Teacher's pet!

I got a pet yesterday!  Well, actually its for my class.  But they don't know yet, and he's spending the weekend with me. 
Introducing... yet to be named turtle!! 



I love his shell pattern!  He's so tiny and cute!



His home-- complete with a ramp to get him from land to water.

My kids are going to freak out!  I just hope he stays alive through the year.  And that I don't get too attatched :)  He's adorable!  I'll have to let you know what the kids choose for its name.

I'm very thankful for Nameless Turtle.  He has brought a little light and joy.  Our apartment situation has been grim lately.  Basically our landlady doesn't like us and won't give us what she promised us and its kind of a big mess.    And our apartment is falling apart around us.... our gas ran out on Friday and she told us that she can be the only one to change it.... but here's the kicker... she's out of town until "Monday", although who knows when she will finally get around to helping us.  And until then we are unable to cook anything.    And then yesterday morning around 6:30 AM I was woken up to loud banging/kicking sounds against our complex gate.  Which subsequently fell of its hinges and went crashing to the ground later that afternoon. 

Other things to be thankful for?  Well, I'll start with the opportunity I've been given to co-lead the I Am Service  club for the elementary students at school.   Since coming to Guatemala, I've been wanting to get more involved in serving the community.  We had our first meeting last week, and we brainstormed ideas for what we could do this year to help our school and community.  It was a little sad, yet encouraging to hear these mostly first and second graders pinpoint most of the major issues in their community.  Poverty, people on the streets, vandalism, pollution, and the list goes on.  But their ambitious ideas were wonderful to hear.  And the fact that they recognize that there are lots of opportunities to serve.  Sometimes I worry that the population of kids that go to our school have no idea of what goes on around them.   But some of them really, really do. 

In closing, a few extra pics I had lying around to share.



View from my apartment




Updated view of the living room/kitchen in the apartment