Well, if the amount of blogs I've posted this year is any indication to you, I've been very busy! I feel as though my life has gone through some ups and downs in the past few months, and I'm not sure if it's at the point of stabilizing yet or not!
But before I get to all that, let me fill you in on what's been going on:
~School has been going very well. I still have a struggle with my oldest and biggest class. They really like to talk and there are a few people who try to push the envelope every day. It is difficult to keep them in check without feeling like I'm riding them every single moment. Although they may drive me crazy at times, I don't want them to feel that I'm against them or don't like them, because that is certainly not the case!
The most interesting thing that has happened recently is that we just had Spirit Week last week, which I coordinated again this year. It went very well, although there was some complaints about the fairness of the judging. Of course. :o) Each day was a different theme, and each day the teams had a competition. Monday was clash day, and each team had to come up with a team name and team poster. Tuesday was backwards day, and each team had to spell their name by standing in the form of the letters...but they had to do it backwards. Wednesday was PJ day, and the teams created lullabies. Thursday was Nerd/Jock day, and there were some very creative cheers performed. And Friday was Prom/Dress-up day and we had the final awards ceremony. It was quite a blast! To see pictures of the week, click here.
~In the church realm, things are also going well. About a month ago we moved to another venue that is a little bit bigger and a lot a bit nicer! :o) I think there are still a few kinks to work out, but all in all it's going well. I have joined the worship team this year, and my first week we sang one of the few songs that are difficult for me!! It's so fast and jams so many words in. But I practiced a lot and got it pretty well down...Although I've forgotten it since then! :o) The building project is moving along, although I'm not sure at what pace. They are going to start pouring the concrete for the third floor sometime in the next week, and the building should be roofed by the end of June, so they say. After that, if I understand correctly, the hired workers will be finished and work teams will come to finish it up. I believe they're hoping to have work teams that consist of some people who know how to do construction work (electricity, plumbing, etc), instead of JUST a pair of willing hands...although we need those too!
~In other areas of my life, I'm keeping quite busy. I have a good group of American friends here this semester, and we get together regularly. About half of them would be pretty homesick and a little sad if we didn't keep them busy, so in a way, I view it as a ministry. I mean, it's fun and they're friends, but it does take up a lot of my time to keep them entertained! :o) We all took a trip to Argentina together to renew some visas, and I tagged along for fun and to help translate. It was a quick little trip, but very fun and relaxing.
I'm also getting closer with a few Chileans, and there are one or two in particular that I'm quite close to. And talking with them certainly helps my Spanish!
I've also gotten a trainer with another friend of mine. He's the brother of a girl in my church, and he studied that kind of thing in college. So he comes over every Monday to see our progress, and my friend and I work out 2 other days a week without him. I'm actually enjoying it and can already see some results. So, yay!
~Ok, now to the part that I mentioned at the beginning, about all the confusion and uproar in my life. Well, as I mentioned in a previous post, I had decided that this was my last semester here. But I would stay until September to help out, work at the building project, and say my goodbyes. When I told all this to my "boss," he refused to accept it and told me I'd realize one day that God wants me to stay! :o) He's quite the guy. The rest of the field team and my friends and roommates all made frequent comments about wanting me to stay. It distressed me for awhile because I felt that I was doing what God wanted, and it would be hard enough to leave as it is, and that was just making it worse! So I smiled and rolled my eyes when people said anything and left it at that. Well, in the past month or so I've begun to see the desperate straits the school is in for teachers next year. We have many people leaving, and they're having a hard time replacing them all. And since I teach so many classes, I was leaving behind a big hole as well. So I started thinking, praying, and talking to my parents and a few other people. It started to become clear to me that I should probably stay...I already have my support raised for half the semester, so I figured it wouldn't be hard to just tack on an extra 2 and a half months. So I emailed some supporters, and it all worked out perfectly. I told my "boss" last weekend, and it felt relieving and peaceful to say it and admit it. This is how I feel when I've decided something that is God's will for me. It's always a great feeling. So, I've been somewhat of a hero this week, from field team and students and roommates alike. Although, many people are already joking about me staying a whole year!! They never let it go! :o)
So, I will still be coming home in early October for 2 weeks for a good friend's wedding (one of the conditions of me staying), and then I'll come home for good in December. This actually works out quite well, because now I can bring a lot of my clothes and things home in October which will make packing sooooo much easier in December!!
Ok, well that brings us up to date. I will try very hard to keep posting more regularly. I'm sorry about my negligence!
Thank you all for your support and prayers over the past 2 years. Keep it coming, please! :o)
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Oops!
I had no idea that it's been so long since I've blogged! I apologize profusely!
