Back in Guacamole

A lot has happened since I last wrote in May...

• I prepared my first sub plans, took off 3 days of school, flew to Dallas early Thursday morning, had a blast at Nicole and Ryan's wedding, and came back to Xela on Monday. It was a short trip, but I couldn't miss their special day! Amy did a great job being me while I was gone.
• I finished writing, proofing, and copying finals for all four classes. 
• I finally got enough courage to tell Betty that I won't be living with her when school starts again next year. I was so nervous, but she was very understanding! Megan, the second grade teacher, and I will live together in the same apartment she lived in last year.
• In class, we finished learning and reviewed for finals. We all wore pajamas the last day before finals, which was a lot of fun and gave me a reason to wear my red onesie!
• On the last day of school, I graded finals, signed yearbooks, cleaned the classroom, finalized grades, turned in keys, and got May's paycheck.
• Some of the other teachers and I went to the hot springs to relax before going to graduation practice. 
• I finished up things here in Xela and flew to Dallas just in time to surprise Benny for his LHHS graduation.
• I spent all of June and the beginning of July in Dallas with a quick trip to College Station somewhere in there. I enjoyed spending time with family and catching up with friends. Being back was probably more of an adjustment than I thought it would be, mainly because I spent a lot of time by myself. Yet, it was really good and relaxing visit!
• And now I am back in Guatemala! I'm going to continue living with Betty and study Spanish for the next two weeks. Then my mom is coming to visit the last week in July, which I am so, so excited about!

Tomato Soup

It's late! I'm grading papers, and things seem to get funnier as the night goes on. Here's a word problem that a sixth grade student created that just made me laugh:

"I am having to take a bath with tomato soup, because I have the smell of a skunk. The can of the soup has a height of 9 and a diameter of 6 feet. What is the surface area?"

Adios Parasite

I finished taking the parasite medicine this week, so I should be parasite-free! Betty asked me if I said bye to the parasite, and I just laughed!

Rain, Rain Go Away

Technically it is supposed to be summer right now. McDonald's has their "Sabor del Verano" menu choices including an ice cream sundae with mora (blackberry) sauce and a pineapple and Oreo McFlurry. Walmart is showcasing beach towels, swimsuits, flip flops, and inflatable pools. However, despite all of these marketing attempts, it just doesn't feel like summer. The mornings have been sunny, but the afternoons have been cloudy and rainy. I really dread the rain, especially since rainy season isn't supposed to start until May. Right now, it's cloudy and probably going to rain soon. This weather just makes me want to curl up in bed and watch a movie (though I don't have a TV, so that option is out), read a book, or sleep. I could use this time to grade or plan for next week, but I just don't want to do that!

Long Time Gone

Though I haven't written in for-ev-er, I'm still here! It is really hard to believe that I have been living in Guatemala for over 8 months, and school ends in less than 2 months! Here are some recent highlights...

