Short update...

Thanksgiving past a couple weeks ago now, but nevertheless I enjoyed it immensely. I was able to take a trip down to southern Chile and join the Chamberlands/Thompson crew for the Holiday. It was nice to have a little change of pace, and the fellowship was very encouraging! We were able to get quite a bit of work done at the camp, but had great fun at the same time! Monica Chamberland and I shared a cabin for the week which made it all the more enjoyable.

Ever since returning to Santiago from the holiday, time has flown! There is so much I could tell! Over the last week there have been a couple of Christmas get togethers, a garage sale, sopaipilla making lessons, regular classes... the list goes on.

With only two half days of school left, my mind is swirling with everything that I should or want to do before I fly out on Sunday. The last moments with my students will be the most precious... two of my girls will not be returning, but I'm excited to hear that there will be a new one joining us. Also, I will no longer be teaching the Pre-K next semester. I've learned so much from the little boys and will definitely miss them.

Thank you so much to each of you for your faithful prayers!

Quickly passing...

Alas! The business of life has come to an end! Yeah Right! The spiral of events over the last couple of weeks is only gaining speed and will continue on it's course until the end of the semester. Which, by the way, is only a mere 3&1/2 weeks away!

Because Louis, our Spanish tutor, was unable to make it to the Kunnari's house tonight Diana gave me a mini tutoring session herself. Grasping the concepts of how things are said in Spanish continues to boggle my mind. Currently the hurdle is attempting to learn when to use the subjunctive tense of verbs. Ugh!

I have been given the opportunity to go down to southern Chile to spend Thanksgiving break with some friends from the States. They have been in Chile for over a month now with the purpose of building a house for the director of the GMSA camp down there. I very much look forward to spending time with old friends as well as helping them with the work project. Lord willing, my bus leaves tomorrow evening and arrives in Villarica (near Lican Ray) Saturday morning.

Please pray for the focus of the students (as well as the teachers :) as this school year draws to an end. I can feel myself looking forward to the break of Christmas with family, but my desire is to remain faithful to the task at hand. Also, please continue to pray for the provision of teachers for the coming semester. Thanks so much for all your prayers! You are a blessing to me!

Rambling thoughts from a weeks worth of info...

It's been over a week now since my last post and I figured it was about time for an update... sorry about that :p

As things up north begin to turn cold, Chile is about to turn full blast into summer. I love the warmth! It's very different to walk into the stores and see Christmas decor for sale after just coming in from 80 degree or higher temperatures. Such is life though...

Just this last Monday, the direct of SCA flew back to the States. He is planning on holding some meetings in different supporting churches in order to help raise support for a project at his church down here. However, he will also be presenting the need for teachers in the coming semester and school year. Praise the Lord that there is one new teacher planning on coming down for next semester. Recently I have been approached by the High School director about the possibility of teaching more classes in the High School next semester. They have asked me if I'd be willing to take on Math as well as Bible for the Junior High girls. I'm not exactly sure if the Bible would include the rest of the High School girls or not. Anyway, if this happens I would no longer be teaching the Pre-K. I would miss teaching the little guys, but the opportunity to be able to be involved with the girls more and to teach Bible absolutely thrills me! I would appreciate your prayers for me about this.

Another new change has come in the last week as well. One of the High School girls needed to drop a class and I was asked if she could come help me with the Pre-K during that 2 period block of time. She has joined us for the last two classes and I've appreciated her help. You could pray for me in this situation. She isn't one of the girls that I teach because she isn't in the Junior High... therefore I haven't really had the opportunity to "connect" with her. Please pray that I could have the opportunity to talk with her more and develop a more personal relationship than we have now. I'm excited to see what the Lord is doing here right now!

One more side note... I know many of you are disappointed, depressed... about how the elections have turned out. I was pondering this as I read my Bible this morning. While doing so, I read through the crucifixion. I was struck by the thought that the disciples were in agony over the death of Christ because they couldn't see the bigger picture of what God had planned. I look at Obama being elected into office and it doesn't make me happy at all, but I still know the One who sits on the throne is in control... and he still sees the big picture!

Midnight Mania

As I mentioned in my last post, Friday was an all nighter here at the school. All but two students in the Junior and Senior High were able to make it. As per the norm here in Chile, the scheduled starting time was 8 but we didn't really get started till about 9. That was ok... cause we had all night! We kind of kicked things off with a game of soccer, some knockout, and four square. It was fun to get everyone involved. Around Midnight we fed everyone some spaghetti then headed out to the bonfire.

We had the usually bonfire activities of singing and devotional. However, the students were also presented with a challenge to read through the whole New Testament in the month of November. Most all of the students as well as the faculty have accepted the challenge. Please pray that they would be faithful in doing this and that through their reading they will have a desire to read and search apart from this challenge. Of course, you can't have a bonfire without smores... so we indulged. However, I was surprised to find that many of the kids had never had a smore before.

We closed out our bonfire about 3 and headed inside for some more games. Some were messy and some weren't. The real down time didn't happen until about 4:30. Though it's been a while since I've stayed up all night... we were busy enough pretty much all night and I didn't have a whole lot of trouble staying awake.

The kids were each sent home with bellies full of pancakes and other junk food from the evening. I finally crawled into my own bed about 8:30, but unfortunately wasn't able to sleep much more than a couple of hours. Slowly but surely I'm recovering! It was an exciting time!

Quick Update...