Well, apparently I have a lot to catch you up on, so let's see what I can do. :o)
~The school year started off really well. We had a retreat at school the first weekend for the students, and it was a great time of bonding, learning, and playing. I was staying in one of the apartments with the high school girls, and the other teacher was in another apartment with the junior high girls. I was really hoping that this would be a good time for me to connect with some of the girls, especially those who have had attitude problems in the past, knowing that overnighters tend to involve "girl talk." :o) Well, it worked to some extent. I tried not to push myself into the conversation, but the girls willingly involved me, to the point of suggesting I bring my bed into the room too so I could relax as we talked. At one point, the girl that I've mentioned before who had a spiritual revival at camp, apologized to me for something that had happened last semester. She said she understood now why I felt and acted the way I did. The next day, the retreat leader had all the kids say what they appreciated or learned during the retreat, and this girl mentioned it was nice to get to know people better, like me for example. She said she now understands why I do what I do, because if she were a teacher she'd probably act the same way. And one of the other students told me that girl said, "You know what I realized? Miss Kelly's actually kinda cool." Progress! It's still been a bit of a struggle in class since then, because although she has had an attitude adjustment, she still has some teenage things to grow out of. She has very strong opinions about everything and isn't afraid to voice them, and this often is done through complaining. She still talks almost nonstop during class, and that's a constant source of frustration for me. We're working on it though.
~The teaching staff is quite bare-bones this semester, so we're all really busy. It's been going really well though, and we all get along quite nicely. I'm kind of the veteran teacher in the high school now. There is one other teacher who has been here longer, but he only comes in 2 1/2 days a week. So, since I'm ALWAYS there, I'm kind of the pointman of the high school. For the most part I like this role, but it did frustrate me after being gone for a week and a half, coming back and being asked questions or being expected to do things I had no idea about because I wasn't here!
~That brings me to my next point. For those of you who don't know, I had an unexpected and very brief visit to the States last week. My uncle passed away very suddenly, and I felt that it was very necessary to go to be with my family. I was very close to him, and it's still difficult for me to think about him being gone, to realize that he won't be at family get-togethers anymore. I almost can't believe it. But going up for the funeral helped, and it was so nice to be with my family and reminisce about my uncle. I think we spent more time laughing at my uncle's antics and odd quirks than crying for our loss. We definitely did cry, and we all felt his departure keenly, but he was such a fun-loving jokster that it was hard not to have plenty of things to laugh about too. I will miss him so much, and I look forward to the day I will join him in praising our Lord in heaven!
~As I was on the plane on the way back to Chile, I got very sick. It started with a bad headache and nausea and then moved into light-headedness and general weakness. This is NOT something fun to deal with while traveling. Needless to say, it was the worst traveling experience of my life. And I was all alone. Luckily I had 3 seats on the plane and could lay down. I didn't eat anything and could only keep down tea or ginger ale. When we landed in Chile, I knew there was no way I'd be able to walk and wait in all the lines at customs, so I requested a wheelchair. I felt like SUCH an idiot being rolled around the airport, but at least I didn't have to wait in any lines! :o) I got home, literally collapsed into bed, and slept for another 6 hours. Needless to say, I was NOT going into work the next day. So I tried to send instructions for a substitute, and spent all day Tuesday in bed as well. By then I was able to keep down some bread and chicken soup, and of course, the ever-present hot tea. Wednesday I got up to get ready for work, and I was feeling WORSE than the day before. It took me a little while to realize what had happened, but I had caught a cold on top of the stomach bug. So even though I was no longer nauseous, when you haven't eaten in 3 days, a cold wipes you out pretty well! So I went back to bed, very frustrated that I STILL wasn't getting back to work. I knew things would be more difficult the longer I was gone--both for my sub and for me when I got back! So Thursday I dragged myself to school (in a taxi since there was NO way I could survive public transportation) and taught my classes sitting down with a mug of tea in my hands. When I got back to school I was inundated with hugs and comments about how skinny I looked. I explained to them that that's what happens when you don't eat for 4 days. As it is, my stomach is settled, but very small, so I can't eat very much without feeling full or even sick if I push it too much. So I'm still not eating very much, but at least I'm eating. I'm still a little low on the energy level and get tired easily, and I have a pesky cough that won't go away. Other than that, I'm fit as a fiddle. :o) However, I do have PILES of work on my desk. I have a friend helping me, but she can only do so much. So I'm just going to plug away at it and not be stressed. But I still have all of the regular work to do too, so I'm going to be very busy for awhile!
~Ok, I think that about brings us up to speed. I have some exciting things coming up in school, in travel plans, in my social calendar. And Easter is coming up, as you know, and so I'm hoping to be able to invite a new friend to church. Pray for me that I'll be able to find an opportunity to invite him and that he'll be open to coming. I'm making more and more friends here, some American and some Chilean, and I feel that I'm getting more and more ingrained in life here in Chile....which is not going to be helpful when it comes time to leave in September! I have so many people who want me to stay here, for various reasons, both social and work related. It's very difficult, and at times I'm very confused as to what God has for me. So there's another prayer request...Wisdom! Guidance! Clarity on His direction! And peace and strength to follow through. Whichever way I choose, I'll be leaving someone and something behind. I have two lives (Santiago and NJ), and I can't live both, but I don't want to give either of them up!!
Well, it's been a long post. I tried to give you the highlights. I will try to not neglect you all for so long in the future! Thanks for reading!
