Thankfully I'm not sick anymore, and it wasn't anything too serious. But I was feeling pretty bad Sunday-Tuesday. I just had a headache, congestion, phlegmmy cough, continuous bouts of sneezing...etc. It makes it a lot harder to muster up the energy to face 23 6th graders! But I made it through the week.
Wow I love Sabbath. More than ever before I think. I am less busy than at Southern but it's a lot more high stress, so the Sabbath is a welcome necessity. It's so nice to relax on Friday afternoon and take a good long cold shower. Plus I try to look slightly nicer for vespers. Sometimes I wear my hair down and put on a little eyeliner. It's the only way I feel dressed up because I always have to wear skirts! And I always wear my hair up at school because it's way to hot otherwise. I was just thinking how ridiculous I'm going to look trying to walk in heels when I get back! hahaha
Teaching is going well. I gave my first social studies, Bible and science tests! I have to make them myself so I feel quite accomplished afterwards...except when some kids are failing. hahaha My students are pretty well-behaved overall. My classroom is as hot as it's ever been, but I'm used to the continual sweat flow. I love love LOVE it when it rains! (except when I'm wearing a white shirt) I don't even care that I'm getting soaked because it feels so amazing. I mean it's either soaked with rain or soaked with sweat right!?
My Friday night ritual is go put shorts and a t-shirt on, and take my hammock out by the rocks. It's right by the ocean so I get 3 of my favorite things: listening to the ocean, watching the stars and laying in my hammock! It's so relaxing. Usually Alise and Damien and/or Tony come join me and we just chill and talk. We decided to wait and watch the moon rise over the water. So by the time we were ready to go to bed it was around midnight. We walked back to our apartment and the door was locked and neither of our roommates were there! Neither of us had our keys so we had no idea what to do. Long story short we didn't get into our room till 2am and didn't get to bed till after 2:30am. Damien had to bang really loudly on a lot of people's doors! We found out Lauren was spending the night in the hospital because she was sick and Kara had decided to sleep in the AC in the library, but she didn't have her keys. We debated whether or not to wake up the principal, but none of us wanted to and it didn't sound like a very good idea anyway. We ended up waking up the accountant who is sort of the vice-principal now and he was cool about it. I think we scared him though! hahaha Ohhh....so now I'm super tired from Friday night.
So I napped Sabbath afternoon and watched one of the most amazing sunsets ever. The clouds are just so incredible here. Then we watched Up at the principal's house. I swear the kid or "small mailman" in that movie looks EXACTLY like one of my students! (Of course my student is darker) but they look the same in the face.
This morning we went and talked with a guy on the island who does SCUBA certs. I've heard he's the best in the islands and I'm SUPER excited about diving!! Oh I can't wait. And I think I'm starting to get the courage up to try surfing again...we'll see!
It's really just amazing what God is doing here at the school and for all of us SMs. I usually wake up right before the sun is rising to pray and read a little bit, and as I was flipping to where I'm reading in Psalms I came across a verse that I had underlined. Psalm 46:5,10 - "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. Be still, and know that I am God." The first verse just really reassured me that God was going to be with me. I can't teach these kids by myself! Without God working through me they are not going to learn anything and I would lose my patience with them for sure. The second verse reminded me to listen for God's voice. So often I just pray asking for this and that or thanking God for everything, but I don't bother to listen to what He has to say. Thank goodness God understands our simple human nature.
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That's cool that you read a verse that you needed to hear. Psalms seem to be especially good for that kind of thing. Way to fail some kids. That means you're a real teacher, not some softy sucker.
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