missionyeargirl's Xanga

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:39:11 GMT

my father tells me it has been quite some time since last i have graced xanga with an entry. true, true.

i have been so happy. seriously, so happy. life is amazing, despite record levels of cold, the corruption of ceos, the downturn of the economy, and all the other reasons why it shouldn't be. i love my students, my school, the constant learning and laughing. i went to goodwill today and bought thirty picture book classics for my third graders. they reminded me of when i sat next to my mom and she would read them to me. i am excited to share with them the stories of francis the bear, or dr. desoto, or koko and his kitten. to everyone who was read to as a child, thank your parents!

so... christmas. its weird that this christmas i am missing someone. i forgot how to miss people when i was in mission year so it always surprises me when i feel that slight pull at my mind or heart and wonder how someone managed to sneak their way far enough in that i would notice their absense when i am away.

this will be a slightly different christmas. i asked my parents to donate to a school charity in my name instead of buying me presents. i kept trying to think of things i wanted for christmas, and eventually instead of all the work of contriving ideas, i simply decided that i don't need anything. books for my kiddos or an electric blanket for my dog. other than that, i just want world peace, water for everyone, equality in the school systems... the basics. and more and more i feel that the work i do is sufficient. i get excited each time i hear about people helping others and i have been encouraged that people are forced to think beyond green this christmas and focus on what really matters, like family and love, friendship, laughter, kindness, gratitude... i have so much stuff!

we went to our annual music christmas party and i got to soak in those things that really matter. singing, music, laughter, friendship...merry christmas to me!

xanga, what's that?

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 02:41:39 GMT

i had to write a life rule for my bible study. thought i would share it.

My Life Rule

Because I believe that all life is sacred, and because I believe that I am here to glorify God with my life, and to draw other people to know Him through what I do, I set forth this as my life rule.

v I honor God with my time

o There is a time for all things under heaven. I strive to use my time in ways that build up my body, my mind, my soul, so that I can use my time in ways that serve and love other people.

v I honor God with my thoughts

o I set before God those thoughts which are pure, uplifting, and holy. I strive to hold to thoughts that are true, and discard thoughts that are lies.

v I honor God with my tongue

o I say things which will edify those around me. I strive to speak kindly toward and about those around me. I will speak truth, but I will always have the goal of unity and love in mind.

v I honor God with my presence

o I strive to be fully aware of each moment as a gift from God. I will strive to live in the present moment, letting go of what has gone before, and not worrying about what is yet to come.

v I honor God with my work

o I meditate in the truth of knowing that my work is not the shaping characteristic of my identity. My value lies in being a child of God, an unearned gift of grace.

v I honor the full person of God

o I know that I am not God; neither is my culture nor gender a superior representation of the person of God. In our fallen world, I recognize that there are inequalities that grieve the heart of God. As all people are made in the image of God, I strive to love and serve those around me, remembering that all I have is gift, and that I have much to learn from those who are different from me.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Tue, 03 Jun 2008 01:36:02 GMT

I'm nearing the end of this school year, a fact that will become far more exciting after June 10th when my final masters paper will be complete. I finished the portfolio, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

As a present to myself (I'm pretty good at getting those) I bought a Nintendo Wii. It is SO entertaining. It has been a welcome and fantastic distraction. Meanwhile, I am finally starting to focus my attention toward going to Africa, getting immunizations and thinking about packing. I am super excited to see Melissa because dang are there things to catch up about!!

My trip to Madison was a total success. The campus is beautiful. I made a mental note that when I am thinking about graduate school, I should apply there. Then again, I love Chicago. I can't imagine leaving here any time soon.

Only 12 more days of school left in my second year! Next year I will no longer feel like a new teacher. YES!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:56:44 GMT

its late. seriously late. i need to be in bed three hours ago. i am stressed out. but i am pretty happy.

i am moving forward.

there is an end to the tunnel of this school year, my masters degree, etc.

i am going to miss my students. again. which isn't to say that i am leaving my school most definitely. but i don't want to stay. sigh.

we started guided reading yesterday and i love it. my students love it, too. even though my students are so stinkin chatty.

tomorrow i get to wear jeans to work. i love dress down days.

i thought about getting a pet dog, but decided not to. i thought about getting a pet cat, but decided not to. i thought about buying a house, but decided that if i can't commit to a dog or a cat, i shouldn't commit to a house.

i think there is enough time in the day to get everything done, but i'm not sure.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:17:41 GMT

new experience #24509786203

i went grocery shopping with my sister here in ecuador. there were so many fruits i didn't even recognize. i decided that any fruit i had never tried before was going to be purchased and savored. i haven't tried all of them yet, but so far, so good. have you ever heard of a pepino dulce? or a tomate ducle? or seen fruits that are yellow and spiky, but taste like a kiwi-grape combo on the inside? or eaten mora berries? or uvilla? or a custard apple. (like, grows on the tree, but tastes like custard apple) or seen the inside of a grandajilla, which looks like something out of a sci-fi movie?

