Daily life

We drink lot's of coffee because we like to look like this!

Lately I've been thinking about some crazyish things that sometimes happen in La Esperanza. Here's a short list:

1.Seeing elderly ladies dressed up, standing in the back of moving pickups.

Better than walking!

2. When I run alone I carry a small rock in one hand to ward off any stray/annoying dog chasing/barking at me. I've never had to hurt one...yet.

3. Having the power go out 4 times in one week for a lengthy period of time. It takes creativity to use an electric coffee pot without electricity, let me tell you!

4. Buying eggs by the crate of 2 dozen and walking home 1/2 a mile with them in a plastic bag. It's not easy either over those cobblestones!

5. Drinking coffee with a scoop of ice cream. If you've not yet, you should try it!

Over the past few weeks I've learned a lot about myself. One lesson came from a difficult parent who came up with excuse after excuse no matter what I told her was the problem for her sons bad grades(1st grade). Whatever I said she counteracted it with another excuse. She asked me to give her son tutoring, which was frustrating for me because he acted the same as in class...spaced out and difficult to teach. She then wanted private, paid tutoring. She seems willing to do whatever it takes (or have me do whatever it takes) to help her son raise his grades. So yesterday i go for the first private tutoring from 5-6pm, and that's after he's had general tutoring in school with other students fro 3-4. the poor guy was tuckered out!!!

I arrive and she asks if I am going to give him tutoring 2 days lke we discussed or only one day. She's asking me how much he really needs. I said, "We'll start with 2 and see how he does." I didn't start till she paid me in advance because some other teachers had problems with that, you can imagine, i won't go into detail.

after the lesson was done, she asked again if he really needs the tutoring 2 days. I was wondering if she meant he might need it more, like 3 days a week. Then she says, "Well, the tutoring is really expensive and I'd like to get it down to 1 day a week as soon as possible." Well, maybe you can think of what I was thinking. Oh the joys. It's not too expensive, not for a family of their meens, "meaning" frequenting the local bar/karoke hot spot. But instead of getting really frustrated/angry like I might have in the past, I found myself calm, patient, and realizing that I can do all I can and some people still won't ever be happy.

God is teaching me a lot lately and changing me. I read recently that for some it's easier for us to believe that God loves us than that He can change us. That's me, I admit, so I'm praying for God to change me and to help me believe that He can.

Pray for Beto. He won't be teaching at Southwest next year. the law has changed to require all P.E. teachers to be certified. He is hopeing for a pastoral/ministry job in a town about 2.5 hours away where a new church was just started.

And for those who don't know we've postponed the wedding, so pray for us and God's will to be done. I will be here another year teaching at least. I really like it and feel it is the right thing to do right now.

Blessings!