Time needs to slow down right now!
Here we are, the middle of May, and in approximately 3 weeks, I will be on a plane headed back to the U.S. for good! I can't even believe it! I have once again neglected to write a blog for way too long, so I will try to cram all the important things into this post to get you up to speed.
Teaching is still going well. If there were any doubts about whether or not I want to do this in the future, there aren't any now. I sincerely enjoy my job here at Carachi, and it makes me very sad to think that my time here is basically over. The work load is steadily increasing as we make the push to the finish line, and we only have 6 days of classes left. Then we have a few days of exams, then some exciting events like graduation. As I try not to get bogged down by all the stress that comes with the end of the year, I am attempting to remain in the present and to finish out my time teaching here in a good way.
As much as I try to deny it, the goodbyes have started as well. Just last night, Rachel flew back to the U.S., to be with her family as her sister graduates. It wasn't that big of a deal for me, because I will just see her after I get back to Boston anyways, but it is hard to believe that we have reached the point where goodbyes will be happening. What the heck happened to the other 9 months? I have made such amazing friends this year that I essentially have a 2nd family now. It is SO hard to think about leaving them, and to not be able to joke with them, belt out ridiculous songs, talk about the serious stuff, and crash on their couches. I know that we will keep in touch, but it is still going to be hard to say goodbye. At least I now have friends all over the U.S. (and Canada and Australia) that I can visit! Road trip anyone?
Anyways, there are a lot of mixed emotions going on. This year has been one of the best of my life, and I will always look back on it with fond memories. However, I am starting to feel like I am ready to come home, and I know that God has great plans for me back home the next few years.
So for now I will sign off. I will try and update a couple more times between now and when I get back to the U.S. Thanks for keeping in touch and reading my blog!
-Sarah
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Single Digits!!!
Hi Everyone!
It has been a little over a month since I last updated, and I have a bit of free time, so I figured I would post a little update! Things have been crazy for a few weeks, and this crazy pace should continue up until the end of the school year. While the stress level has risen a bit, I am still enjoying my time here, and I cannot believe that this year is coming to a close. I am leaving 8 weeks from this Friday! I just cannot believe it, and I start to get really sad when I think about leaving. The friends I have made here are friends that I will continue to keep in touch with, and it makes me sad to think that I will not see them everyday. But I know that it is time to start another chapter in my life in a couple months, so that is an exciting prospect to think about.
We started the 4th quarter a couple of weeks ago, so the stress that comes with ending a quarter has come and gone. We had to calculate grades, put them into the system, and have parent-teacher interviews. All of this came during a week when the high school was off for 2 days for a sports tournament, while the elementary school still had classes. It was a stressful time, but the sports tournament was a great opportunity for our students to share their faith and their prowess in sports with a larger audience. Our basketball girls came in 2nd, so that was an exciting moment for Rachel and I!
A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to share in High School chapel, and although I was nervous, it turned out to be a great experience. I basically shared my testimony with them, and I really appreciated the chance to be serious and to share a serious part of my life that not a lot of people know about. I have fun and joke around with my students, so I think it was good for them to hear that aspect of my life. I was very nervous beforehand, but when I stood up to speak, the peace of God overtook me and I just started speaking. I could not believe how calm I was, and I spoke clearly and passionately about my experiences. It was definitely God's presence helping me through! What an amazing experience!
Well, I should sign off and get ready for the rest of the day. Thank you to all who continue to support me through your prayers or financially! It is really nice to know that I have such an awesome support system back home. It won't be long before I am back and can share my experiences face-to-face!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah
It has been a little over a month since I last updated, and I have a bit of free time, so I figured I would post a little update! Things have been crazy for a few weeks, and this crazy pace should continue up until the end of the school year. While the stress level has risen a bit, I am still enjoying my time here, and I cannot believe that this year is coming to a close. I am leaving 8 weeks from this Friday! I just cannot believe it, and I start to get really sad when I think about leaving. The friends I have made here are friends that I will continue to keep in touch with, and it makes me sad to think that I will not see them everyday. But I know that it is time to start another chapter in my life in a couple months, so that is an exciting prospect to think about.
We started the 4th quarter a couple of weeks ago, so the stress that comes with ending a quarter has come and gone. We had to calculate grades, put them into the system, and have parent-teacher interviews. All of this came during a week when the high school was off for 2 days for a sports tournament, while the elementary school still had classes. It was a stressful time, but the sports tournament was a great opportunity for our students to share their faith and their prowess in sports with a larger audience. Our basketball girls came in 2nd, so that was an exciting moment for Rachel and I!
