Love Grows Love

What I've Noticed

2012-01-30T09:59:00.001-05:00

Normally I miss a lot of the things that happen around me asI would not consider myself to be very observant. Last week I actuallycommented that I miss a lot in Bundibugyo when we are walking because I stareat the ground the entire time looking for lines of Safari Ants to avoid.However, this weekend in Kampala I have noticed a few things…

A truck that said, “Water Is Life” with water gushing outonto the road and into the gutter.

People shoveling raw sewage onto the street (which I noticedbecause I was looking to see where the dreadful smell was coming from…NOT ok).

A sign in a parking garage that said, “Caution! FlammableSubstance!” And my thought was…what?! where!? Is the whole garage going toexplode at any moment?! (I quickly found my way to the exit.)

There are SOOOO many signs here that either make NO sense,have numerous misspellings, or are just inappropriate (but usually not onpurpose). There will be a blog post in the future with a collection of thesesigns.

Seeing men walking around carrying automatic riffles justseems normal.

Pulling in front of oncoming traffic doesn’t even cause meto flinch any longer…they’ll stop…usually.

When there is a car accident a mob of people will quickly surround the scene of the accident and all start yelling...hmmmm...I don't get this one.

You can transport ANYTHING on a motorcycle. Seriously...furniture, refrigerators, bikes, a life sized wooden giraffe, live animals, an entire family...seen it all.

Waiting in line for 30 minutes at the bank to find out theycan’t even do what I needed is not even annoying, just typical. (And the fivepeople that got in line in front of me was fine…maybe they had to go run an errandin between waiting or something…typical.)

Waiting for my food for 45 min to an hour doesn’t even phaseme anymore. I can’t even fathom the idea of “Fast Food” working in Uganda. (Ithink when I get back to the US I will be blown away by how quickly thingshappen.) Today I ordered an iced tea and I went and ran errands and came back for it 30 minutes later to find that it was almost ready.

Ugandans are super friendly, polite, and helpful (for themost part…occasionally I do hear them mocking me as I walk away, repeating whatI said in a high nasally voice, which is how Americans sound to them).

I LOVE living here.

Uganda From Above

2012-01-29T09:33:00.001-05:00

Last week we had some visitors come to Bundibugyo, and they had a MAF flight come pick them up at the end of their trip to take them back to Kampala to catch a flight home (the only airport in Uganda is just outside of Kampala). I needed to be in Kampala this week anyway (the Johnsons are attending a conference and I will be teaching Rwenzori Moving School) so I asked if I could squeeze into the plane with them and spend a couple extra days in Kampala. What a treat it was to fly across Uganda, see how beautiful Bundibugyo is from above, and enjoy a smooth one hour ride (instead of the bumpy 8 hour drive we normally have). Enjoy the pictures from the flight :)

Lilli and Patton seeing me off at the airstrip

The kiddos were excited to see a plane in Bundibugyo!

Preparing for takeoff

The beautiful jungle of Uganda :)

Love those Rwenzori Mountains

So thankful to be flying over the Bwamba Road instead of driving on it :)

Kampala is in sight!

Just one hour later and we have arrived!

The MAF airstrip

Happy New Year Bundibugyo Style

2012-01-02T09:49:00.003-05:00

Here's a link to Anna's Blog conveying the events of our New Year's Eve celebration :)

Happy New Year!

More Ants...Again...

2011-12-27T07:47:00.002-05:00

This afternoon Anna and I came into the house through theback kitchen door and immediately noticed ants on the dishes. Initially Ithough…oh man, I guess we shouldn’t have left any dirty dishes out. Then wenoticed ants covering the sink, and the clean dishes, and the entire counter,and the walls, and the floors…lines of ants were pouring through the windows.We ran screaming out of the room realizing they were Safari Ants…the bitingkind! We started brushing off our legs and feet to ensure they weren’t crawlingon us. Then we went to work. We got out the Doom and started spraying it allover them. The Doom brought out the roaches…Anna, who is braver than me,stomped all the roaches to death while I squealed like a little girl. Josh andAnna then proceeded to pour kerosene on the lines of ants outside to deter themaway from the house. Oh how I hateSafari Ants…

Safari Ants on the rocks outside our kitchen door. This is just a teeny tiny pile from the colony :(

Christmas By Photos

2011-12-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

RMS Christmas Party

Eating cookies and watching The Grinch

Caramel apples at the RMS Christmas Performance

Our neighbors who we sang Christmas Carols for

The team on Christmas Eve :)

The team on Christmas Day

The Night Before Christmas In Bundibugyo

2011-12-25T10:06:00.005-05:00

Anna and I wrote this as a Christmas gift to the kiddos onour team :)

Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

The Night Before Christmas In Bundibugyo

“Twas the night before Christmas when all through house,

Every creature was stirring, especially a mouse.

The kitangi stockings were hung in the windows with care,

In the hopes that the rats would not chew a new tear.

Lilli, Patton, Aidan, Kym, and Lydia said good night,

They were tucked into bed and turned out the light.

Soon they were sleeping all snug in their beds,

While Mosquitos were buzzing right near their heads.

When out in the yard there occurred such a bark,

That Patton sat up and strained to see in the dark.

Lilli and Patton flew down their ladders in a flash,

Tore open the shutters and let out a gasp.

When what to their wondering eyes should appear,

But 4 dogs, 3 cows, and one lost little reindeer.

The little one Aidan joined in the fun,

And before they knew it they were all on the run.

More rapid than cheetahs the children they came,

And they whistled and shouted and called them by name.

“Now Bhotu, Now Bella, Now Rudolph and Chloe,

Here DMC, andTruffle, and Oreo and Jesse!"

So over to the Bougainvillea they ran in a race,

To get Kym and Lydia to join in the chase.

 And all of a sudden they jerked to a halt,

Santa Claus appeared right on the spot.

Why he was in Bundi they all wanted to know,

He came for Rudolph to guide him through the snow.

He was dressed in kitangi from his head to his foot,

 And his clothes were all tarnished with dirt and soot.

Matoke, beans, and maize he had in his sack,

He picked it up and threw it onto his back.

When he spotted the kids he asked for their help,

He knew Rudolph was with the dog he heard yelp.

So the kids ran down the moonlit path,

Guiding Santa to find Rudolph at last.

Then, Santa hitched Rudolph up to his sleigh,

And away he flew as the kids jumped out of the way.

And they heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight;

“MerryChristmas to all, And to all a good night!"

Chimp Trek

2011-11-26T08:22:00.002-05:00

Thanksgiving morning I love to curl up on the couch under a blanket to enjoy the parade, visit with friends and family, relish the delicious food throughout the day, play games, and enjoy the crisp fall weather. This year I was uncertain of how Thanksgiving would be…being away from home, family, and even the US on an American holiday.

This Thanksgiving was one of those “I can’t believe this is my life” days. The morning began with a drive to the Kibale National Forest to go on a Chimp Trek. We met up with our guide and walked a little ways down a dirt road until we could hear the chimpanzees calling to each other. At that point we left the path and travelled deep into the jungle following the chimp sounds. For a moment our guide instructed us to wait while he wandered off for about 5 minutes, taking his gun with him. Anna and I just looked at each other hoping he would return as we were in the middle of the jungle, not on a path at all, and without a gun. Thankfully he did return. As I was running through the African jungle, pushing branches and vines out of my face, jumping over lines of Safari Ants, trying not to trip over the dense vegetation or sink in the mud, while trying to keep up with my guide heading in the direction of screaming chimps I decided this was totally worth missing the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade for. We spotted our first chimp and were shortly surrounded by about 6 or 7 more all screaming and calling to each other. I looked at Anna and said, “Do you think this is ok?” Our guide assured us it was fine and continued to encourage us throughout the day to get closer. When I was less than 10 feet away from a chimp lounging on the jungle floor I couldn’t imagine any other place I would have rather been at that moment.

After spending about 4 hours trekking through the jungle following chimpanzees we headed back to Fort Portal, where we were staying for our Thanksgiving Holiday to have an American feast (cooked by a Dutch woman and Ugandan man). Our dinner was fabulous, complete with turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green beans, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie, and the whole 9 yards. I ate until I was stuffed! We finished off the evening by watching Elf.

While I miss my family and friends, especially on Thanksgiving, I am unbelievably blessed to be in Uganda and am thankful for SO many things. I love that God has called me to this beautiful country and specifically to Bundibugyo, I love teaching Lilli and Patton every day with Anna, my teammates are wonderful, and they felt like family as we all crowded together around the table for Thanksgiving, telling each other all of the things we are thankful for, playing games, laughing and enjoying each others’ company. The weather in Fort Portal is cool and feels like fall. I am thankful that we can have a mini Thanksgiving vacation and time to rest and be refreshed. I pray that my friends and family also had a wonderful Thanksgiving with much to be grateful for. I am also appreciative of the many people who support me both financially and in prayer and make it possible for me to live my life in Uganda. Thank You!

Week In Review

2011-11-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

The week started out not so great. Sunday morning I walked into the bathroom and noticed dead ants on the windowsill. I looked up to see more dead ants along with many, many, many live ants crawling all over the wall. Then I looked down to see dead ants covering the counter. I decided to brush my teeth anyway. After I brushed my teeth I felt a tingling sensation in my mouth and realized there was poison all over my toothbrush…oops. I walked back into my bedroom to see…Safari Ants…pouring through my window! Then Jess called from the office where more ants were pouring in. Fearless Anna went out into the yard to survey the situation. There were ten lines of Safari Ants poring into our house. These are the biting, ants in your pants, causing you to have to strip down kind of ants! After poring kerosene all around the house and killing the ants in the house with Doom (poison), we went to church. After church I came home and went on a cleaning spree cleaning up the ants that were plastered to the walls, counters, and floor.

That was Sunday.

Monday is my half-day at RMS. After my morning teaching I have a half-day for prayer scheduled. I came home and went back to my room to find…ants and a huge cockroach on my floor mats. More doom, poison sprayed around the house, and more cleaning… sigh…

Tuesday was a great day at RMS. I love spending the entire day there. I have fun being with Lilli and Patton and teaching alongside Anna. Tuesday night I was able to babysit for Iye, the sweet two-year-old daughter of a couple of doctors who are here for the month working at the health center. She is such a smart, fun, cheerful little girl and it was a joy to spend the evening hanging out with her.

