09.06.06
Update
Well, school is in full swing now. Mandie’s classes are going well, for the most part. The Spanish 3 class has been a particular blessing, as they are all hardworkers and have good attitudes. It is a class focused on writing, so we’ve done several essays and short stories, and they are working on a research paper for December. I have been encouraged by their willingness to try, even though at the beginning of the year they were very scared of the whole idea. Also, in that class we are memorizing Ephesians 2:4-10; I know verses 8-10, but had never memorized 4-7 before; so I am trying to learn it with them. I figure it is a good idea for me to get back into the practice of hiding God’s word in my heart!
The Spanish 2 class has been particularly encouraging as well, but in a very different way: They are so full of life! Sometimes it is hard for me to keep that class focused, but it also is fun and a good change from the ordinary. Most of them are really trying hard, even though their level of comfort with spanish and what they’ve retained from the first year class varies widely. That class is a bit of a special challenge for me, partly because I enjoy their energy, but am not always a strong enough leader to channel it, and partly because of the huge differences in ability. Pray that God would give me wisdom as to the best approach to cover the content that needs to be included while also treating the students as individuals.
I have two beginning Spanish classes, as well.
Mike has been really stressed at work lately. He has a lot of loose ends he’s trying to tie up from last year, and keeping up with work from this year at the same time. He’s also trying to learn Korean (and doing rather well, I think, but I guess I don’t really know) and keep up with all the football and baseball news from back home.
We’ve both gotten involved in our church here. Mike is playing his trombone on Sunday morning and guitar on Sunday night, and is singing in the chior. Last week he played a special on his trombone. He has also been thinking and praying about possibly starting a men’s Bible study at the church. There is nothing like that right now, and we were talking to one of the pastors the other night about how they’d like to have one, but both pastors are too swamped to lead it and no one else has volunteered. I am also playing my oboe some, singing in the chior, and substitute teaching in a Sunday School class for this quarter.
Please keep praying for us. We are still adjusting to cultural differences, language barriers, and learning how to rely on public transportation. We are also still trying to get settled into our jobs and apartment. So far, the transition has been going pretty well, but we both are struggling with occassional bouts of homesickness. Labor day was really hard, because we were missing the fair, pancakes, parade, and fireworks. We know this is where God wants us, though - and we wouldn’t want to be anywhere he didn’t.