Day 26: Three Part Harmony

I felt SO much better today having gone to bed at 8:00. A full night's sleep was just what I needed. It was still hectic at the last minute getting to school, but we managed! We even had a breakfast of nice hot oatmeal with dried berries and brown sugar.


We're nearing four weeks here; three weeks of school, and at this point I'm thinking that Wednesdays might just be my favorite day of the week. We have music on both Monday and Wednesday, but on Wednesday I also get to teach art, and in our art class we're doing sewing, which is a passion of mine. That puts it over the top for me in terms of the level of satisfaction in getting kids involved in learning something that is out of the box. 


Last week in the high school music class I attempted to get the kids to sing in two- and three-part harmony. The results weren't quite what I was hoping for, but it was a start. They were geeked, though, because they'd never done something like that before! Then on Monday we worked more on listening and we put some of our Sol Feg (you know, the Do-Re-Mi stuff) into parts. They liked that, too! We also began learning a song about the wind (to be sung in our Rain Forest community event). I was a little skeptical about how it would be received, but today one of the girls told me that she cries every time she hears me sing it, so I'm thinking that's a good thing. And it seems to be unanimous that it's one they really want to learn to sing. So the kids are super motivated to learn this two-part piece and are enjoying the challenge of it!


Today with the high-schoolers we also put the three parts together for Siyahamba, our song from Africa. The parts are a wee bit tricky in a couple of spots and the rhythms are important, especially since it's a South African song, but the kids worked tirelessly to get it right. They were brave about doing the weird things I asked them to do and about trying even though it was hard. When all was said (or "sung") and done it was incredible the way they responded after hearing themselves. They were SO excited about it! There were smiles and laughter and comments like "Wow!" and "That was amazing!" and "This is so cool!" It was truly one of those moments that makes teachers feel like we're making a difference for kids. Loved it. Makes me want to go back for more! 


After school, I did my first after-school tutoring with students. It's pretty much just helping kids with their homework for an hour, so it's not a big deal. While I was doing that, Hannah went to town with one of the older girls to help her sell some candy for a fund-raiser to pay for the girl's school supplies. They were able to sell all she had, which was great. When I picked her up we stopped by the post office and I got another care package from home with more language arts teaching "stuff". (Thank you, Honey!!) It will help my little guys, although I can't promise they'll be as excited about it as my older music students were today after their victory!


So tonight as I prepare for bed I have to say I am very thankful for music and the bridges it builds between people. Thank you, God, for today's experience in music class! It was a sheer delight!

Day 25: Are You KIDDING Me???

Today has been a beautiful day here on the island. The temperature is still in the 80s, which suits me just fine, although the people who call Culebra their home are complaining a bit about the "heat." "It's so HOT," they say dramatically.

I had a tough time going to sleep last night, so I predicted my alarm would be ignored as long as possible. However, as soon as it went off I began thinking of things I needed to do for school.  I dragged myself out of bed, opened up my laptop, and continued where I had left off last night.

Today's breakfast menu was eggs and toast, so that needed to be done right after waking Hannah. Then while she was getting dressed I worked on making our lunches. I was thinking of myself as being pretty on top of things until I headed through the living room and slammed my foot on the end of the rocker of the rocking chair. As I fell to my knees in agony, I decided this was one of those things you do where it hurts like the dickens at first, but after a while it's fine. That's what I assured Hannah, too, when she came bounding to my rescue.

As the day wore on, I found myself limping more and more, and unfortunately my foot was also swelling. Great. Just what I need, right? At lunch, Hannah put an ice pack on it and Abbie asked if I needed to go to the clinic. That was reassuring... Several of the moms who come to have lunch with their kids commented on its swollen state. When I went to town to pick up our mail (we didn't have any...sad face) a couple of people asked me if I was alright and one person even asked me if I needed a ride. Geez!

Upon our arrival at home, Hannah insisted I immediately put up the injured foot. She then brought in an ice pack, placed it gently on the affected area, and announced that she would prepare AND clean up dinner! Wow! There IS an up side to this!

Here's the dilemma: there's no MedPlus on the island. There's a clinic, but you go there and wait forever to see the doc and he will then just tell me I have to go to the main island to get an x-ray. I don't think it's broken, although it really hurts. I don't think it hurts any more than when I dropped the wardrobe on my leg, and I really did think that was broken.

So tonight I'm going to keep my foot elevated, catch up on internet stuff, play a few games of Dominos or something with Hannah, and hope that the foot is back to normal in the morning!

Sure would appreciate your prayers!!! I'd like for this to be nothing but painful, if you know what I mean!

