A typical day in the life

5:00am: Rooster(s) crowing loudly
5:15am: Me thinking about shooting a rooster
5:30am: I fall back asleep
7:00am: I actually wake up

I groggily throw the covers over my head as a few girls bustle in and out of the bathroom, getting ready for the day. Some are brave enough to take a cold morning shower but often I can only bring myself to stick my hair under the faucet (and end up taking showering in the afternoons or evenings). I try and find a suitable teacher outfit and usually have to steal a slip from B across the hall (she is very generous). Half of the girls are already downstairs grabbing some coffee or going to the rectory for a quick breakfast. I am in the second shift of girls and usually miss breakfast.

7:30
Uh oh. I need to dry my hair FAST.

7:45
I need to leave but I'm not ready yet.

7:50
Leaving.
We walk to school---down the clay road, and up the main road then across the basketball court and up another road. We take a right, and the school is on our left.

8:00
Sign-in to the attendance log, slip through the teacher's lounge, thank God that I have my own office and race up the stairs. I open my office grab the key for the chapel and open up the chapel. As I travel the campus and climb the stairs there are "Morning", "Morning, Miss," "Good morning". When I get up to the second floor the first form girls cry out "Good morning, tia!" (Good morning aunt). I reply, "Good morning mis sobrinas!" and they usually giggle at my Spanish-attempt.

8:30-9:30



Plan out the week:
-Figure out which homeroom is doing Mass on Friday and print out a sign-up sheet and readings for the class.
-Print out adoration schedule for teacher's lounge
-Remind teachers that have adoration today of the time
-Go to the teacher's classroom at the adoration time to remind them
-Figure out which class is schedule for confession after Mass on Friday
-Get adoration meditation stuff together
-Go over notes for teaching Sacraments class this afternoon

9:30-11:30
(Adoration scheduled throughout the day)

Learn song on guitar or pick out songs that the students can sing with me
Pick some good songs from my laptop to play for them
Read reflection or make one myself based on Sunday's readings
Have them write down petitions/reflections/or have silent prayer




11:40
Lunch (YES!)

Go to the rectory (hopefully with other volunteers) and eat some salad, chicken, rice and beans, and maybe freshly baked bread or tortillas. Sip some instant coffee with cinnamon and sugar (be careful with the cinnamon though because if you hit it too hard it will pour out!)

12:10-1:00

Tie up loose ends. If there is a retreat on Friday, make sure we get in a meeting and remind speakers/participants. Print out and pass out retreat invitations to kids. Make a checklist of things to bring on the retreat so I don't forget. Activities for retreat????

Scan over music for class (if it is Tuesday or Friday) and play on piano. Remind myself to give Jugs if I need to.

A student might come in at some point in the day to chat about anything from Justine Bieber to serious family issues or school problems. This is when I get to grow closer to students and begin to understand their struggles.

1:00pm
Music class with boys. Are they angels today or crazies? One student loves Lady Gaga and shows me a picture of her after prefacing it with "Want to see my girlfriend?" We pray for Lady Gaga's conversion. Boys touch the keyboard and I threaten with a JUG (detention type thing) after school. I count seconds and keep them after class for that many seconds.



1:10pm
"W, sit down!" "R, stop touching the keys!" "Ro pay attention. Stand up! Everyone needs to be standing with their feet shoulder width apart!"
"Miss, I don't like this song."
"Me either. Let's sing that other one."
"The piano is out again."
"Can you check the chord?"
"Ro, you are standing on the chord."
"Look, if I hold it, it stays on."
"Then you can hold it I guess."

1:20pm
Singing. They sound pretty good. Aw, they're so cute. This is so great they are singing and it's wonderful and...

"Iz, why are you at the window? You need to be standing over here."
(Shoots me a grin). W stands on a chair.
"W, get off the chair." (He gets off)
(Grins)
"Boys, we need to be practicing!" (Mentally tell myself I need to be more strict) "Boys, do you want me to send you to Miss M [the dean]?"
"Noooo."
"Good. Pay attention and stop being ridiculous."

1:40pm
"LaaaAAaaa-laaaa-laaAAAaaaa-laaa-laaaa"
(Random boy from a different elective class walks in)
"Why are you here?" -Me
"I got kicked out of my class."
"Well, why do you think you can come in here?"
"Uh..."
"Okay. Goodbye! Everyone wave bye!!"
"Byeee" - the boys in class
(Random student leaves).