Wednesday started out with the team coming over for prayer and another great full day at RMS.

Thursday afternoon Lilli and I ended the day by reading under the Mango Tree in the yard at RMS. Our dairy cows live in the RMS yard and I loved having them wander around munching on the grass while we enjoyed the shade on a warm sunny afternoon.

Friday night I led our team on a study of Colossians 3:12-25. It was a great passage about finding peace in Christ and our role in relationships. Travis and Lilli had saved a Rhino Beetle for us to enjoy and we finished the evening by having Nigerian food made by the Adamarolas…spicy and delicious!

Rhino Beetle!

Aidan and Iye enjoying Nigerian food :)

Saturday has been the best day yet. Jessica, Anna, and I have been doing P90X in the mornings, so we got up early to work out. Then, Anna and I cleaned out and organized our front room, I got out the Christmas Tree (the one I brought with me from America J), and Anna and I went to the market and bought our weekly groceries and fabric to have all of our furniture recovered. I went on my first (and certainly not my last) motorcycle ride ever...I never dreamed my first time on a motorcycle would be down a dirt road dodging goats, chickens, people, rocks, and potholes while carrying our groceries and sofa cushions while wearing a skirt. We ended the afternoon by buying cokes and sitting along the side of the road just chatting and greeting people as they walked by. We went home and finished decorating the tree, made shish kabobs on the grill, I got to Skype with my sister Rebecca and BFF Joanne, and we watched a couple of episodes of The Office. It was a fabulous end to a week that started out in chaos. Through everything God reminds me that I am so not in control, which is something I struggle with. But through the lessons I also see God’s faithfulness and provision and the love He has for His people.

Delicious steak and vegetables on the grill with hash browns on the side.

Saturday

2011-11-12T06:04:00.000-05:00

Today has been quite a restful Saturday so far. Only a small handful of people have knocked on the door, all asking for Anna. Chrissy sent us Christmas CDs, so Anna and I downloaded them and have been enjoying listening to Christmas music while we write emails and catch up on our to-do lists. Around 11:30 I decided margherita pizza sounded good. Usually I would put a frozen CPK pizza in the microwave or oven and have lunch in just a few minutes, but it took a bit longer here. By 1:00 Anna and I were enjoying a delicious pizza complete with an Arnold Palmer :)

Dress-Up Part 2

2011-11-05T05:02:00.001-04:00

Teaching the Johnson kids alongside Anna has been such a joy! They are really fun, creative, sweet kiddos, and I'm enjoying teaching kindergarten and second grade. Here are a few more photos from our dress-up week :)

Just another day at RMS

Pajama Day! My fav :)

Cutest Tiger ever :)

Tie-Dye/ Face-Painting Day

Wacky Tacky Day (This is the view in the front yard of RMS :))

We inherited these books from a family that is no longer in Bundi. They are a wonderful addition to the RMS library!

Dress-Up Part 1

2011-11-01T14:52:00.000-04:00

This week at Rwenzori Mission School we are having a Dress-Up Week! We kicked off the dress-up week last Friday at our team meeting.

Double Rainbow and two of the cutest super heroes!

Monday- Mary Poppins and her Penguin, Sacajawea, and a Luke Skywalker

Tuesday- Queen Esther and two of her servants

Carving pumpkins with Queen Esther and King Mordecai

Overnight Stay

2011-10-24T09:40:00.001-04:00

Sometimes it seems like my life isn’t real. The last 24 hours felt that way. A Ugandan family that is friends with World Harvest agreed to host me as an overnight guest. On Saturday evening around 6 I went over to Aste and Buligi’s. Buligi is a pastor at a church out in Bundikakemba, he also milks our cows everyday, and brings us fresh milk twice a week. They have 7 children, 6 of them live at home and the 7th goes to Christ School. We all sat around the fire together and I watched as the girls made fish stew, rice, and cooked bananas. While dinner was cooking they asked me to teach them a song, so I taught them Lord I Lift Your Name On High, and they also taught me some Lubwisi songs. One of the girls, Anna, braided my hair, and then everyone decided that I looked like Shakira, which prompted us to sing This Time for Africa. After dinner we went inside their mud house and played a game by the light of a flashlight since they don’t have electricity. Once it was time for bed I went into a small room with all the girls. They gave me the nice mattress with the mosquito net and the three girls squeezed onto another small mattress.

Squeezed around the table to enjoy dinner.

Sunday morning we woke up and had fresh hot milk and bread for breakfast. We then proceeded to begin our hour-long trek to Bundikakemba for church, of course greeting everyone we passed along the way. As we walked down the narrow dirt path lined with cocoa and other tropical trees with the beautiful Rwenzori Mountains in the background I was overwhelmed with gratefulness for where I am and this family that treated me as a member of their family! Once we got to church I was informed that I would be part of the choir (those of you who have heard me sing are cracking up right now), would introduce myself to the congregation, and pray for all of the children during the service. It ended up being a wonderful experience. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and they seemed to appreciate my singing and dancing efforts. When I was called up to pray for the kids Buligi had all the children come to the front and they gathered all around me as I prayed over them. As we walked home Anna held my hand, and the other brothers and sisters held hands as well, which is very normal in Uganda.

Our beautiful walk to church.

Praying for the children.

Before I went to Aste and Buligi’s, I have to admit I was nervous about the experience. Not speaking the language, staying in a home that is so different from what I am used to, anticipating the long walk to Bundikakemba, as well as the long service all made me unsure of whether I could handle it. Not only did God sustain me, I was so humbled by how this family gave me the best of everything. They gave me the best food, the best bed, and the best seat in church. Their selflessness and warmth towards me was a wonderful reminder of how the love of Christ should look. I am thankful to have these new Ugandan friends and I’m looking forward to many visits with them in the future.

From Bundibugyo

2011-10-19T09:30:00.000-04:00

Friday I arrived in Bundibugyo and today is the first day we’ve had an internet connection. Actually, we got it working yesterday, but I was at a wedding and missed the hour-long window we have to get online. There have already been many firsts this week as I get to know my new home.

I went to my first Ugandan wedding (only the last 5 hours, as Anna and I missed the first 3 while we were at school. It was a joy to be able to attend, and the guests cheered and laughed when Anna and I danced our way through the gift giving line!)

I had my first Ugandan meal, (at the wedding) and I ate my beans, rice, cabbage, beef, and matoke without any utensils.

I attended my first Ugandan church service.

I made pasta from scratch (I’m not a cook, but I am learning, and have been blessed with roommates who are amazing cooks and are keeping me quite well fed.)

I have ventured into the market a couple times with my teammates (I have yet to venture there on my own though.)

I purchased 2 SIM cards for my cell phone and found one that has good reception in Bundi (email me if you would like my number.)

As I am typing this, I am sitting in my house waiting for a friend of Anna’s to come meet me. I’m hoping to hire her as my language helper. The Ugandans are warm friendly people and are so gracious to me as I can count on 2 hands the amount of Lubwisi words I speak. Just this morning as I was leaving school, some of our Ugandan neighbors gave me a Lubwisi lesson. I greeted them and responded to their greetings with my limited vocabulary…and then they kept talking, telling me how to respond. It was quite funny, but they were happy I was trying. I just have to laugh at myself, and the many, many, many things I don’t know how to do.

I’ve had to learn how to light the gas stove, but I still don’t know how to light the propane oven. I’ve learned to light the propane refrigerator that we use when the electricity is out (which has been more often than it’s been on.) When I arrived here I had this overwhelming feeling of not knowing how to do the most basic things. Incredibly though I feel so at peace here. Of course my team, and especially my roommates, have been a HUGE help. In a place where life is chaotic, stressful, hard, and the need is so great, there are many opportunities to freak out. Travis (my team leader) has granted me one freak out per day. Yesterday the huge millipede crawling across the room didn’t quite cause an all out freak out, just a, “What is THAT!?” and then my roommates proceeded to take care of the situation. I have killed many cockroaches and have grown fond of each and every lizard in my house that eat the many unwanted critters. I’ve received a handful of impali ant bites, and a fair share of noseeum and mosquito bites, and I’m very thankful for cortisone cream and my mosquito net. Today as I was walking a bright green snake darted across the path. I let out a small squeal, and just continued on my way. The feeling of peace I have, the ability to sleep well at night, and the lack of concern about the bugs and critters can only be attributed to God, and confirms to me that this is exactly where He wants me right now. Please pray that when things get chaotic I will be reminded of God’s faithfulness, care, and protection.

Every morning I am going with Anna to Rwenzori Mission School (RMS) to teach Lilli and Patton for the first hour of the day. For at least the first month my plan is to spend all day at RMS on Tuesday and Thursday and study Lubwisi and culture on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Eventually of course I’ll be at RMS full-time and we have 3 more students coming in December.

Thank you for praying for me. Please ask God to continue to give me a sense of peace and calm, and to trust in Him. As I become more immersed in life here I am sure there will be many stressors, but I am trusting that God is at work, He doesn’t need me to be here, and all my strength must come from Him. Please pray for me as I learn to speak Lubwisi., pray that I will make a good Ugandan friend, and pray for team unity and clear vision for our team and for what God wants us to do here in Bundibugyo.

From Uganda!

2011-10-09T09:06:00.000-04:00

It is so surreal to say this and actually be here, but I am in Uganda! Of course things didn't go as planned and I am here by myself. My team leaders, who were flying with me, had delayed and cancelled flights and were unable to meet me in London. I still spent the day touring London and was able to see all of the major sights. What a beautiful city with so much history! My flights went well and I arrived with ALL of my luggage this morning. My wonderful team had a driver pick me up at the airport and bring me to the guest house where we are scheduled to stay for a few days before driving to Bundibugyo. He brought me a cell phone and pulled up to a little shop on the way to the guesthouse where I went in to buy airtime. I've spoken with all of my teammates in Uganda on the phone and have plans to meet with Pat tonight for dinner. Thank you for praying and please pray that the Johnsons (my team leaders) are able to arrive by tonight.

