Farewell (almost) to the First Three Years

In a couple of weeks, the two-year Bridging Program will be over. It feels like yesterday that the principal announced that we would be cramming 3 academic years into two calendar years. At that time, it felt like the two years would be an eternity... and now it's almost over. Sometimes I wonder if two years really happened...and then I look at my hair. (I cut my hair every two years and it's back to my waist which means that two years did indeed pass.)

So anyway, the 6th grade graduating batch happens to be my very first batch of kids 3 years ago. I think it's almost appropriate to end this school year with these kids. These kids bore the experiments of a brand new teacher fresh from the United States with teaching experience limited to 3 months of three students in the African bush with no electricity half the time. They put up with my endless "Grammar Pet Peeves", crazy writing projects and obsessive editing marks all for the sake of class rewards such as cookies and brownies. Three years later, they are still putting up with a slightly more experienced, definitely more insane, even crazier when it comes to marking comma splices and still constantly experimenting English teacher.

What did I learn in my first 3 years (four, if you count academic years) of teaching? To be totally profound, stuff. Or, to say it the way my students would, I learned so many stuffs. (Old habits die hard.)

1) I still have no idea what I'm doing. Each batch is different and each batch will just show you how much you don't know. The teacher is constantly learning with the students. 

2) Teaching without compassion for the individual student is not teaching. They might learn a lot of head knowledge, but if you don't see them as individuals, they will notice. Children notice everything. (Get them to write a journal -- they often contain shocking revelations about a child's observations and consequent conclusions.)

3) Get to know students outside of class. I spent many lunch breaks with a certain batch of 6th graders. I still spend lunch breaks with them even though they're in 8th grade now.

4) Go to the basketball games. Boys don't really care about reading and grammar, but they tend to do better when you show them that you care about their sports. Plus, getting the coaches on your side goes a long way in motivating tough boys.

5) Listen to kids. They sometimes have really pointless stories or even petty drama, but sometimes, they just need someone to listen.

6) Let kids be silly around you. I have kids who come up to me and tell me really dumb jokes or just start dancing and singing in front of me for no reason. If you don't put your papers aside to watch them, you'll miss some of the funniest moments in your life. Guaranteed.

7) Write them. Even if writing is not your skill or your love language, it is often the universal love language of a student, boy and girl alike. I've had boys in high school tell me they still have my notes from when they were in 6th grade. Never underestimate the power of a written note.

8) Communicate everything clearly with parents. Stand your ground. I have the advantage of being a native English speaker, so parents rarely try to fight me over a grammar point. I learned, however, to be very clear with instructions and policies so there are no holes though.

9) Prove to the parents that you love their kids. Many parents complain that English is really difficult, but they usually end by saying something along the lines of, "Well, my son/daughter says you're nice, so at least..." ;)

10) Have a back up an for everything and be prepared to make something up on the spot. Never waste time in class. Keep them moving! Always be flexible.

11) Most importantly, pray. Pray for wisdom to handle the drama of 11 year olds, the wrath of parents, the irresponsibility of hyper boys. Pray for the children who don't seem to be capable of ever acting mature - often there's something going on at home that we don't know about. Pray for strength to press on even when the kids push all your buttons. Pray for health - I've never been so sick so many times in my life.

12) Food. Kids will do anything for food. 

Want a job that you have to bring home with you, even on weekends?
 Be a teacher. 
Want a job where you have to do conflict resolution time and time again? 
Be a teacher. 
Want a job where you often eat your lunch a few bites at a time over a period of three hours? 
Be a teacher.

Want a job where you are guaranteed to laugh every single day?
 Be a teacher. 
Want a job where you can watch your efforts bear fruit through the accomplishments of your students? 
Be a teacher. 
Want a job where you can make a difference in someone's life? 
Be a teacher. 
Want a job where you get to roll down a hill, play tag, go on crazy bus rides and still be "working"?
 Definitely be a teacher.

Here we go. Last 2 weeks of grade 6, here we come! Soli Deo Gloria.

My Journey into the World of Sports...ish

I've never been a sports fan. Anyone who knows me knows that sports and Becky don't go together. I attended many soccer games during furloughs thanks to my American cousins who had back to back games on most Saturdays and our ever supportive grandparents would make the 1 hour trip just to watch some little kids tear around a field chasing a black and white ball. I went along for the ride but had no clue how the game even worked.

Fast forward to college. By the time my first semester was up, I knew that soccer and basketball were pretty important to the students and BBC was our biggest rival. I laughed at our promotional videos with BBC jokes and pretended I knew all about it when I really didn't have a clue. So what? They were our rivals. What more did I need to really know?



