I have been back in Belize for about a month and it has been great so far. I wanted to thank you all for your financial support and your prayers (keep the prayers coming!) This year I am teaching 3rd and 4th formers, which are like the juniors and seniors. I have many of the same students that I taught last year, which is so awesome to have them again. It is sad though because some students have stopped attending, have failed out, or had to transfer to another school so there are many kids whom I miss.
A few differences this year: There is a new group of volunteer teachers, this year I teach co-ed classes so I have to learn all the girl’s names and how girls do things (for instance I now have journals with hearts and flowers and stickers), and I teach Old Testament to 3rd Form and Christian Marriage/Sexuality/Theology of the Body to 4th Formers whereas last year I mainly taught New Testament.
It was a rough anticipation for transition for teaching. I feared that I would forget how to do it and I stressed about planning. But as soon as I stepped into the classroom I realized that I did know what I was doing and that I do not need to worry as much as I did because God has equipped me for this work and He is the one who ultimately will do His work through me regardless, as long as I give my yes. So that is nice and peaceful to know that He’s got it under control.
So far my main adventures have been running with some of the students on weeknights around Benque, going fishing with a few students in Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala (fishing means getting a stick, getting rope with a hook, getting a shovel and digging in the ground for worms, and then throwing the line into the water) riding on the back of a motorcycle with a student,
going camping with a group of kids who are planning on going to World Youth Day with the parish (it was a blast to see how goofy they can sometimes be when they’re away from all the distractions).
The Knights (the guys group) has been getting slowly started up again. I think it will pick up soon though – this year I’m trying to include my students from Guatemala more by going there every other weekend for Mass. The guys in the group said that they wanted to say a whole Rosary instead of just a decade, they said they wanted more retreats, and to do more community service like buy presents for Christmas for kids in need. Needless to say, I am proud of my boys. I’m really hoping that more of my students will join.
Keep the prayers coming! They are very needed!
Dave
