Praise God for today! After talking to Javier and Laura about struggling yesterday, I prayed for God to give me more. More of Him, more appreciation for what He's doing in my life, more connections with my host family, and eyes to see more of what He sees. Guess what? God delivered.
Norma and Melania (two of the three classroom teachers here) were both in meetings and thus not at school today, so it was just me, the English teacher, Isabel (the 5th and 6th grade teacher), and the religion teacher who comes once per week on Wednesdays. I started the morning in religion class where they watched a movie about a priest. However, the language on the movie was set to Italian and they couldn't figure out how to change it. I talked to Isabel about using the computer at some point today while they were trying to figure out the movie, and she told me I could use it whenever I wanted. I promptly excused myself from religion in Italian to send some emails.
Break time was a little awkward because I usually go with Norma or Melania, so I was a little uncomfortable, but it went fine, and after break I went to English class, which I really enjoyed. I spent some time working with kids on colors, numbers, and days of the week, but I'm not sure the younger kids really learned anything, especially since most of their time was spent copying things that they don't even know how to read. The English teacher was more interested in talking to me than teaching, and after my attempts to re-direct attention back to class were rejected, I (somewhat reluctantly) enjoyed having a substantial conversation, which has been fairly rare since coming here. He asked about my religious beliefs, what I thought of the US being involved in Syria, and told me about one student's struggles at home. Her story broke my heart and brought about a conversation about the lack of support for kids with special needs at the school I'm working at.
After lunch I sat in on another religion class which was also really fun. I loved hearing the kids sing worship songs, and watching some of them dance to them was hilarious. At one point, the teacher left the kids with vague instructions about what to do with their workbooks. When he returned most of them had finished the whole book. I couldn't help but laugh...it seemed like he had no idea what he was doing at that point, but other than that he seemed like a pretty good teacher. He explained the biblical stories they were focusing on and made class fun for the students, which was good to see.
I totally got pampered by the kitchen staff today...they brought me hot chocolate and cookies in the morning and a rice crispy like treat during the afternoon break. After I ate my afternoon snack I played tag with the kids at recess instead of sitting inside with the teachers. It was a blast...I had so much fun!
When I got home from school, Olga (one of the women hosting me) asked me if I would like to accompany her and Gabi on their trip to Cartago to run some errands. I eagerly accepted the invitation and got ready to go and then spent an hour reading while I waited to actually leave. I can't believe how much shopping we did! I am thoroughly exhausted! My hosts run a catering business, and I should have known we would be picking up loads of stuff, but for some reason I thought it would just be a quick trip into town. We went to the market, three different supermarkets, and a store where they sold plastic plates and other serving supplies in bulk. The little car we took was packed on the ride home, and the time I spent with Olga and Gabi was totally worthwhile...I feel so much better about staying with them now. I can tell that ice is melting with time and they're getting more comfortable with having me here, which feels really good. At one point, I was waiting in the car with the family friend who drove us. It was pretty late, and the street progressively got more and more filled with people digging through trashes for food and guiding cars into parking spaces in hopes of spare change. I was again overwhelmed with brokenness, and all I could do was pray that God would change the world...because we need Him to. I don't see any other way things could truly change, and I've spent the whole semester struggling to find ways to help. I am so grateful that God gives me little glimpses of what He sees like that, and I want to have them more so that I can remember what I'm here for.
I've been experiencing an outbreak of what Laura claims are harmless bumps all over my body, but today the bumps on my feet were really itchy. I was thrilled to find the anti-itch cream I thought I left in San Jose in my suitcase along with the lotion I also thought I forgot, so hopefully that problem will be quickly remedied. I'm slightly dreading inspecting my bed tonight to make sure its not bedbugs that's causing these bumps....I don't know what I'll do if I find anything undesirable.
In all, it was a fabulously full day. Keeping busy definitely helps with homesickness, and I really enjoyed a break from it today. I feel more comfortable with everyone at the school after this week, and my family has significantly stepped up their welcoming, which I am incredibly grateful for. My prayers for healing in regards to allergies and now bumps will continue, and I'm excited about how God will continue to answer my prayers for more.
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