MIDNIGHT(ish) update!

today.
small victories.
laughter. MFI (aka mail day). sliding in the puddles. wet hugs.

1. FIRST BASKETBALL GAME!
last Friday was our first basketball game. If I could use one word to describe it, I would steal my word from a dear friend down here and say "BOOTLEG!" I REALLY need to take a picture of our basketball court. It is about the size of an elementary school's basketball gym (aka not regulation size) not to mention that one of the hoops is definitely lower than the other as well as severely tilting down. good news: only 1 fight. better news: the game got rained out! best news: I had to ref. YES. I reffed my first official high school girls' basketball game. in a skirt. and flip flops. where did the other ref go? who knows...he just up and left. so that left us to cover for him! (we may be going to La Vega Christian School to finish our game on Friday. pray we don't get slaughtered!)

2. WEEKEND EXCITEMENT
Kristen came up this weekend! If you don't know, Kristen is a good friend from Taylor that I have known since my freshman year here. She is now working at Santiago Christian School, and I felt so blessed that she would make the trip up here to see me! We had fun relaxing, watching The Office, eating awesome food, and going to Salto Baiguate. It was so fun to play and talk and just be able to share a bit of my life happenings with someone that is so near and dear to me.

3. DIA DE LA RAZA!
Dia de la Raza (Day of the Races) is a celebration of Latin America and Spanish speaking countries. This program lasted from 10:30am until 12. There were some Pre-Kinder students that sang songs or did poems, elementary and middle school students that recited poems about Christopher Columbus and brotherhood and RAZA, there was a beautiful traditional Dominican dance, a processional of students dressed up in attire from different Spanish-speaking countries, and a wonderful feast provided by the parents that featured foods from the various countries! Check out my AWESOME pics on my Picasa site!

4. STAATZIE.
One of the other teachers here, Karyn Staats (whom I affectionately call Staatzie) and I were gabbing after school yesterday until about 5:30. Shortly after I got home, I got a call. "Ummmmm...you guys didn't prank me and take my computer did you?"
"Arrrrrrr...no?" (my response. no I'm not a pirate.) :)
Come to find out, her computer had been stolen from her house. Nothing else was taken. Not her two other roommates' computers. Not their Vonage box. Not anything. Just Staatzie's laptop and 100 pesos (about $3). Last night Kels and I went down to try and cheer them up, ended up house sitting while they went to the Police Station to file a police report, and ate dinner with them. Basically what they think happened is that someone got the key to their back gate, and got in through the back door and went directly to Karyn's room (who knows why she specifically was the target...) and took her stuff. No idea why no one else's stuff was stolen. But that's such an answer to prayer. I can't imagine if all their stuff had gotten stolen. BUT still hard that someone now has to deal with the added stress of going to the police station, being fearful that anyone could enter their house at any time, not having a lifeline home, etc. etc. Please pray that things get solved. We're praying that Staatzie's laptop is found, given back to her, and everything is still on it. Today they met with a guy who they think may have had something to do with it, but apparently he denied it (of course...) So now we play the waiting game. and the praying game. and knowing that God is sovereign and will take care of her. and of her laptop.

HIGHLIGHT of my week:
today one of the 1st graders told her mom that I was her favorite teacher. yep. I'm the fun aunt to all of the wonderful first and second graders. every day after school they hug me, tackle me, jump on me, love me. makes me feel so loved. makes me feel like I'm doing SOMETHING right when my students are so disrespectful and uncontrollable.


FUNNY of the week.
MFI. Today Kelsey received a box from home. As soon as I saw it, I immediately started laughing. It was kind of hard to control myself (you know how that goes!) as I read on the side of the box said, "We Get Cows Pregnant." Holy cow. YES. I died laughing. You know that now we have the side of that box hanging on the door of our bedroom. :)


Things to look forward to in my next blog:
1. a student vomiting during our morning pledge.
2. a super-secret, special project...
3. badminton.
4. the nicest note I've ever received.
5. basketball practice in the rain.