Week #8 Meltdown

It's week #8 of the quarter.

The majority of us (me and my classmates) experienced meltdown today.

There were tears.

There was an hour of venting frustrations to one of our professors.

There's a lot of emotional exhaustion and wondering how we are going to get everything done and in on time.

Three major projects - one of them being worth 500 points - are due in two weeks, yet two of them were just introduced to us this week. The rubric for one of them is nine pages. Two weeks seems like a lot of time to complete things, except when we are cranking out lesson plans and teaching 3/4 of day, three days a week.

At one point amidst our venting this afternoon, our professor told us to stand up and hug the person next to us.

Yep, I'm really overwhelmed and I have a lot on my plate. But for some reason, I'm not nearly as stressed as the majority of my classmates. Compared to them, I'm as cool as a cucumber. I'm kind of wondering if I should be more stressed, but I don't think so. I have most of my stuff mapped out in my planner, I've dropped a lot of fun stuff from my agenda these days so I can get stuff done, and I am getting all the sleep I can. And, I know that I can't do any of this with my own strength.

Like Pastor Lynne focused on in her sermon on Zechariah two weeks ago - Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

Excited

I emailed in my application to go to Kenya :)

I'm off and running to a full day of classes and finally handing in my 30 page unit plan matrix - woo hoo!!
Then, it's home to write lesson plans for the week....the story of my life these days.

Belize!

I forgot to mention something super cool!
Last night at the INN we prayed for this girl who is leaving to work with YWAM in Belize for the next year or more. I got so excited for her!! I introduced myself to her and told her to give all the kids at King's hugs for me. I also told her about the awesome bridge outside of the YWAM base :)

I called my dear friend, Karin, on the way home from the INN and told her about the girl I met. We spent some good time reminiscing about Belize and the list of things I should have made for this girl, had it not been overwhelming to give her such a list:
To swim in Blue Hole. And to check out the Armenian Village. And to eat plantains and plantain chips and that the pineapple is the best. And that the hill in the Armenian village is really a small mountain. And to visit the Mayan ruins. And that the stars shine so brightly down there that you think there are street lights, but there aren't. And that rain on a tin roof is amazing. And that beans and rice and stewed chicken is the best food there is. And that the tarantulas are fun. And that howler monkeys in the morning are creepy and sweet at the same time. And that sleeping under mosquito netting can be considered heavenly. And that the jungle smells amazing. And to pack everything in ziplocs. And to drink milk from a coconut. And to visit Five Blues National Park. And to cliff dive into Five Blues Lake.

And the list could go on....

P.S...

...I think I'm going to Kenya this summer.
I still have to decide for sure, but it's getting exciting!

Ten Thousand Villages

Before I forget, I just added a link to Ten Thousand Villages to my sidebar. Ten Thousand Villages is part of a worldwide movement striving to practice fair trade. "To practice fair trade in accord with the Ten Thousand Villages principles of operation we need to know the artisans and groups we work with around the world. Being a program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has given us a worldwide network of volunteers and like-minded organizations that enable us to be in touch with and know the artisans and groups with whom we work. In addition, we have always sought out artisans who are particularly disadvantaged and without ready access to resources or assistance."
We have a Ten Thousand Villages store in Seattle, and it's my favorite place to go for birthday and Christmas presents. They have goods from around the world and I know that when I make a purchase there, my money is going directly to the artisan who created what I just bought.
Awesome!!

Kenya

My church, Bethany Presbyterian, sends a group to Kenya every summer, where we work alongside World Vision to help with AIDS relief. We have actually established many long-standing relationships in Kenya: we sponsor over 175 children in the Soweto Slum (outside of Nairobi); many Kenyan families have spent time in Seattle and worshipped at Bethany while attending the U of W to earn medical degrees, which they use by returning to help with the AIDS crisis; and others from both Bethany and Kenya travel back and forth frequently to visit and share news from the front.

