First Day Teaching

Today I taught my first lesson!  Here are my teacher's notes about it:

Morning Meeting-
You talk with a good authoritative voice and the students respond to you. 

Math-
Good job paying attention that all students answer and participate.
>>Good use of repetition "even numbers"
>>The students were applying what you taught to their work!

Feeling good so far with some positive feedback!  I take on Math for the rest of this week, Morning Meeting, and leading the students in line and transition times.

The plan for the rest of my time here is:
October 30 >> Math, Morning Meeting, Line/Transition Time
November 4 >> Math, Spelling, Language Arts, Helping Write Morning Message
November 11 >> Math, Spelling, Language Arts, Science, Writing Morning Message Alone
November 18 >> Math, Spelling, Language Arts, Science, Reading, Morning Message
November 25 >> Spelling, Language Arts, Science, Reading, Morning Message
December 2 >> Science, Reading
December 9 >> Nothing (Observe a few other teachers)
December 11 >> Last day in the classroom

Enjoyed a Te Chai Latte this evening from Starbucks with Wendy.
(They wrote both of our names as "Wendy" on each of our cups.)

Here's to having a sun burn in October!

 Welcome to my home.

They don't go by road signs here...but I still do.

The kitties gather to make a decision.

As long as I can still have my Starbucks morning.

Farmer's market advice: Bring a bag.  Wear shorts.  Put on sunscreen.

My classroom for 8 weeks.

Beautiful view from my window.

Beginning my journey in Escazu, Costa Rica

Greetings all!

I am going to start my blog back up while I am in Costa Rica!  Or at least I am for this post.  Who knows if I will actually stay stead with it.  I have been in Escazu for a little under a week now.  I arrived on Monday, and what an interesting, nerve-racking, exciting time it has been!

When I first arrived at the airport in San Jose, all I knew was that I was looking for the principal of Country Day School.  He would be my ride to my new home for the next 8 weeks.  As I walked out, I checked once again to make sure that I was on airplane mode, and began forward.  Signs were being pressed against the glass with many different people's names on them.  I looked intently for my name.  It was not there.  I walked around outside the airport while several men came and asked me if I needed a taxi and who I was looking for.  I tried to keep my cool (this was even more difficult than you could imagine because I was wearing a long sleeved shirt and a north face in 80 degree weather), but I spent my time walking back and forth looking for my name on the signs.  Then it dawned on me.  What happens if I don't get picked up?  Can I trust the cab drivers?  I don't even know where my house is.  I GUESS I could use my phone and then just pay an insane amount to look online for a phone number and call my host or the school.  In that moment, I prayed and prayed.  About 20 minutes later, a man asked me where I was going, and I replied the name of the school that I was placed at.  Another man leaned in and showed me his sign which said the name of my school.  And off we went!  I could tell he was not the principal of the school, and of course, he didn't speak English.  Makes for a pretty silent car ride.  All I could utter was, "The mountains are beautiful!" which he seemed to understand.  He took me to my house, and I had finally arrived.

The house is very nice.  My host is very welcoming and helpful (She is also a masseuse!)  Only yesterday, I moved into my permanent room which is very nice.  There may or may not be a painting of a very naked woman hanging on my wall, but nothing a girl from 3CO and the White House can't handle.  One of the other women that lives in the house is named Wendy, and she also is student teaching at my same school.  She student teaches in the high school, but the high school and elementary school are connected.  She has been here since August and has obviously learned a lot about directions and has refreshed her Spanish during that time.  Even before I arrived in Costa Rica, she was giving me advice about what I should bring and what I could expect.  Wendy is one of my biggest blessings from God so far on my trip.  She is the one that I spend the majority of my time with when I am not at school or alone.  Wendy will have been married for 20 years this year, and she also has a 14 year old daughter.  It has been really awesome to connect with someone who is in a very different part of their life and share conversation with her.  We share many long walks together since our main transportation is walking.  Walking to the grocery, walking home from school, walking to the mall or the movie theater, and walking to the farmer's market.  It's nice to have some company in the evening before I have 4 or 5 hours of alone time.  Without her constant help with directions and frequent translations of Spanish, I don't know what I would have done.  Fortunately, I am placed in a really good neighborhood where I can safely walk around by myself (I don't do so at night, of course!).

