Here's an update on the bedbug situation: I had pretty much gotten used to them, and was able to go to sleep without thinking too much about them most nights, when I saw them crawling all over my bed one night. It totally creeped me out! I got out my camera and took a short video (with you can see on facebook), and I woke up my host mom. I was hesitant to do it, but The last time, after she found out I had slept in the living room after I first discovered them, she told me I should have woken her up. Besides, I was getting the impression that they didn't really believe me, so I felt it was something she needed to see for herself. Anyway, I woke her up, and she saw them and changed the sheets. I tried to tell her that I think they are living under the bed frame and that clean sheets wouldn't solve the problem, but I'm not sure she understood my Spanish because she just changed them anyway. Then she sprayed something under the bed, but when I looked at the bottle I saw it was just air-freshener. She said that we could spray the Buygone (Costa Rican version of Raid) because then I wouldn't be able to sleep from the fumes. Anyway, getting back in that bed and going to sleep after that was no easy feet. I coated myself in Deep Woods Off and sprayed it all on and around the bed. I felt like crying as I laid there, but I just prayed that God would keep them off of me. The next day I sprayed Buygone, and I have only seen once since then. I know there are still some there because I have seen their feces, and I wake up most mornings with new bites. Somehow it's just easier to go to bed when you can't actually see them though. Anyway, my mom has some bedbug spray in the mail to me, so please pray it arrives quickly. Also, Patty Green, from GGBC, said she is going to sent a mattress cover. The mail system here is not always the most reliable or fastest, so please pray I will get both of those soon!
Another possible solution I'm considering is moving out altogether, and I have found a place to look into. I'm still praying about whether or not this is the right thing to do, however. Part of me doesn't want to go because, other than the bedbugs, I really like it here. I really don't want to hurt their feelings, and I don't want moving out to send the message that I am not appreciative for all that they’ve done. Please pray that God will guide me in the best way to handle this situation.
On a more positive note, one great thing that happened recently was that I got to have dinner with my cousin, Nate. I hadn’t seen him since December of 2006, so it was great to spend some quality time sitting down and really talking with him. We share a call to missions, and it was so refreshing to be able to talk about our love for God and desire to follow him together. I’m so grateful for the chance to spend time with family like that!
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| Nate and I at dinner |
School is going pretty well, and I feel like I’m staring to develop a routine and get the kids settled into it as well. The workload continues to be a challenge, as I am teaching 35 classes per week, an average of 7 per day. They changed the schedule again, so I am now on the third schedule so far this year. I now have three days a week (instead of two in the previous schedule) that I have zero preparation time. Overall, I have 225 minutes per week to plan, grade, and prepare for 35 classes of 120 students. I have not only never had a work load this demand, but in my 4 years teaching in The States, I had never heard of one.
I have struggled some with what my role is a Christian to respond to this amount of work. On the one hand, I know that I was called here to serve, so part of me things I should just accept it, and continue to do it to the best of my ability. On the other hand, I am feeling a bit taken advantage of, especially with the average teacher has between 7-10 free periods (compared to my 4). I know of one teacher, who is also in his first year with the school, who has 17 free periods, yet we are all making the same. I know that what I am doing here is ministry, and that it isn’t just a job, so I am trying to keep that perspective in mind.
I did decide to talk to the dean about it one morning as he was driving me to school. I’ve developed a pretty close relationship with him, as I am living with his in-laws; he and his family spend quite a bit of time over here. He said that as far as taking classes off my plate, there wasn’t much he could do because there aren’t enough teachers qualified to teach English. He said that he thought he was going to be getting a volunteer teacher for a couple of weeks, and that he would assign her to me. The next day she arrived, and he brought her to my classroom. That was on Friday, and she did a really good job helping me out! I think having her around is going to be very helpful! She has moved her from South Dakota, where she was an English teacher, and is looking for a teaching job here in CR. I am not sure if she is a Christian or not, so pray that I will have the opportunity to talk to her more about that.
This weekend was pretty low-key, which was nice for a change. I got my room cleaned yesterday, and finally unpacked the last thing from my suitcases. Only took me a month, LOL! Today I met, Heather, (seen at with me at camp in the photo below) and we caught two buses to her church in Escazu, a fairly large city south of San Jose.
The church was called, International Baptist Church, and all it’s services are in English! I didn’t get to be there for the whole service because the buses took longer than we anticipate and we didn’t get there until the sermon was half over, but from what I saw, I really liked it! Afterwards we went out to eat with some of Heather’s young adult friends at a place called Hooligans, and I actually got to eat buffalo wings (my FAVORITE!) and watch American football (Colts vs. Houston)!! Then Heather and I went for coffee with one of the guys form the group and had some very intellectually stimulating conversation about God, Christian living, politics, and even aliens! I could really see myself getting plugged into a church like this. I immediately felt right at home and apart of the group. I wish it wasn’t such a long trek, but I may just make it my church home anyway. I noticed that three of my students were there (siblings) who live in Tibas also. Maybe I cold see if I could get a ride with them.
Well, I still have to finish my lesson plans for the week, so I better wrap this up. I love and miss you all! Thanks for taking the time to read, and thank you for your prayers!
Prayer Requests Summary:
- Bedbug dilema. Pray for God to show me what to do about this. If I am to move out, pray that I would be able to do so without hurting anyone's feelings.
- God's guidence in finding a church
- That I would be able do a good job despite the heavy workload
- Devine appointments with my students
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