Silly Students and Lessons from Waterfalls
I definitely owe a blog post, it's been a little while. I will start off with my funny moments of the day, I am sure there are some from the past weeks, but for now I can only remember the ones from today.
Me: Ok, it's time to get ready for Math.
Student: get ready for mass?
Me: No, Math.
Student: Oh... well I was wondering if that was what you meant.
In showing my students pictures to go with their vocabulary words, we came across a picture for the word smuggle. I said, the man in this picture is smuggling something. What do you think smuggle might mean?
Student 1: To steal?
Me: Hmm, it's not quite the same as stealing something but sometimes people do both.
Any other guesses?
Student 2: I know! To steal while being barefoot!
Me: No, I'm sorry. Let's try and go a different direction.
Another vocabulary word this week was rude. So, we began to discuss the meaning.
Student: IT is to not have respect. How do you spell respect?
Me: (smiling and singing) R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Soon all the kids started humming along. Now they all know how to spell respect. =)
I was talking with two of my students and told them a joke.
Student: Oh Miss. I like you, you are so Chiquita.
ME: What?
Student: You know, chiquita.
Me: I know what it means, but why are you describing me like a little girl?
STudent: Because like me and another student are the chiquitos of the class you are the chiquita. You are cute like a baby.
Finally, to top off today:
Student 1: Miss You have 30 days.
Me: 30 days for what?
Student: To find a boyfriend. (She then proceeds to list off every other teacher in the hallway and how they have a boyfriend)
Me: Wellll that's not really something I need right now.
Student: We will find one.
(The students then proceed to try to talk to the student teacher in our hall about it, and decide that we will be married. We then are beginning math class.)
Student 1: Miss I want to be the godmother of your children.
Student 2: I want to be the pastor.
Student 3: I want to give out rings.
Student 4: We will be bridesmaids the color of your shirt.
ME: STOP!!! I AM NOT GETTING MARRIED!
STudent 5: Miss I will teach you to dance.. (then begins to sing Strauss's The Blue Danube and the WHOLE CLASS joins in. Listen here if you're not sure what I mean:
ME: Ok, it's time for math now, we're done with this.
They finally calm down and listen.
I also thought I would add a small excerpt from one of my student's fairytales. Their fairy tales are very creative and I really enjoy reading them, sometimes their wording just comes out a bit different... =)
Once upon a time in a beautiful castle in the year of 1942 there lives a elegant prince that has married with a evil girl who is worse than you can imagine. In the same place there also lives an admirable girl that loves the prince but the elegant prince doesn't like she, and the evil girl is doing bad things in the prince's life that are terrible, sad, and miserable things that you can't visualize.
... and later...
In another midnight were all people was sleeping in their beds, all of them were sleep but there was one person that doesn't like to sleep alot that's not sleepy. Bad Evil Girl!!! (Yes 3 exclamation points) Everytime she's always in action all midnight. One day, like I told you, that she likes to enter to rooms and this time she have a big weapon that you don't imagine, and she also hand out a knife!!!!!!!!!
On the more serious side, a lot has been happening around here! First of all, we went on a wonderful trip to Lago Yojoa here in Honduras. We spent the night at a beautiful hotel where we got to go horse back riding and just hang out! Then the next day we went to some awesome waterfalls! The coolest part was that we went on a hike down through the waterfall. I can honestly say this was the most terrifying thing I've ever done. We had to join hands with people next to us and try to stay pushed up against a wall while extremely fast water came down on top of us. At that point you had to look down and honestly my only thoughts were, "Wow, how is this allowed? Am I going to survive?" We did have a guide who lead the line, although he did speak only in Spanish. I am sure in the states this kind of thing would cost 100's of dollars and require me to sign my life away on a waver. But here in Honduras, 5 bucks and a willingness to follow is all it takes. =)
On a serious note, this experience did get me thinking about several awesome ways this reflects my relationship with God.
