August/Agosto

Thank you for everyone's prayers for the start of school!

School started August 9th with two half days, and the next week we had a day off. So this past week was really our first full week of school. As everything is starting to hit full swing, I'm realizing life is very busy (in a good way).

I'm teaching 6th grade Ancient Civilizations, 7th grade Medieval Modern History, 8th grade Geography, 7th grade Earth Science, and serving as the Middle School Coordinator at Crossroads Christian Academy (CCA) in Panama City, Panama. It is a little bit of a whirlwind, jumping in and balancing these different roles, getting used to 45 min periods, transitioning between subjects, and trying to memorize 58 students' names. But with each new morning, I give thanks to God for this incredible opportunity!

I get to work in this amazing, encouraging community of teachers and staff that makes prayer the central and driving force behind everything they do. I get to pour into young lives, whether sharing Scripture each morning with my homeroom class or getting to talk about questions of worldview and what the Bible says in response with my 6th graders. I get to help make positive changes for the school and work alongside a supportive team of parents. 

Not to mention, I get to live in tropical and beautiful Panama!

Here are some other highlights from the month: 

*Meeting the other new teachers: Everyone shares that deep love of traveling and living cross culturally, and I am continually enriched through hearing their perspectives on the world. Plus, they're a super fun bunch!

*CCA staff get-togethers, birthday parties, game nights: The CCA staff is mostly made up of families plus some singles; so there are always young children running around and babies to hold. The families love to host us, and we often share meals. It makes me feel welcomed and part of a family, when my family is a plane ride away. Especially in the apartment where I live with two other single teachers, the rest of the apartments in the building are families with young kids. So there are always imaginative and giggling children playing in the cul-de-sac parking lot outside our window.

*Extra adventures: 

-Joined a women's Bible Study; which takes place in our apartment. Our little living room is PACKED with women every other Tuesday night. It's a good place to get to know people outside the school community.

-Found a work-out group after school on T/Th; it's intense, taught by a former marine. But the other members and I just grin over at each other between sets and give a feeble thumbs up; talk about a bonding experience.

-Many loong grocery store, pricesmart (costco), or mall runs. Right now, I don't have a car, so I'm depending on families to take me everywhere. It gets a little tricky, but I'm extremely grateful for people's generosity and consideration of the stranded single teachers. This also gives me a chance to get my bearings and learn how to navigate my way around.

-Last Wednesday was a holiday, so a bunch of us headed over to the Amador Causeway for dinner. It was a beautiful, cool evening with a clear view of Panama City's skyline. Probably my favorite place in all of Panama City.

Story 1:

Secondary Open House was last week, and it was wonderful to connect with some of the parents. And there was a large turn-out! I also was able to translate my presentation in Spanish, as well as talk with parents in the hallway in Spanish, which I never could have done before my time in language school this year! What an opportunity! I'm definitely still learning the language, but I'm already seeing how knowing Spanish opens doors to build new relationships and a mutual trust. PTL.

Story 2:

Two Fridays ago, Mami (my housemate who is from Japan) and I decided to attend a Talent Show at another school. We were completely blown away! We had seen mobs of these Colegio Javier students practicing late into the night in our parking lot, choreographing dance moves to pulsing music. But when we arrived at the school's outdoor gym, their performance was way more impressive than we ever expected. 

The show was scheduled to start at 7p, but following typical Panamanian time, it actually began at 8:30p. The hour-and-a-half pre-show was LOUD and incredibly entertaining. People were seated in the bleachers, sectioned off by team color (each team representing a different grade level), and wearing corresponding color t-shirts. There were arches of balloons, and it seemed everyone had either: a) boom sticks, b) air horns, c) whistles, d) a band instrument, such as the trumpet, trombone, or drums, or e) all of the above. Parents/families showed their school spirit with ear-splitting fervor. Then, when the show began, each grade level performed a 45 minute drama, complete with lip-synced dialogue,  dramatic movements, and perfectly in-sync choreographed dance moves. Think Bollywood, Panamanian style. Increible! Talking to some parents sitting nearby, we learned that the talent show was a fund-raiser for the school's annual mission trip out to the interior of Panama.

