Peruvian Snow Day!

It's a Peruvian Snow Day!!!

No, there's no actual snow. In fact we are in the middle of summer here in the high altitudes of Cusco, Peru. It never actually snows except on the tip tip tops of the higher mountains. We have hail of course but that's the closest thing we ever get to a White Christmas.

The reason that today is a Peruvian Snow Day is because there is a PARO or a strike on the transportation system. Sometimes they are national and sometimes regional and the strikes are for various reasons: to protest new law or to protest higher prices. It's usually not to safe even to go out in your own vehicles because sometimes people will be out in the streets with rocks. Paros are much scarier in big cities like Lima because it gets more violent.

Today because of the PARO there is no school!!! Yay! I am currently teaching the English summer classes at PROMESA. These classes are for the new students who are joining us for the new school year or need help from the previous year. I have three students who are going into 3rd or 4th grade. It's so much fun to have older kids even though I had to totally change my kindergarten mindset. These kids catch on so much quicker! They can read! They are curious about learning a new language (one boy kept writing new English words in his notebook)! They can write! They can conjugate verbs!

I wasn't planning on teaching the class on my own but just helping out with it (we thought we would have way more students). Unfortunately, the school principal (of sorts), Ron had to teach the general remedial help class and I the english class. It has taken up a lot more of my summer vacation because I've had to plan the classes but it actually has been a lot of fun. Three older kids are a lot easier to handle than 13 four year olds!!

So, I'm very happy for my snow day!! My classes are planned for tomorrow (we are learning the names of vegetables and going to the local market!!). Today, will be a day to sit and stare out the window at the mountains, soak in the Lord's presence and work on all those things that have been neglected for too long (like this poor blog). Last night at the Missionary Worship Night we sang an old Vineyard song that I hadn't heard for a long time:

You bring times of refreshing
You bring times of refreshing
You bring times of refreshing to my soul

AMEN God! Yay for Peruvian Snow Days and times of refreshing!!