Hi. How many of you thought that I forgot that I even had a blog? I'll admit, keeping up with this blogging thing is not as easy as I thought it would be. I think that stems from the fact that I am not a natural writer...I have never been one to keep a regular journal or write out my feelings, etc etc. However, I really like the IDEA of writing and blogging, and I so admire my friends who can do it consistently and well. Way to go! I love reading your blogs! :)
Well, I am back in Bogota and we are almost two weeks into second semester at El Camino! Second semester? Didn't I just move here like a month ago? Apparently my sense of time is a wee bit off. Second semester has started out well. Nothing has really changed as far as my classes or students. I mean, there were a few minor schedule changes for me, but overall things are moving along very much the same as they did before. Now at the school there have been some changes...teacher leaving unexpectedly, etc, and those things have put pressure on a lot of people! But the Lord has graciously provided for the needs at the school, and we are thankful. So I will continue this semester teaching Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 and Geometry as well as working with the 10th grade girls and Janett (11th grade). Janett and I are planning to go through the book of Ephesians, which I am pumped about!
There are changes coming at the chapel as well. They found a new building (yay!) which is a huge answer to prayer. Meeting is a common room at an apartment complex has been fine in many ways, and we are thankful thankful thankful that the Lord provided us with that place during the transition time, but it will be so nice to be in our own building...especially for things like kid's club and chapel events! I think it will still be a few weeks before we can start meeting in the new location due to a leak (or something like that...) but we praise the Lord for His provision!
Kid's club hasn't started up again yet. Mauricio and I will still be working with the adolescent group if we can. Please pray about scheduling...Mauricio's job schedule is really inconsistent and changes a lot. Recently they decided he gets to work on Saturday afternoons...which is of course when kid's club happens! So please pray that we can work something out.
Ok, onto another topic.
I have had many thoughts running through my mind over the last weeks and months. And honestly, I don't have them all processed to a point where I can write them out coherently without sounding crazy. :) But one things that the Lord has been teaching me very clearly is the need for GRATITUDE in my life. Not just random bits of thankfulness here and there, but a lifestyle of gratitude. Man, do I fall short in that area! I want to cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude...and that is going to take some discipline and intentionality. Apparently these things don't come easily...what? Yes, it's true. I find complaining and comparison far easier than gratitude and contentment. And I would love for that to change! So, I just want to share some verses and quotes with you all. They have been on my mind and challenged my heart.
Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
1Thessalonians 5:18
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Ephesians 5:20
giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Obviously there are many more verses about thankfulness...this barely scratches the surface. But it gives me plenty to think about!
*I should give thanks to the Lord because He is GOOD.
*I should give thanks in ALL circumstances.
*It is the WILL OF GOD that I be thankful.
*I replace anxiety with THANKSGIVING...always!
*I should give thanks ALWAYS and for EVERYTHING.
Wow. How much would my perspective be aligned with His perspective if I lived this way? How much more would I glorify Him and be a testimony for Him if I lived this way? How much more joy would fill my life if I lived this way?
The following are some quotes from a book called Choosing Gratitude by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
"Over time, choosing gratitude means choosing joy. But that choice doesn't come without effort and intentionality. It's a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God's Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace-until a grateful spirit becomes my relexive response to all of life."
"When we take simple blessings for granted as if they were owed to us, or conversely, when we start to think that our house, our car, our wardrobe, or our general station in life is below what we deserve, ingratitude finds all the oxygen it needs to thrive."
"The grateful heart that springs forth in joy is not acquired in a moment. it is the fruit of a thousand choices."
So, one of my prayers for this year is that I would intentionally cultivate (and that the Lord would cultivate in me) true gratitude. So, you are all welcome to keep me accountable.
Psalm 100:4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Update
Hello all!
This will be a fairly short post, but I just wanted to give a quick update!
Chapel:
Last Sunday there were quite a few visitors! Exciting!! Please pray that they would return and for the salvation of those who are not believers. One of the women who came was the mom of 7 kids who all come to kids club regularly. Wouldn't it be great is she got saved?
Also, Mauricio and I will be starting an "adolescents" group on the Saturdays we have kids club. It is for ages 12-14. There are about 8-10 kids right now that fit this age range. Please pray for them and for us and we start planning and working with these kiddos! I think we will have this group every other Saturday during kids club and then have a Sunday school class on the "off" weeks (the weekends we don't have kids club). Mauricio will be doing the teaching and I will be helping him with the planning of games and general organization, etc. We may also do some things with the boys and girls separate...who knows! I'm excited!
School:
The first quarter is officially over! Grades were due this morning, so report cards are posted and ready to be viewed by parents. It was a great, although busy, first quarter! The Lord definitely sustained me through all of the changes and adjustments to a new school. This week the students have a government-mandated week off. Teachers have meetings Monday-Wednesday (although we had mostly work time on Monday) and then we have Thursday-Monday off. Woo hoo!! I am planning to go to a lake with some people on Thursday and Friday. Monday there is a conference that will be put on by the Emmaus Correspondence School in Bogota, so I am attending that along with quite a few people from the chapel. It should be a good day!
