day 34: teaching quotes!!! :)

today is Monday. my first day of full-time teaching. it was tiring, but we're headed to bed soon. :) since i don't feel like telling much, tonight will be memorable teaching quotes from observations and student teaching. :)

"What is your favorite color and why?" "Red. Because when Jesus died for me, His blood was red."

So we should call forgiveness “forgetness?”

“you should be a teacher because you'd be good at it! ...you wanna teach kindergarten!?! maybe my teacher will get fired, then you could be MY teacher!

Miss Roberts: “WOW! How did you know that!?! Did you hear me tell the other reading group about that?” Darling first grader: “Yes, Miss Roberts! I always listen to you, even when I don't have to! You're like my entertainment radio at work!”

“Miss Roberts, do you know how to change diapers?” “Yes, but what does that have to do with?” “Well, you're going to have a baby, right!?!”

(Conversation between a student and her mother): Student: “Mom, today is Miss Roberts' last day. I want to get her flowers because I really like her! I can pay for them.” Mom: “Aww, how much do you think they cost?” Student :“Two dollars?” Mom: “If you give me your two dollars, I'll make sure that Miss Roberts gets flowers. Whatever you like!”

What is the opposite of internal? Outernal???

“Are you ok?” “No! She's squishing my personal bubble!”

“Dear Jesus, please be with my sister because her hamster died. Help her just get over it. and thank you that we get to bury him in the garden.”

“Miss Peters, how does it feel when you write your own name on the board?”

“Miss Peters, it's S. T. Patrick's Day!”

“God, help us have fun at the park and not go wacko with all the treat!.”

"today was a gross day!" “well, gross means nasty... is that what you mean?” “well, today wasn't nasty... it was...” “bad?" “yes. a bad day.”

“How do we know Jesus was a boy?" "Well... uhh... John 3:16 says that God sent His SON, and SON means HE, and HE means a boy..."

Jessica Campbell Roberts

day 33: one half down, one to go...

Produce. That is what is in our kitchen. I never knew so many healthy things existed. We have... mangoes, oranges, a lemon from our lemon tree, kiwis, strawberries, bananas, apples, red bell peppers, green peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots. There are probably a few I forgot too... tonight we made a run to the grocery store, and our basket was FULL of health food... almost made me nauseous, but have no fear... there was a carton of tiramisu ice-cream gracing the top of our basket. :)

church this morning was another whirlwind of Portuguese. the pastor's wife asked me if i'd play piano again today, so i did. :) and i had to fill some time while they fixed up the powerpoint... but i enjoyed it. :)

music is a universal language and a universal way to praise our God. it's neat how when i don't understand anything about the service except the songs. praising the Lord is the same in every land. granted, other cultures have stepped across some "conservative" lines  that we Americans have formed. but our God is glorified in so many ways and in so many languages. :)

tomorrow begins another full week of school. :) two more, then SPRING BREAK!!!

p.s. my flan failed. i think the package called for sugar. but of course i can't read... ;)

day 32: hopeless tears and a double dribble...

today was another day of sightseeing with erin, laura, and krisanna. :) we started the morning off with pastries and headed off to see the wizard... or something like that. We took somewhat of a drive to go to Fatima. It is the catholic mecca in europe behind vatican city. The sight there was one that I hope I don't soon forget. People walking on their knees for hundreds of yards paying penance for their sins. Once we got into the cathedral at the top of the hill, several people inside were weeping against the back wall and in the pews. I'm not sure why, but i'm sure having a hopeless life followed by a hopeless eternity doesn't help matters... we walked out again and there was a place where you could purchase candles then light them. They believe that as long as your candle is burning your prayers will be heard. I'm so thankful that my RISEN Savior who was SINLESS paid the price for my sins, past, present and future, so that I don't have to worry about penance, but that whenever I confess, my prayers will be heard regardless of the triviality of a candle. Praise the Lord for His grace that is abundant for salvation and continual sanctification day after day. And praise the Lord for this needed reminder that millions out there, even at our doorstep, still wander in the darkness... their only hope is the Light of the world. Chinese missionary Gladys Aylward prayed each day for someone to share the gospel with. Have I even shared with someone in the past MONTH, or even YEAR!?! even if .3 percent of people listened to what I had to say, that would mean one salvation/year... if I chose to seek out people to share the good news with daily... how bright is my light? How bright is yours?