1:50pm
Bell rings.

"Wait boys, we have 2minutes and 32s seconds of silence."

1:51pm
Silence. (Or if someone talks we add on seconds)

1:52.5
"Alright, get out of here. "

I have also recently adopted the "kick-them-out-of-class-if-they-are-over-the-top" mentality and will be using that much more frequently next semester.

K and W grab the piano and help me bring it up to the second floor for the girls class in classroom 2C.

2:00pm

"Ladies! LADIES! Class is starting!"
Girls trickle in. (Remind myself to be more strict)
"We are going to pray now!"
We say prayer.

2:05pm



"Miss, which song are we doing today? Do we have a quiz?"

I might end up teaching music theory if I did it with the boys. On those days we do half music theory and half singing. Let's pretend I was teaching theory.

2:10pm

"So which note is this?"
"A half note."
"Good. What is this?"
"A time signature."
"Good. Which note is this?"
"A whole note."
"No, I mean which note as in the letter of the note."
"A!"
"No..."
"C!"
"No..."
"D!"
"No..."
"E!"
"No...look at your notes! Remember the lines?"
"...G!"
"Yes! Good. You all need to look at your notes though."

2:25pm
Start singing. The girls sound pretty good.

"Good!"
About five girls are starting to chat and are trying to slip away from the group.
"Girls, you need to be SINGING."
They barely move their mouths.
Sigh.

2:35pm
We are trying to do two-part harmony and we are almost there but not quite. We repeat.

2:40pm
The announcements cut in.
"GooOOOod AfternOOooon. Please listen for today's anounncements."
Of course we can barely hear anything because the speaker in this room is remarkably quiet and the girls are remarkably chatty.
"Girls, quiet down so we can hear the announcements."
Bell rings. Cheers heard throughout the school.

3:00pm
Sacraments class if it is Monday in my office otherwise, talking with students or just relaxing.

3:45pm
Hang out with students after school or relax. If it is Thursday we have a staff meeting.

5:00pm
I'm hungry.

5:30pm
"Anyone want to go to dinner?" A few of us walk to the rectory for dinner.

6:30pm
I either chat with volunteers or head over to adoration.

7:00pm
Mass

8:00pm
Go home! Yay!

8:30
Hanging out at our house. Some people are grading or venting or just talking.

9:30-10:pm
Sleep.
:)

The town where we live

"Our senses themselves are dumb. They take in experience, but they need the richness of sitting for a while through our consciousness and through our whole bodies...Maybe Away from Paris I could write about Paris as in Paris I can write about Michigan."

-Writing Down the Bones

_______________________________________________________________________



The Beauty of Belize
Part I

I was greatly inspired after watching the movie "The Human Experience" this Christmas weekend (I highly recommend it---it is now on DVD). It follows a few different young men as they travel the world to better understand the unity between all human persons, the beauty of life, suffering of life, and the purpose of life. As I was watching this movie with my family this evening, I was moved to write about Belize. I would like to reflect on the beauty of Belize, its culture, and people in a few different posts while I am home.

When first arriving in Belize, immediately I noticed the green palm trees that were absolutely everywhere. It was gorgeous! The greens were lush and the landscape was unlike anything I had ever seen. We were in a whirlwind through Belize, squeezed into a white van and bumping through the rural landscapes. I saw cows, sheep, more palm trees, simple colorful houses, dirt roads, people on the side of the road waiting for buses, and fruit stands. My favorite part of the drive through Belize came up as we were suddenly confronted by incredible mountains and hills. Sheep were grazing and hill after hill was rolling. It reminded me of the Gospels when Jesus would sit upon green hills and preach the Beatitudes or parables. I imagined myself sitting upon a summit, pondering life and praying. It was stunning. In between the views, new and old volunteers told stories and reminisced or described families. I noticed, to my discomfort, that seat belts were not a primary concern in this van but was again distracted by the scenery and new faces.





