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| Well let me tell you another story.
My kids have never seen an overhead projector before. This is not because the school doesn't have one. In fact, I discovered a brand-new beautiful overhead in the storage room. So, I asked if I could keep it in my room and now it belongs to 2nd grade.
I turned it on for math class. "Follow on your papers" I said. No one did. Their eyes were wide. "You are make paper big on wall!" one kid said. "It is magic mirror?" another asked. Complete fascination. They looked at the transparency, looked at the light, looked at the wall, laughed, put their fingers in the light, laughed. watched me write their names which turned up on the wall ... now after a few days the magic mirror has become part of our class.
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| so today was insane. how am i supposed to teach (and i am laughing at the great adventure, not whining) when the rain is beating down on a tin roof, the cows next door drown out my students, and the roosters crow ALL DAY LONG when for recess all we can do is color and make paper boats to float down the sidewalk leading to our classroom that has become a river. when my kids have to take off their socks and shoes, hold up their skirts and pants to wade through the more than ankle deep swamp to get to the outhouse. when the rain is so louud that we can see each other's mouths moving but can't hear a thing? so we laugh. read books. make more paper boats. make faces at each other. stand in the doorway and watch the rain. and another day goes by in belize. | | |
| Yesterday i moved into my house again (I hope for the last time), after unpacking, repacking for Hurricane Dean, cleaning up, unpacking, repacking for Hurricane Felix, then watching that one go south-- far away from us. This week i hope to find out what normal daily life is actually like in Belize as in the three weeks since I've been here it has been far from normal!! School starts on Tuesday, September 11 and I can't wait! My classroom, which I had put together last week, is now under tarp and the windows are nailed shut but tomorrow I'll put it together again and get ready for the kiddos. I was looking through the information cards and noticed that out of 11 kids in my class, only 4 come from Christian/Catholic homes. others are Bahai, or just marked 'none.' For many the draw is the high quality of English instruction that PDS (my school) is known for. in all things I would ask you to pray with me that Christ shines in our class. Well, other news is that I made black bean soup from scratch, and learned how to fry bananas. Soon our Internet will be up, (maybe manana) and I'll update often. Happy trails. | | |
| Round Two: hurricane party tomorrow night. Anyone want to come? | | |
| Well here I am in Belize. our internet's down (maybe manana it will be fixed ...) but i want to post my cel# so if you feel adventurous you can give me a call or a text! Incoming calls/texts are free for me so go right ahead. From the US you would dial 011 501 626 2256 i've been settling in quite nicely. it is slow here which fits me. life is lived by daylight and not by time of day so much, so i am up at 5am running, but in bed by 9:30 most nights. we're on central standard time which means the sun sets around 6:30pm!! when our internet works again i will post some more pictures. today i ventured out by bus to 'town'-- corozal which is on the chetumal bay, on the caribbean. here there are actual grocery stores, streets that are paved, lots of action and i can walk down the street listening to spanish, maya, english, chinese, and kreole all within minutes of each other. it has a fun mexican-afro-caribbean feel to it. but in the village it is different, slow, spaced out, there are a few little stores but they are quite bare. very few cars, almost everyone farms sugarcane for a living. i can walk down the road toward the next village for miles, and go through long streches seeing no cars, just the occasional person walking or on a bike. i am thankful for speaking spanish since in the village english is spoken but with difficulty for those who haven't been to much school. teacher meetings/school preparations start on monday, provided hurrican dean doesn't come too close. classes begin on august 29 and i am looking forward to meeting my eleven 2nd graders. more thorough, thoughtful updates will come. but for now ... have a great weekend and give my cel a try!  | | |
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