Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and support over the last few months. As a result of your help, on August 18th, I arrived safely in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
I've had a very smooth transition thus far--I was settled into my own apartment at the guest home compound, where several other teachers also live. The day after arriving, I already had the opportunity to go to Cochabamba and start my classes!
Here are a few general updates:
- Because of scheduling changes, I am not teaching an art class; instead, I have been given four English classes, grade 7-10 (originally, I was to have three English classes). Though I was at first disappointed, this is actually a blessing, because I will be working with a wider range of students in my area of expertise. In addition, there is a possibility of beginning an art club on campus, so I may be able to teach some art after all.
- The students in my classes are roughly half American/Canadian, and half local Bolivian. There is also (to my surprise) a significant number of Korean students, many of whom grew up in Bolivia.
- I have started taking some Spanish lessons once a week--starting out conservative, here. I'm hoping the Spanish I took in middle school will somehow come back to me. In the meanwhile, I'm leaning on my Spanish-speaking friends to navigate markets and so forth.
Praises:
- My health has been good. So far, I've caught a cold that made the rounds in the staff, but I've experienced no elevation sickness, nausea, dizziness, or other nasty symptoms that are common when first arriving.
- When I first came to Bolivia, I was still suffering from tooth pain, which had lasted over a week. I worried I would have to get dental surgery. But God has answered prayer and now the pain has been gone for all through September!
Prayer Requests:
-Pray that my classes continue to go well, and that God will give me the clarity and inspiration for my lessons.
-Pray that I will make good connections with others during the next few months.
-Pray that, between all my responsibilities, classes, grading, camps, planning, and the other host of things I have to think about, I'll be able to stay calm and focused.
Thank you for all your support and prayer.