On another note, Abbie's school is doing a fund-raiser to help the general budget of the school. It is through a company that donates a portion of all profits to environmental organizations. Plus that, most of the items are things you'll really use and like. Most of the products also have an earth-friendly message, too! If you'll click on the link, you can check out the nice stuff they have: t-shirts galore, towels, water bottles, totes, wallets, jewelry, and even some bulbs you could plant this fall!!!

Link for Nature's Vision Fundraiser for Abbie's School

Hannah has a goal of selling at least two hundred dollars worth of merchandise, so think Christmas presents!!! Then just send me an email of what you'd like and I'll order your stuff. You can call or email me with your debit/credit card number, or mail a check if you prefer!!!

Thank you, God, for a beautiful day and for Hannah's concern for my well-being (and please make my foot better by morning)!!!

Day 24: Thinking About Irene

Irene Approaches

I think today it really sank in that we went through a hurricane (thankfully only category 1). Guess, then, it shouldn’t be surprising that our feelings have been on a roller coaster ride.

I have been writing my blog posts and storing them on my laptop so they’ll be ready for posting when we got our internet service back. Now that it’s back and I’ve posted everything, I realized I didn’t include any pictures of what we saw. Since most of the worst of it was here during the night, we obviously didn’t get any pictures while it was happening. However, the next morning on our way back to the house from Billy and Abbie’s safe haven we saw the “gifts” Irene had left us.

Fortunately, only about 17 people on the island asked for emergency assistance. After Hugo hit hard here in September of 1989, about 80 percent of the houses were flattened. Since that tragedy, stronger hurricane “proof” houses are more commonly built, so that benefited us this time around. (Of course, the house we’re in is wood, which is why we went somewhere else!) Plus that, Hugo was a category 3 or 4; Irene was only category 1.

The Road Home

More of the Road Home

Same Spot; Different Perspective

The Shoreline and the Muddy Waters Irene Left

Downed Tree and Debris Behind the School

Flamenco Beach's Parking Lot

Big Waves at Flamenco

Irene's Gifts at Flamenco

Drying Things Out on the Deck

Every Pair of Hannah's Shoes Were Soaked
From Rain Coming Into Her Room!!!

In looking at these pictures I now realize how miniscule they are compared to what really happened. The noise from the 55-mile per hour winds (with gusts of up to 80+ mph) was like a jet flying outside our window. The realization that rain could force its way through a wall is sobering.

Tonight after Hannah went to bed I heard her stirring. A few minutes later she was standing right behind me and burst into tears, expressing how much she misses Michigan. We sat together and snuggled for a few minutes while she talked about what and whom she really misses. My throat was tense from the lump in it. I have cried those same tears many times since our arrival. I think Irene has simply intensified those feelings.

Tonight I am thankful for my friends and family back home. I am so very grateful for your love, your notes, your comments, your Skypes, your facebook messages, your letters, your packages, and your prayers. We miss you. So very much.

Thank you, God, for giving us people who love us so. We are blessed. Lonely for them, but blessed.

Day 23: A Dry Rug

Okay, has anyone heard of Irene??? Well, I found out today that the winds were 55 miles per hour that whole night with gusts of up to 80 miles per hour.

No wonder our rug was soaked!!! The water was driving so hard it came through where the wall meets the floor in the front of our house and soaked the big area rug. We had to take it out to try and get it dried out, but the problem has been that it just keeps raining! Not like it rained while Irene was planted upon us, but she spun out all these "after-party presents" that kept the rug from completely drying. It's been "just one more thing," you know?

This morning just as I was thinking it would be the last day for the rug to be hanging on the railing, it started to rain. (Unhappy face.) I hollered for Hannah and we dragged it closer to the house, hanging it over chairs and anything else we could find to keep it propped up. Then I brought out Nadeen's big fan and plugged it in to give it air underneath. By golly, I was determined to get that thing dry and back in its place!

Well, fortunately our efforts paid off and tonight we moved it back in its rightful place under the dining table.

We also went for a walk and swim at Zoni.

We also watched Ella Enchanted.

Our lives are so exciting, huh?

Oh, well, maybe tomorrow we'll have internet again...

Thank you, God, for a dry rug!!!

Day 22: Saturday with NO Rain

Today was our first day in a week with no rain.

We took advantage of it by driving out to Zoni Beach with our snorkel gear after we had our (well, my) school work completed.

Although we have been out to Zoni many times for swimming, snorkeling there was a new experience for the both of us. We donned our gear and headed out at the far east end of the beach, where we had been advised to go for the best views. We didn't see anything terribly exciting, but it was relaxing and enjoyable just the same. We were both far more at ease with coral that was just below us, so that made it nice, too. Our last time out at Tamarindo was a little scary, remember?

It was an absolutely beautiful day and there were only about four or five other people on the mile-long beach. Hannah was still a bit annoyed that "OTHER PEOPLE" were there. As if it belongs to us! :)

We had an early night, played some Bananagrams, and hit the hay!