Packing and My Puppy

2011-10-05T01:22:00.001-04:00

The last couple of days Ashley, Allison, Whitney, and I have been packing my life into suitcases. My goal was 3 bags, but I am ending up with 5! The 5th bag is my Christmas tree :) Thank goodness I had these girls to help. I had a meltdown today when things weren't working out weight wise. Without my friends I think I would have given up! After deciding on the 5th bag I feel a lot better :)

Before the packing began. Thankfully the girls were able to talk me into packing only about half of the clothes on the couch!

Making sure the bags are less than 50 pounds...with Addie's help of course :)

I just can't stand how much I'm gonna miss Addie. I HATE that I have to leave her :( I made this video of her to watch when I'm really missing her.

Family Time

2011-10-02T21:56:00.004-04:00

This morning I was so blessed to be commissioned for the mission field at church. My BFF Allison is visiting from Orlando and she, my family, and I went to spend the day in Williamsburg. Of course we had to make a stop at Pierce's for some yummy BBQ!

Chrissy Comes to Visit!

2011-09-23T19:36:00.001-04:00

Two weeks from today I'll be leaving for Uganda! It has been 15 days since my surgery and I am feeling great. My nose is still very swollen (but will be for a few months apparently). My black eyes are almost gone, but I still have a lot of redness in my eyes. Most of the stitches inside my nose fell out today and I can tell a difference in my breathing today also. It is slowly improving and I am anxiously awaiting the day that I will be able to breathe better than before the surgery! This past week Chrissy, who will be my roommate in Uganda, came to visit. Chrissy was in Uganda for 6 months and is in the States for a while, but should be returning soon. Since Chrissy has spent time in Bundibugyo I loved being able to ask her my thousands of questions about our house, what to pack, the people in Bundi, and just tons of questions about Uganda. I'm looking forward to having Chrissy as a roommate :)

This Gibbon was flirting with Chrissy :)

After our trip to the zoo we ate lunch at a restaurant on the beach.

Another incredible concert by the Avett Brothers!

3 Weeks To Go!

2011-09-16T17:37:00.000-04:00

Check out my September Prayer Letter. Three weeks from today I fly out to Uganda!

Reasons #643-#650 Why I Love Ashley

2011-09-10T00:27:00.002-04:00

Seriously, I have the sweetest, most caring, wonderful sister-in-law in the world. Since the day I met Ashley (8 years ago) I have loved her. There are a lot of reasons that she is so wonderful. Here are just a few.

Reason #643~ She is always willing to help when I need it, and she is happy to do it with a smile on her face.

Reason #644~ I love singing and dancing to the radio with her in the car (and she doesn’t even mind that I am terrible at both of those things.)

Reason #645~ Thursday morning she took me to the hospital for my surgery (deviated septum correction). She stayed with me all day Thursday, all night at the hospital, and all day today too.

Reason # 646~ She put ice packs on my black eyes every 20-30 minutes, plus helped me in a zillion other ways too.

Reason #647~ She always waits in line with me to ride the front of roller coasters.

Reason #648~ She is saving money to visit me in Uganda (plus she and my bro support me).

Reason #649~ She will lay around on a Saturday with me watching some new TV show that we don’t want to turn off.

Reason #650~ She is my best friend.

I love you Ashley! You are my BFF and I am SO THANKFUL for you! Words cannot express how much you ROCK!

Spontaneous Trip to Mizzou

2011-09-05T19:36:00.003-04:00

One of my fav pizza places, Shakespeare's. Mmmmmm :)

Picnic lunch at Rock Bridge State Park

Saturday morning I woke up thinking it was perfect the weekend to visit my sister at Mizzou. I'm not sure why I hadn't thought of it earlier, but I decided to look at flights to see if there was one available at a reasonable price. Well, there was a flight (2 1/2 hours later) and Becca said she was up for a visit. So, I threw some stuff in a bag, got a ride to the airport and was in Missouri in time for dinner! Becca and I have had a wonderful weekend hanging out, wandering around campus, and eating at all of my fav places in Columbia. I love spontaneous weekend trips like this :)

You Could Never Have Imagined

2011-08-29T01:58:00.002-04:00

Today as I was completing my Sonship homework this is what I was reminded of in the lecture by Josiah Bancroft. “God has not changed your heart and spoken grace into you to bear no fruit. He can and will use you to do things you could never have imagined.”

Wow! What a wonderful reminder! There have been things God called me to do in the past that I couldn’t see myself doing. Nonetheless, he carried me through. I am trusting in His faithfulness to carry me through this next calling of going to Uganda. I see example after example of Christ’s faithfulness to me, and others around me. I am trusting Him to carry me through the next years, which I know won’t be easy. Something else Josiah said that encouraged me was, “ Missions (ministry) costs a lot, but in it there is joy.”

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

August Prayer Letter

2011-08-03T17:10:00.001-04:00

Check out my August prayer letter. If you aren't on my email list, and would like to be, please leave a comment with your email address or send me an email at pjstephens2@cox.net.

Sister Time

2011-07-26T18:57:00.001-04:00

Last weekend my sister, Becca, drove all the way from Columbia, MO to spend the weekend with me. Pre-Field training for Uganda has been a paradox, which I'm learning is also true of life on the mission field. Before coming to training I had perhaps an overly optimistic view of what life might be like in Uganda. I have been told the reality of missions, I've even experienced it in a small dose. I prefer to focus on the positive side of things, sometimes denying reality. Being at Mission Training International has given me a healthy dose of reality. I needed this training, and I have no doubt that God is refining me for the mission field. The refining process can be painful at times though. Having Becca come spend four days with me in-between the two sessions I'm attending in Colorado was a welcome and necessary reprieve. We had a blast hiking, skydiving, zip-lining, whitewater rafting, attending a baseball game, spending the day at a water park, and just being together. There is one-week left of language acquisition training and I have to admit I have mixed feelings about leaving Colorado. I will miss the friends I have made here and the perfect weather, but I can’t wait until next week when I will be laying on the beach with my friends and sisters J

Time Of My Life

2011-07-17T23:45:00.002-04:00

Today I jumped out of a plane and it was the most incredible experience ever!

Royal Gorge

2011-07-17T00:46:00.000-04:00

I'm half-way through my cross-cultural training in Colorado. It is wonderful being here and I'm learning a ton that I know will be helpful once I'm in Uganda (and now as well). This weekend I'm taking a much needed break from class with my sister Becca, who is visiting from Missouri. Today we went ziplining and white water rafting at Royal Gorge. It was an incredible day!

Avett Brothers

2011-07-10T21:59:00.000-04:00

On Saturday Jessica, Jessica, and I went to see the Avett Brothers at Red Rocks in Denver. No concert venue will ever be as incredible as this, and the Avett Brothers were amazing. I'm hoping to catch them again when they come through Virginia.

Colorado

2011-07-03T01:05:00.000-04:00

Before I head to Uganda I am going though 5 weeks of training at Mission Training International. MTI is in beautiful Colorado Springs and last weekend and this weekend I was able to go with some friends to a place called garden of the gods, which is incredibly beautiful. I am so thankful for the time here at MTI. It is such a joy and encouragement to get to know missionaries heading all over the world. I've just completed my first week of training and at times it is hard (thinking of the realities of missionary life), but also so helpful and encouraging too. Missionary life is full of paradoxes.

In Love

2011-06-23T21:36:00.002-04:00

Mama and Aunt Lindsey

Proud Aunt Pamela and Aunt Lindsey

My BFF from high school had her first baby in March. This week precious Liam is 3 months old. I was so blessed to have 2 visits with this sweet, cuddly, adorable baby this week :)

Summer Schedule

2011-06-23T13:38:00.000-04:00

My summer plans have a been a little bit up in the air and have changed several times. It looks like things are finally coming together (although you never know when something might change again).

June 26th-July 29th~ Colorado Springs for pre-field training at Mission Training International
August~ Visits with friends and family north of Virginia Beach
September~ Visits with friends and family south of Virginia Beach
October (first weekish)~ Leave for Uganda (traveling with several teammates :))

That's the plan for now at least :)

Middle of Nowhere, Africa

2011-06-19T22:28:00.000-04:00

I LOVE this blog post by one of my teammates already living in Uganda. It gives a great picture of where I am going :)

Final Week at Thalia

2011-06-13T23:31:00.002-04:00

3 1/2 days, that's how long I have left as a 4th grade teacher at Thalia. I'm sure I'll cry on Friday...tears of sadness and tears of joy. When teachers leave Thalia they get to leave their handprint outside of their classroom door. Today as the art teacher came to get me so I could leave my handprint a wave of emotions came over me...sadness, excitement for the next phase of life... I've learned so much from this class of 9 &10 year olds, and they will forever remain precious to me.

This is a slideshow of my little cuties :)
Ms. Stephens' 4th Grade 2010-2011 Slideshow

Reminiscing

2011-05-23T18:12:00.003-04:00

While I do not miss doing dolphin interactions everyday, and I do trust that God is calling me to Uganda to teach, I have recently been missing being around animals. I have always loved animals, and growing up as a year-round swimmer, I always loved the water. I think working at Discovery Cove was an overdose of water though. I felt like I lived in it. I have no clue what the future holds. I know that the next two years I will continue to teach and I get to live in Africa (certainly a dream come true)! Will God call me into long-term missions? Will he call me to come back and teach in the States? Will I go back to animal training? Or something completely new? I don't know, and I'm not too concerned about it all right now, just reminiscing I suppose, and maybe dreaming a little.

Playing with dolphins and a few of my fav kiddos, the Swains! Love them!

This summer I'm planning to spend a couple of weeks in Orlando. I'm so looking forward to seeing friends while I'm down there. While Orlando wasn't my fav city, it is definitely home to some of my FAV people, and I can't wait to see them (and hopefully some old animal friends too :))!

The Final Stretch

2011-05-10T21:20:00.001-04:00

Have I mentioned that 85% of my support has been pledged and I am just shy of having all of my one-time costs! I am in awe of God’s provision. Each of my financial and prayer supporters are a valuable part of this ministry. I am grateful to each and every one of you, and it comforts me to know that you are behind me, caring for me as God is bringing me to the mission field.