• Today I said that the room seemed really hot and asked the students if they felt hot too. One sixth grade boy replied, "Well Miss, I'm the reason there's global warming!"
• Last week we didn't have school to celebrate Semana Santa. Many students traveled, and one eighth grade boy went to Miami, FL. At the end of class on Monday, he waited until everyone else left the classroom and quickly handed me a little bag from his backpack. He said, "Here, Miss. I got this for you." I was excited, because unlike elementary teachers, I really don't get gifts from students! I thanked him, and he went to his next class. After he left, I opened the bag to find shards of glass and glitter, haha! He bought me a snow globe, but it must have broken in his backpack! I wrote him a thank you note, but I didn't have the courage to say anything about it being broken! I just hope he doesn't ask why I haven't put it on my desk!
• For Semana Santa, Lindsay came to visit! It was fun to get to show her where I live and teach! Lindsay, the second grade teacher, and I traveled all the way to Tikal to see the Mayan pyramids! I thought it was pretty incredible! Then we hopped on another bus and went to Coban and La Lanquin. Unfortunately, Lindsay got sick, so we didn't get to go to Semuc Champey. However, we stayed at a beautiful place, and I hope to go back there soon! I was glad to be back in Xela and relax for a few days here. 
• I really missed being home for Easter! In fact, I had a dream that I went home, but then I couldn't figure out how to get back to Xela. I missed going to church, going to my aunt's house for lunch, and eating Reese's Eggs. The Catholics here celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection with processions. I watched a lot of them (about 5 hours worth!) in Parque Central! Much to my surprise, the evangelical Christians really don't do much for Easter. In fact, I went to church Sunday morning, only to find out that it was closed! Either there was just one combined earlier service or no service at all!
• Well I haven't had official Spanish lessons since January or February, mainly because Tanya has been too busy with her work. I think my Spanish is suffering, but I'm still learning poco a poco (little by little). Usually I learn new words, because I need to actually use those words. So my new word for the week is parásito. Yes...I currently have a parasite, but honestly, I think I have had it for awhile now. I wasn't feeling well last Friday, so I went and got tested. I am taking strong medicine now. Yasi, the school secretary, has a sister who is a doctor, so she was the one who helped me get the medicine. However, she didn't tell me about the side effects of this medicine. Well it turns out, this medicine makes your pee LIME GREEN, like Mountain Dew! Needless to say, I was a bit surprised/concerned when I went to the bathroom, but at least I'm on the road to recovery!
• I have officially signed a contract for next year! I decided to sign just a one-year contract, mainly because I didn't feel a strong desire to sign a two-year contract. 
• Right now, I am planning on spending half of the summer in Texas and the other half here, studying Spanish! I am  really looking forward to both!
• While I really, really enjoy being here, I feel like I am missing out at times. I miss getting to hang out with my sister. We have had some good conversations on Skype, but sometimes it's just not the same! So I am really excited about getting to hang out with her this summer! 
• My mom is thinking about coming to visit at the end of the summer, which would be so, so fun! As I saw with Lindsay (my first visitor!), I have become accustomed to certain things about Guatemala that are very different from the States. I think I will have do a better job of preparing my mom for some of the culture shock!
• Above all, I continue to pray that I may be poured out for His glory. Yasi sent me a sweet e-mail today that encouraged me and reminded me that I am here to be a light in the school, among the parents, students, and other teachers. Everything else in this word is meaningless except for the surpassing greatness of knowing our Lord Jesus. I know this truth, and yet I fail to live it out. So many times, I find myself abandoning time with God, because I have other things that need to get done. How foolish am I! I am nothing, and I can do nothing without Him. 
• It is my prayer that you were able to really reflect on Jesus' life, death, and resurrection this past weekend. It is pretty incredible that a perfect man would die for such imperfect people so that we may enter back into a relationship with the One who created each of us. It only through believing in Jesus that we will find real, authentic life. We are studying evangelism in Bible right now, and I stumbled across a guy rapping the gospel. You should check it out by clicking here!

Life as I Know It

• I remember being very critical of teachers when I was in school. I always analyzed what they wore and noted whenever they made a typo. I remember thinking, teachers should not have typos. They should actually take the time to proofread their stuff. Well the tables have turned, and I find myself finishing things at the last minute with very little time to go back and check to make sure everything is just perfect. Today the Algebra I class took a test. I actually try not to make mistakes with tests, but I put a system of equations that was too big to graph on the coordinate grid that I provided. So I just wrote a different system of equations on the board. Later, one student told me that if I had gone to bed earlier, the test wouldn't have had so many mistakes! Within about 5 minutes of that comment, another student said how the Bible teacher last year was "at least better than you!" Haha, I am really learning not to take anything personally!
• This Saturday I get to go to my first ever quinceañera and I am so, so excited! Good thing I brought some heels here after Christmas! I mean, this is the real reason why I wanted to teach middle school, haha! I will try to take some pics!
• Next week is Spiritual Emphasis Week. The middle school and high school is going on a retreat from Wednesday to Friday. So, I will leave teacher mode and become a camp counselor for those few days. (A little weird, because then I will have to be the teacher again on Monday!) I am excited, but also a bit nervous! Some of the 8th grade boys asked me what I would do if I woke up with Jolly Ranchers stuck to my face...
• I decided to try to read the Bible in 90 days again. I figured March 1 would be a good time to start, since I should finish right when school gets out. However, the first time I tried this, I failed. So seeing that it's almost 5:30 PM, and I haven't started reading today's assigned reading, I'm not off to a great start!
• So right now we don't have running water at the house. I was going to go to an aerobics class tonight, but I don't want to get all sweaty and then not be able to take a shower! It's crazy how I take so many things for granted!

Late Night Grading

Grading is a lot more fun when kids write funny things. In Bible, I usually have a few questions that they have to answer when the bell rings. However, 2 weeks ago (yes, that's how behind I am with grading!) I let them choose what they wanted to write about one day. This is what one student wrote:

"Hi Ms. Barnett. Today I hit you with the ball. I was sorry for it. It's just that the game was really intense and we had to win the doritos so things happen at a certain point. I hope you dont get a bruse because if you do then...that would be bad because you will have a purple dot by me. I have an idea if a bruse come out you should put by [student's name] so when you leave you can remember of me. If it gets like the balls sides that would be awesome JK."

Another student wrote:
"Once upon a time there was a young girl. This girl was known as a witch. She would always be bothered. They would paint her desk with lots of names. When they saw this girl, everybody would say, 'Burn the witch.'" 

Sometimes it's the little things! Though teaching can very time consuming, I really enjoy it!

Gracias a Dios

"Gracias a Dios" is a pretty common phrase here, which means thanks to God. I am thankful to Him...

