por fin

We did it.  We made it through another semester…a semester that I often doubted I could make it through.  My flight home is tomorrow morning, and 6am cannot come soon enough!

We ended the first half on a strong note.  Last week, I was surprised at how much quality classroom time I had—which was a blessing because I had a lot of ground to cover.

On Friday, we played the bells at El Yunque (rainforest) visitor center.  We were a little nervous because people had been telling us that this event was being advertised on Puerto Rico’s most widely listened to radio station and in the newspaper.  We feared there would be masses of people and the kids would be too nervous to play.  Thankfully, there were only about 30 people in the audience (and maybe 20 of them were El Yunque employees).  The kids did well, and I’m pretty sure some people in the audience cried.  Also, the students had a chance to visit the exhibits.  They were fascinated, and we had to tear them away when it was time to play the bells.

After we finished, we rushed back to school for Christmas lunch provided by Palmas Community Church.  Then we opened presents.   

Finally, parents arrived for the Christmas concert.  The kids played the bells and signed some songs.  

 

Kevin and Kristian each prepared a song.  Kristian signed María Sabías Que (Mary Did You Know),

and Kevin performed Venid y Adoremos (O Come All Ye Faithful). 

Carlos Motta also shared a Christmas message for the families.  

It was a day that had potential to be filled with chaos, but thankfully it went smoothly and enjoyably.    

contando los días

Last week, we had our first Christmas bell performance.  To everyone’s delight, it went quickly and smoothly.  We have one more week of school until Christmas break, and in this week, we have three more concerts.  We are hoping that these performances will go at least as well as the first. 

The kids let their imaginations entertain them while they were waiting to perform.  Here, Kioney is leading a lovely quartet.

Here, we have a good photo to embarrass Mizael and Kioney at their graduation.

 

On Saturday, we went to Old San Juan.  This is probably my favorite place in Puerto Rico, and until yesterday, it had been too long since I’d been there.  After some Christmas shopping, we found a new little coffee shop that quickly became my favorite place in my favorite city on the island.  Finally, there is an alternative (which much better beverages) to Starbucks!

When it got dark, we were able to enjoy the city’s Christmas lights, including a nice light show on La Fortaleza (the governor’s mansion).  

La Fortaleza

This outing was just what I needed to energize me for one more week here.  The last few weeks of this long semester have been crawling along, and I have been itching to travel home to family and friends. 

acción de gracias

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

 Psalm 118:1

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  I hope you all take time to thank God for the many blessings He has given you.

I thank God for the numerous ways He has blessed me over the past year that I have been in Puerto Rico.  He has given me friends and "family" here with whom I am able to celebrate this holiday.  I wish I wasn't spending this day away from my family in New Jersey, but I thank God for Skype!   

pelo loco

On Halloween, we had Crazy Hair Day at school.  Our good friends Hector and Gisela came over to dye and gel the kids' hair.  Their daughter and her friends painted faces.  We all had a great time.  Here are some of the highlights:

Kioney has the best hair for this!

The clown and the iguana face off...

Leo was a good sport...not only did he ask Hector to give him a mohwak...he let the kids go crazy with it.

Crazy hair and all, we had a concert to get ready for.

Saúl made sure that Hector didn't leave without his share of the fun.

Spartacus

This week Jen and I caught a new pet.  His name is Spartacus.  He is long, skinny, brownish-greenish, and he slithers.   Can you guess what he is?

Now, in order to for anyone who does not live at the school to appreciate this story, I will share some background information.

Chris had been trying to catch a snake for most of his time here.  He often went out on snake hunts and even got the kids involved during play time.  We would hear frequent updates about his quest.  He came close a few times to catching one.  Finally, a few weeks ago, he found one waiting for him on his porch.  Contrary to our suggestions, he named the snake Bo. 

Now we fast forward to Wednesday afternoon.  Jen and I were getting ready to go to Walgreens for flu shots.  While I was waiting for her, I heard franticness coming from her classroom.  I found her and Judy chasing a snake!  Naturally, I joined in the fun.  To make a not too long story short, we used a dustpan, broom, piece of paper, and an empty coke bottle to catch it. 

Temporary home #1

Not until it was writhing in anger in its plastic prison did we realize how big it was...bigger than Chris’s.  That’s right; a bunch of girls caught a big snake in a matter of minutes.  That’s all I’ll say about that.

We named him Spartacus because that was Jen’s rejected suggestion when Chris was naming his snake.  Plus…he’s a fighter!

Temporary home #2

In the foreground, you'll see his dinner, which Jen became unusually attached to.  Fortunately the lizard was still alive in the morning, so we decided it was only right to set it free.

Since Chris wasn’t home, we decided we had to rush out to get a box to keep him in.  As soon as Chris saw him, he decided he was too big to be in our little container, so he moved him into the big tank with Bo.

Jen was so right when she recently told me that we never have to make excitement here, it just finds us!