I canNOT believe that it is already Wednesday!

I didn't think it would take very long for us to become totally integrated in the Highland school and community and that has turned out to be 100% correct!

Along with Vaughn teaching all 4 High School Bible classes every day and being in charge of the weekly High School chapel, he has now taken on a month of teaching a class in Geometry while our Director's wife has returned to the states to take care of some medical issues.  He has also started planning the November Spiritual Emphasis week to be held in November and he is on the Community connection committee between the school and each home (which is overseeing each of the groups hosting some sort of activity to help encourage parents getting more involved and feeling more welcome on campus).

I am working with some 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th grade students who need help in learning English as a 2nd language and some Special education needs.  I am in the library for the rest of each of my days - usually.  I have also already substituted for a Middle school teacher and for a partial day for the 1st grade teacher.  Currently I am observing the 3rd grade class as I will be substituting for her next week as she will be away from the school for family issues.  I am also on the "Safe, Orderly, Caring and Spiritually Nurturing Environment" committee.  I have been asked to participate in planning, organizing and pulling off the school-wide Christmas program and today the Director asked me to consider joining the Member Care committee this year and heading it up next year.

Vaughn has a group in one of his Bible classes who are trying their best to disrupt the planned conversations and ask random, unrelated questions.  I have one boy who I feel sure God is wooing.  I told him this and that I would be praying for him and so would Mr. Van Liew and when he made the decision to surrender his life to the Lord, I would appreciate it if he would tell us!  He was a bit taken back, but there are just times when you are able to see the obvious struggle that is taking place in a person's life between Christ and the world and I see it in Andre.  I told him that I would not be one bit surprised if he ended up being a Pastor.  One of the other students who happened to be in the class at the time shared that his father was a Pastor and that when he was young, he was REALLY bad to which this brought great howls of laughter from the class.

So, if you would please remember Andre and his coming to the Lord, I would be so appreciative, along with the class in which Vaughn spends too much time redirecting their attention is the 9th grade/Freshman class.

Also, please pray for our staff retreat this Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.  It is a time of renewal and bonding.  I am a bit apprehensive about the planned activity for Friday, however.  We are all going to play paintball.  For those of you not familiar with this barbaric "game," let me enlighten you - " Paintball is a game or a sport where players are armed with paintball guns, split up onto different teams and they work together by shooting the players on the other team to win the game. Games are not only won by eliminating other players, many scenarios can be played including flag games."   MY definition is quite different from that one that I found online!  A bunch of crazy people all go to an area where they pay to put on a vest and are given guns that shoot hard paint-filled pellets with which you are supposed to shoot at the opposing team.  Many bruises are caused by this "FUN" of which are shown proudly as if they were medals. (LOL) 

                                                       

 I think that a Grandma ought to get some extra hiding places or extra paintball pellets or extra padding!  Maybe I will just wear my black trenchcoat and let 'em hit me all they want!

More updates to come!

Kathy

Something old and something new; you figure out which!

OR WILL it take a miracle, yes more than I ("little i" in need of the great ONE) can imagine----they asked  me to cover Geometry for a few weeks - you know old dog and new tricks! Pray for Tammie; she is in the states to check the relationship of her current eye focus issues and her ongoing Lupus. The contortionist training is much needed. I missed Sunday, Montezuma found me, but felt full on today, even got to do my first Chapel.

This past week in review (October 10th - 16th, 2011)

Hello everyone!  We sure had a full week with quite a number of first for us!  To begin with, we attended a birthday party for a one year old - DOG!  We probably wouldn't have chosen to attend, except that we were especially invited to go downstairs for it!  LOL

Another interesting firsts that we experienced was attending a Bible study with a group from our church that was entirely in Spanish.  We think it was about marriage!  :-)

Our hosts took us to their club yesterday as a treat.  It has everything you ca imagine; horse-contests, football (soccer), racquetball, a gym, tennis and an indoor swimming pool.  I had not brought a swimming suit with us this time because Vaughn and I had discussed that there was no way that we would be able to afford a pool membership at this time.  So, our hostess and I had to go shopping for a suit for me,  How I longed for a WalMart or a Penneys or a Sears, etc.  They do not have department stores here; they are all boutiques and with that word comes HIGH PRICES.  The first shop we went into had a suit that was my size and was very nice....7700 Bolivianos which translates to over $100 US.  THAT was not an option!  We did manage to find a suit that wasn't going to keep us from eating for the next month and off we went to the club, where we all had a wonderful time and I got to do my water aerobics, which I have greatly missed since we left our house in Athens,   (Water exercises are ideal for me with my history of back problems and surgeries).

