Right now I am sitting in the AV room, it is about
9:30 pm and I am attempting to write a blog. However the AV room is never
quiet, but now it is full of extra entertainment. We have slow internet, no TV
and only a select numbers of movies. So Staring in tonight's show " Calin
the 7th grade teacher, Richard the High School Math teacher, Phil the 8th Grade
teacher, Darren the High School Religion (Now teaching English too)
teacher" They are brainstorming for a skit that they all will be
performing this week for High School Chapel. They are attempting to imitate all
of our kids. They have decided to walk in late, cheat on a quiz, all have to go
to the bathroom all at the same time, eat Kool aid, getting detention and the
list goes on...
This kind of entertainment is priceless.
The past few weeks my class has had some up and
down. Which is part of the reason I haven't blogged. Three weeks ago was a
struggle. There was a point and time that literally got down on me knees and
prayed. I was done. I had absolutely no idea what to do. Amazing thing can
happen when you just stop and pray. The longer I was on my knees the quieter my
kids got, the longer I prayed for my kids to sit down and be quiet my kids
started to listen to the words that I was saying. So by the time I was done
praying they were all sitting down, completely quiet (which never happens), and
just looking at me. Prayer works. However it didn't last very long. That week,
the transition in between classes was detention. " Put you heads down on
your desk, close your eyes, and DO NOT TALK!" As I say this phrase my
voice slowly starts to get louder and louder. The more times that I have to say
the phrase the more irritated I become. So for three days my kids couldn't get
themselves together. So we had a lot of 5 min detentions. Which is frustrating,
beyond all reason. And at the end of the day many of the teachers vent to each
other about their days. Well I was talking with Austin the elementary P.E.
Teacher about how my kids and how they were being very disrespectful and not
listening at all. So he listened, and the next day my kids went to P.E. I was
incredibly excited to just give my kids away, if only for a moment. However
when I got my kids back something seemed off. My kids got into two quiet single
file lines, they walked all the way back to the classroom, not saying a word.
No one had to go to the bathroom or get water, I was thinking to myself my
children must be ill. But I decided to start my Social Studies lesson anyway. I
almost got though the entire lesson without anyone saying a word, without a
stupid question, and without any disturbances. As I was writing on the board
one of my children started to make a noise. She makes strange noises sometime,
just out of the blue. However this time her classmates were telling her to shut
up and be quiet. I was trying not to laugh as I was writing definitions on the
board. As the class when on the noise level go to a soft murmur, and people
started to whisper " Don't break the promise!" " Shhhhh...."
" Remember what Coach Austin said" it worked for about 5 more minuets
and then people were not intimidated by their classmates and the noise level
continued to rise. After a while I finally asked them what was the promise that
everyone kept talking about... and a hush went over the crowd... ha. One
student spoke up, speaking very fast, trying to get everything in before I
could speak another word. " well Miss Kaitlin, Coach Austin said that we
were being disrespectful to you and that we were talking to much in class, and
I am not sure how he found out about this, but he talked with us for a
long time, and he told us that we needed to respect Miss Kaitlin, and that we
needed to listen and pay attention in class, ( this is still really fast and in
one breath) and then he made us run A LOT and do wall sits, and he told us that
if we didn't listen that we would run all P.E. class until we listen. DEEP
BREATH and we don't want to run or do wall sits again. Another student quickly
speaks up, and he gave us homework. - I think O Boy to myself, but calmly ask what
is it? Then someone else says that Coach Austin said that we had to write you
an apology letter. I sit for a moment trying to keep a straight face... Then my
kids say, we are supposed to write a letter that says we are sorry, cuz that is
what an apology letter is. :) I got quite a few very moving apology
letters.
One of the things that I am taking home with me is their notebooks
:)
I am finally starting to write again, it is now
Monday morning... the 10th grade had flag rising this morning. The fifth grade
is learning about the fruits of the spirit, we are learning about patience.
Last week Patience was one of our spelling words... I had the kids write
sentences on Thursday about their spelling words. I got a sentence that read,
" Miss Kaitlin needs more patience." I took a deep breath and tried
to have more patience. They drive me crazy sometimes
Today is also Phil's Birthday... YEA Happy Birthday Phil...
Okay two weekends ago, we had a long weekend and a
few of us stayed on our island. We had the option of going to another island.
