My Students

Well, some of them.  These are two of my basic 9 students.  I've had them for about four months and they have improved so much!  It's really exciting to see them understanding more and more each month we go.  Now if only I could remind myself to speak a little more slowly.

Hard and work... because I told them to pretend to work on their work books...

They'd kill me if they knew I put this one up...

The one in blue is Roseangel (she and her husband are expecting their second child!  Yay!) and the one on the left is Susana.  Keep them in your prayers.

Blog Tag!

So, I was just tagged by my friend Mari.  Thought it might be fun to play along!

The Rules::*Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.  *Share seven facts about yourself on your blog.*  Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.  *Let them know they are

 being tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Fact 1: I am currently working as a missionary in Trujillo, Peru teaching English to Peruvians. 

 I miss my family bunches but am enjoying the opportunity to serve here.

Fact 2: One of my favorite things in the world to do is write.  I have currently written about four and a half novels (not very good ones I can assure you) and I am currently trying to finish the half and praying for inspiration for a novel that will, in fact, alter the universe.

Fact 3:  I'm a little obsessed with working out.  I love the way I feel afterwards and it's an incredible stress buster.  Currently my vice is jump roping as it is a little easier on the knees and safer to do in Trujillo as I can do it in the comfort of my own house while I watch a movie or listen to music.  

Fact 4:  I play guitar... kind of.  I also had the best teacher ever, who will be tagged once I'm done putting up ridiculous facts about myself.

Fact 5:  This is making me feel rather narcissistic... does that count as a fact?

Fact 6:  Some of my favorite movies are the Pixar Movies.  Not only are they clean, but they are incredibly clever not to mention adorable.  My father and I bond over movies and one of our favorites to watch together is The Incredibles.  It surprisingly has a lot of good insights into life.

Fact 7:  My dream job would be being a stay at home mother who writes world changing novels on the side... of course God likes to have His own plans which in the end are normally way better than what I planned so we'll see what happens in the future.

Tagging:

 Kiki: My amazing former girls youth director and current awesome mom/writer.

Kelly:  My other amazing, awesome former girls youth director, currently and awesome mom.

Hamilton: Awesome roomie here in Peru.

Jessica:  Awesome friend from high school.

Julie:  Yet another amazing room mate in Peru

Gillian: A very cool lady living with me in Peru, answering my many questions

The Krajca Family:  A second family to me while I was living in College Station

Prayers For SALI

So, for those of you keeping up, I've just finished my fourth month at SALI.  Things went well this past month, my students have improved a lot which is awesome, but they need work on grammar (as do I =P).  Yesterday (the last day of class for the month) I went out with my Basic 8 class for Cebiche, it was fabulous and though we spoke Spanish pretty much the entire time the little English they did speak was so much improved!  I have two of the same classes next month and a new class.  It's going to be a little crazy teaching three grammar classes but I've already taught one of the courses so it shouldn't be too bad.  Just a TON of grading.

Now, prayers for this month:

• SALI has to move.  The details are sketchy and confusing but the bottom line is we have to move before January.  We had thought about closing SALI for December as it would be very busy trying to move and teach but we would not be able to pay our bills if we closed to that idea got panned.  The big problem right now is finding a place.  As of now I don't think we have anything.
• The girls have to move.  Despite our contract with the man who is in charge of our apartment the guys who owns the building wants to move into our specific apartment by January and in the spirit of avoiding unnecessary confrontation it was decided that we should leave.  I'm not going to lie, I'm not real excited as I have moved about 7 times in the last six months, so the prayer is that I will be thankful that God is the one in control and that this is somehow the best.  So pray for sanity with all this moving and that our students won't suffer.
• That despite all the craziness please pray that God will show His love and patience through me and that I will have a thankful spirit rather than a complaining one.  

Thanks so much to everyone who has been praying for me and keeping up with my blog.  I hope to see as many of you as possible when I come home for Christmas!  God bless!