Ok... so I did make it back to Chile before today, but I simply haven't taken the time to update my blog. Sad... I know! The remainder of our time in Argentina was fairly uneventful... which was great! The only thing that was very monumental was the 4 1/2 hour wait at the border on our way back. Apparently last Sunday was Mother's Day in Argentina and because there are many Chilean/Argentine marriages many were heading back across the border that night.

Today was a pretty normal day of school, but this evening will be different from the normal Friday. About 8 the Junior High and Highschoolers will be meeting back here at the school for an all nighter. A good number of activities have been planned for this evening and the general attitude among the students today was anticipation. So I'm excited to see how the evening progresses. I will post pictures sometime soon!

Halfway through...

So, we arrived here in Mendoza around 8 pm last night. For the most part the trip was uneventful. The bus we rode on was filled with about 15 other Americans who are currently studying in Santiago. So, it definitely had a different feal to it. The border crossing went so smooth and didn't take long at all. Driving through the Andes Mountains was very beautiful and I'll definitely post some pictures when I get back to my own computer.
The three of us are staying in the home of a single American missionary lady who is with Campus Crusade. She's been very gracious in putting us up in her house. After our arrival, the three of us wandered around in search of a McDonald's. I don't remember the last time I really wanted to eat at a Micky D's, but for some reason a burger and fries sounded sooo good. We were talking about it almost the whole way on the bus! :)
This morning we were able to sleep in for a while and then took our sweet time getting ready. We managed to make it out the door in time to get some coffee and french fries (what a combo) a little after 11. The really cool thing is that there is Wal-Mart here in Mendoza! It was fun to visit and compare with the States. It's similar, but different too.
The plan of attack... after siesta... is to wander around a little bit more and do the touristy thing. I'll have to fill you in on the rest when I arrive back in Santiago!

Voy al Mendosa!

My visa is about to expire! In order to get it renewed I will traveling to Mendosa, Argentina for the weekend. In fact, my bus leaves in about 2 1/2 hours. I will be traveling with one fellow teacher and another friend of hours. The plan is to come back Sunday evening sometime. Please pray for safety and for smooth crossing of the border. I will post pics and other stuff once we get back. Thanks for your prayers!

Slumber Party...

I realize that it's already Tuesday, but I wanted to fill you in on the happenings of this past weekend. All of the 7th and 8th grade girls joined me in my apartment for a sleepover on Friday night. (I'm not really sure why it's called a sleepover... cause very little sleeping is ever accomplished.) Anyway, we ate pizza and tons of junk food, watched a couple of movies, and talked. It was a lot of fun. I actually didn't make it all the way through the second movie before I fell asleep. I finally crawled into bed about 3:00 am, but I know the girls didn't sleep much at all.
The next morning, we enjoyed a group trip to the Feria (open air market). It was so much fun to go with the girls. We definitely stand out in a crowd!

Happy Birthday Mom!

I just wanted to let you all know that today is the Birthday of a very special person in my life... My Mother! I'm so thankful that the Lord gave her to me! We have a very special relationship. She is my Mom, my friend, my listening ear, my shoulder to cry on, my encourager, my cheering section, and I can't say enough about her. I love it when we spend time together! For a while we even worked at the same grocery store and that was soooooo enjoyable! I wouldn't trade a moment with her for all the tea in China!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!

An International Meal

School yesterday was thrown off slightly by an all school dinner. The purpose of this dinner (which was actually lunch) was to have each family bring a main course and desert from their native land. Because of the variety of our students we had representatives from Costa Rica, Colombia, Korea, China, United States, Canada, Africa and probably others. Everything looked great! It was interesting to watch most of the younger kids gravitate toward the foods that looked familiar to them. However, the parents and most of the high schoolers did branch out in their food choices. Over all, it was an enjoyable time.

End of the first quarter!

Yesterday officially marks the ending of the first 9 weeks of school. Which means grades are due into the office by Tuesday. Time is passing rather quickly and it seems as if school just started. Everything has settled into a rather nice routine though.
On Tuesday we will be having an international dinner here at the school. Because we have so many people from different backgrounds and nationalities, the idea is to have each student bring a main course and desert of something that is unique to their home area. It was rather a challenge to come up with something that is particularly unique to Nebraska (Wyoming or South Dakota), and be able to make it correctly. Cooking down here is not the same as at home. For one, the ingredients are not all the same and the fickleness of the oven proves to be quite a challenge. So, my end decision is to make a fruit pizza. The fruit is readily available and Fruit pizza is just plain yummy!
The sun is shining so brightly today and I'm super excited about summer being just around the corner. I know there will probably be times when I'll wish for the cooler weather back, but I'm pretty sure it won't be very often! :P
Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement! Phil 1:3-4

Dress down Day

Normally here at SCA the students have a dress code which basically consists of blue or gray pants and a blue polo with the SCA emblem. However, occasionally we have a dress down day... but the catch is... it's not free! If the students want to participate they have to pay 300 pesos for either pants or top, or they pay 500 (approx. $1) pesos for both. The proceeds then go to the Senior class for their Senior trip. It's kind of a fun thing that teachers and students both enjoy!

Some ABC's of Preschool Learning

A - Asking for help
B - Baking cookies to share with Moms
C - Cleaning up after making messes
D - Delivering the attendance chart to the office every day
E - English, Spanish, English, Spanish, ENGLISH!
F - Following the leader
G - Gluing craft projects to the paper and the table!
H - Holding pencils properly
I - Identifying the letters of the alphabet
J - Just being boys!
K - Knowing the primary colors
L - Learning to share with each other
M - Memorizing the Bible Verse (Ephesians 6:1)
N - Not bouncing in chairs
O - Opening and closing doors quietly
P - Practicing the Alphabet on chalboard and whitboard
Q - "Quietly" walking in the hallway :)
R - Reading stories
S - Singing songs
T - Taping the date on the calendar
U - Understanding each other
V - Victoriously remembering where matches are in the memory game
W - Washing hands before snack time
X - Xing legs to sit on the floor and play "bear hunt"
Y - Yelling outside only!
Z - Zipping jackets to go home!

