Creepy Crawlers and Candlelight

(August 13)

So in case you were wondering, jungle life doesn’t come without its charms.

Today I saw the biggest ant that has ever existed taking a brisk walk in our classroom. I must admit I put an end to its little adventure by the wonderful use of my student’s shoe. And a whole lot of freaking out as I thought it just might eat me. Yeah. It was that big. (Not really. Don’t go calling Guiness.)

The other day a spider was just chillin in my towel. Which of course I wonderfully discovered after I used my towel.

I’m also pretty sure a frog landed on my arm while I was in the bathroom. But that little bugger was so fast I’m still not sure what it was. But gracious. Knowing the creatures I’ve seen around here, I sure hope it was a frog.

Last night Dani and I were almost asleep when low and behold we saw a cockroach the size of a mammoth hanging out on our wall. Literally inches from where we were lying. Which of course resulted in a whole lot of selfies with this creepy species that was practically the size of my face and thankful thoughts toward the inventor of mosquito nets. (If you read into that enough let me just clarify and say my face is not the size of a mammoth. Cheers to a whole lot of exaggeration.)

Oh and also I guess I should mention that the other day we woke up to a snake in our room. Yeah. Super cute.  So basically I stood there with my flashlight shining on this snake that had conveniently found a resting place right behind my backpack while Belsa went and got Marcus from the Frijole’s house (I guess I should mention that these houses are all named after vegetables and fruits and beans.). So in walks this little boy with a machete in his hand, all geared up to save my life. He snuck over to my backpack and slowly moved it. And then I just had the normal reaction anyone would have when you know where the snake is and then suddenly you don’t know where the snake is.

I freaked out.

So then we spent a few minutes casually searching our room for what could very well be a venomous snake hiding who knows where. It was to no avail so we searched outside which was also to no avail. So yeah, pretty much we lost the snake.

Marcus decided to look in our room one more time. And hey, guess what? Snakes have this super cray ability to stick to walls and stuff because it was just having a hay day right behind my rain jacket that was hanging on a nail.

So then there was a whole lot of machetes and snake blood and oh my word what is my life.

But hey, snake’s gone.  I’m alive. It’s all good.

This week has been a whole lot of a whole lot. Teaching from 8-12 every day in a language I do not speak has proven to be frustrating, exhausting, and rewarding all at the same time. I love when the students all gather around to listen to Candace and I as we read them a story in Spanish. To be honest I have no idea what we are reading or whether or not we are pronouncing a single word right, but they seem to like it a whole lot so hey, it’ll do.

But then there are moments like the one today. Candace and I were giving the students their first official test and it was over five spelling words.  I told all the kids to put their notebooks inside of their desks. They adamantly refused. I would tell them to put it in in their desks and they would just stare at me like I was insane. After enough persistence with one kid it would finally get in his or her desk, but then low and behold fifteen seconds later it would be back out again.  I kid you not, I stood there for five minutes trying to get nine little notebooks inside of the desks.

It was one of those moments when you want to run around in circles and pull all your hair out and scream super loud from the top of a mountain. Dramatic I know.

After he had had enough (and let me tell you, I had to), little Lui Miguel looked up at me with intense determination, said what I had been repeating over and over again, and deliberately set his notebook on his desk. Then he said another phrase that happens to be completely unlike anything I have ever said in my life and put his notebook inside of his desk. Oh so hey it turns out the phrase I was using to command the kids to put their notebooks inside their desks literally means, “Hey kids put your notebooks on top of your desks.” 

So then there was a whole lot of OH MY WORD I AM SO SORRY and little kids looking at me like who are you and what have you done with your brain.

And I was all like hi I’m Darian and I don’t speak Spanish. Hide me.

In other news I used a weed whacker yesterday so that’s pretty cool. I got to wear this super stylish yellow poncho thing and these fab glasses to protect me from flying grass and stuff. Also I had the wonderful audience of a bunch of older boys who know what they are doing when they use a weed whacker watching me who happens to have no idea what I am doing when I use a weed whacker.

But the grass is lower now so I think I did something right.

Today little Rodrigo saw a picture in my room of my little brother and I. He pointed to it and asked if it was a picture of me with my son.

…………

My reaction turned into about thirty minutes of Rodrigo chasing me and declaring to me that I have a million and a half children and then pointing to every picture he could possibly find in my room and declaring that all of them were my kids. Moments of laughing children and giant smiles with missing teeth and tickle fights fill me with so much joy I just can’t explain it.

Last night during study hall I was on duty, so I had to walk around and make sure the kids were studying. Not even half way through there was a magnificent rainstorm which caused the electricity and water to shut off. That’s the norm around here. So we headed home early and Dani and I tucked our little boys into bed.

And then we sang to them. In English. By candlelight.

It was as wonderful as it sounds.

We started this a while ago. We sang one song in English to the boys and it resulted in a whole lot of more teacher more and Dani and I realizing how much we miss singing in English. So now? It’s a nightly tradition.

After trying to speak and understand Spanish all day, singing words that are so meaningful and familiar is absolutely wonderful and I love it.

And so I went to bed with a full heart and these words ringing in my ears:

I believe You’re my healer. I believe You are all I need.

In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.

You have called me higher, You have called me deeper, and I’ll go where You lead me Lord.

Far be it from me to not believe even when my eyes can’t see. And this mountain that’s in front of me will be thrown into the midst of the sea.

Through it all, through it all my eyes are on You. Through it all through it all, it is well. Through it all, through it all my eyes are on You.

It is well with me.