Please keep praying for my one on one discipleship relationship as well as the 10th grade girls small group. I love all of the great girls I get to work with, but of course there is always a need for wisdom and direction from the Lord!
On a random note, I had a dream filled with American foods the other day. Here is a sampling of the foods I miss:
*Dr. Pepper (oh sweet nectar of life...)
*Biscuits and gravy
*Mexican food - On the Border, Playa Azul, Carlos O'Kellys... (I did have Mexican food here the other day, which was good, but not like these delicious restaurants...PLUS there were no free chips and salsa...hello, that's half the fun of Mexican restaurants!!)
*Chinese buffet
*Sausage McMuffins from McDonalds
*Whoppers (the candy, not the burger)
Look at all that HEALTHY food on my list! ;)I can't imagine how I will eat when I am home in December. Oh my.
Well, lots of love and hugs to you all in the States!! Thanks for your prayers and encouraging messages! I love hearing from you all!! SO keep it up! Please. ;)
This will be a fairly short post, but I just wanted to give a quick update!
Chapel:
Last Sunday there were quite a few visitors! Exciting!! Please pray that they would return and for the salvation of those who are not believers. One of the women who came was the mom of 7 kids who all come to kids club regularly. Wouldn't it be great is she got saved?
Also, Mauricio and I will be starting an "adolescents" group on the Saturdays we have kids club. It is for ages 12-14. There are about 8-10 kids right now that fit this age range. Please pray for them and for us and we start planning and working with these kiddos! I think we will have this group every other Saturday during kids club and then have a Sunday school class on the "off" weeks (the weekends we don't have kids club). Mauricio will be doing the teaching and I will be helping him with the planning of games and general organization, etc. We may also do some things with the boys and girls separate...who knows! I'm excited!
School:
The first quarter is officially over! Grades were due this morning, so report cards are posted and ready to be viewed by parents. It was a great, although busy, first quarter! The Lord definitely sustained me through all of the changes and adjustments to a new school. This week the students have a government-mandated week off. Teachers have meetings Monday-Wednesday (although we had mostly work time on Monday) and then we have Thursday-Monday off. Woo hoo!! I am planning to go to a lake with some people on Thursday and Friday. Monday there is a conference that will be put on by the Emmaus Correspondence School in Bogota, so I am attending that along with quite a few people from the chapel. It should be a good day!
Please keep praying for my one on one discipleship relationship as well as the 10th grade girls small group. I love all of the great girls I get to work with, but of course there is always a need for wisdom and direction from the Lord!
On a random note, I had a dream filled with American foods the other day. Here is a sampling of the foods I miss:
*Dr. Pepper (oh sweet nectar of life...)
*Biscuits and gravy
*Mexican food - On the Border, Playa Azul, Carlos O'Kellys... (I did have Mexican food here the other day, which was good, but not like these delicious restaurants...PLUS there were no free chips and salsa...hello, that's half the fun of Mexican restaurants!!)
*Chinese buffet
*Sausage McMuffins from McDonalds
*Whoppers (the candy, not the burger)
Look at all that HEALTHY food on my list! ;)I can't imagine how I will eat when I am home in December. Oh my.
Well, lots of love and hugs to you all in the States!! Thanks for your prayers and encouraging messages! I love hearing from you all!! SO keep it up! Please. ;)
Saturday, September 17, 2011
"So...what exactly are you doing down there?"
So I thought I would take a moment to let you all know what exactly it is that I am doing down here each week and share some things to be praying about! I should have pictures...but I don't at the moment. So this blog may not be terribly exciting for you visual learners! :) Ok here we go:
1.) Kids Club:
We have kids club with the chapel every other Saturday. The kids come from two main neighborhoods - Cerro Norte and Codito. Both neighborhoods are on the mountain and are quite poor. The kids are great though! (I mean...behavior leaves something to be desired sometimes, but you just gotta love 'em!!) Right now there are two groups (0-8 years and 9-12 years) but they as some of the kids outgrow that top group, they are thinking of starting an "adolescents" group for 12-15 years which Mauricio and I will be in charge of I think! It is still in the idea stage at this point, but hopefully we can get it started up soon. So please pray for all of the kids and the leaders of each group. It's so neat to see these kiddos learning about the Lord from week to week! Some of them come from unsaved homes that are less than ideal...and wouldn't it be cool to see the Lord start a work in their families through these kids?! Other kids come from homes where there is a Christian influence, and we praise the Lord for that as well!
2.)Chapel:
Our chapel in in transition at the moment. We are no longer meeting on Cerro Norte (up the mountain) and are looking for another place to meet. The elders thought they had found a location but it was rented to someone else...that was an answer from the Lord in the form of a closed door! So please pray for wisdom and direction in that area. In the meantime we are meeting in a common room/meeting room in the apartment complex where one of the elders lives, which works out fine for now! The Lord always provides! I think eventually I will be in the Sunday School teacher rotation...time for my Spanish to get a serious workout!