(Fun fact -- those two in the video are now married and have a really cute baby.)

The only basketball game I enjoyed was the traditional donkey ball during Homecoming.  I mean who doesn't enjoy watching students vs your Four Gospels professor and your Pauline Epistles professor and other Resident Life staff trying to dribble a basketball astride a donkey? Seriously. Best game ever. Too bad PETA people spoiled it.

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT DONKEY BASKETBALL IS, CLICK HERE!

After I dropped out of orchestra due to time constraints, I missed playing my flute. Finally somebody came up with the idea that we needed a pep band. The pep band was made up of super loud and energetic sporty  American youth. The quiet, introverted unathletic Asian signed up anyway. I enjoyed the music but not the expected loud cheering and chanting. Finally we got to go to our first game. Our team color was red. I knew that much. However, I soon learned that I had no clue why they were shouting offense and defense and I couldn't for the life of me figure out when to shout which. I cheered for every basket made because I didn't get it. Sure, I was on some county sports team in 3rd grade, but I was the clueless one who probably never made a basket. (I only remember the Baskin Robbins and the licorice from my grandfather after a game which I guess we won, no thanks to me.) But I digress. The point is, I didn't get it and was the most unpeppy pep band member in the short history of the pep band.

I am a relational person. In order to care about something I personally have no interest in, I have to actually care about the people involved. Professional sports?! I seriously don't understand how you can pick favorite players. You don't even know them! You don't know what they're like in person, you don't know how they treat others, you. Don't. Know. Them. So how can you pick a favorite player?! The games means nothing if the people mean nothing to me personally.

September 2012. Enter the first time I watched a basketball game I cared about. I taught 6th grade for the first time and during intrams, many boys from my home room and other sections joined in the games. I watched the boys I had spent hours with every day as they tore down the court. I read their emotions and watched their facial expressions. The careless, quick tempered boys only proved those traits even more on court. The driven, fighter boys fought on court. For the very first time I felt transported with them in their game world. As I entered their world on court, I fell in love with basketball.

What?!?!? Did I just say that?! Ok, maybe I should clarify. NBA? Don't care. But our school games?! It's a new world for me but I love it. The first set of boys have since moved on up to 8th grade, but I have 7th grade boys from last year who are involved in the current battle for championship and one current 6th grader is also part. Their defeat today felt like a defeat to me and yet I found myself praying for their character out there. I love those boys like little brothers and I see they are fast becoming men. They are growing up in a world that centers around self and earthly goods. Manhood isn't characterized by compassion, humility and prayer these days. It's a dog eat dog world. Some boys and perhaps their parents make grades and sports idols. I found myself pleading for the hearts of these boys, that they would learn something about God today. I want them to know deep in the very core of their being that they cannot make it on their own. They are entirely dependent on God. And I want them to know that there is a much greater battle to be engaged in and that is the battle against sin. I want to see them fight for Christ and everything that matters for all eternity in the same way that they fight for that ball on court. No, I want them to fight harder than they fight on court. I want these young men to be Davids and Daniels in this selfish, dark world. The lessons on dependence, selflessness and teamwork will help mold them into men of character, but it all begins with whose side they are on - God's or the world's. I want them to win the championship basketball, but I would rather they win the battle against sin and the Devil and bow the knee completely before the God of all the earth. This battle is not fought physically but is waged on the battlefields of the minds of our young people. Winning this is really the only victory that actually matters. Championship? That's a bonus. May they all become soldiers of Christ.

Five months of Memories

There's a hymn that talks about time as an "ever-rolling stream." Each day that we live rolls by never to return. Some days we want the stream to slow down and other days we want to it become a torrent and pass by as fast as possible. Before you know it, the days and seasons change and all that's left are memories.

Many memories have been made since August. The stream of time has rolled by and with it brought moments of beauty that words are not even adequate to describe, moments of hilarity that are only funny if you had been there, moments of heart-wrenching sadness that draw us to the feet of the Savior, and simple moments of beauty that show the everyday kindnesses and mercies of the Lord. Here are some of those beautiful moments that have passed by in the last five months.

1. That moment when we 78 kids lit candles on stage for their Grade 6 baccalaureate service and we thought they'd be the first batch to burn down the school. (Thankfully they did not.)

2. All the moments when kids just come to hang out with me after school just for fun and half the time, I don't even understand their jokes.

3. The time we had a cooking fellowship and sleepover while the parents were gone and shockingly enough, we did not burn down the house or cause any explosions and every one made it to church on time the next morning.

