Blogging Problems

I have been reminded multiple times over the past week and a half of what a slacker I've been in the blogging arena, so for the cousins, the aunts, the friends, and the grandmas who have faithfully awaited exciting blog posts, I'm sorry! Blogging from North Africa in the past few months has been difficult due to a lack of internet in my flat, bad internet connections at coffee shops, and a dying laptop. I have written many blog posts and tried to post them but have been prevented for one reason or another. I'm posting this from the States, but I will be taking a new laptop back with me and I will also be getting internet in my apartment upon my return, so look for new blog posts in January 2010!

Things We Leave Behind

So what exactly does one pack when she has 100 lbs of luggage space in which to move her life around the globe? I have no idea. I've never done it before. But in little less than a week, I will do it. So I suppose I'd better get started. Let's see...toothpaste! I hear that cappucino-flavored toothpaste is all the rage in Egypt...I am quite partial to minty freshness, so I think three tubes will hold me for awhile! Kitchen utensils - I love to cook, so I was advised to bring a few hard-to-find items such as: wooden spoons, measuring cups, a vegetable peeler, and a selection of easy-to-use seasonings (taco, Ranch, italian, and Lawry's!). Sunscreen! I'll be in the desert, you know. Journals. To record every detail of my life in the land of Cleopatra and camels. Deodorant. Because it's hot there. And because I hear the selections available to me there are all strangely reminiscent of B.O...eww. Crystal Light. Nice to have for hospitality opportunities. Phase 10. Because I REALLY like games. 72 oz of semisweet morsels. Because....I have no idea. There is no good reason to have 4.5 lbs of chocolate morsels. Except they only come in big bags at Sam's, and they are cheap at Sam's, and perhaps I could bless my teammates with chocolate chip cookies. Lots and lots of chocolate chip cookies. CHACOS! Because they are my favorite shoes ever! And you can wear them anywhere, for any reason. Of course I'll take over some important things like clothes. They are rather necessary. You don't need pictures of that. But my most treasured possessions? Books. I love them. Below are a few favorite titles which will make into my suitcase whether or not there is enough room for clothing.

As I began the process of deciding what to take and what to leave, I went through all of my possessions and created four piles: pack, store, throw away, and give away. It is astonishing to realize just how much 'stuff' I have accumulated over the years. Even more astonishing than the amount of stuff is the amount of unnecessary stuff. I've been studying the Sermon on the Mount recently. Jesus made some pretty radical statements. Such as "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth...but store up treasures in Heaven...for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." In light of the boxes and crates of stuff that I've thrown and given away, this thought is convicting. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. I don't want my heart set on the things of this world. Jesus is my treasure, and that's where I want my heart to be. So that measly 100 lb weight limit? That's ok. Because my "things" aren't my treasures. My treasure is Jesus, and He has promised to be with me wherever I go.

We show a love for the world in our lives
by worshiping goods we posses
Jesus says lay all your treasures aside
"Love God above all the rest"

'Cause when we say 'no'
to the things of the world
We open our hearts
to the love of the Lord and
It's hard to imagine the freedom we find
From the things we leave behind
~Michael Card~

Transitions

As I spent a few minutes catching up on the exciting happenings of the lives of my family and friends via their blogs, it occurred to me that I had not posted anything on this blog for quite a while. I'm a terrible blogger. I don't think I will ever be particularly consistant with that...of course, when am I ever particularly consistant with anything? But that's another story...anyway, I was pondering this lack of blogging, and I came to realize why I suddenly feel that I have nothing to say (unusual for me...). I am not teaching anymore. For the past three years, my whole life has been wrapped up in my job/ministry. I spent the days teaching students, controlling behaviours, nurturing relationships, attending faculty meetings, and pacifying parents. I spent the evenings at ballgames, Bible Studies with my students, grading papers and tests, and preparing A-V aids. I spent my weekends planning lessons, catching up on parent communications, attending tournaments, or hanging out with "my kids." Of course, I have friends and family and enjoyed spending time with them outside of school, but CBS consumed the majority of my time and in a very real way, CBS was my ministry, my job, my family, my life. It's who I was. Even though I am technically no longer working there, I still find myself saying "I'm a teacher" when people ask me what I do. I still think of the rising Seniors of 2010 as "my kids" - I spent every morning of the school year with them. I still think the first room on the left of the High School building is my classroom - my desk is still sitting there, along with my chair. I have not brought them home yet - I think that feels too final. The mural that my kids painted is still on the wall in my classroom, and I shudder to imagine a new teacher covering it up because it does not fit her classroom decor. I love CBS, and even though I will not be on the payroll next year, I will still think of it as my school. And I think that, on the first day of the 2009-2010 school year, I will show up to eat lunch with my students, argue with the admin about the coffee in the teacher's lounge, and poke my head into the 12th grade homeroom to congratulate my 11th graders on making it to the home stretch. And when I'm settled in to my new life across the ocean, I'll still cheer on the CBS Conquerors, argue with the admin about coffee via email, and watch the video of my 11th graders graduating. I'll miss CBS, but I know that once the transition is made, I'll have plenty of new things to blog about pertaining to life in Cairo.

