Rainy season has not ended...

It has rained all weekend. We had about 3 hours of sun on Saturday, but the rest of this weekend has been dreary. When it rains, my mostivation to get things done kind of fades which is not good because I have tons of school work to get done. Aside from the rain and school work, I have found time to get out and have fun. Last weekend I went to a quinceanos which was a party for a student at the school who turned 15. It was beautiful and elegant. Oldies music played all night and it was funny watching all of our students dancing. I also went to a Halloween party hosted by some of the students. Some of the teachers went and parents were all there and everyone was dressed up. It was freezing, but turned out to be a great night.
Only a few more weeks until Thanksgiving. I can't wait. We don't know where we are going to vacation yet, but I am definitely looking forward to 4 days off.
For now...as I dream about a warm sunny beach, I am going to get back to my school work!

Joy

One of the best things about teaching here in Xela is that teachers are invited to student's family events. This past week I was sick in bed for two nights and I was worried I would miss the First Communion of two of my students. I have never been to anything like this, let alone in another country. Luckily by Friday I was feeling wonderful. Saturday I went to a church to see my students and all of their friends and family, which happened to include a lot of people from my school. Afterwards, I went to one of the parties which included eggs and beans for breakfast (mmm my favorite). After I ate and chatted away for a few hours in spanish, I went to the other student's party. This party was not as formal as the previous one, but it was still great to see, learn and hear more about this celebration in this culture. I know I am the teacher and teachers always get invited to things, but I really felt so blessed to be included in this day with two of my sweet kids. Sometimes I forget to appreciate these small parts of my experience here, when they are such huge parts of my student's lives. In moments like these, I forget about the corruption, poverty, and dirtiness that surrounds this country and remember how precious every day is with my Guatemalan family, friends and students. Me with one of my students

View from one of the parties

Already October

I laugh when I think about my high school's marching band...not only do I laugh at the idea of wearing a band uniform and marching around on a field trying to remember my music, but most of all I laugh at the memories from Shaker Heights. I always tend to think of Shaker at this time because of what it looked like in the fall. It has been almost 10 years since I have been there and to this day I still remember the orange and red leaves crunching under my feet as I walked to school. October was a time for football, marching band, homecoming and tennis games. I love these memories. I just wish I could bring those trees and crisp weather to Xela. Being here in Guatemala, I miss the fall leaves that I have been surrounded by for so many years.

Monthly Highlights

*On my Birthday I went out to eat with some great friends and said goodbye to a really great friend who returned to the states.

*The local grocery store (Walmart owned) now sells pretzels...first time since I have lived here.

* Independence Day was September 15th...this included a 4 day trip to the other side of the country to a place called Rio Dulce. After a 9 hour trip, surviving a cockroach attack, staying awake until 5:30 am because of a party next door playing their music too loud and kayaking to a castle built to keep pirates away...I can finally say I have been somewhere other than the lake and Antigua.

* We now get ABC on our t.v. here. It is so weird watching t.v. in English and also watching commercials from the U.S.

* I am now tutoring after school from 3-4 for two students at our school four days a week and also tutoring a 30 something year old man in conversational English for two hours once a week and then another student at 6 twice a week. I am tired. Sometimes too tired to talk on facebook or skype, so I apologize in advance.

*My students are writing a book for me about how to annoy me the most. My students make me laugh a lot. A lot a lot.

*I played tennis against one of my students last weekend. She is 10 years old and professionally ranked in Guatemala. It felt soooo good to get back out on the court...it's been 6 years since I played. We tied the game :)

*October 1st is "Day of the Child" here in Guatemala. It is a day all about kids...the same idea as Mother's and Father's Day. Many of the kids receive some pretty awesome gifts. My class is hopefully visiting a Children's home to distribute gifts and snacks. It should be fun.

*School picture day is on Thursday. What do I wear?

More updates later.....

"Faith to see beyond what I can see, faith to know that you will do great things. I will trust you Lord, I'll always believe as I hold on to my faith, Jesus you are holding on to me...."

two weeks down...

Tomorrow starts the third week of school. Time has definitely flown by. I have been keeping myself busy after school and on weekends. I have to say, it is so much easier the second year since I know what I am doing and most of my time is spent getting to know my new students and how they learn instead of copying papers and creating tests. I saved a lot from last year, so I feel pretty prepared. I am starting to really like my new students. They are so different from my class last year, but that is what makes this type of job so much more exciting. I look forward to watching them grow this year.
When I haven't been teaching I have been spending time with the new teachers. We have been going out to dinner together, going to soccer games and even visiting the coast in our free time. Last week we celebrated my roommate's 30th birthday by going to a house at the coast for the day. We made it a girls day out and invited five other teachers. We sat by the pool and then made lunch. It was so relaxing.
This week I will celebrate my birthday with my class and with some of my friends here in Xela. The 5th grade class mom asked if she could take me to dinner with my class which I thought was so sweet. Afterwards I think I will go out to dinner with my friends. This week I am also preparing to say good-bye to one of my closest friends here who is also my roommate. She has been here for three years and she needs to return back to the states. Please keep her in your prayers as she will be trying to find a job in the states.
In other news, I finally have internet in my house. It cuts off a lot, but I can't complain. Hopefully I will be able to update more often. Here are some pictures of the last few weeks....