Benque, the town where we live, is simple and lovely because it has found its way into our hearts. The streets are made of a white and grayish clay that is quite fluffy beneath ones sandals. However, it is a dangerous path after rain. I can vividly recall five of us girls walking to the school on a weekend after it had rained. I remember a girl up ahead of me saying, "Should we go a different way?" and three of us agreed that we were fine. About one minute later I felt a little heavier but ignored it. About a minute and a half later I noticed that my sandals were sticking to the clay. Two minutes past and I find that my sandals are becoming quite heavy as I call out, "Girls, I'm having trouble walking,". When I look up, I notice that some girls have taken off their flip-flops or have walked to the side of the road. I am now "the one that fell behind" as I stare down at my flip-flops that have assumed a shape like two clay boats. It reminded me of those boat shoes that Da Vinci is wearing in "Ever After" when Drew Barrymore is floating on her back in that river. After quite a bit of struggle, we trampled over into a man's yard who had turned on his water to help us out. He must have chuckled when he saw a bunch of "gringas" with shoes eaten by clay and our legs and feet covered in the grey road. We stuck our feet and flip flops under the faucet. He was a wonderful, kind, older gentleman that rescued us from the "quick sand" of our own road.

An Appeal to Generosity

Greetings from Rhode Island!

I have returned stateside (I just recently learned this phrase and I like it) and am enjoying the little luxuries of home, the comfort of family, and the laughter that comes with seeing much-missed-friends! However, I have also found myself in need of funds in order to return to Belize next semester. I was made aware of this a few weeks before the end of the semester. It was a bit of a blow but I thought and prayed about it for a while. I was strongly considering staying home this semester and getting a job because of the lack of money even though I hated the idea of leaving these kids half way through the year. Fr. M (the priest in charge of the volunteers) told me that he wants me to come back and to assume I'm coming back.

Fr. M along with Mr. R (principal) want to fund-raise for me. However, I would still like to ask you all if you are able to give to please email me at bdeacutis@gmail.com because any amount will help to lighten their load. Honestly, any amount is helpful from $5, $10, $20...anything! I know it is so difficult right now with money (economy, holidays, etc.) and that is why I have waited a few weeks before asking. Please keep me in your prayers and thank you for your support!!

-Bethany

Survival

I survived the 1st form boys retreat.

Actually, the retreat went very well---much better than anticipated. When I passed out the retreat invitations on Wednesday I felt like I was in a jungle: hands and arms flying from every angle and waving in front of my face, wildly grasping for the pieces of paper in my hand. I believed this to be a foreshadowing of the retreat.

The theme was the same as the 2nd form boys retreat: “Be Not Afraid”. We set up stations this time because there were 73 boys (!) and Fr. Mark suggested the idea to make it easier to contain them all. Two stations had teachers giving talks and the third station was futbol (soccer). My group was terrible for the first talk but by the third station (last talk) they were great. We had time for anonymous questions and they asked some really great ones. Most of them consisted of questions about love, girls, and sex. The boys were wonderfully quiet during adoration and Mass. The two most beautiful part of the day was that boys were going to confession throughout the entire two hours it was available. One student would be coming back from it and the next one was walking out. At communion, almost all of the students received (normally only half or less do). It was awesome to see these guys receiving the sacraments!

It must have been all the prayers =)

Here are some pictures from the first form girl's retreat the week before:

Miss Betsy

The Panel (Miss Katie, Me, Mr. Tom, Miss Betsy)


Students outside of the retreat center

Flashbacks

I had a terrible flashback to my sophomore year high school Spanish class the other day. I remember my young, straight-from-Spain teacher who tried her best to get us interested in Spanish. She was not always strict enough with us and I always wondered why some of the kids were so rude to her...and why I didn't always take her seriously enough. Then I realized...I am sort of like this teacher now! The "foreign"-doesn't-completely-know-how-to-properly-discipline-teenage boys-while-teaching-music. How humbling. Isn't life funny?

And maybe when I go home and I sing in my church choir again at some point I won't talk when Mike is teaching the soprano or tenor part. Maybe.

Next semester: Miss Bethany... also known as that insane, dictator, music teacher. The students will be saying "What happened? She was so much easier before."

Behold you are Beautiful, my Love

Trying to get stricter with my boys. I made the unfortunate and common first-time-teaching mistake of being too soft in the beginning and trying to crack down months later. Alas, I am still learning.


