This past month I have been teaching/tutoring students at SALEA (Salt and Light English Academy). Sometimes this involves asking the students questions for their oral exams and listening to their pronunciation. Sometimes this involves engaging in basic conservations, “How are you?”, “How many brothers and sisters do you have?”, “What is your favorite food?”. Sometimes this involves reading and discussing a story about guns, bullying, or superstitions. Sometimes this involves being guest “judges” for students’ graduations. Sometimes this involves reading and recording stories and dialog from the English books. Sometimes this involves pizza parties disguised as “Kid’s Day” when they are really goodbye parties. The students and teachers at SALEA are amazing and I will miss all of them!
Besides teaching English at SALEA, I also updated Grace English School’s website. I added new pages about the various projects at Grace and uploaded new photos of students. This was a totally new experience; I had never worked on a website till now, but had a blast learning how to edit the website. Thanks Logan for giving me the opportunity to learn a new skill!
There’s one more person who was impacted by our (Rachael, Lizzy, and myself) presence this month, her name is Irma. She is an elderly woman who works at a coffee shop just down the road from SALEA. One night after classes at SALEA Lizzy and I stopped by the coffee shop for some hot chocolate. We ordered our hot chocolate, paid, and were waiting for our change, when Irma realized she didn’t have enough change for us. She tried to get us all our change but was like 3Q short which is less than 50¢. We explained that it was okay, in our broken Spanish and then proceeded to the bus stop to catch a bus and go home. The next day we brought Rachael with us and she immediately feel in love with Irma. We continued to stop by the coffee shop as often as we could even if we just asked Irma how she was doing. We pray that Irma and her family’s coffee shop would be blessed because of the kindness of Irma.
Goodbye Guatemala! This month has been amazing. There have been three themes through out of the month: rest, request, and rejoice. Rest in God’s presence, take time to be filled with the Spirit. Request the big things from God, don’t be afraid to ask. Rejoice in what God is doing, gives thanks for everything.
Rest: to relax, refresh, or recover. God created for 6 days then rested on the 7th. Rest in God’s presence. Spend time getting physical, mentally, and spiritually filled by the Spirit, because we can’t accomplish anything on our own. It is only when we rely on Him, that He will give us rest.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
—Matthew 11:28-30
Some of us have been attending an English speaking church in Antigua. The pastor has been going through the book of Ruth. Ruth 3 talks about how Ruth initiated, she asked, Boaz to redeem her. Ruth had to ask Boaz. We need to ask God to give us good things.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
—Matthew 7:7-11
Rejoice in thanksgiving. The Lord is so good. He is worthy of all our praise. Gives thanks to the Lord for He is good. I am thankful for talking with my parents and sisters. I am thankful for hot showers. I am thankful for all the financial and spiritual support you all have given me. I am thankful for friends. I am thankful for cameras to capture moments. I am thankful for my hosts Alex and Ashley and their wonderful ministry SALEA. I am thankful for vision of SALEA that God has given them. I am thankful for all the students at SALEA. I am so thankful for all the God has given me!
“Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
—Philippians 4:4-7
Chelsea and me blowing bubbles during outreach at the central park in Antigua.
Myself, Ashley, Alex, Lizzy, and Rachael at SALEA.
