I cannot tell it all!

He's done so much for me! I cannot tell it all! That's part of the refrain of a song that we sing sometimes at First Lutheran Church, and it came to mind today as I walked to the university full of thankfulness and awe at God's goodness!! Let me tell you about my time at Colegio Claretiano this week!

On Tuesday morning, I arrived in the classroom where I have been observing. The professor came up to me and asked if I was ready to teach. I didn't think I heard him right, but I did. No, I was NOT ready to teach today! I think he might have realized that from my facial expression.

"I told you that you would teach when we get back from the week off," he told me. Yes, that's true. I remember him telling me that. But I didn't realizet that he meant that I'll teach the FIRST day that I get back!! Three weeks ago, he had shown me the content and mentioned that I could teach it. But other than that, we hadn't talked about anything. I have been expecting that I would sit down with him and plan things out. But apparently, that's not what he was thinking. Misunderstandings amaze me sometimes. I have understood the words that we have spoken to one another, but I have missed the meanings that he was conveying to me. That is to say, in the conversations that I have had with the professor, I believe that I have understood things well. But there is more to communication than just understanding words. I understood the words perfectly, but I didn't understand the unspoken implications that were probably pretty obvious to him.

The idea that he was ready and willing to allow me to teach his class without having spoken with me and talked about what to do took me by surprise--it's one more reminder that I am indeed in a different country where many things are done differently (and that doesn't make his way or my way bad... just different).

That was Tuesday. When I arrived at the school on Thursday, the secretary greeted me and told me that the English teachers had been waiting for me the day before. What? Apparently they had a meeting that I was supposed to be at...

And then I realized what had happened. Last week, I spoke with one of the English teachers, and he told me to come on Wednesday at 2:00 and Friday at 2:00 to observe some classes. But I did not go on Wednesday because a few weeks ago I came on Wednesday at 2:00 and there was no English classes at that time. I didn't realize that it was a meeting that he was inviting me to, not a class.

So, I was planning on observing an English class today at 2:00, but I was a bit unsure about that becasue I didn't actually know the professors name OR the room number. I was hoping to see the professor sometime this week so that I could ask him, but I hadn't seen him. So, this morning when I finished observing in math, I asked the secretary what room the English classes are in today. She was most helpful. I took a seat to wait, because there was an English class that would start in about 30 minutes. And then the teacher that I had spoken to walked in!!! I was able to talk to him, to clarify about Wednesdays and Fridays, and to get room numbers.

This wansn't a life or death situation. It was quite small, really. But the way things worked out, God reminded me that He is with me all the time, that He's never failed me yet and He never will, and that there's absolutely no reason to worry or be anxious about things when He is with us.

And now... I think I'm going to try to play soccer again. We'll see how this works out!!