To and Fro with Jess and Dro.
I know, I know.... its been a year since I have last updated. Pathetic. But so much has happened this last year that I just cant wait another moment to share. I am finally stealing away a few moments to save my memories here.
This past year I taught 2nd grade at an amazing school called Tortuga Preserve Elementary. As if I didn't love teaching enough from my first year, I fell more in love with it this past year. I was hesitant at first and intimidated because I was not only changing schools but also moving grade levels from 3rd to 2nd. Who would've known that I was definitely EXACTLY where I was supposed to be. This year was the very first, pioneering year of TPE and it was super cool to get to be a part of opening a new school. The administration at that school love Jesus and are just to die for! My fellow teammates and coworkers are also outstanding and I know I have made friends for life! I have known and loved the most amazing set of 19 world changers this year. I am obsessed with my 7-8 year old kiddos. Each of them so unique, all growing tremendously in heart and academic success. Together they have changed my life in a tremendous way. It was an honor and privilege to be creative in my teaching and do life with them everyday.
My teaching the past two years has completely enabled Pedro and I to fund Hope In Motion! Pedro has been able to focus on traveling, speaking and playing music and it has been awesome to see how God has provided. On top of everything else he does, Pedro also worked for a non profit called the Height Foundation for 6 months at the beginning of the year doing consulting and program building for them. It was a crazy busy and extremely exhausting time for us but we were able to save up to be gone all summer. This past summer we have spent the entire two months (minus a little travel in between) being based out of Los Angeles, CA. Pedro spoke at conferences and camps all over FL and we celebrated our 3 year marriage anniversary in San Francisco! It has always been a dream of mine to pursue acting and music in LA so I got to do a bit of that this summer. We also pursued some business partnerships for Hope In Motion out there and got together a game plan for what the next year will hold.
We have decided to follow our hearts completely this upcoming year in what we feel like he is prompting and leading us to do with Hope In Motion. We have decided it best that I not teach full time this upcoming year so that I can travel with Pedro. We are focusing our efforts on fundraising, like missionaries do, in order to be able to reach as many students with a message of hope as possible. The truth is, bullying is in every area of these kids lives (home, school, friendships, etc) and we have to do something about it! We want kids to know that it is totally okay to be who they are, whoever that may be. We want to encourage students to dream big and make their lives count. Our job is to encourage our future generation to not just let their voices be heard but for their voices to positive and world-changing. We are so excited about the task God has given us. We'd be lying if we said we weren't nervous though. We know that God's vision is so much greater than our own and that his ways don't always make sense to our human minds. We are definitely stepping into unchartered waters and don't have all of our questions answered. But we rest in the confidence that wherever the Lord asks us to go and whatever he sets before us to do, He will go with us.
There are great things ahead in La Vida LaTorre so stay tuned and stay praying! Thank you for caring, thank you for supporting and thank you for loving us!
As always,
Your Favorite Nomad Newlyweds
