happenings...

There was a half-marathon in town on Sunday.  Lots of roads were blocked off since it went all around the city.  I went to the early service at church only to find out there was no service that early last week.  Instead, since the bishop was coming, they were combining the English and Spanish services into one and people were going to be confirmed.  So I just hung out at the church and helped/watched as the people in charge prepared for the bishop's visit.  Apparently, when the bishop is there, there is a slightly different protocol that needs to be followed, so I had an up-close-and-personal view of the preparations for the whole shebang.  The church was unusually crowded, and there was a lot more English included to accommodate for those who were joining the church from the first service.  It was kind of nice to hear the scripture readings in English, too, for a change.  While I can follow the Spanish pretty well, the English seems to have a more direct pathway to my heart.  The service started late, though...the bishop was delayed in arriving to the church because of all the roadblocks for the half-marathon.  But, in the end, he arrived and all went smoothly.

Today, I happened to ask one of my classes, "At one point did you learn it was appropriate to talk when the teacher is talking?"  And after rephrasing my question for them so they understood what I was asking, they actually gave me an answer.  They said they had had a bad experience with a teacher the year before, so they decided to stop listening to her.  I nicely explained to them how it made me feel when they talk when I do, and after that they were super-polite.  It was a question I hadn't planned on asking, but in the end, it went really well.

And we have a student from Sweden staying with us now through the holidays.  And another person from Guatemala City arrived...it's nice to have a full house again after several weeks of life being more quiet.