A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to share in High School chapel, and although I was nervous, it turned out to be a great experience. I basically shared my testimony with them, and I really appreciated the chance to be serious and to share a serious part of my life that not a lot of people know about. I have fun and joke around with my students, so I think it was good for them to hear that aspect of my life. I was very nervous beforehand, but when I stood up to speak, the peace of God overtook me and I just started speaking. I could not believe how calm I was, and I spoke clearly and passionately about my experiences. It was definitely God's presence helping me through! What an amazing experience!
Well, I should sign off and get ready for the rest of the day. Thank you to all who continue to support me through your prayers or financially! It is really nice to know that I have such an awesome support system back home. It won't be long before I am back and can share my experiences face-to-face!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Stressful Times in Bolivia
Hi Everyone,
Wow. It is March 1st! In approximately 3 months I will be making my way back to the US for good. I can't believe that time is going by so fast. I have started to deny the fact that I am actually going to leave this place and these amazing people so soon. It makes me sad to think that I will not see my friends and co-workers on a daily basis!
February passed ridiculously quick, but the last couple weeks have brought some unrest, in my personal life as well as nationwide in Bolivia. For a couple weeks I have come down with 2 separate sicknesses! I had a very nasty cold for the first week, and now I am suffering from stomach upset, which is very frustrating. I have tried a few remedies and medicines, but not much is seeming to help! In addition, I am under a lot of stress teaching right now, so I feel like I am falling apart. I just keep trying to remind myself that God is in control of EVERY aspect of my life, and that He will provide according to each day's needs.
In addition to the stress of daily life, the past couple weeks have brought unrest to Bolivia as a country. There have been heavy rains, which have caused a lot of devastation, floods, mudslides, and destruction. A large number of people have been severely affected by this, and unfortunately this problem is not one that will quickly end! There has also been a lot of strikes and protests lately, for a number of reasons. We have had to cancel 8 days of school in the past 2 weeks because it has been unsafe to go to school. Don't worry, I am safe, and I have never felt unsafe! But it has affected a lot of people, and I was more than thankful to return to school as normal on Monday.
On a happier note, Rachel and I are making our way to Florida in just a few days, for a week of vacation with my family. The time off is much-needed, and we are looking forward to some days of fun and relaxation!
Well, grading papers and doing laundry beckons, but thanks for reading and keeping in touch!
-Sarah
Wow. It is March 1st! In approximately 3 months I will be making my way back to the US for good. I can't believe that time is going by so fast. I have started to deny the fact that I am actually going to leave this place and these amazing people so soon. It makes me sad to think that I will not see my friends and co-workers on a daily basis!
February passed ridiculously quick, but the last couple weeks have brought some unrest, in my personal life as well as nationwide in Bolivia. For a couple weeks I have come down with 2 separate sicknesses! I had a very nasty cold for the first week, and now I am suffering from stomach upset, which is very frustrating. I have tried a few remedies and medicines, but not much is seeming to help! In addition, I am under a lot of stress teaching right now, so I feel like I am falling apart. I just keep trying to remind myself that God is in control of EVERY aspect of my life, and that He will provide according to each day's needs.
In addition to the stress of daily life, the past couple weeks have brought unrest to Bolivia as a country. There have been heavy rains, which have caused a lot of devastation, floods, mudslides, and destruction. A large number of people have been severely affected by this, and unfortunately this problem is not one that will quickly end! There has also been a lot of strikes and protests lately, for a number of reasons. We have had to cancel 8 days of school in the past 2 weeks because it has been unsafe to go to school. Don't worry, I am safe, and I have never felt unsafe! But it has affected a lot of people, and I was more than thankful to return to school as normal on Monday.
On a happier note, Rachel and I are making our way to Florida in just a few days, for a week of vacation with my family. The time off is much-needed, and we are looking forward to some days of fun and relaxation!
Well, grading papers and doing laundry beckons, but thanks for reading and keeping in touch!
-Sarah
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
It has been way too long!!!!
Well I think the title says it all! It has been a couple months since I last updated this blog. A lot has happened since then, so this blog post might get a little long...
