December 2013
Wow. I’ve fallen far behind with this blog and I shall do my
best to give an update of the last few months
December first…
December was a great month as I got to spend the first half
of it closing out my first semester as a teacher in New Stu and the second half
celebrating Christ’s birth and the new year with family and friends!
The first semester was a bit crazy as a first ‘full year’
teacher, living in a new place with many new faces, and coaching volleyball, but
I loved every minute of it. Every insanely busy minute was wonderful and
so enjoyable. I absolutely love being able to pour into the lives of the kids
here in my class, on my team, in the hallways, or even on the weekends. They
bring so much joy to my life and remind me why I came here in the first
place…to show Christ’s love and hope in this place.
On the last Friday before Christmas break, we finished the
school day making cards with finger paint and eating yummy treats. Then, once
school was out, it was off to our house to get our bags and head to the airport
to get to Anchorage. We made our way
back to Grand Rapids after a few delays here and there.
It was so great to see my family and friends! I celebrated
Christmas with my mom’s side of the family in Michigan and then we drove to
Minnesota/Wisconsin to see my dad’s side of the family. It was a very busy
break, but thoroughly enjoyable! I loved every minute that I was able to catch
up on life with friends (face to face).
January 2014
January…Well, I was blessed to be able to ring in the New
Year with my cousins in Minnesota and then spent a couple more days with them
before heading back to Michigan.
Winter in Michigan was getting real, so we departed for
Chicago a bit early to ensure a safe drive a day early. I was picked up by the
party van (aka the Owens’ van) and we arrived safely in Chicago the evening
before our flight. We enjoyed some great conversation and fun times on our
little trip and were off to the airport in the morning.
We arrived safely in Anchorage and did a little grocery
shopping before heading off to Iliamna (a village nearby) where we stayed with
friends for the night before flying into New Stuyahok. The weather was windy
and the runway was icy, but thanks to our incredible pilot, and the Lord’s
hand, we landed safely and all in one piece. I had a few days to plan and
prepare (and attend inservice) before students arrived on Monday.
January is a bit of a crazy time here as the Russian
Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on the 7th and the New Year is
celebrated a bit later as well on the 13th, which just happened to
be the first day of school. There were a few absences that day as many students
and their families had traveled to nearby villages for starring. [I was able to
witness a starring at a neighbor’s house where people from the village of many
ages came, sang, greeted us, and ate. It was a neat experience (and helped me
relate to my students better when they tried to describe it for me.)] The first
few weeks back into our regular routine were a bit of an adjustment for the
kids, but that is to be expected, especially with so many activities right
before school.
The end of the month; however, brought an unexpected event.
I am overwhelmed and so grateful to the many, many people who have prayed for
my family, especially my mom, and have stepped in to help in any way they could,
whether with meals or just their presence! It is SO comforting to know that my
family is being taken care of even when I cannot be there. What a blessing it
is to be a part of the body of Christ!
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