• In the beginning, I really struggled being here without someone really close to me. There are three newly married couples that teach at the school. While it's fun to hang out with them and get a glimpse of what a young, godly marriage can look like, it is sometimes hard. I really desired a husband last semester. Yet, it's funny how when I dwell on what I don't have, I miss out on seeing what I do have. Being single has allowed me to live with this great family. I get to practice Spanish, even when I don't feel like it. I get to go to family gatherings, which includes many, many birthday parties! I get to hang out with the 15-year-old daughter, who is so fun. AND...I get to spend time with one of the most God-fearing women I've met. The mom loves the Lord and trusts in Him with everything. When I have come to her with things that are bothering me, she has Scripture to comfort me. I could not ask for a better living situation!
• This afternoon I got to hang out with a student and her family. They invited me to their house, and we ate homemade hamburgers, which were so delicious! We also played the Spanish version of Twister and Wii. They even sent me home with cookies and candy. 
• Though teaching is a ton of work, I really enjoy it! I like the school, and I like the students, even when they give me a hard time! 
• Over Christmas break, Allie and I realized that she makes more money in a month at her part-time job than I do all month, haha! However, each month, all of my needs are fully met with some leftover!
• A few other teachers and I are studying 1 Corinthians on Monday nights. It is nice to really study each verse and discuss it. Last semester we read The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller, but I am enjoying actually studying a book of the Bible this semester.
• Though IAS is a Christian school, sometimes the Christian part is what you make it. So, I have been praying that more conversations among teachers would be about the Lord, and it's been cool to actually have these conversations! God is so good!

No Staph

According to the test results, I'm Staph-free! Wahoo!

Per Request

• It's no secret that I have a problem laughing at inappropriate times, and Friday was no exception. One boy who never raises his hand, actually raised his hand. So, of course, I called on him. Then, he proceeded to describe someone at the school by saying, "He smells like sweat." I was not expecting this response at all! Now a good teacher would have said something like, "That's not a nice response," or "That's not appropriate to say," and would have continued teaching. I, however, started laughing and could not stop! Even as I tried to keep explaining systems of linear equations, I kept laughing!
• Three teachers currently have some weird, penicillin-resistant strand of Staph. Apparently it is asymptomatic, so they have had it for about 3 weeks without even knowing it. The symptoms that they eventually experienced were stomach issues (like food poisoning), fever, and sore throats, along with urinary tract infections. So I went to the private hospital this morning to get a throat culture and blood test. I am hoping I don't have this, especially because the treatment includes multiple butt shots! I should know the results by Tuesday.
• I am thinking about changing the name of this blog...any suggestions? 
• Yesterday we planned to hike Santa Maria, one of the volcanoes here in Xela. We were going to leave at 7:30 PM, hike through the night, sleep for a few hours at the top, wake up, enjoy the sunrise, and then head back home. I had prepared myself both mentally and physically. Though I packed a bunch of fleece and wool clothes, I knew that I was going to be freezing. However, I knew it would be worth it! It would be one of those experiences that I would never forget! Yet, as 7:30 rolled around last night, there was lightning and some thunder. We still met at the park, ready to go. We even hopped in the bus and drove a little bit, hoping the skies would clear up. Instead, it started raining really hard, so we turned around and hung out at someone's apartment. Hopefully, we will try it again next Friday.
• We have a staff retreat in 2 weeks at a waterpark about an hour or two from Xela. I am excited for the mini vacation and warmer weather! The school pays for the entire trip, which is an added bonus! Also, I've heard that there's a spa, so I'm considering getting a massage!
• This afternoon I went to the zoo. Really, "zoo" is a loose term. There were ducks, foxes, birds, malnourished monkeys, one lion, two jaguars, and that's about it. It was actually really sad. I am not really an animal lover, but I felt bad for them. About 10 teachers from Inter sponsor teenagers that go to a school created for kids that have to work during the day to help support their families. So the event at the zoo was a way to spend time with these students. We played field-day type games and then ate snacks. It was fun! Right now, the relationships still seem a bit forced, so I am hoping that we can do more things like this.
• I have to give the school an answer about next year at the end of this month. During Christmas, I felt strongly about signing a two-year contract, but now I am not so sure. I am trying to be very prayerful about this decision, and I would appreciate your prayers as well. It's hard, because most of the current teachers are not coming back next year.

Update

Just a few quick updates...