4. The moment Jenn's parents came from the States and we don't even have a picture to prove it! That's what a memory is for. :)

5. The night we introduced Gian and Kemi to Monopoly Deal and Gian won all the games. 

6. The moment Loida walked down the aisle and Dijae's face lit up as only a bridegroom's face does. They were a picture of how Christ loved the Church and it was beautiful. (Photo courtesy of Hapi)

7. The moment that left me speechless when my brother opened the car door when I drove to the airport to pick up my parents. For a second I was trying to figure out what country I was in.

8. The night we were in the tricycle and Hapi suddenly picked up my ankle and started smashing my foot on the floor because there was a cockroach and she was trying not to "freak me out." I nearly died instead.

9. The weekend in Cebu for the camp where we feasted on the Word and delighted in fellowship with other like-minded brethren. It was a beautiful weekend filled with laughter, crazy games, laughing at an invisible bird (thanks to Joash the cameraman), and heart-to-heart talks between two sisters who love the same Lord.

10. The day I refused to cooperate in a family photo shoot.

11. The day "Bob" came to school and signed autographs in his one and only celebrity moment.

12. The insane Saturday that we went to Baguio just for the day because Ana was here. Islands may separate us, but friendship has no boundaries. We relived childhood memories, rode bicycles, fought like 5 year olds (well some of us did), and tried to stay awake.

13. The day an unexpected book I wanted arrived in the mail just because a friend had seen me post about it and he sent it to me! :)

14. The day the Maramaras came and we dressed up for no reason and acted like kids because we hang around kids all day. :)

15. The day Cecile and I climbed a mountain by ourselves with no guide and no map. We succeeded in making it to "The Rockies" and marveled at God's creation still in its fallen state. What an amazing God we serve.

16. That precious time when 3 sisters gathered at the Mercy Seat, miles away from their home, and talked about and to the same Savior. 

17. Every moment that we tried to cross the street in Vietnam and thought we would be killed by a motorcycle.

18. That moment when I heard a Taylor Swift song sung in a heavy Vietnamese accent. I'm not even going to post the video.

Those are just a few of the many precious memories given by the Father. I haven't even listed the book moments, but if you want to see the books I've been reading, go to beckysbookworld.blogspot.com. :) 

Each morning that we are given is a testament to His faithfulness and relentless grace (to use the book title mentioned earlier). Of course there are the hard moments. There are the days when the kids drive me up the wall. There's the day when a parent chews you out because they're hurting over the limitations of their own children and need to blame somebody else. There's the day when a child cheats on your test because she pressured herself so much into getting a good grade. There's the day when a child goes ballistic in your class and you think he's going to hurt you. There's the day when you just want to walk out of the classroom and slam the door because the children are so blatantly disrespectful and purposefully push all your buttons. There are the days when a kid says something to you that hurts but you can't let on how much the crushed you. There are the days when you sit in on meetings that go on for 4 hours and you're dead tired after teaching for several hours and work still awaits you. These are the moments, though, that drive me to my knees and remind me over and over again that I am in need of grace and strength and I cannot do this on my own. If there's ever a career that shows you the folly of trusting in self and leaning on your own understanding, it's teaching. Of course, when it's all said and done, the rewards cannot be compared. There are the kids who hug you, the kids who make you proud, the kids who make coming to school worth it, the colleagues who support you and keep you grounded. 

He is faithful indeed.

We will hold hands forever.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl. She loved pink. She loved her dolls. She loved making up stories. And she loved her grandfather.

One day, he showed her how to get honey from bees. He held her small hands in his and guided her as she blew smoke on the frames.

In his strong hands, she knew a bee would not sting her.

Years passed and seasons changed and the little girl’s imagination grew.

“Let me show you a circus,” he said and there her world opened and she saw elephants and acrobats. But it did not end there. “Take my hand,” he said, and caught her up high into the air and landed her on his strong shoulder.

“I’ll be safe in his hands forever,” she thought. And in that moment, they were better than all the circus acrobats in the world.

And years passed and seasons changed and the little girl continued to grow.

“Come here,” he whispered, “I have something for you.” And out of his pocket, he drew a handful of licorice. He held them in his hand and whispered, “I got them for you.”

“His hands will always take care of me,” she thought. And in that moment, they were fellow conspirators, sharing their before-dinner sweets.

Every child develops a collection at some point in life. The little girl decided to collect pencils.

“Will you make me a pencil box?” she asked.

And soon his hands strong and sure hands guided hers as she designed the metal plates for the secret compartment in her extraordinary pencil box.

“His hands will always create beautiful things,” she thought. And in that moment, their hands created a work of art together.

And the years passed and the seasons changed and the girl grew into a young lady.