Anyways, I last wrote before Christmas. Rachel and I got to spend some time with the other teachers the week leading up to Christmas. We had a brunch, went to the SIM Cabin for a couple days, and had a nice Christmas dinner a few days before Christmas. They were headed to Buenos Aires for Christmas itself, so we had fun celebrating Christmas with them a few days early. On Christmas, Rach and I spent the day with another teacher and his family. We had a great time and even though it was hard to be away from my family for the holiday, we made the most of it.
A few days after Christmas, we traveled to Sucre for six days. Sucre is located in the mountains and is south and east of Cochabamba. We spent our days exploring the city which has a beautiful colonial European feel to it. We visited museums, a dinosaur park with footprints from the Cretacious Period, and ate at some delicious restaurants. Overall, it was a good time, and although we were worried about traveling with our limited spanish, we did pretty well.
After the 3 week vacation, we started back teaching. In addition to my science and math classes, I took on teaching high school music. I have enjoyed teaching the different material, and I really like that I get to know some more of the high schoolers. Rachel and I also are the assistant coaches for the girls basketball team. We are really having fun with that as well. I can't believe that we have been back in school for about a month. We have about 3 weeks until our Spring Break, so it will be nice to have some more time off in a bit. But for now, I am continuing to enjoy all that I am doing here, and most definitely keeping busy in the process!
Well thanks so much for reading my blog and keeping up with my crazy life. I promise to try and update this more often from here on out. Especially because so much is happening these days!!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah
Anyways, I last wrote before Christmas. Rachel and I got to spend some time with the other teachers the week leading up to Christmas. We had a brunch, went to the SIM Cabin for a couple days, and had a nice Christmas dinner a few days before Christmas. They were headed to Buenos Aires for Christmas itself, so we had fun celebrating Christmas with them a few days early. On Christmas, Rach and I spent the day with another teacher and his family. We had a great time and even though it was hard to be away from my family for the holiday, we made the most of it.
A few days after Christmas, we traveled to Sucre for six days. Sucre is located in the mountains and is south and east of Cochabamba. We spent our days exploring the city which has a beautiful colonial European feel to it. We visited museums, a dinosaur park with footprints from the Cretacious Period, and ate at some delicious restaurants. Overall, it was a good time, and although we were worried about traveling with our limited spanish, we did pretty well.
After the 3 week vacation, we started back teaching. In addition to my science and math classes, I took on teaching high school music. I have enjoyed teaching the different material, and I really like that I get to know some more of the high schoolers. Rachel and I also are the assistant coaches for the girls basketball team. We are really having fun with that as well. I can't believe that we have been back in school for about a month. We have about 3 weeks until our Spring Break, so it will be nice to have some more time off in a bit. But for now, I am continuing to enjoy all that I am doing here, and most definitely keeping busy in the process!
Well thanks so much for reading my blog and keeping up with my crazy life. I promise to try and update this more often from here on out. Especially because so much is happening these days!!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Done!
Happy Holidays!
Yesterday marked the final day of school for the first semester. I can't believe that I am halfway done with my time here in Bolivia. It seems like we just got here, and here we are at the Christmas holidays! The past few weeks have been fairly busy, but there have been many opportunities to get into the Christmas spirit. This morning I went Christmas shopping in the large market here in Cochabamba. I had to pick up a gift for our "Secret Santa" event that will be taking place next week, and a few things for my friends. I picked up a couple of super cute Bolivia soccer jerseys for some kids that we know, some DVD's (which are ridiculously cheap, although pirated) and my Secret Santa gift, for all around 30 dollars. We went with a couple of our friends who are in on the Secret Santa as well, so there was some (not so) stealthy shopping for a little bit.
I am looking forward to having some time off. We have about 3 weeks off for Christmas break, and I really need it. On Monday and Tuesday next week, a bunch of us single ladies are heading out for a couple days at the SIM cabin, which is on a lake outside of Coch. You can bet there will be a lot of laying out in the sun and listening to country music, and just some overall relaxation. On Thursday we will be celebrating Christmas with the same group, because they are all leaving to travel on Christmas Eve. It still seems weird to be celebrating Christmas when it is like 85 degrees out, but slowly and surely I am getting into the Christmas spirit.
This past week at school we had our Christmas program, which featured some caroling by the high school students, and a pageant performed by the elementary kids. There were some really cute moments, and the message of the play was well received. It was fun to see my students up on the stage singing their hearts out. Yesterday we also had a Christmas lunch as a staff. The cafeteria was all decorated, complete with a Christmas tree, and we had a delicious meal all together. It was fun to be together will all of the teachers and workers, and to celebrate this joyous season together.
