Terrific Tuesday!

Today has been a beautiful, hot day in the classrooms. Many of us enjoyed being in front of our classes for the first time actually getting an opportunity to teach our students. Of course, we also enjoyed playing games after school; Tiffany, Brody, and I played an intense game of "fútbol" with the students while others played on the basketball court and others on the swing. However, despite the differences each of our days brought, we were all able to bring conversation to the dinner table, work tables while doing homework and lesson planning, and devotional time.

Here's what Taylor had to say about his day:

What a day it has been! After getting over the awkward first day on Friday and a very successful name game yesterday, today was just the beginning of the journey I am embarking on. I personally think it's so cool when the class addresses us as a solo "mister" or "miss" (meaning nothing after mister or miss). So, needless to say, I am all smiles when they say mister to me. Anyway, that was far from the highlight of the day. Today, three of us had a possible life-changing experience with students today. Cassidy and I both got to work with students that have severe disabilities. Side note: they don't have Intervention Specialists (IS) here in Belize, so what we did with them today has been the extent of attention and help they have received in a long time. Both of us worked with students that are 11 or 12 years of age and can't spell - not even sight words like of, the, was, or it. We would ask them a letter like t and they would say w or ask them to spell 'it' and they would just stare at their paper. Since both of us are studying to be an IS someday, it broke our hearts. Cass left crying and my heart just sank to my stomach. We are doing exactly what God has called us to do, and we are both going to be working one-on-one with these students the rest of our time here. In addition, Elizabeth was able to help a girl that speaks almost no English with a story book. The girl knows her sight words and was sounding them out, but couldn't read the whole story. She sat down with her, helped in the process, and the girl finished the story and was able to read a whole book. It's times like these with these three students that we realize why we are here. God calls us to help the least of these. I mean yes we are in a third-world country, but I take that as helping those that can't help themselves. We are going to have a lasting impact on these three individuals, as well as the whole classroom in this process. I really want to say so much more, but words in a blog can't fully describe what we have felt since we have entered this beautiful country of Belize. God's grace, love, provision, and mercy are keeping us going, and we are beyond thankful for that. Well, I need to get back to lesson planning! I teach my first actual lesson tomorrow, so say a prayer for my colleagues and me as we start teaching this week. To God be the Glory, forever and ever. Amen! God Bless!!

Here's what Emily had for devotions this evening:

Every time we sit around our family table (2 large tables we've mushed together to form a huge table with 2 long benches down the side - our very own education meeting spot), my heart is overwhelmed by how blessed I am to be able to sit with true friends - sharing our thoughts, concerns, stories, fears and prayers. Tonight we talked about how God embraces our weaknesses to heighten our strengths. After sharing my classes' scripture lesson from the day (Jesus healing the man with leprosy), I read 2 Corrinthians 12. Paul describes one of the most difficult things for us to grasp and believe about the life of faith: God purposefully blesses us with weaknesses for the sake of our joy and uses our weakness to highlight our strengths. Through sharing my own struggles in my placement over the past 3 days, I proposed the question....Are you content with the weakness you live with? Your limitations, illnesses, disabilities, circumstances, and insecurities.......Most times we seek affirmation from others, but yet we forget it's not our human achievements that show Christ - but rather out human helplessness. Paul was ashamed of his weakness but he let God embrace his weaknesses in order to let God use him. Our father used his "weakness" in tremendous strength and will use weakness in maximum extent. Our family ended the night with sharing our classroom highlights from the day and embracing in fellowship.

Love,

Emily

I think it's more than evident that we have started to leave part of our hearts within different aspects of the culture, people, and experience in Belize. I'm confident that not a single one of us will leave unchanged.