Thanks, God, for a day with no agenda...well, practically no agenda.

Day 21: First Spelling Test!

We are finishing our third week and it’s hard to believe we’re still here, we’re feeling a bit settled, and we’re actually building some friendships. I am very glad those friendships are with both Spanish- and English-speaking people.

This morning my first-graders had their first sight word “test” and the fourth-graders had their first spelling test. Most of them did very well. They’re all still getting used to me and my quirky ways. Some of them are also still having trouble with the language differences, including me!

The older students were working in teams on projects about Mayan farming techniques (did you know they had four different techniques???) and two groups presented theirs. They are incredibly well-crafted and detailed, so I thought I'd share at least one with you!

Grace, Taina, Genna, Danny, and Dahliana's project...
complete with a Mayan temple that's actually a cake!

During our school beach time today, I asked some of the students to speak only Spanish to me. They got a kick out of their teacher trying to figure out and then mimic what they were saying, but they were also very patient. Even the moms were helpful when I told them I was very eager to learn the language. I feel as though it is important for me to learn the ways of Culebra rather than forcing them to accommodate me so not know Spanish makes me feel guilty, in a way.

After school, we didn’t stick around for more than a few minutes because we were both anxious to have lunch and get cleaned up. Our motivations were divergent, however; Hannah was eager to check out our post office box and I was ready to begin lesson planning for next week. Wow! Do we have different priorities or what???

Shortly after we got our showers and lunch, I got a phone call from Aimee, who is a parent of one of our students. She has sort of taken me under her wing and I cannot say how much I have appreciated her already. She has heard me fret several times about where we would be moving to once the end of October arrives. She also assured me she would look for a place for us. She is Culebrense, and the folks here know everyone and everything that’s going on. It’s amazing. It’s like a small town on steroids! I had given her a wish list of what we would like in a place: close to the school so we could use bikes, two bedrooms (or at least one with a place for me to sleep in the living room), and a concrete structure. She called to say she had one for us to look at!!! We quickly gathered our things and drove down the hill.

This is a house owned by her cousin (everyone’s related to half the island, it seems) who is moving to the main island. It is located directly across from the airport entrance, so it’s very centrally located. There is a grocery store a block away, close to school, town is close (that’s where the post office and several other important places are), and it’s on the road to Tamarindo and Flamenco Beaches. Her cousin first showed us a one-bedroom, then a three bedroom (which is way too expensive for us) and then when I asked about the upstairs apartment, her husband explained to me (his English is really good!) that there is someone living there for two more months while his place is being finished and it would be available after that. It’s two bedrooms! When I asked how much it was, they told me what the current tenant was paying and it was way over my budget. They talked for a moment in Spanish and then told me I could have it for the same amount as the one-bedroom, but we would have to pay for the electric. I was so moved and excited I wanted to jump up and down! What a total and complete answer to prayer!! We are very excited! Although we were not able to see the currently occupied apartment, the other two units are beautiful and well-constructed, so I am sure ours will be wonderful. Hannah and I are both beyond pleased!

From our apartment hunt, we ran a couple of in-town errands and received our first letter from Jessie!! It was such a treat to see her handwriting and hear her journey of having her tonsillectomy surgery and ongoing recovery (although it’s not been a treat for her to go through it!) We LOVE getting letters!!!

Once back home, Hannah began preparing for her first venture out with new friends. Abbie has set up a type of mentoring opportunity for the kids and is just so happens that Hannah’s mentor is Aimee’s daughter, Amdry! What’s extra-special about that is that Amdry has kind of adopted Hannah, too, as her mother has me! On top of that, she’s a few years older than Hannah, is a sweetheart, and is a great student so she is a wonderful role model for Hannah! Amdry and her dad came up the hill to pick up Hannah at about 6:30 and took her to a basketball game. Hannah had five bucks in her pocket, so she was on top of the world! Independence with cash! What could be better???

With my alone time, I was able to spend a good amount of time catching up with my dad and then my older daughter on the phone. Dad is healthier than he’s been in a while, and Jessie is moving to campus tomorrow. She’s feeling frustrated from not healing as quickly as she’d like, and she had a personal bummer today, but she knows she is moving in a good direction and is seeing the positives in life, so that’s good! I also read a book that some of my students will be reading this next week. It was a very nice evening for both Hannah and me!

I went down to the gym a bit before 9 to visit with some of our new friends and to pick up Hannah, even though she had called to ask if she could stay longer. It was great to see other students away from school, all fixed up for their night out, and also nice to see parents and other community members. The island has several teams and they choose them in a random way, so some of the boys on opposite teams are brothers! It is a very competitive event, but jovial at the same time! On the way home, Hannah said she was ready for bed, and it took her very little time to announce that she was ready for prayers!!!

