Little by little

I am happy to report that I have really fallen into a routine with the classes. I still have around 25 different classes a week and the only difference is that they have different kids. I teach the same content which means that by the end of the week I am speaking without thinking and anticipating all the snags. The week wraps up with the 8th graders who are clearly the most fortunate because after 24 tries what I present to them is about as good as I can get it. The poor 5th graders at the beginning of the week get the first draft and unfortunately all of my frustration when it doesn't go well. They are long days and I'm not sure I can honestly say that I love it but I'm willing to stick it out because I see the value in it. It has only been a month so I expect that things will only get better. As I begin to get to know the kids better and get to relax a little more I think I'll be a little happier.
It has been nice to be exposed to a different population within the neighborhood. For a year I was working exclusively with women and just a small group of 30 at that. Now I have around 300 different kids ranging from 5-15 years old and a group of 15 kids from the city. They live in a boys home for kids directly off the street and the majority dealing with addictions. I have just moved around the corner from the bakery but I feel my ministry has opened up tremendously and I am experiencing a reality of Bolivia that I hadn't before.
I have been able to maintain my relationships with the women, specifically those that work in the bakery. I each lunch with them everyday and on Saturdays I take a break from computer lab free-time and go visit them in their houses. Yesterday I had a long lunch at one house and it was really nice to just sit and talk and play with the kids. I hopeful that this can continue and I can reap the benefits of both ministries :-)