A Day Long Awaited

Years ago my friend Becky and I began dreaming about the day when our family would move down here, and I would start teaching music at the school that they run. Well, that day has finally arrived! Although God called us to a different primary ministry - which we absolutely love - we feel that he still wants us to help the school however we can. So, today I began teaching Theater and Music to their 8th and 9th graders.
For those who don't know, the school Escuela Integrada por los ninos trabajadores is a no cost to the students program. Most of the children who attend leave school at 3 and go to work, even many who are in the elementary program. Some of them shine shoes, some of them clean houses, some of them take care of their siblings while both of their parents are working. They literally do not have enough money to go to public school, where you must pay for books supplies and uniforms. We love the program because it not only offers them a wonderful Christian education, it also feeds them. Without the feeding program many of the students would not be able to attend because they would be out earning money for food.
We began working with them back in 2003, and I am positive that some of the students who were there then are now in my classes. Scary to think that the kids who were in 1st and 2nd grade are now in my classes. Scary and wonderful, because they have made it this far. Many students stop in the 6th grade. I will have to look for old pictures from the 2005 team to post so people can see the differences.
Anyway, the day went really well. They originally had me scheduled to teach all day, 6 periods, every Thursday. Thankfully they found a different teacher already on staff for the 7th grade classes and I now only have to teach in the morning. (This means that we can have our nanny come in the morning and stay with Emma, because our attempt for her to hang out in the Kindergarten class today was short lived. So, Maribel is going to start teaching her Spanish on Thursday mornings, we even went and bought her special Spanish school books this evening.) My day will still be plenty long though as the classes are taught entirely in Spanish, and of course I don't know all the necessary terminology for Theater and Music in Spanish. Last night was more of a studying the language than prepping my lessons time for me - but it went off really well.
Now if I could just get the girls to talk in front of their classmates....

Bye bye Mom + Dad

Wow, we had not realized that it had been nearly a month since our last post. That means Christmas was almost a month ago.

On the eve of Mom and Dad returning to the States we realize just how fast time can move. It seems like only yesterday Dad, Joy and I were standing on the roof of the condo watching the New Years Eve fireworks. It seems like only yesterday Mom defied us all by climbing to the top of one of the highest Mayan temples, Templo IV, in Tikal. It seems like only yesterday that Ken won the two week long Rummi cube game. It seems like only yesterday that Ken off-handedly commented that Mom could be in the Smithsonian... oh wait... that was just the other day.

Ah... good times.

But it went by so very fast. We'd ask you join us in praying that Mom and Dad have a safe trip back to New Hampshire. They have a somewhat short connecting flight in Houston. We'd also ask that you pray for us and the girls as we now transition back to "normalcy".

For those who are curious, Ken was the only one of us who felt the earthquake the other day. Given the recent quake in Haiti it made everyone a bit nervous. But we're all fine.

Thanks to all who continue to support us in prayer and finances!

In Christ,

-knm/jr/ac/ebe