3.) El Camino Academy
This is the school where I teach! I teach Algebra 1 (honors 8th grade and regular 9th grade), modified Geometry (10th grade) and regular Algebra 2 (11th grade). The students are great! Not perfect of course, but I am loving them! There is a real emphasis on discipleship at the school, which is cool to see. I think every junior and senior is in a 1 on 1 discipleship relationship with a teacher or staff member, not to mention a bunch of 9th and 10th graders as well. I am meeting every week with a girl named Janett (11th grade). She is great! We are going through a Bible study Tuesdays at lunch. I feel pretty inadequate, but it's the Lord who does the work anyway, right?? Please pray for us this year as we study and pray together and seek the Lord together!
Janett is in a group called SSLT (Student Spiritual Leadership Team). This is a group of 11th and 12th graders who are all being discipled by teachers and have committed to discipling students in the younger grades as well. It's pretty intense, but really great! We meet after school every other week for accountability, prayer, and some discipleship training/ideas. It's neat to see these students wanting to invest in the lives of their fellow students! Please pray for them!
My friend and fellow-teacher Megan and I are also the leaders for the 10th grade girls small group. Every other Wednesday we meet during chapel-time and have a small time of Bible study and/or prayer. We also will be doing activities with them outside of school about once a month. These girls are so great! Please pray for them and for Megan and I as we work with them this year.
So...that's about it! :) It makes for some full weeks, but it is really great. The Lord is so good...and it is so good to see HIM at work in Colombia! This is a country that has obviously been through a lot of turmoil in the not-so-distant past. Please pray for this country and for the beautiful people that live here. There are so many opportunities for the gospel to go out...and for the Lord to work! It's amazing!
1.) Kids Club:
We have kids club with the chapel every other Saturday. The kids come from two main neighborhoods - Cerro Norte and Codito. Both neighborhoods are on the mountain and are quite poor. The kids are great though! (I mean...behavior leaves something to be desired sometimes, but you just gotta love 'em!!) Right now there are two groups (0-8 years and 9-12 years) but they as some of the kids outgrow that top group, they are thinking of starting an "adolescents" group for 12-15 years which Mauricio and I will be in charge of I think! It is still in the idea stage at this point, but hopefully we can get it started up soon. So please pray for all of the kids and the leaders of each group. It's so neat to see these kiddos learning about the Lord from week to week! Some of them come from unsaved homes that are less than ideal...and wouldn't it be cool to see the Lord start a work in their families through these kids?! Other kids come from homes where there is a Christian influence, and we praise the Lord for that as well!
2.)Chapel:
Our chapel in in transition at the moment. We are no longer meeting on Cerro Norte (up the mountain) and are looking for another place to meet. The elders thought they had found a location but it was rented to someone else...that was an answer from the Lord in the form of a closed door! So please pray for wisdom and direction in that area. In the meantime we are meeting in a common room/meeting room in the apartment complex where one of the elders lives, which works out fine for now! The Lord always provides! I think eventually I will be in the Sunday School teacher rotation...time for my Spanish to get a serious workout!
3.) El Camino Academy
This is the school where I teach! I teach Algebra 1 (honors 8th grade and regular 9th grade), modified Geometry (10th grade) and regular Algebra 2 (11th grade). The students are great! Not perfect of course, but I am loving them! There is a real emphasis on discipleship at the school, which is cool to see. I think every junior and senior is in a 1 on 1 discipleship relationship with a teacher or staff member, not to mention a bunch of 9th and 10th graders as well. I am meeting every week with a girl named Janett (11th grade). She is great! We are going through a Bible study Tuesdays at lunch. I feel pretty inadequate, but it's the Lord who does the work anyway, right?? Please pray for us this year as we study and pray together and seek the Lord together!
Janett is in a group called SSLT (Student Spiritual Leadership Team). This is a group of 11th and 12th graders who are all being discipled by teachers and have committed to discipling students in the younger grades as well. It's pretty intense, but really great! We meet after school every other week for accountability, prayer, and some discipleship training/ideas. It's neat to see these students wanting to invest in the lives of their fellow students! Please pray for them!
My friend and fellow-teacher Megan and I are also the leaders for the 10th grade girls small group. Every other Wednesday we meet during chapel-time and have a small time of Bible study and/or prayer. We also will be doing activities with them outside of school about once a month. These girls are so great! Please pray for them and for Megan and I as we work with them this year.
So...that's about it! :) It makes for some full weeks, but it is really great. The Lord is so good...and it is so good to see HIM at work in Colombia! This is a country that has obviously been through a lot of turmoil in the not-so-distant past. Please pray for this country and for the beautiful people that live here. There are so many opportunities for the gospel to go out...and for the Lord to work! It's amazing!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Truth...it keeps coming up!
Hello! I know...I am horribly behind on updating my blog. (Not that I think you are all sitting around with bated breath to read it, but I did intend to be more on top of it.) I am starting this post with some pictures of the house where I live! I live with a wonderful family: Mauricio and Marlene and their sons Nicolas and Santiago. They have been so nice and welcoming! Here is their picture (which I stole from facebook):
Here are some pictures of my room:
And my tiny cute bathroom:
And the clothes-washing area...note the absence of a dryer!
So that is where I live. Fascinating, right? I need to take some pictures at school too, but that will be for a future post!
