It's been almost six weeks since we arrived in Charlotte. Things are beginning to fall into place at last. I'm sick with some American bug I hadn't seen in a while (mostly a cold). Tim finally got over his, which lasted 3 weeks.

This week we attended our small group, refilled the driveway with gravel, took the dogs to the vet, and made a chicken pot pie. All very normal for life in the US, I would say. In the midst of that, I'm trying to remember what makes my life worth living and how to keep my mind on things above, not on the grass in my yard.

Today I was reading about outsiders' view that Christians are hypocritical and how it basically lines up with reality. Like everyone else, we don't do what we say we want to do. I don't do what I say I want to do. My life doesn't always look so different from anyone else's.

What makes a Christian teacher different than any other teacher, particularly teaching in a secular school? I want to know, because as glad as I am for Jesus' grace, I'm eager to learn how to live a life empowered for holiness and radical faith decisions. I wonder what the students and other staff think of me and if the fact that I claim to follow Jesus plays out in my work and professional relationships.

I don't want to be a hypocrite, although I imagine there will always be people who could make that claim of me. I want to know what it means to follow Jesus and then to do it. I want my beliefs to make a big difference in my actions. And I'm curious to see how that will play itself out in the weeks and years to come.

One week into my new and insane job. After Monday (my last post) I hyperventilated at school and seriously considered quitting. Nonetheless, it gets exponentially better every day and after 8 if them, I'd stay they're stuck with me for the next 8 weeks.

Believe it or not, today was actually good. For the first day yet, NO students written up and NO parent phone calls. I turned in my attendance, prepared my lesson plans, and still left school by 2:30! Are they getting the message? I think so, but no promises yet.

One month now that we've been home from Peru. Hard to believe. I'm grateful for this job and hope to have a minute to say more soon!

Assault. Sexual harrassment. 6 or 7 students referred to the office. About 25 parent phone calls. It has been a looooooooong day in a number of ways, beginning with the fact that I went in at 6:30 am and left at 5:30 pm. Nonetheless, I got all my work done and emerged alive. Tomorrow morning I will speak with the school police officer about pressing charges against one of my students. Keep me in your prayers.

Yesterday in church we sang the hymn This Is My Father's World. I tried to remember that today as I walked into the classroom. I don't have to cower in fear. This classroom belongs to Him and He put me there today to accomplish something.

This is my Father's world,
and to my listening ears
all nature sings, and round me rings
the music of the spheres.
This is my Father's world:
I rest me in the thought
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas;
his hand the wonders wrought.

This is my Father's world,
the birds their carols raise,
the morning light, the lily white,
declare their maker's praise.
This is my Father's world:
he shines in all that's fair;
in the rustling grass I hear him pass;
he speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father's world.
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!

Let me say too that despite some of the odd incidents today, each day is better than the last. The majority of the students are getting the picture that I'm not here to mess around and that they'd better get to work. I appreciate their willingness to do that and am hopeful that I can soon provide a safe, productive, positive learning environment for them.

• Time I have to sign in: 6:45
• Time it takes to drive to work: 2 minutes max
  
• Cell phones collected: 4
• Attempted parent phone calls on first day: 17
• Parents reached: 6
• Times I almost cried in class: 1
• Times I did cry at home: 1
• Time teaching my first day before the first student was sent out: 3 minutes
• Total students: 69
• Black students: 37
• Hispanic students: 21
• Asian students: 6
• "Multi" students: 3
• White students: 2
• Number of boxers I've seen: too many to count
• "Good" kids I've encountered: a majority

I will be working for my paycheck this month! This is no cake walk (mmmm... where can I find a good cake walk these days?).

This is the kind of school where they send Teach for America teachers (college scholarships in exchange for teaching at America's lowest schools). This is the kind of school that foreign teachers end up in when they apply through "work in America" programs. This place is tough. It's totally like in all the teacher movies, except don't expect me to work any of those miracles in the next two months.

Nonetheless, let me say that it has gone better than my first year teaching and better than when I had to take over another teacher's classes in the middle of the year (2006). Is it me? I'm not sure. Could also be the small class size. It doesn't seem like attendance is a high priority for these kids. I just keep remembering that I've been through a lot worse than this. It's proof to me that I can make it.

They've asked me a million times why I came to teach here, and I get a chance to tell them about my passion for compassion, for working with Latinos, and for teaching. They're curious about my background, my experience, my life. It's the first time I haven't had anything to hide from my students (even if before all I had to hide was my age and lack of experience).

I'm trying to remember as I battle through these days that I'm an ambassador for Christ, Profesora Murray on a Mission. I go with His strength and His purposes, to love every person with a supernatural capacity for mercy and grace. I'm pretty sure some of my students don't see that yet! But I know that within a month things will calm down some.

On a positive note, I want to report that the ESL teacher (from Spain) and all of the Hispanic students assumed that I was a native Spanish speaker after talking with me! The students in particular just kept asking more questions to try to figure out why in the world I speak fluently. Where are you from? Yeah, but, where were you born? Yeah, but, where are your parents from? What?! You're American?As you can imagine, I'm floored. Way to make my day. I've been working on learning Spanish for half of my life, and I'm so happy to know that it's showing.

