It's Christmas!

250+ kids, who knows how many
parents - one packed church

This week at school was nuts! We practiced our Christmas program every morning, supposedly starting at 8:30. (Well, we're in Antigua, so though my class was usually in place by 8:40, we never got started before 5 to 9.) Today we had a full, full church. The program started at 11:10 (not bad at all, really) and ended at 1:05. Yikes. Various mishaps and new things we never rehearsed happened, but the gospel was proclaimed, so, "Thanks be to God!"


This week Thursday was supposed to be our Christmas Olympics. The students preschool through Gr 6 divide into 5 houses - Hawksbill (Green), Frigate (Red), Ocean (Blue), Sun (Yellow), Racer (White) - and compete in races, contests, etc. Each house has approximately 50 kids and is headed by 2 or 3 teachers. Unfortunately for everyone this year, there has been so much rain that the outdoor events were cancelled. Instead, we had an extra practice for our program and then went back to our own classrooms. Miss Rosenbaum found some Minute-to-Win-it games on the internet and held a mini-olympics of her own. She then made the mistake of giving a treat (a small lollipop) to the winners. Poor suffering children who didn't win began to cry. I felt bad for a moment, then thought, "Well, here is a lesson we both can learn. They need to know that they can't win everything in life, and the world will not end if they do not receive a treat. I need to be prepared for my rewards to blow up in my face and realize that crying kids come with the territory.

Grade 2 girls, enjoying the party

Friday was our Christmas party. Here, Christmas party food is not just cookies and juice. It can include pizza, sausage rolls, patties (meat pastries), sandwiches, meatballs, chips, cookies, cake, ice cream, juice, candy... need I go on? We spent most of the 3 hour party opening presents and eating. If I had not had one of my class moms in, helping me the whole day, I would not have made it. I could have been much more organized, but another lesson learned for next year.


Friday night was our faculty Christmas party. Traditionally, the party has been hosted at someone's house with teachers each bringing something to pass. This year it was decided that we go someplace nice and eat out. This nice place was the Sandals Resort (insert appropriate ohs and ahs). We have a connection through our music minister who is a tour guide and also used to work at Sandals. We got a deal and were going to eat at the buffet. As the Lord would have it, Friday night was the only night this month they did not serve the buffet! So we were permitted to order any appetizers and 2 entrees from the restaurant menu. Then we ambled over to another part of the resort where there was a chocolate bar. To end the night, we were shown up to a conference room set aside for our gift exchange. Both Julie and I had requested and received local art to hang in our house. Now our white walls have some color!

St. John's Lutheran faculty and staff (minus a few)

I couldn't ask for anyone else to share my time here!

May God bless you and yours as we celebrate the coming of our Savior! Me? I'll be home for Christmas. You can plan on me.   =)

A Birthday Post

Yes, it was my birthday this past weekend. We began the celebrations a little early as Friday was a day off from school to celebrate National Heroes' Day (or V.C. Bird Day). We went to the beach, got grocery shopping done, went out to eat with the Johnston family. My one request was to make Christmas cookies, so Saturday morning, Julie, Cindy, Aida, Sienna, and I began a baking marathon. We did 3 batches of cut-outs, 2 batches of sugar cookies, and 1 batch of gingerbread cookies. Good thing Cindy always gives away plates of cookies as gifts, because there were a ton!

This morning, we participated in a 5K fun run, sponsored by Subway. The cookie baking crew plus baby Grady walked from the Subway in town, to the Subway north of town, then back again. At the finish line, they had Gatorades, cookies, and subs awaiting all participants! Lovely. Didn't get rained on like last week, so that was nice. Only unfortunate thing was that the 9am start time didn't happen til 9:30, and walking with a 4 year old, a 2 year old, and a 4 month old isn't very fast. We were a little late for church, but we did hear a sermon reminding us to always be ready for Christ's second coming, because God's time isn't our time.

This week at school we have been spending 1 1/2 hours every day running through our Christmas program. It will be a long program as we have not yet added the Kings Kids (our junior choir), Kids Pan (steel pan group), Dance (children of all ages, dancing to a song by Charlotte Church), the 2 congregational hymns, or the sermonette by Pastor Johnston. The program is taking the place of the 11am service. Mom told me I should eat a really good breakfast so that I'm not wasting away with hunger by the time I get home.

One of my biggest struggles is staying content with where God has placed me. It's not that I can't find things to be joyful in, wherever I am; it's just that I tend to think, "If only I had this," or "If only things were this way," or "If only I could go here, do this, etc." I get so caught up in the things I want that I forget all the amazing blessings around me. For example, I have been eagerly awaiting the 19th, the day I fly home to visit my family for Christmas. My anticipation is not going to make the day come any faster, and, quite frankly, it clouds my enjoyment of the present. These last few weeks have been so full of wonderful experiences, opportunities to grow and learn, chances to get to know others better. I'm not sure if I have made the best of these opportunities before me with my eyes on things ahead instead of things at hand. I know the Lord will continue to bless me wherever I am, and for that, I am most humbled. I pray that God will help me overcome my discontent, for my name is written in the Book of Life; past that, all things can only add to my joy.

10K in the Rain

Apparently, there is always a week in either December or January when the weather is cloudy, windy, and rainy. I would venture a guess (and a hope) that this is the week because since Friday night, we have had nothing but clouds and wetness, interspersed with clouds and humidity and clouds and torrential downpour. Saturday morning we went to town to pay bills and do some Christmas gift exchange shopping, and we got rained on throughout the morning. We were blessed enough to get a ride into town from a neighbor and a ride back from a church member.

Cindy Johnston had suggested that we train for a race. When she had originally mentioned it, she had said something about training for a 1/2 marathon in Barbados. That didn't happen for financial reasons (and laziness, too). Then we said we would start training so we would be ready any time a race popped up.(Lofty goals, never really followed through on the training part of the plan.) Sandals Resort had such a race, an opportunity to run 5K, 10K, or a 1/2 marathon (actually 15 miles, but who's counting?). The race was scheduled to start at 6a.m. at the Sandals Resort and end at several different points around the island. We decided we would sign up to run the 10K with the intent of running the first 5, run/walk the send half.

Julie, Cindy, and me, 5:30 a.m., ready for our race!

We woke up to rain and doubts that the race would be held. The start time was pushed back to 6:30. The three of us were joined by Cindy's friend (Sylvina) from her kids' swim class. At the onset of the race, Julie and I paired up and set a decent pace. About 3K in, Julie paused for a break and I continued running. I made it the first 5K without stopping. I wanted to get my time and wait around for everyone else to catch up, but the timers wouldn't give me my time as I was signed up for the 10K! I couldn't see any of the others, so I decided to start running again. I stopped 2 other times to walk a block or two, but ran the majority of the 2nd 5K. My time? 66:29. Not bad for someone only intending to run 5K without any serious training.

There were a few times during the race when I felt as if I might drown in the torrential downpours or in the rivers coursing through the roadways. I was thoroughly soaked by the end, and my clothes and shoes will probably take a few days to dry out. It was enjoyable, though. Julie finished in 72 minutes, and Cindy and Sylvina finished in 76. Both good times as they all had decided to walk. Perhaps we will do it again sometime...