1. Holding hands with everyone else and trusting them to help me along even though I can't see. This is a beautiful picture of community. We are meant to live in community with other Christians and help them along in difficult times. I honestly don't think I would have made it without a few friends who encouraged me along the way. The whole time, my friend Christina told me I could do it. I in turn, offered encouragement to those behind me. Isn't that what we are meant to do?
2. The Guide. Sometimes, I didn't understand what the guide was saying or why on earth I would be allowed to go through this waterfall. I had to trust that he would guide the way and that he knew the steps, even when I couldn't see right in front of me. At one point he told us, the water is going to be very strong up ahead, but don't be afraid. Hang on and stay close to the wall, follow my directions. I remember laughing at the point, of course I am going to be afraid. This is so like me and God sometimes, he tells me that I must not fear, even though the water up ahead may be strong, I just have to follow His directions. Amazing, isn't it? He can guide us through even the strongest tides in our lives.
3. This comes from my friend Erin's Devotional Book, Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman:
Annie Johnson Flint
Yet another lesson from a waterfall. Beautiful.
Overall, it's been a wonderful past week or so. We also had a Halloween Party at our house last weekend, which was a ton of fun! It was great seeing people's costumes, eating food, and just hanging out. We also played several terrifying rounds of Body, Body, a "real life" mafia game. I may just have to try this out with some more people. =)
To finish here are some pictures of current events for your enjoyment:
A picture from our trip to Picacho, a mountain in the city with a Jesus statue. It's a great view of the city.
A picture of a horse at the place we went horse back riding... I was trying to feed it.
Me: Ok, it's time to get ready for Math.
Student: get ready for mass?
Me: No, Math.
Student: Oh... well I was wondering if that was what you meant.
In showing my students pictures to go with their vocabulary words, we came across a picture for the word smuggle. I said, the man in this picture is smuggling something. What do you think smuggle might mean?
Student 1: To steal?
Me: Hmm, it's not quite the same as stealing something but sometimes people do both.
Any other guesses?
Student 2: I know! To steal while being barefoot!
Me: No, I'm sorry. Let's try and go a different direction.
Another vocabulary word this week was rude. So, we began to discuss the meaning.
Student: IT is to not have respect. How do you spell respect?
Me: (smiling and singing) R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Soon all the kids started humming along. Now they all know how to spell respect. =)
I was talking with two of my students and told them a joke.
Student: Oh Miss. I like you, you are so Chiquita.
ME: What?
Student: You know, chiquita.
Me: I know what it means, but why are you describing me like a little girl?
STudent: Because like me and another student are the chiquitos of the class you are the chiquita. You are cute like a baby.
Finally, to top off today:
Student 1: Miss You have 30 days.
Me: 30 days for what?
Student: To find a boyfriend. (She then proceeds to list off every other teacher in the hallway and how they have a boyfriend)
Me: Wellll that's not really something I need right now.
Student: We will find one.
(The students then proceed to try to talk to the student teacher in our hall about it, and decide that we will be married. We then are beginning math class.)
Student 1: Miss I want to be the godmother of your children.
Student 2: I want to be the pastor.
Student 3: I want to give out rings.
Student 4: We will be bridesmaids the color of your shirt.
ME: STOP!!! I AM NOT GETTING MARRIED!
STudent 5: Miss I will teach you to dance.. (then begins to sing Strauss's The Blue Danube and the WHOLE CLASS joins in. Listen here if you're not sure what I mean:
ME: Ok, it's time for math now, we're done with this.
They finally calm down and listen.
I also thought I would add a small excerpt from one of my student's fairytales. Their fairy tales are very creative and I really enjoy reading them, sometimes their wording just comes out a bit different... =)
Once upon a time in a beautiful castle in the year of 1942 there lives a elegant prince that has married with a evil girl who is worse than you can imagine. In the same place there also lives an admirable girl that loves the prince but the elegant prince doesn't like she, and the evil girl is doing bad things in the prince's life that are terrible, sad, and miserable things that you can't visualize.
... and later...