On a side note, it is extremely frustrating to STILL not have internet. I have so much more appreciation for the way things in the States are put in place to quickly get things back in working condition after a storm. I know there are times we’ve been without power, cable, and/or internet, but you can always see people working on getting it restored. It’s not that way here. The bank is still closed and people are pretty unaware of how long it will be before the phones and internet are back. Fortunately, yesterday I was able to use the ATM, but the people who used it just before me were not as lucky. Go figure!

At any rate, there is so much to thankful for today. Progress on learning Spanish, finding a place to move into that truly fits our needs (and some of our wants, too!), feeling accepted by people here, hearing my dad’s and my daughter’s voice, having electricity for several days, getting mail, having no rain today…

Thank you, God, for a day full of goodness!

Day Twenty: Almost Normal

Day Twenty (August 25, 2011)

Well, today seemed almost normal. At least for most of the day. I woke up before my alarm with my mind busy on school work. That was normal. We had electricity, too, which was awesome! We went through our now normal morning routine: Mom got breakfast fixed while Hannah prepared lunches and herself for school. We were off to school around 7. School was normal in that we had electricity for the full day and the kids were all there.

Abbie commented, however, that the kids are arriving “late” because most of their parents work for the government and most of the government is still shut down due to the hurricane. I don’t really get it, but that’s the way it works here. The public school is still off, too, but I honestly don’t know why they couldn’t be in school. In any case, some of the parents usually drop off their kids at school around 6:30! Can you imagine how our principals would respond if kids were dropped off an hour and a half before school starts??? As it is, the kids aren’t really coming late; they’re just not arriving as early!

I am truly enjoying my kids. Most of my day is spent with the younger ones and being able to focus on English language skills with the first, third, and fourth grades is wonderful. It’s very different, obviously, than having one grade level, even though I differentiate learning in my classroom, but it’s a magnificent challenge. It is truly pushing me to think through every level of skill it takes for kids to learn to read English. Some of the sounds we have in our language are non-existent in Spanish, so it’s an immense challenge for most of these kids! And many, if not most, have parents who are not fluent in English, so they are not able to give assistance with homework.

Another issue I am becoming painfully aware of is that these little guys are coming into first grade with fewer skills in language than our kids have when they are entering KINDERGARTEN!!! It is so sad. I had been given a heads up that they weren’t really prepared, but have been truly shocked at their lack of readiness. Before becoming a teacher I had such an ignorant view of what takes place in a pre-school setting. After becoming a teacher (especially when I was teaching first grade) I realized the importance of language skill development and how a teacher makes an undeniable difference in that development. With the experience I am having here, it is unmistakable that these children are underserved. It has opened my eyes as to how very important it is for me to be at the top of my game this year in order to help them make the gains they need to make up for that lost time.

On another note, Hannah is experiencing a rather large leap in the amount of homework she is expected to complete. It’s a stretching (but great) experience for her, and Abbie is right on top of things. Hannah is truly getting one-on-one attention and Abbie is great at identifying strengths and weaknesses in her kids’ abilities. That is such a help for Hannah, and something for which I am truly thankful. It’s taking some getting used to for her, but in the long run it will benefit her immensely!

After school today, Hannah met up with her “team” she was grouped with so they could complete a project on the Mayans. She was grouped with some great kids, so I’m sure they’ll have a wonderful product! She seemed to be proud of their work.

Back on the “daily living” front, we still have no internet and the bank on the island (yes, there’s just one bank) is still closed because they have no internet or phone service. Since banking these days is computer/internet based, it really puts a damper on doing business financially! Even the ATM machine isn’t operating. One of the parents from school works for the bank and she told me they’re opening at 7:30 tomorrow morning for a few hours because some people on the island are really struggling due to this situation. Hopefully, it will help ease some hardships. I know I couldn’t cash my paycheck today so I can’t get gas or milk! Not a huge deal, but definitely a hassle!

With all that being said, today I am thankful for a sense of normalcy. Although we still can’t Skype and I can’t post my blog, we have electricity and cell phone service much of the time. Yeah, I lose my phone signal often, but I’ve been able to talk to Stan and my brother, James, and several of my close buds back home, so I’m good.

Thank you, God, for today’s calmness because of so many things being returned to their “normal” setting.  I so deeply appreciate it today!