I think I heard about this band at the infamous toolshed party a week ago. Now I find out they're playing at the Neighborhood Theater on Friday night! Tim will be in Austin visiting Phil and Christal, but basically I'm going to this concert whether I can find a friend or not! I'm super excited. If you're in Charlotte and free, let me know. And regardless, you'd better check out this fascinating YouTube video.

I officially got the job this afternoon! I'm starting next Thursday as the one and only foreign language (Spanish) teacher at the Garinger Business and Finance School.
The pros: close enough to walk or bike, normal schedule, two decent paychecks, an opportunity to do what I love, a chance to love and discipline tough kids, meeting new people (coworkers) in Charlotte
The cons: tough kids, it's only two months, no benefits (bah)

We bought a car yesterday and a washer and dryer today. Busy! Both are pre-loved, and I think they will be good solutions for us. Mostly I'm just glad to be done stalking Craigslist.

Yesterday we had a consultation with a dog trainer. Our dogs just don't have good enough manners for Charlotte, and we're looking for some help. Not sure yet what we'll do, but I did learn that Ellie has some dominance (but not aggression) issues. Immediately this morning I started correcting her every time she did something I didn't like, and I have seen an instant change in her. I'm not kidding. I think she just needed some structure maybe. We'll see where that goes.

Got my hands on some rhubarb, and Tim made a strawberry rhubarb pie yesterday! Wowsers! The US has some awesome treats. 

By the way, here are some good people I've run into recently in Charlotte:
Used appliances: JS Appliances 704-719-6600 (Call ahead or you'll never find it. It's sort of a sketchy location, but the appliances were good if you're willing to go! He buys them from foreclosed homes.)
Mechanic: Charlotte Star Service, 4225 Monroe Rd. 704-332-4111 (they specifically service Mercedes and BMWs)
Consignment stores: JLC Wearhouse 1117 Pecan Ave, JT Posh 2400 Park Rd. Suite 2-A, Consign by Design 739 Providence Rd., Men's: Revolve 339 Circle Ave Suite 1
Alterations: Anna's Alterations (already knew about this and LOVE it)

Any one know a good but inexpensive dog trainer in the area?

This morning on my dog walk I met a family waiting for the bus, ran into Jessica walking with her dog Lucy, and said hello to Mark as he ran by. That's what I'm looking for as I seek to create a life more central to where I live. I want to see people I know and know people I see. I want to live in a place where people are outside and talk to each other, where my neighbors aren't so far away that I can avoid chatting when we're both getting out of our cars.

I missed that about Pucallpa before I left even. Our sweet little next door neighbors were so close that the 2 year old twins would stand in their window in the morning and greet me as I sat on my couch in my own living room reading the Bible. When Tim sneezed, they laughed. Just a few steps further away were our friends Marshall, David, Rachael, and her David. Plenty of people to borrow eggs from, catch a ride with, and run to when we need a listening ear.

I'm blessed still to live in a neighborhood where that's a possibility. Two ridiculous dogs are helping us make friends, but in general it's a pretty friendly place. It's fun to be on a street with people speaking all kinds of languages and paying all kinds of mortgages and rents. I appreciate that our community walks places, and that there are places to go nearby. I'm not sure how I feel about gentrification in general, but for now, I'm enjoying how eclectic our neighborhood is.

I mostly got a job! There are a few pieces of my application that need to be completed for HR to officially offer me the job, but the principal at a nearby high school asked HR to hire me as an end-of-year Spanish teacher. I don't expect that this will be an easy 2 months, but I'm happy nonetheless at the prospect of having a normal schedule and getting a normal (ish) paycheck. It's been a long time. More about the specific job/school when it's official!

In other news...

• It's 80 degrees in our house and feels perfect to me. I wouldn't dream of calling this hot. On the other hand, I'm a little nervous about August if this is what early April feels like.
• Tim had a pre-interview this morning for a possibly good job. I actually haven't gotten to hear yet about how it went (other than "well"). Please pray for the next steps! 
• The dogs are adjusting well to being home, but I got some dirty looks today when Ellie was wandering peacefully around the local playground. I asked my friend about it, and she confirmed that big dogs off leashes aren't really kosher.
• I washed a car for the first time ever this morning. Then I got on a roll and started washing the shingles and posts of our house. Spring cleaning!
• We're hoping to buy our own car this week and have some good leads. Maybe I'll have something to report there soon!
• I made baked sweet potatoes and ratatouille for dinner last night. When we sat down to our first me-cooked meal since we got here, it felt so normal. Amazing how long (and wonderful, really) 3 weeks without cooking turns out to be.
• Tim bought me Easter tulips, and they're brightening up my whole life from the dining room table.
• We went by Gordon Conwell (seminary) yesterday to pick up books and get me ready for summer classes. I'm really excited about some of the courses that are being offered this summer!
• All the new (to us) folks at our church have been super gracious and welcoming. I'm really excited to get to know many of them and am hopeful for making meaningful new friendships.