“I’m see you after work,” she said as she waved goodbye to her grandfather.

“I will meet you on the way home,” he said.

And every day after that, he stood on the hill and met her. He did not need to hold her hand anymore, but they enjoyed each other’s companionship as they always had.

“He will hold my hand with his heart forever,” she thought. And in those moments, she wished that time would freeze.

The years slowed down, it seemed, for the grandfather. The little girl was now a strong young woman. Time had changed many things and yet it could not change everything.

“Take my hand,” she said, as she lifted him to his feet. “Dance with me.”

And together they danced to his chair, roles reversed with the once strong hands gripping the young and strong hands as he leaned his old body on her smaller but stronger frame.

“We’ll hold hands and dance together forever,” she thought. And in that moment, they were the best dancers in the world.

A few more seasons passed and one day, the grandfather’s hand would no longer need the strength of the girl.

“I’ll still hold your hand forever,” she said, and from that moment on, she has been holding him in her heart.

The End

My Savior’s praises I will sing,
And all His love express;
Whose mercies each returning day
Proclaim His faithfulness.

Every day will I bless Thee!
Every day will I bless Thee!
And I will praise, will praise Thy name
For ever and ever!

June 9, 1926 - December 23, 2010

The World's Library

I sometimes get these weird thoughts when I'm using public transportation.

Like... Isn't it fun to go out in public because it's like a huge library?

What?

No really. A huge library. The world is a library and people are books, each with a story waiting to be read.

There are mysteries, dramas, straight-up-no-nonsense-history books, romances, every-day life stories, but everyone has a story and it's a completely different story. Some stories may echo ones we've heard, tales as old as time, but each story is still uniquely its own. The books even look different. Some books are thin and some books are fat. (Insert mental giggling in a crowded MRT as this thought pops into my head.)

So go out there. Find a new book to read. Get to know another story.

Who knows how the Author plans to weave you into someone else's book...

The post in which I talk about Twilight

Twilight. The book. Not the thing that happens before it gets dark.

Yes, I read it. Shocking. We have a "Teacher's Library Time" at school and teachers are required to read in the library for one 30 minute period a week. Apparently most teachers don't read unless required. Weird, but anyway. The head librarian always gives the rules and guidelines for TLT. It changes every year. The first year I was here, we had to read 3 from assigned categories. We had to make a book review for one of the books. The second year we had to do the same thing but we only had to read 2. We also have book buddies as incentives because if we both finish within a certain time period, we get a prize. This year we were given about 5 categories to choose from and instead of a book report, we had to answer some reflection questions (to cut down on "accidental" plagiarism apparently). The librarian challenged the teachers to read something different this year and mentioned Twilight as an example. A number of my kids have read that book and I generally try to keep up on what they read so I can argue and discuss intelligently with the kids when we talk about reading. I took the challenge and read Twilight. I looked up the other 3 books on Wikipedia because I didn't feel the need to waste any more of my time or lower my IQ anymore. Anyway, here are the reflection questions and my answers (except for #2 because the question was weird).They are personal opinion based only, so don't jump on me if I didn't examine it with any intelligent literary depth (but it's Twilight anyway...what depth?).

**Revised version**

The Bible says that we should fill our minds with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Take a look at the Young Adult shelf in any bookstore. The covers alone usually don't present anything that looks remotely pure, admirable or excellent to name a few. I am an English teacher and most definitely a bibliophile. I love books. My chief entertainment growing up has been books. I acted out the books I read too. As a teacher, I am also very interested in the lives of my students and one such interest is in the books they read. I stayed away from Twilight for a while just because I knew it would be a cheesy, sappy love story, but I was challenged by a teacher to read it. So many kids -- even 11 year olds -- read these books! These are a far cry from the books I read as a child. So without further ado, what do I think of Twilight?

Did I enjoy the book? I found the writing cheap and the story frivolous and shallow, but “enjoyable” in the sense that I was not bored to tears. It is written in a way that really doesn’t involve a lot of mental capacity, the vocabulary does not require a dictionary, and the adjectives and verbs are vivid enough to make the story easy to visualize. However, I did not enjoy it in the way I enjoy books that give me a mental workout and make me think and ponder over for days on end. After all, that's what good books should do. We shouldn't be mindless readers, or we end up merely amused, or "not thinking".

The plot was pretty basic. I got to page 300 and realized that it could have been summed up in one sentence: Edward and Bella were obsessed with each other. Up until page 300-something, it was just about how obsessed they were with each other. I can’t tell you how many times the author thought it was necessary to mention him stroking her face or jaw.

