Let the Stress Begin!

For the first time in the two weeks I have been in Paraguay, I feel overwhelmed. Today was the first day back to school from summer break for the teachers at New Horizon Methodist School. We had teacher in-service from 8-4:30 and will follow that schedule for the next two weeks before classes begin. My 1st grade classes first meet on Feb 17, and my preschool and kindergarten classes first meet on Feb 18. Cassidy and I had fun sitting in the workroom this afternoon lesson planning with the other teachers at the school. I am very stressed at the moment, but I have to remember that God never gives us more than we can handle with His help! I have never taught English to little ones, so this experience differs greatly from my practicum in Macedonia where I taught primarily adults. I spent most of the afternoon looking through a pile of books to find supplemental material to add to the already-planned syllabus. Primarily using flashcards, music, and video, I will be teaching subjects such as family, weather, numbers, colors, and shapes to my students at New Horizon. You can't make things too boring for the little ones!

 in front of our house one afternoon

Since I last posted, many exciting adventures have occurred! Cassidy, Alex (another intern with The Mission Society), and I attended Noche Elegante, a formal young adult event, at a nearby church. Everyone enjoyed the fashion show, as we walked in groups of four down the carpet. We also played some trivia, had entertaining music, and ate plenty of food! It was fun to dress up for a night and meet new friends our age. Cassidy and I also attended a conference this past week that taught us how to work with children using puppets, mimes, and clowns. I chose to dress up as a clown, Cassidy as a mime, and our host sisters as ventriloquists. I was pretty impressed with my first ever clown make-over, which was done in a short amount of time. This past weekend, our family walked along The Paraguay River and marveled at the gorgeous lights shining over the water. Cassidy and I even rented a giant tricycle with a side car for 1/2 hour. We weren't always successful drivers, but we sure had fun and built some serious leg muscle. We nearly crashed into some children roller blading and also riding bikes, and we also attempted to gun it up a hill, only to roll backward onto the path once again. A group of us young adults attended a Christian concert in both Spanish and Portuguese this weekend as well. How awesome that I could experience both languages, especially because I have been attempting to learn Portuguese. After the concert, we went to the mall where I had the best pizza ever!

Cassidy, Alex (another intern), and me at Noche Elegante

Cassidy and me at a 7-year-old's birthday party

near The Paraguay River

Cassidy, me, our host sisters, and a few other friends dressed as mimes, ventriloquists, and clowns

The hot and humid weather has definitely not subsided. In fact, it seems to only be worsening as we begin the month of February. Temps are at or over the 100 degree mark most days, and the forecast shows that 106 will be the popular temperature for the next week or so. Add the humidity to that, and you've got 110-112 degree heat indexes. I feel like I could take three showers a day because the sweat just hangs on me. It is quite disgusting. I never thought I would say this, but I wouldn't mind a day or two back in the arctic tundra of Ohio for some relief from this heat! I have already forgotten what it's like to shiver. I am sure my body will eventually become accustomed to the weather, but it has been quite the shock coming from subzero temps just a couple of weeks ago!

Overall, I am at peace about being here. God has whispered in my ear that I am His child whom He dearly loves, and that, even when I can't fully understand the future, I can trust the One who holds it. I am really not sure what He is calling me to do after this experience. I guess we'll just have to see where it leads :) I want to follow His will for my life, so I will go wherever He sends me! This year I truly desire to grow into the woman He created me to be. To do this, I must daily surrender my heart to Him and recognize His voice, drowning out all the lies that surround me. I want to be a young woman entirely devoted to Christ.

Ways you can be praying...
1) relationships:
     - my roommate, Cassidy
     - my host family
     - the other teachers at my school
2) peace:
     - the start of the school year
     - experiencing a new culture
3) boldness for Christ :)