(Mami took some video clips; so I'm hoping to post that soon!)

Please continue to pray as the adventure continues:

-For wisdom as I juggle different responsibilities, make decisions, and learn how to clearly communicate a Biblical worldview in light of what we're learning.

-For the students, again that they would ultimately come to know Christ or continue to deepen their walk with Him, understanding their identity is in the World but not of it.

-For energy and wellness; as usual, I half-lost my voice after the first week of school--not used to so much talking! But also when you're surrounded by students all day and pouring out a lot energy, you're more susceptible to illness.

-For continued opportunities to learn and practice Spanish and patience in that process.

-For continuing to press on, even when there may be tough days ahead.

Gálatas 6:9

No nos cansemos, pues, de hacer el bien; porque a su tiempo cosecharemos, si no nos desanimamos.

Galatians 6:9

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Last Weeks of Summer

I can't believe it's been over a month since I arrived in Panama!

Here's what I've been up to:

• Volunteering in the school office: classroom inventory, matching keys, putting together teacher supply bins, answering telephones, etc. It's been a great way to get to know the school and some of the key people that keep it running.

• Apartment-sitting: The majority of teachers headed to the U.S. for the summer, so I took care of the apartment building and helped prepare for the teachers and families to return.

• Returned to Boquete for a week: I volunteered for a friend's company with some data entry projects; the Spanish practice was incredible. People there speak even differently than those in Panama City. Que interesante! It was also a great time to pray, relax and enjoy some peace and tranquility before school starts. 

• Exploring Panama City: I was blessed to be able to borrow someone's car for the month, which made it much easier to see other parts of the city. Little by little, I ventured further out beyond the typical route from Clayton to the school or to the Rey grocery store, or to the mall (all on one long street paralleling the canal locks). I've gotten to know the Young Professionals Group (YAP) from church, and they have helped introduce me to new places, like where to rent bikes on the Amador Causeway and a Christian bookstore in the mall. Some people in the church have hosted me for dinner, so already I've felt warmly welcomed into an amazing community.

Recently, families that teach at the school have returned, and, now car-less, I've been extremely thankful for their invitations to take part in their daily errands. I've learned where they unlock smart phones (Mall Gran Morrison, in El Dorado) and been introduced to Panama's version of Costco (PriceSmart). I've even had the chance to visit UltraCom (teacher store), Discovery Center (like home depot/walmart), and the Centennial Mall. Now that the families are back, the reality that this is my new community is sinking in and I am incredibly grateful for everyone I've met so far. Ciudad de Panama is starting to feel like home!

Please be praying as Crossroads (CCA) prepares for the quickly approaching school year (Thursday, August 9th)! Pray for wisdom in making policy decisions and planning lessons, and pray for the new and returning teachers that have just arrived in the country (each one an answer to prayer!). Pray especially for our students that they would learn more this year who Christ is and how He has called us to live.

The school's theme this year is: Digging Deeper to Reach Further.

It is based out of:

Luke 10:27  First, we are digging deeper; learning to love the Lord our God with ALL our heart, soul, strength, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

James 3:13 Then, experiencing and demonstrating this love leads us to serve others-anywhere, anyway. Essentially this is proof of God's LOVE, proof we belong to Him.

Philippians 1:27 And finally, bonded together in this love and service, we need to remember living a life worthy of the gospel is not accomplished on our own. We are meant to do God's work TOGETHER. It means ditching our personal rights and desires, putting on the work gloves, and linking arms, knowing it is Christ that cements us to one another and this unity of prayer and mind solidifies the walls so the enemy cannot break through. 

Pray that we, as teachers, can model these verses and take them to heart. Pray that students grow in these areas: "digging deeper" and learning to love God with ALL or "reaching further" by taking this Love and sharing it with the local community and beyond through service together. Pray for peace as many details need to be ironed out before Thursday, and when it's easy to get overwhelmed, that God would provide daily reminders of why we are at CCA in the first place.