Settling In

To say the last several months have been a little crazy and stressful is an understatement but we are so thankful for the many ways God has shown us His faithfulness. We have had a good opportunity to slow down and start accepting the huge change that has come about in our lives.

School days

The big house on campus has become our own and feels like home now. The girls are very comfortable here and love playing outside with the freedom to roam and not too many dangers. We're even hearing them greet our Bolivian coworkers in Spanish as they pass by (a new and very encouraging development). We have recently acquired five chickens and the girls love going with Nathan or me to feed them and check for eggs twice a day. We have also gotten back into the rhythm of school five days a week.

 

Our chickens: Producing 4-5 eggs a day!

Nathan is actively preparing for his classes. He'll be teaching five hours of class a week: three hours of Language and Culture Acquisition and two hours of Spanish Grammar (to give the students a basis for learning the grammar of an indigenous language). He is a busy man and getting excited for the work ahead of him. Pray for him as he teaches this year. The school year starts on Monday, February 10th.

I, Kaylee, am enjoying making our house a home and teaching the girls. I am thankful for the women I am surrounded by on this campus. Pray for me as I build relationships with them. There is a wealth of wisdom and experience to glean from and I desire to know them better. Pray that I would have confidence in my Spanish speaking abilities. It's easy to stay inside despite the desire to get to know people.

We recently attended a local church. It is small and the people were very friendly. Many of them are familiar with Etnos and were happy to have us join them. Pray that we would have wisdom as we decide whether or not this should be where we fellowship locally.

As I close I want to share just a bit of what God is teaching me right now. Many of the changes we have gone through recently have been directly linked to my contentment in Bolivia. God has been so gracious with me (as has Nathan). I am so thankful that He opened the door for us to do ministry here at Etnos. I believe it will be a very good fit for our family.

As I process all that we've gone through and the decisions made it has become quite obvious that as my mind dwells on earthly things (comfort, family, friends, food, language, etc.) my heart has become increasingly discontent here in Bolivia. Thankfully we have seen a change in this contentment, especially during the last month, as I have refocused my mind and heart on our goal. My heart's desire is to build up treasures in Heaven but I am so easily distracted. It has been so helpful to read a few books by Randy Alcorn (50 Days of Heaven, Seeing the Unseen) and Elisabeth Elliot's Keep a Quiet Heart. Most importantly reading the Bible consistently has been so encouraging.  I know that we are fighting spiritually and it's so easy to give in. So please pray for us, me especially, as we fight to keep our eyes on the goal: eternity.

We were also blessed with a short but wonderful get away in January as we joined Kaylee's family for a reunion, an amazing gift with memories that will be treasured.