Falling into the Routine

Even though I've been here a month, I've just begun to feel as though a routine is emerging. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my role, knowing when to help and when to rest.

My typical weekday looks something like this:
6:45-Have devotions and watch the sunrise
8:15-Grab breakfast and head to the schoolroom
9:00-Kids arrive
1:30-Lunch break!
4:00-School ends/Start supervising piano practices
4:30-8:00-Various activities (exercise, rest, study Spanish, help in the house with childcare or dishes)
8:30-Bible study (2-3 days a week)

Saturdays are a workday for me as well. I teach 3.5 hours of piano in the afternoons and then spend the majority of the day planning for the next week's lessons.

Sundays-the day of rest! Much of this day is taken up with the 1.5 hour drive into Guadalajara both ways and errand running if necessary (since it is the only day we are in the city). But I'm still hoping it will lend itself well to rest.

Overall, I'm busier than I expected, but I've really been enjoying it so far! It is amazing how close I feel to the students already after only one month. But teaching and living with them all at the same time will do that, I suppose! We've been having so much fun together! I've made them all into little bird-lovers (as I mentioned earlier) and I still giggle when I'm in the middle of teaching a lesson and they excitedly point out the window, saying: "Look Maestra Amber! A great egret!" One boy in particular is making his own bird list. When I told him today that I had found a bird book for him to read, he got so excited he sprang up and gave me a hug! :)

Along that note, we discovered that barn owls have made their home in the third story of the house. It is still unfinished, so it provides perfect lodging for them. Talk about a science teacher's dream! Owl pellet dissection, anyone? (Don't worry-we're going to figure out a way to do this in a sanitized manner). Or how about deciding to do a book club on owls, then taking your students on a field trip upstairs to see them? We also noticed that the Acostas' recently born kittens have gone missing in the past week...I'll let you piece that one together!

On a more serious level, one of our littlest boys had two seizures yesterday and had to be rushed to the hospital. He has had them in the past, but not this close together. We would love continued prayer for his health! We also would appreciate prayer for a couple children that currently have hardened hearts toward the Lord. One voiced quite clearly that she was upset with the Lord for letting the past pain in her life occur. We all deeply need wisdom to know how to help them not only process their past, but let life in. I know that God is mighty and he is the one who can touch their hearts. Also, Chuy (the dad in the home) is currently away presenting at a conference for the week. We are praying for his trip to go well. Thank you so much for your prayers!