Post Christmas

Since I have been back from Christmas, there have been more responsibilities and challenges at work.  I am spending more time outside the office interacting with the clients.

Every Monday I am helping to teach Job Readiness classes.  There are two classes, one for Burmese and one for Iraqi/Bhutanese.  It’s been an adjustment teaching adults instead of children.  I am slowly figuring out a good style.  The Burmese class is so fun.  For that class we tend to have to break things down into a simpler explanation of different jobs and skills.  This week we talked about the responsibilities of a bus driver, buying a bus ticket, how to request a stop, how to ask for a transfer, etc.  We decided that acting this out would be the best way to help them understand.  The “skit”, if you will, was so funny.  This one Burmese man took his role playing to the extreme.  He was making the noise of the bus doors opening and took really big steps to get on the bus and made a noise when he pulled the cord to request a stop.  Everyone in the class was cracking up.  Every time I am with them I am reminded of how much I love them.

Wednesdays I continue to go to one refugee apartment complex to help the refugees fill out their Food Stamp applications.  This allows me to sit down with them and teach them how to do the applications and answer any questions they have.  The other apartment complexes where they live are about a 10 minute walk from this one, so it’s much more convenient for them to meet me there instead of taking a 45 min. bus ride to Catholic Charities.  This has started to streamline the Food Stamp process.  I’m not sure how much you all know, but Texas ranks last in getting Food Stamps to people.  There has been a lot of publicity here about it the past few weeks.  There was about a two month backlog in the state, but it is slowly starting to get better.  I have been swamped with Food Stamp interviews the past three weeks and am glad that the refugees are getting food money that they have been waiting on for two to three months.

The Spring is turning out to be a very busy time for Kaley, Lauren, and I.  Next weekend we are going to the rodeo, yee-haw!.  I’m really excited about that.  Then we have a Young Adult potluck/get together at our house, gala for House of Neighborly Service, Super Bowl party, family visits, camping trips, beach weekends, and lots more.  I am trying to find somewhere that I can take an art class once a week and am trying to find some other outlets.  I would like to try and find a frisbee team to join once the weather gets a little warmer and am looking forward to being outside more.  I am starting to get cabin fever from being inside so much.

For our Friday community days we are doing a book study on “The Heart of Christianity” with our pastor, Rob.  I would highly recommend this book to believers and non-believers.  The author, Marcus Borg, puts ideas and concepts into such accessible language that has opened my eyes to a new way of seeing the Bible, God, and faith.   I am finding words and explanations to thoughts and beliefs I have had but have never been able to articulate. It has been far too long since I have dug deeper into my faith and I am really enjoying it.

Life in general is really great and I am reminded every week of how extremely blessed I am.  Lauren and Kaley continue to push me and make me discover new things about myself.  The church is amazing as usual.  I am forming stronger friendships with people out here.  The weather is warming up and I thank God for that.  Life is good my friends.

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~ by Grace on January 26, 2010.