Well, apparently I have a lot to catch you up on, so let's see what I can do. :o)
~The school year started off really well. We had a retreat at school the first weekend for the students, and it was a great time of bonding, learning, and playing. I was staying in one of the apartments with the high school girls, and the other teacher was in another apartment with the junior high girls. I was really hoping that this would be a good time for me to connect with some of the girls, especially those who have had attitude problems in the past, knowing that overnighters tend to involve "girl talk." :o) Well, it worked to some extent. I tried not to push myself into the conversation, but the girls willingly involved me, to the point of suggesting I bring my bed into the room too so I could relax as we talked. At one point, the girl that I've mentioned before who had a spiritual revival at camp, apologized to me for something that had happened last semester. She said she understood now why I felt and acted the way I did. The next day, the retreat leader had all the kids say what they appreciated or learned during the retreat, and this girl mentioned it was nice to get to know people better, like me for example. She said she now understands why I do what I do, because if she were a teacher she'd probably act the same way. And one of the other students told me that girl said, "You know what I realized? Miss Kelly's actually kinda cool." Progress! It's still been a bit of a struggle in class since then, because although she has had an attitude adjustment, she still has some teenage things to grow out of. She has very strong opinions about everything and isn't afraid to voice them, and this often is done through complaining. She still talks almost nonstop during class, and that's a constant source of frustration for me. We're working on it though.
~The teaching staff is quite bare-bones this semester, so we're all really busy. It's been going really well though, and we all get along quite nicely. I'm kind of the veteran teacher in the high school now. There is one other teacher who has been here longer, but he only comes in 2 1/2 days a week. So, since I'm ALWAYS there, I'm kind of the pointman of the high school. For the most part I like this role, but it did frustrate me after being gone for a week and a half, coming back and being asked questions or being expected to do things I had no idea about because I wasn't here!
~That brings me to my next point. For those of you who don't know, I had an unexpected and very brief visit to the States last week. My uncle passed away very suddenly, and I felt that it was very necessary to go to be with my family. I was very close to him, and it's still difficult for me to think about him being gone, to realize that he won't be at family get-togethers anymore. I almost can't believe it. But going up for the funeral helped, and it was so nice to be with my family and reminisce about my uncle. I think we spent more time laughing at my uncle's antics and odd quirks than crying for our loss. We definitely did cry, and we all felt his departure keenly, but he was such a fun-loving jokster that it was hard not to have plenty of things to laugh about too. I will miss him so much, and I look forward to the day I will join him in praising our Lord in heaven!
~As I was on the plane on the way back to Chile, I got very sick. It started with a bad headache and nausea and then moved into light-headedness and general weakness. This is NOT something fun to deal with while traveling. Needless to say, it was the worst traveling experience of my life. And I was all alone. Luckily I had 3 seats on the plane and could lay down. I didn't eat anything and could only keep down tea or ginger ale. When we landed in Chile, I knew there was no way I'd be able to walk and wait in all the lines at customs, so I requested a wheelchair. I felt like SUCH an idiot being rolled around the airport, but at least I didn't have to wait in any lines! :o) I got home, literally collapsed into bed, and slept for another 6 hours. Needless to say, I was NOT going into work the next day. So I tried to send instructions for a substitute, and spent all day Tuesday in bed as well. By then I was able to keep down some bread and chicken soup, and of course, the ever-present hot tea. Wednesday I got up to get ready for work, and I was feeling WORSE than the day before. It took me a little while to realize what had happened, but I had caught a cold on top of the stomach bug. So even though I was no longer nauseous, when you haven't eaten in 3 days, a cold wipes you out pretty well! So I went back to bed, very frustrated that I STILL wasn't getting back to work. I knew things would be more difficult the longer I was gone--both for my sub and for me when I got back! So Thursday I dragged myself to school (in a taxi since there was NO way I could survive public transportation) and taught my classes sitting down with a mug of tea in my hands. When I got back to school I was inundated with hugs and comments about how skinny I looked. I explained to them that that's what happens when you don't eat for 4 days. As it is, my stomach is settled, but very small, so I can't eat very much without feeling full or even sick if I push it too much. So I'm still not eating very much, but at least I'm eating. I'm still a little low on the energy level and get tired easily, and I have a pesky cough that won't go away. Other than that, I'm fit as a fiddle. :o) However, I do have PILES of work on my desk. I have a friend helping me, but she can only do so much. So I'm just going to plug away at it and not be stressed. But I still have all of the regular work to do too, so I'm going to be very busy for awhile!
~Ok, I think that about brings us up to speed. I have some exciting things coming up in school, in travel plans, in my social calendar. And Easter is coming up, as you know, and so I'm hoping to be able to invite a new friend to church. Pray for me that I'll be able to find an opportunity to invite him and that he'll be open to coming. I'm making more and more friends here, some American and some Chilean, and I feel that I'm getting more and more ingrained in life here in Chile....which is not going to be helpful when it comes time to leave in September! I have so many people who want me to stay here, for various reasons, both social and work related. It's very difficult, and at times I'm very confused as to what God has for me. So there's another prayer request...Wisdom! Guidance! Clarity on His direction! And peace and strength to follow through. Whichever way I choose, I'll be leaving someone and something behind. I have two lives (Santiago and NJ), and I can't live both, but I don't want to give either of them up!!
Well, it's been a long post. I tried to give you the highlights. I will try to not neglect you all for so long in the future! Thanks for reading!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
And here we go again!