Yesterday was first form girls retreat. Our theme was "Behold, you are beautiful, my love" from Song of Songs. We focused on authentic beauty and split up into three "stations" where we gave talks on different aspects of beauty and life. Miss Betsy spoke about the beauty of healthy relationships with friends and with guys. I spoke about internal and external beauty, focusing on Blessed Mother, modesty and the beauty of innocence. Miss Katie gave a testimony/talk on Christ and the beauty of our friendship with Him. Then we had a special guest appearance by their favorite teacher, Mr. Tom. They are all in love with him and when he showed up to do his talk they were all cheering and squealing...it was pretty entertaining. He spoke about the love he had for his sisters growing up and that they should always remember that they are precious and worth waiting for. It had a special quality coming from a man. Finally, we had a panel where the girls could ask anonymous questions which ranged from: "How do I know if a boy really loves me?" "Is it a sin to be a different religion?" to "Can I have a date with Mr. Tom? Where and when?"

(view from Chapel Hill - retreat center)

We always end the day with adoration, confession, and Mass. It was a good day, but definitely exhausting. I think the repetition of our talks (we had to do them three times each) was the most tiring. Mr. Tom said he spoke with some of the girls at lunch and they were touched by our talks. Hopefully they were moved by something, even if we are just planting seeds. Next week is first form boys retreat...God help us all.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about Belize
I took this from my friend Dave's blog. I thought you would all find it interesting!

Is Belize its own country? Where is Belize?
Yes, Belize is its own country as of September 21, 1981. It was formerly known as British Honduras when it was a British territory. It is located in Central America. It borders the Caribbean Sea to the east, Guatemala to the west and south, and Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula to the north.



Where do you live in Belize?

I live two hours from the coast on the border of Guatemala and Belize in a small town of about 11,000 people called Benque Viejo del Carmen.

What language do they speak in Belize?
Because of its British influence, the official language in Belize is English. It is the language that everything is taught in at school. However, most Belizeans' first language is Spanish. In Benque Viejo del Carmen, I speak with all of my students in English, however, most of my students speak Spanish to each other and with their families.

First Language:
Spanish 50%
Kriol 37%
English 5.6%
Garifuna 5%
Maya: Kekchi, Mopan, Yucateco 5%
German 3%
Chinese .8%

What are the primary ethnicities in Belize?

The primary ethnicity in Belize are the Mestizo who are the descendants of Amerindians and the Spanish. The Kriol are the next highest ethnicity who are the descendants of African slaves and their British owners.

Mestizo 34%
Kriol 25%
Spanish 15%
Mayan 11%
Garinagu 6%
Mennonite 3%
Other 6%
-East Indians
-Chinese
-Taiwanese
-Lebanese

Is it really poor down there?

Yes. Belize is way poorer than you would think. There are many shacks and shanties that are very dilapidated. And yet it's not as poor as you would think. It depends from house to house and family to family. Most houses are in good condition, however you will see that 34%-58% of homes are indeed in poverty. Most do have running water and most do have electricity, but there are many that do not. In Belize, you can see a family of four living in literally a huge mansion or you can see a family of fourteen living in a two-room half-outside half-inside wooden shack in the same town. The latter is probably more likely though.

What religions are in Belize?

80% Christian
- 50% Catholic
- 29% Protestant
--Pentecostal 7.4%
--Anglicans 5.3%
--Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%
--Mennonite 4.1%
--Baptist 3.5%
--Methodist 3.5%
10% Other
-Jehovah Witness
-Mormon
-Hindus
-Muslim
-Ba’hai
-Rastafari
10% Non-believers


What is the culture like?
Belize has a very interesting culture. It is a mixture of Caribbean, Latino, and Mayan culture. It is a very laid-back machismo culture that realizes spending time in the present with individuals is more important than meeting deadlines and making appointments. The family is very central to Belizean life, however, often due to problems with male servant leadership families are divided and split up. Traditions and rituals are considered very important. In general, there are a not a lot of opportunities past high school and so there can be a lack of educational and occupational drive. The people are very, very friendly and have an excellent sense of humor.

How did you hear about Belize?

I am good friends with one of the missionaries and he told me about it. I was interviewing for jobs and Belize kept on coming up in my mind and heart. I prayed and thought about it for a while and realized that I believed God was asking me to come here and serve.

