missionaryMAC

The last appointment on my calendar for day 224 was Poetry Teatime . I'm sure it's gotten a mention on here before: every other Tuesday afternoon, missionary kids and kids at heart gather at the Warren house; everyone either brings a poem or comes five minutes early to pick one from their many poetry books. We take turns reading our selections and then enjoy yummy treats.  Lizz was excited to use the ceramic teapot she got for her birthday. The hand painted design is inspired by a traditional campo  scene. The rest of my day was what I'd call spontaneous.  The biggest Poetry Teatime crowd we've had in some time migrated to the street for a Mother May I?-like game. I had flip-flops on so my first inclination was to stand on the sidelines and watch, but I made the snap decision to play barefoot instead.  Somehow, I found myself still around long after all the kids whose last name isn't Warren had been picked up. These days, I'm often at the Warrens' until curf...

Courtney, Kelsey, Jess, and I ended a morning hike by sitting here for a bit today - wondering if it'd work to record the sound of the rushing water, observing how quickly the clouds were moving, and wishing we knew more about geology.   Note that 1. a few months ago (June? July?), I hiked to this same spot with Courtney and Tirzah. At the time, we could walk all the way to the rock face in the background on dry ground; and 2. no, Courtney and I didn't plan on twinning! If you saw my Facebook post from Wednesday , you know I'll be plopping down elsewhere soon: back in the student chair. The screenshot of my registration confirmation for International TEFL & TESOL Training 's 170-hour TEFL Certificate (Specialization in Teaching Online) with tutor certainly bears a bit more explanation.  Finding myself increasingly involved in not only teaching ESL but in recruiting, placing, training, and hosting volunteers (currently online only) who support other missionaries usi...

¡Feliz día de la raza! Happy Columbus Day, observed here as "Indigenous Peoples Day." And by observed, I mean I watched day 209 go by like any other Monday of late, meaning it included English class in Licey.  How's teaching going, you ask? I continue to give mad props to people who do it voluntarily...with small children...everyday. Buuuuuuut at the same time, I'm pretty sure my face lights up under my mask when something clicks for one of our students, so there's that. Ideas for new ways to introduce or reinforce concepts come to me unbidden while I'm running at the garden or in the shower, and the rabbit hole of TeachersPayTeachers is ever more alluring. And be still, my teacher heart, when one of our students asked for help outside of class with two exercises in the workbook from a secular English course she's taking concurrently with the instruction Courtney & I are providing.  A few musings from the classroom that I've finally been able to s...

I explored some uncharted territory last weekend: the presa . My friend Kelsey talks about her boyfriend Franco's grandma's house there often; after having been invited along for a quick overnight, I finally know what she's talking about. Presa means "dam," and it turns out there's one on the Yaque del Norte River a little over an hour from Santiago. Five of us loaded my car to the gills and set out Saturday morning.  Photo op as we crossed the dam itself: the lake formed as a result of its construction in the 60's (?) is long and narrow - essentially a widened section of the river.  Locks control the flow of water that heads back toward Santiago.  A second, smaller dam nearby (that we also crossed) created a reservoir. This was taken out my drivers' side window, looking toward the lake; the reservoir would be opposite it, on the passenger side.  Stop #1: lunch at one of four lakeside restaurants. We brought a picnic and just bought an order of fries s...

OK maybe not yet, but after many an answered prayer for Courtney's and my first day as English teachers in the 2 DRLM Lutheran schools, I owe you a recap.  Both Monday and Wednesday were far less stressful than anticipated. We didn't speak a word of English for the first 45 min. or so; instead, we and the teachers got to know one another (in Spanish) and laid out expectations on both sides. It seems like a waste of valuable teaching time, but trust in Latin cultures is built on relationships and shared experiences, so it was crucial that we invest in caring about our students as individuals.  From there, we moved into an objective assessment, which we intend to repeat down the road to (hopefully!) demonstrate progress. We have our work cut out for us.  Learning two simple conversations, line by line, dominated nearly all remaining class time, but seeing as how we've chosen a secular curriculum, we're making it a point to weave the faith into every session, hoping that t...

Wednesday, September 16 6:00 am Left for the botanical garden.  7:19 am Came home to this sunrise view from my balcony. It's my favorite spot in the house, especially on evenings when there's a breeze.  8:57 am Dryers are few and far between in missionary homes, but my IKEA drying rack serves me well in that I never have to hang my laundry outside in the elements. Been there, done that, washed too many loads twice when they got rained on.  9:00 am (or shortly thereafter) Headed to the office for a morning of collaborative work with Courtney. We're trying to be trendsetters by maintaining regular office hours and encouraging colleagues to stop by during them instead of sending emails and WhatsApp messages. (Side note: I still don't relish the half block walk from home to the office, but my confidence is increasing. Carrying pepper spray and silently reciting Psalm 23:4 helps.) 12:40 pm Headed home for lunch and to give fellow missionary Cindy a refresher on cataloging li...

At almost every missionary presentation I give, someone inevitably asks, "What's a typical day/week like?" The honest answer is that there is no such thing.  But I was determined to go beyond that. I'm almost always busy doing...what? It's difficult to distill the demands of my job plus what I do to unwind into something that sounds articulate, especially on the spot. So, I decided to journal it (and in many cases, photograph or record it) from a Sunday to a Saturday.  In the past when this idea has crossed my mind, something about every week for the foreseeable future was not "typical." When I'm in Peru with a team , or "on" 24/7 hosting Venezuelan pastors or US-based DRLM supporters , my every movement is (happily!) governed by the needs of the individuals I'm responsible to. While these are some of my most fun and fulfilling days, I spend more time in Santiago than away from it, sans visitors. Moreover, I wanted to convey the beauti...