John when he discusses these things. Aside from really driving home that message, it showed me that this was not a message from a pastor on a retreat, but a message from God.] It has been a challenge to all of us. From time to time, you still here the teachers in groups of 2 or 3 discussing what this means for them. How does this apply to my life? Do my actions and habits confirm Christ as my Lord and Savior? What sin do I need to get rid of? How can I improve my relationship with God.
I said before that the retreat was unforgettable and invaluable. Well, that's it, right there. The Word of God planted in our hearts. The Spirit at work in our lives. Teachers with a zeal to live for God. The retreat was truly a renewal of our spirits. It was priceless.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
3rd Year Secundaria Service Project
This year we are trying to get the junior high students thinking about how they might minister to their community through service. Towards that end, each class is participating in at least one service project throughout the year.
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of accompanying students from the ninth grade on one of their service projects. It was a touching experience. I was very impressed to see our students express such a humility and joy in service to others.
A little background: Outside the larger towns and cities of much of Mexico, there are many, many villages and communities of farmers, craftsmen, fisherman, etc. This population for the most part is made up of the indigenous people groups of the area - in the case of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Mayan indians - and the vast majority of them are very poor. This is not to say that they live in poverty, which is always relative to some base standard of living. They have the bare necessities of life - a house, food, a living, families. They usually live in one room houses, often with extended family. The houses in this area are often made of stone, with dirt floors and thatch or tin-sheet roofs. They live "in" swamps and other areas of not-so-prime real estate. They sell fruits and vegetables in the markets or on the roadside, fish for octopus, harvest salt, tend livestock, raise chickens, work as masons, grow corn, or make local handcrafts for tourists for next to nothing. None of which actually makes them money, in our way of thinking, but at least it provides what they need. And, honestly, they seem quite content - a lesson, I think, for us all. They are the vast bottom rung of Mexican society and economy.
Unfortunately, they are often the first and hardest to be hit and the last to recover from the hurricanes, dry seasons, changes in the tides, or even pollution. Months after the last hurricane grazed us (Emily), I had no idea there were many villages still suffering from its effects. In terms of damage to the area, we still laugh about the hurricane that never was (at least in Merida). But many of the houses are sitting in swamps that have crept up with every rain or hurricane that has come by since Isidore (2002) created new intertidal zones along the coasts. Furthermore, even hurricanes and storms that do not "hit" us tend to change the ecology of the coastal areas. In this case, octopus fishermen have had a permanent spot in the newspapers as their simple industry has suffered heavy losses this hurricane season.
For this reason, Gerardo, our PE teacher and Victor Villanueva, a local pastor and father to our ninth grader Nahum, organized a day in which some of our 9th grade students helped deliver food and blankets to one of these nearby fisherman towns. I must admit that, after staying up until 2:30 Friday night with our young adult ministry, I was not very keen on getting up at 6:00 on Saturday to drive an hour-and-a-half outside of town. But the minute I saw the joy with which these students went from door to door delivering food and the gladness on the faces of people living in conditions I could never bear, I gave thanks to God for giving me the chance to witness the occasion. It was not much. It was not hard. But neither was it something we are accustomed to doing and most importantly, it was the love of Christ shared by students of Blas Pascal with those around them who are in need. This is what we are looking for with our junior high service projects. In my case, I think, it was more than I expected.
We were in Dzilam de Bravo for only a few hours. We delivered probably 300 packets of food and maybe 75 blankets to the elderly. Pastor Victor has a group of men who continue to do this, basically spending every Saturday driving to these villages and delivering food. Hopefully, I will be able to participate more with this next semester.
Prayer Requests:
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of accompanying students from the ninth grade on one of their service projects. It was a touching experience. I was very impressed to see our students express such a humility and joy in service to others.
