First Day of School!

To say the kids have a hunger to learn is an understatement! School is a BIG deal to them. This morning, many of them were late for breakfast because they were making sure their outfits and hair were perfect (boys included). When we were outside for first recess (we're talking only about a 15 minute recess), the following question was asked multiple times: "Can we go back to school now?" At lunch, the student who prayed said, "And thank you Lord that we could have school today!" Upon the announcement that the end of the school day had come, some audible groans even came out! What an amazing opportunity, to serve children who can't get enough of knowledge and learning! The day went very smoothly and I'm excited to see transitions and routines get better as time goes on.

The fact that the children are becoming bilingual adds such a rich element to learning! I absolutely LOVED the ability to teach in both languages today, to have the students help each other with English and me with my Spanish :) I continue praising the Lord for such a wonderful opportunity.

Here are some pictures of our first day:

This is the children's shelter and schoolhouse building right now. The bedrooms and living space is downstairs and the schoolroom is upstairs. Although it's in their house, we still have the students function very much as though they are in a school. They form lines to walk outside to recess, specials, and to attend lunch. We work hard on making it a realistic school environment for them. Construction is underway for some permanent schoolrooms on the other side of the lot. 

Our bright and cheerful classroom decorated by Jenny! The lighting may make it hard to see in this picture. It does not currently have electricity and this picture was taken early in the morning. We are hoping to have electricity in a couple of weeks.

Maestra Jenny and I with all our wonderful students! :) 

Maestra Jenny doing a sword drill with the older students! What a blessing to be able to teach them scripture!!

You Know You're In Mexico When...

1. As you're walking up the stairs to your room for the night, you see a huge tarantula (see pic below) almost the size of your hand walk slowly out of the shadows and spend the next 10 minutes trying to capture it. (Correction: You spend the next 10 minutes WATCHING others try to catch it :)

2. You are told to keep shoes on at all times inside and outside so you don't accidentally step on a scorpion with bare feet.

3. You're told that a scorpion was recently seen in your own room.

4. In the hour before bed, you actually see not one, but TWO scorpions IN your room (see pics below)...and then you lay your head down to sleep in restful peace. Note: Apparently these scorpions are not deadly-just painful...whew!

5. You're wakened not by birds, but by a deafening chorus of roosters and cows from all parts of the village.

I thought those experiences might bring a smile or tears of fright to some :), but truthfully I have absolutely LOVED my first 24 hours in Mexico! I was greeted with a sign of welcome that all the students had made for me (see pic below). They cannot stop talking about how excited they are to start school and ask us about it everyday, which is evidence of how special Jenny (my co-teacher) made it for them last year and how far some of them have come.

Jenny and I are spending today and tomorrow finishing the setup of the schoolroom and planning for the first few days, and then school starts on Thursday!

Thank you so much for all your prayers! My flights were incredibly smooth, with no trouble in customs or motion sickness.

I'll post pictures of the shelter and the school soon!

Almost There...

Wow! Time absolutely flies! July and August have been filled with logistics, packing, curriculum planning, and spending time with friends and family before I leave. God has been so faithful to bring in the support I need, and things are coming together nicely. I'm down to a week and a half before my departure. My flight leaves on August 27th in the morning and I will arrive in Guadalajara that same evening. I've been blessed to be able to share a flight down with Amy Acosta, the "mom" at the shelter, who is currently in the States. I am looking forward to getting to know her before the initial chaos sets in :). From there, we will be picked up by someone from the shelter who will drive us the additional 1.5 hours into Camichines. I'm not sure when the official start date of the school will be, but I'm hoping for a couple days to recuperate and plan when I arrive. I would appreciate prayers for a seamless transition from one country to the other (in terms of insurance, banking, travel, and other such logistics) as well as for a great start with the students!