Well, the summer has flown by, as it tends to do I suppose. I spent a few whirlwind weeks at home for the Christmas holidays, had a few relaxing weeks when I returned, and then had several more whirlwind weeks as I went on several trips. I went down south (by myself! a first for me) and spent a few days at a beautiful little town on a lake, then took a "cruise" (and I use that term loosely...we traveled with cows!) down to the northern most glacier in Chile. It was so beautiful. Then I went to a beach town with a Chilean friend and stayed with a Chilean family. None of them spoke English, so it was 24/7 Spanish. I did pretty well! I can hold my own in Spanish now, but there are still soooo many words I don't know, and there are still plenty of times I don't know the best way grammatically to say something, and when a group of Chileans gets together, I still get lost amidst their rapid-fire conversation. But practice makes perfect, right? Then my parents came down for a visit. We spent a few days in Santiago (where my poor dad was pick pocketed!), a few days in Peru to visit Macchu Pichu (honestly one of the most beautiful areas, in my humble opinion), and a few days in a beach town in Chile. I had anywhere from half a day to a day and a half between all these trips. That's it!
My parents left, I had one day to recuperate, and then it was on to teacher inservice! It's been a busy week (and has felt oh-so-much longer than it actually was), but I'm FINALLY ready for classes to begin on Monday. I'm excited to see what God will bring. We have very few teachers this semester, so everyone is pretty busy. But I think it's going to be a fun and productive semester (what a combination!).
I guess now is as good a time to tell you as any... The last several months I've been feeling a shift within me, some unrest and uncertainty. And being at home for Christmas only helped to intensify those feelings. Then I came back to Chile, and my first week or two was very difficult for me as I faced some unexpected challenges. I actually went through something akin to depression, although it wasn't nearly so severe. Needless to say, all those factors put together led me to pray more fervently and specifically about my future in Chile and my future in general. I've spoken with a couple of people I trust as well, and I feel that God is leading me back home. So as of right now, the plan is to remain here until the end of September. I told Duane Cross, the school administrator, the other day, and he wasn't willing to accept my news. He's sure I should stay and has mentioned some ways he sees my changing my role in Chile, at least for another year or so! I promised him I'd pray about it though. So I will. :o)
What will I do when I get back? Well, I'm praying about that as well. I'm looking into getting my teaching certificate, although I'm still not 100% sure that's where God is leading me. It looks like it, but it's too soon to tell. I don't make these decisions quickly, that's for sure! So when I know, I'll let you know! :o)
So, here are a few prayer requests as my last semester in Chile begins.
1. Wisdom as I try to discern where God is leading me.
2. The wisdom (again!) and sensitivity to be able to connect with some of the students I haven't been able to so far.
3. We have one student, Kimmy, who has had some struggles spiritually in the past and has been quite a handful at times. She went to camp this summer and came back a changed person, as her mother informs me. So pray that she'll be able to stick with it, and that she'll be able to trust me enough to help her grow.
I guess that's it for now. I'll keep it kind-of-short and relatively-sweet. I could tell you so many stories of my summer adventures, but I'll just stick to the important, informational stuff (although hopefully not boring!) for now. Until next time...
My parents left, I had one day to recuperate, and then it was on to teacher inservice! It's been a busy week (and has felt oh-so-much longer than it actually was), but I'm FINALLY ready for classes to begin on Monday. I'm excited to see what God will bring. We have very few teachers this semester, so everyone is pretty busy. But I think it's going to be a fun and productive semester (what a combination!).
I guess now is as good a time to tell you as any... The last several months I've been feeling a shift within me, some unrest and uncertainty. And being at home for Christmas only helped to intensify those feelings. Then I came back to Chile, and my first week or two was very difficult for me as I faced some unexpected challenges. I actually went through something akin to depression, although it wasn't nearly so severe. Needless to say, all those factors put together led me to pray more fervently and specifically about my future in Chile and my future in general. I've spoken with a couple of people I trust as well, and I feel that God is leading me back home. So as of right now, the plan is to remain here until the end of September. I told Duane Cross, the school administrator, the other day, and he wasn't willing to accept my news. He's sure I should stay and has mentioned some ways he sees my changing my role in Chile, at least for another year or so! I promised him I'd pray about it though. So I will. :o)
What will I do when I get back? Well, I'm praying about that as well. I'm looking into getting my teaching certificate, although I'm still not 100% sure that's where God is leading me. It looks like it, but it's too soon to tell. I don't make these decisions quickly, that's for sure! So when I know, I'll let you know! :o)
So, here are a few prayer requests as my last semester in Chile begins.
1. Wisdom as I try to discern where God is leading me.
2. The wisdom (again!) and sensitivity to be able to connect with some of the students I haven't been able to so far.
3. We have one student, Kimmy, who has had some struggles spiritually in the past and has been quite a handful at times. She went to camp this summer and came back a changed person, as her mother informs me. So pray that she'll be able to stick with it, and that she'll be able to trust me enough to help her grow.
I guess that's it for now. I'll keep it kind-of-short and relatively-sweet. I could tell you so many stories of my summer adventures, but I'll just stick to the important, informational stuff (although hopefully not boring!) for now. Until next time...
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Festivities and Celebrities
Well, I know it's been awhile since I posted, but I'm sure you all understand how it is at this time of year!
Let's see what I've done since I last spoke to you......
