Friday night I had the honor of celebrating a staff member's birthday around a campfire, which felt wonderful in the not-quite-spring night air here in La Paz. This is a picture of the birthday dude playing Chubby Bunny. He won with a whopping twelve marshmallows. It was disgusting. Before I was grossed out by the game, however, we made yummy s'mores, looked at the stars, and discussed how Australia is not the appropriate name of the continent. My New Zealand friends corrected me: It is Oceania, or more even more correct, Australasia. Get it right, U.S. school textbooks.
I also hung out with some lovely ladies whose hearts and lives all encourage me so much. Here is my sweet roommate Sarah, who is the other one that is new to teaching, Bolivia, and Spanish like me.
I also hung out with some lovely ladies whose hearts and lives all encourage me so much. Here is my sweet roommate Sarah, who is the other one that is new to teaching, Bolivia, and Spanish like me.
Tomorrow happens to be Sarah's birthday! Unfortunately, especially for her, we don't get the day off (Labor Day is a U.S. holiday, as I had to remind myself) but we are celebrating her at dinner tomorrow night. Happy 21st, Sarah! I hope that you feel loved and appreciated for the awesome person you are! I'm thankful you're in my life!
In other school news, my kids are great. I feel like we're getting to know each other, the daily routine, and what we're supposed to learn in first grade. :o) For the most part they are well-behaved, eager to learn, and very creative. It's exciting to be at Highlands, one of the few Protestant Christian schools in the country, and also exciting that I get to teach the Bible. We really try as a school to integrate the Bible in a practical way into all curriculum so that students have a Christian worldview from the beginning, whether or not they are Christians. Many of them are highly influenced by Catholic churches and schools which are very different from those in the states. Catholicism here is a mix of worshipping Jesus, the saints, and animal spirits, since much of the Catholic theology is intertwined with the paganism of the indigenous people. Thus, many of my six-year-olds are already confused as to who God is and what a relationship with Jesus is all about. I'm honored that I get to be one of the first to teach them about what life in Christ looks like. Here they are making gardens of Eden.
Thank you to everyone for providing things to help the kids learn and make my room look nice! 
I walk out of my classroom to this view all around. Incredible, isn't it?
Don't worry, they're not boys-in-training for the military. This was a school parade of some very talented, young musicians to celebrate Bolivia's Independence Day.