What organization do you work for?

I work with a religious order called the Society of Our Lady of the Trinity (SOLT) which was founded in 1958 by Fr. James Flanagan. The goal of the order is to model the relationship of Mary with each person of the Trinity through the different vocations who work on ecclesial teams of priests, brothers, sisters, deacons, SOLT families, and SOLT lay single people. The Belize mission was started in 1967.

What do you do for the mission?
I teach high school sophomores (2nd form) boys and girls singing/music theory twice a week and I am the campus minister. I plan retreats, organize confession and adoration schedules, lead adoration, lead RCIA/sacraments classes,

How much do you get paid?
I am provided with food and housing. Besides that I am a volunteer teacher who earns a weekly stipend of US$17.50 or BZ$35.

What do you eat?
A very basic diet of rice, beans, eggs, and tortillas. Some days we will have ground beef, chicken, soup, or beef chunks.




Are there other volunteers with you?
Currently there are 11 other American and 1 Canadian volunteer teachers ranging from the ages of 20-30. Some teach English, Math, Religion, Science, and Music.

How many students do you teach and what do you specifically teach?
I teach 29 students total (9 boys and 20 girls). I teach music theory (notes, key signature, time signature, timing, and I'm trying to teach the circle of fifths right now) and singing. We work on choral pieces, simple hymns, pop songs, or Christmas music.

What are the students like?
A lot of them are coming from broken homes and/or very tough cultural, financial, familial, and personal problems. Yet the students are very child-like with a very funny sense of humor. They are very loving and they thirst for the truth of faith, hope, and love.




Is it safe where you live?
It depends. For the most part, yes. However, there have been some dangerous incidents but those seem to occur very late at night on the weekends. We tend to stay put in the evenings.

Is it really hot in Belize?
Yes, absolutely. It is around 85-95 degrees every day with humidity in the 70%-85% range. The sun is much more direct in Belize and it is not uncommon to be sweating constantly.

What do you do during your free time?
What free time? Ha! Everyday we wake up, walk to school which starts at 8 AM. After school we usually stick around and watch volleyball, basketball, or soccer games, staff meeting, or I have my RCIA class or Handmaidens (girls group). We head to dinner at 5PM, have Eucharistic Holy Hour at 6PM, Mass at 7PM, head home at 8PM, rest and relax and maybe do more work or relax by watching a movie, talking, playing cards, or something else. On the weekends, we either clean the house, do laundry, play sports, watch a movie, go out to eat (Chinese food or Benny's, a favorite restaurant of ours), once in a while we travel, go to the market, grade, prepare for future classes, etc...

Do you like it?
Yes I definitely like it. It is a wonderful job but it is very challenging and it has forced me to step out of my comfort zone in many ways!

When the Holy Spirit is in Charge

The month of November has been quite busy so far. We have had two retreats this month: third form girls and boys. Both retreats were centered on the theme "Abba, Father" as we looked at our earthly fathers, our relationships with them, the goodness and the imperfections of earthly fathers, and God the Father as the greatest example and the perfection of "Father". It was a very powerful retreat.

The morning started out with an icebreaker and staff introductions. We had students do impressions of staff members and the rest of us had to guess which teacher it was (this part is always entertaining). Next, we had a panel where staff told anecdotes about times they have experienced God the Father. The stories were really amazing and each one was unique with its own twist. At one point there was a pause after the teachers told their stories and I felt moved (Holy Spirit!) to ask if any students wanted to come up and share. After a few minutes, one of the students stood up and came over. She told a story about struggling with loneliness in her faith---she would often go to the chapel alone and wanted her brothers to be with her. Tears starting coming down her cheeks and as soon as that happened I started to other girls crying and I started to tear up as well. She explained that one day she was comforted by God the Father in that chapel and she did not feel as alone. Great side-note: her brothers are now part of a young men's group on campus here that seeks to grow closer to God ("Knights of the Immaculate").

Miss Lucia gave a short talk on what it means to be a daughter of God. She shared with us a struggle she had in high school and how she ran to her father and cried all over his shirt. She was so upset that all of this gook was coming out of her nose and she was ruining her dad's shirt but he said "I don't care, Lucia," and he kept on hugging her. She experienced God the Father's love through her own father. Her story was making me cry too! It was an emotional day.