Thanksgiving was wonderful, as I expected it to be. I had a wonderful time with the field council, and of course, there was a lot of yummy food! The day before, though, we had a Thanksgiving program. A friend and I had written the words to the high school choir's Thanksgiving song...a witty (if I do say so myself) version of 12 Days of Christmas.
For those of you who have Facebook, you can see it posted on my profile by clicking HERE (I hope).
I wrote the words underneath the video so you can be sure to understand everything.
A few days later I spontaneously went to a World Cup Finals game. Although, it was women under 20s soccer, the USA team was in the finals and I was SO excited to go to the game. We were playing versus North Korea, and it seemed as though the Chileans were rooting for the Koreans. Anytime the Americans in the crowd tried to cheer for their team, the Chileans would whistle and boo so loud that we would be drowned out. However, once we WON, I was an instant celebrity, along with the other gringas I was there with. People were asking to take their pictures with us, they were chanting USA, they couldn't get enough of us! Here's a picture of the "Celebrity Gringas." :o)
After that, I was engulfed in a whirlwind of grading and exam writing, but I survived. I had the choir all ready for the Christmas program that I was unable to attend because I was 35,000 feet in the air at the time! I've heard that the choir did VERY well, but I haven't seen proof of that yet! Once I have a video of that, I'll pass it along to you.
Since then, I've been home, running around like crazy, visiting friends and family, enjoying American culture, etc. I only have a few days left at home, and I'm trying to enjoy them to their fullest. Then it's back to Chile to enjoy the summer sun once again! Once I have had a few days to settle in, I'm sure I'll have more to report.
In the meantime, Merry Christmas!!!
Let's see what I've done since I last spoke to you......
Thanksgiving was wonderful, as I expected it to be. I had a wonderful time with the field council, and of course, there was a lot of yummy food! The day before, though, we had a Thanksgiving program. A friend and I had written the words to the high school choir's Thanksgiving song...a witty (if I do say so myself) version of 12 Days of Christmas.
For those of you who have Facebook, you can see it posted on my profile by clicking HERE (I hope).
I wrote the words underneath the video so you can be sure to understand everything.
A few days later I spontaneously went to a World Cup Finals game. Although, it was women under 20s soccer, the USA team was in the finals and I was SO excited to go to the game. We were playing versus North Korea, and it seemed as though the Chileans were rooting for the Koreans. Anytime the Americans in the crowd tried to cheer for their team, the Chileans would whistle and boo so loud that we would be drowned out. However, once we WON, I was an instant celebrity, along with the other gringas I was there with. People were asking to take their pictures with us, they were chanting USA, they couldn't get enough of us! Here's a picture of the "Celebrity Gringas." :o)
After that, I was engulfed in a whirlwind of grading and exam writing, but I survived. I had the choir all ready for the Christmas program that I was unable to attend because I was 35,000 feet in the air at the time! I've heard that the choir did VERY well, but I haven't seen proof of that yet! Once I have a video of that, I'll pass it along to you.
Since then, I've been home, running around like crazy, visiting friends and family, enjoying American culture, etc. I only have a few days left at home, and I'm trying to enjoy them to their fullest. Then it's back to Chile to enjoy the summer sun once again! Once I have had a few days to settle in, I'm sure I'll have more to report.
In the meantime, Merry Christmas!!!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Older AND maturing...Who knew it could happen?
Well, in just a few short days I will be celebrating aging. My birthday is just around the corner! And although I'm excited about all the plans I've arranged for myself, I can't help but remember that I'm approaching closer to 30...what an ominous number! :o)
But this is not the purpose of this post. I want to tell you about how God has been growing and maturing me in the last few weeks. It's been a painful process, but I can tell it's working.
There have been two main "fertilizers," if you will:
One has been a recent struggle with finances. Since my roommate moved out as I mentioned in an earlier post, life has been much more expensive. However, that has not been the most difficult part. What has taken a normal stress to the next level is the fact that there are now arguments about how to finalize the finances from when she did live her. There are a few outstanding bills and of course the deposit which is the main source of contention. Both girls are being stubborn and unreasonable in their own way, and I'm in the middle. I'm friends with them both and get along with them both--they do not get along that well. I'm trying to act wisely and find compromises, but it hasn't been easy. I've asked some friends I highly trust for help and advice, so I'm not completely alone, but I honestly feel that I'm in over my head at times. Normally in this situation I would remove myself and let my friends take care of their problem themselves after I realized that my help wasn't effective. However, I'm directly involved in this debacle because I pay too...It involves my money as much as anyone else. I'm praying for wisdom for me and reasonable-ness for them. We'll see where God takes this!
The other "fertilizer" has been a girl (or two) in my class who has severe attitude problems. She's very rebellious right now to pretty much all authority figures. (There are a couple of the young guy teachers she's ok with, but that's because they're more friends than authority.) So I'm forced to compensate and be strict with her. And she does not like it. She complains all the time, and I have to stop her. She has excuses for missing assignments, and I have to know when to punish her anyway. She's unhappy with me and the school in general, thinks we're unfair and unreasonable, and automatically assumes that we're out to make life more difficult for her and teenagers in general.
