día de la resurrección

Happy Easter!  I hope you took some time today to look past the bunnies and eggs and remember that our Savior lives!

He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.

Matthew 28:6

I had an eventful Easter Sunday.  I started the day with a 4am alarm.  I jumped out of bed, excited to attend my very first sunrise service.  It took place at El Morro fort in San Juan.  The sunrise was mediocre, but the service was a blessing.  As I stood singing familiar praise songs, I realized how wonderful it was to attend an English service on Easter. 

Then, I made a quick stop home to change out of my rain-soaked clothes and eat a delicious breakfast prepared by my dear friends Brendan and Rebekah (the people with whom I tagged along to the sunrise service).  We had bacon, eggs, and pancakes—which until that moment I hadn’t realized that I was missing (that is Calvary Baptist Church’s standard Easter breakfast—of which I have only missed a few in 25 years).  So my Easter tradition was carried on in a slightly different way.

Then I went to my church where I watched a delightful Easter musical and received a passionate sermon.  Each time I hear my pastor speak, I love him even more. 

Next stop—home again, where I unsuccessfully attempted a quick nap.  Then I got dressed and ready for a 5k Color Run with Alyssa.  I didn’t think I had it in me to run after such a long morning, but I was wrong.  We drove back to San Juan for this long-awaited race. 

It was the most fun race I’ve ever done.  The energy was high, and I guess my body rose to the occasion.  I wound up getting my best time yet—and looking good in the process!  After an extra-long shower, I’m still a little stained, but it was completely worth it.

Before the fun began

Waiting for the race to start

Almost running

Done!

Happy Easter

I hope you also had a chance to make some memories today!

aprendizaje

This week I finished the online class I was taking through Tyndale Theological Seminary--Major World Philosophies.  I really enjoyed this course, and I can't believe how much I learned in such a short time.  Over the past two months, a few lucky people (or maybe not so lucky) have had the joy (or misfortune) of hearing me spout about the presence of Humanism in American public schools, Marxism in America, or Islamic, New Age, and Postmodernist beliefs.  So maybe they're happy I'm done, too! 

As much as I truly loved the course, by the end, I was ready for it to be over.  I'm happy to have free time again.  In celebration of my successful completion, I unconsciously decided to take this weekend off.  All I did was hang out with friends and do things that I enjoy.  Before I knew it, it was Sunday evening, and I hadn't even done any work in my classroom.  It's a good thing we only have three more school days until vacation!

mi Dios lo hizo todo

This weekend, I was blessed to be able to see some of the wonders that God has created on this island.  

Friday night, I went kayaking in the bio-luminescent bay.  This is something that I have done a number of times now, but it never gets old.  As soon as the sun goes down, I become just like a kid playing with the glowing water in utter amazement.  And my God created it!

On Saturday, I accompanied the Yoder family on an adventure.  First, we went to Cueva Ventana—Window Cave.  We wandered through some awesome caverns complete with stalactites, stalagmites, bats, ropes, and tree roots (the latter two helped us enter the cave--it was my first attempt at repelling!).  Then we arrived at the window—a giant hole in the face of the mountain that we'd been inside.  The view is breathtaking.  It overlooks the almost undisturbed Puerto Rican countryside.  Wow!  My God created that, too!  I can’t possible relate the beauty with words alone.  Take a look.

the entrance

  

Amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen extraordinary things today."

Luke 5:26

 

the view from below

Next, we drove to the Cueva del Indio—The Indian Cave.  This system is right on the ocean.  The waves were unusually rough on this day, so we were thoroughly warned what to do and what not to do on the rocks.  To make the situation more intense, Brendan told us a story about another cliff and rough ocean that ended in death.  Then he proceeded to lead us to the edge, yelling "Hole!" every now and then to warn us where not to step.  The view was gorgeous and scary.  I have never seen such strong waves.  So, I was feeling very wary as I slowly climbed my way to the edge (okay--I was too scared to make it anywhere close to the edge).  We climbed to a few different spots and took in the magnificence.  My God made it all!  Yet again, my words cannot do it justice.  

Taino petroglyphs

Mightier than the thunders of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea,

the LORD on high is mighty!

Psalm 93:4

My heart finally slowed its pace by the time we were back in the van.  What a wonderful day spent with wonderful friends!  Thank you Brendan for planning such an exciting outing.

Knuffle Bunny

I am the sort of teacher who does a great deal of planning for each of my classes—some might call it excessive.  The funny part is that I rarely stick to my plans.  On Saturday afternoon, I think that I have so many great ideas, but on Tuesday morning, I come up with better ones.  To a casual visitor in my classroom, it would seem that I really enjoy flying by the seat of my pants.  What I most enjoy, though, is seeing the kids learn.  So if it means changing my plans five minutes into a class, I’m happy to do so.

Last weekend, I chose a book to read to Juan, Gaby, and Saúl during this week’s story time sessions.  The book is called Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems.  I love this author, and I love this story.  It’s about a little girl named Trixie and her stuffed rabbit—Knuffle Bunny.  They go with Trixie’s dad to the Laundromat.  She winds up leaving the bunny there.  She realizes it halfway home, but can’t communicate this to her dad because she hasn’t started talking yet.  She throws a tantrum all the way home, and as soon as mom opens the door for them, she knows what the problem is.  They all run back to the Laundromat where dad finds the bunny in the washing machine.  Trixie then speaks her first words: Knuffle Bunny!

My favorite part of the book is the type of illustrations.  The backgrounds are black and white photographs, and the characters are drawn in the foreground.  I had a great idea for a post-reading activity involving magazine photos and the kids inventing their own stories.  But when I was sitting in my storytelling beach chair in the middle of reading Knuffle Bunny, I knew that was not going to work like I had planned.  So I switched gears and had the kids act out the story instead.  This is a common activity for story time, but I wanted to make it a little more sophisticated.  We got props, Stefanie provided costumes, and we practiced.  Then we captured it on video.  The kids had so much fun, and I was most encouraged to see how well Juan understood the story and played his part. 

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show…