We later performed a skit suggested to me by one of the SOLT candidates, Nick, who helps out on retreats. He is a huge help to me because he has had a lot of experience putting on retreats for teenagers. He always has great ideas. The skit was called the "Baggage Skit". In it we showed a girl (Miss P.) go through different points of her life as a teenager and how she picked up baggage along the way (after each situation, we had her pick up a backpack and put it on). The first scenario showed her in school with girl friends that excluded her, the second was pressure from her mom to do better in school and help around the house, the third was betrayal by a friend over a boy, the fourth was a struggle with a teacher, and the fifth was her Dad missing her Quinceñera (a huge celebration for a young girl in Belize).

After all of this, Dave and I read an "Apology" that addressed most of the situations covered in the skit. We apologized in place of brothers, fathers, sisters, mothers, gossiping friends, disrespectful boyfriends, teachers (ourselves), and others who have hurt these young women. That was probably one of the most moving parts of the day for me.

As an activity, we made a giant circle and I had each girl write their name on a piece of paper. Every girl wrote something good about themselves and then passed their paper to the right and the next person would write something good about the person whose paper they had. This went on until all the papers were filled with good qualities. I always like affirmation activities because I think we can all get too critical of ourselves and each other and it is vital to build each other up.

After lunch we passed out letters from God that teachers had handwritten during the week (it was a letter that has been written by taking various points from Scripture and from our knowledge of the God the father and put it in poem/letter form). The girls were very moved by these letters. They had time to pray after receiving them. I went outside to tell a girl that we were going to have Adoration soon and she was crying. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, "This letter...it has touched me." She continued on and said, "When I have prayed to God the Father, He always calls me 'princess'. I did not expect it to say that in this letter." (The letters we had re-written often address the girl reading it as "princess").

What a day! I was touched more than I expected to be and I was so grateful to see that the students got a lot out of it. The Holy Spirit was ever flowing---everything was working out on time and going above and beyond what we had expected!

Girls Music Class

Pictures

2nd Form Boys Music Class

Something Amazing

I've been meaning to write short post about this.

Last year my friend, Dave, who also teaches out here in Belize, had a bunch of his friends paired up with a student at Mt. Carmel High School. We would then pray for them throughout the year. I prayed for my student, L, every Monday ("Mission-Mondays"). I began to write him a letter in Spanish and I wanted my friend to help me with my Spanish but I never ended up sending it. Well, a couple of weeks ago I saw L (!!!) and I'd been praying that I would have an opportunity to talk to him. I finally had the chance and called his name. He turned and I said, "Hi, I'm Miss Bethany. Mr. Dave gave prayer partners to his friends and I got you last year. I've been praying for you every Monday for a year!" He looked surprised and he smiled and he said, "Really?" Now every time we see each other we say, "HEY!" I love it. I get so excited. The other students probably think I'm crazy haha It is simple but truly profound at the same time. Little did I know I would be able to speak to L in person and tell him face-to-face that I've been thinking of him and praying for him for a year! God is interesting like that...

The Skit of all Skits

The volunteer teachers pooled together a couple of weeks ago and we performed a skit for the students here at Mt. Carmel High School during a welcome assembly for first formers (freshman). We almost didn't do it but at the last minute we grabbed uniform shirts from students, the guys put tons and tons of gel in their hair and spiked it up, put on a chain or two, girls grabbed cell phones and mirrors, and we took some desks to act out a class scene. We did about a five minute scene where I was the teacher and the rest of the volunteers were students. They threw paper at me and chewed gum in class (the paper hit me square in the face too! Good shot).

