Self-Diagnosis

It's 1:30 here, Guatemalan time, and here is the Elizabeth update:

-Her soul feels refreshed.  Her mind feels rested.  Her need to socialize has been fulfilled.  Her spirit still seeks God.
-She is still awake.  This could be due to several factors, most notably two cups of coffee with dinner along with a little bit of Pepsi.  It could also be due to her body's pains.
-Given the pain in her body, Elizabeth has been self-diagnosed with the following (in collaboration with WebMD):

• Sciatica.  Nothing says good morning like the knowledge that as soon as you try to sit up you'll feel a sharp pain in your back side, followed by a nice, steady pressure and pain once the spine compresses as you stand.  Hello, world!
• Kidney Stones.  This diagnosis is still flexible.  It has been upgraded from a diagnosis of appendicitis.  However, confirmation with sources has proven to be inconclusive, rendering this diagnosis potentially inaccurate.

***Can you tell I'm a bit of a hypochondriac when I don't know what's wrong?  I may soon be visiting a doctor...that should give me more to write about! :)

Teaching Snapshots

I've enjoyed some good teaching moments this week.  Here are a few:

• In my English for teachers class, we covered the phrase "Ladies First."  This came up when the only guy in the class decided he could eat the popcorn first since he was the first one there.  We teased him about this and thus taught him the phrase.  However, he ended up liking it--not everyone arrives on time, so with each new arrival he practiced his phrase.  She got popcorn, then he got popcorn.  He decided this concept wasn't so bad after all.
• Movie theater terms this week lent themselves to being taught with a video.  With my 3rd/4th grade group, then, we took a field trip to the great room to watch excerpts from Up.  We discussed scenes, concessions, previews, etc.
• My sixth grade group is often one of two extremes after lunch: completely lethargic or bouncing off the walls.  They are almost never up for reciting and practicing their verse for the week.  Thus, under a moment of inspiration, I decided Psalm 139:21 needed to be recited preacher-style, in the vain of MLK, Jr.  Alejandro, who sits in the back of the room, cracks up every time I say it; I haven't quite convinced them to join me in this manner of recitation, but they have at least done the motions (talking with the hands) with me.
• Thank you, Leslie Robinson (?), for flashbacks.  Started doing these with my 6th graders, and I feel like now we are actually learning something from the getgo with class.

Going to La Senda

As I was going to St. Ives,

I met a man with seven wives,
Every wife had seven sacks,
Every sack had seven cats,
Every cat had seven kits -
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were going to St. Ives?


As I was going to La Senda,
I met a man leading a donkey,
a boy with a machete at his waist,
a woman with a basket on her head,
a teenager in her school uniform,
and a busload of passengers overflowing out the door.
Men, boys, women, teenagers, passengers,
How many were going to La Senda?

I'm Learning

Got the bus driver to drop me off across the road from La Senda.  Saved me a 10-15 minute walk down the highway with all of its potential adventure, including imagining myself as a squashed bug on the pavement.

Also caught the bus assistant trying to rip me off.  I know that the way to my house costs Q3.  So don't think, little buddy, that you can give me Q1 change for Q5 bill.  He knew what he was doing. I could tell by his guilty smile when I questioned his work.  For shame, for shame.  He's just as bad as my students who lie about their homework or cheat on their test and then get caught.

I Baptize You...

Today was a special day.  I know this because

-I have been excited all weekend for this morning.
-I woke up early and wanted God time, feeling no need to wash clothes in the pila (remember, I'm a tasky sort)
-I dressed up for the first time since I've been in Guate.  Makeup, even.
-The Great Room at La Senda was decorated with flowers.
-The La Senda kids practiced yesterday for this morning's service.  They do all but the sermon.

There were nearly 50 people in attendance at service this morning.  Lissette, a woman who has become a friend of La Senda; Geovany, one of the teenagers who has lived at La Senda for eleven years; and Daniel, a student of La Senda, all decided they wanted to be baptized this morning.  It was a fantastic celebration!