There are 27 school days until the end of the year. I started packing up a few things and it is really beginning to hit me that the time for me to go is so near. My pre-field training is scheduled for August 1-19^th and then, as long as 100% of my support has been pledged, I will be able to move.

If anyone has been waiting until it is time for me to go to give, now is the time J It is time to start making final preparations, but I do have to be at 100% in order to book my plane ticket. Faithful prayer supporters will you please pray that God will raise up the last bit support quickly. I need $325 in monthly pledges.

Last Day in Nashville

2011-04-23T00:30:00.000-04:00

The top floor of that high rise is the condo of Taylor Swift- 5,000 square feet! We were gonna stop by, but she ended up being out of town.

We had lunch at the amazing Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro. Great food and cute shops!

Grand Ole Opry

Little Jimmy Dickens

Josh Turner

Singing on stage at The Grand Ole Opry

What a fun week I've had with Ashley and Christa. We have a short time left tomorrow to tour the RCA Studio and then it's time to head home, and back to real life. Love you Christa and Shlee!

Nashville-Day 3

2011-04-21T17:20:00.000-04:00

Music City Walk of Fame Stars

Ashley and I think this building is cool because it looks like three buildings in one and it is nicknamed "The Batman Building." It's a stretch, but we are pretending to be Batman and Robin...just imagine "Boom!" "Pow!" spread across the picture :)

Elvis Presley's Gold Piano

Johnny Cash's Guitar

We stopped by to tour Ryman Auditorium and decided to form our own band and hopped up on the stage to perform. We are still working on the band name.

Tonight we are heading back to the Ryman for the Opry Country Classics show!

Nashville-Day 2

2011-04-21T01:40:00.000-04:00

Today we just stopped by a few friends houses. Ya know, people like Dolly Parton, Martina McBride, Alan Jackson, Kick Brooks, Ronnie Dunn, Trace Adkins, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw. Actually we went on a tour that drove us all around Nashville, and by the homes of all these artists.

Dolly Parton's House

Ronnie Dunn's House

We had dinner at BB King's where we enjoyed some local blues music and then headed over to Tootsie's where we were treated to the Trailer Park All Stars. They were awesome!

Hello Music City-Nashville Day 1

2011-04-20T01:34:00.001-04:00

Today Ashley and I arrived in Nashville to meet up with Christa, an old friend of mine who I met when I was 8 and who I haven't seen in 8 years! We are having a reunion this week in Music City :)

Ashley and I spent the afternoon at the zoo while we waited for Christa to arrive. Of course the giraffe had to come over and say hello to Ashley :)

We went to hear live music at the famous Bluebird Cafe. Many famous names in country music were discovered at the Bluebird Cafe. When I say we had front row seats I mean we were sitting at a table two feet away from these guys as they played.

Music in the round with Keni Thomas, Billy Montana, Jay Knowles, and Buddy Jewell.

Hanging out with Buddy Jewell :)

DC Cherry Blossoms

2011-04-09T23:21:00.000-04:00

My cousins and I had a wonderful time wandering around DC today. We enjoyed Eastern Market, had fun riding the metro, filled up at Good Stuff, and of course went to see the famous cherry blossoms surrounding the monuments. What fun memories with fun girls.

Above and Beyond

2011-04-04T17:06:00.001-04:00

I’ve been dreading today for a while now. Today was the day I had to tell my principal and coworkers that I am not returning next year, that I am moving to Uganda. Part of me is always excited to tell people what I am doing, and part of me is afraid about what their response will be. My concern over what others think of me (which I am learning is very revealing of my self-centeredness) gave me anxiety with today’s task. I have been praying about this for a while, what I would say, and how I would say it. Well my principal’s response to me was WAY above and beyond what I dared imagine. God went so above and beyond in answering my prayers. The support, encouragement, and genuine excitement my principal had for me was so precious. My co-workers excitement was also way above and beyond what I imagined it would be. I will miss my school when I leave in June, I’ll miss my co-teachers, and I know I’ll really miss all of the resources at my disposal. However, I can’t contain my excitement abut moving to Uganda. I love that Jesus has called me there! I am SO excited to teach the Johnson kiddos. I am just imagining all of the fun we will have doing kindergarten and second grade. Certainly life in Uganda will also be hard. Satan doesn’t want our team there, and recently he has been on the attack. God is sovereign and surely has a reason for all that is happening right now to my teammates. You can read about it here and here. Please pray for the team, that God will bring them through these trials with a stronger faith. And praise the Lord that He is adding to the little team in Bundibugyo, slowly but surely.

Joy In Teaching

2011-03-03T16:10:00.002-05:00

This year has had it’s ups and downs. Being a first year teacher and raising support has certainly kept me busy, and at times overwhelmed. I’ve had times where I love work and times when I don’t know how I’ll be able to continue on. Well the past few weeks I have been loving work. The behavior plan I have in place finally seems to be working, my kids seem happy, I’m happy. All of the routines are set and I am so blessed that my kiddos really get along, for the most part. Believe me, things aren’t perfect. There are moments when I want to pull out my hair, but most of the day I laugh along with my students.

Today one of the boys in my class was being teased because he is in chorus. He was explaining to the class that his mom was forcing him to do it. I said, “You know I’m sure Kanye West, Diddy, and Justin Timberlake were all in chorus.” Who knows if they really were, but my kids couldn’t believe that I knew who any of those people were. All morning they kept asking me, “Do you know who so and so is?” Every time I said, “oh yeah! I love them!” They just thought it was the craziest thing and would bust out laughing. One day I made a comment about wearing skinny jeans and they all shouted, “YOU have skinny jeans!?” I love that they think I am totally out of it and must live under a rock.

The other day I mentioned that it was World Math Day. Well today was World Spelling Day. My kids would yell out the countries they were competing against and I would write them on the board. One of the kids yelled out Uganda and I shouted, “oh YAY!” They all wanted to know why I cared so much about Uganda when I hadn’t responded the same way for the other countries. I just laughed and said I was hoping to go there one day J

Thank you for praying for me. Jesus has been gracious in granting our requests that I’ll find joy in teaching and find a balance in my work. I do think I have found a balance for the most part and I am SO thankful for the class I have and the job God has given me to do at this time in my life. Please pray that I’ll continue to have joy at school and in raising support.

World Math Day

2011-03-01T22:27:00.000-05:00

If you didn't already know today was a very special day. It was World Math Day! My students played math games online, competing against students in over 53 countries around the world. I loved seeing which countries my kiddos were paired up with in the games. Unfortunately, I didn't see any students from Uganda. Maybe next year though :)

Not only was it World Math Day, it was also Justin Bieber's Birthday! This is a big deal in fourth grade and this kiddo celebrating by dressing up for the occasion :)

Dolphin Trainer Turned Teacher/Missionary

2011-02-16T22:28:00.005-05:00

A couple weekends ago I shared the exciting news that God has called several families, individuals, and a church to partner with me in my calling to Uganda and I have been blessed with 50% of the financial support needed to make the move! Without supporters here at home I would not be able to go live in Uganda and teach the kiddos of the World Harvest team in Bundibugyo. Missionaries are only able to go to the field because people at home are providing them with financial and prayer support that is vital to their ministry. Believe me when I say I know there are many giving to me sacrificially and I am SO grateful to each and every person supporting my calling. I have been blown away by the generosity people have shown me. It is completely humbling to have people supporting me financially and in prayer so I can go to Uganda. During the missions conference I shared that 5 years ago I never would have believed I would be where I am today. It is so true! Five years ago I wanted to train dolphins in Florida for the rest of my life. I NEVER thought Jesus would call me to be a missionary, and I NEVER thought He would send me to Africa! What a blessing that God did stir up a passion in my heart for teaching, Africa, and missions. Teaching is such a joy and I am excited that is what Jesus is sending me to do! Will you please pray that God will continue to miraculously provide the rest of the support I need? My prayer is that 4 supporters will commit to $50 a month, 4 supporters will commit to $100 a month, and 1 supporter will commit to $500 a month. If you or anyone you know might be interested in partnering with me please let me know. I LOVE being able to share about what Christ is doing in Bundibugyo, Uganda.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:06:00.004-05:00

Here is what I loved about today: This morning when I woke up there were flowers and a card from my pup Addie (aka: my mom) on my desk. When I got to work my best teacher friend gave me chocolates and a sweet note. My kiddos poured into class all morning spoiling me with flowers, candy, and cards. Everyone was wearing pink and red and looked so adorable. We had a class party in the afternoon, and ate cupcakes, brownies, cookies, chips, and drank juice boxes. After school I went to an early dinner with my best teacher friend. Then when I came home I had the cutest Valentine’s Day card from the sweet Johnson boys! I felt so loved all day and had so much fun. Plus my kiddos were really good which was the cherry on the cupcake! Happy Valentine’s Day!

Love Beyond Measure

2011-02-10T13:47:00.002-05:00

I’m taking a course right now through World Harvest called Sonship. Perhaps some of you have heard of it or even taken the course. It is similar to Gospel Transformation (which my church offered last year as a Sunday school class). I am in Lesson 4 and have really been thankful for Sonship and my counselor, who I discuss each lesson with. So far I haven’t necessarily heard anything that I hadn’t ever heard before, but I have been reminded of some things that I needed to be reminded of. For one, I need to hear the gospel every single day of my life (which is something Ande Johnson, my RUF minister always reminded me of.) As I was speaking to my counselor on the phone this past week I was struck by something in Lesson 3. There was a question in the homework that said, “Think of someone close to you. What is your view of them?” Well I was thinking of a friend of mine, and I described that friend as someone who has been an encouragement to me, an inspiration, patient with my faults, someone who I enjoy spending time with, etc. Then my counselor reminded me that the things I love about that friend are nothing compared to what Christ feels and sees when He looks at me. I was thinking “ what!? WOW!” I know that is true. I know Christ loves me as He loves His own Son. He sees Jesus' righteousness when He looks at me, not because of anything I’ve done, but because of the work of Christ. I don’t deserve this gift, but nonetheless it has been bestowed upon me. Thinking about how much Christ loves me blows me away, brings me to tears even. If I could grasp the depth of the love Christ has for me think how it would truly change my life, and the way that I would love others. I'm so unbelievably thankful that I am a chosen daughter of the Creator of the Universe and beyond.

