The Beginning of a New Year

The sun is warm, the breeze is gently swaying the palm trees. Life is good. And it's been this way for a month now. There is so much to see, so much to do. The beauty is constantly surrounding us, except when we're at our apartment, because......we live in the ghetto. Scrawny stray dogs roam around at all hours, Chinese factory workers wander in hoards down the street and don't move out of the way for cars, and 6 girls are squeezed into what used to be considered a one-bedroom apartment. It's the ghetto. But I love it! The reason I'm here is to teach. I'm the third- and fourth-grade teacher. And so far it's great! I got my own classroom, I made my own rules, I plan my own lessons. It's great. Even my students are wonderful, they are angels...........except for one. There's always one, just one, that is there to try my patients. But I feel God has placed me and him in the same classroom for a reason. Let me explain.......this isn't your ordinary rebellious student. He's 7 years old in third grade, because he's smart. But along with his intelligence, he's developed a deep hatred for God and anything He's created. He's jealous of God and wants to "destroy the holy ones" when he grows up so he can have that power. It's really an interesting situation. He openly hates God, nature and nutrition, and constantly tells everyone. All I can say to him when he says he hates God is that it doesn't change how much God loves him. But yeah, other than that.........life is good. We've visited much of the island and done many things......such as holding an unconcious octopus! I'll be updating my blog regularily and posting pictures as well, so keep an eye on the site to see what I've been up to. Enjoy!