Well, can you imagine after not hearing from me in over a month you are going to get TWO update letters within just a few weeks of each other???
I would like to thank you all up front for your prayers at such a time that they were so desperately needed.
I feel like the last update that I sent out didn't fully give justice to the work that I am doing here... well maybe it did at the time ... but a lot has changed in a little bit of time!
=D
It turns out the the lack of effort that was being shown by the grade 8's was not only an isolated incidence in my English class but instead it was an overall attitude in their academic lives. The day after I wrote my letter the Director of the a school, Greg Stirling another missionary out here, interrupted my class and gave a stern talking to to the students!
Now I don't know how their attitude in their other classes is going but there has been a HUGE difference in their attitude in my class... come to think of it maybe God has just blessed me with a bit more patience! ........but I have decided to make this class my project!!
The general feeling of the teachers in this school is a sense of defeat with the grade 8's everyone has sort of given up on them and is sick of all the teen angst floating around them at ALL times.
Well I have some experience with similar types of kids at my Winnipeg job where I was working with at risk kids in the foster care system as as my years serving as Councellor at Bird River Bible Camp.
It is going over great I am happy to say I have found my place in this school community!! Praise the Lord!!
I have decided to begin supplementing my English class once a week with a class on leadership and character building.
I want these kids to have a sense of pride from being the oldest in the school... as well as help them to develop a strong sense of who they are in general as well as in Christ...... All any teenager ever wants anyways is a sense of belonging... come to think of it that is all anyone wants! ........ Well they are really beginning to open up to me. It is almost as if their attitudes towards me changed over night! they Talk to me now! Yesterday i asked them what they did on the weekends and the NOT ONLY ANSWERED>>>but they did it with smiles on their faces and with enthusiasm!!!
I know that doesn't sound like much but it is HUGE! I told the other teachers and they were amazed............ all of them said that they can't get them to answer ANY questions ... school OR life related!
Praise God... that was a HUGE BATTLE TO WIN!!!!
We now joke in class and they ask me all sorts of questions............ We are getting quite close and I LOVE IT! ............I now look forward to grade 8 English everyday!
Isn't that just like God.........He takes the things that we cannot do anything about no matter how much we try in our might strength and talents............and THEN ........He shows us His solution and it is always so much better than what we were working to achieve in our own strength!
I am also going to be moving out of the Ocompos house (the family I have been living with) in 2 weeks.........
I can't even believe that at the end of those two weeks I will have been living there for 6 WEEKS! My how that time flew by........... I am so blessed to have been put in a home where the people are SO down to earth... the money thing is not so crazy to me anymore ............ I am over the initial shock.......... God is my faithful DELIVERER!
I am so blessed that even though the family has enough money that we have never had to do without anything we needed.........they do not let it define them...........
Please pray for the truth to be revealed in this situation: 500 000 guaranis (money) was stolen from a locked closet in my room which is the equivalent of $100... I am not worried about the money so much as I am about the girl who stole it!... she will get fired!
Anyways in two weeks when I move I will be moving into a house with Melissa the other short term missionary who I initially met in Ethiopia while serving there ........so long ago........ and in that house I am going to start an English club / small group with the grade 8's and I am SO excited!
I am excited to watch them grow and mature over the next few months to come!
~Kristin
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Hola mi familia y los amigos! Hello my family and friends!
Well I can’t even believe that it has been a month already and NO I did not drop of the face of the earth when I flew across the equator!! But to say the least there have been some serious ups and downs out here! Here is a little bit of an update to let you all know a little bit of what has been going on in my life…..
It has taken me a little while to get into routine out here but I finally have a little bit of stability. I had to move around like crazy in the beginning from missionary’s house to missionary’s house while I was looking for a place to stay but I have finally found one!