• Yesterday, we had an earthquake. Usually they aren't very strong. In fact, I usually don't feel them unless I'm sitting down. However, this one was long and strong! I was actually at a restaurant on the side of the mountain with two friends. I was sitting in a chair that overlooked the entire city. So my friends and I quickly got up and ran to a grassy area. Betty said all of the windows at the house were rattling. Other people had picture frames fall down! Kind of crazy!
• School is definitely back in full swing. The honeymoon phase of great behavior is over...unfortunately!
• I have started tutoring a 2nd grader for 30 minutes twice a week. I had him write a story about his dog, and he ended up writing a story about a dog named Pepitotito who saves someone from a robber! I had trouble following his story, so I think we have a lot of work ahead of us!
• Last week, a sweet 6th grade girl asked me if I was going to stay and teach next year. I said I wasn't sure yet, and she said, "Well...if you leave, we might get a teacher worse than you!" I don't think it came out the way she wanted it to!
• The weekend before school started, I went with two teachers to some naturally hot pools outside Xela. They were so, so relaxing! One of the teachers that went is actually Guatemalan. Guatemalans only have to pay Q25, while everyone else has to pay Q50. However, guides get in for free. So, he tried to pass as our guide, but the ticket guy wasn't buying it, maybe because I was laughing! Oops! Guatemala is pretty conservative, as in women don't wear shorts. So, one of the teachers and I were unsure how much we needed to wear...until we saw a woman topless. Then I figured my one piece swimsuit and shorts would be just fine! 
• I do miss family and friends in the U.S., but I'm learning to be present with the people I'm with, wherever I am! 
• God is so great, and I am thankful to Him! In Bible we are talking about prayer. God has been challenging me to seek out what it means to pray continually. Earlier this week, I was getting stressed with lesson planning. I prayed, asking God to figure out what we should do! He did, which reminded me that I need to trust Him with the daily things as much as I do with the bigger things. Sometimes it's much easier for me to ask Him when I have a big/important decision to make...Should I stay here next year? If so, how long? If not, what's next? Too often I depend on myself to make the "smaller" decisions. Yet, I think He wants to be in all that I do...big and small!

Oh NO! The JELL-O!

On Friday, the 6th graders presented projects about climate in their science class, the hour right before I teach them math. Three girls gave a presentation about El Niño/La Niña using blue JELL-O with white icing. After they presented they passed out plates of JELL-O to every student. I was in the teacher lounge, and they even brought some to me. I had a bite, but I thought it tasted a bit weird. Then again, JELL-O is not my favorite. Towards the end of the hour, the science teacher told me that three of the boys were probably going to be late to math, because they had eaten too much JELL-O and thrown up on the floor of the boy's bathroom. 

Gross! I hate throw up...the smell, the sound, everything about it! So, as math class started, I pulled the three boys out into the hallway and explained to them that if they started feeling sick again, they didn't need permission, they just needed to run to the bathroom as quickly as possible! I also told the entire class the same thing. I had planned a fun lesson (I thought!) about misleading graphs and statistics. We watched two misleading commercials and then discussed. Everyone seemed to be feeling fine by this point. 

Yet, as the students started working on different stations, things turned for the worst. Kids started running out of the classroom to throw up...multiple times! So I called the school secretary/nurse from the teacher's lounge across the hall and told her what was going on. She told me to call the principal. The principal told me to collect more information...like who made the JELL-O and how many times each kid had already thrown up. So I quickly asked kids these questions and called the principal back. At this point, I started laughing, because I just couldn't believe what was happening! Kids just kept running out of the class to throw up, while I was on the phone. After I hung up with the principal, I saw that one of the original boys that threw up fainted! I kind of began to freak out. I quickly grabbed wet towels for him and called the principal again to tell her I really needed help. The boy wasn't very responsive at first, so I started asking him questions and moved him into the teacher's lounge. When I came back in the room, another boy was shaking and very, very pale. He wasn't very responsive either. All of the girls were sobbing. Thankfully, the principal and director came soon thereafter and took the four sick boys! The bell rang for lunch, but the girls were still sobbing, because they felt like it was all their fault. So I spent time comforting them. The English teacher came in and started google-ing all of these symptoms and concluded that they had food poisoning. Apparently, JELL-O packets can go bad! Seriously, what a day! During lunch word quickly spread about what happened. So one dramatic boy in the next class moved his desk away from the trashcan, because he said he could smell the throw up, even though not a single kid threw up inside the classroom! Needless to say, Friday was quite unforgettable!

Estoy en Xela ahora.

I flew from DFW to Guatemala City late last night and stayed at a little bed and breakfast. I don't think that saying good-bye ever gets easy! I woke up really early this morning, took a bus to Xela, and took a taxi to Betty's house. Betty quickly made me the typical eggs and black beans, since I didn't eat a very big dinner or breakfast. After eating and catching up, I unpacked the TWO suitcases that I brought, which made me realize how many clothes I actually have here now! I am so thankful to have more warm clothes, as it was very cold this morning, and it's already getting cold now that the sun has gone down. I am also thankful for getting here safely and the sweet time in Dallas with great friends, family, hot showers, and central heating. God is so good! We have inservice on Monday, so I get to just hang out until then...