THEN, our church had to move their services from our usual Sunday morning to Saturday evening BECAUSE there were elections of judges held today (Sunday!) and there were no cars allowed to be driven today!

Also, we celebrated the Lord's Supper together last night with our church family...nothing out of the ordinary about that usually...the bread was passed, the blessing was said and we partook. Then cups were passed, the blessing was said and SURPRISE!!!!  It was wine and not the usual grape juice we have always had in every church of which we have been members!  I think my eyes were as big as saucers when I looked over at Vaughn!  For a guy who took a temperance vow in Junior High and had never broken that vow, it was quite a surprise, too!  I do, however, believe that God will not hold that against him!

We are SO very thankful for 3 new families/individuals who have joined our support team this week!!!!

So, a week of many new things (probably more than I have listed here, too.).   We are thoroughly enjoying the beauty and diversity of La Paz.  We have already made some great friends, of which our host family rates the highest.  The atmosphere at the school is very loving and we are so very thankful to be a part of it.

Until next time, "Que Dios manda bendiciones sobre usted como usted vive a glorificarlo en todo lo que hacéis!"  (May God shower blessings on you as you live to glorify Him in all you do!).

Thank you for partnering with us!
Vaughn & Kathy

  We will leave you with a few more pictures that we took on some of our recent outings.

 This last picture is of the highest shooting range in the world.

And the day continues in the life of a gringo La Pazian

Fellow teachers gather and no one has signed up for devotions, opportunity knocks and one opens the Word from personal devotionals and hearing of the Word and shares.  

Students to smile at and greet even if it is without names still(working on it). Classes to teach, the director is home with a sick child. On the fly, but pulling out both information and teaching strategies as God brings them back to the frontal lobe. God is faithful to use what we have previously implanted. 

A few more visits to el baño. Lunch and dinner bring some more new flavors, but for sure only bottled water (must not gargle with the hot water in the shower again-knock on side of head to impress memory). 

Evenings with host family; to bed a little early, the altitude  and/or different bed seems to make sleep harder to come by. 

The Lord is our strength and always enough for the day.

one young man

Little do we know just how an opportunity may open up, one of my 16 yr olds (pre saved) liked the vest I was wearing and asked if he could be cool and wear it (like really, right?). So we swapped a hoody for a day, and now for a second time we exchanged for the weekend. I am praying this door of relationship widens to allow freedom for the Spirit's conviction and words to match the need.   

Vaughn

A Day in the life of a gringo La Pazian

Day starts a tad before 6 w/ the aid of the dogs we arise, the sun comes over the Andes, the Son having been with us and in us all along. But this time of year is the spring rainy season, here in the Sur (below the equator), so we are almost socked in with clouds down in the city. As the day progresses the light clouds rise to leave the large cumulus clouds moving in the sky above. 

We are graced again by our generous host's service w/ breakfast toast (tostada) or maybe cheese, ham and bread in the sandwich press, good coffee and juice (yes even I am drinking the blended beverage put before me). Walk 2 blocks and to school we arrive for staff devotions.

More of a typical day in the next post---lol---stay tuned!

Vaughn

No laboring in La Paz today - FIESTA time!

This was the sunset today.  It was really pretty showing off "The Devil's Peak.  We met a number of the other teachers and many students and their families today.

Since this next week is the last week of the semester, Vaughn will have the opportunity to observe each of the four High School Bible classes that he will be teaching starting the following week, look into what the chapels have covered so far this year, get acclimated to how things are usually done here and then add his own tweaking to that.  With Chapel every week and ongoing mission trips, service projects around the town, Spiritual Emphasis week, etc.  He will have plenty to dream about and plan for.  He is very excited to be able to be in this position.

My responsibilities are a bit more unstructured, so they may chance from day to day or week to week.

Our first impression of the Bolivian people in La Paz and the school community is very positive.  We are looking forward to meeting more of the students and their families and getting to know our co-workers here,

We will try to update you as often as possible with descriptions and pictures.

For more pictures of today's Spring Festival at H.I.S., please go to our Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/medi/set/?set=a.10150347574213839.371634.708218838&type=1