estoy mejor

I don't think I've ever been as happy to come to an end of a week as I was on Friday!

While in the ladies room between classes that day, one of the ladies made the comment:

**TGIF is a restaurant in the States, here it is the truth!!!***

Since our entire class was in the bathroom and the class bell had already rung, I was able to successfully use one of the perifrases when I entered class...."Tenemos que usar el bano"

( : yes, I know it should be stated in the past, but we haven't learned past tense yet :)

~~We take small steps en espanol and are very happy when we are able to do so without falling flat on our faces. ~~

I was very *wisely* told by a student in Bob's class, that since I can only speak in the present tense, I can't worry or be concerned about the past, or what happened last week.

Everything for me is *now* or *current*

I'm sure there's a Biblical principle in that statement ~~~ it just seems like it should have one! If I weren't concentrating so much on my Spanish, I could probably pull it out :)

This week we're doing 'el complemento directo'...and so far, so good. I seem to understand this one, pero debo practicar mas. (Notice the usage of another *perifrase*)

I have a test tomorrow in Fonetica on dipthongs and blends.

I'm also working on memorizing Mateo 11:28-30 en espanol by Thursay morning.

So, please continue to pray!

Hope y'all are having a great week!

"I'm melting...."

Wednesday halfway thru the first session of Grammar I had a meltdown...just broke into tears and that pretty much described the rest of my school day. For some reason, it was as if my brain went into rebellion and refused to release the information that was there. I couldn't understand anything the teacher was saying. Just so you understand, she wasn't speaking English; all the classes are totally in Spanish. It came my turn to respond in class and I started crying and left the class.
Praise the LORD, there were many who rallied around me giving me support. It appears that many students at some point feel overwhelmed, and walking out of class in tears is a normal response. But the teachers are very supportive and understanding. My language teacher during the morning break could tell I was upset, and was so supportive. When we got to class she had us start the class with prayers in English (unheard of!) so that we could fully say what we wanted and not have a language barrier. Another lady, Lydia, is a former counsellor at the school and is now a missionary with her husband, but is filling in while the Student Life Director is out of the country. I haven't seen Lydia in days, and Wednesday there she was in the break room talking to some other students. She saw me and came over and asked if I wanted to talk. We went into another room and talked and prayed. What a blessing!
Then I got to Fonetica class, this is the one that always makes me laugh! I discovered 5 minutes into the class I had forgotten to do an assignment (a first!) and burst into tears again. Gabriela was so understanding....she even told me I didn't have to take the test that was planned for that day. But atleast that was material that I knew, so I did take it.
A student from my grammar class, Marie, is the class *brain*; she's the one that *never* gives a wrong answer. She has rallied along side me in a big way. She came over on Wednesday afternoon and spent 2 hours going over the material. yesterday, she sat next to me in grammar class and made sure I understood and was getting the right answers written down. She is truly a blessing from the LORD! Today at 7:30 we have a test in grammar over the material that caused my *meltdown*, but Marie is meeting me at school early so that we can study again. I am so thankful for this dear sister in Christ!
So, please pray for me for strength and that this will be a discouragement of short duration. It has been frustrating, and at the same time comforting because I have discovered I am not alone with comfort, support and prayers from so many.
Up until Wednesday we had received no mail from anyone. But I check our mail slot faithfully each day hoping. On Wednesday I glanced into our mail slot and lo! and behold! there was mail. A lady (who I don't know) from a church in Virginia that supports us had written a note of encouragement on Friday of last week, sent it right out and it arrived on the day when I needed it most! What a blessing from her and from the LORD!
So, after I finish my coffee, I'm off to study with Marie and then take my test! Please be praying for me even if you receive this after the time of the test.....