All parts of the service revolved around the theme of baptism.  The choruses, the verses (from new and old testament), Yaqueline's children's sermon, Phillip's testimony, Samy and Co.'s drama, Steve's sermon. And of course the baptisms themselves.

Lissette's fiance also bought pizza for everyone post service.  What a beautiful time of worship, celebration of faith, and fellowship!

Daniel

Geovany

Ms. Lissette

Fads

The La Senda kids have been rockin' their Field of Dreams this week.  Baseball has been the name of the game every afternoon.  The weather flip-flopped--it's been raining in the mornings rather than the afternoons, so that makes for great playing time.

Marbles are also the "in" thing--and have been for the past month.  In class, the rule is that if you drop your marble and I get to it first, I get to keep it.  Probably not the best strategy, but it's enough incentive for most of them to keep the marbles away.  I've won 10 marbles so far, and I haven't even won a real game...

Keep Out!

Can't help thinking of "Once Upon a Time" by Nadine Gordimer every time I see this view in my backyard.

Bible Day and more

Today was Bible Day at La Senda.  Every hour we got to share with the students something from the Bible.  So, with my 3/4th English class, we talked about the New Testament books in English and then did Sword drills.  We looked up the Romans Road passages (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10; Acts 16:31), and so I had the opportunity to both share the Gospel and show them how to share the Gospel with others.  During Math class, we read from 1 Samuel 17--David and Goliath.  This afternoon, a guest speaker came to share with the students (felt board style), and some of the kids bought a special lunch (fried chicken--Kentucky Fried Chicken, one of my 6th graders suggested to me--potatoes, salad, and juice). 

Tonight I look forward to meeting with my neighbor and friend Johana.  We plan to make dinner together and spend some time in prayer.  We hope to start inviting other neighborhood women to come eventually.

Tomorrow, I look forward to going with my teacher friend Mayra.  She and her husband spend their Saturdays traveling to outlying cities to meet with the people there.  I'm looking forward to seeing her ministry.

On Sunday, I look forward to attending La Senda services.  The kids each take a part of the Sunday service; this Sunday we're having a guest preacher.  I also look forward to sharing during the testimony part of service--I'd appreciate prayers for the words and stories to share from my life.  It's only about 5 minutes long, I think.  I hope to have a chance to invite Cristobal, the builder who works in my neighborhood, to come. 

Grammar Woes

Friday, August 13, 2010


Today was a busy day. I had to fill in for one of the English teachers who was unable to make it to school because of car troubles, which meant I had ten minutes of break throughout the entire school day. Thankfully, the day went well. It was fun to fill in with different classes—I ended up spending time with the first and second graders. I also ended up teaching two classes at the same time, which of course couldn’t have happened without the help of the teachers who were on plan assisting me.

By the time I got to my junior high class at the end of the day, I was relieved to be with a group that could actually sit still and hold a good conversation in English. After reading an article about immigration and discussing it, I worked with them on grammar. Which brought us to irregular plural nouns—man to men, woman to women, wife to wives. And in Samy’s head, moose to mice. He swears he thought it said mouse, but regardless, it tipped the scale and tickled my funny bone so that I laughed for a good three minutes. The release of the day.

Why Girls Wear Tight Pants

It is the fashion here to wear fairly skin tight jeans, regardless of one's size (granted, most are quite small here).  But contrary to first impressions, I assert that the tight jeans are not an attention-seeking clothing option.  Instead, they are a necessity.

Personally, I have three loose jeans and one pair of "tight" jeans.  On a recent day I visited my friend Anita in Antigua.  She came and picked me up via camineta so we could travel together, me being the unlearned traveler. 

Now, the caminetas (aka, chicken buses) have quite the reputation.  Don't ride them, people say.  Keep your belongings close to you--watch out for pickpockets.  Put your cell phone in your front pocket.  Pray the whole way you're riding (that's my thought).

All very good advice.  And it should be heeded, especially when caminetas are the sole means of transportation.  However, on this sunny day (that like most schizophrenic days in Guatemala, turned rainy and dropped ten degrees), losing money was not my primary concern.  Three people sat in each seat of the once-U.S.-school bus.  The only available seats?  In the back.  Let me tell you, squeezing through all of those people--it's a lot like going through Fat Man's Bane in Berea. 