A little background: Outside the larger towns and cities of much of Mexico, there are many, many villages and communities of farmers, craftsmen, fisherman, etc. This population for the most part is made up of the indigenous people groups of the area - in the case of the Yucatan Peninsula, the Mayan indians - and the vast majority of them are very poor. This is not to say that they live in poverty, which is always relative to some base standard of living. They have the bare necessities of life - a house, food, a living, families. They usually live in one room houses, often with extended family. The houses in this area are often made of stone, with dirt floors and thatch or tin-sheet roofs. They live "in" swamps and other areas of not-so-prime real estate. They sell fruits and vegetables in the markets or on the roadside, fish for octopus, harvest salt, tend livestock, raise chickens, work as masons, grow corn, or make local handcrafts for tourists for next to nothing. None of which actually makes them money, in our way of thinking, but at least it provides what they need. And, honestly, they seem quite content - a lesson, I think, for us all. They are the vast bottom rung of Mexican society and economy.Unfortunately, they are often the first and hardest to be hit and the last to recover from the hurricanes, dry seasons, changes in the tides, or even pollution. Months after the last hurricane grazed us (Emily), I had no idea there were many villages still suffering from its effects. In terms of damage to the area, we still laugh about the hurricane that never was (at least in Merida). But many of the houses are sitting in swamps that have crept up with every rain or hurricane that has come by since Isidore (2002) created new intertidal zones along the coasts. Furthermore, even hurricanes and storms that do not "hit" us tend to change the ecology of the coastal areas. In this case, octopus fishermen have had a permanent spot in the newspapers as their simple industry has suffered heavy losses this hurricane season.
For this reason, Gerardo, our PE teacher and Victor Villanueva, a local pastor and father to our ninth grader Nahum, organized a day in which some of our 9th grade students helped deliver food and blankets to one of these nearby fisherman towns. I must admit that, after staying up until 2:30 Friday night with our young adult ministry, I was not very keen on getting up at 6:00 on Saturday to drive an hour-and-a-half outside of town. But the minute I saw the joy with which these students went from door to door delivering food and the gladness on the faces of people living in conditions I could never bear, I gave thanks to God for giving me the chance to witness the occasion. It was not much. It was not hard. But neither was it something we are accustomed to doing and most importantly, it was the love of Christ shared by students of Blas Pascal with those around them who are in need. This is what we are looking for with our junior high service projects. In my case, I think, it was more than I expected.
We were in Dzilam de Bravo for only a few hours. We delivered probably 300 packets of food and maybe 75 blankets to the elderly. Pastor Victor has a group of men who continue to do this, basically spending every Saturday driving to these villages and delivering food. Hopefully, I will be able to participate more with this next semester.Prayer Requests:
- Pray for these fishermen who continue to struggle through this time. They have many mouths to feed and very little to feed them with.
- Pray for those who participate in this ministry: for strength and safety as they deliver food, blankets, and the message of the love of Christ to those in need.
- Pray for the students (and their teacher) that this experience will leave a lasting impression and a desire to reach out to those around them.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Fall 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
Well, the weather has changed here in Mérida. It's hard to say if we are now in winter or a sort of fall that just fades to spring. It's not cold, per se, but given the humidity, lack of insulation, and lack of heating, it can get pretty chilly. It always reminds me of the best of an Augusta , Georgia fall – cool outside, but sunny, great for football – but without cookouts or any sort of cool weather clothing.
I've just finished moving again, ever in search of lower rent. This time I've moved in with Noah Roberts and Jimmy Pérez in the house where the groups stayed during the summer. Jimmy is a young pastor who also works at the school in the maintenance department. I will miss my last house. I had put a little work into it, so it was beginning to feel like my house; and I was just beginning to get to know my neighbors. They are a young couple who, among other things, open up a “tienda” at night and sell great tacos and burritos. I'll still be stopping in from time to time (for the food ) and we've been inviting them to the church.
School is going very smoothly this year. Teaching only one level of English (to both junior and senior high) has allowed me to plan and prepare adequately for my classes. Also, a part of those changes was to put students in a classroom with others at the same level of English; and that has worked out well. I did, however, lose many of the students that were in my class and I miss them. We have so many students now that its hard to feel the same one-on-one ministry that I've always enjoyed here; but there are as always many chances to share Christ with these kids.
