August: Newness for a New School Year
We returned to La Paz at the end of July and started a new school year on August 10th. Nothing ever stays the same though, and this year is no different. There have been many changes to the year already. This year there are a lot of new teachers, we have moved apartments to start the year, Mark has added an extra class to his schedule, and most excitingly we are expecting a new addition to our family! The baby is due early February, 2027. Your prayers for the health and safety of this little one are greatly appreciated.
The blessing of this child spurred us on to look for a new place that was better suited for our growing family. God provided the perfect place for us, and it is another reminder of the sovereign provision that God always provides and that we can trust in Him. Our friends Dani and Sarita decided to move this summer, and they offered their place up to us. Their place was two doors down from ours, same building, same floor; talk about an easy move. While we were sad to lose them as neighbors, we were thankful for the opportunity to move into a larger place with the same location, and Adeline is loving that this place has stairs. Despite being a little chaotic trying to move and get a school year started, we managed and benefited from the close proximity of the move. Now in early September, we are much more settled in and thankful for the new place to start the new year. Adeline, while loving the stairs, is also very partial to her secret room underneath the stairs.
Like we did with Adeline, we will wait to find out at the birth whether this baby is a boy or girl, but we are all eager and excited for this little blessing to arrive in February. This also means that we will be staying in La Paz for Christmas break as it is too close to the delivery date to fly (December visitors are always welcome if you feel so led).
As we settled into our new place we were also getting settled into a new school year. This year we have many new teachers and a new community to get to know. We are now some of the most tenured staff members at the school and so part of our role has been to also help the new people adjust. Unfortunately one of the new teachers that was set to come and teach high school English decided ten days before the school year started that she couldn't come. This led to Mark stepping up and taking on 12th grade English as an extra class. While the workload is higher, it is also with a class he connects the best with. It also means that the start of his teaching day is entirely with seniors for the first three periods (Comparative Politics, Intro to Sociology, and English 12). It is an opportunity to pour into a group of students and have a healthy chunk of time to connect with them and be used by God in their lives. It is also a way to help the school and step up as an experienced staff member and teacher. Please pray for Mark as he has taken on this extra class and for the increased opportunities that he will have with the senior class.
One change for Audrey is that she is officially part-time as the guidance counselor this year. This means that on Tuesdays and Thursdays, she stays home and does not do schoolwork. However, Adeline is a full time job, as many who have had kids know, so please pray for her role as guidance counselor and mother, all whilst pregnant. It's been amazing to see more students open up to Audrey as she continues to build a rapport with them and be a pillar of trust and guidance at Highlands now in her seventh year. Mark now starts his eighth year in La Paz, and God has opened many doors outside of Highlands to serve. While teaching in the classroom is clearly Mark's main ministry, God has opened doors to teach the Word in a different capacity this past month.
The first opportunity came when Dani and Sarita asked Mark to be a speaker at a youth conference for their church in early August. Mark was the speaker two of the three days at the conference. Mark spoke to a group of roughly twenty-five youths about the temptation of distraction and the importance of prioritizing their relationship with God, rooted in Luke 10. Then at the end of August, Mark was asked to be the guest preacher at the local English-speaking church, La Paz Community Church, where he spoke on Psalm 24. Each opportunity was a blessing to teach God's Word and serve the Christian community in La Paz. We are both always trying to keep an eye out for opportunities to serve in different capacities, and it has been amazing to see what things God brings our way as we seek to serve Him here in La Paz. Please pray for continued strength and opportunities to spread God's Word and encourage other believers.
La Paz is a fascinating place and one with much hidden beauty. It is a place that needs the Gospel and needs prayer. It is a city that needs a lot of healing. Please join us in praying for La Paz as we seek to serve God here. September will feature one of our three-day hikes that we do with our 11th and 12th graders. It also includes a Spiritual Emphasis Week as a group will come down from Pennsylvania to teach the Word. Please pray for us and those opportunities for God to work in us and through us. Thank you for taking the time to read this and keep up with us. God Bless.
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