So if I've learned one thing during this trip, it's that I'm not very good at all about keeping up with a blog! The past three weeks have been quite a whirlwind and I'm not sure I'll be able to remember all the details. I'll tell you as much as I can!
I have been so blessed and overwhelmed by love and encouragement during my time here. The people I am constantly surrounded with have been such a blessing and the love from home is overflowing as well! I've received two packages now since being here as well which is rare occurrence. Ahhhh I'm just left speechless with the love I feel :)
Let me try to think of some of the things I have done in the past several weeks...I'll try to sum up what happened last week.
I started off the week by going over to my friend Kim's house and cooking dinner with her. I stayed at her apartment for quite a while as we just talked about life. It was wonderful to have some one-on-one time with her and hear more about how things in her life have shaped who she is now. That's one of the things I have loved the most about being here. Everyone is very open which helps relationships to form very quickly. I love feeling like I have known the people I have been surrounded by for more than just a few weeks. It was a wonderful night to learn how to cook something different and learn so much more about Kim.
On Tuesday, I went to Pizza Hut with Sarah Mc and Melissa, a secondary teacher at the school. I hadn't talked to Melissa much at all, although I had been over to her apartment a few times, so I was excited to go out and get to know her a little bit more. I had delicious pasta and a fruit smoothie and shared even more about life with these wonderful ladies. A lot of bonding happens over food here, but I'm definitely okay with that :) Before we left, we saw two more families from ISW at Pizza Hut and headed home for the night.
Wednesday was a day that I was able to spend with my cooperating teacher here. She had mentioned earlier in the week that she wanted to treat me to dinner and a massage, and Wednesday after school was that time. We went to a Chinese restaurant run by a family from Singapore for dinner where I tried rice balls with sesame seeds in them for the very first time. I wasn't a big fan of them, but now I won't have to wonder what they are like! After dinner, we walked around the plaza a little ways and found the massage place my cooperating teacher has been to before. We then spent the next hour getting foot massages and talking about the classroom as well as our lives outside of school. It was nice to see Jo Anna in a different environment and get to know her a little bit better as well.
Thursday was a busy day after school with Cup Stacking club and practice for the talent show. Within the first couple weeks I was here, I was invited to be a part of a talent show act that a few of the teachers were putting together. We danced and sang to Joyful Joyful from Sister Act 2. It was so fun to get to know some of the other teachers and be able to see them in such an outgoing and entertaining environment. Practice on the stage went well and we were all excited to get on stage and perform in the talent show.
On Friday, I got to go on a field trip to the firehouse with my kids! We have been reading about firefighters in many different subjects so it seemed fitting to take a field trip :) It was so fun! It was really interesting to see how different is was from fire stations in the states. The students were so fun to watch as they followed the firefighters around and soaked in every little bit of their visit to the fire station.
Friday was the night of the talent show and it was so awesome! Never before did I think I would see so many cute children dancing and singing :) A handful of my second graders participated in a Cup Stacking routine in the talent show which was quite unique too! One first grader even broke out singing a Justin Bieber song, complete with headset and super cool dance moves. When it was the teachers' turn to take the stage, we had so much fun! We were pretty good if I do say so myself. I stayed late to help clean up after the talent show to make for a long 13 hours at school. It was completely worth it!
Over the weekend I was able to go to the fabric market and the tailor downtown to order a jacket for myself. I wasn't sure that it was going to work out because I didn't know if they could make it in less than two weeks, but the tailor assured us that it would get done before I left. I chose a material that I really liked, got my measurements taken, and ordered my jacket that will be finished just two days before I leave. I'm really excited to see how it turns out!
This week at school hasn't been too eventful, but my kids have been more and more of a blessing each day. I've been very busy within the classroom as I have soloed these past several weeks. My kids have taught me a lot both in and out of the classroom. They can definitely be a handful and test my patience at times, but I have grown to love them more with each day I spend with them. With all of their quirks, unique facial expressions, frustrating behaviors, and sly smiles, I feel like they are truly my students. I look forward to going into school every day and giving my best to them as I teach and receiving smiles, kind words, and hugs in return. One of my toughest students came up to me in the cafeteria the other day and simply said, "Miss Lovejoy, hug" as he gave me a hug and walked away like nothing had happened. Another student made me an origami heart and had written "You are the best teacher ever!" inside of it. The little things like this where I can feel that I am truly reaching out to my kids is why it is going to be so hard to leave in just one week. The thought of it makes me tear up because I feel like I have finally gotten to the point where I am really connecting with my students and developing deeper relationships with them. I hope I have been able to show them a glimpse of the Father's love while I've been here through my teaching, disciplining, and celebration.
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