Tonight we have a SIM Christmas party, and then we are going to get together and watch Elf. I am excited to be celebrating the holidays in a different country with some new friends, but I still miss everyone back home. Happy Holidays to all of you, and have a fabulous and Merry Christmas!
-Sarah
Yesterday marked the final day of school for the first semester. I can't believe that I am halfway done with my time here in Bolivia. It seems like we just got here, and here we are at the Christmas holidays! The past few weeks have been fairly busy, but there have been many opportunities to get into the Christmas spirit. This morning I went Christmas shopping in the large market here in Cochabamba. I had to pick up a gift for our "Secret Santa" event that will be taking place next week, and a few things for my friends. I picked up a couple of super cute Bolivia soccer jerseys for some kids that we know, some DVD's (which are ridiculously cheap, although pirated) and my Secret Santa gift, for all around 30 dollars. We went with a couple of our friends who are in on the Secret Santa as well, so there was some (not so) stealthy shopping for a little bit.
I am looking forward to having some time off. We have about 3 weeks off for Christmas break, and I really need it. On Monday and Tuesday next week, a bunch of us single ladies are heading out for a couple days at the SIM cabin, which is on a lake outside of Coch. You can bet there will be a lot of laying out in the sun and listening to country music, and just some overall relaxation. On Thursday we will be celebrating Christmas with the same group, because they are all leaving to travel on Christmas Eve. It still seems weird to be celebrating Christmas when it is like 85 degrees out, but slowly and surely I am getting into the Christmas spirit.
This past week at school we had our Christmas program, which featured some caroling by the high school students, and a pageant performed by the elementary kids. There were some really cute moments, and the message of the play was well received. It was fun to see my students up on the stage singing their hearts out. Yesterday we also had a Christmas lunch as a staff. The cafeteria was all decorated, complete with a Christmas tree, and we had a delicious meal all together. It was fun to be together will all of the teachers and workers, and to celebrate this joyous season together.
Tonight we have a SIM Christmas party, and then we are going to get together and watch Elf. I am excited to be celebrating the holidays in a different country with some new friends, but I still miss everyone back home. Happy Holidays to all of you, and have a fabulous and Merry Christmas!
-Sarah
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Final Countdown...
Hey Everyone!
Happy Holidays to you all. Thanksgiving has come and gone and now Christmas is on the horizon. This is the first year that I have been away from my family for the holidays, and to make it even stranger, it has been about 85 degrees the past few weeks. The warm weather definitely makes it weird to listen to songs like "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" or "Let it Snow", but we still listen to them anyways! It will definitely be strange to be away from my family for Christmas, but I just keep telling myself that it will make next year that much sweeter.
We got to celebrate Thanksgiving in a big way a couple of weeks ago. A family from our school always invites all the teachers over, so there were about 40 of us all together. After school we came home to Skype with my family, then headed over for Thanksgiving dinner. There was SO much food, and there was even TURKEY, which was exciting because that is rare in Bolivia. I ate way more than I should of, and was stuffed and ready for bed by the end of the evening. It was a really neat experience to share such a traditionally American holiday with people from different countries, while in a different country. Definitely a Thanksgiving to remember...
School is winding down for the semester. This week is the last full week of classes. Next week all I have to do is give semester exams and enter my grades into the system. I can't believe that the semester is essentially over. I am basically spending the majority of the week reviewing for the exams, so there really is not that much work to do over this week. Next Friday marks the end of semester, and then we have 3 weeks off for break, which of course will be a welcome break! Rachel's mom is coming to visit at the end of our break, and we are also planning on heading to La Paz and Copacabana to see Lake Titicaca for a week. It will be nice to have an extended time off, to recuperate and to do a little traveling!
Well I hope all is well with all of you. I love to hear from all of you and to keep in touch! Thanks for reading!
-Sarah
Happy Holidays to you all. Thanksgiving has come and gone and now Christmas is on the horizon. This is the first year that I have been away from my family for the holidays, and to make it even stranger, it has been about 85 degrees the past few weeks. The warm weather definitely makes it weird to listen to songs like "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" or "Let it Snow", but we still listen to them anyways! It will definitely be strange to be away from my family for Christmas, but I just keep telling myself that it will make next year that much sweeter.