Romans 5: 6-8

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ dies for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person-though for a good person one would dare even to die- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Halfway

2011-02-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

We just passed the halfway point in the school year! With every week that passes I come to the realization that I am getting closer and closer to moving to Uganda. The past few years have been hard, wanting to be in Africa, but needing to wait for just the right time. I've also reached the halfway point in my support. I sent an email today reporting that I was at 40%, but after hearing from a couple more people today I am actually at 50%! Every time someone tells me they want to partner with me in this ministry to Bundibugyo it brings me to tears. I am so humbled that Jesus is sending me and I am in awe of how He provides. I have such little faith and yet Christ continues to give me more than I can imagine on a daily basis. I am so thankful for His provision. Please pray that I will trust Christ to provide another 50% of the support I need to go. Thank you so much to my supporters who are giving sacrificially to send me to Uganda.

Tape or Candy?

2011-01-27T21:49:00.003-05:00

It has been a little while since I posted a funny kiddo story. I think these stories are always funnier in the moment or to whomever experiences them, but this sure made me laugh, and hopefully will make you laugh too J

There is a kiddo in my class that I have a behavior plan with. The deal is that if he has a good morning he earns a piece of candy, and if he has a good morning and a good afternoon he earns a prize. So today he had a good morning (but not afternoon). This morning I moved the treasure box to the teacher’s room next door so the other kids won’t be upset when they don’t get a prize and this kiddo does. Mr. H put the treasure box on top of the overhead projector and I told him that I would send him over if he earns anything. At the end of the day I called the kiddo over and here is what happened.

Me: Hey kiddo you had a great morning so go next door and tell Mr. H that I sent you over for a piece of candy. Ok?

Kiddo: Yes! Ok!

2 minutes later the kiddo comes back and hands me a roll of scotch tape and a roll of masking tape.

Me: What is this?

Kiddo: I don’t know. Mr. H told me to give you this tape.

Me: Why?

Kiddo: I don’t know?

Me: Is this a joke? What did he say about the candy?

Kiddo: He didn’t say anything.

Me: Ok, go put the tape on the back table. (I ponder the situation for a moment.)

Me: Kiddo, take the tape back to Mr. H and tell him you are coming for a piece of candy. Tell him it is in the treasure box on top of the overhead projector. Ok?

Kiddo: Ok!

2 minutes later kiddo comes back eating his candy.

Me: Did you return the tape to Mr. H?

Kiddo: Yep.

Me: And he gave you the candy?

Kiddo: mmhmm.

2 minutes later Mr. H comes over.

Mr. H: Miss Stephens, do you need tape?

Me: No, why do you think I need tape?

Mr. H: Well kiddo came and knocked on my door and said, “Miss Stephens sent me for tape.”

Me: What!? No, I told him to go ask for his candy.

Mr. H and Me: Kiddo, why did you ask for tape?

Kiddo: I don’t know.

Me: I sent you over for candy.

Kiddo: I guess I forgot.

Me: Mr. H, what did kiddo say when he came back the second time?

Mr. H: He brought back the tape and told me to put it in the treasure box on top of the overhead projector. I though you were sending me some type of code or something about the candy and couldn’t figure out why you didn’t tell kiddo to just say what he needed!

Me: Hahahahaha! I never said anything about tape! Kiddo, why did you tell Mr. H to put the tape in the treasure box?

Kiddo: (As he is finishing up his candy.) I don’t know. I was confused.

So there you have it! I would love to know what was going on inside kiddos head! This is why I love kids. They make me laugh at the end of a long day!

Snowshoe

2011-01-23T11:01:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite things about winter is being able to ski. Every year I take an annual trip with a group of friends in January to go skiing and snowboarding. Most of them snowboard, but I ski JLast weekend I had a fabulous time at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. I hadn’t ever been there before and had a great time exploring tons of new trails and to top it off there was fresh powder on the slopes!

Snowed In

2010-12-28T02:13:00.003-05:00

This week I was supposed to be in NYC with my mom and sisters, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. Christmas Day it started snowing around 8PM and continued to snow all night into the next day and night. We ended up with around 14 inches of snow and a canceled flight. We did actually go to the airport, and even boarded the plane, but it was snowing too hard for us to take off. My dad drove us to and from the airport that morning in the third worst snowstorm in history for our area. It was quite a mess, but we made it home and enjoyed watching the snow fall all day. Today we ventured outside to play in it for a little bit.

Addie loved running over top of Ashley and me as we made snow angels.

Addie was quite the pro at catching snow balls.

Ready to run through the fresh powdery snow

Top 10

2010-12-24T22:56:00.003-05:00

2010 has flown by and I’m excited for what 2011 will bring. Last year I wrote about 10 things that “changed my life.” I thought this year I would make a list of five great memories from 2010, and five things that I am looking forward to in 2011.

5 Great Memories from 2010

~ Learning about a mission team in Uganda with World Harvest

~Completing my masters degree

~Being approved by World Harvest to be a missionary/teacher in Uganda

~Getting hired as a fourth grade teacher

~Making it through the first half of the school year as a teacher with my own class!

5 Things I’m looking forward to in 2011

~Finishing an entire school year as a teacher with my own class!

~Enjoying a summer with friends and family before moving away for 2 years

~Moving to Uganda

~Beginning a new school year with missionary kiddos in a little school in the jungle

~Being part of the World Harvest Uganda team

Thank you to those who are partnering with me as I go to Uganda. Without the financial support of dear friends and family I would not be able to go, and I’m so thankful for the sacrificial giving provided by so many. I have raised about 25% of my support. I would ask for you to pray that I would continue to trust the Lord to prepare me for the mission field, and that He will continue to bring in the support that is needed. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Orlando

2010-12-13T21:55:00.002-05:00

The last three days I was in Orlando catching up with many of my favorite people. Allison, my Orlando roommate and one of my BFFs, spent the weekend driving me everywhere and letting me do tons of things at the last minute with the most laid-back attitude. We had a great time buying a Christmas tree and decorating it, watching movies while drinking hot chocolate, and spending time catching up on life. Allison is such a caring friend and I don’t know what I would do without her! I’m excited that Allison is going to be coming to visit me in Uganda!

On Saturday I was able to meet up with one of my Uganda teammates, Josh, at a little southern restaurant in the small town of Wildwood Florida. It was fun to catch up, talk about Uganda, and enjoy some sweet tea on a sunny Florida afternoon. Josh is getting his PhD in Environmental Engineering and will be working to ensure there is clean water in Bundibugyo as the water runs underneath the road that is going to be paved in the near future.

On Saturday night I spent time with the Johnsons. This family is good for my heart. They are some of my favorite people in the world. Ande was my RUF minister while I lived in Orlando, and he and Kelly have two of the cutest and sweetest boys I’ve ever known. I love visiting with Ande and Kelly. They give the best advice, are so encouraging, and absolutely hilarious to top it off.

Sunday I went to my old church, UPC, and got to see some old friends after the service. Then Sunday evening I went to the Kinnaird’s home to share about Uganda with several families from my LIFE Group (Bible study) from UPC and old RUF friends. They asked tons of great questions and I loved telling them about the awesome things God is doing in Bundibugyo. It was also a joy to hear about the things happening in their lives as well. These families and friends were so supportive of me during my time in Orlando, and continue to be a huge blessing in my life.

Monday I saw two more of the world’s greatest families, the Swains and the Noels. Scott and Leigh Swain took me on as one of their family members when I met them back in 2007, and are an amazing couple with four children who I wish I could spend tons of time with because they are a blast! Scott and Leigh have taught me so much and always give me the best advice. Scott is a professor at RTS, and he and Ande Johnson are my go to people for all theology questions. It was so great to see them and catch up for a couple of hours.

The Noels were my last stop on the way to the airport. Jonathan (the music director from UPC) and Amanda are another dear family who I spent a lot of time with during my Orlando days. They have two kids who I used to babysit for all of the time and it is amazing how these two sweet kiddos have grown in the last couple of years since I moved away. This awesome family of four joined hands with me and all said a prayer for me as I prepare to go to Uganda. I can’t describe how precious it was to hear 3 year old Emmy, and 5 year old Gabriel pray for “blessings and safety as Miss Pam goes to Africa.”

Thank you so much to everyone who came to see me or let me stop by your home. You all were, and always have been, such an encouragement to me and I’m so thankful for the little bit of time I was able to have with all of you this weekend. Love you guys!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

2010-12-07T19:35:00.001-05:00

I’ve been thinking recently how it bothers me that I can’t share about Jesus with my students since I’m a public school teacher. This past weekend I was praying for my kids and praying that even though I can’t talk about my faith that I would find opportunities to show them the love of Christ. Well a few weeks ago I asked my grade level if they wanted to go to the play, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. They thought it sounded fun, so I arranged it, and I got copies of the book for us to read in class. As I have been reading the book to my class I have been pleasantly surprised about how much it explains about the Christmas story. It has scripture and everything. I have read the book before, but just forgot how great it was. What an answer to prayer that I am allowed to read this book to my kiddos. Tomorrow we are going to see the play and I’m hoping it will be close to the book and explain that Jesus came to be the Savior of the world!

Behold the Lamb of God

2010-12-04T18:50:00.003-05:00

This past Thursday and Friday I went to a conference for work. While I was thankful for the opportunity to go and learn new things I came away from the conference questioning some things. First of all it seems to me that educators are always told all of the things that we are doing wrong, never well. We are constantly being told to fix this, change that, or do it another way. Besides that, I have been questioning what I am able to do and say as a public school teacher. I can pray for my kids, and love them, and teach them to the best of my ability, but I can never share about Jesus with them. This is hard for me. It is making me think about what I’ll do in a few years, once I return from Uganda.

Last night I was able to attend a concert in Richmond with my mama. The conference I was attending was in Williamsburg and another teacher had driven me there. So my mom picked me up in Williamsburg and we drove a little further north to Richmond for the Andrew Peterson, Behold the Lamb of God concert. I had the chance to go to this concert about three years ago when I was living in Orlando and absolutely loved it. This is a description of the Behold the Lamb of God concert from Andrew Peterson’s website.

