Patience my child...

Lately God’s been teaching me an important lesson and one that I’m afraid will take me a lifetime to learn...the lesson of patience and of joy in the waiting.


I would not characterize myself as a patient person, but neither would I say, am I characteristically impatient. In general, I’m convinced I can work hard and plan well enough that patience becomes unnecessary....And then I moved to Caracas.


I love this city. But it is a love that comes by choice. It is certainly not an easy city to live in. While one look at the mountains outside my window in the morning puts a smile on my face, the traffic, continuous tardiness, and outrageous cost of living threaten to steal that smile every day. It’s a constant battle of patience, a choice to be frustrated or to reach down and find that silver lining. In bumper to bumper traffic I’ve learned the blessing of being in good company. In consistent tardiness, I’ve learned to take a moment to breathe and find someone to converse with. 


Yet all of these have a definite end: the traffic loosens up eventually, those who are running late make it after an hour or two. It’s easy to patient when it only requires a moment of your time. I now, however, find myself in one of those situations where the timeline of patience has no ending point. Of course there’s a long list of possible ending points, all invented by me in my own idea of perfect timing. 


I am so excited about my future here and all that the Lord will provide, but waiting for the Lord’s perfect timing and doing so with joy has not been so easy. In a city of 6 million, housing is already hard to find. What is out there is ridiculously expensive, rent costing over $1,000 a month and apartments/houses running from $100,000-$700,000 if you want to buy. And if you think you can just get a loan from the bank, think again. Interest rates are around 20% because of the high inflation rate. Cars are also 4 to 5 times the price as they are in the States, making up for the fact that gas is pennies per tank. In my limited mindset, I see all these complications in trying to live here long term. It will surely not be an easy road. And yet I still feel called here and I continue to follow in that calling. I know that God’s provision and His timing are bigger than all the hurdles Caracas may throw at me. 


And so I find myself before the Lord, on my knees, plan-less, and in need of patience. And that’s exactly where He wants me right now, in humility before Him, recognizing that He’s in control. I have not fallen from His hand and His eyes have not strayed from me. He’s simply asking that I continue to wait. While in my own strength this seems impossible, I know that He will provide the patience I need each day. God’s plans never fail and He is always at work to bring about my good and His glory.


Yesterday I heard a song that encourage me. I’m going to translate it line by line. For those of you Spanish-speakers that may be reading this, I apologize ahead of time for any bad translation. 

Esperar en ti: Jesus Adrian Romero

Esperar en ti (To wait on you)
Difícil se que es (I know that it’s difficult)
Mi mente dice no (My mind says no)
No es posible. (It’s not possible)

Pero mi corazón (But my heart)
Confiado esta en ti (It trusts in you)
Tu siempre haz sido fiel (You have always been faithful)
Me haz sostenido. (You have sustained me)

Y esperare pacientemente (And I will wait patiently)
Aunque la duda me atormente (Even though doubt torments me)
Yo no confío con la mente (I don’t trust with the mind)
Lo hago con el corazón. (I do it with the heart)

Y esperare en la tormenta (And I will wait in the storm)
Aunque tardare tu respuesta (Even though your response is late)
Yo confiare en tu providencia (I will trust in your providence)
Tu siempre tienes el control. (You are always in control)

I’m really trying to work on not hating posting, but every time I sit down to write another, I just stare at the screen for 20 minutes before my fingers finally start to type. Writing is just not my thing.

We started new semester’s classes this week and I am changing the freshness of new students and positive energy in the classroom. I have Algebra 2 and Calculus, which are 2 of my favorites to teach. Should be a good semester. I continue to teach Algebra 1 and Pre-Algebra and like the 45-minute class schedule. I now have them at the beginning of the day so before I know it, I’ve already taught half my classes.

I just became a member of my church today. I had to share a part of my testimony with the leaders of the church along with 3 others. I’m excited to continue serving along with them.