Along those lines, Manolo and I are trying to start up a little sports ministry on Saturdays. Basically, we play soccer for a while, have a little talk during “halftime” and play some more. It's only really come off once, but it looks like it could be a great strategy to evangelize and disciple some of these guys in a more direct way. Hopefully, warmer weather and other options (ping pong, bowling...?) will help this to be a good way to reach more of the non-“church going” students.
In my ministry with the Young Adults (ages ~ 25-35) at Shalom, things are... well, going... sort of. Thus far, we have started a Friday night “game night”and a Sunday School class – as well as continued our “usual” infrequent special activities. The new house is great for the Friday night activity! What we seem to be lacking in both areas is direction. For me, this comes from a lack of any sense of ministry as a whole. We've put the cart before the horse, so to speak, having established some of the parts or the ministry without having ever really established a Young Adults ministry. And fundamental to that is, of course, our relationship with Christ. As one of our number recently pointed out, “your relationship with Christ is the root from which your ministry grows.” So, as we approach the end of the year, we will be reviewing and reevaluating our relationship with Christ and the direction (and existence ) of the ministry.
I am surprised to find that Christmas is just around the corner. This year I am planning a trip back to the states for the holidays. I am afraid that, as much as I will enjoy Christmas with my family, it does bring a certain amount of anxiety. Between now and the break, as far as school goes, I have to finish up this bimester, make the bimester exams and then grade them. I am also hoping to find another vehicle to drive back afterwards. The van I have been driving has reached that age when everything starts falling apart. Just in the last month, I've had to replace or repair the radiator, alternator, brake pads, brake rotors, a window, two doors... well you get the picture. They've just changed the laws so that any type of car that is at least 10 years old can be legalized. So the plan is to legalize the van before I leave, which requires a trip to the Belize border. I'm then hoping to buy a small pickup that will cost less to maintain and can possibly be sold down here later. On top of all that, my trip is also leaving only one week to be with Lauren, as she comes to Mérida to be with her family for Christmas.
As always, I appreciate your prayers. I think I would just point out things you might have observed already:
I praise God for the three-and-a-half years that I have been here and for always providing for me in every way!
In Christ,
Byron
P.S. Please check this “blog” for other updates as well as our ministry's website at http://www.pefmerida.org
Well, the weather has changed here in Mérida. It's hard to say if we are now in winter or a sort of fall that just fades to spring. It's not cold, per se, but given the humidity, lack of insulation, and lack of heating, it can get pretty chilly. It always reminds me of the best of an Augusta , Georgia fall – cool outside, but sunny, great for football – but without cookouts or any sort of cool weather clothing.
I've just finished moving again, ever in search of lower rent. This time I've moved in with Noah Roberts and Jimmy Pérez in the house where the groups stayed during the summer. Jimmy is a young pastor who also works at the school in the maintenance department. I will miss my last house. I had put a little work into it, so it was beginning to feel like my house; and I was just beginning to get to know my neighbors. They are a young couple who, among other things, open up a “tienda” at night and sell great tacos and burritos. I'll still be stopping in from time to time (for the food ) and we've been inviting them to the church.
School is going very smoothly this year. Teaching only one level of English (to both junior and senior high) has allowed me to plan and prepare adequately for my classes. Also, a part of those changes was to put students in a classroom with others at the same level of English; and that has worked out well. I did, however, lose many of the students that were in my class and I miss them. We have so many students now that its hard to feel the same one-on-one ministry that I've always enjoyed here; but there are as always many chances to share Christ with these kids.
Along those lines, Manolo and I are trying to start up a little sports ministry on Saturdays. Basically, we play soccer for a while, have a little talk during “halftime” and play some more. It's only really come off once, but it looks like it could be a great strategy to evangelize and disciple some of these guys in a more direct way. Hopefully, warmer weather and other options (ping pong, bowling...?) will help this to be a good way to reach more of the non-“church going” students.
