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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)