My participation in English Club this January has been postponed with doctor’s appointments for my hands and joints, which continue to hurt. I have carpal tunnel, which is causing the numbness and pain in my hands, but it has definitely gotten better and continues to heal. The joint pain was labeled as a type of “fibromyalgia” but the doctor says doing rehabilitation should get rid of the pain...we’ll see. He did, however, rule out arthritis. For now I have to start looking for someone to learn these exercises from and see if my pain goes away. Right now it’s manageable and less than it was in December.

Fusion, mentoring, and tutoring all continue and give me great opportunities to interact with my students outside of the classroom. We’re going to start doing discussion groups during Fusion and hope that it will be a way to encourage deeper discussion and build relationships amongst groups.

Rafa and I skyped with my parents yesterday and have some activities planned for when they come. Two and a half more weeks. :)

This time of year...

        This is my least favorite time of the year. For the teachers, we arrive back from vacation in the States or wherever to another 2 weeks of first semester classes. We rush around writing finals, preparing study guides, and getting in grades. The administration however, is already focused on the following academic year. My head automatically says, “Wait. Hold up. Let me at least make it through half the year before you start bombarding me with scheduling questions and stressing me out with who needs to be hired. My mind’s on giving finals.” However, you just have to suck it up and start planning ahead. For the director, he has a big job fair in Mississippi (where I was hired) the second week of February and wants to have a good idea of what next year will look like before hiring new teachers. It’s understandable...just unfortunate that it happens so early.


    Next year is bringing a lot of change our school and I’m not gonna lie, I’m nervous. We lose almost every elementary teacher, two of them being my roommates, which means a lot of new faces next year. New teachers are exciting, but definitely change the atmosphere of the school and having about half being new will bring a different sort of environment to the school. I trust that the Lord has great teachers in mind and they’ll be great, but it’s definitely something to keep in your prayers.


    As far as classes go, I’m excited for a change. I give up my cranky 11th Pre-Calculus students and my two sweet Geometry students in exchange for 2 Calculus students and 4 Algebra 2’s. The other two classes are full year (7th/8th). It’ll be fun and I’m looking forward to interacting with these kids again. They’re a great group and enjoy math. 


   I am working on paperwork for a visa here through the school and am close to finishing things up on my end. The school still has paperwork to do so I’m not sure when everything will get sent in but I hope to have a visa before the end of the school year. 


   Slowly starting ministries back up again. We had a Fusion game night where we dressed in all one color and played Just Dance on the Wii. English Club starts again this Thursday and we met today to discuss changes we’d like to make. I’m singing in church on Sunday and hope to play piano again soon. I also continue to tutor 2 days a week and mentor a student on Fridays. 


   I continue to have health issues with my joints and hands. The pain has lessened since December but is still present. I’ve been to the doctor several times and go back again on Thursday after having had some tests done. We’re guessing it’s a combination of carpal tunnel and arthritis...not fun. The doctor wants to rule out other possibilities and ran a full blood test. I’m thankful to have great insurance here and be able to find rides to the doctor and get this taken care of. It’s made sleeping difficult, waking up with pain in my shoulders, but it’s been better the last few days. I’ll let you (or at least my mom, and then you can ask her) know when we get a diagnosis. 


   I’m getting excited for my parents to visit in February! Can’t stop planning out in my head what we should do and where we should go. Less than a month away!!

A Look into the Students of ICS

Because of some time spent in prayer with other teachers over our students, I wanted to share with you a little more about the types of students I teach at ICS and how you can be praying for them.


In total, there are 29 students in the high school. Of those 29, we have at the most 5 professing believers. So the overwhelming atmosphere at the school, from the students, is non-Christian. Many of our students are involved with drinking and smoking and have no qualms about letting us know that as teachers. They hear the gospel from us daily but at this point, their eyes are blinded to the truth and their lives show evidence of a focus on self.


However, we have so many students who are hurting. Our international students have parents who are often gone on business and they are left to be raised by the nanny or older brothers or sisters. They are third-culture kids, living in a country that for many doesn’t feel like home. They’re a mix of cultures and unsure of their actual identity. These kids are filled with doubt and insecurities and while on the outside they put on a good face, on the inside there is a lot of pain. 


