i heart my school

I had a visitor in my classroom the other day. His name is Pimiento (Pepper in English). We have a few dogs that live on our school's campus. It's quite humorous that they hang around the playground and the office, and the kids play with them all the time. This one morning before school Pepper came in my classoom and hung out for a while. It's fun to have some furry friends around since I don't have time or space for a pet right now.

Friday was my first parent-teacher conference day, and I survived! Most of them said their children were very happy and loved school. What an answer to my prayers, both to have survived conferences and to find out that my students do actually enjoy my class. I still have to be mean Ms. Letchworth oftentimes as they learn the rules and routine of a full day at school, but what a blessing to know that my little ones enjoy coming to school and learning! I pray that they can continue to learn and grow, to see the love of Jesus in me and the other teachers, and that I can rely on God's strength to teach and love them well the remainder of the year.

P.S. Only 9 weeks until I come home for Christmas break!!! But who's counting? :)

dos adventures in bolivia

I've been quite adventurous the past 2 weekends, if I do say so myself. The weekend before last I braved the infamous Death Road, a mostly dirt road here in Bolivia on which many people have been injured and a few killed. My friend Sarah and I geared up with a local company to try our luck, and, minus the scare when we both got a little too close to the cliff, we had an amazing time! This is pre-road practice...yes, I'm that good that I can close my eyes while riding.

Phew! Talk about an adrenaline rush. We descended from a high elevation into the jungle. That little tiny strip is the road.
After we finished victoriously, we stayed at a lovely wildlife reservation/lodge. There were animals everywhere...not just dogs and cats, but monkeys, macaws, an ocelot, ducks, bunnies, and more monkeys. It was one of the coolest places I've ever visited. Monkeys would jump up on you and "talk" to you. Now I'm not an advocate of evolution, but it was really fascinating to watch how humanlike these guys' actions were. That hairy thing on my lap is a spider monkey.

One of our other teacher friends met up with us and spent the night in our tiki hut-type cottage after we played in the jungle together. It was so peaceful and relaxing, and an incredible reminder of the beauty of God's creation. Fabuloso.
Last weekend I traveled to Copacabana (yes, like the song) with some other teachers and students from my school. We hiked and camped for three days...the longest I've walked in my life!

Even though the hiking was a bit strenuous (think Bolivian mountains at 14,000 feet), it made everything else that much more rewarding. Arriving at our destination was that much more victorious, meals were that much tastier, and sleep and rest were that much more appreciated.

It was great to get to know some of the older students better and to bond over hard work and appreciating the wonders of God's creation...
...including some llamas along the way...
...and some pigs. These animals are proof that God has a sense of humor.
The views were absolutely breath-taking (well, both the scenery and the lack of air at such high altitude).

My favorite part was camping out the second night on the beach of Lake Titicaca.
I'm so grateful for opportunities to travel rather inexpensively and experience life in another culture. I'm beginning to learn the importance of living it to the fullest! I have a much greater appreciation for the Creator and his creation, for rest time away from work, and for shared experiences that allow people to grow closer. Thank you to all of you who've made this bit of traveling possible. What an amazing couple of weekends!