Hot Showers

Hello All,
I have been living the life of luxury for the past two days--having had my first hot shower since Mexico on Tuesday. It was wonderful especially since I´ve been freezing cold the past couple nights. I bundle up every night now with two pairs of socks (one of which is soccer socks), a long- sleeved shirt, a jacket, a hooded sweatshirt, and sweatpants. This is topped off by two fleece blankets.

Meanwhile, it is definitely the rainy season here. I need to hand wash some laundry in the pila, but without a dryer, there is always the chance that those clothes will never actually dry. It doesn´t really matter if and when they do because I feel like most everything is perpetually damp and smells like it as well no matter how long it sits in any amount of sunlight.

We have experienced some changes in volunteers. Ahn left us this past weekend, and I miss her honest spirit and her jovial, carefree attitude. But we have a new addition to our Esperanza household--an older Cuban-American woman named Maricruz. She is very nice and is a dear friend of the family, having worked at the INFA center before. She apparently runs it all with an iron fist. Today, Tina told the rest of us volunteers with astonishment that Maricruz has very strict rules that the girls and boys (they´re newborns to ages 6 or so) are not allowed to play together. Furthermore, the girls are only allowed to play with dolls, and the boys are only allowed to play with trucks. Needlessly to say, for us 20-somethings, this was a little odd.

Teaching has gone very well for the past two days. Currently, first grade presents the greatest challenge as they have tiny attention spans, and it is difficult to teach children who can´t read their native language. I have loved working with the fourth and sixth grades though. Sixth grade is where I feel the most comfortable. The students in those two grades know my name, and the sixth grade have started lovingly calling me ´´Sarai´´ instead of ´´Sarah.´´ We are still covering the alphabet and the sounds of letters with the older grades and second grade while we have started the colors with the first grade. I greatly enjoy teaching and how I have to think on my feet sometimes, but at the end of the first class period on Monday, I was already losing my voice. So, please keep the endurance of my throat in your prayers.

I was thinking today of how thankful I am just to have something to do. As much as I appreciated the time of rest in Mexico (and still the rest that I get here as well), it is nice to have a job, a purpose, and something meaningful to fill the time. Being a person who is constantly busy, I do enjoy the opportunity to be learning how to be a better teacher even as I´m teaching my students. My heart is filled with warmth when I can see a light bulb moment for even one of my students.

Today, something very interesting happened. While we were at the school, a mission team from Arkansas came by. Apparently, they have done work at that school before and are working with some missionaries near Esperanza named Herb and Joan Prince. Alvin had told me that he knew some missionaries near Esperanza, but I don´t know if it is this couple or not. Anyway, as I was talking to one of the leaders, I mentioned Alvin, and he knew him! He said he met Alvin last year or so. What a small world, first of all, and furthermore, what a blessing it was for me to share something so close to my heart--Manos Extendidas and Alvin Anderson who is like my second father--with a complete stranger. The ties within God´s children never cease to amaze me. This occurrence made me think once again of that idea of multiplication and how obedience to God allows Him to move and make connections that never would have been possible otherwise.

I absolutely cannot wait for this coming weekend. I am traveling by bus once again back home to Tegus. I will get to see Alvin towards the end of the weekend, and I am thrilled about this. I have missed Papi Alvin so much! I am also excited because Roy said that on Saturday, he is going to take Tia Sara, the girls, and me to Julio and Bessy´s house to clean and paint and freshen up the place. (Julio is the man in the wheelchair that Roy helps everyday by lifting him out of bed, bathing him, and running errands for him and his wife.) I am so excited to do this! This is bound to be a memorable weekend, so while I´m enjoying the week immensely, I am filled with joyous anticipation for what is in store in just a few days.

With love,
Sarah