My roomie Alisha

The girls at the coast

Some of the girls at the potluck

A typical Xela soccer game crowd

back in Xela!

One week in Xela and I feel like I never left. I think most of the teachers say that. I was only gone for 8 weeks. It feels so nice though to be here, amongst old friends and new friends and of course my old 5th graders. I had an interesting time getting to the airport and getting to my hotel, but luckily I finally made it to Xela to relax for a few more days before work actually starts tomorrow. The last few days I have been spending time with my roommates and seeing some of my kids from last year. I also went to my classroom to start setting things up. I changed a lot of things in my room from last year and I will be sure to include pictures soon. Orientation with old and new teachers starts Monday. We are going to spend most of the day in meetings, but it will be so great to see everyone again. School starts next Monday. I will have 10 or 11 students. I know almost all of them from last year since our school is so small and I saw the kids everyday.
I am a little nervous, but I know this year will be great too. I am really excited about seeing new things and going out more. Well….I am off to yoga, but I will be sure to update soon this week. I still don’t have internet in my house, so my updates won’t be as often for a little while. Miss you all!

Pana

I am in Panahachel right now, looking toward the lake and relaxing as much as possible. I am here with one of the families at my school. They have a house here on a lot of land. Last night we went to El Pueblo…which is a long street with tons of vendors. There is jewelry, tons of rugs and hammocks and bags. Many of the vendors attempt to speak in English and many offer prices in dollars. Most often if you don’t know what the prices should be, then you will be over charged. Yesterday I went shopping with my student’s mom. She is Guatemalan so it was easier for her to get great prices. Today we went on a walk and are going to go shopping again. One thing I like most about this family is their amazing cooking. Last night I ate tortillas with hotdogs (they call them sausages), guacamole, ketchup and mayonnaise. It was called Mixtas. You might think it sounds gross, but it was actually really good. This morning we ate pancakes with honey and cream on them.
The weirdest thing about being here is having a maid around to make your bed when you wake up and clean your dishes when you are done eating. It is actually something that is very hard for me to accept. It is definitely helpful I am sure with a two and four year old running around.
The reason we are here this weekend is because yesterday was Dia del Trabajo (Work Day). It is a nice treat since my students and I are very ready for summer. We all need a little relaxation to prepare for finishing 5th grade.

Fun in the Guat

Week after Spring Break

Living here in Guatemala is so normal to me now that I forget that people in the states have never experienced this type of lifestyle. I forget that I take a shower using electricity or that I buy my vegetables and fruits from a local market and wash them in bleach before I can eat them. One of the hardest things to explain to people in the states is the type of city I live in. We are considered wealthy compared to other cities. Quetzaltenango is the second largest city in the country. We are in the mountains and freeze at night while we roast in the sun during the day. We buy our own water since we can’t drink what comes out of the faucet. If we want calling cards, sodas, chips, toilet paper, soap, we can go to a tienda, which is a little store about the size of a bedroom attached to someone’s house. All windows have bars on them. All houses have walls around them or a gate you must go through to get to the front door. We have a grocery store owned by wal-mart where we can buy almost anything. When someone dies all of the families and friends walk in the middle of the road following the casket from the church to the gravesite. We have a mall with stores of all kinds, but mainly clothing stores that are too expensive. There is a movie theatre that shows about 4 movies at a time and they are almost all American.
These parts of Xela have become my life and my home. I only miss the states when I go back to visit.
This past week for Spring Break, I went to Fresno, California to see Rachel and her family. I loved having everything at my fingertips. I went for a walk at night around the neighborhood, and I haven’t felt that free in a long time. I took showers and drank the water. I went to starbucks numerous times and chose not to drink Guatemalan coffee. I talked on my phone for free and didn’t have to translate anything into English. It was a weird feeling. It didn’t feel normal at all. I experienced culture shock for the first time. Here I have been living in a world with crime, hate, and drunk people on the side of the road. Poor families living on the little amount of fruit they sell each day is a common sight. I want to help, but at the same time, is this just the culture? Where is God in a place like this? Is he here and I just don’t see him? I am a 3 hour plane ride away from the US, yet this world is so different from the life I am used to.

the new place

the walkway to my house

the kitchen

kitchen/family room

bathroom

my room

I'm back

After a quick two week vacation and one long day of traveling, I am finally in Guatemala. I arrived on Monday at 11pm after 10 hours of sitting in the Houston airport. The parents of one of my students picked me up and we stayed at their apartment in the city. I was exhausted, but so happy to be back. On Wednesday, classes began and all of most of my students were happy to be back. They loved the school supplies I brought them.
I am now waiting to move into my new apartment. There isn't any hot water, so I am hoping it is fixed soon so I can move in next week.
Christmas vacation was a blast and I was so glad to be home. I went shopping a lot, went to dinner a lot and spent tons of time with family. I would have liked to have seen more people, but I know that I will get to see everyone over the summer while I am home.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I look forward to keep in touch over these next 5 months. Thanks for all of your prayers and sweet emails.

