Many Blessings

Time has surely passed since my last update of life, yet the last couple of months have been a blessing in time. Spring break has come and gone and it was an amazing experience staying here in La Paz and just being local and seeing daily life here without being at school. I found that I truly do love it here for what it is, just simple life here, I truly enjoy it. I wondered earlier in the year when the bubble would pop, and I would just want to go back home. Or when the "new and exciting" would wear off and I would wake up to "real life". I think I have awakened and I am still just as enamored with this place and what God is doing here. Moreover, I find myself stopping, astonished that the Lord so divinely would bring me here and not only touch my life, change me and teach me, but use me as the answer to others' prayers. The Lord's work is so mysterious.
Within the last 2 months I have been working with my 7th and 8th graders on a major project, "Voices of Our Youth". As in years past, I had students write, "If I could tell the world..." journal entries. This year they ended up turning into persuasive speeches. Both the 7th and 8th grade presented these speeches in January. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the back of my classroom with goosebumps and tears welling up in my eyes over what these young hearts were saying. Surpassing the actual speeches, the students' interactions and dialogue they were having with one another blew me away. With this my mind and heart began racing and "Voices of Our Youth" came to be.

All Grade 8 students were put into pairs and were assigned to research a nonprofit organization of their choice and write a one page abstract outlining its origin and purpose. (Great way to introduce citations and research) The second part of the project was to evaluate the current work of the organization and how the student thought the organization could improve based on his/her research. Throughout the process the research was turned into a persuasive speech to be presented to the class. The top 3 speeches would present to the 8th grade, the top 2 to the 7th and 8th grade and the winner would be the benefitting nonprofit of a middle school arts evening..."Voices of Our Youth" . This would be a night of what the student thought were important...if they had a captive audience, what would they like to say? Of course they could do this in any format...speeches, poetry, dance, music...etc.

A local nonprofit, Para Los Niños, ended up winning (which was awesome). They are a nonprofit focused on helping the orphaned children of La Paz. They are actually located in a local orphanage, Virgen de Fatima, so the entire 7th and 8th grade got to visit the orphanage and see where the money would go and what the organization was all about. Certain students were brought to tears as they played with the children they encountered at the orphanage. Not one of the students was not with one of the kids of Virgen de Fatima--it was beautiful.
After such an experience, the project really took off. Students had all chosen different committees to be on and work began. Within roughly two months, (from the beginning of the research to now) tickets and promotions were made in tech classes, over 50 different local companies were contacted, 32 making donations, over 200 tickets were sold, 20 performances took the stage and close to $2,000 was raised to benefit the children of Virgen de Fatima Orphanage. Amazing. Thursday evening was truly breathtaking as I watched middle schoolers voice their hearts and minds, igniting an audience into laughter as well as bringing them to tears as the unselfishly came together and gave of themselves for the less fortunate children of Bolivia.

It's been powerful to watch the Lord work through the willing.

Place your VOTE!

Hello All! My 8th graders just finished a blog project, which is also a small bit of a competition! (There may just be pizza on the line.)
Sooooo...with that said would anyone interested take a quick look at the 3 different blogs which the eighth graders created and see which one you think is the coolest. My definition of "coolest" would mean, interesting theme, reader friendly and clearly, aesthetically pleasing. The students were pretty psyched about the project so it would be great to have your opinions. Don't worry about being too picky or not picky enough. The students are aware that this is simply the competition portion of the project and that they were to meet clear requirements given to them on a rubric beforehand and I will be giving them their grades.

Thanks for helping out, the kids will love it. I am going to tell them on Monday who has won. Again, thanks for taking the time.

Here are the blogs They are all the same, except for the class name. Below, use the below url, but to see the two other sites imput tech8b or tech8c
http://tech8a.blogspot.com

Thanks again.
You can comment here!

Back in Action

Back, off and running. As with every beginning of the year, things get going and you just hold on...no difference in Bolivia. It was wonderful being home, comforting, loving, refreshing...and also assuring. I loved beginning home and with that I knew that I was meant to come back. It has been a blessing to be in Bolivia and it remains that way since my return. It has been nice getting back into the swing of things, seeing everyone and exchanging holiday stories. Bible Study with the girls has started, the book study I am in is rolling and track has officially begun. A friend of mine, Jessica, and I are coaching distance and had a turn out of 15, which I was thrilled with. It will be a much different dynamic, as we may only be able to meet for practice 3 days a week. Carnival is also quickly approaching and with it, all the craziness. I look forward to all the cultural festivities!!!! It is all coming quickly, as some of the festivities begin tomorrow.
Lots of rain here, it pours, it's sunny (enough to burn in you a matter of minutes) then rain, rain and more rain...it's the only place that I know of that you need to have sunscreen, sunglasses, an umbrella and multiple layers every time you go out. It's sounds kinda bad, but of course sometimes it is so sunny, but raining. weird. Come, visit, check it out for yourselves!

Entitled...

So when I began this blog, I entitled it as I did because I stumbled upon John 16:33 and connected. Jesus is speaking to the disciples all through chapter 16 telling them that times aren't getting any easier and that things are actually about to get ugly...oh, and he's not going to be around. So he tells his disciples, realize, I have to leave so the Holy spirit can come and that it is going to be ok. And I tell you these things, that people are going to come after you, and threaten you, and make your life awful, so that you know when I am gone that I did warn you. And not only am I warning you, but I am going to tell you the outcome. "Take Heart, for I have overcome the world."
Take heart, because I have overcome the world. Wow. Jesus isn't lying about Christian life...he is laying it out. It is going to be hard and it is going to get ugly, but there's hope...TAKE HEART! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.