Packing Up

“There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life."

Today was my last day of teaching. Next week is Exam Week, my last week with my kids. I packed up my classroom this week. The walls are bare, the cabinets are clean, and all paperwork has been cleared out. The shelves of art supplies which provided hours of creative fun have been boxed up and moved home. I spent hours during the year planning useful and fun bulletin boards which have been taken apart and packaged away for the next spanish teacher. Yesterday, I stood at the whiteboard at the front of my room, and for the last time, taught my classes using my favorite Expo markers. Today was my last field day (we won!). As I plan to move to Egypt in September, I have been acutely aware of all of the "lasts" over the past few months. As I stood in my rather bare classroom today, I felt a little like crying. I am going to miss teaching. I will miss planning new lessons and stimulating a love of learning in my kids. I will miss the art projects, Spirit week, homecoming, and cheering on the Conquerors. But mostly, I will miss my kids. I hate seeing my room so bare, but it is the knowledge that these are the last few days with my kids that is so hard. I love these kids. They encourage me, they challenge me, they teach me. I love their sweet spirits, their uniqueness, their individuality, their potential. I love them. I have poured the last three years of my life into teaching, into this job, into these kids. It hurts to leave them. And yet, even as I already miss them, I am excited about the next step. As I close this chapter, it is with confidence that I move to the next. The One who is directing my steps also directs the steps of my kids, and there is such comfort in knowing that He loves them far more than I ever could. It's hard to leave CBS and my kids, but I'm ready. On to Egypt.

Picnic Perfection

What do you need for a perfect picnic?

A beautiful, sunshiny April Saturday at the Bicentennial Gardens.
Lots of pretty flowers.

Picnic food: Cheez-its - the best snack food in the world, hands down. 5 water bottles. Apples, grapes, and strawberries. Egg Salad and Ritz. String cheese - whoever invented that stuff knew about busy moms (and kids who like to play with their food). Sugar wafers for dessert. And the obligatory bottle of germ-X. Definitely can't forget that.

Apples: Some people are very serious about eating apples.

Fun kids. Aren't they sweet? Usually.

A Little Bit of Brilliance

I love teaching. And I really love my kids. I love when they say ridiculous things that make me laugh. I love when they open my eyes to new points of view by sharing their perceptions of the world around them. I love when they let me be a part of their world. I love when they challenge my mind with their questions, and even when they challenge my self-control with their antics. I love the random teachable moments when they let their guard down and ask for help. They really are amazing. And I love it when they shock me with their brilliance, like they did last Thursday. Last week, an Academy of the Arts team from Taylors, SC came to our school to produce a drama called No Place To Flee. After having spent a couple of weeks memorizing their lines, my students spent four days with a professional drama team, putting together an incredible production. They learned how to act, how to do stage make-up, how to fix hair and costumes, how to set up lighting and sound, and how to pull together to create a fantastic piece of art. The following is an excerpt about the productionfrom the local newspaper:

‘No Place to Flee’
The play chronicles the struggles of living the Christian life in Communist Russia while addressing the challenges of being a Christian in modern-day America.
“It focuses on the persecution of Christians in Communist Russia in the 1920’s,” said Howie Schlichting, team director for the Academy of Arts, the traveling Christian drama ministry assisting [school name] with the play. He said “No Place to Flee,” written by the Academy of Arts’ founder Nicky Chavers, is a collection of true stories of Christians living behind the “Iron Curtain” under Vladimir Lenin’s Communist regime.
“Lenin promised them religious freedom and then when he got in there, he took it away. He took away the freedom of people in general,” Schlichting said. “They had a socialistic mindset with a greedy, power-hungry government.”
Schlichting said he sees parallels between the Russian Communist government and the American government’s current “share-the-wealth” mentality. He said Christians are becoming a minority group and hopes the play will teach the students to stand firm in their faith, as the Christians in Communist Russia did.
“We’re trying to use these examples to show that we, too, can stand for what we believe today, no matter what it costs,” said Schlichting.

The production was brilliant. My students were incredible. I was floored to see my middle and high school students put aside their differences, their dislike for drama, etc, and effectively and touchingly portray the persecution of Christians in the Soviet Union. It was a truly moving production. My kids are brilliant. They amaze me. I love having the privilege of knowing them.