And then I quickly realized what concerned me most.  It wasn't being pick pocketed.  It wasn't even dropping my cell phone, though it did cross my mind.  Rather, I became very afraid that I would lose my pants. 

Imagine that, the only gringa on the bus mooning everyone.  Not a pretty sight.

Thus, I have learned that girls wear tight pants not because they are trying to be sexy, but solely for modesty's sake.

Hence, when I know I'm going to ride the camineta, I choose to wear my tight pants.  Or a belt.

House Party

Today, in one hour.  Fun times!

Living Room

Kitchen

Bathroom

Study (?)/ Bedroom

Bedroom

With Gratitude

Rushing Wind

"The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

-John 3:8

Billowing in from the north, new warmth encompasses La Senda

Laughter, coffee, hard work, cinnamon rolls, Five Crowns,

and checkmarks on the list

Sprinkle relief on a cracked-earth day.

Little wisps of fresh air flitting around the campus,

The men and women of Harvest Community Church

Come to bless and to serve.

One man jokingly offers to flip the bird

almost as readily as the moth-thin Bible pages,

yet challenges each to consider his relationship with God.

Another tinkers with Pringle-can telephones

and tree houses

and teeth-baring saws alike

all for the delight of the children.

Loco is known for his jokes and teasing ways,

though he barrels through the list

like a locomotive

(keeping hole 18 in mind the whole time)

The purple-bandana-clad painter mutters

as he investigates the mechanics of all things functional,

stopping to paint walls and fashion new tools out of old.

Another, gentle, quiet,

grounds the negative charges,

keeps the pipes clear

and straightens table legs with his giant strength.

The last man is in want of a wife,

joyfully waiting with a winning smile

and a whistling woodwind,

making sure all is “Good enough for government work”

in the mean time.

With the cinnamon-sweet aroma of freshly baked bread

and the hum of the sewing machine,

there’s no question who creates comfort for those she serves.

The Keeper of the List checks daily for completion,

but she’s a gentle master, refreshing the group

with her homemade, savory sherbet and dinner.

A mother-daughter duo shines their light brightly,

saving the world from dirty pennies and sins,

sharing about God’s love with the children

who love the coloring, the singing, the hip-shaking.

Two more, fresh from the Peruvian peaks:

One regales us with Spanish stories and boyfriends,

filling in with willing hands

to clean, to blend milk, to read stories;

the other, being molded into a priceless pot,

subs and serves and sews where needed.

And for all their work, no thanks are needed, they say

As they leave pounds of cakes and cookies and bread

And a newly fashioned tree house and bleachers

And freshly painted rooms and organized storage spaces

All for the kids, all for Mommy and Daddy,

All for the love of the Lord.

(And in one tiny house, not but ten minutes away,
Lives one grateful girl counting her blessings

Among blue and green walls and neatly hung curtains,

Even a fridge that swings open,

Refreshed by the wind from the North.)

-written with much thanks to the members of Harvest Community Church, Guatemala mission trip 2010

Teaching Teachers

Day #1: I'm excited!  I have a framework in mind, and though I'm sure it will need tweaked as we go, hopefully that will not be a huge problem.

-One teacher showed up on time; three were just a few minutes late; five more nearly missed the first activity (reading John 3:16 in English and discussing unknown words).  But they came!

-DumDums were the treat of the day. Thanks, Pam!

-We covered introducing ourselves, basic pronouns, the verb "to be" in present tense, and six feelings. 

-Their enthusiasm was definitely much higher than the students'.  It was great to say, "Practice with a partner," and they actually did it! 

-With help from Shannon and Laurie, two women here with a group from the U.S., we tested them so I can try to determine levels and what needs to be taught.

-The homework?  Practice introducing yourself with a gringo/gringa (white person), an English teacher, or one of the junior high speakers 5 times before Monday.