I began school on Tuesday, and I am very fortunate to have my teacher and my class.  My teacher has worked at the school for 8 years, but she originally came to Costa Rica through the same organization that sent me (CCTECC).  She is a Christian, and she is a wonderful teacher.  I have already learned a lot from her, and I look forward to learning even more from her.  My class is made up of 16 third graders.  Within our class, the students come from Spain, Brazil, Nicaragua, Mexico, the United States, Venezuela, South Korea, and Costa Rica.  There is also a mix of personalities, but I am so thankful for each student.  I have enjoyed getting to know them this first week.  I was also able to take over the class for the first time this week.  My teacher has 2 little girls who are in kindergarten and preschool.  The early childhood school had their United Nations celebration on Thursday, and both of her girls were in it.  The students dressed up in the traditional dress of the countries that they are from and performed a couple of songs.  (From what I saw, it was beautiful and a very moving thing to watch.)  Anyway, my teacher wanted to watch the performance, but we had to pick up the kids.  Fortunately, I knew how to lead morning meeting and morning message which were the next two things on the list.  I took the class, so that my teacher could watch her daughters.  It felt so good to begin showing the students that I was going to teach them and get to interact with them even more than normal.  After my teacher got back, she told me that I had done a really good job with the kids!  I had only had them for 20min or so, but that time was so valuable to me to begin learning to teach this class.  I begin teaching math next week on Wednesday which is exciting!  My teacher has asked to keep a journal with me where I can write questions that I have while she is teaching and she can write questions for me while I am teaching.  This will keep constant communication between us and allow her to give me lots of feedback (which I need and love!).

The school that I have been placed at is also incredible.  It is a private international school, so everyone speaks English except the janitors, lunch ladies, and security.  (I can tell you what- THAT has been refreshing!)  All of the teachers are very friendly and helpful, and it is very evident that the teachers want to do what's best for the children.  There is a lot of collaboration between teachers, special education teachers, special teachers (art, music, P.E., etc.), the curriculum leader, and English Language teachers.  The location is also very cool.  The entire school is outside except for the classrooms.  The hallways are outdoors, and I do a lot of walking up and down ramps and stairs outside because the students attend more specials than they do it the U.S.  They also attend 45 minutes of Spanish every day which is on the other side of the elementary school.  It's beautiful and honestly, more enjoyable to walk outside during the day.  From the recess field you can see the mountains on one side and at the houses down the mountain on the other side.  I have seen many hummingbirds in the school, and Wendy mentioned that she saw a few parrots the other day.

Overall, my experience has been really good so far.  I have spent a lot of time alone which honestly, has been really cool for me.  Coming from a house of 7 girls to a room of one has been challenging at first, but actually really helpful for my time here.  When I get home around 4:30 in the evenings, I spend the rest of my time reading, journaling, emailing, listening to music, doing a few school things, aaaaaaaaaaand going to bed at 8:30pm.  Judge me!  It's 10:30 back home, and that's late for me!  Plus it makes a 6am wake up very easy.  Time alone gives me a great chance to reflect and pray.  I have learned a lot more how dependent I am on the Lord.  Without him, I would be physically lost and unable to communicate.  Thankfully, he gives me grace and has given me the blessings of people who are looking out for me even though I just met them!  A song that has really meant a lot to me during my time here so far is Oceans, by Hillsong.  I feel that it really fits my situation here in Costa Rica and is a great prayer from me to the Lord.

You call me out upon the waters 

The great unknown, where feet may fail 

And there I find You in the mystery 

In oceans deep, my faith will stand 

And I will call upon Your name 

And keep my eyes above the waves 

When oceans rise 

My soul will rest in Your embrace 

For I am Yours, and You are mine 

Your grace abounds in deepest waters 

Your sovereign hand will be my guide 

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me 

You've never failed, and You won't start now 

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders 

Let me walk upon the waters 

Wherever You would call me 

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander 

And my faith will be made stronger 

In the presence of my Savior 

I will call upon Your name 

Keep my eyes above the waves 

My soul will rest in Your embrace 

I am Yours, and You are mine

A few prayer requests:

>>My computer has been acting really strange, and after talking to my dad, I believe it is a problem with the

    interior power source of the computer.  This means that it's not something that I can really do anything

    about.  Pray that God miraculously fixes the computer, or that I can continue using it for a little while each

    day without the inside power completely giving out.

>>Pray for my Spanish!  Pray that I would be able to understand more and learn how to communicate a little

    bit with people.

>>Pray for me as I begin teaching!  Pray that I would be able to see what is best for my students and that I

    would connect well with them.  Pray for patience with the chattiness and for my discipline.

Gracias y adios por actualidad!

A New Summer

I am completely motivated for this summer to be a great summer.  

Here is my list of summer goals:

>>Run 65 miles (with Joshua)

>>No Pop!

>>Don't spend money on clothes

>>Daily in God's Word

>>Memorize Deuteronomy 32

>>Weekly Starbucks morning (with Reagan)

>>Improve at guitar

>>Eat healthier

>>Create a Pure and Refreshing Journal

Sabbathing on Sunday

"Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you." Deuteronomy 5:12

Oh, the sabbath.

I think that we get kind of a negative view of the sabbath from the Old Testament. Hearing about the Pharisees condemning people and such for doing the smallest "work" makes me view the sabbath as legalistic or unnecessary. I also tend to look at the sabbath as one of those Old Testament laws that is not still true today. Just as sacrifices were no longer necessary in the new covenant, the sabbath was no longer necessary. Plus, how many Christians really take the sabbath seriously anyway?

