A New School Year Begins…

Viewing the interior courtyard of the school.
Looking down towards the front entrance
and up toward the Schmidt’s home straight and ours’ on the left.

After 6 months break from teaching my kids, we all dig in tomorrow for our first day of the school year in Guatemala. Thanks to our new lifestyle, I now have assistance in the process. Britt has been teaching them all math…love him for that. Gina will be taking over language arts for two of their kids and 4 of mine. And Britt is starting science with all of them…which he enjoys way more than I ever have or will! The kids’ Spanish teacher will do pre-school in Spanish with the little boys during the older kids’ schooling time. I love Alej. She’s awesome with the little boys. And they like her. But it might be because she used to bring them dulces or candy as we know it, until I said no mas.

The window guys installing our bedroom window.

Starting school in our individual houses and not in our community home in Buena Vista was definitely not in our plans. So when our shipment arrived back in October, I left all school related items packed away for what we thought would be a quickly approaching move. The last few days I have been pulling all our necessary items out of packing in order for our school year to begin. After getting them out and seeing them again, I got a little tinge of excitement. I really love teaching my kids. It’s one of those parts of raising my kids that gives me satisfaction like no other. I also love relearning along with them. And, sometimes learning things for the first time…or at least it seems that way.

Shared patio with the Schmidt’s.
The Views are incredible, thus the name Buena Vista.

Teaching in combination with another family is going to be very different for us. We were part of a homeschool co-op at our church for a few years when the kids were little where I taught art. But other than that, it’s been just us. I look forward to the advantages it will bring.

Gina and my shared laundry room. 

This is our family’s personal bathroom.
We wanted it colorful and bright!

Our current estimated date for moving into the Education Center in Buena Vista is now the end of Jan/beginning of Feb. Pray with us that this really happens. We are all a bit in limbo waiting. This includes the middle school kids in BV, the sponsored graduates who will use our facilities on a daily basis and both of our families as well. The middle school kids will begin school Jan. 15th in the primary school just as in past years. They are so anxious to use our building for so many reasons. Our families will be traveling back and forth between houses each day for school until we move as well.

This is the view out our living room window.
Those are birds of paradise farms under the canopies. 

We will all continue Spanish lessons for awhile…just different times now. We are all progressing. But there’s still much to learn. We are grateful for the teachers God provided our family. We love the time we spend with Julio and Alejandra. They are excellent at what they do.