Life in the bush...

Welcome to Sorá, the city that is one part mountains, two parts sweeping ocean veiws, equal parts lack of social oppurtunities, internet and other “modern” ammenities (like running water), ten parts bugs, incests and spiders, and six parts completely Panamanian countryside. I have been here for a week, and have learned so much. Let me share.

I started teaching my two week English Camp on Monday. We have two classes: one for children in the morning and one for youth in the afternoon. We are using the stories from Jesus’ life to learn more about the bible, and to serve as “starting points” for English themes. I have the faithful students who come everyday and practice things like “My name is…, Her Name is…. I am from…She is from…” and those who straggle in once every couple of days just to sing. That’s right, you can imagine me, the tonedeaf, leading over ambitious, often pleased with screaming as singing students in a good ole round of Praise Ye the Lord” or “Father Abraham”. Even though I think about the Spanish phrase me salió un gallo (which means literally, a rooster came out of me) when I think about me singing, you can imagine my pleasure last night when I heard kids singing Praise ye the Lord from the other side of town (ego check starts in 1, 2, 3: keep in mind that the other side of town in Sorá is a good 500 feet away, and it sounded more like Frase she da Loor…oh well…we have a week to work on this).

I think the big things I am learning are more cultural. I will never understand the Panamanian culture in it entirity, because every city has its own distinct thing that I will never pick up on. And while this leads to some sort of daily frustration, there are so many blessings that keep me going through each day. Let me expound.

The kids in my classes make it worth it. Although I often have to remind them that I am the teacher and they NEED to listen to me, and remind them that we only need a little drop of glue to glue googly eyes on our crafts, and as trite as it sounds, they make it worth it. And to hear some of the things that the kids live with (multiple step families, lots of poverty, child labor that would even make the Panamanian government cringe, abuse and drunkenness in all parts of the family) make me even that much more impressed with their ability to smile, to come to class and to have fun, and to be able to enjoy their life as a child.

Second, Pastor Matinho (Portuguese, folks…pronounced Mar-teen-yo) has been a blessing! His continual support and openness has provided so much. He leads the congregation here in Sorá with a gentle hand, and has been a big froce in motivating the often timid and shy students. He has also been very good at talking in Spanish (one frustration, as this is my first time with out any other English Speakers around and my firt time of communicating soley in Spanish) and we have both been slowly learning Portuguese and English. Eu tenho que trabalhar muito nos días. (Let see if you Spanish speakers can figure that one out...Even though it’s Portuguese, you can probably figure it out.)

The ability to be taken out of my comfort zone where all my approved methods of teaching don’t serve. When I look at my students, with some of their family situations, they only respond to yelling. This makes things hard for me, trying to get their attention, but refusing to let the church be a place like some of their very trobuled homes. Teachers, you can imagine the frustration when you want the kids to learn so badly, but don’t know how to help them in that fashion. Day after day, I leave frustrated, trying to think of effective ways to discipline the class, keep control of the class, and not feel like they don’t respect me. And while it would be easier to scream, the fact that they wave to me from across the street makes me deal with this frustration in a way that I know would be right.

Okay, well I could go on. I have so many stories. If you want to hear about the bugs (I saw a real live stick bug, a scorpion, and a posinous centipede) well too bad. And I will spare you from the dramatics of Martinho and I saving our house from a raging brush fire, with God’s miraculous providence, of course. And as far as the fact that I could tell you just about anyone’s name is Sorá, I will spare you from that detailled list. Keep praying for the students, that they would learn, not so much “I am” is right and “I is” is not, but that Christ loves them and even though they might not see it much in their homes, they would see his love through the open arms of the church here in Sorá

Oh…and the time to make a decision about staying in Panama is coming up. I have thought about staying, and extending my time until July 2007. Please pray for guidance as I make these decisions.