After an afternoon walking around the mall and feeling extra american eating mcdonalds, the four of us headed to a european basketball game. Less disappointing than march madness, but definitely more confusing! I wasn't sure of all the rules, but... I thought free throws would be similar... FALSE. The other players wandered around aimlessly and went towards the hoop even before the player made his shot... but, I felt obligated to yell my feelings towards the players, in english, when they picked up their dribble in awful places and hacked at other players and got mad when a foul was called, and when they would take four or five steps with no travel call... (not unlike the NBA though...) and after halftime, I realized that several players were yelling plays in english... and even from america... and that with only a couple hundred other people in the auditorium, they could probably hear each of my passionate frustrations aimed their way... oops... ;)

to cap off our day, krisanna and I headed to the grocery store. It was PACKED at 8:30 on a saturday night... one thing i'll never get used to. Everything here is later. There will be families with little tikes out at 11 on a school night and no one thinks anything of it. I'm usually toast by 9 on ANY night, and i'm only 21!!! I do NOT understand that! After another i-don't-speak-portuguese-so-i'll-just-smile-and-nod-like-an-idiot moment in the checkout, we headed home to cook dinner... yes, at 9:00. that's another thing they do here. At 3:30 on a saturday afternoon, mcdonalds was packed with their lunch crowd. Yet ANOTHER strange thing. Anyway, I made quesadilla burgers tonight for dinner and tried to make pudding from a packet (or flan... not sure) but the only thing I could read was ½ liter of milk... and 2 minutes. NOT enough to figure it all out, so I guessed... and I have NO idea how that turned out yet... it's still in the fridge “setting”

and that's all folks. We lose an hour tonight because of daylight savings... no more sunrises for me! :)

goodnight world, or for those in the US, enjoy your evening...

days 29, 30, and 31: fabulous friday???

Someday, i'd like to start fashion friday with a certain fashion that I like or would like to sew myself. But since i'm in portugal and the Portuguese people missed the “European fashion” memo, I think i'll wait on that til I get back to the states. They are lacking in the fashion industry here. For real. I just hope i'm not really behind when I get back! But I think I was behind when I left, so I guess no one will even notice.

the past few days haven't brought anything terribly exciting except for maybe just life itself. but what is honestly more exciting that life?? well, the hope of eternal life with the Creator and Savior AFTER this life? YES!!! but for now, while i'm here... life is mine to live for Him. that was supposed to be more simple of a thought than it became. and now it's becoming a meaningless rambling... oh wow... 

anyway... it's friday evening. krisanna and i are spending the evening in getting work done and recuperating (i spelled it write mom! be proud! and i spelled that wrong just for you. ;) on with my pointless rambling...

1. i had a busy week of teaching.

2. i love my kids more this week than last. :)

3. i love when that (#2) happens!

4. i've been working on lesson plans a LOT. :/

5. wednesday afternoon i realized that i felt iffy.

6. thursday, it turned into a sore throat, swollen glands, and aches...

7. after a good night's sleep and prayer, friday was a better day!

8. now i just sneeze every 15-20 seconds. 

9. and i was reminded how awful feeling crummy is when you're away from mom.

10. so mom, krisanna took care of me.

11. i taught a science lesson today and my kids were enthralled by... tapeworm and naked mole rats... just in case gestation wasn't exciting enough yesterday...

12. sometimes i forget how much i miss people from home.

13. but today i remembered.