SO back to the title of the blog: truth. Seems simple at first, right? Or maybe it doesn't seem simple to you. All I know is that this issue has come up multiple times over the last two days. First of all, my friend Megan and I, who are the small group leaders for the 10th grade girls, were talking about what we wanted to focus on in our small groups this year. And we were talking about God's truth vs. the lies the world feeds us and how easily we can fall prey to lies without even being consciously aware of it. Of course, the way to combat lies of the world is to know the truth of God's Word!!
Then, that afternoon we started the Truth Project DVD series after school. (We need to do it for a certification thing that I won't explain at the moment.) The first DVD was about TRUTH...what is it? What does the Bible say about it? Well, the Bible has LOTS to say about truth, as we all know. But it was such a good reminder to see all of the verses that are about truth, and even more specifically the many verses where Jesus Himself talked about truth! Take this verse for example:
John 18:37 ...For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the TRUTH."
Jesus came to show forth the truth! The question at the end of the lesson was this:
"Do I believe that what I believe is REALLY real?"
Think about that. It's easy to say "yes, of course!" and just move on. But...do I live like that? Do I REALLY believe all of God's promises and the TRUTH of His Word? What would my life look like if I lived out in faith in what I say I believe? Do my actions show faith in the truth that IS God Himself and His Word...or do my actions say, "I don't really trust God and I want to control my life." Am I giving into the deceit of the world? I found this to be a challenging thought over the last two days, so I just wanted to share it with you all.
On another note, we sang this song this morning before school. It was a great way to start the morning! Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1fMaJzev_s
(I can't get it to hyperlink at the moment, so just go listen to the song!) :)
Here are some pictures of my room:
And my tiny cute bathroom:
And the clothes-washing area...note the absence of a dryer!
So that is where I live. Fascinating, right? I need to take some pictures at school too, but that will be for a future post!
SO back to the title of the blog: truth. Seems simple at first, right? Or maybe it doesn't seem simple to you. All I know is that this issue has come up multiple times over the last two days. First of all, my friend Megan and I, who are the small group leaders for the 10th grade girls, were talking about what we wanted to focus on in our small groups this year. And we were talking about God's truth vs. the lies the world feeds us and how easily we can fall prey to lies without even being consciously aware of it. Of course, the way to combat lies of the world is to know the truth of God's Word!!
Then, that afternoon we started the Truth Project DVD series after school. (We need to do it for a certification thing that I won't explain at the moment.) The first DVD was about TRUTH...what is it? What does the Bible say about it? Well, the Bible has LOTS to say about truth, as we all know. But it was such a good reminder to see all of the verses that are about truth, and even more specifically the many verses where Jesus Himself talked about truth! Take this verse for example:
John 18:37 ...For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the TRUTH."
Jesus came to show forth the truth! The question at the end of the lesson was this:
"Do I believe that what I believe is REALLY real?"
Think about that. It's easy to say "yes, of course!" and just move on. But...do I live like that? Do I REALLY believe all of God's promises and the TRUTH of His Word? What would my life look like if I lived out in faith in what I say I believe? Do my actions show faith in the truth that IS God Himself and His Word...or do my actions say, "I don't really trust God and I want to control my life." Am I giving into the deceit of the world? I found this to be a challenging thought over the last two days, so I just wanted to share it with you all.
On another note, we sang this song this morning before school. It was a great way to start the morning! Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1fMaJzev_s
(I can't get it to hyperlink at the moment, so just go listen to the song!) :)
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The wheels on the bus...or should I say the DOOR on the bus!
Hi friends! Things are going really well here in Bogota. School starts Saturday (yes, Saturday) with an assembly for parents and students and then time for the students with their homeroom teachers. After that we have a picnic so that we can meet both the parents and the students and have a fun time talking with them before classes start on Monday! Apparently they usually start school on August 7th because it is a Colombian holiday. But since the 7th falls on a Sunday this year, we are starting in the 6th, which is a Saturday! It has been an overwhelming week getting ready for the first week of classes. Tons of new info, tons of new people, and everything different than the school I taught at before (which is fine, but requires a change in my mind set in a lot of ways). Everyone here at the school is very nice and very helpful, and I am looking forward to working with them!
There is a big emphasis here on discipleship, which I really like. I am currently going to be the small group leader for the 10th grade girls (along with Megan, a fellow high school teacher) and then will probably be involved in a student leadership team in a discipling role with one of the girls there as well. Super excited!!
Ok, now onto the amazing BUS story. So, my friend Karen (who teaches at the school as well) and I decided to go hear a friend of ours from the States speak on Tuesday night. Neither of us had been to this chapel before, but we had a fellow teacher give us directions. No big deal, right? We took the Trans Milenio (the public rapid transit bus system here) which can get VERY crowded, but we were up for the challenge...'cause we're independent like that! (sidenote: Karen left her cellphone with a friend who needed it because we were going to be together and she wouldn't need it...) SO we arrived at the main station and saw our bus!! We took of running, but I, being incredibly athletic and coordinated, almost ran into someone, so Karen made it to the bus and the doors closed...and I was OUTSIDE the bus! Oops. So she was yelling through the window, "I'LL GET OFF AT THE NEXT STOP" and I'm yelling "OK"! We didn't make a scene at all. :) So anyway, we found each other at the next stop, she hopped on my bus, and we were off, crisis averted!!
