"If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all" - Isaiah

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one. Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For,
“Yet a little while,and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith....But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

-Hebrews 10:32-39

Today was my first day teaching in Luz y Libertad. The minute I sat down to work with my first group (the 3, 4 and 5 year-olds) I was overcome with a sense of hopelessness; a fear that they would not understand anything, and that if all they got out of my two months with them was how to say the words "zero" correctly, then it would be a waste. How does that have any earthly or eternal value? Our hour came quickly to an end and I felt worthless. I could not understand what Bartola was asking me, and since I was the only english speaker in the school I was at a loss. I moved on to the second class of 7 and 8 year olds. There were about 10 of them and they greeted me with a "Buenos Dias" as soon as I walked in. (The small classrooms are all seperated by dividers) They understood and were able to pronouce the numbers much better and I was able to get through to number ten, assign homework, and at their request draw and write flower, car, and house in English. The third class was the 9 and 10 year olds. We had a lot of fun. By this time I was getting the hang of it, felt more comfortable and was excited by the fact that I was teaching by trial and error. There was no one to show me how to teach these kids enlish, and no real lesson plans, so I would just try different things and ideas until one got the point across. After and hour with these guys, I moved on to defenitly the most lively and oldest class, the 11 and 12 year-olds. There are 5 of them attending right now, and one girl who came just to take the english lesson. They were crazy at first but then we warmed up to eachother. We praticed our numbers from 0 to 20 and then how to introduce themselves - "My name is...." They enjoyed that one very much. My goal for this class by the end of my two months is to get them to be able to think of and write one sentence on their own in english. I do not know if this is a simple or difficult goal, because I have never done this kind of work before, but I will find out. At the end of class one of the boys (who was causing the most trouble) asked me when I am leaving, and if once I go back to the stated if I would come back to the school. Of course I told him yes, and I do plan to come back. Whenever I can.

It is amazing the weight that can fall on people when you are working in such an impoverished place. There can be such a sadness all around that these kids seem to be so attracted to and so comforted by a smiling face...even if we cannot understand eachother.

The last part of Hebrews 10 talks about so many of the people I have had the opportunity to meet and serve alongside of in Ecuador. People whose faith and confidence are obviously in the Lord and his promises for our lives. He is preserving them, and I pray that my life would one day be as humble and full of such grace as theirs.