Met a couple of ironic white rappers, a cute girl who kissed my hand, and Dylan the whippet. Discussed jewelry making, professional DJing, and the perfect mashed potatoes. Learned that underwear can be an accessory. Drank beer from a can. Came home, put on my Lilly Pulitzer pajamas, and went to sleep.

If I ever wanted to meet people who were different than me (and I do), I did it last night!

Blogging time seems to be scarce, so I'll take this 10 minute window to mention what's going on with us tonight.

Both Tim and I have a huge desire to connect more with people in Charlotte than we did in the past-- deeper relationships, friends that aren't necessarily like us, especially people in our neighborhood. As I looked at my to-do list the other day and saw that it was mostly people I needed to call or email back, I realized that I'm not making relationships a priority in my schedule. I want to bring my schedule and my values into agreement.

This weekend has been good for that. My brother came to visit last night and today, which was super fun. Hanging out with him is always so low-key in a great way, and I like showing him around my life. Plus his awesome dog came, too.

Friday night we hung out with my friend Julie (from Davidson) and some of her Charlotte folks. Taking social risks (like going to her house when she's the only one we know) is not really my strong suit, but I'm so glad we did it anyway. I really enjoyed reconnecting with her and meeting some of the people she loves.

Tonight we had dinner with Thadd and Laura, friends from our cross-cultural training who are now in Charlotte after 2 years as missionaries in Germany. What a gift to spend time with others who are going through what we're experiencing and understand the ups and downs, ins and outs.

Getting out of our car in our driveway just now, our neighbors invited us over for a little party of sorts in their backyard. Bed is calling my name, but I had just asked Tim this afternoon how he thought we could get to know these guys. They beat me to the punch. I'm glad for the chance, even if it means delaying my date with my pillow.

So off we go to chill with the neighbors. Pray for us in particular as we seek to meet new people in our neighborhood and share our lives. And let me know if you have any wisdom or ideas for me!

Tuesday night we had the privilege of attending a vision dinner at Carmel Country Club for a local Christian foundation in Charlotte affiliated with the National Christian Foundation. You may remember NCF if you knew Tim in 2006 or 2007, because it's about all he could talk about for those two years. The dinner Tuesday night was held to present the idea of a locally based and focused "chapter" of NCF that would encourage philanthropy in Charlotte and help fund local ministries. Pretty exciting.

As we expected, we were the youngest people in the room by 5-10 years. It was largely a gathering of Christian financial planners and big givers, coming together to dream about how to make a difference with their money and lives. I think I had forgotten the passion for transforming Charlotte that was brought to the table on Tuesday night. What a blessing to be part of this evening and be reminded of my calling not just to the world but to my own community.

Ron Blue, the founder of NCF and a noted Christian leader in the world of finances, spoke on the way the biblical story of Nehemiah gives light to this calling to a city. He mentioned that we need to be "out there" far enough to experience some fear. I'm reminded as I write of one of Tim's tee shirts that I folded this afternoon that says "Confesso que vivi -- P. Neruda" (I confess that I have lived -- Pablo Neruda-- and I think it's in Portuguese if you're wondering why I spelled my Spanish so poorly!). I want to come to the end of my day and the end of my life ready to say that with confidence.

How can I use my time, my talents, and my treasure to make a difference in Charlotte? How can I contribute to the growth of God's kingdom here? How can I reach out in compassion to people with deep physical, social, spiritual, or financial needs? I'm not sure, but I'm glad for the reminder to ask the questions.

As a side note and an update, I had two interviews yesterday at nearby schools that serve very low-income kids. I'm hopeful and also heartened, if that's a word. These are tough student populations, and I know that kids who haven't eaten since yesterday's free school lunch aren't necessarily going to be the most motivated to talk about conjugating verbs. That's okay with me. I love teaching but I know it's only valuable because people are valuable. I hope that my offering can make a difference in their lives.

I mentioned before that I was surprised by the degree to which America has "gone green" in our absence. I'm not exactly sure what to think, because I imagine that part of this is a passing trend and that much of the propaganda is actually aimed at increasing consumption (sneaky companies). Nonetheless, I've been challenged as I consider my role in caring for this earth that God put me on.

With that in mind, we've been doing "green" shopping-- not buying energy efficient appliances per se but hitting the consignment shops, thrift stores, and yard sales. It's exciting to think that instead of buying new things that increase production and therefore pollution, we can give new life to cast offs. So far we've picked up a couch, some awesome jeans, a salad spinner, and about everything in between. While some of this shopping may end up as a waste of time (and gas!) for people who have most of what they need, it's pretty productive for us as we look to restock our wardrobe and home.

I'm looking forward to a spring of yard sale-ing as well as a new season of prayerfully considering the decisions they make and what God would want from me in the details of my life. Let me know if you have any ideas or guidance!