Day 64 - My New Students

My New Students

I returned to Bolivia for two reasons.  The first is to write.  If I ever am going to be a writer, now is the time, not next year or the next.  My first novel is done and in the next few days I hope to see it published on Amazon.  But I also have other ideas I want to see in print.  In fact, in church today I couldn’t help thinking about my upcoming novel on Onesimus.  I am teaching part time, so writing has to take up much of my time.

The second is to teach at the SCCLC.  In the 1980s I came here to fill an emergency vacancy and stayed nearly five years.  Those were five of the most meaningful years of my life.  Those students became my family.  Those years have defined all of my years of teaching, and even now, once I have returned are defining how I teach.

I won’t mention any names here, because I don’t know if their parents would want me to or not, but I want you to know a little about them to understand why I had to be here.

Friday, the second day of school, I assigned an essay to my students, telling me who they are.  One hundred percent of them chose to write me a letter.  On a rainy Sunday afternoon after church I curled up in a blanket to read their essays.  Not one of them was negative.  Some were very personal.  I think they all wanted me to know who they really are.  So let me tell you a little about them.

By far the most are Bolivian, except that many of those Bolivians are part Brazilian, Chilean, Mexican, American, Korean, or Italian.  Only a few were 100% Bolivian.  There are several that are Chinese or Korean from those countries.  From a boy that is half Italian, I learned that Santa Cruz has an Italian community.  I have two boys from England, and another boy who is half-Aussie. 

Several are missionary kids, including one who did not want to be an MK.  I discovered a few students whose fathers, or mothers, are pastors in their church.  I already knew of one, but now I know several others.  There is even one from a family of pastors who does not want anything to do with religion; at least he was honest in telling me that.

At least two of these kids want to be writers, though a few more are good enough writers that they could consider that as a career option.  One boy asked me Friday if the essay had to be one page.  Thinking he wanted it shorter, I said surely he could write one page on himself.  He then informed me that he could write a lot more if given the time (he wrote over 2 pages and his last sentence was, “I am being forced to end this…”). 

A lot of these kids are into sports.  One is ranked number 4 in Tennis and another number 6 in Tae Kwando.  A bunch love soccer or basketball. And there are a few that aspire to the Olympics, or is that because we just finished the Olympics?  What must these athletic kids think of their chubby, non-athletic teacher?  Two told me they have no interest in sports whatsoever. 

I came to know that several have a deep relationship with Christ and a few told me their struggles trying to maintain a walk with Christ.  It made me think that my own struggles being a Christian, especially since I arrived here, are maybe for the purpose of these young men and women.  Has God allowed some of these struggles knowing the young men and women He is putting in my path?

 

I will end with one boy who said he likes things to be well-organized.  I like him, but I think he is going to be driven crazy by a teacher who is so disorganized.

Thank you God for allowing me to return to the SCCLC.