12 more days!!

12 more days until I return to the states!!

It is so weird to think when I get home, it will be cold and I will have to drive places and eat different food and everyone will speak English. Oh I cannot wait!

This past week has been very stressful so it was nice to go to the beach last week over Thanksgiving break. I went with two other teachers to Lake Atitlan for three days. We ate, swam, walked and laid in hammocks. It was very relaxing, but I was eager to get to school to get everything done since I knew these next two weeks would be crazy.
Last week I decorated a Christmas tree at a student's house. That same family also invited me to a symphony concert at the park. They played songs from the Nutcracker and other festive songs. It was so beautiful. I cannot wait to go home and spend Christmas with my family and friends.
Even though these past few days have been exciting knowing I am closer to going home, I have some disappointing news. We will not be moving now because the guy who has been living there decided last minute to sign another year contract. Now we are once again looking for a place to live. Four of the teachers are living in one bedroom hoping that when we return in January we will all have a place to live, but it doesn't look promising. Please keep this apartment search in your prayers. Many of the teachers are getting very discouraged.
This week is our last full week of classes. We have staff secret Santa gifts everyday. Friday is the Christmas musical, Saturday is the staff tacky sweater party, Sunday I am going to the coast for the 4th/5th grade party, then next Monday I have to go to a student's birthday party. We have 3 half days full of grading and organizing and then I will be on my way home! It is going to be crazy, but a lot of fun!!
I will arrive in DC on the 19th late at night and then I will make my way through Stafford, Richmond, Farmville, New Kent and then finally White Stone. Home sweet home!!

Happy Turkey Day

Happy Thanksgiving!!

So far this has been a relaxing week and holiday break. We had a half day of school on Wednesday and after school we ate Thanksgiving lunch. There were so many families there eating and celebrating. We ate turkey, stuffing, fruit/waldorf salad, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie and apple pie. It was delicious. I miss sweet potatoes and corn souffle....I can wait until Christmas though. After we ate, all of the students had a kite contest. There were tons of kites...it reminded me a lot of Brazil. The fifth graders also sang a song about being Thankful. I was so proud.
Earlier that day, we had two hours of play practice. The play is called "A King is Coming to Town" and it involves all of the elementary students and some middle schoolers. Because I am helping back stage, I won't actually get to see the play, but I will be backstage cheering my kids on! The play is on December 12th. We also have the staff Christmas party around that time as well. It is going to be a busy three weeks. I cannot believe how fast this is all going.
Ove the next four days, I am going with two other teachers to Panajachel and San Marcos where will relax, read, and shop for Christmas presents. Almost all of the teachers have already left for their vacations. Once we all return to school we have a full schedule ahead of us. Only 21 days until I return home!

Oh and I forgot to mention that we had a visitor from Virginia this week. The principal's mom and sister came from Fredericksburg for the week. His mom works for Brian and I have known her for a few years now since working for the security company. It was so great to see her!!

5th graders singing with the Kinder reading buddies

5th graders singing in chapel

the house I stayed at on the coast-belongs to a student's family

oh November

It is so weird to think it is already Thanksgiving. It is also so weird to think I will not be home with my family eating two dinners, one with my grandparents and one with Jessie's parents. I will be celebrating it here though, which will be nice. A family has invited me over to celebrate.
Speaking of Jessie, she and I make a point to go to thrift stores every time we are home. She always ends up finding things and I always browse. Here is Guatemala, used clothes are very cheap. You can find things anywhere from 14 cents to5 dollars. Here in Xela, we have these little stores called Pacas where there is tons of used clothing. Many times you can find brand name clothes here. There is also this place where there are piles of clothes spread out all of the place on tables. People are shouting out prices while you just dig through piles and piles of all types of clothing. Today I spent about $24.00 and bought 4 sweaters, two pants, and one jacket. They were all from Gap, Jcrew, Express or Old Navy. I think this type of shopping can get addicting. I had so much fun.
Tomorrow I am going to the coast to enjoy the warm weather. I have tons of grading to do before then so I must be going. Happy Saturday!

Interesting facts about Guatemala

-rainy season is over so now it is freezing in the morning and night and warm during the day

-eggs and beans is all I ever eat for dinner

-milk is either in a box on a shelf in liquid and powder form

-eggs are not refrigerated

-the grocery store here is owned by wal mart and has wal mart type things, but it is really small

-there is a lot of American food here in grocery stores, but it is all expensive

-there are tiendas (small stores) on almost every corner if you want a coke or water or chips

-there are speed bumps of all types everywhere

-there are street dogs everywhere and they are all scary

-fireworks are set off for birthdays so often at 6am I am woken by a neighbor having fireworks outside of their house

-soccer is a huge deal here...it is rare that girls get to play

-the McDonald's here is actually really clean and the people are somewhat nice

-in order to get anywhere we usually take a micro bus which can fit over 20 people, but is only supposed to sit about 12

-the old director of IAS grows his own coffee so we drink amazing coffee every morning

-you say buen provecho (similar to bon appetite) after you are done eating

-all of my students except one has been to the US more than one time

-most of the houses here have walls around them with locked gates for more protection

-no houses have air conditioning or heat, but the Wendy's in town does!

