Praise the Lord!

The first week of school has gone really well. I have to admit that I really enjoy teaching speech and New Testament. Although a few of my speech kids have been intimidated, some of them are peeking their way out of their shells. Yesterday in my Jr AP and Sr Reg speech class, we went into the church to work on correct breathing and projection. Although I did have a few roamers, the kids did what I asked. These exercises are so much more fun than learning how to write a paragraph! Next week we'll continue working with the first set of vocabulary words that I gave them (articulation, inflection, monotone, pitch, rate, volume, projection, larynx, diaphragm, vocal variety, etc.) My Sr APs will have their first speech at the end of this next week. They had me for speech last spring and so I expect great things! We've been reviewing this week for them, so they'll have no excuse. You can pray for those Sr APs though because they talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk - and most of the time it has nothing to do with what I'm talking about. My New Testament class has been going really well this first week. We reviewed the first day what they had learned last semester. It wasn't surprising to me who knew what and so forth but I was thankful that any of them learned anything. Now we have begun the epistles and specifically Romans. I LOVE IT! I've actually been doing lecture where they have to fill in the blanks on a note packet that I created. They have been asking so many really good questions! ...Hah, they've been asking so many really weird/hard/not-necessarily-relevant questions too. But it's been so good and - it's the Gospel! Super wonderful. I love it. Please, keep praying for understanding for them of the greatness of God's plan of salvation. They will be getting into the details of Romans next week and I know it will be a challenge. A lot of it is a challenge for me.

Junotte is coming in one week and the kids are super excited. She will be staying with the Chiles so thanks for your prayers. Ana's and Vice's spiritual life classes have been going pretty well considering that it's new and the girls and boys are split up. Keep praying for those classes - that God would do amazing things in the hearts of those seniors and juniors, that they would let their guards down and be transparent with each other, and of course for their teachers. Please, keep praying for those packages that are no where to be found. And the power has been off-and-on more than usual lately, so please pray for consistency. Rain would be helpful too.

I've been reading through the Psalms lately and it's been great. There is so much GREAT theology in there. Psalm 9 has been particularly wonderful...

"I will give thank to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. ...The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. ...Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me, O you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may recount all your praises, that in the gates of the daughter of Zion I may rejoice in your salvation." (1-2, 9-10, & 13-14)

Remember His perfect faithfulness and how He has answered and guided and comforted and been with and loved. Thank you for your prayers that are sent up to Him.