Day Nineteen

We were eating supper and I asked Hannah what her highlight of the day was. Her response was without hesitation: “I’m so glad the post office was open!” Since we have arrived, she has received a letter or card in the mail several times from several people. Every one of those has been read with great appreciation. She gets SO thrilled to get mail. Maybe one day I’ll get something, too…

She then asked me what my highlight was and my response was just as immediate! “I’m SO thankful we have electricity!” I told her. When it came on this morning at about 3 or 4 o’clock, I jumped out of bed (the lights came on in my bedroom) and ran to plug in my phone and laptop for re-charging! I breathed a sigh of relief that maybe our groceries would not spoil after all. I knew that today I would probably be able to talk to my husband, whom I miss terribly. Plus that, we wouldn’t be in the dark at school today and with electricity I would be able to use the keyboard for music class. Yes, with electricity there was so much to be thankful for.

At school, today seemed to be the day the kids’ lights came on with the routine. Students waited just outside my door until they were asked to come in; homework assignments were put on my stool at the front of the classroom; hands were raised (well, much of the time); and many students answered with their words rather than just shaking or nodding their heads.

After school I worked for a while as Hannah completed her homework and then we headed to the grocery store (and the post office!) in search of non-spoiled milk. All we could find on the island was a half-gallon of Lactaid for $5.99. I think we’ll be going easy on the milk this week!!!

As we were paying for our milk, it was so wonderful to have my phone ring and see my husband’s name show up! Then less than an hour later my brother’s name. Then a text from a dear friend. As I was hanging up, I realized the icon for voice mail is showing there are seven messages that must have come in while the phone service was down. I’m looking forward to listening to the voices of my wonderful friends and family after Hannah is in bed.

Today, there is much to be thankful for. It seems, though, that it boils down to the love that’s coming our way. Thank you, God, for those moments we get to hear the voices of people we love and miss!

Days Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen

Sunday morning it was my goal to watch Westwinds live but as it turned out we finally got to Skype with Hope. It was grand to catch up with her, especially since she just got back from South Africa, where I lived for three years! We were also able to Skype with Stan, so we missed Westwinds.

After lunch we headed to school to work for a bit and learned that we were in store for a tropical storm that was headed for us from the St. Croix area. It wasn’t supposed to be too terrible, but figured that we’d probably lose power and maybe internet. Abbie told us if we felt uncomfortable we could come out to their place, which is concrete and hurricane-proof. Our house is wood and up on a hill out in the open; a ready target for hurricane winds.

 As the day wore on, Tropical Storm Irene became more and more nasty-looking. We did, in fact, lose power just after I found out on the internet that our status had changed from a tropical storm to a hurricane. Plus that, the direction of the hurricane changed at the last minute and Culebra ended up being hardest hit from it. We hurried up and  closed all the windows and most of the hurricane shutters. We lit candles and sat at the table playing Rummy with the new deck of cards we bought in Fajardo yesterday. Then we got a call from Billy saying he wanted us to come off the hill and out to their place, and to do it right away while we had the chance. I was trying to be calm and talk about our “adventure” to Hannah, while inside I was freaking out.

We drove through the pouring rain and driving wind out to Abbie and Billie’s. Hannah had a bite to eat and they offered me something as well, but frankly, I was too preoccupied with the storm to be interested in food. Their house is well-equipped with a huge generator that could probably power the entire island, They also have a house they built as a mother-in-law house that someone is currently renting from them, but is away for now, so they let us sack out there. There were two beds in a really big bedroom, so there was plenty of room, but Hannah looked at me with a kind of look on her face that told me she preferred to share my bed, so that’s what we did. She fell asleep pretty quickly, but the storm was literally the most violent I have ever experienced. It sounded several times during the night as though a low-flying jet was just overhead and coming right for us. The winds were relentless, as was the rain. I think I got a couple of hours of sleep, and even that wasn’t sound.

In the morning, we realized the rain had somehow gotten inside the concreted structure and we had half a bucket of water by the time it was all cleaned up. We were anxious to head back to our place to be sure everything was intact, so after Billy checked to make sure the roads were passable, we set off. He told us there were several places where the road was flooded but that if we just keep going through it, slowly and steadily, we’d be okay. We stopped on our way to check the school and besides a few limbs down everything looked good. Even the classrooms that are most vulnerable were in great shape. We didn’t have school, though, since there was so much damage on the island in general.

Driving to the top of the hill was a bit nerve-wracking, with the debris in the road from the storm, but we made it just fine. A tree had fallen on the fence, knocking part of it down and several branches were strewn around the yard, but there was no major damage.

The biggest problem was that everything was soaked. Hannah’s room had more water in it than we had back at Abbie’s, so we had to move most of the furniture out and then use a mop to literally push the water out. The water had seeped through the floor into the main living area, so the large area rug was soaked. A couple of screens had blown out of the windows and across to the far end of the porch, and the cushions on the furniture had all gotten wet, too. We had no electricity, so I was concerned about the welfare of all the groceries we had just purchased in Fajardo.