14. this afternoon, i had an INCREDIBLE chance to worship the Savior in song (even though my voice sounds like a man right now because i'm sick) with Erin and Krisanna and we just sat around the piano and played and sang (i played and they sang) songs that praise the name of our great God. i miss that. i was afraid my fingers would get confused without touching a piano very often for these two months in portugal, but i've gotten a wonderful amount of finger exercise. :) THAT kind of exercise is the kind i like. anyway... playing with them singing was a great blessing in more ways than one. two incredible voices, and two incredible testimonies... all we needed was Erin's mom gracing us with her musical ability, and it would've sounded just perfect.

15. this week, i've counted to 15 more often than any other time in my life... you see, i'm on recess duty by myself. and for some reason, i'm terrified of losing a child. and there are 15 in the elementary. so i've done head-counts over, and over, and OVER again... i've never been paranoid before. not sure why it's starting now...

16. tomorrow brings more adventures, more lesson plans, more SHOPPING, and even a basketball game. it might not be march madness, but hey, Duke is a let-down anyway. i think i'd rather watch European basketball than another team from the states ruin my bracket any more. i need to quit picking good-seeded teams, because their "pride" is causing them to FALL! lol. good thing i'm not a betting gal! i'd be BROKE... more than i already am... ;)

17. i realized today that i love mountain dew. in a moment of weakness, i asked Joyce to buy me some at the embassy. that has been the lifeblood that fuels my dreams (even though it's not coffee and i'm not a champion...)

18. i found out wednesday that a dear friend went home to be with the Lord. Miss Amy Phillips, (probably) world-famous pianist and well-known humble, patient, gracious, encouraging lady breathed her last breath on earth and is now in the presence of our God and King and worshiping at His feet. i would be greatly honored to live a life like Miss Amy lived. always fighting. always encouraging. always seeing the best in people and pushing them to it. always making me practice piano. always telling me she was praying for me. always telling me how great life is when God is Lord of your life. always ready to sacrifice anything and everything for others. always ready to serve. always WILLING to serve. always a joy. always a blessing. always... Miss Amy. but now until always, the glorified Miss Amy. 

19. God is good. He wants what is best for us. that's why He puts us in the situations He does. He wants me here now. He wants me learning lessons that i can only learn here and only learn now... so i can become more like Him. He never changes, but i am like a vapor in the wind. i am pathetic. filthy. wretched. BUT... i am redeemed. forgiven. bound for heaven. 

i am

blessed.

20. i just couldn't end on 19. what a weird number! anyway... i'll make this goodbye... after i ramble some more. today at recess, i had the kids teaching me phrases from several different languages. it was way fun. :) not every day do you learn as much in school as your students do... or should be learning...

days 25-28: lessons learned.

I have no idea who reads my blog. I have no idea how what I write affects people. I would like to think i'm funny, but for some reason, I doubt that. I also have no idea who notices when I go several days without writing a thing... ;) These last few days have been days full of lessons. What exactly? Maybe this is my chance to sum them up. Maybe you're the one reader who needs a glimpse of God that hopefully i'll give. Maybe no one reading this needs it, I just need to put my thoughts into sentence form... regardless, here's my heart... on a silver platter, if you will...

Lesson #1 – life is simply not fair. I don't know if this lesson is more convicting or comforting. Someone will ALWAYS have a nicer car. ALWAYS. Someone will ALWAYS have nicer shoes. ALWAYS. Someone will ALWAYS have a not long-distance relationship. ALWAYS. Someone will ALWAYS have a better job. ALWAYS. Someone will ALWAYS be in a better mood. ALWAYS. Someone will always get what they want more often. ALWAYS. But Someone sacrificed His life to readily provide forgiveness and unending love for a pathetic, lame, pity-party-throwing, whiny, annoying, slow-learning, awful sinner... ALWAYS. Life may not be fair, but 2 Corinthians 10:12 says “We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.”