The plot was very description-centered. The author knew how to keep you interested by making Edward give pieces of information about vampires slowly. Between the descriptions of their obsession (and how many times Bella nearly faints or has heart-stopping moments), the vampire history keeps the reader interested. The story really only started moving somewhere when another vampire, James, came into the scene and started hunting Bella. Then the story became very action-packed with the Cullen family trying to throw off the tracker vampire as well as protect those Bella loved. There was no time to insert the slow-motion, twitterpated moments that are in abundance in the beginning of the book.

As an aside, I found it very interesting that the story was so far removed from romance books from at almost a hundred years ago. The values of the day are evidenced in the book. After finishing Twilight, I had to recover, so I read Anne’s House of Dreams again. I realized that the romance in the Anne books does not have to revolve around how much the  characters touch each other. The author does not go into great length drawing out their physical contact and heart palpitations. Instead, the romance is bound up in theircommunication with each other. What they say to each other is where the romance lies. But now, words are cheap. They have lost the value that they used to have. Instead, contemporary authors go into great lengths to describe what the characters do with each other but cheapen the words that they say to each other. In my opinion, sparkling vampires cannot compare to Gilbert Blythe. Remember, books shape us. Like it or not, they form our thinking about life and ideas, including romance. What kind of men do these authors want young girls to look for? Cheap men who just look good on the inside and can't control their selfish desires? Or men who pursue constantly and faithfully like Giilbert?

The book’s main theme, in my opinion, is that in the end, nothing really matters as long as you love the person. And after all, isn’t that the message today? Gay marriage shouldn’t be judged because after all, it’s love? If you do it in the name of love, then how can you stop or it really say it’s wrong? Ridiculous. Love is seeking the highest good of its object, even at cost to self.

The very first page of the book quotes Genesis 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” I wondered why that verse was quoted, but as the story progressed, I realized that it was really a picture of the fall. Eve fell into sin because she wanted the forbidden. Bella and Edward knew it was wrong, but they craved their forbidden love. They not only craved it; they were obsessed with it. Edward knew it was wrong for him to be with Bella. He even says so: “I wrestled all night, while watching you sleep, with the chasm between what I knew was right, moral, ethical, and what I wanted.” (p. 303) Isn’t that a very human struggle? When tempted, we know what is right, but we must fight against what our sinful nature wants. Edward’s typically depraved solution was to try to see how far he could go without killing her. Just like we often do, if but for the grace of God, he dulled his conscience by trying little doses of the forbidden. The more he did it, the easier it became to be with Bella. I appreciated that he struggled with the morality of it, but then he gave up. After all, he loved her, so, according to the message of the book, how could we not sympathize with him?

Bella, on the other hand, didn’t even try to curb her desires. She found him irresistible.  “About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him – and I didn’t know how potent that part might be – that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.” (p. 195) She didn’t even care about losing her own life because all she could think of was being with him. Selfish obsession is an understatement. Her heart rate was forever speeding up or just stopping when he so much as touched her. It’s amazing she didn’t die from a heart attack before the author could finish the other three books!

In reading the book, I began thinking about how I treat my darling sins. Bella and Edward are a perfect picture of humanity at its most selfish, depraved state, wanting the forbidden and wanting to silence our consciences so we can enjoy our sin in peace. But sin is dangerous. The deeper Bella and Edward get involved with each other, the more dangerous things start to him. How I ought to be on my guard against the sinful desires of my heart! “Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

Do I recommend this book?

I would only recommend this book to a mature Christian adult can evaluate it through the lens of Scripture. As I said before, it’s a picture of the sinful heart of man and it’s a reminder of how we must constantly be on our guard against sin. As it says at the very end of John Bunyan’s The Holy War, “Remember, therefore, O my Mansoul, that thou art beloved of me. As I have, therefore, taught thee to watch, to fight, to pray, and to make war against my foes, so now I command thee to believe that my love is constant to thee. O my Mansoul, how I have set my heart, my love upon thee! Watch. Behold I lay none other burden upon thee than what thou hast already. Hold fast, till I come.”

I'm not saying that every book we read should have the gospel in it. I'm saying that we have to be careful. We should read to muse, not merly to amuse. And in all things, we should examine our choices of entertainment through the lens of Scripture. 

Unexpected Raincation

Every rainy season, there is usually at least one big typhoon that comes through and wipes out Manila with all the flooding. Last week, there was an impending typhoon and classes were canceled in advance (Monday and Tuesday) even though it barely rained. This week, all the rain that never fell last week seems to have fallen plus some more. Classes were canceled Monday and Tuesday and tomorrow is a holiday anyway. We were supposed to have our last day of classes on Monday and Grade 6 Retreat today and tomorrow. It just goes to show that man makes the plans but God directs his steps. As Hapi pointed out last week, man can't always predict the weather because God is the One in control of the rain that falls on the earth. Barely any rain fell last week, but this week, it certainly came down in torrents and man can do absolutely nothing about it. The winds and the waves obey Him.