Molly and I seriously contemplated going, but after thinking about it... that
we would have no bathroom, no refrigerator, having to bring 7 meals, water, and
have no tent (and it always rains) we decided that it didn't sound like a fun
vacation. We were pretty much convinced after there was no bathroom and we would
have to go behind a bush (they don't really have bushes here) it was not a good
idea.
Those of us that were going to stay were still very
excited; Molly and I compared it to Christmas morning right before we went to
bed on Thursday night. But as we woke up things didn't really go as planned...
to a certain extent it was like someone had killed Santa Clause on our living
room floor, and we were five years old and we go running out expecting presents
and we see Santa dead... We got past it though and still had a Great weekend.
We slept in, relaxed, and watched movies, had potluck, and skyped with loved
ones. Saturday we went on a walk, all the way to the bridge. Molly,
Darren, Austin, Richard, Phil and I walked all the way to the bridge. It took
us about an hour to get there but it was well worth it. There is a small beach
on one side, with actually sand. If you squint your eyes it looks really,
really beautiful. But when your eyes are wide open, it is complete covered in
trash, lining the rocks, shoreline, and moving within the waves. Could,
possibly be a deep and underlying principal here, but I am going to let you
figure that one out.
On the island we are not allowed to go swimming on Saturday, even though
the water always seems to be more inviting on Saturday, it is a pretty straightforward
rule though. We bent the rules just a little bit :) SO as a group we decided
that we wouldn't jump off the bridge because that would be clearly breaking the
rules. And because we had 8 more months here, and we wanted to stay... we
decided to break other rules closer to the time that we are going home (JUST
KIDDING). Anyway, we all walked out this pier. It really isn't a pier; it
is a cement wave breaker with a big light pole on it. So we all walked out on
it, it was high tide and the waves were crashing against it and over it :). It
wasn't that bad when we first walked out on it, the waves were pretty small,
only getting a little spray of the ocean. Then after a few minutes the
waves were crashing up higher than Darren. One of the waves completely knocked
me off my feet. Landed on my elbow, O my word it hurt so bad had an open wound
for about three weeks. Then second time that we went to the bridge we walked
out there again, and I (with some help) climbed up the light pole :)
So that next day (this was the long weekend, a few weeks ago- trying to
remember what happened I am calling on friends in the AV room) had a grading
party on Saturday night, watched HIMYM, “How I met your Mother” and “Lean on Me”
( We wish we had a principal like him). Both great movies. We decided to be
productive together so that we could go back to the bridge and jump.
-Jumping off the
bridge-
First thing we did, Mom and Dad, we checked to make sure that it was
deep enough. Then I had Austin jump off first. I made sure that he was okay,
ready to get my lifeguard on, but all was fine. I was the next to jump off.
Such a rush. I was a lot higher than it looks. We took videos and went back
again the next weekend and made a video for LSU. I will try and upload as many
as I can to the blog.
Okay, so it is Saturday and I am attempting to blog again. It has been a
really long week, but the Sabbath is such an amazing thing. I skyped with my
parent and Mor Mor. Sabbaths are the day for skype calls.
I am at a loss of what to blog about, partially because it has been so
long and so much has happened, and partially because things are starting to
become routine. I am starting to get into a routine with my class and with my
life here on the island. My class hasn’t gotten any easier necessarily however
nothing really surprises me anymore. So I guess that is a good thing. I will do
my best these next few weeks to write things down after they happen, so that
the blogging will be more consistent.
This past week Tuesday Molly and I tried something new. We had 5th
and 2nd grade buddies. I was praying and pleading that it would
work. So as we walked down the steps and the 5th graders entered
Molly’s classroom to find there buddies. Our students were all spread out
around the room, with their buddies. After we made sure that all of the
students knew whom there buddies were we told them to start to read. After
about 3 minutes everyone was reading to each other. There was a particular
student that I watched read to his buddy, One of the books that my Aunt gave
me. God 3 in 1, the apple one. I almost started to cry. It was so beautiful. And
because it actually worked we are hopefully going to have it every Tuesday
afternoon.