Well, that was only the beginning of the story. As I said, we didn't REALLY know where we were going, so we decided to get off at a later stop to check the map, just to be sure. And good news, we were on the right track! So, our bus arrived, packed to the gills, but in Colombia you just push your way on and usually people move out of the way. So, Karen and I pushed our way through the crowd like true Colombians, and tried to push onto the bus!! We pushed and pushed (Karen was behind me) but there was no way...BUT I was half on and half off the bus at this point and all of the people behind you just keep pushing, so going backwards is very difficult. So, I was trying to get back ONTO the platform, and the doors of the bus closed...and my ANKLE GOT CLOSED INTO THE BUS DOOR! And the bus was starting to MOVE! So, ever the level-headed person in the face of imminent doom, I started yelling "MY FOOT IS STUCK MY FOOT IS STUCK" (as if yelling in English would really help) and so Karen was pulling on me and we were both pulling on the door and the bus was moving...oh my!! BUT I dislodged my foot. Crisis averted yes? Well, not quite because I was not really very stable on the platform...in fact, I was only barely perching on it with my heels, and I knew that if the bus pulled away I would go crashing out onto the road...where another swift moving bus would squish me! Not good. So, in my ever calm manner, I started yelling, "I'm going to FALL, I'm going to FALL!!" So Karen was grabbing me around the waist and leaning back into the crowd of people and I was clawing at the ceiling and finally managed to grasp some protruding bit of something, and we were stabilized. (And realize this all happened in like a 10 second time frame...) :) I cannot even begin to imagine what the people around us thought!! Oh my word, we probably made their week with our yelling and flailing and general chaos!! And ironically, the next bus that came...was EMPTY!!!!! We laughed so hard we were almost crying for about the next 30 minutes!!
Anyway, we made it to the chapel (well, we did pass it by once, but we found it) a little late, but in time for prayer and to hear our friend speak. A nice man from the chapel drove us back to the bus station and we made it home without any crisis (well we got on one wrong bus, but it was no big deal, we just switched at the next stop). So that is my awesome bus story. Try and picture it in your mind...it was craziness!! It probably doesn't come across as well in written form (I am no writer, that's for sure!) but I just wanted you all to know I still have my foot, and that I am now confident that I can navigate the Trans Milenio system by myself!!
There is a big emphasis here on discipleship, which I really like. I am currently going to be the small group leader for the 10th grade girls (along with Megan, a fellow high school teacher) and then will probably be involved in a student leadership team in a discipling role with one of the girls there as well. Super excited!!
Ok, now onto the amazing BUS story. So, my friend Karen (who teaches at the school as well) and I decided to go hear a friend of ours from the States speak on Tuesday night. Neither of us had been to this chapel before, but we had a fellow teacher give us directions. No big deal, right? We took the Trans Milenio (the public rapid transit bus system here) which can get VERY crowded, but we were up for the challenge...'cause we're independent like that! (sidenote: Karen left her cellphone with a friend who needed it because we were going to be together and she wouldn't need it...) SO we arrived at the main station and saw our bus!! We took of running, but I, being incredibly athletic and coordinated, almost ran into someone, so Karen made it to the bus and the doors closed...and I was OUTSIDE the bus! Oops. So she was yelling through the window, "I'LL GET OFF AT THE NEXT STOP" and I'm yelling "OK"! We didn't make a scene at all. :) So anyway, we found each other at the next stop, she hopped on my bus, and we were off, crisis averted!!
Well, that was only the beginning of the story. As I said, we didn't REALLY know where we were going, so we decided to get off at a later stop to check the map, just to be sure. And good news, we were on the right track! So, our bus arrived, packed to the gills, but in Colombia you just push your way on and usually people move out of the way. So, Karen and I pushed our way through the crowd like true Colombians, and tried to push onto the bus!! We pushed and pushed (Karen was behind me) but there was no way...BUT I was half on and half off the bus at this point and all of the people behind you just keep pushing, so going backwards is very difficult. So, I was trying to get back ONTO the platform, and the doors of the bus closed...and my ANKLE GOT CLOSED INTO THE BUS DOOR! And the bus was starting to MOVE! So, ever the level-headed person in the face of imminent doom, I started yelling "MY FOOT IS STUCK MY FOOT IS STUCK" (as if yelling in English would really help) and so Karen was pulling on me and we were both pulling on the door and the bus was moving...oh my!! BUT I dislodged my foot. Crisis averted yes? Well, not quite because I was not really very stable on the platform...in fact, I was only barely perching on it with my heels, and I knew that if the bus pulled away I would go crashing out onto the road...where another swift moving bus would squish me! Not good. So, in my ever calm manner, I started yelling, "I'm going to FALL, I'm going to FALL!!" So Karen was grabbing me around the waist and leaning back into the crowd of people and I was clawing at the ceiling and finally managed to grasp some protruding bit of something, and we were stabilized. (And realize this all happened in like a 10 second time frame...) :) I cannot even begin to imagine what the people around us thought!! Oh my word, we probably made their week with our yelling and flailing and general chaos!! And ironically, the next bus that came...was EMPTY!!!!! We laughed so hard we were almost crying for about the next 30 minutes!!