He aplazado! (I have procrastinated!)

Wow... time has flown by since my last post and I'm not totally sure where to begin. Many things have taken place around here in the last week and a half!

This last Wednesday the Pre-K - 2nd grade took a field trip to the local Jumbo (pronounced Joombo). This store would be very similar to a Super WalMart in the States. Anyway, the pictures here show you a little of the get up that each of us was required to wear for our little tour. We were quite the sideshow as we traipsed around in these outfits. During the course of the trip we visited the Dairy, Fish, Produce, and Bakery. The kids even got to hold and knead their own little piece of dough. Pretty exciting!

This last Thursday we had a very interesting discussion in one of the Junior High History classes. We began the class by discussing the origin of schools in Colonial American. The basic need for schools came because society as a whole had a desire for their kids to learn to read and write for the expressed purpose of being able to read Scripture. They knew that this Biblical foundation was needed in order to, at the very least, have a "Christian" or moral based society. This discussion then led to contrasting the schools of that time with the schools of today. Not a pretty picture. I'm not really sure how it got there, but we eventually were talking about the end times, the antichrist, and eternal security. It really was a good discussion and I look forward to having more opportunities in the future to discuss these things. Normally, we would not take a class period and discuss just any random old thing, but in a way it did apply and I felt that several of these things were good for all of us to talk through.

You could be in prayer for the school in one specific way. After this semester the school will be losing 3 highschool teachers. 2 only planned on being here for a semester and the other is going off the field and back to the States. Then next year (beginning July 09) There will be probably 4 more positions that will need to be filled. Our God is amazing though and he already has it taken care of for us! It's so exciting to see the way he works! Thanks for your prayers!

Through the Bog!

Just a short note to let you all know that the bog of Parent/Teacher Conferences is now behind me. (If you're slightly confused please read the previous post). All the nervous wondering was for naught, and everything was a breeze.

It's Hump Day!

I'm assuming of course that you know what Hump Day is?!?!? For those of you who may not, Hump Day is another name for Wednesday. It acknowledges the fact of having arrived at the middle of the week and just getting over the "hump" of the week. Thursday begins the slide down. For me, tomorrow's slide down includes the big bog of Parent Teacher Conferences! Ahhh! This will be a first for me and I'm a little nervous... you know... biting my nails... stuff like that. :) However, things are going very well in classes and most of the students are doing well too so I don't anticipate any major issues.

I don't know how many of you have been praying for my little Preschool guy, Danny, but he is doing so much better. I thank the Lord for the improvements he's making. He's beginning to speak to me more and more in English and he is obeying really well these days. My new little guy, Isaac, is a gem too. He still speaks mostly in Spanish, but when he wants to get my attention he'll say "Profi" and then jabber off. I love it! As a whole the Pre-K classes have been a learning ground for myself as well as for the kids.

Junior High classes are going well too. The more I prepare for a class the more excited I am about teaching! Acknowledging the Lord... whether it be through showing His Sovereignty in the forming of the United States as we know it today or in comparing the needs of our Spiritual lives to the needs of our physical... is very important to me. My desire is to challenge their hearts as well as their heads.

Let me Introduce you!

Today was the first "real" Friday we've had since school started. I can't believe we've already completed the 4th week of school! On a normal Friday I will have the Pre-k kids in the morning and immediated following lunch I teach a period of Science and History in the Junior High. Then the last 45 minutes of school, all of the Elementary kids practice their songs and speaking parts for the Christmas progam. However, this doesn't involve the Pre-K or Kindergarten kids, so I am with them during this remaining part of the day. Phew... I'm almost ready for a nap by the time the school day's over!

I took this picture today in order to be able to introduce you to the Junior High Girls I teach. Going around the circle, there's Michelle (Just to my left), Lydia, Angela, Kimberly, Mary, & Miriam. They are a great group of girls. Each of them adds their own element to the class. In Science today we discussed the terms animate and inanimate... what they mean and how they apply to life today. The focus centered mainly on idolatry of the past and the idolatry of Americans or people in general today. Then we read some Scripture and had a really good discussion. Pretty much it was all intro to the next chapter dealing with Cells and Living Organisms. Fun Stuff!

An overwhelmed student...

I don't know if I mentioned it in a previous post or not, but I have asked you to pray for a girl in my class named Kimberly. Because she was sick and then her Mom also had some thyroid problems, Kimberly missed all of her classes last week. So today, Kimberly and I sat down together to work through the homework that she needs to catch up on. There is a lot of things she needs to do, but of course the language issue makes all of it seem much more overwhelming. Please pray for Kimberly that she wouldn't allow herself to get overwhelmed and quit. I tried explain to her today that I'm here for her and that we'll work through stuff together. I had to use my Spanish/English translator on my laptop a couple of times, but I'm pretty sure that she understood me. Thanks!

The Three Amigos!!!

I believe I mentioned that there was going to be a new little boy joining us in the Pre-K classroom today. I had great aspirations of Isaac being able to speak English and thereby being a great help to me. However, the whole time he was being dropped off by his Mom he was rattling off in Spanish. I thought to myself... "maybe he's just talking to his Mom in Spanish and he'll speak to me in English". Then his Mom informed me that he understands almost everything that is said to him in English because his Dad speaks only English, but unfortunately Isaac only speaks in Spanish. Pop! There went my bubble! For some reason this situation only makes Danny and Matias talk in Spanish more too! This definitely aids in expanding my Spanish vocabulary, but I have to keep speaking to them in English so they will learn too!