Time for a Random Post

Every morning I make oatmeal for breakfast with a little peanut butter.  It's tasty, pretty healthy, and it keeps me full until my midmorning snack.  However, this morning when I was making it things did not go so well.  Yesterday one of our friends from church came over to make ceviche and some other fish dish (I could never figure out the name).  Ceviche is fish that has been prepared with lemon and aji (not a clue if I spelled that one right) which is a spice they use here.  The acid in the lemon makes it safe to eat without cooking (I realize that I may have people correcting me on this and corrections are appreciated =P).  The other dish was incredibly spicy and sooo good.  Unfortunately, they used the little pot that I use for my oatmeal.  I smell the spiciness this morning and had second thoughts about using it, but then decided to try.  Mistake.  My oatmeal was spicy and disgusting.  I felt pretty silly.  Needless to say, tomorrow I will be using another pot!

Christmas Comes Early in Peru

So because Peruvians do not celebrate Thanksgiving (obviously) the super early Christmas celebrating comes even earlier than it does in the states.  Though I know many people in Texas who will put up lights the day after Thanksgiving, our cleaning lady and secretary are already putting up a Christmas tree.  No joke.  But that's alright with me.  Christmas is my favorite time of year, family getting together, friends reuniting, giving presents, good food, and most importantly celebrating the birth of Christ.  So here are a few pictures to enjoy though it is a bit early:

"Watch out!  Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."  Luke 12:15

Today, I left my back pack in the trunk of a taxi.  Not only was my credit card in it, but also my driver's license, keys, journal, and bible.  The card, easily canceled, the driver's license, easily replaced along with my keys, but the things I wrote in my bible and journal are a little harder to let go.  Hopefully, those lessons are still in my heart and the writing still in my head.  But I have so much to be thankful for!  Most of the time I leave my passport in that bag.  Thankfully, we are taking care of my visa at the moment so the missionaries have that.  Thankfully, the only money I lost was sixty soles and a missionary family let me use their Vonage phone to call my credit card company and cancel it.  Thankfully, they understand that a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions and they loaned me a little money.  Thankfully, though I now can't get into my cabinet at SALI, my students have a listening exam this week... MOVIE DAY!  

I have been very upset all day.  I won't lie and say that I've taken this as well as I should have, but I've been shown so much support and generosity and I know God will help me through it.  However, your prayers are greatly appreciated.  Pray that I'll have peace, pray that my new credit card will get to me soon, and pray that I won't be in anyway bitter about losing my stuff.  Because in reality, it isn't my stuff at all, it belongs to God.

A Word From a Pretty Smart Guy

  "Would you think I was joking if I said that you can put a clock back, and that if the clock is wrong it is often a very sensible thing to do?  But I would rather get away from the whole idea of clocks.  We all want progress.  But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be.  And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer.  If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest it the most progressive man."  C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity.

I felt this quote appropriate, especially with all this talk of change and progress, and though I don't have too much to say about it, I hope that whatever the change may be that Christians would simply pray one thing "Lord, you will, not mine, be done."

Blog Change

Well, unless you're blind you noticed the change.  Why you ask?  I was bored with the old lay out and this one is much brighter and prettier.  Enjoy =D

Bye Caleb!

Last Saturday we went to Moche.  I enjoyed duck for the first time and must say I liked it very much.  It was a beautiful, sunny day and there was dancing and as always lots of food.  That night we went to the bus station to bid our fearless leader, Caleb Sutton, farewell.  We'll miss his bad jokes, amazing grasp of the Spanish language, leadership, and daily hugs (enforced by Hamilton, Sarah, and myself).  Bye Ca-leb!  You'll be always in our prayers!

Where's Your Trust

"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God."  Psalm 20:7

Though I am not particularly happy about the winner of the 2008 Presidential Election, I am at peace.  Despite the fact that I believe Obama will do terrible things, I do not trust in presidents or kings, I trust in the Lord of all creation, the Holy One who came down to us, walked in our skin, and took on our punishment to satisfy God's holy and just wrath.  I trust in my savior, because He is all powerful, all knowing, holy, and perfect.  Unlike either presidential candidate He is perfectly good and works all things for good.  

So though I will be praying for the new president, I will not be putting my trust in him, I'll be putting my trust in my eternal King.