One of the guys grabbed the microphone and says, "Meees (Miss)are you married?" which is a classic question from the students and I replied, "That is not appropriate for class young man." He then responded with, "Do you want to be married?" -Laughter- It was great. The kids were going CRAZY. Then Mr. Tom had an ipod and I say, "Mr. Tom. Is that an ipod?!" That was the cue for our music and just then Mike throws on the music and cupid shuffle starts. I turn around (facing the students) and pretend to write on a chalkboard when Mr. Dave gets up and starts doing a free style dance. The thing you have to know about Dave is that he is a ridiculously good dancer. He moves like no one I know! So the kids are SCREAMING and after a few seconds I turn around and he sits down. Then the second time, he and Miss Betsy dance together (more screaming) and I turn around and they sit down. The third time, all the volunteer teachers dressed up as students are dancing the cupid shuffle in time. I go to reprimand them but end up liking the song so we all dance together. We do the cupid shuffle for about one minute and then we got the principal to come in and say "What is going on in here?!" and we all get serious. I apologize and say the kids are "out of control today". Then the principal leaves and we all dance out. The students went absolutely nuts and were telling us how much they liked it for days! It was so great! Our fifteen minutes of fame.

Grateful Hearts

I led adoration yesterday and I want to share some snippits with you. On Sunday, the gospel was about the 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus but only one came back to give Him thanks and praise. I thought it would be good if we focused on thanksgiving to God, whom we often forget to thank (I know I do). We sang "How Great Thou Art" and then I had them write down things they are thankful to God for. I asked those from this second form (sophomore) girls class who were willing, to turn in their papers so I could share some of their thoughts with all of you. Here are some excerpts:

"I am thankful to God for each day that he gave me, for permitting my parents to be alive and to be with me, for the opportunity that he gave me, which is my education. But the most important above everything is for permitting me to be His child, for being part of Him. For changing my life and taking me to the good path with Him."

"I am thankful to God for: understanding me and forgiving my sins and nonsense."

"You can put this on your blog if you want... =)

Dear Dad, =) I'm thankful for everything! Especially the love that my friends give me. They are D, Lucia, Anne, Razieli, Jamir, Rosanny, Nigel, and Shamira. I have more friend but I thank you for these 8 the most! =) They never leave me behind and they are always there for me no matter what! =) I thank you for my Dad too. Although we are fighting right now...I love him! =) That's all...=)

Love you,
Karen "

"I thank you too because you have given me a beautiful life. Thank you very much God. Thank you for being with me in bad and good time. Love you very much Father. Thank you."

"God is the one who gives me everything so I have to thank him for everything he does for me. I also thank God for the material things He gives me, but I thank him mostly for giving me opportunities to change and to be the person that I am."

"I am thankful for knowing all volunteers especially for Mr. Ken who was here last year with us, for Ms. Brynne, for Mr. Dave, for Ms. Lucia, Mr. Tom, and Ms. Bethany. "

"I am thankful for what I have. My family life and all the wonderful things I will always going to give thanks to God because without his help I will not be able to be here at high school. I am from a poor family that we can not afford to pay for my high school. I am happy because with the help of Jesus I was able to come to high school. Thanks Lord."

What a joy to read these! These kids are so beautiful.

Retreat

Me, Mr. Tom, and 2nd form boys at the retreat last Friday. It went very well! Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and donations that have brought me here.

To Love at All

The students here continue to amaze me and grow on my heart. This week was different from the usual because Harry, the guy who is the main Adoration person (he prepares meditations and songs, brings out the monstrance) has been sick. That meant that I was to take over adoration. It was a last minute thing on Monday so I just looked through meditations I had prepared and ended up using something that was totally different (haha isn’t that how it seems to happen?). I read through Luke where Mary says yes to the Angel Gabriel and was struck by the line “for nothing is impossible with God” especially because that is one of the few songs that I had prepared. It is a beautiful, simple, Spanish song called “Nada es imposible para ti”. I had heard it before but was reminded of it this summer when I was listening to the World Youth Day soundtrack from Toronto, which I had attended in 2002. The song really struck me and was especially moving when I looked up the lyrics:

“Porque tengo miedo
Si nada es imposible para ti? repeat
Porque tengo tristeza
Si nada es imposible para ti? (repeat)
Porque tengo dudas
Si nada es imposible para ti ?(repeat)
Ensename amar porque nada es imposible para ti
Ensename a perdonar porque nada es imposible para ti”

Which is translated:
“Why do I have fear (Why am I afraid)
If nothing is impossible for You?
Why do I have sadness
If nothing is impossible for You?
Why do I have doubts
If nothing is impossible for You?
Teach me to love, because nothing is impossible for You
Teach me to forgive, because nothing is impossible for You.”