Basically with this behavior she's begging for me to be exactly what she thinks she hates: uber-strict! :o)
So in a way, it's been good for me. Handing out punishments and trying not to be too lenient has been one of my main weaknesses as a teacher. This girl is single-handedly helping me to fix that problem! God has given me a thorn in my side so I'll have tough skin, I suppose. :o) Pray that I can remain consistent with her and not let my anger and frustration get in the way. Pray that she sees that I love her and am actually acting in her best interest. Pray for her spiritual condition as well, as that's obviously the root of her problem. Ah, teenagers!
So, I suppose it's very fitting to call these growing processes "fertilizer." They're messy and stink everything up, but in the end they also accelerate growth!
But this is not the purpose of this post. I want to tell you about how God has been growing and maturing me in the last few weeks. It's been a painful process, but I can tell it's working.
There have been two main "fertilizers," if you will:
One has been a recent struggle with finances. Since my roommate moved out as I mentioned in an earlier post, life has been much more expensive. However, that has not been the most difficult part. What has taken a normal stress to the next level is the fact that there are now arguments about how to finalize the finances from when she did live her. There are a few outstanding bills and of course the deposit which is the main source of contention. Both girls are being stubborn and unreasonable in their own way, and I'm in the middle. I'm friends with them both and get along with them both--they do not get along that well. I'm trying to act wisely and find compromises, but it hasn't been easy. I've asked some friends I highly trust for help and advice, so I'm not completely alone, but I honestly feel that I'm in over my head at times. Normally in this situation I would remove myself and let my friends take care of their problem themselves after I realized that my help wasn't effective. However, I'm directly involved in this debacle because I pay too...It involves my money as much as anyone else. I'm praying for wisdom for me and reasonable-ness for them. We'll see where God takes this!
The other "fertilizer" has been a girl (or two) in my class who has severe attitude problems. She's very rebellious right now to pretty much all authority figures. (There are a couple of the young guy teachers she's ok with, but that's because they're more friends than authority.) So I'm forced to compensate and be strict with her. And she does not like it. She complains all the time, and I have to stop her. She has excuses for missing assignments, and I have to know when to punish her anyway. She's unhappy with me and the school in general, thinks we're unfair and unreasonable, and automatically assumes that we're out to make life more difficult for her and teenagers in general.
Basically with this behavior she's begging for me to be exactly what she thinks she hates: uber-strict! :o)
So in a way, it's been good for me. Handing out punishments and trying not to be too lenient has been one of my main weaknesses as a teacher. This girl is single-handedly helping me to fix that problem! God has given me a thorn in my side so I'll have tough skin, I suppose. :o) Pray that I can remain consistent with her and not let my anger and frustration get in the way. Pray that she sees that I love her and am actually acting in her best interest. Pray for her spiritual condition as well, as that's obviously the root of her problem. Ah, teenagers!
So, I suppose it's very fitting to call these growing processes "fertilizer." They're messy and stink everything up, but in the end they also accelerate growth!
Monday, November 10, 2008
Close Call
Have you ever locked yourself out of your home or your car and had your keys right in your hand? It takes a special kind of talent to be able to do that. Well, apparently I'm special because that's exactly what happened to me today!
Let me explain.
I came home from school and spent about 2 hours cleaning (something that was sorely needed!), and by the time I was done I was starving. I was about to go upstairs to make dinner (well, reheat dinner, really...I cooked pasta yesterday and I have enough leftovers to last until the rapture), but first I had to take out the trash from my cleaning frenzy. Our trash receptacle is a little closet halfway down our hall, so usually I don't even bother closing my door all the way. Well, my roommate was gone, so I felt it was safer to take a set of keys with me, just to be safe.....
(I suppose I should take a break here to explain my door. There are three deadbolt locks on it, each one with its own key. There is no real door knob--I have to use a key to get in, even if they're not deadbolted. Then from the inside there's a chain and one of those slidey lock things that are most commonly found in bathroom stalls...You know the ones I'm talking about.)
So, I pulled out the slidey lock thing all the way so it would keep the door from shutting all the way. Good thing, too, because as I pulled my door mostly closed a gust of wind from inside slammed the door against its frame. But upon seeing that my plan worked and the door didn't completely close, I congratulated myself on my ingenuity as I walked down the hall with an armful of trash.
Thirty seconds later I was back at my door, and as I pushed it open, to my horror, I found that it wouldn't budge. I guess the gust of wind and semi-slam had jiggled the slidey lock partially into place! I was locked out! And my keys were cheerfully jingling in my hand! So I tried pushing several times at varying levels of strength. I tried shaking the door to move the slidey lock back out. Nothing worked!
What was I going to do! I had no cell phone, money, or metro pass. My roommate wouldn't be home for another 4 hours. Well, I walked outside looking for the caretaker. I found a custodian, and she told me the guy had left and wondered what I was looking for. So I tried to explain my situation. I found this very difficult, particularly in translating "slidey lock" especially seeing as how I couldn't even remember the word for lock. :o)
I eventually gave up and walked back to my apartment, praying hard and swallowing hard to press down the tears that were threatening to make me look even more stranded than I already did. I decided to try the door one more time. So I walked up, pushed and jiggled a couple of times, and then slammed my shoulder against the door with as much strength as I figured wouldn't break the door. And it popped open!! Yay!
Upon entering I laughed, talked to myself since there was no one else to say anything to, and fervently thanked God for getting me back inside. Then I made dinner, and it was yummy.
