No falta nada!

Thanks for the prayers everyone :) I got the notebook of grades on Sunday evening after getting home from an AWESOME day. I've been working vigorously to get the remaining tests graded and course books updated for my students. I even gave them an end-of-semester gift...I took their best grade for the semester and doubled it. I also let them correct errors on their written tests for extra points to help their grades. Tomorrow is the last day of school for the semester, and we (teachers and students alike) can't wait!

But what I reeeeeeally can't wait for is Paula and Amelita arrive in Santiago tomorrow morning! Paula's family is going to pick them up from the airport and they'll head to Viña. I'm going to leave Santiago Friday morning as soon as I wake up. I've waited five months to see family in person and now it's here! No falta nadaaaaa :)

So about my awesome day Sunday...I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but I was talking with one of my 12th graders, Camila, a few months ago about how I would be looking for a family to move in with in August or September. Paula's brother and his family will be returning from Barcelona, so I knew all along that I'd have to find another place to live for the remainder of my trip. Anyway, Camila did an exchange program in Canada a couple of years ago and lived with a host family. She had a wonderful time and said she'd love to give that opportunity to someone else. She talked it over with her parents, and they said they'd love to have me move in with them! They invited me over for lunch on Sunday to get to know them a little bit and see their house. I got there around 2pm, and as I should've expected from typical Chilean lunches, I ended up staying there for about six and a half hours! Her family is absolutely wonderful. We had a delicious lunch and sat around the table talking and getting to know one another all afternoon. Then they took me around for a tour of their house and showed me the room and bathroom they had available for me. The father was also very excited to show off the business he's starting to help college students get internships in Chile. He already has a contact in Germany and the U.S. and is constructing the site now. Basically he's starting an agency to help foreigners get internships abroad in areas of their choice...how great is that? If only this had been around about four years ago when I was looking for an internship!

All-in-all it was a lovely day, and I can't wait to move in with them! They said they are so excited to have another daughter (oh yeah, they also have a son who is about fourteen...he's a very good student too). Towards the end of my visit, the father asked his son, Sebastian, what he thought of his new big 'sister,' and Seba said I was bakan :) That means 'cool' in Chilean Spanish, haha. Anyway, they told me I can move in whenever I'm ready! I can't wait to feel like part of a family again.

Peace and grace on the rest of your week!

Love,
LG