I usually think of things I want to write about so that I remember, but after reading Challies book, I have been more hesitant to write down things. I don't want to become dependent on technology to be my back-up brain. I read through my old college blog and quite enjoyed it because there were little tidbits from day to day college life that I had forgotten and it was actually nice to relive some of those days. So here am I again...at midnight... (I ate dark chocolate covered espresso beans)...writing.

The school year (for us only) is almost over and my kids will soon be moving up to Grade 7. I have graded so much writing this past year that sometimes I feel like my brain is turning to mush. After reading journals and stories, I'm reminded of how cheap writing has become. Kids can't just sit down and write good compositions. The discipline of writing has been lost. Maybe with the distraction of television and the media, kids don't have that needed sustained attention to compose worthwhile compositions. I started reading through my old Xanga from 2004 and 2005. Xanga seemed like the step in real writing before social media took over. After Facebook, jotting short posts on statuses or writing short notes on walls became popular. People rarely really wrote. Even reading through the blogs belonging to my Xanga friends, I realized how many of those friends don't write and communicate as deeply as they used to when they used Xanga. Writing a one line Xanga post about what you're eating right now would be kind of lame, but writing a status? That's common. I'm pretty sure my writing has gone downhill with the rise of "quick journaling" through statuses and whatnot. I think even pictures are starting to substitute for actual writing down of thoughts. Yes, a picture paints a thousand words, but I wonder how many people can sit down and describe their dinner in a way that the reader can visualize it just as well as they can went it's posted on Instagram? Anyway, the point of that rambling paragraph is not to prove how my writing has also digressed but just to point out how frustrating it can be to read some kid writings these days. Plus, kids imitate the books they read and many kids write bizarre stories with out-of-this-world characters, fast-paced and confusing events, and a whole lot of sarcasm and humor at the expense of another character. Pick up the first YA novel in the bookstore and you'll have a pretty good idea of what 6th grade stories are like, except filled with comma splices, confusing events and a whole lot of subject-verb agreement issues. :)

Other than despairing over my kids' writing, school has been full and busy as usual. It's great to work in a supportive school with a great administration and wonderful fellow teachers. I can't believe I'm into my third year of teaching at the school. Moving up to Middle School has been a big blessing. The work has been harder, but I've enjoyed it. My supervisor has been one of the greatest blessings and mentors in the past year. Her birthday is just 4 days before mine and I gave her a card thanking her for what she has been for me this past year. She went through a fiery trial this year with the sudden death of her father, but she came out of it with grace and quiet submission to God's will and overflowing joy. The manner in which she deals with some of the difficult kids in our department has taught me a lot about being faithful to their souls and yet kind and compassionate. She meets the children where they are but she doesn't baby them. I'll never forget an incident this past year where she confronted one of my boys with his sin but she did it in such a way that the kid wasn't angry or resentful about it. She also keeps our department gossip free and is very careful about the words she speaks. I've never seen her lose her temper even under great pressure and she always guards what she says both about other teachers and students. I feel like I go to school to try to teach kids but I end up learning the most from my supervisor. She is one of the Proverbs 31 women and I am so thankful to be under her. As an aside, all of our supervisors and department heads are well-chosen for their roles. Our principal is also a blessing to us as teachers and to students and parents as well. When she found out that I got pretty sick on my birthday and had asthma, she gave me an organic herbal pillow to help me with my asthma attacks. I'm just one out of 100 or so teachers but she cared to send me that too. This really wasn't meant to be a rambling school promotion post, but I was just reminded again how blessed I am that God placed me in this school. :)

Ok, picture time. As usual, I stole some of the pictures off of Facebook because Joash takes all the pictures. I even went to Cebu as a surprise trip last weekend and I forgot my camera so there aren't any pictures that prove I was there. That's ok -- I have a memory. :)

At SGC's 30th Anniversary -- Joash wore a tie!

Loida and Dijae had their prenup photoshoot and the girls took advantage of the studio set-up afterwards.

Our friend, Gino Avena, owns a milkshake place called Neptune's Milkshakes. We went there for my pre-birthday celebration and got NUTELLA milkshakes. :)

Enjoying the milkshakes. I was actually pretty sick, so I bet the milkshakes will taste even better the next time I have one.