Lesson #2 – came in Bible class Tuesday morning. We cannot earn salvation by doing good things or trying to appear righteous. We are sinners. I know that! I can't earn salvation that way, neither can I earn favor with God that way after I'm saved. Good works are in vain if not done for the glory of God. The Bible condemns hypocrisy and vain strivings to appear better than one really is. How often is my life like that!?! How often do I try to act like I have it all together??? More often than I ever should.

Lesson #3 – I can get more exercise walking around the mall than I can going on a walk. Krisanna loves walking. I love shopping. So, we go on a short walk around the neighborhood, but I could walk for HOURS around a mall. That's how we exercise. I exercise my heart so I don't drop dead of an irregular heartbeat as soon as I probably should; I exercise my Portuguese as I say “obrigado” for my purchases; I exercise self-control when I walk through the shoe store and realize that my suitcase and the scale can't handle many more shoes (and neither can my budget... lol); and I exercise my social skills as I smile at strangers who just glare or stare back at me. See, I DO exercise!

As for the last few days? They've been days full of learning. And teaching. :)

days twenty-two, 23, and four-and-twenty: there's a new song in my heart...

...and new tanktops in my closet. it's been a few days since i've updated this. i know... shocker there. :/ pardon my speech patterns and spelling, but it's 11:50 p.m. and Krisanna and i just got back from the mall! so... back to wednesday???

wednesday. not wordless, but only a few come to my mind. i went to school on wednesday and it was a good day. after school, i took my wednesday nap and waited for laura and erin to come over for dinner. this is one of the highlights of my week. good food, great fellowship, and a great ab workout from laughter! we enjoyed talking about the things God is doing and the fun things happening around us. it's neat to have such good friendships with people that have so many differences. laura and i have found that we have several similarities, like we can avoid bathrooms all day and be fine, while krisanna and erin stop around every corner and are dying if we go a block without one! however, our view of palm trees differs immensely. she sees them all the time in Cali. i LOVE them and want a garden of them...

thursday: another great day of school with a field trip to the park. :) i taught my kiddos how to play ninja and the LOVED it. while we were playing, one of the students accidentally let the ball go down the hill and wanted to go get it. i told them that i would as soon as i got out, so i got out the next round and headed for the hill. as i looked down, i could see the ball in a pile of weeds. not too far, not too treacherous (looking). i started the descent and immediately realized that all of the "weeds" were really thorn bushes. good thing i wore jeans that day or my pants would have been SHREDDED. i kept climbing down because (at this point) there was no turning back... i HAD to be the hero. so i kept going and got the ball, tossed it up and turned around. as soon as i turned around, i realized that the thorn weeds were more like quicksand and i just kept falling... soon, i was up to my armpits in thorns... all while my kids were oblivious and playing ninja... do i yell for help? ehh, there's nothing they could do but watch me embarrass myself. do i stand there and wait? probably not... i have no idea what might start nibbling at my ankles from underneath. so i look around, laugh to myself, and reach up for something to pull myself up with. i grab hold of it and start to try to climb. of course the one thing i grab had tiny thorns, and wasn't connected to ANYTHING, so i fell even further into my little hole. i giggled again and thought "if the kids ever realize i'm missing, they'll think this is HILARIOUS." but after a few minutes and a few more scrapes on my hands and arms and pant-legs, i got out. and the students first comment??? "miss roberts, we thought you went back to school! what took you so long!?!" what do i tell them?? i got lost in a jungle of thorns? i got a boo-boo on my finger and needed a band-aid? i had a lesson in humility while you played ninja? nope. i opted for "i was just taking my time." :)

friday: a gorgeous day. perfect sunshine. perfect temperature. a science test outside (that i wrote!!!). a lunch excursion with my teacher and krisanna. an afternoon walk. an afternoon nap. dinner. a movie. and a late-night trip to the mall. :) today was a great day with less than extremely entertaining stories. i'm exhausted, but yet here i am... watching the KU game online because march madness is just as exciting in portugal. is my bracket good? nope. never has been. never will be. i settle for knowing that i am AWFUL at picking teams. i think KU might just prove that even more. hahaha

so, goodnight, world. sleep sweet. or enjoy your dinner if you're in North America. i'm headed to bed soon. to rest. to prepare for another weekend of sightseeing with tour guides laura and erin. tomorrow brings... a palace. :) and babysitting. :) and lasagna!!! :)

tonight brings (probably very vivid) dreams... and about that new song in my heart??? my playlist yesterday morning consisted of these songs that the Lord knew my heart needed. maybe your heart does too. :)