I am living with a wonderful family out here in Villarica! The Ocampo's have 3 children. Pauline 12, Cecilia 10 and Florencia 10. They are twins but they are DEFFINATELY not identical... in fact they are polar opposites! They also happen to have 8 dogs! 2 wiener dogs 3 puppies and 2 German Shepherds and one German shepherd puppy! The puppy is SO cute and her name is Hannah!( I am so honored that they allowed me to name this puppy!)
I am really fortunate to be living here as the family speaks relatively good English and they are really trying hard to help me with my Spanish! Pauline is a student of mine at CEI (the school where I work) and she is in 7th grade! She has the best English in the whole class but only because last year she was an exchange student in Illinois (a city close to Chicago) Also, Gloria (their mother) has been a huge help to me as she has really been showing me the ins and outs of life in Paraguay and has never once hesitated to include me. They are not a Christian family but rather extremely catholic and VERY religious... they are very well off so their role in the Catholic church has much more to do with status then with faith.
Pray for this family and for me to be a light and a witness while I am living here.
As for my job while I am here I am teaching English in an Elementary/ Jr. High and I teach grades 6,7 and 8.
I LOVE it so much but it is a challenge to say the least especially with the two older classes. In 7th grade class there are 14 girls and 3 boys and I can barely get the class quiet long enough to teach anything. In my grade 8 class I have 3 girls and 6 boys and they will never TALK... EVER! It is frustrating when you are trying to teach a LANGUAGE!
Thanks you all for your support and prayers in this adjustment time! ~Kristin
Paraguay Orientation:
My first month was a surprising challenge to me who by God’s design delights in serving others!
I am surrounded by such opulence that I was lulled into an apathetic state as to what my part in this mission was.
I am living with one of the wealthiest families in the city and many of my students are also very well off.
It was easy in Africa to see the needs and hopelessness of a nation and show those around me
the savior of all nations and share with them the Christ who has no borders.
I am living in such luxury I plead with you to pray for my clear direction from God in seeing what he wants me to do and how to show these people who seem to have everything that they have one need unmet ……...the need for Christ the Lord in their life!
Pray also that I will see clearly and avoid the deep waters that He has delivered me from………...
Prayer Requests
Please pray that my love for the Lord shines through my inadequacies in my teaching skills! :)
Pray for wisdom, knowledge and creativity of task within all of my teaching classes!
Pray for me to be a light and a witness to the Ocampo’s (the family I am living with) They have everything except Christ!
Pray for my part in what God wants to do through me within this community of extreme affluence!
Praise
Praising God for the safe arrival of my field support friend Melissa.
Many of you have been praying for this culture shock that took me by surprise …. And I am praising God for his deliverance in this situation!
My lifeline ……..
My Inspiration this Month
" He reached down from on high and took hold of me, he drew me out of deep waters"
Psalm 18 v16
It has taken me a little while to get into routine out here but I finally have a little bit of stability. I had to move around like crazy in the beginning from missionary’s house to missionary’s house while I was looking for a place to stay but I have finally found one!
I am living with a wonderful family out here in Villarica! The Ocampo's have 3 children. Pauline 12, Cecilia 10 and Florencia 10. They are twins but they are DEFFINATELY not identical... in fact they are polar opposites! They also happen to have 8 dogs! 2 wiener dogs 3 puppies and 2 German Shepherds and one German shepherd puppy! The puppy is SO cute and her name is Hannah!( I am so honored that they allowed me to name this puppy!)
I am really fortunate to be living here as the family speaks relatively good English and they are really trying hard to help me with my Spanish! Pauline is a student of mine at CEI (the school where I work) and she is in 7th grade! She has the best English in the whole class but only because last year she was an exchange student in Illinois (a city close to Chicago) Also, Gloria (their mother) has been a huge help to me as she has really been showing me the ins and outs of life in Paraguay and has never once hesitated to include me. They are not a Christian family but rather extremely catholic and VERY religious... they are very well off so their role in the Catholic church has much more to do with status then with faith.