Anyway, we made it to the chapel (well, we did pass it by once, but we found it) a little late, but in time for prayer and to hear our friend speak. A nice man from the chapel drove us back to the bus station and we made it home without any crisis (well we got on one wrong bus, but it was no big deal, we just switched at the next stop). So that is my awesome bus story. Try and picture it in your mind...it was craziness!! It probably doesn't come across as well in written form (I am no writer, that's for sure!) but I just wanted you all to know I still have my foot, and that I am now confident that I can navigate the Trans Milenio system by myself!!
Sunday, July 24, 2011
And so it begins...
Hello friends!
Well, here I am in Bogota...for a year! Well, more like 10 months I suppose. Regardless, it's not just a visit, I am here to LIVE! At the moment nothing seems very different because new teacher training at the school doesn't start until Wednesday. I am also currently staying with the Easter family (who I usually stay with) until my host family returns from their vacation. So for now everything is just like a normal summer visit to Bogota. But soon that will all change and "real life" will begin. I am pretty excited about that, actually!
Ok, so the real point of this post was to tell anyone who was interested how the trip down was! Well, it was long and tiring. :) We started off in Wichita of course, and I experienced going through security with my mom for the first time! She has a couple medical machines she has to carry on for her breathing issues, and let me tell you, airport security is serious about those machines! They unpack everything and run it through twice, then you have to stand there repacking it (no easy task!!) and trying to put your shoes back on and catch all of your other carry-ons as they come through the scanner too! We were "those people" that no one wants to be behind in an airport security line! But hey, at least that was in Wichita where the security area is not as busy as an airport like Atlanta or Chicago! So there is that to be thankful for! So we flew to Atlanta with no problem, landed, made our way off the plane, and waited for a wheelchair. My mom has had both knees replaced and has other health issues that make walking all over airports a very impractical thing. So we loaded our myriad of carry-ons onto our backs and my dad pushed the wheelchair and we were off to the international terminal!
The timing was actually great because we ate lunch at TGIFridays and then went to the gate and were only there about 20 minutes before boarding began. AND because my mom was using a wheelchair we got to board pretty early, so there was room in the overhead bins for our carry-ons! (Like I said, we had a lot of those...). I sat by a 13 year old boy who was very talkative, so we chatted while everyone else loaded on the plane and we were off...a little late, but hey, we were off! 5 hours later we landed...and there was no gate for us. :) So they brought us those lovely stairs that push up to the plane. Now, did I mention how my mom has some issues with walking...well, stairs are no fun either, so she went first and a flight attendant whelped her, and my dad and I followed, laden with our carry-ons (did I mention we had a lot of stuff??). And because we were not at a gate we all crammed into a bus and they drove us to the entrance! But there was a wheelchair waiting when we got there, and let me tell you, this guy that was pushing my mom was NOT messing around! I think he would win the 100 yard wheelchair dash...my dad and I were practically running to keep up!
So now we were at customs...we got to go in the special line because of the wheelchair (woo hoo!) and I used my slightly rusty Spanish to explain to the customs dude who we were and what we were doing, etc. Then, off to baggage claim, where we found all of our bags...yay! (Oh, I forgot to mention that in the Wichita airport my dad's bag had issues...the zipper came apart...you know how eve though you zip it, the zipper teeth can separate?? Ya, that happened, so we really were very unsure if it would arrive intact and with all of our things still inside...but it did! Praise the Lord!) Ok, so we claimed all 5 of our suitcases, and loaded 4 on a cart and were pulling the 5th. We went outside, saw Mauricio, hugs all around, and we went to wait for David Easter to come get us in the van. We thought we saw him so we crossed the street, but it wasn't him so we came back across (this will be important in a bit). We loaded our bags, jumped in the van, and we were off to the Easters's house!
Ok, this is starting to ramble, so, long story short, we unloaded everything at the Easters and there were only 4 of the 5 suitcases...remember how we were rolling that 5th bag along separately? Ya...it was still at the airport. Remember how we crossed the street and came back again? Ya...in all of that confusion we think we somehow left the bag. Now, this is Colombia and the odds of finding a suitcase that you randomly leave outside on a sidewalk is apparently very minimal! It was a very important suitcase...I will spare you the details of the contents, but I really needed it! SO poor David has to take me BACK to the airport to look for this suitcase! Oh my word, I prayed so hard! I told myself all the way, "Don't panic, the Lord is in control, it's just STUFF after all..." But I admit I was slightly panicking. So we hopped out at the airport and ran all over looking for someone to tell us how to look for a lost bag! I found a security guy who took us to the police office in the airport. They radioed security who said they had recovered a lost bag! Could it be?? SO they took me into a locked room (and let Mauricio come too, thank goodness!) and asked me about my bag...and then THERE IT WAS!!! Unscathed, and with nothing missing! Believe you me, this was a miracle. So without much trouble (just a copy of my passport and my signature) I was on my way, bag in hand, thanking the Lord!!
So that was our adventurous arrival. And as usual, the Lord has already been exceedingly good in spite of our carelessness! Mauricio summed it up pretty well. He said, "Well, if the Lord has already done this small miracle, I can't wait to see what else He will do!" Neither can I!!
