Waiting Some More

   I know many of you are wondering what the latest update is and I finally sort of have one for you! My work visa was approved by the Ministry of Labor in Brazil. I am now waiting for the Brazilian consulate to approve the work visa and put it in my passport. Due to holidays, Brazilian election days, and backlogs, I'm told that I probably won't have my passport back in my hands until October 31st.

   My first year of teaching, I started in October, so God's given me a little bit of practice with starting later in the school year. I'm sure it'll be a crazy transition, but hopefully I learned a little from the first year and will be better able to help my students adjust.

   God truly does work in amazing ways. The lady who is currently teaching my class is actually from Billings, Montana, and her aunt attends my church! It makes me realize how small the world really is. I'm thankful that my students are being well taken care of. The fact that she is from the same little corner of the world as me is just plain neat!

   In other news, I'm not the only teacher struggling to get down to Belém. The third-grade teacher has been going through a lot of the same troubles that I've been dealing with. Her departure date also keeps being pushed back and is now looking at January for arriving at AVA. This means that when I finally get down there, I will be teaching third grade, as well as, fourth grade. While this knowledge makes me even more nervous, the fact that I'll only have thirteen students total helps a little bit. I had twenty-two kindergartners last year, so thirteen nine- to ten-year-olds doesn't seem too bad.
 
   Even though it is hard to not be with my class already, I am trusting that God has a purpose and a plan for this ever-prolonging time of waiting. God has definitely been teaching me new lessons and giving me opportunities that would not have happened otherwise.

   Remember to check out the Prayer Requests and How to Help pages. Also, just a reminder that if you would like to receive emails when I post updates, you can become a follower using the link on the right-hand side of the page.