August: Back to School

School is back and so are all the busy feelings that come along with it. It is not necessarily a bad thing, just a busy thing. We have had a good start to the school year. The new year always brings new people, new opportunities, new dynamics, new challenges, new routines, but one thing remains the same, and that is our needed dependence on God. Audrey feels a lot more established now entering her fourth year at Highlands, and both she and the school are excited for her transition into the guidance counseling position come January. Mark now starts year five of Highlands and thirteen of teaching. He is excited about the deepening relationships that come with experience and consistency.

The school year started with an appreciation for all the staff members that have accomplished some longevity at Highlands. It is always a prayer request for our school and encouraging to celebrate those that God has called to stay longer than the initial two year contract that most people come to serve on. We both have had to say goodbye to many friends that have come and gone, and that is sometimes the tough reality of our calling here.

That in turn always brings a decent amount of new staff to the school, and new opportunities to connect with fellow believers. This school year has brought in six new staff members, four of which are from the U.S. Please keep their adjustment and integration into Bolivia in your prayers.

Mark has enjoyed getting to know the new guys and has already introduced them to what has become a decently regular guy activity of taking the two plus hour walk from the southern zone to the city center where they eat back the calories at the best donut shop in La Paz and chow down on some chorizo sandwiches at one of the bigger indoor markets. A big part of life here is trying to find ways to build community and pour into community so as to not feel isolated or alone. Every year the dynamics change and every year we try to think of ways to improve community and be positive influences in it. Audrey as head of Member Care organizes some of this as part of her role. No matter where we are and what we are doing it is clear we need to be in community with fellow believers, seeking to build one another up and spur them on. This is not always easy to do, but even organizing two hour walks to eat donuts and chorizo sandwiches can provide opportunities for communal growth.

Highlands continues to recover from the pandemic and is now starting to feel the growth from those devastating years. It is really cool to see what God is doing at HIS school (H.I.S. = Highlands International School) We both are discipleship leaders in the high school, and this year it looks a little different. Audrey has a group of seven girls ranging from each high school grade and Mark has a group of eight boys. It has been really cool to open the school year with four straight weeks of discipleship group time every Tuesday. In these times we are able to build relationships and offer any wisdom or guidance needed. Mark even had a boy from his group invite him out for coffee after school one day. Audrey has become a popular lunch date in the library for many of the underclassman girls who seek her counseling and wisdom. Discipleship groups and lunch dates are some of the many ways the Lord can work through us at Highlands.

Some of the other first month activities have gone underway as well, such as flag day, class bench painting, and various school projects. These are cool ways in which we can see the community of Highlands come together. Our school theme verse this year is Romans 15:5-6, "May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." Our prayer is for harmony and unity amongst our students to come together under the banner of Christ. Please be in prayer for this amongst not only our students, but our staff and Highlands community in general.

Today is Pedestrian Day, a day with no cars on the streets. Instead the streets are filled with people, with food, and with music. It is a really unique experience and one that brings a lot of community joy. As we enjoy walking the streets, eating street food, and soaking in the sun, we are incredibly thankful for the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us as we start the new school year. We feel very blessed and want to carry that thankful attitude throughout the year. This is a new year with a lot of new opportunities and new things that God can do. We remain hopeful and prayerful for Him to work mightily this year.