In another midnight were all people was sleeping in their beds, all of them were sleep but there was one person that doesn't like to sleep alot that's not sleepy. Bad Evil Girl!!! (Yes 3 exclamation points) Everytime she's always in action all midnight. One day, like I told you, that she likes to enter to rooms and this time she have a big weapon that you don't imagine, and she also hand out a knife!!!!!!!!!
On the more serious side, a lot has been happening around here! First of all, we went on a wonderful trip to Lago Yojoa here in Honduras. We spent the night at a beautiful hotel where we got to go horse back riding and just hang out! Then the next day we went to some awesome waterfalls! The coolest part was that we went on a hike down through the waterfall. I can honestly say this was the most terrifying thing I've ever done. We had to join hands with people next to us and try to stay pushed up against a wall while extremely fast water came down on top of us. At that point you had to look down and honestly my only thoughts were, "Wow, how is this allowed? Am I going to survive?" We did have a guide who lead the line, although he did speak only in Spanish. I am sure in the states this kind of thing would cost 100's of dollars and require me to sign my life away on a waver. But here in Honduras, 5 bucks and a willingness to follow is all it takes. =)
On a serious note, this experience did get me thinking about several awesome ways this reflects my relationship with God.
1. Holding hands with everyone else and trusting them to help me along even though I can't see. This is a beautiful picture of community. We are meant to live in community with other Christians and help them along in difficult times. I honestly don't think I would have made it without a few friends who encouraged me along the way. The whole time, my friend Christina told me I could do it. I in turn, offered encouragement to those behind me. Isn't that what we are meant to do?
2. The Guide. Sometimes, I didn't understand what the guide was saying or why on earth I would be allowed to go through this waterfall. I had to trust that he would guide the way and that he knew the steps, even when I couldn't see right in front of me. At one point he told us, the water is going to be very strong up ahead, but don't be afraid. Hang on and stay close to the wall, follow my directions. I remember laughing at the point, of course I am going to be afraid. This is so like me and God sometimes, he tells me that I must not fear, even though the water up ahead may be strong, I just have to follow His directions. Amazing, isn't it? He can guide us through even the strongest tides in our lives.
3. This comes from my friend Erin's Devotional Book, Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman:
They are his waves, whether they break over us,
Hiding his face in smothering spray and foam;
Or smooth and sparkeling, spread a path before us,
and to our haven bear us safely home.
They are his waves, whether for our sure comfort
He walks across them, stilling all our fear;
or to our cry their comes no aid or answer,
and in the lonely silence none is near.
They are his waves, whether we are hardstriving
through tempest driven waves that never cease
while deep to deep with turmoil loud is calling;
or at His word they hush themselves in peace.
They are his waves, whether He separates them,
making us walk dry ground where seas had flowed;
or lets tumultuous breakers surge about us,
Rushing unchecked across our only road.
They are HIS waves, and He directs us through them;
So He had promised, so HIS love will do.
Keeping and Leading, guiding and upholding,
to his sure harbor, He will bring us through.
Annie Johnson Flint
Yet another lesson from a waterfall. Beautiful.
Overall, it's been a wonderful past week or so. We also had a Halloween Party at our house last weekend, which was a ton of fun! It was great seeing people's costumes, eating food, and just hanging out. We also played several terrifying rounds of Body, Body, a "real life" mafia game. I may just have to try this out with some more people. =)
To finish here are some pictures of current events for your enjoyment:
A picture from our trip to Picacho, a mountain in the city with a Jesus statue. It's a great view of the city.
A picture of a horse at the place we went horse back riding... I was trying to feed it.
I went to that waterfall. It is SO scary but so fun!!! Haha I was thinking the same thing as you. The water level was almost too high and the water too strong, but we went anyways! Ha, I thought I was going to get taken down river! I'm glad you survived and enjoyed it all :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing those stories about your kids jennifer. :) I especially liked the fairy tale! Wow that waterfall sounds so scary!! I'm proud of you for doing that!
ReplyDelete