September 2025: The First Paragraph

 Settling In

    Hola a tod@s! It's so good to be able to share my new life with you from so far away. I know this is a bit different from what you may have expected...turns out my old site got lost (as in, permanently deleted)!! Yes, it's frustrating to no end, but you know what?? That's a good thing. Let me explain. 

    I believe that if we are completing God's will, the Enemy will come back and attack us for trying to do it. After all, Jesus Himself told us, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." That my transition has been a bit rocky--since arriving, I've had my debit card captured by an ATM, been saddled with increasing responsibilities on the job, and had trouble getting my donations transferred to me. (That last problem's been solved--if you would like to support me, click on the link at the bottom of this post!) And now, the old site I worked so hard to build over the summer does not work. Yet still, I thank God for it all, because it lets me know that I am here by His will, building His kingdom. 

    If this were not God's plan--if Satan were truly setting me up for failure--everything would be going well. This "luck" would not be an accident--not by a long shot. Instead, it would mean that the Devil is allowing me to become comfortable and complacent so that he can sabotage me. That way, God's will would be thwarted, His good work left unfinished, and eventually, my life would probably look worse than I could imagine. 

    Even with all this stress and the nature of transitions, I am not only sure of God's will for me, but supported by the incredible community here. And, if you've read this far, I guess you'd like to know more about what I'm doing in Guatemala and how I ended up here. 

 

The Job 

    So for those of you who maybe still haven't heard, I live in Guatemala, in a suburb of the capital called San Cristóbal, where I teach at Christian Academy of Guatemala. This year, my classes include Middle School Beginners' Spanish, 8th grade English/Language Arts, and 11th grade U.S. History. I am also a Homeroom Advisor/Study Hall Teacher for the 10th grade class, as well as an English as a Second Language tutor. Oh, and we're going through an accreditation review this year, so I get to sit on some committees and create and review paperwork for that, too!!

    I wasn't sure I always wanted to be a teacher. I watched my parents do it for years--the low pay, the opprobrium of misinformed parents, the students who had all the intrinsic motivation of a coffee table--and, while I knew they got a lot of fulfillment out of this type of work, I had my sights elsewhere. Yet, as I began looking for jobs this spring, God placed on my heart the idea of forming the next generation. I guess I'll have to write about my formative experiences with children/teens in another post, but once He got me thinking, I just started feeling like it was right. 

    Even if teaching is not my long-term calling, the events I talked about in the first section have convinced me that this is where I can make the most impact for the Kingdom right now. In the midst of crossing this threshold, I have been surrounded by an incredible team of coworkers and supervisors who has been nothing short of life-giving. Getting to know them more and more has been a real highlight of this team, and I can hardly wait to see where the Lord our God takes me next!

Praises  

• God has given me incredible students so far who really challenge me to be at my best! I won't be sharing real names here, and photos will be few and far between (many families do not agree to have their children appear publicly), but once in a while I will ask you to pray for them. They are the reason I get up and do what I do, and they have given me so much grace as I enter this next chapter
• I've finally found a church home! That was another difficult part of the move, but after weeks of searching, I've found where God is speaking to me! More details will be shared in another post.

Prayers

• Pray for my ESL student, Simon (a pseudonym). Simon is a Korean elementary schooler who just moved to Guatemala and is having to learn both English and Spanish. Pray for focus and motivation for him, that he understands my words more and more, and that he remembers that, no matter how many languages he speaks, God will always understand him and look after him.  
• Pray for donations to come and that they will be used well.
• Pray for the Guatemalan population as they increasingly hear competing versions of the Gospel, especially from Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses. Ask the Holy Spirit to move and point the people toward the true nature of the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Support

If you have already given, thank you so much!! I will be reaching out to you shortly to thank you more specifically. 

If you have not given, it would be vastly appreciated. At the time of writing, I am about $200 short of my goal. By giving to me, you aren't just helping me take care of myself. You're allowing me to give generously to the Church here in Guatemala and the many wonderful people who help make it a reality. All donations are tax-deductible and can be made to my partner organization, Light for the Future, at this link. 

Any amount you can give helps immensely. God can do more with your little than you could do with a lot. I can never begin to thank you enough for your support, and I cannot wait to update you again next month with more news of how God is using your money!