I connected immediately and knew. There is hope, there is Christ, there is the cross. That is some good stuff.
I was fortunate enough to hear a Louie Giglio talk that reminded me of these truths earlier this week. I just thought others might like to here the same.

"Take Heart, for I have overcome the world."

Thank God.

Unwritten

Sometimes, well most of the time, I find my job very amusing, even astonishing. (If you are a fellow teacher, you know where I am coming from.) The students I have this year really like to learn, and some of them are arriving at the realization that learning is a lot more than a 6 and a half hour day and some books. There are many reasons why I am amused throughout the day, but really when it comes down to it, I think it is the pure fact that we teach within four walls and through printed text. That is the last place from which I think my students are actually learning. (Did I just knock my own teaching skills...stick with me.)
Yes, the written word is powerful, but it is the topic of the words that make it so. Life is the true lesson and it is enlightening to watch a student build his/her bridges from books to reality and consistently travel upon them.

I had my grade 8 tech students utilize and analyze a new form of analysis called Tag Clouds. (They're pretty cool, you can check them out @ www.tagcrowd.com) Each student had to decide on an essential question he/she wanted answered and use a tag cloud to analyze a speech as well as a popular song of his/her choosing and explain how the tag cloud was a useful form of analysis or not, as well as the outcome of his/her analysis.

One of my young ladies chose the song, "Unwritten" by Natasha Benningfield. (I'm not sure on the spelling of her name) The results of her analysis were that the meaning of the song was about the unwritten lessons of life and the great importance of those lessons in each of our lives. I was blown away to hear a girl of fourteen confidently speak such truth-what a pleasure.

I have the opportunity to learn everyday and grow. And I enjoy everyday that I get to wake up and be honestly challenged, knowing that my students really do what to know, and they really do desire to live well. I don't challenge the value of the written word, but as I said and my students have reminded me, life is meant to be lived, and some of our most important lessons are "unwritten".

Giving thanks in Bolivia

We may be a bit early, yet never is the wrong time for approximately 20 of us to gather together, hold hands and share our blessings and give thanks. And that is what took place at Maria and Rick's home yesterday evening. It was awesome to hear the different voices, adults and children alike, speak of their thankfulness for many different things. It is not often that you stand in a circle offering thanks with students that you teach. Pretty amazing.
The food was great and I even took some time yesterday and got a reciepe for an asparagus cassarole off the internet. (Thanks mom) It was well-liked and finished when the night was done, no leftovers. Not too bad. This is actually the second Thanksgiving I have celebrated in Bolivia, the first being Canadian Thanksgiving, which was also a blessing entirely. After church today we have a small Thanksgiving Pot Luck as well.
I do have much for which to be thankful. I have amazing parents and family who love me and support me to all lengths; I have friends who will travel far distances, over land and sea to visit and get a glimpse of "my new world" and others who share themselves with me through words and gift, giving me a piece of home here in Bolivia. I am very thankful for the simple and the grand, that the Lord would bless beyond all that I know and all that I deserve. He does lead us home, yet I am coming to find that home is not a place on this Earth. He leads us to Him, to truth and better existence. it is hard to put your finger on what true home is, but God our father leads us home, to Him, through his creation, his people, His beauty. And in that, his beauty and his majesty, His workmanship...he puts you and I and smiles, for it is not, He is not complete without us. The creator of all that is God, of the Moutains that I see everyday out my windows and on my way to work, with his hand he created those, and with the same hand he made me and holds me and will fight for me. How truly blessed are we, the children of God.

Another Look; Another Perspective

Joel arrived on Monday (10-29) late, another great promotion for American Airlines, and sick from bad chicken on the plane, again another great promotion for American, yet excited and ready to experience...most of us in LaPaz already know what a spectacular airline service AA has here in Bolivia, but if you are yet to experience such wonders, don't let it sway you away from visiting. We have had the opportunity to wander through quaint San Miguel, travel up to the more bustling Uptown, and had the wonderful opportunity to visit Isla del Sol, The Island of the Sun, on Lago Titicaca with Rachel, Steve, and his parents. (They were also visiting) It was breathtaking. We visited Moon Island on the way to Sun Island, by way of Hydrofoil. We had a lesson in Inca civilaization and culture as well as the the people of Tiwanacu and their culture.
Back into Copacabana, Joel and I took 45 minutes to climb part of the Andies to the top where lies the Stations of the Cross, another breathtaking view of the city and mountains, high enough to see Peru.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we traveled up to the street markets of Sargonaga to do some bartering. Some outstanding purchases were made!

It has been awesome to have someone from home see the sights, meet the people and breathe the in the high altitude oxygen. I suppose if you know Joel, maybe you should ask him about his experience and his reflections, but I can tell you from this side of things, it was great having him.

He came to school each day, for at least a bit, and as he came, his popularity grew, I think every eighth grader knew his name, as well as some seventh graders. There were even some eighth grade girls who grew to recognize him before myself. (I think if he would have stayed longer, they may have just forgotten my name, due to his popuarity.) I do have to say that we are 2-0 against a group of eighth grade boys in basketball...and they want to know when he is returning for another rematch. Ha!
Joel also had the opportunity to meet the hs bible study girls and was kind enough to lead some worship for us, another great evening.
Throughout all this, we still had time to meet all the friends, lay low and even watch a little West Wing, to which I am now addicted...Joel left season one for me to finish. good times.
All this to say, who wouldn't want to come to Bolivia? You're all welcome.