-we will not have any more rain until spring

more to come....

The weekends here are always so fast paced. Today I am enjoying the warm weather while grading papers. I went to church this morning. It was such a great sermon. The pastor spoke about husbands and wives and children and what God has asked for each of those people. Life here for families is very different than back home. Women and men act more like equals in the states and here it is sometimes okay for men to go to other women if their wife isn't pleasing them like they want. I am very blessed to have such a loving and supportive family that finds commitment to be very important.

Yesterday I went to a restaurant and ate the most delicious breakfast ever. I had a bread bowl with egg, mushrooms and spinach and a creamy spinach sauce covering it. Soo good. I then went to Cemaco which is like a linens 'n things. It was huge and a brand new store so everything was clean. I had to buy presents for my secret santa. Each of the teachers has a secret santa. Every day for a week in December, we are going to give gifts to our secret santa. On the last day, we are going to give a final gift and have a Christmas party where we will reveal who each person had. I am very excited.

After my somewhat American shopping day, I went to a dance recital. Alisa, one of my students, danced in the recital. It was all Spanish dancing and each group of girls wore bright and colorful dresses. I was very impressed and very proud of Alisa. It reminded me of the Nutcracker and all of my years of dancing.

Last Friday was our Word Day parade. Since our school does not celebrate Halloween, each student was able to dress up as a noun, verb or adjective. My students chose words such as glutton, alien, battery, sandwich, and chocolate. It was cute to see all of the grades dress up and put on a parade.










Oh and I can't forget to mention that we had an election party last week. We ate red and blue cupcakes, rice crispies and sat and watched CNN for a few hours. It was exciting to watch and see which side our state would go since almost all of the teachers are from different states.



Overall, things are going well here. There are only 39 more days until I return to the states. I keep imagining a hot bath, southern cooking, shopping and friends and family. I hope I can see my Nanny one last time while I am home. She has been very ill lately and I am thankful that she is surrounded by family and that she is in the hands of the Lord. I love you Nanny.

my humble abode

the roof of my house

the street I live on

the kitchen

the entryway into the house and the garage

the bathroom

the hallway- my room is the last door on the right

the kitchen

the family/tv room

view from my roof

view from my roof of my street

Happy Halloween...two days late.

Because we work at a Christian school and we are in Guatemala, we couldn't really celebrate Halloween on Friday.. Instead we did Harvest type things with pumpkin stories and pumpkin math. My kids really enjoyed it, I think.

Friday night I dressed up as a giraffe along with other teachers who also dressed up as wild animals. It was a fun night, but I was completely exhausted. Yesterday was the Guatemalan celebration of The Day of the Dead. Many of the families make Fiambre which is a big vegetable and meat salad kind of thing with vinegar and often a lot of beats. I went to a student's house to celebrate. We played Guitar Hero and jumped on the trampoline. We ate pumpkin pie: American and Guatemalan. American pumpkin pie is way better. The Fiambre was pretty good. It helped having bread to take some of the taste away. I really enjoyed being at my student's house with his family. His mom and I have been getting together for coffee a lot lately. She took me to the tennis club last week and we had cappuccinos and had a really nice talk.

After the Fiambre party, Laura and I went to see High School Musical with three of my students and some of their siblings. It was in spanish. The singing in the movie was in English. It was a little odd, but it was fun to experience. There was even in intermission in the middle of the movie. Why don't we do that in the states? Once the movie was over we went to the play area on the lower level of the mall. We went on the bumper cars and it was so much fun.


We are still looking for a new apartment. We are hoping to move before Christmas break. Most of the time we just have to walk around and look for signs on doors to see if there is any apartments for rent. We are looking for something safe and something close to the park.

Cover me, cover up my tears
Cover up this man who's covered up in fear
I need a peace of mind, I need a piece of you
TO cover all that's gone and everything that's new
You unveil me with your mercy
I want to breathe you in
You unfold me, then you hold me

Cover up my heart, cover up my soul
Cover up this world and everything I know
You cover up the sky, you cover up the sea
Cover up the mountains and every part of me
Everything single breath I breathe...cover me

I miss these girls....

actions speak louder than words

Today was exhausting. We had a half day of school and conferences for three hours. Every 15 minutes parents came in my room to talk to me. I am so tired of talking now. It was hard hearing that my students have been staying awake until 11pm studying for my tests. They study the night before and their parents are stressed because their kids are stressed. Teaching is definitely teaching me a lot. I am very proud of my straight A students and I was so badly for all of my students to succeed.
Today I met with one of my student's mothers and she took me out for coffee afterward. She talked to me about her daughter at school in the states and how she doesn't feel like she fits in because so many of her classmates party and she doesn't. My student's mom told me about how she has been telling her daughter that she needs to be a light to those people around her at school. She then preceded to tell me that I need to be a light as well. Not only do I need to tell my students about Jesus, but I need to show my kids about Jesus through my actions.
I hope my kids see the love I have for the Lord in my daily actions. They might think I am tough and sometimes mean, but I hope that they see that I love them and I want the best for them. God was definitely with me today as I had conferences. I was encouraged by parents and frustrated with parents, but more than anything I could see the love the parents had for their kids. That is the love I like to think the Lord has for me. I know he does, but it is hard to feel that sometimes. Today I saw it clearly.


Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

A day in the life of a 5th grade teacher

Some of you ask me what exactly do I do during the day so here is an idea...

Everyday I teach:
Reading
Bible
Spelling
Math
Science or Social Studies
Grammar
Journal writing

We have 45 minutes for lunch from 11:15-12, but around 11:35 students are dismissed to go play outside. We also have snack time from 1:20-1:40 and then recess from 1:40-2. School begins for all grades at 8am and ends at 3pm. Teachers arrive at 7:20 and leave at 3:45. Elementary students also have electives such as computer, art, music and library. We have a Bible verse memorization quiz every Friday and a Spelling test every Friday. We also read the the Kindergarten (we call them Kinders) class every Friday. We have chapel every Thursday. A different teacher leads chapel each week.

It is a full schedule and luckily, while the kids are at their electives I have time to plan my lessons or I have time to grab a cup of coffee. Yes, I drink coffee all the time now!

I will try to send pictures of the school soon!

I miss stepping on crunchy fall leaves

One of my students

5th grade/Kindergarten reading buddies

Weekly Elementary Chapel

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. I have been struggling to remember why I am here. I am worrying about things that I have no control over. My heart has been crying out. I am feeling very empty and burdened. I didn't expect this, especially since I know God has called me to be here for a reason. I had expectations of life here being happy and wonderful and full of God's presence. Sadly, I was wrong and now I am lifting my hands up asking questions that cannot be answered. The weirdest part of this feeling is that I am not homesick. I feel at peace here, as if God was telling me to wait and just listen.

Most of you know me well enough to know, I don't listen. I am stubborn and I am often too scared to listen. I was talking with a friend the other day back home and he asked, "Have you opened the Bible, have you listened to God?" No, I haven't. Why is this such a scary thing? Why does it sound so simple, yet it is the most difficult thing to do? After all of my stubbornness, God is chasing after me ready to reach out to him. If I reach out to Him, He will reach out to me. I will just continue to remember this daily.

On a different note, this weekend is filled with tons of work and some fun in between. Last night I went to a birthday party. One of my students celebrated her 11th birthday. She brought McDonald's happy meals to each student in class and then after school, we all went to a bakery and had a party. The food was delicious. Birthday's are a huge deal here. Another one of my students is having a birthday party next weekend. It is supposed to be huge and we are having a lunch party and then an after school party. Teachers here are always excited about parties, because they are always invited and it usually includes a delicious meal...and it's free!

Happy Birthday Alisa

This morning, one of my students invited me to his soccer game. His mom, another teacher and I cheered him on from the side. He scored two goals. I was so proud of him. His mom owns a print shop, so after the game we went to see her store to see how she makes the paper. She really loves her job and her cards and stationary are beautiful!

Armando's soccer game

Today is my host mother's birthday. We ate a huge lunch with potatoes and fried chicken. ( very American eh?) We ate delicious cake too! For dinner, I am going to the school secretary's house. Her daughter is in 4th grade and I tutor her during the week. I am really excited about having a relaxing evening. This past week was crazy. We are all preparing for next week when writing samples, report cards and standards are due. We also have parent-teacher conferences. This past week was crazy busy as well. I had my students write a biography on anyone they wanted. It was a tedious process for my kids because we had to go through each part of the presentation very carefully explaining every detail. I think the kids had fun though.

Some of my kids who dressed up for their biographies

I can't believe how fast the weeks here are going. Each day is busier than the next. I am really liking it. Weekends here are relaxed and always appreciated after a crazy week. That said, I am going to go enjoy my weekend and I hope you enjoy yours as well. Please enjoy the fall colors for me!!

Oh and I forgot to mention that we had an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 and we were almost 60 miles away from the center of it. Our room at school shook for a little over a minute and my kids hid under their desks and then we went outside. It was a very strange feeling.