Wow, this was longer than I intended. Kudos to anyone who actually read all the way through this mess! Love and hugs to my friends in the States!! I am loving my scrapbook, you guys did an awesome job!!!
Goodnight. :)
Well, here I am in Bogota...for a year! Well, more like 10 months I suppose. Regardless, it's not just a visit, I am here to LIVE! At the moment nothing seems very different because new teacher training at the school doesn't start until Wednesday. I am also currently staying with the Easter family (who I usually stay with) until my host family returns from their vacation. So for now everything is just like a normal summer visit to Bogota. But soon that will all change and "real life" will begin. I am pretty excited about that, actually!
Ok, so the real point of this post was to tell anyone who was interested how the trip down was! Well, it was long and tiring. :) We started off in Wichita of course, and I experienced going through security with my mom for the first time! She has a couple medical machines she has to carry on for her breathing issues, and let me tell you, airport security is serious about those machines! They unpack everything and run it through twice, then you have to stand there repacking it (no easy task!!) and trying to put your shoes back on and catch all of your other carry-ons as they come through the scanner too! We were "those people" that no one wants to be behind in an airport security line! But hey, at least that was in Wichita where the security area is not as busy as an airport like Atlanta or Chicago! So there is that to be thankful for! So we flew to Atlanta with no problem, landed, made our way off the plane, and waited for a wheelchair. My mom has had both knees replaced and has other health issues that make walking all over airports a very impractical thing. So we loaded our myriad of carry-ons onto our backs and my dad pushed the wheelchair and we were off to the international terminal!
The timing was actually great because we ate lunch at TGIFridays and then went to the gate and were only there about 20 minutes before boarding began. AND because my mom was using a wheelchair we got to board pretty early, so there was room in the overhead bins for our carry-ons! (Like I said, we had a lot of those...). I sat by a 13 year old boy who was very talkative, so we chatted while everyone else loaded on the plane and we were off...a little late, but hey, we were off! 5 hours later we landed...and there was no gate for us. :) So they brought us those lovely stairs that push up to the plane. Now, did I mention how my mom has some issues with walking...well, stairs are no fun either, so she went first and a flight attendant whelped her, and my dad and I followed, laden with our carry-ons (did I mention we had a lot of stuff??). And because we were not at a gate we all crammed into a bus and they drove us to the entrance! But there was a wheelchair waiting when we got there, and let me tell you, this guy that was pushing my mom was NOT messing around! I think he would win the 100 yard wheelchair dash...my dad and I were practically running to keep up!
So now we were at customs...we got to go in the special line because of the wheelchair (woo hoo!) and I used my slightly rusty Spanish to explain to the customs dude who we were and what we were doing, etc. Then, off to baggage claim, where we found all of our bags...yay! (Oh, I forgot to mention that in the Wichita airport my dad's bag had issues...the zipper came apart...you know how eve though you zip it, the zipper teeth can separate?? Ya, that happened, so we really were very unsure if it would arrive intact and with all of our things still inside...but it did! Praise the Lord!) Ok, so we claimed all 5 of our suitcases, and loaded 4 on a cart and were pulling the 5th. We went outside, saw Mauricio, hugs all around, and we went to wait for David Easter to come get us in the van. We thought we saw him so we crossed the street, but it wasn't him so we came back across (this will be important in a bit). We loaded our bags, jumped in the van, and we were off to the Easters's house!
Ok, this is starting to ramble, so, long story short, we unloaded everything at the Easters and there were only 4 of the 5 suitcases...remember how we were rolling that 5th bag along separately? Ya...it was still at the airport. Remember how we crossed the street and came back again? Ya...in all of that confusion we think we somehow left the bag. Now, this is Colombia and the odds of finding a suitcase that you randomly leave outside on a sidewalk is apparently very minimal! It was a very important suitcase...I will spare you the details of the contents, but I really needed it! SO poor David has to take me BACK to the airport to look for this suitcase! Oh my word, I prayed so hard! I told myself all the way, "Don't panic, the Lord is in control, it's just STUFF after all..." But I admit I was slightly panicking. So we hopped out at the airport and ran all over looking for someone to tell us how to look for a lost bag! I found a security guy who took us to the police office in the airport. They radioed security who said they had recovered a lost bag! Could it be?? SO they took me into a locked room (and let Mauricio come too, thank goodness!) and asked me about my bag...and then THERE IT WAS!!! Unscathed, and with nothing missing! Believe you me, this was a miracle. So without much trouble (just a copy of my passport and my signature) I was on my way, bag in hand, thanking the Lord!!
So that was our adventurous arrival. And as usual, the Lord has already been exceedingly good in spite of our carelessness! Mauricio summed it up pretty well. He said, "Well, if the Lord has already done this small miracle, I can't wait to see what else He will do!" Neither can I!!
Wow, this was longer than I intended. Kudos to anyone who actually read all the way through this mess! Love and hugs to my friends in the States!! I am loving my scrapbook, you guys did an awesome job!!!
Goodnight. :)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Update...not that anyone who doesn't already know will read it!!
