missionaryMAC

OK maybe not yet, but after many an answered prayer for Courtney's and my first day as English teachers in the 2 DRLM Lutheran schools, I owe you a recap.  Both Monday and Wednesday were far less stressful than anticipated. We didn't speak a word of English for the first 45 min. or so; instead, we and the teachers got to know one another (in Spanish) and laid out expectations on both sides. It seems like a waste of valuable teaching time, but trust in Latin cultures is built on relationships and shared experiences, so it was crucial that we invest in caring about our students as individuals.  From there, we moved into an objective assessment, which we intend to repeat down the road to (hopefully!) demonstrate progress. We have our work cut out for us.  Learning two simple conversations, line by line, dominated nearly all remaining class time, but seeing as how we've chosen a secular curriculum, we're making it a point to weave the faith into every session, hoping that t...

Wednesday, September 16 6:00 am Left for the botanical garden.  7:19 am Came home to this sunrise view from my balcony. It's my favorite spot in the house, especially on evenings when there's a breeze.  8:57 am Dryers are few and far between in missionary homes, but my IKEA drying rack serves me well in that I never have to hang my laundry outside in the elements. Been there, done that, washed too many loads twice when they got rained on.  9:00 am (or shortly thereafter) Headed to the office for a morning of collaborative work with Courtney. We're trying to be trendsetters by maintaining regular office hours and encouraging colleagues to stop by during them instead of sending emails and WhatsApp messages. (Side note: I still don't relish the half block walk from home to the office, but my confidence is increasing. Carrying pepper spray and silently reciting Psalm 23:4 helps.) 12:40 pm Headed home for lunch and to give fellow missionary Cindy a refresher on cataloging li...

At almost every missionary presentation I give, someone inevitably asks, "What's a typical day/week like?" The honest answer is that there is no such thing.  But I was determined to go beyond that. I'm almost always busy doing...what? It's difficult to distill the demands of my job plus what I do to unwind into something that sounds articulate, especially on the spot. So, I decided to journal it (and in many cases, photograph or record it) from a Sunday to a Saturday.  In the past when this idea has crossed my mind, something about every week for the foreseeable future was not "typical." When I'm in Peru with a team , or "on" 24/7 hosting Venezuelan pastors or US-based DRLM supporters , my every movement is (happily!) governed by the needs of the individuals I'm responsible to. While these are some of my most fun and fulfilling days, I spend more time in Santiago than away from it, sans visitors. Moreover, I wanted to convey the beauti...

Tuesday (day 189) was my first day of CHE TOT1!  Before I go on, let's back the acronym train up. CHE = Community Health Evangelism* [or Education, in sensitive areas]. Lest you, like me, erroneously think CHE is an organization, get that out of your head right now. It's a strategy, a philosophy. It promotes holistic, sustainable change that empowers communities in varying socioeconomic strata, and it's grounded in the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. As individuals learn to care for themselves, their neighbors, and the world around them, they are pointed to Scripture and the local church.  TOT1 = Training of Trainers 1. TOT1 (pronounced like the first syllable of "totally," not like a small child or a nugget of crispy, potato-y goodness) is the most foundational of a slew of training sessions offered by the Global CHE Network, a worldwide consortium of those that embrace the CHE philosophy. "Graduates" are certified to teach others the CHE philosophy and g...

Evidently, teaching English.  As of the would-be first day of school, I could have counted the total enrollment at both DRLM Lutheran schools on my hands. Much prayerful deliberation led to the decision to postpone the start of the academic year. The intervening months won't be a total loss, though; with the Dominican government paying a portion of the teachers' salaries, they'll spend a modified workday doing professional development. A draft calendar featuring four tracks is in the works: 1. Strategic planning 2. A Lutheran teacher colloquy program 3. Technology training (Zoom, Word, and PowerPoint) 4. English classes I'm not quite on Geek Squad level, but relatively speaking, I'm an expert, so I'm on the hook for (3) along with my partner in crime, Courtney. While we work on sourcing laptops for our prospective students, (4) is looming large.  Teachers that can teach English in the classroom would be an enormous value add as parents weigh the value of a tuit...

Welcome to today's edition of blogging between games of a Cardinals doubleheader.  I've mentioned the seminary library and working in said library often over the past couple months. I'm on a bit of a hiatus for the moment but thought it high time to give you a mental picture of how things have changed since cataloging got underway in earnest in late January/early February and explain exactly what this "cataloging" thing that I can easily spend three or four hours on is .  Several hundred boxes of books arrived in a container in mid-November, the majority of which needed to be "cataloged." Essentially, that means entering the title, author, publisher, series name (if applicable), edition (if applicable), cover image, call number, and other metadata into a searchable, web-based directory . The vast majority of it can be found in or on the book itself; call number is (as a general rule) the exception. A call number is an alphanumeric value assigned to a bo...

Happy September! Today's high was 85, but I have decided that it's the official start of fall in Santiago.  Given that the first signs of Christmas will start popping up in a month or so, can I please just have the next 30 days to celebrate the pumpkin-y, apple-y, cinnamon-y goodness that is my favorite season?  It's not much, but I set out my pumpkin candleholder and ceremoniously lit the pumpkin spice candle I spontaneously bought the other day for the first time.  OK - full disclosure - I only lit the candle for the above picture. I didn't need  to light it, since my house already smelled amazing on account of my contribution to tonight's all-team BBQ: cast iron skillet Pumpkin Pie Crisp . New recipe ;) September also brings another Bible lettering challenge my way. Somehow, it's been FIVE MONTHS since the one I did in April. It wasn't always easy or even enjoyable for me then, but I feel such a sense of accomplishment at having conquered it, and the fin...