there's so much about ecuador that feels like the united states, but then i will hear the rapid cadence of another language, or see the weathered face of the women selling a roses, a dollar per dozen, on the corner of the street. or the political conversations have less to do with iraq and more to do with colombia. or look outside my window and see the power of a mighty mountain. or sit back and relax, because in spite of it being a city, quito still operates at a slower pace than the u.s.

i stood at the center of the world, one foot in the northern hemisphere and one foot in the southern hemisphere. i have ridden in several taxis, all of which make me feel like i am only breaths away from meeting my creator. i have visited the malls, so similar to the united states, and yet somehow more trendy, laughing at the fact that you no longer have to purchase toilet paper in the public bathrooms, though you still are not allowed to flush it down. i have gone to the park and walked in a forest full of eucalyptus trees and breathed deeply from the thin, elevated air. i visited the crater of an inactive volcano. i've attended two different bible studies, striking in their contrast, yet amazing at how similar people are in their desires and wishes for themselves, others, justice, faith, and truth.

tomorrow i will visit the top of the mountain, by way of suspended cable cars. afterward we will go to the cathedrals and participate in the colorful, sacred services of latin americans during holy week. so much left to do.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:13:38 GMT

i have to say, call me a Luddite, but i HATE the new xanga format.

good to have that off my chest.

meanwhile, i have this absurd amount of homework to do for my masters class and it is making me very unhappy. very unhappy indeed.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 19:29:28 GMT

my blog design seems shockingly boring after looking at the blogs of a few of my friends. oh well. no time to change that now.

I AM IN ECUADOR! i have finally made it to the ecuator. it is beautiful here from what i can tell, though today has been spent watching my nephews, after one of them pulled an all nighter and emergency room visit. the adults have been taking turns napping and with child care. but still, I AM IN ECUADOR!

i met my little new nephew aaron, who is unbelievably beautiful. i think he might be the cutest one yet.

on the plane here i finished the book i was reading, Insecure At Last, by Eve Ensler. it was so good. i read the last chapter with tears in my eyes. i'm sure the person next to me thought i was insane. in the subsequent conversation with my dad, we discussed how interesting it is that almost all people who really promote change and reform recommend doing so not in programs or with money, but rather with community. the relationships you build, that shape you, that tear down your walls and fears, and that ultimately bring love and peace.

it is good, then, that i am with my community in ecuador, soaking them in for the first time in over a year.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:12:12 GMT

Hello. I'm back.

If you want a way to support my class, you can fund one of the grants I have written.

The first one, for a leveled book library, is here: http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=164575

The second one, for an LCD projector (which would be SO awesome) is here:
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=164594

Even a small donation makes a big difference, and you get a packet of pictures and homemade thank you gifts.

There will be another one posting soon.

Thanks!

Monday, March 03, 2008

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:08:44 GMT

i've been getting some comments lately about how its been SO long since i last blogged. i didn't mean to not blog, i've just been SO busy. there's work, getting a masters degree, friends, family, counseling, guitar lessons, voice lessons, monday night dinners, middle school youth group at church, selling jewelry, and all the other stuff. the good news is that i love what i do. it just doesn't allow me to blog much.

in any case, i went home this weekend and got to see my parents and act as the only child, a privilege i have had precious few times in my life. it was good to be there, though far too short. on the plane ride there i met an eighty year old couple that were flying back from vacation in florida. it was fun to hear about the depression, world war 2, and their six children. then on the way back, i sat next to a high school french teacher from florida. i am fascinated by the stories that people hold.

i bought a guitar and i remembered why i love my job.

first, the guitar. it is a beautiful martin with a spruce top and a mahogany body. it plays wonderfully. dad is right, you know when its the instrument that you want. this is the one i wanted. it makes playing so much easier, and much more beautiful. it makes me even more excited about my guitar lessons, which have added so much enjoyment to my life. i successfully removed most of my passion for creating music when i went to wheaton. its good to be participating again, since i'm pretty sure there's been a part of me that has been starving for the last several years.

second, my job. which has been super frustrating. but unlike last year, i have been making a very concerted effort to remember the eternal, lasting things about what i do, and i have been reminding myself that other people's drama (read: administration) is not my drama. i must continue to do what i love, with joy and passion, and that will not be taken from me, no matter how angry or how much of a wet blanket those around me would choose to be. i pray a lot, because it has taken an extreme amount of patience. but i love my students, and on the plane ride home i read my book for my class, which reminded me that the work i do is powerful, meaningful, and ultimately makes me a better, kinder, more passionate person, shaped by the lives and stories of the children i am privileged to meet.

life is good. partly because it is good, partly because i am choosing that it is good, and definitely because Jesus loves me, and provides far beyond what i need.

resolved

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 04:09:14 GMT

love God more.

love people more.

love myself more.

make healthy choices.

worry less.

seek completion, not perfection.

be present.

be grateful.

want less.

take risks.

love large.

practice resurrection.