It’s been a great summer in Atlanta – seeing family and
catching up with friends, getting back into my favorite hobbies, and giving
myself some downtime to relax. I’m very grateful for the two months I’ve had to
recharge and enjoy quality time with familiar faces. But it’s almost time to
head out again!
School starts back the last week of August, but staff duties
start back the week before: we have classrooms to prep for new and returning
students and the start of a new year! I’m praying to return to Prague the
weekend of August 18th, which continues to creep closer
and closer – how is it August already? In addition to getting back into the
swing of school, I’ll be moving into a new flat (hopefully… still working on
finding one!) Searching for a new apartment is an endeavor in itself, and looking
for one across the ocean is a whole other game. I’m trying not to get too
stressed or discouraged by leads that don’t pan out. Trusting that the right
place is out there and waiting for me!
These last few weeks home are getting busier and busier, and
while I’m not looking forward to saying goodbyes again, I’m continually more
and more excited to return to CISP. My heart is in Prague right now, and I’m still
so thankful that God relocated me there. Even amid transition difficulties and
cultural adjustment, it remains a huge blessing to be living and working there.
I’m continually amazed by our sweet students, and I'm surprised by how much I’ve missed them this summer!
Do teachers usually miss their students during summer break? It’s a new
feeling, but it’s a great feeling.
I don’t yet know which class I’ll be working with, and I don’t
expect to know until we’re a couple weeks into the semester. It will depend
largely on which elementary class has a larger number of kids learning English,
and therefore which class needs the extra hands. I would be excited to work
with a new group of first graders, but also love the idea of continuing to work
with many of my kids who will now be in second! I’m excited to see how it turns
out.
Support raising is a big task again, and I’m continuing to
work to build my team for this upcoming year. Of course, any gift is a blessing,
but moving into a full year of ministry, I particularly need supporters who are
able to give financial support monthly. If you are interested in helping to support me or would
like to know more about it, please ask me! I’d love to tell you more and invite
you to join my team. Shoot me a Facebook message or an email and I’ll do my
best to answer quickly (Facebook: Catherine Chaney, email: cchaney@teachbeyond.org.)
I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who partnered to
get me to CISP in February for this past semester. It was an experience and a
blessing that I can’t explain. I feel so honored and humbled by your
outpourings of encouragement, prayer, and love, and I wish I had better words
to express how grateful I am. Thank you for believing in me and being a part of this journey with me!
