Musical Notes

Genesis Pan - my favorite pan group in the world!

Today was the last day, the last time I played steel pan at St. John's Lutheran. I had found my niche playing the 4-bass and grooved to calypso rhythms. Now I must say goodbye to the music, the 1 1/2 practices that often went long, and the people I messed around with every Saturday. I must say, we ended with a crash-bang finish. We learned the Hallelujah Chorus to play for the offering, and then we put together a medley of 3 songs we had played during the year. Too bad the chances of having a steel pan group in the States are not as good as having one in the Caribbean...


This afternoon I attended a piano recital put on by the students of Mrs. Sternhagen. Her youngest students are in Kindergarten, and her oldest students are in secondary school. It was a very nice program; it started on time and all of the children did a lovely job. 3 of my own second graders played for the recital. All were rather nervous but managed at least one smile.

Mahsha (blue) and Jada (pink)

Makayla (center)

Call Cadence

Coo! Crazy Call chaos created calamity....

Ok, not really.
Friday night, Julie and I got together with the Johnstons and Sternhagens for our final monthly ex-pat get together. We had a "Fish Fiesta": lobster thermadour (compliment of a gift of lobsters from one of Julie's school moms), red snapper, grouper, barracuda, and shnook. It was delicious! Lots of good food and lots of good company. The topic of the evening was Call Day...

Part of the festivities involved a supposed "rite of passage" -
eating a fish eyeball. Pastor Sternhagen is all things food and fish.

Julie, however, does not have the same stomach and excitement for
adventuresome foods. She ate it, but, well, just look at her face. =)

Both Julie and I are coming back to the States to teach this next academic year. We streamed MLC's graduation, watched our friends and loved ones walk the stage to accept their diplomas, and waited in high anticipation for the Call Service, slated to begin at 2:30 Central Time. Pastor Johnston went on a crazy alliterative kick and began to give everything the label "call". We had call cakes (pancakes) for breakfast with call coffee, watched call cartoons, lunch was call cabbage salad, there were call chores, call cleaning.... yeah. I had gone on an early morning run to the beach to give my mind a break, then practiced keyboard for church, helped stain some boards for library shelving... Then came time for the Service. The computer at the Johnston's house has rather low volume, so we were all plugged into earphones, leaning toward the computer, anxiously listening and exclaiming as we heard different names and locations.

I am humbled to announce that I have been called to service Pilgrim Lutheran School in Mesa, AZ, to teach grades 3-4, music, and serve as an organist. God is good! All the time! What an amazing blessing that God uses his people to provide calls for those who train for the public ministry.

Today in church, it was announced (officially) that Julie and I are leaving. We were called up to the front and presented with a certificate to thank us for our year of service here. The excitement of my new placement is mixed with the bitterness of having to say goodbye. As my time here draws to a close, I can't help but reflect on all the challenges and blessings that define my experience. May God be praised!

"So do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9

Winding Down

Hard to believe I only have 3 weeks of school left... just 14 days of classes, then I will have finished my first year of teaching! Had you told me a couple of years ago that my first year feeding the Lord's lamb would be in Antigua, I do believe I would have laughed at you. But now I can laugh in joy, like Sarah, in wonder and amazement that He has chosen to bless me!

The rain continued for most of the week, though today the sun was out! Julie and I celebrated by walking to a beach. Granted we got lost along the way, and what should have taken about 40 minutes took nearly an hour and half! We enjoyed the warm sun and cool, lovely water. Both of us have pink skin as a reminder of our relaxing afternoon. Friend and co-worker Miss Christmas kindly gave us a ride back home so we wouldn't have to repeat the confusion of the trip.

In the middle of the week, we had our end-of-the-year teacher evaluations, conducted by school visitor Erik Landwehr and Principal Pastor Andrew Johnston. It kind of felt like I was getting my grade from Student Teaching all over again, but without the pressure and wondering if I would pass and be able to graduate.

Speaking of graduation... MLC graduation is this Saturday! Both Julie's fiancé, Joe, and my boyfriend, Julius, will be graduating from the pastor track, ready to continue their training to be pastors. Joe will go straight to the seminary in Mequon, while Julius is going to detour to the seminary in Leipzig, Germany. Very exciting times! In addition to graduation, Saturday is also Call Day. If you will be watching the stream online, listen for my name! Pray that the Lord  places me where I can best serve Him.

Rainy Days

It has been rather rainy the last couple of weeks here on the island. I am told this is not normal, that weather like this is more common in December and January. Most mornings when Julie and I walk up the hill to school, it is cloudy and drizzling. Some days the skies clear and we get the sunshine; other days it stays cloudy and rainy throughout. The humidity is rather high, so even with the clouds, you don't feel cold.

It is kind of nice in 2 ways.
1) The rain is filling the cisterns, so people do not have to be as stingy with their water use.
2) It is coordinating nicely with Gr 2's unit on weather. We have a weather chart in the classroom to track the weather every day AND we have a rain gauge set up in the garden outside the classroom. With today's soggy weather, we are approaching 2 inches of rain for the month of May!!! Crazy...