So the moral of this story is: Don't try to cheat the system. Just take the keys with you, shut the door like a normal person, and endure the hassle of having to unlock it a mere 30 seconds later. Otherwise you may end up looking like an idiot to some stranger in a strange land.
I think I need more sleep! Perhaps...
It's getting to be that point in the semester where a weekend just isn't enough time to rest and recuperate from the week. I was talking with some of my teacher friends about it today. I said that very same sentence to them, and they both groaned in agreement. One told me she wakes up as tired as when she went to bed. I groaned in agreement. The other told me about the emotional breakdown she had in class with one of her students who had tried her patience to the enth degree. I groaned in sympathy.
I always feel this way about a month before the semester ends. Just ready for a nice long break. And unfortunately, the last month of the semester is always the busiest! Here's a quick list of all the things to do before the semester is out: prepare the choir for the Thanksgiving program, then prepare the choir for the Christmas program, write finals and review sheets for all of my classes, help the students write and then grade research papers ranging from 4 to 12 pages in length, throw myself a birthday party (first time hosting Chileans all on my own. Yikes!), prepare food for the Thanksgiving Program, prepare food for Thanksgiving, go to a ladies' retreat at church, figure out the quarter grades, grade the finals, figure out the semester grades, and finish my Christmas shopping...Not to mention all the normal weekly work that goes in to teaching. Whew, I'm tired just writing about it!
So please pray for me and the other teachers. Pray we'll have the stamina to get through, the time to do everything well, and the patience to handle the rambunctiousness of the kids. Not only is it nearing the end of the semester, and nearing Christmas, but it's also getting to be summer time! The kids are crazier than usual! I mean, how do you solve a problem like teenagers? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? ...Many a thing you know you'd like to tell them. Many a thing they ought to understand. But how do you make them stay and listen to all you say? How do you keep a wave upon the sand? Oh, how do you solve a problem like teenagers? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?....
For those of you not familiar with musicals, I'm sorry about that. For the rest of you....I'm still sorry. :o)
I told you I need more sleep!
Let me explain.
I came home from school and spent about 2 hours cleaning (something that was sorely needed!), and by the time I was done I was starving. I was about to go upstairs to make dinner (well, reheat dinner, really...I cooked pasta yesterday and I have enough leftovers to last until the rapture), but first I had to take out the trash from my cleaning frenzy. Our trash receptacle is a little closet halfway down our hall, so usually I don't even bother closing my door all the way. Well, my roommate was gone, so I felt it was safer to take a set of keys with me, just to be safe.....
(I suppose I should take a break here to explain my door. There are three deadbolt locks on it, each one with its own key. There is no real door knob--I have to use a key to get in, even if they're not deadbolted. Then from the inside there's a chain and one of those slidey lock things that are most commonly found in bathroom stalls...You know the ones I'm talking about.)
So, I pulled out the slidey lock thing all the way so it would keep the door from shutting all the way. Good thing, too, because as I pulled my door mostly closed a gust of wind from inside slammed the door against its frame. But upon seeing that my plan worked and the door didn't completely close, I congratulated myself on my ingenuity as I walked down the hall with an armful of trash.
Thirty seconds later I was back at my door, and as I pushed it open, to my horror, I found that it wouldn't budge. I guess the gust of wind and semi-slam had jiggled the slidey lock partially into place! I was locked out! And my keys were cheerfully jingling in my hand! So I tried pushing several times at varying levels of strength. I tried shaking the door to move the slidey lock back out. Nothing worked!
What was I going to do! I had no cell phone, money, or metro pass. My roommate wouldn't be home for another 4 hours. Well, I walked outside looking for the caretaker. I found a custodian, and she told me the guy had left and wondered what I was looking for. So I tried to explain my situation. I found this very difficult, particularly in translating "slidey lock" especially seeing as how I couldn't even remember the word for lock. :o)
I eventually gave up and walked back to my apartment, praying hard and swallowing hard to press down the tears that were threatening to make me look even more stranded than I already did. I decided to try the door one more time. So I walked up, pushed and jiggled a couple of times, and then slammed my shoulder against the door with as much strength as I figured wouldn't break the door. And it popped open!! Yay!
Upon entering I laughed, talked to myself since there was no one else to say anything to, and fervently thanked God for getting me back inside. Then I made dinner, and it was yummy.
So the moral of this story is: Don't try to cheat the system. Just take the keys with you, shut the door like a normal person, and endure the hassle of having to unlock it a mere 30 seconds later. Otherwise you may end up looking like an idiot to some stranger in a strange land.
I think I need more sleep! Perhaps...
It's getting to be that point in the semester where a weekend just isn't enough time to rest and recuperate from the week. I was talking with some of my teacher friends about it today. I said that very same sentence to them, and they both groaned in agreement. One told me she wakes up as tired as when she went to bed. I groaned in agreement. The other told me about the emotional breakdown she had in class with one of her students who had tried her patience to the enth degree. I groaned in sympathy.