Pray for this family and for me to be a light and a witness while I am living here.
As for my job while I am here I am teaching English in an Elementary/ Jr. High and I teach grades 6,7 and 8.
I LOVE it so much but it is a challenge to say the least especially with the two older classes. In 7th grade class there are 14 girls and 3 boys and I can barely get the class quiet long enough to teach anything. In my grade 8 class I have 3 girls and 6 boys and they will never TALK... EVER! It is frustrating when you are trying to teach a LANGUAGE!
Thanks you all for your support and prayers in this adjustment time! ~Kristin
Paraguay Orientation:
My first month was a surprising challenge to me who by God’s design delights in serving others!
I am surrounded by such opulence that I was lulled into an apathetic state as to what my part in this mission was.
I am living with one of the wealthiest families in the city and many of my students are also very well off.
It was easy in Africa to see the needs and hopelessness of a nation and show those around me
the savior of all nations and share with them the Christ who has no borders.
I am living in such luxury I plead with you to pray for my clear direction from God in seeing what he wants me to do and how to show these people who seem to have everything that they have one need unmet ……...the need for Christ the Lord in their life!
Pray also that I will see clearly and avoid the deep waters that He has delivered me from………...
Prayer Requests
Please pray that my love for the Lord shines through my inadequacies in my teaching skills! :)
Pray for wisdom, knowledge and creativity of task within all of my teaching classes!
Pray for me to be a light and a witness to the Ocampo’s (the family I am living with) They have everything except Christ!
Pray for my part in what God wants to do through me within this community of extreme affluence!
Praise
Praising God for the safe arrival of my field support friend Melissa.
Many of you have been praying for this culture shock that took me by surprise …. And I am praising God for his deliverance in this situation!
My lifeline ……..
My Inspiration this Month
" He reached down from on high and took hold of me, he drew me out of deep waters"
Psalm 18 v16
New Location, New Location, New Location
So just in case some of you are questioning the title of my letter and are realizing that it has changed it is because my location has changed also! I sent out a short update a few weeks ago just letting everyone know that I would now be going to Paraguay but in case you did not receive it for some reason I will give you a brief update.
I was really apprehensive about going to Ecuador and could not figure out why. The closer I got to my departure date the worse it was becoming. I wrestled with the concept for a few weeks before I decided to fully give it over to God. As soon as I did that I realized that I was going to Ecuador because of what I wanted and not necessarily because that was what God had planned for me. I had made a commitment to a friend of mine that I met in Africa as well as a commitment to God that we would obey His call on our lives and serve together in support of one another on the field where ever He was going to place us. My placement came quickly but hers did not and for this reason I made a call to SIM informing them of my decision to cancel my assignment in Ecuador and wait on God. This decision came not without tears and prayer as it had seemed perfect for me.
This began my change of placement. SIM found a placement for the two of us to serve together in a town of Villarica Paraguay where we will have the opportunity to teach English in a PreK-12 school as well as observe other ministries all under the mentorship of a great missionary couple that focuses on the mentorship of short termers as part of their ministry.
Yes, humbly I am still growing in Christ!
Villarica is located in the southern half of Paraguay. It is a university town with a population of about 50,000. The main language is Spanish which will be great as a personal goal of mine is to study Spanish in order to become fluent or at least conversational! Villarica is also considered the second most important cities culturally in all of Paraguay which will allow me to gain a better understanding of what true Paraguayan culture is!
There are many great ministry events God is doing through some wonderful people on this field and I am excited to embark on this adventure with your support!
Thanks so much for this opportunity! ~Kristin
I am scheduled to leave on May 10th providing my funds come in by the end of this month of April!
What will I be doing???
While in Paraguay I will have an opportunity to work at an English school for youth of all ages. The students range in age but from the information I have so far it looks like I will be working primarily with students in Jr. High and High school.