My buddy! :)

This is what happens when you leave your phone unattended near Joash and Dijae.

Flooding this morning down by the river in Moonwalk

Resourceful recyclers making use of the overflowing river to get the recyclable junk that was coming down the river.

Heading down towards a squatter area. :(

Pictures are out of order. Grade 6 did graham cracker houses again. This group couldn't get a roof on so they changed their house to a wrestling arena. Their homeroom teacher judged the houses. He's a guy. The wrestling arena won. Go figure.

One of the Grade 6 classes. Crazy bunch.

Eunice and I had a date a few weeks ago. There was a car racing competition in the mall.

That same night there was a huge healing mass. So many people there. So sad.

Eunice and I were on a milkshake kick (this was before the Nutella milkshake during my birthday.) We finally found a restaurant that sold milkshakes. :)

This is what happens when you scold a mischievous student. I came back after lunch and found this on the board.

These two clowns made life verrrrry interesting. The big guy is a soccer player who can't sit still for anything. The little guy has dreams of becoming the next Doctor on Dr. Who. You have a long way to go, buddy. 

What a class. Not my homeroom, but my LAST class of the day. Imagine one and a half hours of them at the end of the day. They're fun at times, but they are exhausting because they lack self-control.

Summer Wrap Up

Pastor Rolly commented that I hadn't updated my blog since April, so here goes. I've had ideas, but they usually are written in my head but that's where they stay. It has been a really busy summer due to teaching the summer bridging program. The kids are in school from 8-2:15, which was nice because we got to leave at 2:45. I was able to swim about 3 times a week in the afternoons, which has been really been nice. By the way, swimming in an uncovered pool in the summer does wonders to one's pigment....

One of the highlights of the summer was the fact that Anya was here reviewing for her Nutrition board exam. She stayed near the UP campus, but we were able to get together several different times. She stayed with me her second weekend here, then we went to Molino's anniversary service and I went home with the Maramaras (after taking a detour to Tagaytay just for coffee!) and attended their morning service. We weren't able to get together the following weekend but during her last week, we got together spur of the moment on Wednesday and then again for the weekend. Loved chika-ing with her. :)

This country is rather obsessed with malls, and even if we have SM Department Stores/Malls on every corner, people still go all crazy when a new one opens. In May, a HUGE SM opened right across the street from another mall across from school. It caused INSANE traffic that day because everyone was flocking to the mall like they had never seen one before. I attempted to go swimming that day, but the pool was crowded, and thanks to all the people flocking to the mall, I had to walk about an hour back to school. Haha. Even if I didn't swim, I got my exercise that day. By the way, the new mall is really boring. It's all full of high-end brands and expensive stuff. One of my students told me yesterday that I should definitely go to this shoe store there that specializes in checking your feet to see if you are flat-footed or need special shoes. Ha. Know how expensive that will be????

We've had some adventures this term as far as the kids are concerned. The Grade 7 kids moved upstairs, but some of them still come down to bug me. One of them only wants to talk to me in hopes of getting Potchi. Two of the boys came to see me yesterday in hopes that I'd help them on their English homework. They were very miffed that I wouldn't help them. Last year's batch has issues about friends and immaturity stuff, but this year's batch has issues with bullying and disrespect. It's really been a challenge dealing with some of them in particular. My last class of the day is particularly draining because 4 of the boys have no sense of respect or self-control. It's always a good reminder about how small I am and how much I need God's wisdom in dealing with these kids. Just when I start to think, "I've got this..." because it seems like everything is going well, something will happen to smack me back into reality and remind me that apart from Him I am nothing.

This year, we participated in the Global Discipleship Congress. It was the first of its kind here in the Philippines. Sixty-one countries were represented. There were about 7000 delegates plus 1,600 volunteers to help run the conference. Christ's Commission Fellowship (CCF), a mega-church here, hosted it in partnership with another mega-church from Singapore. It was held at the new CCF worship center which can accommodate 10,000 people. Oftentimes we are tempted to judge mega-churches or even those who are not "Reformed Baptist." After going to a Christian college, I am always put to shame by the zeal and love for the Lord that many people from other denominations have. How dare we make our theology a source of pride. Many times, I believe we as Reformed Baptists can tend to be all head and no heart. We lose the emotion when going for theology. We even lose the zeal because we are so concerned with getting it right theologically. Theology is important, but I wish I had even half of the heart for God and for the lost as many people in other Christian circles have.