Thankfully Isaac seems to be a pretty good natured child, but he tends to follow whatever direction (good or bad) that Danny and Matias go. Danny and Matias had a little "discussion" today, and from what I gathered (because, of course, they were speaking in Spanish) they were "discussing" whether or not they were going to be friends anymore. I think Isaac being there has put a little kink in the dynamic duo.

Anyway, please continue to pray that I would have wisdom in dealing with these boys. They definitely keep me on my toes! Please pray for their behavior and that I would know the best way to keep them in line and wanting to learn. Thanks so much for your prayers!

A very long stroll!

As I awoke this morning I was excited to see the sun shining through my window. My plan was to walk to church and back. Everything went as planned and I left my apartment about 10:30... plenty of time to make it in time for the service... or so I thought. I really wasn't in a big hurry, but was pretty much just enjoying the day. Now, last night I looked at a map and memorized the name of the street I needed to look for so I was pretty confident about where I was going. After walking and walking and walking some more and not finding the correct street... I began to get a little frustrated. Thinking "why didn't I bring a map", "where am I", "Surely it must be the next street"... on and on my thoughts went. Until finally, I decided that it would be best to turn around and go back home before I really didn't know where I was anymore.

An hour after setting out on my "little" stroll I arrived back home. I turned on my handy dandy little lap top and went on line to listen to a couple of sermons. I'm so thankful for that resource and the encouragement it was! I ended up listening to a sermon on allowing God to work even when things don't go the way we think they should. Hmmm... how appropriate for my day!

Another first...

Again today I did my best to sleep in, however... the alarm clock in my head went off promptly at 6:30. Ugh... so, I just laid in bed for a couple more hours. After I finally roused myself and got some breakfast, I read my Bible for a while.

This morning a couple of us ventured on over to the local street market for the first time since I've been back down here. The market was super big this morning and stretched for a mile or more. I love the fresh fruit and veggies! This market is located in the same place each Saturday and it may just have to be a weekly ritual! :)

Beginning Monday morning there will be another boy joining our Pre-K classes. I am excited about the possibilities that this could bring. It will be nice to have an extra child in the classroom.

Preschool Improvements!

Another Monday has come and almost gone... the difference in this one though is that Preschool went really well today! Only once did I have to send one of the boys to the "time out" chair, and it wasn't the boy that I usually have struggles with. As time goes on I am excited to see little improvements with both of the boys! Thank you for your prayers!

A no class Friday!

It's a rather lazy Friday morning here in Santiago... there is no school here today due to a national holiday, so I'm enjoying the time of just relaxing. I had great aspirations of sleeping in until at least 8:30 today, but my little old brain woke me up promptly at 6 am this morning! Ugh! I did my best to go back to sleep, but pretty much just laid there for about 2 more hours before deciding to get up. It was relaxing to be able to just lay there!

We've hit the rainy season here in Chile... or at least in Santiago. I don't know if it typically rains this much, but it rained all night and it is continuing to rain right now. It's kind of cool... because of the tin roof, I can hear the rain fluxuate in its intensity.

Yesterday (Thursday) I gave my first Quiz to the Junior High students. I found I was almost as nervous as they probably were. I really want to make sure they understand and then get good grades. You could pray for one of the girls specifically... her name is Kimberly. She doesn't understand a whole lot of English, but she is here at the school. Because of this, I know she doesn't catch on to a lot of things that we discuss in class. Thankfully, her Mom is able to help her with her homework, and she's very thorough in that. However, when it comes to remembering things in English or even reading questions on a quiz and answering them... I'm not sure she understands. I so badly want to be able to help her...

Overdue Update

Bright and early Thursday morning, the Junior and Senior High Students trooped on out to Camp Pirque for a retreat to kick off the school year. Thankfully we had someone take all of our luggage out the camp. So there were approximately 20 of us who took the Metro and Bus out to the camp. The program for the retreat was put together by a youth group from Pennsylvania who had come down to work at the camp. All in all the weekend went very well. It was a good opportunity to get to know the kids from the school a little better.

Again I spent Saturday evening with the Kunnari's and then went to church with them Sunday morning. This last Sunday the Pastor put the outline for his message up on a powerpoint which allowed for me to be able to follow along a little bit better. Slowly but surely and I learning some new Spanish words and a little bit of the grammar.

Last night I was able to go sit in on the Kunnari's language study session. I'm thankful to be able to do that when I can. The man who is tutoring them has graciously allowed me to be involved. I am looking forward to the day when I might be able to rattle things off in Spanish! One of the guards here at the camp has taken quite a bit of time to patiently work through some things with me as well. He doesn't speak much either, but we slowly get across what we need to know. Each day is a new learning day for me and I'm excited when I'm able to use the things I know.

Today was another day for Preschool and things went much more smooth today. I was also able to meet with the Mom's of my two Preschool boys. Both of them were very encouraging and pleasant to talk with. Slowly we are making progress in the classroom. I'm beginning to see that although teaching takes quite a bit of time and effort, it is also very rewarding! Thanks again for your prayers! Please keep praying specifically for wisdom and patience in the Preschool classroom.

Another day of Preschool ends...