I will be teaching English to a number of classes for the time that I am down there. There are both Paraguayan English teachers as well teachers that are native English speakers but they try to get mostly native English teachers to work with older children as to further aid in their education.
The missionaries use this school as a way to get into the community. Many people send their children to learn English and though this development of relationships it allows for the gospel to be spread among these people.
I will also get the opportunity to witness other ministry opportunities in order to gather a better understanding of the field’s vision.
Prayer Requests
Please pray that my funding will come soon and I can fulfill my departure date!
That God will continue to prepare and grow me in both wisdom and knowledge and equip me for what I am about to do.
Grow my faith as this time I am finding it harder to leave the comforts of life as I know it here.
Praise
My budget dropped slightly as I require no Malaria meds (YAH!) while I am there and all but one shot was up to date! PTL!
God honored my request to serve with team support!
How can you tell it is getting CLOSE? The list is growing!
Monthly Inspiration
“The almost impossible thing,...to hand over your whole self—all your wishes and precautions—to Christ...Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self.” C.S Lewis
“It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desire which he creates.”
Amy Carmichael
(1867-1951), Missionary in India
I was really apprehensive about going to Ecuador and could not figure out why. The closer I got to my departure date the worse it was becoming. I wrestled with the concept for a few weeks before I decided to fully give it over to God. As soon as I did that I realized that I was going to Ecuador because of what I wanted and not necessarily because that was what God had planned for me. I had made a commitment to a friend of mine that I met in Africa as well as a commitment to God that we would obey His call on our lives and serve together in support of one another on the field where ever He was going to place us. My placement came quickly but hers did not and for this reason I made a call to SIM informing them of my decision to cancel my assignment in Ecuador and wait on God. This decision came not without tears and prayer as it had seemed perfect for me.
This began my change of placement. SIM found a placement for the two of us to serve together in a town of Villarica Paraguay where we will have the opportunity to teach English in a PreK-12 school as well as observe other ministries all under the mentorship of a great missionary couple that focuses on the mentorship of short termers as part of their ministry.
Yes, humbly I am still growing in Christ!
Villarica is located in the southern half of Paraguay. It is a university town with a population of about 50,000. The main language is Spanish which will be great as a personal goal of mine is to study Spanish in order to become fluent or at least conversational! Villarica is also considered the second most important cities culturally in all of Paraguay which will allow me to gain a better understanding of what true Paraguayan culture is!
There are many great ministry events God is doing through some wonderful people on this field and I am excited to embark on this adventure with your support!
Thanks so much for this opportunity! ~Kristin
I am scheduled to leave on May 10th providing my funds come in by the end of this month of April!
What will I be doing???
While in Paraguay I will have an opportunity to work at an English school for youth of all ages. The students range in age but from the information I have so far it looks like I will be working primarily with students in Jr. High and High school.
I will be teaching English to a number of classes for the time that I am down there. There are both Paraguayan English teachers as well teachers that are native English speakers but they try to get mostly native English teachers to work with older children as to further aid in their education.
The missionaries use this school as a way to get into the community. Many people send their children to learn English and though this development of relationships it allows for the gospel to be spread among these people.
I will also get the opportunity to witness other ministry opportunities in order to gather a better understanding of the field’s vision.
Prayer Requests
Please pray that my funding will come soon and I can fulfill my departure date!
That God will continue to prepare and grow me in both wisdom and knowledge and equip me for what I am about to do.
Grow my faith as this time I am finding it harder to leave the comforts of life as I know it here.
Praise
My budget dropped slightly as I require no Malaria meds (YAH!) while I am there and all but one shot was up to date! PTL!
God honored my request to serve with team support!
How can you tell it is getting CLOSE? The list is growing!
Monthly Inspiration
“The almost impossible thing,...to hand over your whole self—all your wishes and precautions—to Christ...Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self.” C.S Lewis
“It is a safe thing to trust Him to fulfill the desire which he creates.”
Amy Carmichael
(1867-1951), Missionary in India
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