As teachers, we definitely feel a burden not only to set a godly example for our students, but in a small sense, be their role model/parent. For some of them, our school represents the only Christian influence in their life. Please be in prayer for us as teachers that we could be aware of this and let the light of Christ shine through us, not through our own feeble abilities, but through the power of Christ and for His glory.


It is our desire to see those students who are hurting recognize that there is a faithful, all-loving God who desires a relationship with them. And that relationship is far more fulfilling than anything the world has to offer. I spoke in chapel several weeks ago on the wise man who built his house on rock versus the foolish man who built his house on the sand. I pray that this idea challenged the students and that they come to see Christ as a solid foundation and the wisdom of the world as temporary satisfaction. 


There is a sense of urgency in this, as my co-worker prayed this morning. We’re talking about eternal matters and it is a question of life or death. I go to work each day with a burden for these students, desiring to see them come to know Christ and experience the joy that comes in a life lived for Him. And it’s frustrating day after day to instead see a school full of students who would rather live for the temporary and knowingly reject the gospel. However, I rest in the fact that God is at work, no matter what I see. And He is the one who changes hearts. It is my purpose to be faithful to this calling. 


I also don’t want to forget that there are those 5 or so students who do desire to please the Lord with their lives. And they struggle knowing how to be leaders and feeling ridiculed for their faith. They need encouragement and guidance as they mature in their faith. 


So when you think of it, please be praying for these students. I love them so much and I want to see them set free from the unfulfilling lives they are currently living. I also want to see our Christian students have influence in the school and live out their faith passionately and unashamedly. While it’s hard at times, it is a privilege to serve them each day and have the opportunity to be a part of their lives. 

Quick Update

So it recently came to my attention that I have been neglecting my blog. Sorry people, I just really haven’t had anything particularly noteworthy to say. But, in an effort to please and make up for two months of zero activity here, I’ll try and come up with something. 


October flew by so fast I barely had time to blink. It included a solo visa trip to Aruba. I personally wouldn’t recommend vacations all alone. It was a bit boring and not so sunny. But I had a lovely boyfriend to come back to who helped me celebrate a wonderful birthday. We took the cable car up the Avila mountain, ate strawberries and cream, took goofy pictures, he bought me flowers, cooked a wonderful dinner, and then we celebrated with a cookie cake with his brother and Karla. 


This past month also has brought the onset of ministries. I am once again full to the brim with activities, although I do have some afternoons free. I am now tutoring Mondays and Tuesdays. On Thursdays I started tutoring in English for a guy who works in a poor area of Caracas and just joined the missionary organization InnerChange. 


We started English Club a few weeks ago and just last week had over 40 students, most of them newcomers. We are excited to have new relationships to build and we hope, new opportunities to share the gospel. My church has included English Club as one of its ministries and we met with the pastor this Sunday to encourage us and help Karla, Jose, and I set goals. The church is really focused on university missions and Karla and Jose were just appointed directors over that, so I have lots of opportunities to get involved.


I began playing piano at church a few weeks ago. It’s been a challenge and I still feel like I’m just getting my feet wet, but I am growing in my ability to read chords and improvise. It for sure has been a humbling experience. 


I continue to mentor a 9th grade student and could use prayer as I seek to counsel her. She is such a sweetheart and I enjoy spending time with her. Please be praying that my counsel would be Biblical and that her heart would be focused on glorifying Him. 


Fusion, the youth group program we do with the students on Fridays, has had its ups and downs this year. Teachers took over the music aspect so I am now singing every week but our group still needs more time playing together to really feel comfortable. Some weeks we have great participation from the students and other weeks it’s smaller. However, we’re committed to serving the Lord in this regardless of the “results.” 


I signed on officially for another year with ICS. There are a lot of people leaving or unsure of where God is leading them next year. Please keep the school in prayer as it looks for new teachers and struggles with decreasing student enrollment. 

