I can't believe I've been here a month now! It's gone by so fast, and at the same time, it feels like I've been here forever. Not in a bad way, it just feels so natural now. The heat no longer feels as oppressing most days, I'm just used to it always being there. I expect ants to crawl over my feet all the time and the sight of coconut trees and gorgeous beaches seem normal :). Last Sabbath we took a walk up to the second highest hill on the island. It was so pretty! We could see a good chunk of the island, including the "big" town of Colonia. It didn't look very large from above. We had a peaceful worship up on the hill before heading back to the campus. Then came Sunday, not quite as peaceful. We got up early again for a woman's ministry meeting which lasted three hours, then came planning. Planning for each subject, each day, each board example; their never seem to be enough hours in the day. I had lots of grading to do too, we were up until midnight and I had barely made a dent. Just before going to bed I sat down to figure out what to say at chapel the next day. Seniors were in charge of the first chapel, and when I asked them who they wanted to speak they unanimously voted me... I wouldn't usually consider myself a speaker, but I knew God had a message he wanted me to share.
Monday came bright and early, ready or not we headed to our classrooms. The biggest lesson I think I've learned at school this week is that God makes the impossible happen. Chapel went great! It had it's rough patches, but I handed my guitar off to my seniors and they lead music on their own. Another prayed and then I spoke. Actually, I think it was God speaking because I couldn't have given the coherent message that came across. My favorite part came next. I had tried to teach my seniors a song called "Hideaway" on Friday and they were supposed to sing it now. I didn't know how it would go, if they really new the song. But it sounded wonderful! I can't wait to do more music with them!
Tuesday I played soccer with them for PE. It's not really their favorite sport but they wanted to play a sport I liked to play. It wasn't your normal version of soccer. I asked them where the bounderies were and they looked confused "Past the goal miss". Apparently they just run as far as it goes to get it on the side of the field. I played barefoot and in a skirt, by the end my feet were covered in mud. It was so much fun! They seemed so shocked when I actually got the ball and started running with it, "Miss! Miss has the ball?". When I got to the sophomores for Geography they said "Miss, we saw you smoking the seniors! You look really tired and red, we'll just let you rest this class" nice try.
Each day this week had a new problem; short staffed Monday (well actually everyday), hard to control students (those juniors...), pouring rain (I mean really really pouring), and a really really long PTA meeting Thursday night. We were so exhausted every night, but their was so much more to do. A million papers to grade and lessons for the next day. I love it, but I can't wait until I get used to it and I can do it a little faster.
Despite all the setbacks and long nights, I love every day. I love going from desk to desk explaining math concepts and helping students. It makes me laugh to see the students wearing beanies and sweatshirts to school when it is in the high 80s with really high humidity. Wearing sweatshirts is the "cool" thing to do despite the fact they must be overheating. Today, Friday, was the best day of the week. I had music with my seniors again, they want to learn 4 part harmony so I'm finding some songs to teach them. I took them outside with sidewalk chalk to make a giant graph to review slopes. It kind of worked... Fridays are low on focus. The best part came at the end of the day. For the last period of the day Friday the high school has something called work experience, basically they clean up and help with the school. I took my seniors over to the elementary building to help. Half of them went inside to clean out the rooms and the other half used my guitar and lead the 3rd and 4th graders in music. It was so fun! I went in to see how the cleaning was going and I found two of the senior guys playing with blocks! One of the third graders joined them, it was so cute. The last song they sang was "We Are Soldiers". They were screaming at the top of their lungs! I was walking between rooms checking on the cleaning when I heard "Well.. Miss Rychelle was a soldier..". After a long hard week of school, I didn't want it to end. I was sad to see them leave and couldn't help but think "I can't wait for Monday".
It's been one month since I landed on this amazing island, and I want time to slow down. I don't want this year to fly by because I know it will break my heart when I have to say goodbye to this school and my students. I have a lot to learn and a long ways to go, but I couldn't be happier with where I am. My prayer this week is for God to help me communicate with my students. I feel like I'm losing some of them in math, like I'm not explaining the lesson well enough. I pray for wisdom in what to teach them and how to teach it. Lots of them are way behind the level I'm supposed to teach them and I want to find a way to help them all to understand.
I hope you are all doing well at home; I wish you a wonderful labor day weekend! Enjoy the day off for me :).
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