Things were a little easier in the Preschool room today, but I would still like to see improvement. On Monday, we went through a story book that which contained the alphabet and both boys were able to recognize many of the letters. So, I decided that today we would start with the letter "A" but try to also introduce the lower case "a". It was a challenge to get the boys to sit still long enough to write out the letters on their papers. I know they knew what was going on, but they just want to tell me in there own way that they think they should be in charge. Each day comes with its new challenges, but I am continually seeking God's grace to have patience and wisdom in the days to come. Thank you again for your prayers!

A new discovery!

I absolutely love Junior High! I was super nervous this morning before classes began! There I was, before anyone else arrived at the school, preparing for classes to begin. My first Science class doesn't start until 2nd period, so I had a little time to finish getting things ready. I had been praying off and on all morning about the class and was really uncertain of what to expect... then... the bell rang... gulp! I think my heart dropped into my stomach and then did a somersault on the way back up. Then the girls starting coming and the rest of the time flew by. Basically we spent the first period getting to know each other and used the other 3 periods we had together to get into Science and History. I have 2 periods in a row of Science and 2 in a row of History. But things went really well! I even over prepared material and had a lot ready to go.

Now, I need to prepare for the Pre-K class for tomorrow. I believe this class is going to be a little more of a challenge. There are only two boys in this class and they are super cute, but they are equally as... ummmm... energeting :p Actually, a lot of the problem is that they don't speak much English. So obviously there is a little bit of a communication barrier here. They do understand some, but I just think they don't want me to know how much they do understand. Please pray that I will have patience and wisdom in being able to connect with these boys. Their names are Danny and Matias. Oh, and if any of you have words of wisdom that you would wish to impart in this area... my ears are wide open!

Starting Thursday, the Junior High and High School students will be going out to Camp Pirque for a retreat and I get to go along with them. I am excited to be able to spend this extra time and get to know the kids a little better.

One week in Chile & One day of classes

Today marks the passing of one week since my arrival in Chile. So far things have gone really well. The first couple of days I spent some time with the Kunnari's and other teachers from the school here. Everyone has been so hospitable in making sure that I'm not alone alot.
On Thursday & Friday mornings we had teachers meetings. It was good to meet everyone and discuss different things. So many things are fluttering through my brain, that I'm not sure I will be able to remember it all.
The Kunnari's offered for me to spend Saturday night at their house and then go to church them Sunday morning. They are going to a church that is just getting started back up again, so it isn't very large. I enjoyed being there and hearing the Spanish, but boy did I have a headache after it was overwith. I've never had such brain exercise as when I sit in a sermon that's all Spanish. I get a little discouraged and wonder "Will I ever learn this?"
Last night Leah and I spent a great deal of time prepping the Pre-K room for the first day of classes. I am soooooo glad she was available to help! Our theme for this semester is the Sea. If you check out the next few pictures you will be able to take a little bit of a virtual tour...
This is the entrance to the Elementry building... and the picture on the left is the door to the Pre-K class room. The poster says "Preschool! It's a Sea of Learning!"




This picture just shows that the school is set inside a gate. You can see the little guard shack here too. The guards trade out, but there is a guard on the grounds 24/7!The next couple of pictures are of the apartment I am staying in right now. It is very spacious and has a fully equipped kitchen!


That's all for now! Hasta Luego!

Getting Ready!

Leah Kunnari and I just spent the last couple of hours cleaning and organizing the classroom where I will have the pre-k kids. There will only be 3 in the class this year, but I'm looking forward to it more and more as preparations are being made. Thankfully there are so many resources and things that have been left behind by other teachers. At times I think of what really lies ahead and I'm a little overwhelmed, but I know that God has put me here now and he will enable me to do it in His strength.
The Kunnari's have a language teacher that comes to there home on Tuesday and Thursday evenings to help with their Spanish. So this evening I got to sit in on their lesson. It was helpful, and they invited me to come any time that I am able. I'm really looking forward to learning more.
We will begin Teacher meetings on Thursday. So until then I will be working some more on the classrooms and lesson preparation. Everyone here has been so helpful! Please pray that I will be able to accomplish the things I need to before School begins.
Thanks again for your prayers!

The first day...

After about 22 hrs of travel time, my feet are now firmly planted on the ground in Santiago. Because my flight out of Denver was delayed, I found myself a little pressed for time when I hit LA even though I had 2 hrs. I had never flown out of the LA airport before and was kind of confused, but after asking around I located the place I needed to be. When I reached the counter to check in for my flight, I discovered that the airline I was using to get from LA to Santiago only lets you have one carryon... so I ended up having to check my other. Ugh! Anyway, I dumped off that bag and continued on to the enormously long line for security. Once cleared, I booked it the remainder of the way to the shuttle bus that took me to the correct loading place for my flight. Wow... it was quite the run around. Thankfully I was able to get a hold of my Dad while on the bus and he in turn was able to call the school here in Santiago to make sure that someone was going to be at the airport to pick me up when I arrived. I´m sooooo glad he did... I could have been standing there for a while.
I don´t yet have any pics, but I am staying in an apartment building on the school campus. As of right now I am the only one staying there. Each of the apartments is equipped with beds and linens and other things that have been left by previous teachers. Thankfully there is gas stove in each of the rooms as well. The drastic change from the hot summer at home to the cold here is a shock to my system!
I have been able to meet some of the teachers and staff here at the school already. Each one has been great. One of them Miss Muriell drove me to the local Lider (grocery store) where I was able to pick up some food and stuff.
Well, I could ramble on for a long time, but I´ll quit for now...

In Transit...