Now I'm Really Living Here

...this is what occurred to me my first night in my new place.  My house.  Where I'll be for the next year.  (Yes, there's a guest room :)).  I felt more settled, more like now I can better carry out what I need to be doing here.  I still don't know all that that is, but I'm excited to find out!

What my new neighborhood is like (based on the first two days):

-You have to call me when you arrive so I can run around the corner and unlock the gate to let you in.  We're on the neighborhood watch system here.

-Driving/walking back to my house, you'll pass the first street.  My teacher friend Johana lives at the end of it, in the corner, next to the pink house.  If you go to visit her, beware of the madly barking dog on the roof up to the left.  Don't worry, though, he can't get to street level to harm you.  If you need to purchase any eggs or sugar or other basic necessities, feel free to stop by the tienda one of the women runs (I was so excited to hear about this!).

-There are only three streets in the neighborhood (shaped like an h, rotated 90 degrees and reflected), so head back to the entrance and turn right and then a quick left.  My house is the light yellow one.

-On Wednesdays, my neighbor Maricela sells chile rellenos, my new favorite Guatemalan food.  Hers are delicious!

-Each day, the bread boy comes by, ringing his bell to announce his presence.  I haven't had a chance to buy pan from him yet, but I look forward to having fresh bread.

-My neighbors get home around 9:00 P.M.  I hear them for about an hour before things settle down.

-In the morning, a neighbor's rooster crows occasionally.  I'm not sure if it's on one of the roofs or on the nearby farm.  It's pretty common for them to be on the roof.

-Johana and I walk out the gate and down the lane to the carretera and wait for another teacher friend, Mayra, to pick us up.  The mornings have been beautiful.  Today, we saw Fire Vulcano smoking.

That's my home life thus far!  Stop by for some cake and tea, k? (Maybe soon I'll have a coffee maker.)

Moving Day Today!

Rachel substituted for me today so I could run errands.  Lito drove me all over Chimal, and I think I'm ready to be in my house now!

We're waiting for the moving truck at the moment.  A family from school has offered to help me move.  It's also raining right now, but that's okay.

Thanks for your prayers!

Cowboy Day 2010

I was shot today.  By a fourth grader.  During English class. With a toy gun.  It hurt!  I think he had stuffed a rock or something inside the barrel, not expecting it to really fly out--the "Oh, crap!" look on his face told me that it was not intentional.  But it certainly got his gun taken away from him, returned later with stern instructions not to let me see him "shooting" anyone else today.  (It was hard to be stern, though, when I was laughing about the whole incident.  Imagine the headlines that would have erupted back in the U.S.!)  When I saw him aiming at another student this afternoon, he froze up and quickly stashed his weapon back in his jeans pocket. 

Besides the great props the students brought and wore today (horses, hats, cowboy boots, plaid), country music blared from the speakers and students milled about the various activities--beauty salon, bingo, concessions, talent show.  The crowd pleaser of the talent show was Phillip singing Happy Birthday in Spanish, accompanied by his armpit. 

On a teaching note, I had a successful conference with one of the other teachers about some students we have in common.  All in Spanish.  I think I understood 90% of what he said!  I still got about a 25% on my own verb conjugation and grammar, but at least information was communicated. 

This weekend, I look forward to preparing for fourth quarter and planning for my big move.  A family has agreed to help me move things like a bed, fridge, and stove (Pam and Steve are lending me these things) on Tuesday.  Praise God!

Johana, my soon-to-be neighbor.  She has been so helpful to me!  I'm thankful to live close to someone I know a bit.  She teaches first grade.

Little Andrew.  Today his cowboy boots came in handy.

Waiting for the Talent Show to get under way!

