Dia de Independencia

We are full swing into the school year. Mid-quarter progress reports have been sent out and we're about to start our sixth week of school. It's unbelievable how fast the time goes. I am really enjoying my new third grade class. I feel comfortable teaching at this point and know the school well. But, each class and student is so different that it's almost like starting my job over. It has been great spending the majority of my time, not on lesson plans, but finding engaging and fresh ways to teach. I love that this class is so different, and requires me to really reflect on the habits and methods I was using last year.

Some third graders.

We have some stuffed friends in our reading corner. The kids are cute that they like holding them while they read or write.

With a little more time on my hands, I decided to start a choir for elementary students. They really enjoy singing and worshiping and I wanted to give these kids a chance to do this outside of chapels. I am teaching them songs, then taking the voices off the tracks, and they are learning to step up and sing loud and confidently. I hope these students will get to teach songs to the rest of the elementary students in a chapel about once a month. I was expecting only a handful of kids, but about 25 kids have been coming the last couple weeks. There are students from PreK to fifth grade. Managing them at this point is the greatest challenge, but I am loving it. 

Elementary Choir 2013

We had another exciting earthquake a little more than a week ago, rating at a 6.5. It happened on a Friday night as I was walking to go get dinner. I noticed the ground shaking, heard glass breaking in the building next to me, a car shaking violently in front of me, the telephone poles going crazy. I didn't realize how big it was until I saw power going out, cars stopped, and people crying on the street. A candle broke in my apartment and a few dishes were teetering on the edge of falling off the shelf. There were several after shocks the weekend after and sleeping was difficult with the city dogs barking for a while after the tremors. We haven't heard of any deaths or serious injuries.

As you can see, the epicenter wasn't very far from Quetzaltenango.

Yesterday was Guatemala's Independence Day so we are celebrating with no school today. It has been a crazy and loud weekend--lots of parades, marching bands, crowds, and fireworks. We decided to stay in Xela and have been enjoying some relax time.

Please be praying for energy and patience, as always, in the classroom. Please be praying that students at our school would have a desire to know about God and that He would give teachers the words. Also, that He would give us His love to pour on the students. Thanks for reading and for your prayers. 

Happy Guatemalan Independence Day!