I always feel this way about a month before the semester ends. Just ready for a nice long break. And unfortunately, the last month of the semester is always the busiest! Here's a quick list of all the things to do before the semester is out: prepare the choir for the Thanksgiving program, then prepare the choir for the Christmas program, write finals and review sheets for all of my classes, help the students write and then grade research papers ranging from 4 to 12 pages in length, throw myself a birthday party (first time hosting Chileans all on my own. Yikes!), prepare food for the Thanksgiving Program, prepare food for Thanksgiving, go to a ladies' retreat at church, figure out the quarter grades, grade the finals, figure out the semester grades, and finish my Christmas shopping...Not to mention all the normal weekly work that goes in to teaching. Whew, I'm tired just writing about it!
So please pray for me and the other teachers. Pray we'll have the stamina to get through, the time to do everything well, and the patience to handle the rambunctiousness of the kids. Not only is it nearing the end of the semester, and nearing Christmas, but it's also getting to be summer time! The kids are crazier than usual! I mean, how do you solve a problem like teenagers? How do you catch a cloud and pin it down? ...Many a thing you know you'd like to tell them. Many a thing they ought to understand. But how do you make them stay and listen to all you say? How do you keep a wave upon the sand? Oh, how do you solve a problem like teenagers? How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?....
For those of you not familiar with musicals, I'm sorry about that. For the rest of you....I'm still sorry. :o)
I told you I need more sleep!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Who said changes were good?
I would seriously question the sanity of this person. :o)
Let me explain.
I've been happily living with my two Chilean roommates for several months. One I hardly ever see because she works many evenings, goes away for weekends, and spends time with her boyfriend on her few free nights. The other I see a lot around the apartment and we hang out together here. And we've become good friends in the process, obviously. Well, she told us Wednesday that she's going to be moving out. And through the course of conversation, as we discussed details, they decided that today would be a good day. Just 4 days later! That gave me no time to adjust emotionally!
Wednesday night she told us, and I went to bed shortly thereafter. Thursday I was busy teaching all day, then I went out with a friend for most of the afternoon/early evening. So I only had time to vaguely think about it throughout the day. But as I went home Thursday night, I had time to digest what was going on, and literally the second I walked inside my apartment I started crying! This is only the second time (that I can remember) that I have cried since I got here---not counting touching movies and sappy songs, of course!
I was able to squeeze some quality time in with her in the few days before she left, and I dropped her off at her new house today. It was sad to see her go. I felt like an overly attached mom leaving her only child at college! :o) I'm nervous that I'm going to be lonely now since my other roommate is rarely home. And as of now, we don't have anyone lined up to move in, so life will be more expensive for awhile. That's adding stress to sadness!
So, there are several obvious prayer requests that come from this post (and one hidden one)...
1. That I won't be lonely in my own home!
2. That we will be able to find someone (that we get along with) to move in soon!
3. That until then, we will be able to afford to live in our own home!
And now for the last and hidden prayer request....
I've been having a cockroach problem in my classroom (I told you it was hidden). Seriously, it's gross. They're about two inches long and look like they have a personal vendetta against me. The first one or two that I found, I thought, "Well, I'm serving God in a country where I can't just exterminate things at a whim--we don't have money growing on trees here. So I'll just grin and bear it and chalk it up to missionary work...." Well, when cockroach number four started scuttling towards me from the book I had just opened, I thought, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And then I thought, "Something must be done. I can't work in these conditions!!"
So, that's my prayer request. That the cockroaches go away or DIE!
Let me explain.
I've been happily living with my two Chilean roommates for several months. One I hardly ever see because she works many evenings, goes away for weekends, and spends time with her boyfriend on her few free nights. The other I see a lot around the apartment and we hang out together here. And we've become good friends in the process, obviously. Well, she told us Wednesday that she's going to be moving out. And through the course of conversation, as we discussed details, they decided that today would be a good day. Just 4 days later! That gave me no time to adjust emotionally!
Wednesday night she told us, and I went to bed shortly thereafter. Thursday I was busy teaching all day, then I went out with a friend for most of the afternoon/early evening. So I only had time to vaguely think about it throughout the day. But as I went home Thursday night, I had time to digest what was going on, and literally the second I walked inside my apartment I started crying! This is only the second time (that I can remember) that I have cried since I got here---not counting touching movies and sappy songs, of course!
I was able to squeeze some quality time in with her in the few days before she left, and I dropped her off at her new house today. It was sad to see her go. I felt like an overly attached mom leaving her only child at college! :o) I'm nervous that I'm going to be lonely now since my other roommate is rarely home. And as of now, we don't have anyone lined up to move in, so life will be more expensive for awhile. That's adding stress to sadness!
So, there are several obvious prayer requests that come from this post (and one hidden one)...
1. That I won't be lonely in my own home!
2. That we will be able to find someone (that we get along with) to move in soon!
3. That until then, we will be able to afford to live in our own home!
And now for the last and hidden prayer request....
I've been having a cockroach problem in my classroom (I told you it was hidden). Seriously, it's gross. They're about two inches long and look like they have a personal vendetta against me. The first one or two that I found, I thought, "Well, I'm serving God in a country where I can't just exterminate things at a whim--we don't have money growing on trees here. So I'll just grin and bear it and chalk it up to missionary work...." Well, when cockroach number four started scuttling towards me from the book I had just opened, I thought, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
And then I thought, "Something must be done. I can't work in these conditions!!"
So, that's my prayer request. That the cockroaches go away or DIE!
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