Well... here I sit in the Denver airport waiting for my next flight to Los Angeles. My flight from Sheridan arrived at 7:30 ish this morning and the next one doesn't leave until 12:30 now. As soon as I made sure I was in the correct concourse I located a place to get some go juice! I'm not sure if it's helping or not... but I'm awake right now. I've spent the last couple of hours on the internet and calling people. For the most part it hasn't been bad. Maybe I'll sleep a little bit ont he way to LA.
Monica was able to bring the kids up for a visit this last week and I really appreciated spending a few days with them. The night before they left we set up a tent in our backyard. I don't think any of us really got a whole lot of sleep, but it was a fun adventure.
I spent most of yesterday, packing an weighing bags. I am fully equipped with 2 50 lb. bags and 2 carry-on's. One of them probably weighs close to what one of my big bags does. I stuck my books and things in my carry on since they were heavier. It was quite an adventure of sorting and figuring out what I really needed and what I didn't, but I made it!
I knew leaving was going to be difficult, but I never imagined that it would be this hard. This now is another area that I have to trust the Lord and place in his hands that he will supply the strength for both my family and I. I am overwhelmed by the support and love that has been shown me by so many people.
I will post again once I have arrived in Santiago...

Tickets Purchased

After a loooong morning (and part of the afternoon) I was able to get tickets for my flight to Chile. I will be flying out of Sheridan bright and early on July 27th. I'm really grateful for the various people who helped me get it all together. The whole ticket process was a little frustrating for a while. I'm also really grateful for Pastor Anderson and the church family here in Sheridan. I was able to share the ministry with them this past Sunday evening and they were all very encouraging. Thank you!

On a side note, my little brother Nathan is spending a week at camp, and while he's gone I'm doing his papers for him. The last two days have gone pretty well, but it's definitely been a while since I've done a paper route. The first day (yesterday) I was just getting started and making sure I was on the right street, when one of the neighbors asked me if I was lost. :) Many others along the route commented to me about how much they appreciate Nathan. I can't say as it's been loads of fun, but I have enjoyed doing it.

CHILE BOUND!!!

Whoo Hoo!!! I just got the word this evening... it's official... I'm heading to Chile. The Lord has just worked everything out in so many amazing ways. It's so exciting to watch him work!
As I sit here I'm thinking of all the things that now need to go on my "to do" list. I know the rest of my time at home will quickly come to an end, I am so thankful for being able to spend time with my family.
Thank you for your prayers... I will let post again when I have a date for leaving.

A Day in Sheridan

Over the last couple of days I've been doing some reading in order to help prepare myself for teaching. I'm reading the book called "First Days of School" which was recommended to me by friend who has taught for several years. It has been very enlightening and I'm glad I invested in it.
It's rodeo weekend here in Sheridan and the cowboy types are out in herds. Everything everywhere is busy. The town parade was this morning and down town was crazy. The parade really was nice... as you would expect... there were lots of horses. The main thing that just makes me laugh, is the fact that many people set out their chairs last night after downtown shops closed. Some even chained their chairs to light poles in order to reserve spots. Crazy! Except for the wind it really was a nice day for the parade.

As time goes by...

As I'm sure was the case with many of you, the 4th of July weekend was a busy time! I was able to spend some time with all of my immediate family and enjoyed it immensely! Not only did we celebrate our Nation's Independence, but we also celebrated my niece Elise's 1st birthday and my brother Michael's 18th birthday. Mom, Monica, and I even decorated Mike's car a little bit :)
I am soooo thankful for those who serve our country now and for those who have given their lives for it in the past. The 4th of July truly is something to be celebrated beyond the Hoorah of fireworks.
I spent this past Sunday morning sharing at Harrison Bible Church in Nebraska. Pastor Parker used to be the choir director up at Cornerstone. So it's always good to see him and his family again. I enjoyed being able to share Chile with these folks!
Summer sure is flying by! Along with that... the time to leave for Chile is coming up quickly. I'm so thankful for those who have given of themselves to partner in ministry with me through prayer and giving.
The need for teachers at SCA has grown in the last day or so. In talking with the director of the school yesterday, I found out that 2 teachers have quit. Of course, these leaves quite a gap. In order to be able to be in Chile by the end of this month I'm going to have to purchase plane tickets soon. I have put this off because I don't yet have all the funds needed. So this coming Monday will be the day when I will either purchase tickets to go or call the school and let them know that I won't be able to come this semester. Please be in prayer with me about this situation. Pray that God would supply the rest by Monday and that God would fill the posistions needed at the school in Santiago. I'm so thankful that God is in control! He knows all and will work it out for his glory!

Back home again

I arrived home yesterday afternoon from a short trip. I was able to visit and share with 3 churches as well as visit some family and friends while I was gone. The trip went very well and I'm so thankful for the safety God gives.
Sunday, June 22nd was spent at Calvary Baptist in Hot Springs and at Murdo Community Bible Church in Murdo, SD. It was great to be at both places and I appreciated the opportunity to share with them.
After spending Sunday evening in Murdo, I journeyed on out to eastern Nebraska and visited some family and longtime friends. My Grandma Chapman and I spent quite a bit of time looking through pictures. Oh, we even went to the mall together to find her an outfit with some money my Mom had given her for Mother's Day. This was quite a treat. It's not very often that I get to see her, let alone go shopping with her. :)
I also visited my Grandma and Grandpa Jarvis. We played some good old Rook (rook high of course) :), talked, played some more, & talked some more. Actually, we also went through some books that Grandma was getting rid of... so I acquired some.
Sunday, June 29th was spent at Grace Baptist Church in Mitchell. Our family moved from Mitchell, SD a little over a year ago. So it was good to see these people again. It was also exciting to see that there are some new people attending.
Overall, I really enjoy sharing the ministry in Chile that the Lord has burdened my heart with, and it's even more exciting to share with people who know me and are also burdened for missions.