“Named one of the 10 best albums of the decade, Behold the Lamb of God is a collection of songs about Jesus. Since 2000, Andrew Peterson and his friends have performed Behold the Lamb around the country, telling again and again this "true myth", as C.S. Lewis called it, this tale that's bigger than life, but is—astonishingly—true. The tour has become a yearly tradition not just for Andrew and the other artists on the tour, but for families and churches who attend the concert each season. The live concert, like the album, is a community effort, featuring singer/songwriters Jill Phillips, Andy Gullahorn, Ben Shive, Andrew Osenga and more, and over the years has featured artists such as Alison Krauss, Derek Webb, Sandra McCracken, Buddy Miller, Phil Keaggy, Sixpence None the Richer, David Wilcox, Pierce Pettis, Mindy Smith, Ron Block, Brandon Heath, Bebo Norman, Stuart Duncan, Eric Peters, and Randall Goodgame—all in the name of proclaiming the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.”

If you have the chance to catch this concert, they tour all over the country and I highly recommend you check it out. If nothing else, buy the album and I know you won’t be disappointed. I was excited to meet Andrew Peterson after the concert and had him autograph his children's book for Rwenzori Mission School. I’m excited to take it to Uganda to share with my future students.

Next weekend I’m going to be in Orlando. Some dear friends are hosting coffee nights on Saturday and Sunday so I can share more about Uganda. If you are in Orlando and would like to come please let me know and I’ll send you an invitation.

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T22:00:00.001-05:00

sister, cousin, and best friend :)

cousins :)

The fam (minus Michael and Ashley who are in MO with Ashley's family)

Best friends for 12 years (plus a little one on the way!)

Perfect Hiking Weather

2010-11-21T20:13:00.001-05:00

This weekend was wonderful! Ann, one of my Uganda teammates, and I went hiking in western Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was beautiful and the weather was perfect. The combination of clear blue skies, beautiful fall leaves, cool weather, my pup, and hiking with a friend was perfect. We talked all about Uganda and teaching, hiked all day Saturday and Sunday, watched Pride and Prejudice Saturday night, and ate yummy french toast, tortellini, and pancakes. I loved every minute! It was fun to be able to talk about Uganda with someone who has been, and is going with me! It made me all the more excited for next summer when I will finally get to go!

Things I Love

2010-11-13T20:26:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post, time is flying by. I am enjoying many things this year that I know I will miss next year.

I am enjoying visiting friends on the weekends in nearby cities. I am loving the beautiful fall weather and gorgeous changing leaves. I am enjoying teaching 4^th grade. I love coming home to my pup Addie every day. I love having my brother and sister-in-law down the street. I love spending time with my mom and dad. I am excited that my sister will be home for a week at Thanksgiving and 3 weeks at Christmas. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas at home with family. I am looking forward to visiting friends in Orlando. I am looking forward to a trip to NYC with my mom, sister, and sister-in-law.

Thinking of all of these things is bittersweet because they are things that I will miss so much once I am in Uganda. But I am all the more thankful for the gifts God has given me. One thing I am loving and will not have to leave behind is Christmas music. I have officially pulled all of the Christmas CDs out and they make me smile :)

A Quarter of the Way Through

2010-11-12T19:47:00.001-05:00

The school year is already going by me in what seems like a blur. We just completed the first quarter. How can we already be ¼ of the way through the year!? Oh my! Today was a teacher work day, and as much as I accomplished, it wasn’t nearly as much as I had hoped to have accomplished. I hoped to get way ahead on planning. Well if knowing what I’m doing on Monday counts for way ahead then that’s where I am. I am taking it a day at a time, no, one lesson at a time. Some days I just kinda fly by the seat of my pants. It’s like I’m living in this fog. I sort of know what I’m supposed to be doing, but not completely, and it seems like the more information that I am given the foggier things become.

I am trying to be more positive during the school day and not let things get to me as much. I have some boys who are very trying, and often I have no clue what to do with them. So I just roll my eyes and shake my head and then deal with each situation the best I can. I’ve been trying not to stay as late and I do not bring work home with me very often. Sometimes I bring papers home to grade, but I am trying not to bring home planning. The teachers on my grade level come into my room and tell me I have to leave and I have to go out the door without anything, They are literally saving my life. My mentor told me today that I need to know now I will not be taking anything with me over Thanksgiving or Christmas break, so I need to plan accordingly. I really am thankful for the supportive teachers at my school, and my mom. My mom is a teacher and if it weren’t for her I might have already quit by now. Well, hopefully not, but I would be a lot more stressed.

I love my kids. Most of the time they make me laugh. Sometimes they make me want to cry, but usually laugh. They are sweet. They are chatty too. They are also super smart. They catch any mistake I make in about 2 seconds. If I am ever fumbling through anything I just ask them what they think and they always make everything work out. Actually, now that I think about it they really are the best.

I have sent out some support letters, and I’m planning on being in Orlando to raise support the first week of December. I have had a slow start to support raising due to work, but I know God will take care of everything in His timing.

I am super excited for next weekend because I’m going hiking in North Carolina with Anne, one of my Uganda teammates. It will be so amazing to have a weekend with a friend who completely understands and shares my love for missions and Uganda. Can’t wait!

Another Fabulous Journal Entry

2010-11-07T19:31:00.004-05:00

Reading my kids journals is usually quite entertaining. I came across this precious entry in one of my kiddos journals. This made my day :)

This certificate goes to the wonderful Miss Stephens. I know she has only been my teacher for a couple of months, but I feel like I have known her for years. These are all the words that describe her. Awesome, fun, fantastic, wonderful, cool, dreams big, happy joyful, and my favorite one of all is she is Miss Stephens. She is herself and from my point of view she rocks! So this certificate goes to Miss Stephens. She rocks and do not and I mean do not ever change yourself ever because I love you the way that you are!

Why I'm a Teacher

2010-10-17T16:55:00.000-04:00

Sometimes in the midst of the craziness of teaching I wonder why I decided to do this. I often reflect on other jobs I've had in life and other careers I've considered and wonder if I have made the best choice. Well as I was grading my kids' Writing Journals this weekend I was reminded of why I wanted to become a teacher. This is the entry from one of my students.

My Teacher Miss Stephens
Miss Stephens makes me so happy and proud of myself. I love doing stuff with her like reading and getting help with answers on my test.

Yes, it was a short entry, but just what I needed as I had spent hours grading papers and needed some encouragement. I often wonder if my students are feeling helped and cared for. With 27 kids in my class it is hard to devote time and attention to each one. At least one of them feels cared for :) My prayer is that I will find ways to uniquely care for each one of my students.

Encouraged

2010-10-16T01:35:00.000-04:00

So I know my last post was me venting a little bit and I felt that it would be good to share the good things happening in life as well. Thursday and Friday were better days at school. I did have to write a referral for a fight, and call a parent during the middle of class when one of my students was being defiant (although the child refused to come to the phone to speak with mom). But aside from those two incidents I enjoyed work the past couple of days! I got a new student on Thursday, and from what I can tell so far he seems like a wonderful student, and a great addition to our class. I did all of my planning on Thursday and Friday for next week, and the only thing I brought home with me this weekend are papers to grade. If I can get caught up on my grades I will feel much better! Thanks for those who have been praying for me and my class. I have been encouraged by so many dear friends and it is great to know that I have people who are supporting me. God is definitely teaching me that I have to lean on Him and not on my own abilities.
2 Corinthians 12:9

Exhausted

2010-10-12T23:04:00.001-04:00

Life is ridiculously busy and it is beginning to wear on me. I work about 60-70 hours per week and my mind never really stops thinking about school. I stress about not being prepared enough, not returning all of the parent calls, notes, and emails from the day, not covering all that I wanted to, having to get after my kids, having to do it all again tomorrow. I need a break. It’s the 6^th week of school and I am completely exhausted. I don’t know if it will get better. Sometimes I think that it will, and sometimes I think about the pile of things on my desk that keeps growing, and I wonder how it will get better.

Support raising is slow. I am dragging my feet I suppose. I want to raise support and share about Uganda, but I don’t want to ask for money. I have contacted some churches, made plans to speak at my community group, and purchased a plane ticket to Orlando to raise support there in December.

Today I was able to speak with one of my Uganda teammates and it was very encouraging. She feels the same way I do in many ways. It is hard living in the moment God has me in now when I really long to be somewhere else. Time certainly has a way of getting away from me. This is exciting in some ways as I look forward to next year, and scary when I think about all that I should be doing now. Sigh…

Welcome to Room 9

2010-10-01T19:49:00.005-04:00

I haven't been great about taking pictures, but my kids have! All of the kids have jobs each week and one of the jobs is photographer and one is scrapbooker. The photographer takes pictures all week and then on Friday, and over the weekend, my scrapbooker makes a few pages to add to our class book. These are a few pictures that have been taken by the kids.

Amazing Interactive White Board :)

Kiddos desks

Our Friends & Family board which needs more pictures!

Our board to "Get to know each other"

I am loving my job. Even on the "tough days" there are moments that make me laugh. I am finally getting into the groove of things a little bit. Everything is still overwhelming and I can't get it all done, but I'm just realizing that that's how I'll always feel and it's ok! :)

The Best Dog Ever

2010-09-26T00:28:00.003-04:00

Meghan was the best dog anyone could ever hope for. I mean she was seriously perfect. I was there the day she was born on January 3, 1997. She became a permanent part of the family at 8 weeks old, on March 3, 2007. All of my parents’ memories of Meghan are simply that she has always been “perfect.” Well I do think Megan was the greatest dog of all time and was eventually the perfect dog, however, I remember some moments when maybe I didn’t feel she was quite so perfect :)

The first incident I recall was the summer we moved across the country. Meghan was 6 months old for the 3,000 mile road trip. On one of our stops I was taking Meghan for a bathroom break. Well at the time, I was 11, and Meghan probably weighed almost as much as me. When she spotted the rabbit there was no time for me to let go of the leash before I was pulled flat onto my face, dragged across the field, and my glasses were smashed to smithereens.

