This week.

This week has been a good week so far. It feels long, but good.

This week, I tutored a student.

I have been given the opportunity to tutor a student at a local elementary school. He needs help with his spelling and vocabulary. He is in 5th grade...did you know the words that they are spelling in 5th grade are super hard? I sure didn't. Figuring out ways to help him learn his spelling words is a challenge, but the 30-45 minutes working with him has given me a chance to help him when it seems like no one really wants to. It's also encouraging to see him learn something one week and apply it to a different set of words for the next week.

This week, I taught an English class.

I was asked to help with teaching an intermediate (intermedio) English class for some of my Latino brothers and sisters in the area. Last night was the beginning of this class. And I was nervous. Give me a room full of kids and I'm ready to go. Give me a room full of adults and my palms sweat. Anyhow, we had about 7 people in my class and the other teacher in the basics class had about 4 people in hers. It was a good turn out for the first night and we will be continuing the classes every Tuesday night (including snack time, song time, and Bible study time).

I was super nervous about the whole ordeal. I have never officially taught English. 

I did not know how to begin. I did not know what to expect. I did not know if they would learn anything from one class. I did not know how comfortable they would be around me. I did not know if it was ok for me to correct them. 
I didn't know a lot. 

But, what I found out this week was..........

I could teach. 

As Nate pointed out to me last night, I am the expert in the room when it comes to English. Fact of the matter is, I know a lot of English and they know a little English. 

So, they did ask questions. They did not mind me correcting them. They were comfortable around me. We even LAUGHED a little bit. I was completely amazed at how receptive they were and how eagerly they wanted to learn. 

This week, I am praying.

Please help me in praying for these students and their families, as it is a sacrifice for them to leave home for 2 hours a week to learn English, especially if they have children at home. Please pray for me as I continue to learn how to teach in the weeks to come. Pray for me to be willing and ready to do better, because I know...

 This week, I have learned a lot.

I have learned a lot about the people that I will be working with for the next couple of months. I have learned a lot about how confusing the English language really is. 

This week, I have learned a lot about myself.

Although a lot has already happened this week, I know that this week is not yet over. 

I believe that I have some more learning and praying to do.

(take a listen)

Gratitude goes out to: learning how to be committed to something and sticking with it even when you feel inadequate and uncomfortable. Here's my heart, Lord, take a seal it. Seal it for thy courts above.