rain rain go away come again another day

This week flew by. The beginning of the week was kind of hard for me. I was upset about my grandma and a million other things. Lately, I have been holding a lot of things in which made things extra emotional this past week. I am holding on to God and trusting that He has me here for a reason.
School has gotten a lot better. I really enjoyed last week. Last Wednesday was Day of the Child so we had a pizza party at school. My kids begged me to cancel their test which of course just made mem laugh a little. I had my first spanish lesson on Thursday. My teacher is so sweet. It rained so much that day and I was soaked by the time I made it home. It was also difficult to walk considering, my toe still hurts a little when I walk on the bumpy, rocky roads. I am done taking meds for my toe. It is less bruised looking and now a normal size.
This weekend was incredibly relaxing. I spent Friday night with the girls and played cards. Saturday we went to the Broadbecks house. They are the old directors of the school. Their home is about 40 minutes away and we had to ride a chicken bus to get there. We cooked out and watched football and listened to the constant rain outside. The ride home was the best adventure I have had thus far here in Xela. The bus we were on began to make strange noises so we jumped out of the back into another already full bus on the side of the road. Everyone was sitting three to a seat and everyone else had to stand in the aisle....for 40 minutes. I never imagined sitting next to the aisle and having a young girl sing terribly in my ear, while holding her stomach acting like she was going to vomit. She also thought dancing was a good idea and possible in the already cramped bus so her knee was constantly bouncing into my side. It was interesting to say the least.
When I got home, we went out to meet the new teacher. His name is Jonathan and he is from RICHMOND!! I was so excited. After I met him I called Kelly and discovered that he knows Keith and Kelly and went to Freeman. Crazy!
Today was also a relaxing day. I went to church and then went to buy some Christmas presents from a small market near my house. A few hours ago we had some worship time with the girls. It has really been a nice few days, minus the fact that I haven't seen the sun in awhile. We only have a few more weeks left of rainy season which is nice. My rainboots are coming in handy, even if they are bright pink and not something I would ever wear in the states.
Well, I am planning on adding more pictures soon. For now I need to go grab some dinner, which will most likely be eggs and beans...mmm

I am writing this morning to let you know that my Grandma has passed away. She is no longer in pain and she is now with God looking down on us. Thank you all for your prayers. She was a great grandmother and loved her family dearly. I will miss her cooking since she would use leftovers over and over again until everything was gone. She was so happy when I told her I was moving to Guatemala. She made me promise that I would marry at home and not here in Guatemala just so she could be there. She will always be in my heart. I love you Memar.



You're in a better place, I've heard a thousand times
And at least a thousand times I've rejoiced for you
But the reason why I'm broken, the reason why I cry
Is how long must I wait to be with you

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

Help me Lord cause I don't understand your ways
The reason why I wonder if I'll ever know
But, even if you showed me, the hurt would be the same
Cause I'm still here so far away from home

I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
I've never been more homesick than now

In Christ, there are no goodbye
And in Christ, there is no end
So I'll hold onto Jesus with all that I have
To see you again
To see you again

And I close my eyes and I see your face
If home's where my heart is then I'm out of place
Lord, won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow
Won't you give me strength to make it through somehow

I've never been more homesick than now
-Homesick

Time is flying by

It seems like it has been forever since I have written. There has been a lot going on here. Lately, I have been struggling with catching up on everything. I am still a few weeks behind most of the teachers and I feel like I will never catch up. Interim grades are due this week. Most of my kids are doing really well. I only have one student who doesn't really care if he doesn't finish a test. I am still working on motivating him. I had a few problems with parents which was really frustrating...but now I understand what teachers mean when they say parents are the worst part of teaching. It is difficult when their children go home and say I am strict and that I didn't quiz them on the right stuff. It makes me look bad, but parents aren't in the classroom, so it is difficult to show the parents where the real problems exist.




My students are getting better. They still have no clue how to stand in line. I'm pretty sure we are the only grade with that problem. My students also have problems fighting. I feel terrible because at least 2 kids a week end up crying because someone said something mean or hit them. Their parents said this type of stuff has been going on with the same students since 1st grade. You would think they would outgrow it. It is tough, but I always try to bring God into the picture which sometimes helps. This week my class is leading chapel. I think we are goign to talk about respecting your classmates.
Other news...I think a spider bit my toe. I a week ago my toe was swollen an itchy with a red dot and now it it itchy and the bone is a little sore. Because the pain hasn't gone away, I think I am going to have to see a doctor this week. I also got rid of the stomach fungus completely and went straight into having a cold. Luckily, it lasted a week.



Last weekend was Independence Day here in Central America. We didn't have school on Monday and while many of the teachers went out and had fun, I chose to stay in and get sleep and try to get rid of my cold. It was so nice having a day off. We also went to the fair last week. It was soo crazy. The rides were hardly safe and the food probably wasn't safe either. I decided against the rides, but ate the most amazing food ever. I ate a burrito with macaroni noodles, cole slaw, and chicken...then I ate corn on the cob with mayo, ketchup and mustard smeared all over it...then I ate churros for dessert. It was fun. I am glad I could experience a crazy Guatemalan holiday celebration.




This past weekend I went to a beach close to the Mexican border. We went to help with the turtles and their eggs. We ended up never finding turtles, but we did get to see a turtle egg. Only 5 teachers went and we drove 2.5 hours away from Xela to a secluded area on a beach called Tilapita. We spent most of our time on the beach and the rest of the time playing cards. It was relaxing. I would have had more of a relaxing time had I not been worrying about my grandma who is very ill with cancer. My family is with her, but I wish I could see her as well. Please keep her and my family in your prayers.
I will keep you all updated on how she is. I will also try to write more often. Things should be slowing down a little after this week. Have a great week!
I need to get back to my grading, so until next time!

some of the teachers

picture day!

sunset outside of my window

my students

Surrender

It has been a long day. It has been a bad day. Some parents make teaching awful. Oh man, I have so many questions and so much frustration. Luckily, Monday is Independence Day so we don't have school. I am so so so glad tomorrow is Friday.