07 Chile Trip

New Computer!

I'm about ready to jump out of my skin! I am writing this to you from my new laptop! This little thing is a beauty and I can't wait to try everything out! Oh, I can't tell you how excited I am! I plan to put it work right away and get some prayer cards finished as well as a letter and a few other things. I'll probably sleep with it actually :)
On Saturday I went to a wedding of a friend of mine and then drove to Dix, Nebraska. I actually lived in Dix at one time and I love spending time there. It's like being with family! Their faithfulness and love for the Lord is an encouragement to me. I was able to share with them Sunday morning and then share with Bible Baptist in Scottsbluff. Of course the people in Scottsbluff are also very special to me and it was great to see them again.
This coming weekend I will be working my way east and sharing at a couple of churches on the way out and on the way back. On the in-between days I will spending some time with family and friends who I probably won't get to see for a while. Please pray for safety! I think sometimes I take for granted the safety that the Lord gives.
I also have a praise! I am up to about 50% of what I need in order to be able to go to Chile in July. It is so exciting to see how the Lord provides. The other night I got a call from a Pastor friend of mine who told me that his church had already voted on and decided to support me before I had even been to the church. I was totally blown away and sooo grateful!
Thank you for all of your prayers! You are a blessing to me!

It's June Already!!!

Hmm... where to start? I made it back home safe and sound on Memorial Day. I was a little on the tired side, but so glad to be home again. My sister was here for a few days with her kids and thankfully I was able to some good quality time with them.
Over all, choir tour went very well. We had lots of rain while driving back, but the Lord granted us safety. I'm so thankful for everyone who was able to be there.
OK... so I was able to go speak at Liberty Baptist Church in Casper this last Sunday. I really love the people there and was happy to see them again. This was the first Sunday that I have been able to share with a church what the Lord is doing in my life and in Chile. I was a little... ok... a lot nervous. I did learn a little about some things that I might do different next time, but things went pretty well. The people at Liberty were very gracious. Anyway, I am looking forward to going to some more churches and sharing with them. My next project over the next few days/week is to get a prayer card finished and other things like that. Please pray for me as talk with other pastors and arrange to go talk with more churches. Thanks so much for your prayers!

Last days!

Here we are... Des Moines Iowa. Right now we are hanging out in a hotel room. We were not able to schedule a concert for this evening so we have a free night. It's actually very nice and I'm anticipating getting lots of sleep!
This choir tour has been really good for me. The Lord has taught me a couple of things and I'm really thankful for that. Basically it just comes down to examining myself as to whether or not the things that I say/sing reflect the things that are in my heart. Cause... "out of the abudance of the heart, the mouth speaks."
So, tomorrow... we have another long drive to Brokenbow, NE where we will spend the night and sing Sunday morning. Then our final concert will be in Dix on Sunday evening. It's sad to see it all come to an end. We actually left one member of our group in Indiana this morning. Thankfully though, each of us knows that though we may be saying good bye now... we will for sure see each other once again in heaven.
Please pray for the choir... for endurance... patience... love for one another... devotional time... Thanks so much!!!

A Random Day!

The past couple of days we seem to have some extra time on our hands, so "random" has kind of become the theme. We are currently meandering about the state of Michigan. We can now record seeing Lake Superior, Michigan, and Erie. It's been pretty cool. We pretty much spent most of the afternoon running around on the playground equipment at a park. Mainly we played some good old tag... it was great!
I just want to share with you a burden that the Lord has placed on my heart recently. There is a little girl in my church in Sheridan who has a brain tumor. I'm not totally sure of all the details, but she is only 4 and the cancer could be terminal. She is currently in Denver. Please pray for her! You can check out some information on her if you log in to carepages.com., and look for the page entitled "Miss Aubry".
Praise! I have my first meeting for Chile scheduled. I will be sharing with a church in Casper a week from Sunday. I'm pretty excited about it, because it's a group of people that I know and love.

Half way through!

Hello all!
We are officially half way through our tour now. Tonight we sang in a little church in Wilmington, IL. Things have been a little on the up and down lately... simply because we have had people not feeling well off and on. You could specifically pray for Sharon. She hasn't been feeling well since we left and hasn't sung or played bells with us the past couple of concerts. Thankfully Jenna was able to step into the bells position and the Lord was gracious. Many are beginning to grow weary and it's hard to keep things "fresh". We are continually blessed and encouraged by the hospitality of those that we are here to minister to. Thanks so much for your prayers!
OK... so today was some pretty intense driving! I got some pretty good driving time with the trailer van today... Woo HOO! I'm pretty pumped about that. I am even envisioning myself driving... well at least trying to drive... a Semi trailer someday. Not for a living, mind you... just for a fun experience.

First night - in Iowa

So, my day began a little before 5 this morning and by 6:30 we were flying down the road - coffee in hand of course! Actually it took me about 20 minutes to find everything needed to make the coffee, but alas, it all came together.
After many hours on the road and a time change, our first concert of choir tour is completed. There were quite a few people who came to the concert and it was a big encouragement. The acoustics in the room were Great!! I wasn't sure how many times I might actually get to use the internet while we are gone, so I thought I'd post real quick... Looking forward to the rest of tour!