Well, I went to Chicago, successfully navigated public transport in an unfamiliar city, obtained my work visa for Bogota (woo hoo!), and walked all over downtown Chicago in shoes that started out comfortable enough but ended up leaving bruises on my poor feet. I even took a 30 minute skyline boat ride in Lake Michigan just off of Navy Pier. It was quite a day! The Lord was good (as always) in several specific ways:
1. I only walked the wrong direction once! I mistakenly thought that the map I looked at was set up to be oriented the direction I was looking. But alas, I was facing south as I was looking at a map oriented to the north (as maps tend to be). I have NO innate sense of direction so I only figured it out after walking several blocks in the pouring rain and never reaching Michigan Avenue. However, I did find a McDonalds and dried off as I ate a sausage mcmuffin. There are very few times that a sausage mcmuffin does not lift my spirits! Then I sallied forth again (this time in the RIGHT direction) and reached Michigan Avenue. Can I just say that I love walking in the down towns of big cities? Very fun.
2. I got my visa! It was actually very simple. The only hiccup was that I didn't have a money order to pay for it, I only had checks and a debit card. (Granted, the list of requirements didn't actually say I needed this money order...but that was beside the point I suppose.) So I had to frolic across the street to Citi Bank and get the money order...so I stood in line, got to the teller, only to have him tell me that I had to have cash to pay for this. No check, no debit or credit card. So off to the ATM I went to obtain the cash, and then back to the teller, and then back to the Colombian consul to finalize my visa. But praise the Lord it all went smoothly and I now have a lovely visa in my passport.
3. I met 3 other girls going down to teach at El Camino Academy! How fun is that? A very cool blessing from the Lord. Their names are Kylie (I think), Lauren and Mandy. Now we didn't exactly get to sit and become near and dear friends, but it was so fun to meet them and it will be great to know a few faces when new teacher training starts at ECA. None of them have even been to Bogota before! Now that's brave!!
4. I had a transport card for the train that I put a little too much money onto, and I was thinking. "hmmm, maybe the Lord will give me someone to give it to". But I didn't really think about it beyond that. So anyway, I arrived back at the airport and went to check the balance on my card and it said there was enough money for 2 transfers. Then this guy next to me asked me if I knew how to work the machines that vend these transport cards, and I said I had just learned but I had a card he could have...and guess what? He needed enough for two transfers, and that is exactly what I had! The Lord provided someone to use the card even though I had only had a passing thought about it. My regret is that I didn't have a tract in my purse to give him. It would have been a great opportunity. I consider that a lesson or perhaps a hint from the Lord that I need to be more prepared!!
So basically...I am now OFFICIALLY headed to Bogota for a year! My departure date is less than a month away. It's a little surreal, but I am excited! I an't wait to see what the Lord does this year.
P.S. - Thanks to Kirsten for making my blog a little more spiffy! :)
1. I only walked the wrong direction once! I mistakenly thought that the map I looked at was set up to be oriented the direction I was looking. But alas, I was facing south as I was looking at a map oriented to the north (as maps tend to be). I have NO innate sense of direction so I only figured it out after walking several blocks in the pouring rain and never reaching Michigan Avenue. However, I did find a McDonalds and dried off as I ate a sausage mcmuffin. There are very few times that a sausage mcmuffin does not lift my spirits! Then I sallied forth again (this time in the RIGHT direction) and reached Michigan Avenue. Can I just say that I love walking in the down towns of big cities? Very fun.
2. I got my visa! It was actually very simple. The only hiccup was that I didn't have a money order to pay for it, I only had checks and a debit card. (Granted, the list of requirements didn't actually say I needed this money order...but that was beside the point I suppose.) So I had to frolic across the street to Citi Bank and get the money order...so I stood in line, got to the teller, only to have him tell me that I had to have cash to pay for this. No check, no debit or credit card. So off to the ATM I went to obtain the cash, and then back to the teller, and then back to the Colombian consul to finalize my visa. But praise the Lord it all went smoothly and I now have a lovely visa in my passport.
3. I met 3 other girls going down to teach at El Camino Academy! How fun is that? A very cool blessing from the Lord. Their names are Kylie (I think), Lauren and Mandy. Now we didn't exactly get to sit and become near and dear friends, but it was so fun to meet them and it will be great to know a few faces when new teacher training starts at ECA. None of them have even been to Bogota before! Now that's brave!!
4. I had a transport card for the train that I put a little too much money onto, and I was thinking. "hmmm, maybe the Lord will give me someone to give it to". But I didn't really think about it beyond that. So anyway, I arrived back at the airport and went to check the balance on my card and it said there was enough money for 2 transfers. Then this guy next to me asked me if I knew how to work the machines that vend these transport cards, and I said I had just learned but I had a card he could have...and guess what? He needed enough for two transfers, and that is exactly what I had! The Lord provided someone to use the card even though I had only had a passing thought about it. My regret is that I didn't have a tract in my purse to give him. It would have been a great opportunity. I consider that a lesson or perhaps a hint from the Lord that I need to be more prepared!!
So basically...I am now OFFICIALLY headed to Bogota for a year! My departure date is less than a month away. It's a little surreal, but I am excited! I an't wait to see what the Lord does this year.
P.S. - Thanks to Kirsten for making my blog a little more spiffy! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)