In my ministry with the Young Adults (ages ~ 25-35) at Shalom, things are... well, going... sort of. Thus far, we have started a Friday night “game night”and a Sunday School class – as well as continued our “usual” infrequent special activities. The new house is great for the Friday night activity! What we seem to be lacking in both areas is direction. For me, this comes from a lack of any sense of ministry as a whole. We've put the cart before the horse, so to speak, having established some of the parts or the ministry without having ever really established a Young Adults ministry. And fundamental to that is, of course, our relationship with Christ. As one of our number recently pointed out, “your relationship with Christ is the root from which your ministry grows.” So, as we approach the end of the year, we will be reviewing and reevaluating our relationship with Christ and the direction (and existence ) of the ministry.
I am surprised to find that Christmas is just around the corner. This year I am planning a trip back to the states for the holidays. I am afraid that, as much as I will enjoy Christmas with my family, it does bring a certain amount of anxiety. Between now and the break, as far as school goes, I have to finish up this bimester, make the bimester exams and then grade them. I am also hoping to find another vehicle to drive back afterwards. The van I have been driving has reached that age when everything starts falling apart. Just in the last month, I've had to replace or repair the radiator, alternator, brake pads, brake rotors, a window, two doors... well you get the picture. They've just changed the laws so that any type of car that is at least 10 years old can be legalized. So the plan is to legalize the van before I leave, which requires a trip to the Belize border. I'm then hoping to buy a small pickup that will cost less to maintain and can possibly be sold down here later. On top of all that, my trip is also leaving only one week to be with Lauren, as she comes to Mérida to be with her family for Christmas.
As always, I appreciate your prayers. I think I would just point out things you might have observed already:
- Keep praying for the kids at school, both Christians and non
- Pray specifically for opportunities like soccer on Saturdays, that God might use those to reach more of the kids
- Pray for the Young Adults ministry, that God would give us direction and leadership and use us to reach others
- Pray specifically for the young adults already “active” in Shalom, that they would become active in ministry
- Pray that my Christmas trip, that all would come into place and that I would “be anxious about nothing” but trust God with plans, travels, purchases, driving...everything
I praise God for the three-and-a-half years that I have been here and for always providing for me in every way!
In Christ,
Byron
P.S. Please check this “blog” for other updates as well as our ministry's website at http://www.pefmerida.org
Friday, November 25, 2005
Welcome
Hi Everyone,
Welcome to my first attempt at a "blog". For those who do not know, "blog" is short for web log (I think). Blogs are used by many people for all different kinds of reasons, but the overall feeling I get from them are that they are the modern quick and cheap way to publish thoughts, ideas, and commentaries to the world. You'll find blogs on horses, teaching, computer program development, books, theology, and many more that are more or less a published diary of ordinary people.
So, what's this blog about? Well, I thought it would be a good way to keep people updated about my ministry. I hope to post my update letters here, though they will still go out in the mail, as well as tidbits about the ministry, people here, prayer requests, etc. Basically anything to help share more of what my minstry (and life) is and and create a better connection between those who pray for me and support me and this "other world" down here. Any comments, suggestions, but mainly questions are welcome!
Oh, and by the way, Happy Thanksgiving!
Welcome to my first attempt at a "blog". For those who do not know, "blog" is short for web log (I think). Blogs are used by many people for all different kinds of reasons, but the overall feeling I get from them are that they are the modern quick and cheap way to publish thoughts, ideas, and commentaries to the world. You'll find blogs on horses, teaching, computer program development, books, theology, and many more that are more or less a published diary of ordinary people.
So, what's this blog about? Well, I thought it would be a good way to keep people updated about my ministry. I hope to post my update letters here, though they will still go out in the mail, as well as tidbits about the ministry, people here, prayer requests, etc. Basically anything to help share more of what my minstry (and life) is and and create a better connection between those who pray for me and support me and this "other world" down here. Any comments, suggestions, but mainly questions are welcome!
Oh, and by the way, Happy Thanksgiving!
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