A Little Breather

Now that the craziness of Graduation and the Alumni Dinner are overwith things have begun to be a little quieter around here. I was soooo grateful to be able to sleep in for a couple of mornings!! Yippeee!
The last couple of days have just been spent wrapping up things in the office, packing my stuff, and preparing the literature for choir tour. Beginning tomorrow morning I will be heading out with the CBI Singers for the month of May. I'm really looking forward to it. We will be gone until Memorial Day and visiting churches in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinoise, & Nebraska. (I'm pretty pumped about the Nebraska part :)
As the time grow closer for when I hope to leave for Chile my excitement grows! However, so do my doubts... many questions people ask me have to do with whether or not I'm qualified to teach in a formal school setting or if I'll have the funds to go. Amidst these questions, I just remember that I serve a great God. He is the one who enables and he is the one who provides. I had the opportunity to go visit some classes at the public school here in Hot Springs this morning and found it very enjoyable. Thankfully I have been able to do a little bit of "brain picking" and will continue to do so as the time draws near. Thanks again to those of you who are praying!

End of the Semester

So many things are happening around here right now!

I just spent the weekend in Sheridan with my family and celebrated my brother Michael's graduation. It was really busy, but we had fun just being all together. I'm soooo proud of my little bro! He did a great job putting his speech together and I know he will do well at college next year. I will definitely miss him! He has always been kind of the constant quiet one... I don't know what I'll do when he's not at home.

While at home, I was able to sit down and have a chat with my Pastor. It went really well. From the course of the conversation, I was able to determine what needs to be done right now. I'm still praying that God would provide and that I'll be able to head to Chile in July. Please pray with me that this would all come together.

Gotta run for now... thank you for your prayers!

A little lesson...

Without going into a lot of details, I just wanted to share with you all something that God has been working on my heart. More and more lately I am discovering how much I really lack in my love for other people. It seems that sometimes no matter how hard I try or how much I pray about it... it doesn't change. Sometimes the problem is really my attitude... even though I'm praying I don't really want to change the problem. Does that make sense? Anywho...
I'm soooo excited about the warm weather... I just want to sit outside all day long, or go for a hike, or jump in the lake, or.... pretty much anything. I love it!
So, we have ABC this afternoon... ABC is After-school Bible Club. It takes place every afternoon at the church here and I drive the church van to the school to pick up kids then take them home after ABC. I've really enjoyed being involved this past year. It has been a bit of a stretching experience for me as well... definitely rewarding! I love it when kids recognize you and call you by name!
Ok... so I gotta run!

Change of Plans!

I will get to see my sister and her family this weekend after all! A friend of mine is going to Scottsbluff this weekend to speak in church and she asked me if I wanted to ride along. Of course... I said yes!!! So, after cleaning a little bit this morning, I'm all packed and ready to go.
Hmm... I think I might play a little bit of horsey and candy land and pretty much anything we might be able to fit into a short amount of time. I love spending time with my nieces and nephews!
The weather is soooo weird today! It was nice and the sun was shining this morning and then about 11:30 the wind came up and blew in some snow. Now it just keeps going back and forth between wind/rain and sunshine.
So, last night I did decide to go to that play with some friends. It was pretty fun. A nice alternative to watching movies all night on Friday night. I'm not sure I really want to see Willy Wonka again though. I guess it just depends on who you go with. We really had a pretty fun group though. Well... I'm off for now.

What a headache... literally!

OK... so yes, I am one of thousands of Americans who waited until the last minute to do their taxes. Silly me... I though it was going to be 1040 EZ... who was I kidding? I guess it really wasn't that bad... I did end up having to do a little more run around than usual, but thanks to Mr. Friesen... I was able to get it done... I think :) We'll see if the government comes after me! I did find out that you have to be 25 in order to receive Earned Income Credit... I still think that's pretty dumb! Oh, well...
I'm a little bummed cause Monica and David were going to bring the kids up here this weekend, but alas... the weather was bad last night and they had to turn around and go home. Somehow nothing else is quite as good. Virginia expressed her feelings by saying "Miss needs me" & "I have to see Miss, she's gonna cry". To which I said, "yup, Miss is gonna cry!" sniff, sniff...
So, I guess there is some sort of high school play tonight... I think it might be Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... maybe I'll go with some of the students...

The Thursday Life...

Well... today is Thursday... typically that means I cook supper in the dining hall and then practice bells with the rest of the hand bell choir for 2 hrs in the evening. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Today... it's snowing! Can you imagine (sarcastic)?!?!? I was just checking out the weather forcast and it looks like Monday and Tuesday are going to be gorgeous! I can't wait!!! I'm just praying for summer to come quickly!
The office is ever busy right now... trying to plan things for the Alumni banquet that will take place the first weekend in May. Everything is coming together, but there is a lot to think about. I'm also making updates on publication stuff and will soon be printing publications to take on choir tour.
We did have our choir practice today instead of tomorrow. My bro-in-law David is going to be coming up with the family tonight and speaking in chapel. So we had to do a little switch-a-roo. Anyway... I'm pretty excited that they're coming.

Current life!

Hello there!
I'm not totally sure how this whole blogging thing will work, but I'm going to give it a shot :)
Many of you know that God currently has me at Cornerstone Bible Institute. My responsibilities vary in so many ways. I cook about 4 meals a week in the dining hall and then spend a majority of the rest of the time in the office. I have especially enjoyed getting to mess around with the publishing programs and being able to work with the publications that CBI puts out.
One big responsibility I've had this year was putting together CBI's annual college days. It was a challenge, but there was a lot of help and God Blessed.
Well, I guess that's all for now... Thanks soooo much for your prayers!
Melissa