Some prayer requests...

Hello again friends and family,
 I wanted to give you guys a short update and then let you explore some pictures from the past couple of weeks.  As you know, I love it here and every day I feel so blessed to experience life in Mexico.  I need to ask for prayer though because lately I have been extraordinarily tired and definitely feel in need of a break.  I ask for your prayers in:
-Rest
-Wisdom in how to take time to rest at home, but also wisdom in how to allow myself and the students to have productive breaks so that we can be refreshed in the school setting.  The most important thing for me is to remember that my job is to love on my students, and when we get bogged down with all of the work we have to do, I lose sight of this.  We need times in which I can just focus on enjoying them outside of stressful environments, whether that be in small activities each day or taking a half a day to recuperate and recognize what is important.
-Wisdom that I don't take on too much work and can balance my work and rest time.
-Wisdom and guidance in deciding where I will be next year.
Thanks for your prayers and support.  A much needed break is coming in April when we have two weeks of spring break.  I'm holding out for that time :).
Love you all
Katt

Oh Mexico: Sounds so simple I just got to go

Ramiro leading Bible Class with some group members

Kids eating in the kitchen:  Some people from a local Church in Piedras Negras, have begun to support the school and raise money and get food donations.  We have a plethora of food and some very blessed kids and teachers!

Here is a little picture update of what has been going on in Mexico lately.  Again, I am so thankful and blessed to be able to experience life in this country and with family here!

Basketball with the Reunion bible study:  We've played twice in the last three weeks and had a blast!

Bible Class

Field trip to the Nava Museum!!

Julio and Ramiro played Soccer with some of the fifth graders.

Whole group after basketball!

Winning team!

At the museum (field trip!).

my friend Jorge Romero and Sweat Tacos

Lunch Saturday: Sweat Tacos.  Called this because they are steamed...but delicious!! (Jorge ate twelve...I only ate four..just to be clear.)

Vicki and her family

We have had the opportunity to spend a significant amount of time with the family whose house burned down in February.  We had dinner with them a couple of  weeks ago and enjoyed the company of the family and Pedro who has recently remarkably recovered in about a month in a half from sever second degree burns on his face and hands.  We had delicious barbecue chicken (I didn't like barbecue chicken until I tried it here) and laughed and played with Vicki, Pedro and Abi (their youngest daugher).  I felt so blessed to have these people as friends and to just get to spend an evening with them, as you would have a friend over for dinner in the states.  They are truly good friends.
Anyway, I wanted to inform you all that Pedro has healed remarkably.  A friend of ours from the states came to visit over her spring break and informed us that she had a cousin who was burned similarly, but it took her more like 3 months to heal.  Pedro is almost back to normal except for some discolored spots and some scabs an it has only been about a month in a half since the accident.  When I learned how much time it normally takes to heal I really recognized how God has healed Pedro.  I think it is pretty cool :).
Please keep the family in your prayers.  Abi the youngest daughter has a genuine fear of fire now, when she even just sees fire from a barbecue she becomes scared and Vicki still struggles with pain and guilt from the death of her baby.  They could also use prayers for their home, which hands and feet is now rebuilding, and the new baby which is on the way :)
Thanks!

Hello again!

Hi everybody,
 I know I haven't written in a couple of weeks and I apologize.  Of course that doesn't mean that nothing has occurred in the space between our talks :).
 Some great news is that after all of that cold weather for two weeks straight it has been warm as all get out here.  This is the first place that I've been where in February we had to use ac in the car, it has been in the 80's and 90's here!

My Mexican Family

Mural at Alleluya where Vicki and her family go to church.

I regret not notifying you earlier about a family who lost their baby and house last month due to a fire.  Of course things have been very rough for them, but I have gotten to see some of how prayer works in the last few weeks.  Their oldest son, Pedro was badly burned and had to be in the hospital for about two weeks.  Now though only about two and a half weeks later, he has new skin growing back and is moving out of the hospital to be with his family.  Pedro's dad also came to Christ as a result and Vicki, his mother, though devastated by the loss seems to still radiate laughter and joy.  AND we found out last week that she is pregnant again, which offers some joy and hope to the family as well.  This family did a lot of praying for me when Keith (my step dad) lost his job and it has been good to pray for and be there for them as well.  I'm learning a lot about how these people are my family in Christ as well.  Vicki and her family could really appreciate your prayers right now as Pedro still needs to go through therapy and they have to finish construction on a house that they need to move into as soon as possible.  Thanks for your support and prayers in that.

Makeover!!

 Ok, well I don’t really have to write much here, just check out the pictures :).  Keep in mind, this is a MEXICAN makeover, so it is a little much for me.  I like the hair and am learning about make up though!  Enjoy.

This one is more me :)

I really like being a Profe (teacher).

Ok, I know that it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t update about Nava…so here goes.  This week I walked into the school on one of the last days of the week and I remember thinking how lucky I am to be a part of the school and the lives of the students and teachers.  Again, what a great family I have here.  My students struggle a lot in class with staying focused, and sometimes I get super stressed out.  Then I have to remind myself that I just need to be there for the kids, that are the most important thing I can do. 

But it hasn’t just been hard; we have seen some awesome victories in the classroom in just the last week.  The last time I wrote I asked for prayer for classroom management and wisdom for how to best teach my students what they need to know.  This week and last I saw great improvement in students who normally do not want to participate in class or obey but are disruptive and manipulative.  One student when asked (sometimes more than once) to go to his seat will do so, instead of playing with the computer or drawing on the white board in the middle of the lesson.  I watched as another, who normally struggles with lashing out and being violent, was hit intentionally by another student and simply backed away.  Even when it came to teaching math, something I struggle to help the students understand, students were interested, challenged and responding to the activity.  I had a soccer coach who told me once that when you have a rough practice or game, you should focus on the ways that you were successful in the game.  I have learned a lot about doing this this year, and these are some of the cool things that happened.

PRAYER REQUEST:

 A student of mine confessed on Monday that her mother is living with a man who hits her.    The young girl, Blanca Estela is clearly affected by this and has begun acting out in class and becoming more violent.  She comes to school frequently and I think it is cool that she is still coming.  Could you please pray for wisdom in how we can help the situation, wisdom for how we can be there for Blanca at school and show her love, and that she and her mother and brothers and sisters can be removed from the situation as soon as possible.

Oracion porfis :)....Prayer please.

 -Prayer for balanced time, rest, and focusing on God and what he has done in my life.  Getting my value from him.

-Prayer for what will be happening after this year.

-Patience and wisdom at school with students.

-Being present here in the time I have left.

-Safety of course!!
-Blanca Estela (one of my students) and her family, in an abusive situation.  Please pray for rescue and that we can be there for her at the school and show her love.

-Vicki and her family, Fernando, Pedro and Ani and the new baby on the way!! (youngest daughter).