This week we jumped into a few new
ministries that included teaching English classes at an orphanage, cooking and
serving food at a local school, and helping out at a daycare. All of these were a lot of work and a lot of
fun at the same time. We’re going to be
teaching the ESL classes for the rest of this semester and possibly next
semester as well. There is a large
disparity between the amounts of English that the students know-some had to start with the alphabet while others can carry on long conversations. We will be compiling lesson plans to help us
organize how we’re going to teach and accommodate the various levels…so far it
has been a challenge but a great way to get to know some older kids. It has been interesting for me to try my hand
at teaching, considering I was in the Education School for one semester in
college…I’m curious to see if God will re-instill a desire to teach in me or
not. Regardless, I know it will be a
good experience and hopefully rewarding for all of us involved!
The feeding program at Colegio San
Antonio serves about 45 students and it is amazing how many people a few pots
of rice, mashed potatoes and ground-up meat will feed. Only three of us at a time help with this
feeding program simply because the kitchen is so small that any more would be
counterproductive. Doña Carmen runs the
show and doesn’t mess around. J Who knows how long she has been orchestrating the
feeding program but it is obvious that she is loved by all the kids at that
school. We’ll all be trading turns helping
out there so hopefully we will start getting to know the students better as
time goes on. It is eye-opening how many
kids at the school are enrolled in this free feeding program…many of them look
just as well-provided for as the more wealthy kids but looks can be deceiving,
I guess.
One of my
favorite days was on Friday when we went to an orphanage-run day care for kids
ages 2 to 6. It was non-stop action from
the moment they saw a bunch of gringos in the doorway! They greeted us with shouts of joy and came
running up to us, showering us with hugs. We had never met them before but they greeted us like we were their best
friends. I think they might have made
our days more than we made theirs! It
was so much fun just hanging out with them. We played on the jungle-gym, gave endless piggy-back rides, helped put lids on about 60 sippie cups and then
helped with lunchtime before we left. They
were full of energy and it was contagious! I can’t wait to go back and hang out with them.
Our
teaching this week was from a local pastor on the book of Job. It was a thorough study of the historical
context and the theological meaning behind Job’s story, his life. Although I had read the story of Job before,
it was good to take more time to go in-depth and really soak in the message
that God is sovereign and his purpose is so much greater than we
understand…even when life circumstances tempt us to think otherwise. He is always good, even though his ways are
above ours. The stories that Pastor
Garcia told us about his own life were so moving-and pointed to God’s power,
which was a cool accompaniment to the lesson.
Wednesday
we started what will be a weekly tradition-trash pick-up. We are working on the street right in from of
El Puente (the base). For about 2 ½
hours we just picked up (and in some cases dug up) trash along this
street. Surprisingly, we were soon
joined by a large group of kids who live on this street, as well as some of
their parents! I never knew picking up
trash could be so much fun but we were all laughing and having a good time
getting to know each other while cleaning up the street. We only made part of the way down but are
going to continue working on it every week. Even since Wednesday I’ve noticed a small difference in the amount of
trash thrown in that area. Who knows…maybe
we’ll start a trend.
Currently
it is pouring rain. Supposedly it’s a
tropical storm, although these days I can’t tell the difference between heavy
rain and a tropical storm-it’s just always raining. At least it cools things down when it rains like
this. It sounds like a freight train on
the roof yet somehow it is also soothing. I’m about to leave for worship team practice…looks like a trek in the
rain. J
Well, after
a week of so much newness I am filled with even more excitement to continue in
these new ministry sites. Friendships are still being deepened with the kids on our street, and my crazy neighbor Chilu (whose niece actually cut my hair this week!). Please pray
for the new relationships that are being formed with kids and families at the school and orphanage, as well as sustained energy to continue serving with a joyful
spirit. The team has been in good
spirits lately which has been a source of encouragement to me. We are all getting along really well and I am
learning a lot through our many conversations and Bible studies and just living
life together. I hope all is going well
for everyone reading this. Keep me
updated on your life as well!
Much love,
Becca