Teaching Moments

Still establishing my classroom structure and whatnot, but I feel like I am learning quickly about what to do and what not to do.  This week, there have been a few great teaching moments:

• Math One-on-One.  With seven students, my math group is quite manageable in size.  The biggest challenge is the language barrier--I have the half of the class that struggles the most with English or are the newest language learners.  Yesterday, though, I had the chance to work with one of the students one-on-one while the class was correcting mistakes.  This particular student loves writing down answers without showing his work, and sometimes I know they come from the board rather than his head.  Thus, I asked him to explain how he arrived at the answers to several problems, slightly afraid it was going to be a long session of pulling teeth to get him to speak in English (even though he is one of the stronger speakers).  But he surprised me--he explained his steps without complaining about the language, and we caught a couple of mistakes he made and fixed them.  I think he was pretty proud of himself, and I think he has finally caught on that I want him to show me his work.  I must say I was quite pleased with him, too.

• English Partners.  Today we worked on reading multi-syllable words with short vowels correctly.  I paired the students up and gave them ten flashcards per pair--they had to take turns reading the words aloud.  When they were finished, I gave them a new set of cards.  Taking advice I had read somewhere and had heard from a friend about activity length, I kept it to about eight minutes of practice and was able to move them to the next task before they got too squirrelly.  And as I walked around and listened in, it sounded like they were doing well with their pronunciation!  More practice tomorrow.

Praise God for a Place to Live!

It's official:  I signed papers to rent a house for the next year with the option to extend the contract.  It's pretty cute!  Check it out:

Welcome to my new digs!

living room

kitchen (sink and cabinets should be in by Saturday)

one of the bedrooms

backyard, with pila to wash clothes and steps to the roof

one view from the roof

Praise the Lord for his provision! :)

Tear Jerker

Looked forward to spending time with a friend today, but it turned out she was busier than expected.  Thus, I ended up sitting in a bank for an hour reading my book, The Same Kind of Different as Me.

The little bank was tucked away in a row of multi-colored stores in Sumpango, right in front of the market.  We greeted the bank guard with a buenas tardes, and I found a seat staring out across the cobblestone streets towards town hall.  A man spoke through a megaphone, and a crowd of people stood listening to him, their backs to me and the man's voice muffled by the time it reached my ears.  The guard leaned against the door, and patrons (men in their business suits, women in the colorful, ankle-length skirts, thick belts, and solid-color blouses) entered with a brief greeting and then stood in line.

I was glad I brought a book with me.  I soon became lost in the world of Miss Debbie and Denver, and before I knew it, tears sprang to my eyes.  I blinked them away but ended up resorting to fanning my eyes with my bookmark to keep tears from overflowing.  Deciding momentarily to quit reading rather than cry in public, I watched the cleaning man sweep and then mop the floor with the towel-over-the-broom technique.

The story, however, couldn't keep out of my mind for long, so there I was, tearing up and fanning my eyes all over again.  The guard must have thought I was hot.  He soon shut the door to the street, opening and closing it for patrons, and the air conditioning became noticeably cooler.

Eventually, my friend and I discussed the English Academy, but time was short, so ideas and further discussion will need to wait til another day.

Housing

As God continues to keep this door open, I hope to sign a contract for my housing today around 4:00.  Praise God for answered prayers!

The house is five minutes up the highway, in a little neighborhood slightly removed from the road.  It is so cute!  Brand new, the house has to be no bigger than the first floor of the townhouse Mary and I shared, but it has a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and three small bedrooms.  The owner is giving me a fantastic deal--almost $50 off what he normally charges other renters. 

Besides the good price and the new digs, I'm excited about the neighborhood.  Less than two minutes away and at the opposite end of the neighborhood (that's how small it is!) lives one of the La Senda teachers.  She is excited about me living there and the opportunity we will have to share meals.  How cool!  She also shares that the community is very friendly, frequently sharing food and talking.  Right next to my house is a little piece of land supposed to be developed for birthday celebrations and whatnot.

What this means?  It's not the family living experience I had originally planned on, but it does give me a place to invite others to.  I'm also excited about the ministry opportunities availalbe through living in such an amiable neighborhood and having somewhere to do ministry from.  Also, I am going to ask someone if she's interested in being my roommate, so depending on where she is in life right now, I may not be alone afterall.

Thanks for your continued prayers!

Now, off to make breakfast for four of the home girls coming up for a visit this morning.