Eventually the rugs were all moved were moved out to the deck railing so they could dry whenever the rain really stopped. We cooked dinner of chicken and chick peas, put some dish soap in the dishes and washed them in the rain. Exhausted, I went to bed at 8:30. The power did come on for a while, but I had no cell phone or internet service. It’s crazy how dependent I have become on them both!

This morning (it’s Tuesday) we had school, although we had no power. We sat in our classrooms in semi-darkness and had a modified day. A few of our students weren’t here, but most were and they seemed happy to be back in the routine.

News travels quickly on this little island because of the small population and everyone being connected so closely. At the beginning of the school day we had been told to expect the power to come for a few hours and then they would shut it down and make it available to Vieques, another (and larger) island nearby.

At the end of the school day, however, we were told we may not get it for five or six days. I was planning what to cook in order for our food to not spoil! I also cleaned the shower here at Abbie’s school so Hannah and I would be able to use it since we have no water when we have no power at Nadeen’s house. Hannah was at a classmate’s house working on a project, so it was the perfect time to get it ready for her.

Imagine my delight and surprise when, as I was sitting in my dim classroom after showering, the lights came on!! Yay!!! I sprang for my phone and computer to plug them in to charge!! As soon as the phone made its welcoming ding, I called Stan to let him know we (temporarily at least) have some means of communication.

So here I sit, writing this while I have the chance. I did take some pictures, but I’m going to get this off while I have the chance and share pictures later.

Please pray for us. This adventure is really hard and seems to get way overwhelming at times. I told one of my students today, though, when she was complaining about something hard, that some things are a “good hard” and some things are a “bad hard.” This is a “good hard.” It doesn’t always feel like it, but I know it is.

Thank you, God, for reminding me that You are in control. Thank you for keeping us safe. Thank you for the people in my life who support us and love us unconditionally.

Day Fifteen and a bit: There's a Storm a-Comin'!

Well, I guess we may have our first tropical storm experience today or tonight!


http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/flt/t2/flash-ir4.html

This link will take you to a satellite picture of what's going on here at the moment. Look for the rectangular shaped island, which is the main island of Puerto Rico. The small narrow one just to the right of it is Vieques, and the little one just to the north and east of that is Culebra! 

http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at201109_alerts.html

This link will show you that we're currently under a tropical storm warning (Irene). 

I just got a call from Billy wondering if we need any help getting things move in away from the storm. He said it looks as though it will hit us later today, but it's hard to say how strong it will be. We're going to move all the furniture and Nadeen's plants inside so they're not blown around, as they could do lots of damage to the house and make a mess.

Thanks for praying for us! I guess this is another challenge for us to face and conquer!


UPDATE:  We have a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning, according to Weather.com


http://www.weather.com/newscenter/tropical/

Day Fifteen: A Successful Day in Fajardo!!

Remember Day Four?? Boy, I do. Not fondly, either.

We have discovered that groceries here on the island are expensive and often unavailable. So it’s typical for residents to take a trip to the main island for groceries once a month or so. They take the 6 a.m. ferry with a cooler on wheels and a little metal cart (I’ve seen elderly people back home using them) and stock up on as much as they can. Then they return on the 3:00 ferry. Most people, when the subject comes up, say, “Oh, I HATE taking the ferry! It’s SUCH a long day!”

However, Hannah and I decided that if we’re going to be living on the “Abbie’s School salary” (as I have dubbed it) we need to jump on board the monthly trip thing and be frugal! Unfortunately, we didn’t have a cooler OR a little metal cart, so we started at square one today!

We got to the ticket window at the ferry dock and I semi-confidently asked for “resident” round trip tickets. I felt a little bit proud that I could say that! We’re not just tourists; we’re really living here! The woman behind the glass smiled at us as she printed our tickets and we headed up to the outside seating area.

Hannah and Ashley on the trip to Fajardo

 Once we got settled, Hannah noticed that another student from Abbie’s School was on board! She went over and greeted Ashley and the two of them spent most of the trip chatting and listening to music, but all within my view. It was so wonderful to see Hannah interacting positively with a classmate already. I chatted with Ashley’s mom a little bit and the trip seemed to be over in a jiffy!

We had no trouble at all getting a Publico (pronounced: POO-blee-koh) to take us to the shopping center for a mere six bucks! Once we were there, we started looking for things on our list. We started with the cooler because I wanted to be sure we had that and the cart for the trip home. We eventually discovered that there wasn’t a store in the shopping center that had what we were looking for. I could feel the tension in my neck start to rise. We had purchased a cart FULLY of groceries and school supplies, so not having a cart would be a huge dilemma. We found out there was a very good chance another store, just about two miles away had one, so Hannah sat on a bench with our new cooler and a grocery cart full of groceries while I took another Publico to another store! I was imagining Hannah being anxious and nervous about her mother leaving her in this strange place around people she can’t understand. I asked the driver to wait for me and I literally ran into the store. After two non-English-speaking employees, I found one who took me directly to the carts. I hugged him.