Army children: Coach Austin had a brilliant week. Friday for P.E. I
walked into the gym. They were having a free day, so I walked in and had
everyone get on the baseline for the end of class. He smiled, then told the
class “ do you want to show Miss Kaitlin what you learned today?” All of my
children yelled YES!!!! Then before they could finish Coach Austin yelled
“ATTENTION”… All of my children stood like a little army on the baseline. With
there eyes forward and hands to there side standing as straight as they could.
I tried to not smile/ laugh anything. They he Yelled “ At ease” they then put
their hands behind there back and spread their legs out. Still Quiet. (Most of
the students were doing great, but when they don’t do it fast enough or they
are talking they have to do five push-ups) So it went on for a while going back
and forth till everyone could do it. Then Coach Austin Yelled “ HOORAH!” and My
children answered back “ HHOOOOOORRRAAAHHHH!!!!!!!”. I had a really bad day on
Thursday afternoon, and to see all of my kids do that. I wanted so badly to
bust out laughing. It was GREAT. ahahahah.
Lets see, this week the weather has been pretty crazy, one night the
night sky looked like we were in the Aladdin Movie. The clouds were billowing
and white and there was a full moon to make the sky light up. It was such an
amazing thing, it looked like a magic carpet could fly down and pick us up and
fly around for a while.
The past three afternoons the ocean water, past the breaker has been
completely calm, it is the weirdest thing. It looks like glass, or like we
could be next to a lake. We can also see the outer Island Arno too, which we
haven’t been able to see that for a long time because it is apparently the wet
season here right now. That can only mean one thing…it can only get hotter.
Moving right along, last night was Friday and before vespers we had
dinner and afterwards we pulled out our juice from the freezer that we got 2
for 1. We didn’t have enough room in our refrigerator so we decided to put it
into the freezer. One of the best Ideas that Molly and I have had since we got
here. It was Pineapple and coconut flavor. So we busted out the scissors and
spoons cut of the top and started to dig away. First bite, just like a pina colada.
SO GOOD. We started to dig and our juice was on the table, the apartments have
very thin floors so if you do anything more than walk it sounds like thunder
and massive furniture is being moved. The boys down stairs have taken to
putting the chair on their ceiling and banging it to let us know we are too
loud. So as we were trying to make our wonderful dessert we got the signal that
we were being to loud, so Molly and I ran down the stairs and shared our great
discovery. Then we made our way to vespers, some of us were still dressing on
the way. The first grade teacher spoke and showed a video, we all get the
opportunity to speak ( I spoke on my half birthday about perspective). So after
vespers Molly and I went back to the apartment to get our frozen Juice, and
made our way to the AV room ready for a movie. However the movie never really
happened. We sat there for a while then started to play Uno :D we played a few
games on the floor, then decided that our backs really hurt. All of our backs
hurt, so we tried to pop peoples backs, the we gave up on that idea… So then we
decided that we would just get in a line to give back massages. We tried to
make a circle, and we didn’t have enough people. So then we got into a line and
had to come up with a complicated formula of how everyone was going to get an
equal amount of massage time. So the night ended with Enya, good conversation
and friends. Happy Sabbath. (there were a lot of SO THENs in the paragraph sorry
about that)
To go back to the title, Boba, On the way back from the bridge the
second time we went into “Best foods”, we walked around still dripping from
jumping off the bridge and to our amazement, on the menu, Bubble tea, AKA BOBA,
such a great discovery.
Saturday, Molly and I were woken up the by the intense raise of the sun
at about 7:30ish… then we shut the curtains and went back to bed for another
hour. Trying to get ready on a Sabbath morning always goes much slower than any
other morning. It is wonderful because we don’t have to rush; we get to move
very slowly though our morning routine. We recorded a verse for First
Service…it was really good. I had one of my students read it with me. But the
Internet has been sketchy lately. It is down right now. So we attempted to load
it, post it; send it… after trying for about an hour before, and in between
Sabbath school and church. I decided to just skype call it is. It was so
wonderful on Saturday afternoon to be able to listen to First Service. We have
tried to stream it live, but we can’t get enough Internet for it. Anyway, I
think that went well. During
Church we saw Sterling’s Mom. It was very odd feeling at first, because it
seems like we are on a different planet most days, and to see someone that was
at home just a few days ago it was a surreal feeling. After the service we
waited as she was talking to a few other people. We introduced ourselves, got
hugs, and talked for a while. We went out to dinner that night at a Chinese
food place. It was wonderful, the food was amazing, to be able to ride in a
car, and go up to the hotel. It was just a wonderful evening. I got two Mom
hugs… I really miss those. Thank you Sterling for asking your mom to talk us to
eat, she is such a blessing to so many people.