Then there was the first time Meghan experienced fireworks. She hated fireworks her whole life. They made her jumpy and nervous. Well her first 4th of July back in ’97 we had yet to realize this, so we took her to the fireworks show. She started freaking out and struggling and ended up bashing me in the face and smashing another pair of my glasses to smithereens (I believe it was a couple of months later when I began wearing contacts :))

The time I was the angriest at Meghan was when we first moved to Virginia and I was home alone. Somehow she got out of the yard (hopped the fence or dug out from underneath, can’t remember which now as both events happened frequently when she was a puppy :)). Well I just grabbed a box of chocolate bars (great treats for a dog, I know) and I chased her all over the neighborhood trying to entice her home with those chocolate bars. She would get real close to me and I would hold out the chocolate, but just as I would lunge for her collar she would lunge for the chocolate bar, and because she was as fast as lightening, I fed her an entire box of chocolate bars before I caught her. I’m surprised she lived through that incident:)

Well over time Meghan became the greatest dog of all time. A little over a year ago when I got Addie, Meghan played a huge role in “training” Addie. Addie is sure an amazing dog, and although she’s a puppy, and has gotten into her fair share of mischief (jumping out the car window while I was driving, destroying about 20 pillows, 2 chair cushions, and countless socks) she has learned to come when called, because Meghan always came when called, she has learned to play fetch, because Meghan was the champion of fetch, and there are countless other things Addie learned from Meghan.

Meghan really was the best. Coming home tonight and not having Meghan come out to greet me was heartbreaking. I will surely miss that fluff muffin. I’m so thankful her sidekick, Addie, is here to keep me company. But certainly there will always be a void that no other dog will be able to fill completely.

I'll love you and miss you forever Meghan!

I am not a Wal-Mart

2010-09-21T22:07:00.000-04:00

Well I keep meaning to take pictures of my class, but just like dozens of other things I keep meaning to do, it just keeps getting pushed further down on the list. My classroom certainly has a quite lived-in look and I have decided I rather like that :) I adore each and every one of my students (and tomorrow I am getting a new one). There are many different types of personalities, and some present more of a challenge than others, or I could say will probably be the cause of a couple of premature gray hairs :) But still, I am enjoying my kids.

I feel extremely overwhelmed and never understood how much work a teacher actually does…until now. Trying to teach math, science, social studies, health, writing, reading, grammar, and listening, as well as other things here and there is a lot to juggle. I suppose every teacher feels the exact same way. It is amazing the expectations and pressures that are placed on teachers. I guess that is just the nature of the job. I am still struggling to keep my head above water in this third week. Spending all of my weekend planning from sunup to sundown almost put me over the edge this past weekend. I haven’t had any real meltdowns yet, but I have had some close calls.

My biggest challenge has been parents. Apparently along with the gifted cluster class comes concerned, overbearing, overcommunicative parents. What I really want to say to them is, “It’s been 2 weeks! Relax! Everything will be fine!” And to some I want to say, “Do you think I am a Wal-Mart? I am not open 24/7.” Although they believe that is how often I should be at their beck and call.

Anyway, hopefully I’ll have some funny stories to share soon. Nothing comes to mind right now, but my mind is so jam packed that the more I try to remember, the more I forget! Throughout the day, as I think of things I need to do, I ask my responsible students to remind me at certain times during the day. They are very diligent about doing so, and that is one great advantage of teaching 4th grade :)

I’m planning to go to DC on Saturday to spend the day with a friend. It will definitely be a very welcome distraction from real life :)

Full Plate

2010-09-03T21:34:00.006-04:00

I realize that I haven’t posted on here in a few weeks and that is because my days have been jam packed FULL! And that is because...I HAVE A JOB :) I couldn’t be happier or more excited about this school year, but I also realize I have a lot on my plate and I might be living in “Miss Stephens’ Dream World” which could come crashing down on Tuesday (the first day of school) but hopefully not!

It was about 4 weeks ago that I was hired and I have spent every weekday, minus maybe 2 or 3 days, in my classroom. My room has come together nicely. But have I done much planning? Mmmmm...maybe not. Oops. Well, I’ll get it finished this weekend! I spent two weeks cleaning, organizing, throwing things away, moving furniture, and did I mention organizing!? My room was a disaster, but it has all come together and I will post pictures next week once the kids have taken over :) This past week was teacher work week and the week before that was training for new teachers. I have had more training the past two weeks than I think I received in 18 years of my previous education. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating, but it sure felt that way. In the midst of all of the curriculum training I also had some other responsibilities put on my plate. My principal called me about a week ago and asked me if I would be the media liaison for my school (twice a month I have to send pictures and information to the newspaper, local TV stations, etc.). So of course I said “sure!!!” Then I went to more training :) Then at the beginning of this week my assistant principal says, “Miss Stephens, You are going to have the gifted cluster class.” And I said “ok!!!” And off to more training I went :) Then today my principal AND assistant principal come to me and say, “Miss Stephens, Will you take the BRIDGES kids in your class?” And I say, “oh, why not!!!” (BRIDGES is a special program for autistic kids, and 6 of their students will come into my room for portions of the day). Anyway, things keep piling up and I know this is going to be a crazy year, but I’m honestly thrilled.

Oh, and there was a bonus to taking all of this on. There is a new writing curriculum that I think is AMAZING and have been dying to teach called Being a Writer. Well each grade level is allowing one teacher to teach the curriculum this year, and I was not assigned as that teacher :( I asked my principal if we could share the curriculum, and she gave me a no. And since it is about $400 a kit, I knew I wasn’t going to be getting one. Well today when I had BRIDGES added to my plate, and I took it so willingly, my principal said she would get me my very own Being a Writer kit! YAYYYYYY!!!!!!! This must only be exciting to a teacher :)

I would definitely appreciate prayers that I will be able to juggle all of my new responsibilities as well as raise support. Please pray that my students will respect me as a teacher, and that we will all work well together, and learn from one another. And please pray that I would get enough sleep and stay healthy this year :)

Oh and I already have a funny kiddo quote! I had the kids do a Getting to Know You activity at Open House last night. One of the questions was, Who is someone that you admire and why? Well one of my students wrote...

I admire the girls at McDonalds and I don’t know why.

I’m thinking this one is going to be quite a character :)

Me? Really?!

2010-08-10T22:29:00.000-04:00

One of the missionaries from Uganda told me that if I didn’t feel any doubts or discouragements during the week of assessment with World Harvest not to be surprised if I did have them the couple of weeks following. Sometimes I do have doubts, but I truly believe the Lord has called me to go. However, I do sometimes questions whether or not this whole plan is not a little crazy. Part of my recent fear is the idea of giving up the job I JUST got! I mean it is the job I have been working SO HARD for for so long. Does it make any sense to just give that all up, leave my family and friends, and move to the middle of the African JUNGLE?! I was so encouraged yesterday by a blog post written by one of my team leaders in Bundibugyo.

“Often during the day I will look around at our surroundings and wonder why we are here. Sometimes this is with a little smile and a feeling of thankfulness for the opportunity to be somewhere and do something few in America will ever get to do. Sometimes it is with a furrowed brow and a quiver in the stomach thinking we need to pack the car and leave tonight. Who in their right mind would move their family to the center of Africa? What would compel someone to do such a thing?”

Amy goes on to describe WHAT and WHY they are in Bundi…

“I have been hoping to blog for sometime now on what we are doing. Yet, I could not find the words for it. In the heat of the battle, sometimes you forget why you are doing what you are doing. I feel I have some words for it now. It is simple. God loves us and calls us to see Him and love Him by showing his love to those who are forgotten. We are seeking to do so through teaching, healing, mentoring and sitting. We seek to be advocates to those for those who have no advocate. We begin to understand his grace as we extend his grace. We are freely giving to those who could never repay and at points have no idea that they even need help. We are giving Hope in a place that has had none for a long, long time. It is hard being here, but it is fulfilling. We need people willing to come and live life to the fullest with us here. We need a few good men (and women). “

I am SO in awe that God is allowing me to go and love the Ugandan people and the kiddos of the missionaries. God’s grace and love for me is overwhelming. I know Jesus is good, and even if everything would seemingly fall apart tomorrow, I still believe Jesus is good. Giving up my job and the security that it brings will be hard! Going to Uganda will be hard! But there will also be many joys and many beautiful pictures of redemption. I am excited to go and share the gospel and to remind myself of the gospel too! I know this year will have its ups and downs. There will be times that I can’t wait to go, and days where I think God has the wrong girl for the job! But I am thankful to have a Savior that loves me in spite of me and it doesn’t matter how I feel, or what I think or say or do. I am fully loved. Wow.

My First Big Girl Job

2010-08-05T19:07:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had an interview for either a fourth or fifth grade teaching position. I am SO excited to say that I go the job! Jesus is so sweet because I really left the interview feeling like I totally bombed it and I said "well Jesus I answered those questions so crapily, so if I do get the job I will KNOW it was ALL you." And indeed He does get ALL the glory. I called one of my friends to tell her the news and her dad was in the background saying, "Pamela finally has a big girl job!" I guess it is true..I finally have a big girl job :)

Uganda!!!

2010-07-31T01:27:00.007-04:00

I have some very exciting news to share! I think it is the most exciting news I have ever had to date :) I spent the past week in Philadelphia attending Assessment and Orientation with World Harvest. This is the final approval process to be a missionary with World Harvest. I am happy to report that I am approved to go to Bundibugyo, Uganda! Lord willing I’ll be on the field this time next year. I’m going to be teaching the missionary kiddos :)

This past week was SO wonderful. Five (plus baby due in Sept :)) of my new teammates were going through the process with me, along with several other missionaries heading to other countries in Europe. The missionaries going to Uganda with me are AMAZING! I have been praying for teammates who I felt like I could connect with. God was more than gracious with these precious teammates.

In other news…I’m still on the job hunt for this year, but I am THRILLED to know where I’ll be next year and beyond for a while!

Update

2010-07-16T11:56:00.000-04:00

The interview yesterday went really well. But I didn't get the job so I will just count it towards more interview experience. The principal called me the same day to let me know the position was going to someone else, but he told me that he will recommend me to other principals. With about 300 people applying for one opening this will be very helpful.