When we returned to the spot where I had left Hannah she was perfectly content! So we promptly put together our newest purchase right there in front of the store and loaded it up with our cans and jars and such. Then we decided it was time for lunch!!!

After lunch we finished our shopping and waited for our Publico driver to return for us at the appointed time of 2:00. When 2:00 had come and gone I decided to take whatever Publico would drive us to the port, so we caught a ride with the next driver who came along and made it to the ferry dock in plenty of time with all our goods in tow.

Annabel and Hannah with the New Puppy!

 After settling in on the ferry we realized that not only was Ashley on the return trip with us, but Annabel was on, too! And she had gotten a sweet new puppy!! As you can see, it’s a tiny thing and Hannah was immediately mesmerized by it. She and Annabel doted over it most of the way back, and Ashley joined them toward the end after she had taken a nap. Annabel is new to Abbie’s School this year and speaks just about as much English as we speak Spanish, so we all decided that was a perfect fit! We can help each other learn the language!!!

Annabel, Hannah, and Ashley on the Return Trip

The Girls Enjoying the New Puppy and Ashley's dog

When we got close to the island, Hannah came back and sat with me and commented that she was really glad to be back “home” and was thankful we don’t have to make that trip again for a while. I had to agree with that! But she also “high-fived” me for the successful trip!

Cards at Abbie and Billy's house
(Abbie's standing)

We got back to the house, showered to cool off, and got it ready to “bomb” with a flea killer because I think the cat has brought in uninvited guests who bite our legs mercilessly! Since we had an invitation to a get-together at Abbie and Billy’s house, we ate a quick supper and got ready to set off the “bomber” and leave for a few hours. When we returned later tonight, we were greeted with NO bugs!!! Except for the mosquitoes, of course!!!

Hannah then fell into bed and I’m on my way there!

Thank you, God, for a day of challenges that ended in successes!!!

Day Fourteen: Our First Friday Trip to the Beach

Today was the last day of our first week of school. Whew!

Fridays at Abbie’s school are pretty much like the rest of the week except that at 10:30 we will break off into research teams. As research teams we will be studying the rain forest. My team is focusing on the people and their cultures along with the products they make from resources in the rain forest. A pretty cool aspect of this is that there are kids from every grade level in each of the three groups we have. Abbie leads the group that is focusing on the waters (rivers, waterfalls, etc., and the animals that live in them), Lisa leads one that is focusing on the plants/trees and animals).

Cooling Off After a Long Week

Abbie and Kiddos!

Once we’ve met together for about an hour, we then head out to the beach, where we spend two hours, and then at 1:30 the kids are released for the weekend. Not a bad way to end the school week, huh???

Ready to Skim Board

Andres on the Skim Board

Danny on the Skim Board

Hannah and Friends at Tamarindo

Now, you may have in your head that this is not a very educational way to end the week! Au contraire!!! 

Today at the beach the kids learned about being careful around stingrays and they caught a jellyfish. They learned then that jellyfish are 95% water! One of our little guys saw some fish through his little goggles he had never seen before, which is something you just can’t learn in a classroom. In addition to the obvious wealth of experiences kids can have from the life that teems in the ocean, they also have a chance for more development in their interpersonal and physical skills. The older ones interact with the younger ones, several of the kids have skim boards, which they use and share with other students, and one of the girls has a birthday tomorrow, so her mom brought a wonderful birthday cake to share with us. It was very cool to hear the Puerto Rican/Culebrense version of “Happy Birthday”!!! I’m hoping to learn it and bring it back to teach to my future classes! J Won’t that be fun?

Some Non-Swimmers!

Helena and Lisa (Student and Parent/Teacher)
with Cedric Being Silly

Cedric

Ashley and Luce

Hangin' Out!

We then took home the students we had driven to the beach in our vehicle and headed down to see some folks who had told me about a possible place Hannah and I could live in when we need to move from Nadeen’s house at the end of October. Unfortunately, I know the living situation is going to really be a stressor for me until we have something set up. If it were just for me, it wouldn’t be a big deal, but since Hannah is going to be affected by it, it’s an important and major piece to have in place.  I’ll also need to make a decision about whether we’ll need a car. Where we end up living will make a big difference in that verdict, so it’s just an added pressure I’m feeling.

At any rate, we looked at a couple of places. One was about the size of our bedroom and is only one main room and a bathroom that you practically have to stand sideways in to get anywhere. The price was right, but Hannah and I would have to share a double bed that’s in the living room. Don’t think that’s going to fly. The other one we looked at is up for sale and it’s far from town, so we’d need a car. However, the view is AMAZING!!!! The house is tiny but could be managed…we’ll see. Hopefully, God will just drop something in our laps, just as He did with the place we’re in now! (Please, God, make it happen soon!!!) Sounds a little like “House Hunters International”, doesn’t it??