After getting back to the apartment Molly and I walked out and saw how
beautiful the full moon and low tide was. We carefully made our way down to the
water. We walked out a ways. It was so beautiful. The sky was filled with
starts and the moon was shining across the calm ocean water. We took a few
really cool pictures. When we made our way up the rocks Apartment C3 was out
next to the play ground and they were all talking about how they spent the last
2 or so hours taking really cool pictures.
So after a wonderful Sabbath we went into the AV room, played some UNO,
and watched Adjustment Bureau.
-Perspective-
To start out I would like to pray.
I would like to say thank you to Phil
for letting me use his laptop, and Solomon and Harry for helping me set the
projector up. This program wouldn’t have been the same without it.
Okay. Once again I am going to read to
you what I have written. Because it will just go smoother that way
I was struggling with what I wanted to
talk about, because I am not the type of person to do this. So I was talking to
molly after the worship service last week, and I am not sure how we got on the
topic of the bible conference that we went to our junior year in high school,
which was a long time ago after thinking about it…. Anyway. Molly and I didn’t
know each other then, but we were sitting in the same room, watching the same
video, and listening to the same pastor speak. Not knowing that later we would
go to La Sierra University, become friends and work for that same pastor that was
speaking quite a few years ago. Let alone be here.
Overall I am a very quite person, I
feel that sometimes conversations just go on for the sake of breathing our
carbon dioxide. However when I truly feel passionate about something, I will
take a stand and speak up.
So tonight I am going to talk about
perspective.
But before I do I would like to show
you the video that Molly and I saw at bible conference. It is called this is
the truth. ( you should look it up if you haven’t seen it)
Every time that I have watched the
video I have gotten something new out of it. This can be the same with a movie
or a book or a story that is told over and over again. From our life
experiences we are (at least hopefully) gaining new perspective.
I am not sure if all of you have seen
the movie Ratatollie But I like it a lot.
There is one part that stuck out to me
the last time that I watched it.
It was when the waiter was asking the
food critic Anton Ego what he would like to order that evening. Anton Ego earlier in the movie had said “I don't
LIKE food. I LOVE it. If I don't love it, I don't SWALLOW.” It was a very tense evening for the whole restaraunt because it
fate was in the food critics hands. and so the waiter said…
Mustafa: [taking Ego's order] Do you know what
you'd like this evening, sir?
Anton Ego: Yes, I think I do. After reading a lot of
overheated puffery about your new cook, you know what I'm craving? A little
perspective. That's it. I'd like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective.
Can you suggest a good wine to go with that?
Mustafa: With what, sir?
Anton Ego: Perspective. Fresh out, I take it?
Mustafa: I am, uh...
The waiter was incredibly puzzled, and was unsure
what to do. There are many times in life that I look back and think to myself,
if I ever did that again I would do thing completely different. However I only
make the choice because I had to go through situation the first time, and
because I went through it, it has given me the perspective that I have right
now.
At the end of the movie when Anton Ego gives his
review it reads…
In many ways, the
work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those
who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative
criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics
must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is
probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are
times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and
defense of the new. The world is often unkind to new talent, new creations, the
new needs friends. Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary
meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker
have challenged my preconceptions about fine cooking is a gross understatement.
They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my
disdain for Chef Gusteau's famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize, only
now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great
artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine
more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau's, who is,
in this critic's opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will
be returning to Gusteau's soon, hungry for more.
Every single day I am
learning something new from my kids. God wanted us all here, for one reason or
another. But some days, more like a lot of days, when I am explain something to
my class. The first time, they don’t understand. Or they just didn’t here me.
So I will say it aging and again. Trying to explain it in different ways.
However I feel that there are times that even though I am saying to words over
and over again. It is not until I look at it through a new perspective, of a
child, or turn it upside down will it truly have any meaning. That the words
not be judgmental but educational. I hope that the video has given you a little
more perspective tonight. Even though we might be saying the same words over
and over again, it won’t matter or make a difference until we are able to help
others understand the love that we have all come to know.
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