I played this for all the classes that came to adoration during the week. The song seemed to have moved some people which is so beautiful and such a blessing. Some of the girls were tearing up after the song and another girl came to my office to get the lyrics. The song itself is really beautiful but I think the fact that it is in Spanish was very helpful as well. Though they speak Spanish and English, Spanish seems to be the language that is closest to their hearts. Normally we try to have them speaking in English as much as possible in the school but with songs we have some freedom with language. It was so moving to be playing this song for them when I was spending time practicing it at home this summer hoping to play it for these students someday! Wow.

I was also able to substitute for my friend, Dave. I showed “Theology of the Body” by Christopher West to his fourth form (seniors) class. It was really wonderful to be able to dialogue with the students in between segments and get their feedback. One young man didn’t really understand what Christopher West was trying to say and when I broke it down for him he became much more interested and even moved up closer to my laptop to hear the lecture better!

One of the female students came up to me after class to talk a little. She seems very bright and followed the lectures well. She was talking to me about love and said something like, “Love is so hard because we can give ourselves to someone and then they hurt us. I gave myself to someone (not my body) but my heart and emotions, and he hurt me in a way I never thought he would.” How true is her statement. I have been there many times as most of us have and I told her a couple of quotes that have always stayed with me. One of them is by C.S. Lewis and it begins “To love at all is to be vulnerable” and he speaks about the danger in love:

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell."

The other quote I told her is by Mother Teresa: “I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.”

As I am telling her these words, I realize that I myself need to be constantly reminded of them. Too often it is easiest for us to curl up if we are hurt after trying to love or to retreat into our shells. Yet, in reality, we must keep loving. I told her of course that if someone is really hurting her that we are not required to continue to speak to them or get beat up by them (whatever the situation may be) but we are called to pray for them and ask God to help us stay away from hatred and bitterness. It is a truly wonderful thing to being to help a student and realize that he/she is teaching me at the same time.

Friday Mass

School Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in the morning on Friday. Everyone Friday a homeroom is in charge of Mass and students read, write/read petitions, and bring up the gifts



.

To go or not to go

Oh to be a chaperone---that will be me this Friday. Miss Katherine, the recorder teacher, asked me if I would be willing to go as a chaperone on a bus and to a trip with the seniors. Following school Mass this Friday, we have a parade with the school around town. I will be helping students get snacks ready for everyone coming back from the parade and we will be going to a civil ceremony where seniors will be performing (on their recorders). I'm looking forward to it. I will try to post some pictures and get some more photos of places around town.

Today is Guatemalan independence day so many students are not in school (we live right on the border of Belize and Guatemala). Next Tuesday is Belize independence day so we will not have school. There are a lot of holidays lately! (I don't mind though).
:)

Shooting some B-ball

We played basketball here last week. It was a lot of fun until my friend Mike twisted his ankle. Then about five minutes later I look up and Tom, another teacher, had a collision with one of the other players and fell on his arm. Turns out, he broke his arm and now has a cast. He's a trooper though, he has still been teaching and trying to do as much as he can.

Oh dear

Just had first form boys (9th grade) for recorder class because the regular teacher was absent. My head is spinning---they are a wild bunch! The problem is, they will continue to squeak out their recorders even when someone else is playing. It is an equation for the perfect headache (if there is such a thing). I told them they were lucky that I was not their regular teacher or else they would almost all have JUGS (it is an after school punishment sort of like detention where they have to do tasks around the school).

The first form girls were actually pretty good. They have learned part of "Happy Birthday", "Mary had a Little Lamb" and "Titanic Theme". They sound the best on the "Titanic Theme". I will say this, I definitely prefer teaching singing!

This Thursday I am having a meeting for girls interested in a women's prayer group I'm starting here called "Acceptance with Joy Handmaidens". The group will help to foster frienships that are rooted in God. We will strive to accept God's will with joy (a difficult task!) and live as Handmaidens of the Lord (modeling our lives after Blessed Mother and her Magnificat). It is a combination of my college women's household and another women's household that was similar to mine. Please keep that in your prayers---pray that there will be a lot of interest and that we grow. There is already a men's group here called "The Knights" so I wanted to create a woman's group. Please keep "The Knights" in your prayers also!

Over and out.