Week Twoooo

Week two is finally over. I actually felt like I knew what I was doing this week. It was a great feeling. My stomach is feeling much better. I have been eating soup for awhile, so it has been nice to eat other things. I went to McDonalds for the first time here a few days ago. I had high expectations, but of course it is like any other McDonalds. Last night I went to eat at Dos Tejanos which is a Tex Mex place here. My burrito was kind of bland. On Tuesday for my birthday, a bunch of teachers took me to a Mediterranean restaurant where I ate Pollo a la Dijon which is pretty much chicken with mustard sauce. I also had a Bahama Mama to drink...it was delicious!
My Birthday was fun, but just weird since I didn't get Labor Day off and I also wasn't around family and friends. It did end up being a nice day though. One of my kids (Daniel) gave me a bracelet wrapped in a little box with a bow. I told him those boxes are for diamonds! He just laughed at me. His mom also made me a carrot cake, which was out of this world. I asked for the recipe so I can make it at home. The room mothers bought me some really nice perfume that kind of smells like lavender and baby powder. Another one of my kids (Angelo) has a birthday on the same day so his dad brought in pizzas, sandwiches, a huge fruity pound cake and coke. On Monday, two of my kids have birthdays and we will have another party for them during lunch. Their parents will probably bring pizza, cake and coke. Parents usually go all out for these events. I am really liking the parents here!
Today I was going to go to hot baths near a volcano, but it has been raining a lot in the past 24 hours so I didn't really want to go. Now I am going to a luncheon with other teachers to learn about other missions opportunities in the area. It will be good to get out of the house, especially since I think I just saw a glimpse of sunshine. It stinks that you all back home are getting so much rain. I hope you all stay warm and dry!
On Wednesday a few of us went to a friends house for dinner. We ate mac and cheese, mashed potatoes and chicken. I felt like I was home again. After dinner we sang some worship songs as Liz (another teacher) played guitar. It was beautiful and made me really miss home. I am going to start guitar lessons next week. I am really excited.
Lately I have been thinking a lot about why God has me here. Why Guatemala? Why not a school in Virginia where I thought He wanted me. I have been thinking about how I am around my kids and if they see Christ in me. Am I really ministering to the people around me? I want to be more like Jesus, but I don't think that is my top priority, like I think it should be. This week I am going to work on that.

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me one magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You

Give me one pure and holy passion
Give me on magnificent obsession
Give me one glorious ambition for my life
To know and follow hard after You
-One Pure and Holy Passion

Things I miss about home...

-P.F. Changs
-Being able to walk around barefoot
-Ice in my water
-Bath tubs
-Pedestrians having the right of way
-Grass
- Tuxedo Mochas
-Being able to put toilet paper down the toilet
-chipotle
-oak trees
-autumn
-stop signs
-peaches
-ham and turkey

I will add more to this list....

Week One

I am still looking for my mountain top. I said I would find my quiet spot on some mountain as soon as I could. Soon, I will find my own Hume. (Although nothing will compare)

I have finally fiinished my first week of teaching. It has been an adventure, that's for sure. On Monday, I woke up with extreme pains in my stomach. Come to find out, I have a stomach fungus. No one really knows how I got sick since I really haven't eaten anything I'm not supposed to. My host mom has been making me soup for almost every meal! Because I was sick, I was not in a good mood and I think my kids were kind of disappointed.

Each day I teach generally the same things and three days a week they have electives. I really like elective days and lunch time, because I get somewhat of a break. I realized this week that my kids are great, but they are sooo worried about their grades. I don't mean the normal, "I really want an A", but they ask a million questions weeks in advance like, "What if we fail?, Will you help us with the questions if we need help?, How many points is each question worth and how many bonus points will we get if we fail?" Now, after giving them a Social Studies test yesterday with 15 questions, I let my kids know that this was their first test so if I needed to make adjustments for the next time, I would or I would just eliminate questions if a majority got the question wrong. The acted like they were going to die! Many of the kids took their books to recess and lunch to study. At the end of the test we went over the easy and difficult questions. After amny hands being raised, I concluded that there was an average of two questions missed on every test. TWO QUESTIONS!! It was a stressful experience. Never have a ever seen a 10 year old worry so much over their first test. I am very proud of my kids and I am very glad that many of them work so hard and strive to be the best. It is just difficult because I want them to still know it is okay to still be a kid.

On Thursday night, a few of the teachers invited me over for dinner and cards. I ate dinner and then watched them play cards while I graded papers and made the Social Studies test. It was nice to be around colleagues and not have to be around students or school at the same time.

Last night I went to my party at Wendys. It is a two story restaraunt with a play gym on the second floor. We had a reserved section for 13 kids and 13 mothers. It was a lot of fun. The mothers are all very sweet and very involved in their kid's lives. I was so excited to meet them and see the families of the children I teach.

I am going to be grading and planning all day. Pray that I can get organized and prepared for the next few weeks. Thank you for your abundance of prayers!

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heat! I have overcome the world." John 16:33
There are some pictures below! I hope you enjoy!