God placed this ministry on my heart three or so years ago, and this summer I have the opportunity to go. I attended the informational meeting last Sunday and I really really want to go this summer. Yet, I am not sure if this summer is the right time for me or not. I'm concerned with the huge transitions that are looming in the distance - graduation, finding a roommate and place to live, finding a job. The trip is in the middle of August, so I will have a place to live and roommate by then, but I don't know if I'll have a job yet. I certainly hope so. The other thing is the finances. Pastor Lynne (pastor of outreach and one of my mentors/dear friends) has told me that the church would mostly likely be able to fund 1/3 of my trip, which is really something to consider.

I would love to be able to travel to Kenya frequently. I know that a teacher's salary is pretty small, but it's my dream to be able to travel to Kenya close to every summer. I look forward to having summers off as a teacher, but I also really want to do something very worthwhile and meaningful during my free summers. I could help run summer school for AIDS orphans, administer assessments, help with VBS. God has truly placed the AIDS crisis on my heart while at SPU, and I honestly believe that this is the issue of our day; that when we stand before God on that final day, God will ask us what we did about the AIDS crisis in Africa. I want to go, I want to help, I want to wrap my arms around the children who have lost their families. I want to see it and experience it for myself, so that Africa and and the AIDS pandemic are more than just places and highlighted areas on a map.

I know I need to trust God. I know that God will provide for this trip if I am supposed to go this summer, and that's what I need to trust.

Bored...

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have low extroversion. You are quiet and reserved in most social situations. A low key, laid back lifestyle is important to you. You tend to bond slowly, over time, with one or two people. Conscientiousness: You have high conscientiousness. Intelligent and reliable, you tend to succeed in life. Most things in your life are organized and planned well. But you borderline on being a total perfectionist. Agreeableness: You have medium agreeableness. You're generally a friendly and trusting person. But you also have a healthy dose of cynicism. You get along well with others, as long as they play fair. Neuroticism: You have medium neuroticism. You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic. Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy. Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is high. In life, you tend to be an early adopter of all new things and ideas. You'll try almost anything interesting, and you're constantly pushing your own limits. A great connoisseir of art and beauty, you can find the positive side of almost anything.

The Five Factor Personality Test

Hmm...this actually isn't too far off...interesting...

Time to be productive and clean the bathroom.

12th Man Mania

Greg Nickels, the mayor of Seattle, has declared today as "Seahawk Fan Day."
The Seahawks are in the Super Bowl and Seattle is going nuts:

-12th Man banners are flying above both the Space Needle and even the State Capitol in Olympia
-Blue, green, and white Christmas lights are strung all over downtown
-Qwest Field, home of the Seahawks, is lit up blue and green at night (incidentally, Qwest Field is where SPU holds Commencement!)
-the Seattle Times has a running countdown to kickoff time, as well as a Seahawks hat you can cut out of today's issue, collector pages for different players, and pages of photos of fans arriving in Detroit with Seahawks banners tied around them as capes
-Should we win the Super Bowl, there's talk that the Space Needle will sporting blue and green paint for awhile
-all sports stores and pro shops are out of Seahawks gear
-nearly all businesses are flying 12th Man flags or Hawk banners
-Super Bowl parties are being held in all bars, pubs, restaurtants, and even homeless shelters

Even my 2nd graders are excited and going crazy:
-Seahawks face paint is a regular occurance at school
-Nearly half of my class alone has their own Seahawks jerseys - the ones who don't have an abundance of other gear
-When asked to decorate their earthworm habitats, over half of my class drew pictures of earthworms dressed as Seahawk players, beating the Steelers with scores such as one-million to 2 (Seahawks favor, of course)
-Their conversations while doing seatwork revolve around the Super Bowl,how Seattle killed Carolina two weeks ago, and even the "12th Man" lawsuit taking place in Texas
-My "Ok, anyone who is wearing Seahawks colors can go line up" procedure is now ineffective, since all any of them wear now is Seahawks gear

And I admit, I'm proud to be a Seattle Seahawk! So, as I am telling all my football-loving relatives - including my uncle Jerry who is going to the Super Bowl - if you love me, you'll root for the Seahawks!!