Always Enough (Casting Crowns): In a dry and weary land, Lord, You are the rain. In a sea of shattered ones, Your love comes rushing in. You hold the world within Your hands and see each tear that falls. Through every fire and every storm, You're always enough, always enough.Your love is peace to the broken, faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak. Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages and You're always enough for me. You keep my heart in perfect peace. My life is in Your hands. When confusion hides my way, You're always enough, always enough. Your love is peace to the broken, faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak. Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages, and You're always enough

Where The Love Lasts Forever (Hillsong): Your mercy found me upon the broken road, And lifted me beyond my failing, into Your glory. My sin and shame dissolved and now forever Yours I'll stand. In love never to end to call You more than Lord... Glorious friend. So I throw my life upon all You are 'cause I know You gave it all for me and when all else fades, my soul will dance with You, where the love lasts forever.

The Power Of The Cross: O, to see my name written in the wounds, for through Your suffering I am free. Death is crushed to death. Life is mine to live, won through Your selfless love.

God Is Our Refuge And Strength: God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear...

Something To Say (Matthew West): You've got something to say, if you're living, if you're breathing, you've got something to say. You know if your heart is beating, you've got something to say, and no one can say it like you do. God is love and love speaks through you.

I'd Rather Have Jesus/Give Me Jesus: I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I’d rather be His than have riches untold; I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands, I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand. Than to be a king of a vast domain or be held in sin’s dread sway, I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today. I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause; I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause; I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame, I’d rather be true to His holy name. He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb; He’s all that my hungering spirit needs, I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead. Give me Jesus, give me Jesus. You can have all this world, but give me Jesus. In the morning, when I rise... give me Jesus. When I am alone... give me Jesus.

A sermon on the Tragedy of Selfishness: that was just perfect... but i skipped it. lol

Be Thou My Vision: Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. (that's the only part I could think about...)

The Motions (Matthew West): This might hurt, it's not safe, but I know that I've gotta make a change. I don't care if I break,  at least I'll be feeling something. 'Cause just okay is not enough help me fight through the nothingness of life. I don't wanna go through the motions, I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, "What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?" No regrets, not this time. I'm gonna let my heart defeat my mind. Let Your love make me whole. I think I'm finally feeling something. 'Cause just okay is not enough help me fight through the nothingness of this life. 'Cause I don't wanna go through the motions. I don't wanna go one more day without Your all consuming passion inside of me. I don't wanna spend my whole life asking, "What if I had given everything, instead of going through the motions?"

new favorite song??? Blessings by Laura Story. look it up. i'm guessing it'll be a blessing to you too!

day twenty-one: three weeks down, six to go! :)

today marked day 21 since we've gotten here and 3 weeks since we flew out of chilly iowa. the weather here is nicer, the trees are better, the precipitation is better (NOT freezing) and the people are friendly. :) however, i guess you know you're a midwesterner when you smile at random people at the mall and they look around like you made a mistake or look down because they don't quite know how to react. i guess i look that american. i just hope i don't look that iowan. :/ school today was great! i taught a couple math lessons and a way fun science lesson about classifying animals. the kids all laughed and they learned something and my shy little guy raised his hand thrice. :)

this evening, krisanna and i went over to my cooperating teacher's apartment with some other ladies and had great food, fellowship, and laughs. :) tomorrow is already wednesday! :) then krisanna and i had some great roommate bonding time catching up and sharing God's work in our lives. :) friendship truly is a blessing!!!!!

and that's where my thoughts stop tonight...