HOWEVER, I believe the Spirit has been revealing to me the importance of the sabbath. Yes, there are many unclear topics in the Bible, but I do not believe that the sabbath is one of them. First off- God rested on the seventh day after creating the world. This is a well-known fact, but it's so often dismissed. Literally God- perfect, Holy, creative, strong, mighty God- chose to rest after doing something so simple for him. Wanting to be like God and follow his example, I view this as an important thing to keep in mind!

Not only that, but keeping the sabbath is literally a commandment in the ten commandments. We don't view any of the other commandments as iffy or something that we are free to disobey. The ten commandments were important laws from God that have stood through time and culture. The sabbath is included in a list of merely ten important laws from God.

Lastly, I think about how much I want to have a day of rest during the week. What a refreshment and day to just focus on God. A Holy day to listen to God and take extra time to get in his word. I want to begin to take the sabbath seriously and pursue God even more than during the week on a day free of work. I view this day as a Holy day where I can grow in my own holiness and fully seek God in his holiness.

God, give me a longing for rest in you.
Refocus me and fill me with your Spirit.
Amen.

Life Verse

Something that my grandma has always asked me is, "What will your verse for the year be?" Many years I have come up with a verse, but forgotten what it was by about half way through the year. To think of a life verse seemed too premature and too big of a deal for me to ever come up with. Both my grandma and my grandpa have life verses, and I had not recognized the huge value of a life verse until now.

Throughout this past year, I have learned a lot about myself, my name meaning, and my calling. Things have fallen together in an awesome way, and I feel that God has given me a great revelation of where I was, where I am, and where I am going. I feel a strong calling to fulfill my name meaning: to be pure and refreshing in God's sight. In considering what this means for me, I decided to memorize Psalm 119:9-16. It says, "How can a man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments. I have stores up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Blessed are you O Lord; teach me your statutes. With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes. I will not forget your word." These verses are my bookmark in my Bible and in the notes on my phone listed as "A daily prayer."

This summer, God has revealed to me that he is a perfect example of total purity and he fully refreshes us. He's shown me how to strive for purity in everything I do- thoughts, words, and actions. In this, I have realized that these verses lay out some of the huge goals and purposes of my life.

Verse nine says that God's Holy word is a crucial element of my purity. I want to become more and more aquatinted with God and his Holy example through his word. The tenth verse talks about seeking God with my WHOLE heart. This is a struggle for me as I find so many things holding me back from completely seeking God with everything. Throughout my life I want to learn to truly seek God with all that is within me. In seeking God fully, I can really work to follow what he commands me, and I can love and appreciate the commands that he gives me. Verse eleven challenges me to make memorizing scripture a priority so that I can be encouraged and convicted daily through the Holy Spirit's reminder of God's word. Verse twelve reminds me to praise the lord and learn from him. I am encouraged to share what God teaches me in verse thirteen. Verse fourteen tells me to be reminded of what God has done in my life and in others' lives and to be filled with joy because of it. In verse fifteen I am reminded to consider and think about God's ways. And the last verse reminds me to delight in him and his laws, and to forever remember his word.

So what does it mean for this to be my life verse? To me it means that I will keep this verse fresh on my mind throughout the rest of my life. I will make it a frequent prayer for my life, and it will be a good reminder of where I started and where I am going. It will be a way to refocus and focus on God and his goodness above all else.

I praise you for the things you've been teaching me this year and this summer.
I praise you for where I was, where I am, and where I am going.
Take my life and let it be consecrated Lord to thee.

Anger Management

Hello readers. I would like to write today about an issue that I had not experienced until recently and why it doesn't make sense. The issue is being angry at God.

This summer, I have really been trying to seek God out with my whole heart (Psalm 119:10). As soon as I feel like I am back where I want to be (completely in awe of Christ and ready to make changes in my life for him), something bad happens. When I say something bad happens, I don't mean that I got run over by a car or didn't have any meals that day. I mean that I got in a fight with someone or felt misunderstood (pathetic, I know). At that point, I let my feelings take over and I get angry with God. I begin feeling hopeless and depressed because of something so small, and I fail to trust God. Then, I would rather hold a grudge against God, then admit that I am wrong and ask for forgiveness. As I talk through this issue I have, I recognize that I had not even confessed this sin until now. I am in awe of my ridiculousness and God's grace. Thank God for forgiveness and second chances.

There is no reason to be angry at God. He knows so much better than I do, and he has blessed me more than I can imagine. To get upset with him and hold a grudge against me only shows my immaturity and trust issues. As I learn to trust God more and more and to truly seek him with my whole heart, I will learn to choose joy and thankfulness over anger and displeasure.

After several setbacks like these, I am moving forward and working to trust God with the trials and temptations that Satan will send my way.

Lord, teach me to trust.
Teach me to be thankful.
Make me more like you.