The emphasis of the conference was on making disciples. "Disciplining" others is the new buzzword, I guess. It has a lot to do with the "small group" trend that a lot of churches are now using. Grouping and use of "disciplining" aside, the heart of the whole conference was on personal holiness and the Lordship of Christ. They never talked about discipling others without first talking about our heart condition with God. It even went down to the home. One of the sessions heavily emphasized the importance of discipling your own children before you disciple anyone else. One of the speakers was Ravi Zacarias and I was very excited to hear him live for the first time. I was impressed at how much and how clearly they emphasized the exceeding sinfulness of sin and how we need to be certain of our standing before God. I was also convicted in how I teach my students, particularly in cell group. I need to be much more intentional at pointing them to Jesus. We talk about sin and salvation, but really getting to their hearts is another matter. Only God can work change in their hearts, but I need to be much more intentional and direct with my girls. It was also a good reminder for my own personal walk with Jesus. I am walking in conformity with Him or am I only offering Him half a heart.

One of the other highlights of the conference was the presence of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the President of the Philippines. The Chief Justice was there for Ravi Zacarias's second message. She's a professing Christian, and based on what she said and her prayer requests, she seems to be really sincere about her faith. After Pastor Tanchi talked about the story of Esther, someone prayed for her. We also prayed for the President. That was the first time I heard him speak. He was definitely Catholic, but God is capable of changing his heart. :)

As far as MCBC news goes, we had the joy of witnessing the baptism of another teenager. Bambam grew up in the church. People used to say we look alike. Actually, my toddler pictures and her toddler pictures and especially her sister's pictures look a lot alike. Bambam is 17 and she was one of my recorder students way back when. :) It reminded me again of my baptism 9 years ago. I was baptized on June 4, 2004. It was a good reminder to listen to the covenant of membership again and to meditate on the death and resurrection of my Savior.

Back to school news. The kids just finished writing their fractured fairy tale plays. I think I taught it better this time and the kids were also more proactive in getting it done. Some of the plays are absolutely hilarious. None of them are total flops, which is an improvement from last year. Let's just hope the performances are even better too. :) Here is an excerpt from one of the fractured fairy tales. The original is the Princess and the Pea.

Queen: Why not host a ball in 1 week? That way you can find a real girl. Try hitting them with a bat. If they pass out, then they are a real princess. Real princesses have such delicate skin....
---
Servant: Yes, your majesty. But if I, may please do not hit the girls with a bat because they might hate you. Only hit them if it's absolutely necessary.

Prince: But in finding a girl, EVERYTHING is necessary.

Servant: I know, I know, but if they already like you the way you are, DON'T HIT THEM.

Prince: Thank you for your opinion, I will try not to hit them.

Servant : Thank you young sir.
---
Narrator: There were about 16 girls there

Prince: Oh well...Time to whack everyone! Give me a bat.

Servant 2: Yes sir here you go .

Prince: (Holding a bat) Thank you now leave my precense servant.

Girl 1: I love this party...and this cocktail...DELISH!

(Prince sneaks up on girl 1 and whacks her with the bat.)

Girl 1:*hurting* Ouch! It's okay I've felt worse.

Prince: Not a princess...Leave this party!

Girl 1: (angrily thinking) I hope he doesn't find any princess! He is the worst person ever!! He should stay a forever alone!!

==========

They giggled the whole way through writing it. Last year I had 3 clowns in Jordan A and this year I have 3 more clowns in Jordan A. It must be a thing with Jordan A boys. They were responsible for most of that Prince and the Bat play. Originally it was supposed to be the Princess and the Playground and the test of her being a true princess was for her to get rashes when she slides down the playground slide. I told them that was really weird, so one of the boys decided it would be more fun to whack the girls with a bat. 

Yesterday we said goodbye to one of the Grade 7 girls. She's migrating. Her class threw a surprise goodbye party for her. There was a TON of food, thanks to the kids. When she walked in the room, she immediately started crying. The girls on the other side of the room were crying their eyes out. The boys were punching each other and laughing. I was on the side of the room with the boys, but then she came running to me and was hugging me and crying. Emotional people... The boys were more concerned with getting to the food part because there had pizza, mojos, fried chicken, 4 cakes, Krispy Kreme donuts, cookies, cupcakes, and tons of other stuff. Some of the teachers prayed for her and of course she bawled through the whole thing, but the good news is, now she knows she's loved. She thought the world was against her this past week. In fact she was crying to me the day before about how her best friend is not her best friend anymore and nobody cares that she's leaving, etc. All her drama issues apparently got temporarily fixed yesterday. One of the boys was walking around saying, "This is the most awkward thing I've ever been to." OH MIDDLE SCHOOL....... 

I now believe that I have the right to not write another post for the next 5 months. This was long enough to cover for the next 5 months. :)