Pictures!

My bedroom

Looking outside of my bedroom window

Another view outside of my bedroom window

My classroom

My classroom

Broken, but singing

This week has been tough so far. I am being challenged in so many ways. I want to be home, but I know the Lord wants me to be here. Monday I started teaching. It was going great until I started getting sharp pains in my stomach. I felt bad because since I was not feeling well, I was not in a good mood and my great fist day didn't turn out so great. Today was better. My kids have difficulty listening and staying quiet. Otherwise, they are really good kids. I have a feeling I will learn a lot from them. I am working on figuring out what to teach for the rest of the week. It is difficult when you are starting from scratch and you have more independence than you could imagine. I am ready to have structure. I also ready for the weekend.
I posted a song that I have been listening to a lot lately:

I find no hope within to call my own
For I am frail of heart, my strength is gone
But deep within my soul is rising up a song
Here in the comfort of the faithful one

I walk a narrow road through valleys deep
In search of higher ground, on mountains steep
And though with feet unsure, I still keep pressing on.
For I am guided by the faithful one.

Faithful, faithful to the end,
My true and precious friend,
You have been faithful,
Faithful, so faithful to me

I see your wounded hands, I touch your side
With thorns upon your brow you bled and died
But there’s an empty tomb, a love for all who come
And give their hearts to you, the faithful one.


Faithful, faithful to the end,
My true and precious friend,
You have been faithful,
Faithful, so faithful to me

And when the day is dawned and when the race is run
I will bow down before God’s only Son
And I will lift my hands in praise for all you’ve done
And I will worship you, my faithful one.

-The Faithful One-Selah

Xela

Finally, a moment to sit down and actually use the internet.

I am in an internet cafe with some friends drinking a lemonade and listening to some weird polka music. I have been so eager to talk to everyone from back home.

Things here have been very overwhelming, but I am trying to relax every chance I get.

On Thursday I arrived in Guatemala City around 11:15. After making my way through customs, I went to out to eat for lunch with the guy who came to pick me up. We took a taxi to the restaurant and then took the same taxi to the greyhound bus stop. The bus ride was took us four hours to get to Quetzaltenango or "Xela" as the locals call it. We even got a flat tire when we were about 10 minutes away from the house I am living at. Throughout the four hours, the bus would pick up indigenous people and for about five minutes they would walk through the aisle trying to sell candy or peanuts. Once they had asked everyone on the bus, they would get off at the next stop and then get on another bus. It was crazy.

I got to my house at about 6:30pm and met the family and went straight to bed. I felt bad, but I was sooo exhausted. I met the family and got a tour of the house. I am living with a mom and dad who have three daughters, one son and two grandchildren. The oldest daughter and her son live with the parents. Another teacher is also living there. It is a full house and a loud house. I like it though!

On Friday, I woke up at 6am to shower and get ready for school. Breakfast was at 6:30 and the bus was picking the teachers up at 7am. I met the other teachers and packed into a 12 person van with 15 people in it. The school is so beautiful. It is on top of a hill overlooking the city. There is one teacher for every grade and each elective. I read the handbook and signed some papers when I arrived and then by noon, I was in the classroom teaching math and science. I ate pasta for lunch which my host mom made. Before I knew it, it was 3 and school was over. My children were so great. I am so excited to see them on Monday. I have 13 kids who all of the teachers say are the greatest kids in the school. I am a little nervous about grading and organizing lessons. I made sure my kids knew I loved grammar so I would be grading hard on spelling and grammar. They all begged for no homework, but I think this week I am going to have to give them some type of assignment for reading or writing. They are not allowed to speak spanish in the school. If they do, they get in trouble and might have to write "I will not speak Spanish" 100 times. They usually speak spanish at home, but because this is an American school and their parents are paying big bucks for them to come here, they are only supposed to speak in English. This is something I am very thankful for, because I feel a little more at home.

One interesting thing I discovered is that Guatemalan public schools require families to purchase their text books and they have to pay a small fee to attend school. The school I am at is very expensive to go to because we provide the children with books. There are no school buses and they must bring their own lunches. I am teaching spelling, reading, English, math, social studies, science, and Bible.

On Saturday night I went to a Xela soccer game. It made me really miss college football in the states. People here go crazy and set off their own fireworks randomly and even sing songs with curse words. Even the little kids would sing the songs! I was shocked. I also got to eat some street food which consisted of chicken, potatoes, garlic bread, tortillas and beans. It was soooo delicious.

Tomorrow I will start to teach on my own and hopefully begin making my own plan for how I want to teach. It will be an adventure for sure!

Well, I must get back to planning for tomorrow. I miss you all tons and I can't wait to share all of my stories with you. I also can't wait until Christmas to go home :)

PS..one of the room mothers is throwing me a welcome party...at wendy's! haha! Supposedly it is expensive and it's a big deal that one of the mom's is giving me a party. I do have the best class :)

An adventure

This is where it all begins. I will attempt to update you all as often as I can through this blog. I will try to include pictures as well. Please leave comments!! Thanks for all of your prayers, encouragement and support. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and I can't wait to share my adventures with you.