When we finished we came home and took badly needed showers and then headed back into town so Hannah could experience dinner at Mamacita’s. As it turned out, Tom, a waiter there, has been looking for a place and found one, but he has lots of leads on others that might be available for us!  He’s going to email his leftovers on Monday! Yay! Let’s hope one of them is just perfect for the two of us!

Hannah quickly got herself ready for bed and urged me to come in and pray with her, as she’s pooped! Plus that, we’re going to make a trip to the main island tomorrow (see Day Four), so she’s needs to be rested!!!

It seems like most days when I Skype Stan he tells me about someone he’s talked with someone who has been keeping tabs on us through the blog. I feel so perked up when I hear that. I know that the things I share make everything sound wonderful and glorious, but to be very honest, I am often very lonely. I can certainly relate now to folks who leave their family and friends and come to the States speaking another language. There is isolation when you can’t communicate with the local people. There is frustration and sometimes fear in not knowing what is and isn’t culturally acceptable in certain situations. It really keeps me going to know that this is truly a wonderful opportunity and my friends and family are praying for us and encouraging us. I also hold on to the fact that this is giving Hannah experiences that will shape her in a positive way for the rest of her life.

Today, I am thankful for the beauty of the island, for the jellyfish the kids found, and for Hannah finding that she really likes Mahi-Mahi!! Thank you, God, for this place. Thank you for this time.

Day Thirteen: New Gifts and Twenty Minutes

Flowers from our yard that Hannah picked last night. Aren't they beautiful??

This morning was definitely better than yesterday morning! 

We were headed off to school very shortly after 7 a.m. so this mom was so much more at ease than yesterday! And with our new gifts ready to present to the kids, I was pretty excited, too.

Sophia - First Grade

Riccardo - First Grade

The little guys today were getting tired about an hour into the day, which is typical for the first week of school. I know I’d be feeling tired with all the things I’ve been giving them! However, they were totally stoked about their new things for school! I was a little surprised that the thing they seemed most excited about was the notebook paper! The boxes of 24 crayons were a pretty close runner-up, though, and they quickly asked what they needed to do to use them. They worked on making an “I Like” book, and the crayons were put to good use! It was adorable to watch them carefully remove one crayon from the box at a time and then replace it just as gently so it wouldn’t get broken. We have a special place to store our supplies, and each child watched to make sure I took care in putting them in the proper place.

Our Most Senior Student!

It was the three oldest students who were especially appreciative of the notebook paper, because they got to take notes on loose-leaf paper rather than just in their composition notebooks. They needed a sheet of paper to fold into thirds in our Sociology class so it was just the ticket! They meticulously wrote the information down in the proper column and then placed it inside their composition notebook for safe keeping when we were done. Each one thanked me at the end of our class.

Buddies, Danny and Pedro

My Thursday schedule ends at lunch time, so I stuck around for lunch, did some work to be ready for our first Friday, and after thinking about it, I decided this would be a perfect time for some alone “me” time. Next Thursday I’ll be starting someone on piano lessons, so this may be my only available time! I did get gas, which is worthy of a fuller description than I care to give tonight, but I’ll save the gas station details for another night! There is a cute little restaurant along the water’s edge in town where boaters can bring in their dinghy and then have a meal and/or beverage. This is also the place where the band plays on weekends and is probably the most recommended place on the island. So I headed to Mamacita’s, sat at a table near the water and just relaxed for about twenty minutes. It was splendid!

One of the Grocery Stores on the Island -
Probably Hannah's Favorite!

I went back to pick up Hannah and actually ended up working with Abbie and Lisa for a short bit. Then Hannah and I headed back to town to check the mail and pick up a few groceries before we came home. When we pulled up to park I noticed the bakery was open (most stores are open sometimes and closed others, if you get my drift) so we stopped in and picked up a great big loaf of freshly baked bread. It smelled so delicious we ended up eating half the loaf as our supper!!! (We did add a bit of cheese and some grapes, too.)

After supper I received a call from a friend on my new phone. Then I realized that although I thought I had lost all my contacts, she showed up! Of course I had to figure out why this happened and soon realized that now my phone is synced to my contacts via wireless internet connection so there are only a few that I’m missing. How cool is THAT??

I’m so pleased to be able to share with you pictures of some of our students today! They are each so precious and some have quite a difficult life situation yet are determined to make the most of their educational opportunity.

Zelin - First Grade

Thank you, God, for new crayons and paper and all of the wonderful goodies people sent to us! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to see first-hand the joy on those kids’ faces today. And thank you, too, for that twenty minutes to myself!!