Unfortunately, the rain means no outside recess. No outside recess means everyone stays cooped up in the classroom. Staying cooped up in the classroom.... well, you know. School is winding down, and excitement is in the air. Before you know it, summer will be here!

A Birthday on the Beach

Birthday crew with the Tinkerbell cake

Happy Birthday, Sienna Johnston! Today, Sienna turned 3 years old. Her awesome cake (made by her mom and mom's friend) was Tinkerbell - a Barbie bedecked in fondant and pipecleaner wings. The cake looked awesome, tasted delicious, and was pawned off on strangers at the beach so nothing had to be taken home! The only downside to the cake, other than the kids who licked off the frosting and put back the cake, was the fact that the fondant melted very easily in the Antiguan temps. Oh well.

The festivities were held at Hawksbill Beach. A lovely place. You may see far in the background of the picture above a rock in the sea. This rock is said to be in the shape of a hawksbill turtle, the national sea creature of Antigua. Another fun fact: I had purchased a picture for my wall back in October. Hawksbill beach, resort, and rock are the subjects for my painting. Now I've seen the real thing. Cool.

A view of the beach from Hawksbill Resort;
looks like it could be in a brochure!

Ok, so Grady wasn't the birthday boy, but he's so cute!
Who could resist?

A Funeral

Though funerals are not the most cheerful of topics, Christians always find hope in the risen Savior. Here at St. John's Lutheran, the father and husband of some of our members fell asleep in Christ the day before Easter. The funeral was this past Monday. What a cultural experience!

The funerals in Antigua are rather unique. Because Antigua is such a small island with so many churches, many denominations come together at many times. In order to avoid fellowship issues, many churches have a time for tributes. The tributes for this funeral started at 2 (well, 2:20.... island time, you know). The church was packed, though the funeral did not start til 3. Friends, family, and coworkers came forward and sang songs, told stories, recounted inspiring events. Then at 3:10, the family came in the the casket. The service was full of songs, readings, a sermon, and a eulogy. The staff of the school sang a song, and the church choir sang as well. The service ran over an hour and a half. Perhaps the most striking difference happened right when we walked in the church. Each person who entered was given a pin to wear. The pin had a ribbon on it with the gentleman's name and the dates of his life.

What was the same? The sweet comfort of the gospel. No matter the language, no matter the customs, the message of the resurrection rings loud and strong to comfort all Christians.

What Does It Matter?

Sounds like a hopeless title. It's not because we have the certain hope of a place in heaven! We have that promise from our risen Savior and there is certainly no doubt about our future with Him!

As for the scientific definition of matter, Miss Rosenbaum's Gr. 2 class should be able to tell you that matter is something that "TAKES UP SPACE!!!" We have spent one week learning about the different states of matter. This next week we will review... But! The academic highlights from this scintillating subject include oobleck and song.

Oobleck - originally a character from a Dr. Suess book, now a common primary school science experiment. What is oobleck? you ask. I'll tell you! 2 parts cornstarch, 1 part water (food coloring if you dare)... mix it all together and what do you get?! A substance that can flow like a liquid but when poked or acted on by a force, acts like a solid. Which is it? Neither! It is a non-newtonian fluid. Not that you cared, but now you know. Very easy to make and quick to clean up. It is also very amusing to play with.

Song - below you will find the song our class has learned to help us remember details about the 3 states of matter. It is to the tune, "She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain When She Comes". I will admit some of the lines are a little awkward, but hopefully in the years to come, my students will recall this song with fondness and a growing understanding about that weird subject Miss Rosenbaum kept going on about...

There are three states of matter, yes there are! (clap, clap, clap)

There are three states of matter, yes there are! (clap, clap, clap)

Solid, liquid, and gas, you don’t even need to ask,

There are three states of matter, yes there are! (clap, clap, clap)

First a solid never changes in its shape (clap, clap, clap)

They stay firm, never flow, they’re really great (clap, clap, clap)

You can see them all around you, and I’m sure they will astound you

Solid matter can be found in any place (clap, clap, clap)

Next the liquids flow into the space they find (clap, clap, clap)

They don’t keep their shape, but we don’t really mind (clap, clap, clap)

Some are wet and some are slimy, now there’s no need to be whiny

Liquid matter is a very slippery kind (clap, clap, clap)

Last, not least, we have the gases, and you know (clap, clap, clap)

It’s impossible to hold them, even so (clap, clap, clap)

You can smell them, sometimes see them, and can definitely breathe them,

Gaseous matter can be felt when wild winds blow (clap, clap, clap)

There are three states of matter, yes there are! (clap, clap, clap)

There are three states of matter, yes there are! (clap, clap, clap)

Solid, liquid, and gas, you don’t even need to ask,

There are three states of matter, yes there are! (clap, clap, clap)

The liquid and gas begin to mix more and more as the humidity rises here on the island. I am grateful school is drawing to a close for the simple fact that soon it will be very uncomfortable to stay in a classroom all day. But it will be a bittersweet ending...