a foretaste of what is to come

I JUST REALIZED THAT I DON'T THINK I HAVE POSTED ANY PICTURES OF COLEGIO CLARETIANO FOR YOU PEOPLE!!!!!

So, I'll do that now.

This is Colegio Claretiano, on Calle Cusco in Vallecito, Arequipa, Peru! This is where I spent approximately 54 hours this semester.

Here's the classroom where I taught!!

This is the outdoor patio in the center of the colegio!!

This is the classroom where I observed English classes!

Here's a statue of Antonio Marie Claret, the namesake of the school. And you can kind of see the hallways and classrooms a bit.

Yesterday was my last day at Claretiano. Indeed, that means that yesterday morning was a bit teary! But, I did manage to hold myself together until I left the building. I'm just glad that I didn't run in to anything as I was walking after leaving Claretiano for the last time until God knows when, because my vision was definitely quite impaired by tears and snot.

It has been such an amazingly awesome semester there and I am SO THANKFUL that I had the opportunity to go there every week and teach and observe and learn and participate in their community. It's a great place! And I am going to miss it so much! How I would love to take the job that they offered me!!! But... I know that God has something even better in store for me. And I pray that I will be able to return to Claretiano someday.

Also, yesterday evening, we had a little farewell program for all of the families and professors at the university. This program included some songs, dances, stories, and flowers. We've been preparing for it for a little while, and it ended up being absolutely lovely! I had the honor of giving the student thanks to the families, friends, and professors in attendance, and there are a LOT of people in the Calvin Crew who have a LOT of musical talent! So, it was super cool to see all of the things that my classmates prepared. Oh man. They are REALLY good.

I have three full days left in Arequipa. This semester has been so unbelievably amazing. Oh man, it hurts so much to think of leaving Arequipa and leaving all of these wonderful friends behind. I don't like it, not one bit!  Indeed, leaving would be so much easier if I hadn't made any friends. But if I had the chance to re-do this semester... I wouldn't change a single thing. The pain of leaving really stinks, but it is completely worth it because the friendships that I have made are amazing.

The verses that come to mind right now are Ephesians 2:6-7:

And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 

This semester can be summed up by that bold phrase: incomparable riches of his grace. That is what I have been the recipient of this semester. And, I know that the grace that I have received is a tiny drop in the infinite bucket of grace that is mine for eternity!! Thinking about how awesomely great this semester has been just makes me really excited for the ultimate fiesta that is going to go on for eternity when Jesus returns in glory and when there will be no more mourning or crying or pain!!! If something as wonderful as this semester can happen in our broken world... oh man, I can't even imagine how awesome stuff is going to be when everything is made perfect!!