One of my best friends called me after I had just gotten the news and she was very encouraging to me. I was having a little meltdown and just feeling confused and frustrated. I started questioning everything in my life. She reminded me that my life is not my own, it isn't all about me. It is about Jesus and I am just one little letter in an entire story. However, she was also so encouraging in reminding me that I am loved and cared about.

Last night I came across this Bible verse...
Acts 20:24
But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

I am really getting excited about my interview with World Harvest and I can't wait to meet my potential teammates. It will be so fun to spend the week with people who love missions as I do. Also, a bonus to the week is that my aunt and uncle live about 15 minutes from World Harvest and I will get to stay with them for the week. I haven't seen them in 3 years! So it will be fun to catch up with them and be with family in the midst of a potentially challenging week.

Still Searching

2010-07-14T17:56:00.002-04:00

I'm still on the hunt for a job. I have applied to MANY teaching jobs in Virginia Beach. I had one interview at Providence, but I found out yesterday that I did not get the job :( Bummer. I have an interview tomorrow for a fifth grade position at another school.

I've been teaching summer school, although in a position I did not think I wanted. I was offered a kindergarten position for summer school, but because I do not have my license in hand (it is still in the LONG approval process at the state headquarters) I lost that job :( Fortunately there was a special education assistant position. I am working in 11 classrooms. My job is to work with all of the kids with IEPs (special ed.). I am actually really enjoying it because I am getting to observe many different teachers and I'm working in three different grade levels, so I feel like I'm learning a lot. I am really looking forward to having my own classroom for an entire year. What a treat that will be for me after all of this transitioning the past couple of years.

Please pray that my interview will go well on Thursday (it's at 11:30) and that if it's God's will I will get the job! I am trusting that God has just the right place in mind for me :) and maybe it isn't the worst thing to get some interview experience!
One more thing, I am going to Philadelphia the last week of July for Assessment and Orientation with World Harvest. If I am approved by them during this week then I can begin raising support to go to Uganda a year from now.

Ms. or Mrs.

2010-06-17T14:52:00.002-04:00

This year in the yearbook my name was printed as Mrs. Stephens and not Ms. Stephens. Today one of the students I student taught came up to me and informed me of this mistake. She said, "Ya know what Ms. Stephens? They accidentally put your name in the yearbook as Mrs. Stephens. But I really do think you deserve that r in your name."

Maybe you had to be there, but I thought it was hilarious and so sweet! :)

The Problem Solved

2010-06-11T23:27:00.001-04:00

I am TOTALLY freaking out about getting a job…again…I know. I have applied for every single job opening in Virginia Beach K-5. For every job opening principals literally receive HUNDREDS of applications! Therefore, I’m totally stressed. For a while I was stressed about interviewing and making sure my portfolio was perfect. But once I found out how hard it is to even get an interview I stopped worrying about the interview and now I am just hoping to even get one. My mom keeps telling me to remember that God’s got in under control. I know this should totally calm me down, but if I’m honest, it doesn’t.

I was sitting earlier thinking about how God IS in control of everything and how He works everything out for good and His glory. When I am stressed I forget this. Well I asked God to help me better understand why bad stuff happens. I then proceeded to watch some TV and randomly decided to go through my books to see if I might have any good kiddo books on my shelves. As I was going through my books I came across a book I haven’t read and really didn’t even know I owned, called God and Evil: The Problem Solved by Gordon Clark. I literally busted out laughing because I know it is not an accident that I came across this book :) Anyway, I’m off to go read…

Really Finished!

2010-05-16T23:43:00.003-04:00

Last week I decided I wanted to walk in graduation. It was a complete last minute decision, and I had to make some phone calls and beg for them to let me walk. (I was supposed to let them know like 2 months ago!) But they let me, and I am so glad they did. It was a nice finale to all of my hard work this past year. The reason I decided I wanted to go was because I found out Glenn Beck was giving the commencement address! I really like Glenn Beck, and it was fun to get to see him in person. My mom ended up being the only one to come with me because my dad, brother, sister-in-law, and sister all had plans on Saturday they couldn’t get out of. My mom and I had fun running around campus taking pictures though, and we got to go shopping on the way home :) I can’t believe I am actually finished!!

I'm A Graduate (Almost)!

2010-05-12T22:17:00.003-04:00

My sweet Fourth Graders had a little farewell party for me. They put me in a chair in the middle of a circle and read sweet letters to me about our time together.

My student teaching has come to an end! I finished teaching 4^th grade last Friday and returned to my assistant position this past Monday. A little over 16 weeks ago, the night before I was going to begin student teaching, I remember thinking to myself, “this is going to be a long and hard 16 weeks.” Well it FLEW by! I loved my fourth graders. It is nice that I work in the class across the hall, and I still get to see them around the building. I did learn that I prefer teaching the younger kids. I MISS my first graders SO much! I am hoping to get a position teaching a lower grade in the fall, preferably K, 1, or 2. But I won’t be picky. I’ll take anything that is a real teaching job!

I sent my application in to World Harvest this week. I am waiting on my references to be returned and for them to review everything. The next step is to be invited to Assessment and Orientation. That is a week long interview process at World Harvest headquarters the end of July. I have applied to teach at a small school for MKs (missionary kids) in Uganda.

My FINAL assignment for school is due on Sunday. Then I will be finished with my master’s degree! I can hardly believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I started. This process has flown by too! It is amazing how quickly life changes. I am SO excited for this next year. I have been collecting a big pile of things for MY classroom in the fall and I am going to have so much fun setting it up!

On another random note: I was teaching a unit on plants and one of the kiddos said the SWEETEST thing for me to add to my quote book. I was asking for examples of germination, and I asked them if they could find an example in the classroom. We had planted seeds that were beginning to sprout, and I was looking for one of the kids to give that as an example. One little boy raised his hand and said that I was an example of germination. I said, "what do you mean?" His reply was, "well you're growing into a teacher." How precious is that! :)

Grading Papers

2010-04-25T19:13:00.003-04:00

I have discovered that I do NOT enjoy grading papers. However I do enjoy placing stickers on all of the A papers :)

I found out on Friday that I passed the Virginia Reading Assessment. That means I have successfully passed all three of my teacher liscensure exams! I have two weeks left of student teaching and three weeks left of the class I am taking. There is light at the end of the tunnel!

Loving Math and Africa

2010-04-17T23:53:00.000-04:00

Last week I actually had FUN teaching math! Yes it’s true. I believe many students don’t like math and think it is too hard because their teachers don’t like math and think it’s too hard. I don’t EVER want to be one of these teachers. As challenging as certain things may be for me, I hope I will always have the desire to make my lessons as engaging as possible; because it is more fun to teach the engaging lessons anyway.

Well last week in math I was teaching about preimages, images and reflections using transparent mirrors. It was really cute fun stuff and there were a lot of games that went along with it. It was the perfect topic since we had been on Spring break the week before.

For the next couple of weeks I am doing all of the teaching. I feel good about it though. I am becoming more comfortable with the 4^th grade curriculum and I have gotten to know the students and their personalities a little more.

For the past year+ I have been in touch with World Harvest about missions. I have basically been having conversations with them as I was exploring what I wanted to pursue a career in; with the goal of missions eventually. Now that I am finishing my master’s degree I have been talking to them more. I am hoping to go through the formal application process this summer. There are a couple of opportunities in Africa, one in Sudan and one in Uganda. Both opportunities would include teaching missionary kids. The Sudan opportunity would be for THIS fall, which feels very soon to me. The Uganda opportunity would be summer 2011. I would love to teach in the States for a year and pay off all of my schools loans and raise support. All of this hinges of course on the application process and whether or not I am a good fit for one of these teams and vice versa.

I would love to go to Africa like yesterday. I LOVE Africa and I can’t wait to get there. In my mind I have this whole plan worked out that I will get a job in the States, pay off my loans in one school year, raise support, and go next year. And this will all work out perfectly. I mean it could happen that way. But, it might not happen that way. I know it is up to God and even though it is good to think practically and be wise with my money and other people’s money, God knows what is best. I always think I know what’s best, and how ridiculous it that really.

I would appreciate prayers for putting this all in God’s hands and trusting that He will put me where He wants me when He wants me there.

Are You Smarter Than A Fourth Grader?

2010-03-30T20:14:00.004-04:00

You know the show "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” Well some days I ask myself if I am even smarter than a fourth grader! Fourth grade has been quite the challenge for me. I know I know…it is ONLY fourth grade, but it is a huge difference from teaching first grade. The first grade content was so easy and I could do cutsey fun things with the kiddos. Now everything is SO serious and it is so much harder for me to come up with ways to keep the kids engaged.

Math is the hardest for me! I’m not very good at math to begin with. In my mind all I see are a bunch of numbers (like in this picture). So it is a challenge for me to really really make sure I get it, and then explain it to the kids. Today I had to teach multiplication of decimals. The curriculum we use is SO strange, and they had to estimate the answer, then remove the decimals and multiply the numbers, and then use the estimate to decide where the decimal point should go. Sounds weird? It is! Anyway, I thought they were totally getting it and I was feeling really good about the lesson and then I set them off to do some problems on their own. When we started checking their work I realized they were clueless. Sheesh. So now I have to break it down a little more tomorrow. Also, I have been taking over this class at a much slower pace. My last teacher let me take over the class after one week. This teacher (who is wonderful by the way) is only having me do a couple of things a day and not everything like the last teacher was. Next week is spring break and I believe her plan is to let me take over everything when we return.

On another note I am trying to figure out what will happen after I graduate (on May 7^th by the way!) I have applied to teach summer school and I am REALLY praying that I will get the job. Also I will be applying for positions in Virginia Beach for the fall. I’m also REALLY praying that that will work out. I have applied to teach at a school in Kenya and I am going through the process of applying to teach missionary kids, possibly in either Uganda or Sudan. I’m thinking it would be great if I could teach in Virginia Beach for a year, while paying off my grad school loan and raising support, and then head overseas for a couple years. I really do believe this is the direction God is calling me in. We’ll see what He has in store. I am really nervous/excited to see what happens!

I would GREATLY appreciate your prayers if you think of it. Please pray for the rest of my student teaching to go well, jobs for the summer/fall, and the process of knowing if/when/where God wants me to serve Him as a teacher. Thanks!