Drive me to my Knees

These last few weeks, God has really called to my attention the importance of prayer. 


God has answered prayer in amazing ways in my life recently and I am incredibly thankful. 


Before beginning school, I was feeling spiritually dry and praying consistently for a renewed spirit and consistency in His Word. And He has blessed through these prayers. School is going well and I have a great group of students who genuinely want to learn. Second year is SO much better than first as far as planning and I’ve been able to focus more on improving and creating more interactive activities to reinforce learning. Student attitudes are better this year and there is a potential for positive leadership amongst the students.  


I gave 2 out of 3 Open House presentations completely in Spanish on Friday, without having really planned out exactly what I wanted to say. I had the kids make short videos for their parents talking about what class is like. A few of them turned out really funny.


Rafa got a job during his “summer” vacation time. Incredible answer to prayer. He is working 60 hours a week but enjoys what he’s doing and is no longer bored. His vacation continues through October until he goes back to the University to study again. 


As teachers, we are praying a lot for the school and its ministries. We meet weekly before school to pray over Fusion, which officially began last Friday with a Nerd Night Bash. Super fun! I’m helping out more with music this year and could use your prayers as we choose songs and practice. 


In addition to answering prayer, God continues to drive me to my knees when bad news hits. Martina, who cleans the high school, received news on Friday that her son was caught in the line of fire while arriving to work that night and was killed. He worked in a barrio (really poor housing area) and these areas are really dangerous at night with gangs or drug deals, etc. Please keep the family in your prayers as they grieve during this time.


Last week I was able to travel to a wedding in Carupano, where Rafa’s family lives. We went with his sister and her husband, taking an overnight bus. It was a whirlwind trip, arriving on Saturday morning, beach in the afternoon, and wedding that night only to turn around and leave again Sunday morning. Our bus broke down 2 times and hit major traffic in one city so a normally 7 hour ride took 13 hours. We arrived too late to take a bus or metro back home and I had not brought enough cash for the ridiculous taxi prices from the terminal. So we ended up heading to Rafa’s sister’s apartment for the night, knowing I had school the next morning. We woke up super early after only 3 hours of sleep, took 2 buses back into my part of town, and headed to school 10 minutes before devotions with my pillow in hand. It was a little crazy and not an event I’d like to repeat. 


I’ll post some Nerd Night Bash pics soon.

Back...

It’s hard to believe I’ve been away from Ohio for 3 weeks already. The time has flown by!

Said goodbye to family and friends on July 26th and headed to Tobago for a beautiful wedding. It was so nice to enjoy the beach and be a part of this event before heading back to Caracas. I got burnt twice despite numerous applications of sunscreen.

Rafa’s parents: 1st trip outside of Venezuela.

The bride and groom on rehearsal day

Beautiful beach wedding

Love that even in the midst of a wedding, he found time to smile for my camera

Eating a mango raw and peeling off the skin with my teeth...I was hungry.

Now picking out all the pieces of mango from between my teeth.

Beautiful little waterfall about a 20 minute walk from where we stayed.

Wearing the headband that his mom made for me.

Caracas is gorgeous as always. I think I love this city more than when I came a year ago, filled with excitement and the thrill of the unknown. After spending an entire day unpacking my 150 lbs of U.S. goodness, I reorganized my room and did some light grocery shopping. 

Since then, I’ve been spending time at school, preparing my room and lessons for this new school year. I’m excited about the year and really hope to improve as a teacher. 

Our director, through morning devotions, has reminded us of the importance of seeking the Lord daily and how necessary it is to be following God so that we can in turn lead our students. His words have been challenging and motivating. I am so thankful to have a director who values God’s Word and encourages us in our relationship with God. 

I’m still trying to sort out priorities and ministries this year. Saying no isn’t easy, especially to a ministry opportunity. Keep me in your prayers as I look to get involved in ministries where I can best serve God. 

Miss you all in the States. Come visit! 

Pictures to come when my internet is working a bit better. 

SCHOOL STARTS TOMORROW!