Samuel's Adventures: A Strange Visitor

I was sitting at my desk get word test papers ready for Eduardo and Joel when a lady I had never seen before strode into my classroom without any invitation. Seeing an vacant space at Jairo's desk (he was sick), she occupied it as if she belonged there. Taken by surprise I uttered a bewildered buenos días, to which she promptly responded. At first, I thought she might be a mother of one of my students coming to visit, but after she started using one of Jairo's math books I knew something must be amiss.

It was a good exercise for my students in learning to pay attention, I must admit, but this was not sustainable since I hadn't planned on teaching an extra student. Especially not an adult one. So I called Mary from her room next door. Nobody else had seen her either so she was just as surprised as I was. "A woman? In your classroom?! Who could it be?"

She peeped in the window and immediately recognized the lady, who by this time was happily drawing figure-eights, as a local lady suffering from mental illness. Her story is a sad one. Some believe her mental illness stems from an abusive father and home life. Apparently, she had been a perfectly normal child until around 13 years of age.

Anyway, in a little while, Mary along with Becky (whom Mary had called) came into my classroom. After a bit of small talk about her life and her child, which Delilah claimed to have given away, they convinced her to leave my classroom so I could teach in peace. And that was pretty much the end of that!

She has paid us other "visits" as well, using the hammock at 10 o'clock at night, sometimes calling out Verónica's name in the middle of the night, and taking off wearing one of the dresses she stole from the wash line (she has since returned it). I'm still not quite sure what to make out of these happenings. They make us chuckle a bit, but what about her as a person? What horrific happenings did she endure to make her this way? We might never know...

In other news, we just finished our second spelling competition. Which means that another third of the year has passed. No big deal. Just means that we only have 12 more weeks till the end of the school year. Wait WHAT?! So yeah, it's actually kind of a big deal. I'm able to count the days now. If I would want to. Don't want to give off the vibe that I'm not enjoying my time here, though. Just missing the 'ole friends and family!

Which brings me to next year. I'm been thinking a lot about my decision for returning next year or not. Please pray that I could make the right decision. This is my adventure I'm on, but I want God to guide it!

School is progressing well. Jairo is starting to catch on to math better than he had been. Sometimes it's a little frustrating teaching him. It seems like he has a switch in his brain that can change it from being a sponge ready to absorb knowledge, to a granite block. It has a lot to do with his motivation. It's a bit challenging sometimes to come up with novel ways of teaching that "23 comes after 22", but when that light bulb moment comes, you take it and run with it! I really do love the little fellas, though. Always so full of energy!

Also, Miguel had his seventh birthday. Look out world!

So, to conclude this little sketch, life here is going well. We're not without problems and difficulties, of course, but our Heavenly Father is an ever present help! Knowing that He is in control makes things easier, ya know? I really appreciate all of you that are praying for and supporting me in this ministry! God bless you! If you would like to chat, hit me up! Also, if you would like to get an email each time an update is posted, you can sign up via the box on the right or by clicking this link.

Please pray...

that I could feel God's leading in my life. Also pray that I could continue to grow spiritually in my trip to heaven.
for José and Carlos (two of the children here) that God could transform them into His disciples. We're not quite sure how to help them, but it is obvious that things won't work out for them if nothing changes.
for Beatriz and her family situation. Her father has been into alcohol again, on and off, and her mother isn't always at home.
for Silvia. She continues to have behavioral problems. Sometimes it seems like she's making progress, then she has a meltdown. It's a two-steps-forward-one-step-back kind of thing.
for healthy bodies. We're having another sickness making its rounds.

Thank God!

for His protection and His care over this ministry.
for the progress that has been made in school.
that everyone can communicate with Him--at any time! I'm struck by this when I see the prayers of the deaf and when I hear prayers in Spanish. God understands every language!