We got to celebrate Thanksgiving in a big way a couple of weeks ago. A family from our school always invites all the teachers over, so there were about 40 of us all together. After school we came home to Skype with my family, then headed over for Thanksgiving dinner. There was SO much food, and there was even TURKEY, which was exciting because that is rare in Bolivia. I ate way more than I should of, and was stuffed and ready for bed by the end of the evening. It was a really neat experience to share such a traditionally American holiday with people from different countries, while in a different country. Definitely a Thanksgiving to remember...
School is winding down for the semester. This week is the last full week of classes. Next week all I have to do is give semester exams and enter my grades into the system. I can't believe that the semester is essentially over. I am basically spending the majority of the week reviewing for the exams, so there really is not that much work to do over this week. Next Friday marks the end of semester, and then we have 3 weeks off for break, which of course will be a welcome break! Rachel's mom is coming to visit at the end of our break, and we are also planning on heading to La Paz and Copacabana to see Lake Titicaca for a week. It will be nice to have an extended time off, to recuperate and to do a little traveling!
Well I hope all is well with all of you. I love to hear from all of you and to keep in touch! Thanks for reading!
-Sarah
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Vacation and more!
Hi Everyone,
It is the middle of November, and there are only 4.5 weeks of school left! Crazy, I know...
The pace and stress of school is picking up, and there are tests to be graded, spanish lessons to study for, and lots of other things to stress us out. We recently had vacation, so we are in it for the long haul now, with no breaks until Christmas.
Speaking of vacation...it was wonderful. I think it was great to get out of the school environment and to go see somewhere completely new. Rachel, Rebekah, and I all headed to Santa Cruz, where we visited with some missionaries there. They live about 3 hours out of the city, and for all intents and purposes, it is the jungle. We got to spend a lot of time out and about, seeing all kinds of fun things that the jungle offers. I especially enjoyed riding around in a sweet open-air Jeep from circa 1970!
After spending a few days in San Ramon with the missionaries there, we headed back into Santa Cruz to see the sights there for a couple days. I enjoyed seeing a new city, and the weather in Santa Cruz was amazing. Our hotel also had a pool, so we definitely spent some time soaking up the sun and splashing around!
In order to get back to Cochabamba after our vacation was over, we had to take a 10 hour bus ride. It was interesting to see the sights as we passed through different regions of Bolivia. We were sweltering hot in the jungle, then eventually climbed up thousands of feet to cross through the mountains and back into the Cochabamba valley. I had to close my eyes a few times during the ride, as we were careening around corners in a double decker bus, with no guardrail to stop us from falling hundreds of feet down the mountains! But overall, the trip was an enjoyable experience, and we were grateful for the time off.
I would just like to end this post by asking for prayer for health. There are a large number of teachers sick right now with some pretty nasty infections...parasites, amoebas, and E-Coli, to name a few. I have e-coli, and there seems to be a little outbreak of it amongst the teachers. So in addition to praying for healing and patience, please pray that we can figure out where we are picking all of these nasty things up.
Thanks for reading,
-Sarah
It is the middle of November, and there are only 4.5 weeks of school left! Crazy, I know...
The pace and stress of school is picking up, and there are tests to be graded, spanish lessons to study for, and lots of other things to stress us out. We recently had vacation, so we are in it for the long haul now, with no breaks until Christmas.
Speaking of vacation...it was wonderful. I think it was great to get out of the school environment and to go see somewhere completely new. Rachel, Rebekah, and I all headed to Santa Cruz, where we visited with some missionaries there. They live about 3 hours out of the city, and for all intents and purposes, it is the jungle. We got to spend a lot of time out and about, seeing all kinds of fun things that the jungle offers. I especially enjoyed riding around in a sweet open-air Jeep from circa 1970!
In order to get back to Cochabamba after our vacation was over, we had to take a 10 hour bus ride. It was interesting to see the sights as we passed through different regions of Bolivia. We were sweltering hot in the jungle, then eventually climbed up thousands of feet to cross through the mountains and back into the Cochabamba valley. I had to close my eyes a few times during the ride, as we were careening around corners in a double decker bus, with no guardrail to stop us from falling hundreds of feet down the mountains! But overall, the trip was an enjoyable experience, and we were grateful for the time off.
I would just like to end this post by asking for prayer for health. There are a large number of teachers sick right now with some pretty nasty infections...parasites, amoebas, and E-Coli, to name a few. I have e-coli, and there seems to be a little outbreak of it amongst the teachers. So in addition to praying for healing and patience, please pray that we can figure out where we are picking all of these nasty things up.
Thanks for reading,
-Sarah
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