Christmas is a time for giving...

I have posted about this before, but I just think it is too cute when kids come in with little knick knacks for me.

They are definitely in the spirit of giving right now and I have received an abundance of "stuff".

A teacher can never have too many apples.  Though this may have been my first one ever received as a gift.  Too bad for the little brown spots on it from little fingers grasping a little too hard.

A USB from subway that can also be worn as a bracelet!  Simply amazing, and so practical!

One of my little buds came in and said, "Miss Cosper, I made you a fluffy thing!"
  "Wow, cool!  You made this all by yourself?  What is it?"
"I just told you, it's a fluffy thing."

A letter I received from one of my Korean girls.  She gave me an envelope in October that said "please don't open till Thanksgiving."  She's a sweetie for thinking of me and on a holiday that she doesn't even celebrate :)

I love my kids, and they're a huge source of encouragement.  When I'm feeling lost, or not sure what I'm doing the 26 little people that bring me random gifts are a reminder of why I love what I do!

Dunk Tank.

 As a special treat to the kids we brought in a dunk tank where they could be dunked.  It was  guilty pleasure to be able to watch them be thrown into the water...plus I got some funny pics.

nervous giggles.

gotch'ya

so funny.

a happy wet fourth grader

It is the Joy of My Heart to Follow You

You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
   You're blessed when you follow his directions,
      doing your best to find him.

Psalm 119:1

A couple weeks ago Faith Elementary participated in our Filipiniana Week.  This is a week in which we celebrate the Philippines, the country where God as called all of us to serve in.  It's a tiring week and by the end I feel as I am about to collapse, but the kids love it and it does provide them with some great opportunities.  

I posted a few pictures of our ministry day.  This is a day that we reserve specifically for a ministry somewhere in the metro manila area.  All week my class had been going through their own toys and deciding which ones they should give away to the less fortunate.  This is of course very difficult for the kids, but I reminded them of those that we had ministered to last year, and how they didn't even have lunches.  After a week, we had two giant boxes filled with toys, the kids were very proud of themselves.  So on our ministry day we were invited to the Faith Family Children's Home where we were going to deliver the toys that we had collected.  I headed over there with my 27 kids and was greeted by 32 happy and toothless smiles.  It was a great opportunity for kids to get involved in ministry work, and they ended up having so much fun with the kids.

At first the kids were somewhat hesitant and didn't know how to act. I found one of my kids yelling at the top of his lungs, "MISS COSPER, WHERE ARE ALL THE ORPHANS?  I THINK WE SCARED ALL THE ORPHANS AWAY!"...yikes, I quickly pulled him to the side and said, "hey bud, they're kids just like you, so I think it would be better if you just call them kids, and not orphans"...haha

Anyway, I was so glad my kids had a blast, and by the end of the day they were begging me to be able to come back and see the children's home again.  

When we got back to the classroom we talked about the joy that they were feeling.  They felt joyful because they were doing something that God would be pleased with, they were helping someone!  It was so cool to see the kids so excited.  Even just the other day the kids asked me if they could go back and see their new friends.

Ken and I...I love that his name is Ken.

Ken...little boy with a man's name

some of the kids and my fourth graders

Yuki...loved that dark curly hair

Kids playing together at the orphanage.  All of the swing sets were donated by Faith Academy.

Very excited it was non-uniform day, so he decided to wear his Kimono 

At the orphanage, the boys uniforms are laid out for them.

The boys made a new friend, Alvin.  They loved playing basketball together.

laughing at kids.

I've been terrible at blogging, and that ha partly to do with the coming season (christmas) and just the craziness of the school day.

Had lunch with a couple of my kids, and loved laughing and talking with them.  I love having lunch with smaller groups of kid because it's a time that I can use as a mentoring time, and less of a classroom teacher. Often times I will surprise them with little snacks and gifts.  Here's Samuel, Jaeyoung and I.  Jaeyoung (in the middle) really loves his ice cream.  He told me he tries to take as much time as he can eating his dessert so it will last forever haha cutie!

what a guy!  He even let me take his picture with ice cream still on his face!  I told him it made him look more grown up, like he had facial hair or something...

More Stories from an Elementary Teacher

One great thing about teaching elementary is that there is never a dull moment.  It's not un usual when someone asks me to share a funny story about the little kiddos.  So I've tried to compile a few funny moments thus far.

A Blonde Moment.
Unfortunately with Mk (missionary kid) schools there are always kids coming and going and we as teachers always try to help our students with good byes as much as we can.

So on this particular day it was one of my students, Keishin's, last day.  I wanted to make sure the kids were able to say a proper good bye and share their favorite memories of Keishin as well as what they loved about her.  So we all gathered on the carpet and I told them that if there was anything that they wanted to share about Keishin they were welcome to do so.  I told them what I loved about her, and why I would miss her.  Some other kids told us their favorite memories about her and so on.

Then one of my little girls raised her hand and when I called on her she started telling her story.  As the story went on I realized that there was something missing, so I asked her, "Honey, is Keishin in your story?"....and as my student looked at me quizzically and responded, "Keishin has to be in the story?"....

A Little Confused
In math we were learning about probability, so to better help illustrate this to my kids we talked about things that are impossible and things that are 100% certain.
So to start out we brainstormed things that are impossible....sprouting wings and flying, talking cats, milking a dog, and a bunny laying an egg.  Pretty good.
But then my 4th graders seemed to be challenged by thinking of things that are 100% certain.  They started off by saying things like, "there will be school tomorrow."  But when asked, "well could you think of anything that might have us cancel school?"  One of my little guys answered, "well i guess there could be a typhoon tomorrow." "Exactly, so it's not 100% certain.  What are we totally sure of?"  That's when one of my little honey girls raised her hand and said, "Well...there's gong to be a typhoon tomorrow...."
"Ok....how do you know that there is going to be a typhoon tomorrow," as I'm looking out the window at the clear blue skies, she says, "well I heard school's going to be canceled tomorrow."

My kids love having lunch with me for three reasons
1.) my classroom is air cond.
2.) I will most of the time get them a little treat.
3.) and lastly I don't have to act like a teacher for 45 minutes :)

School Girl Crush

The other day one of my little girls came into class all giggly and told me, "Miss Cosper, yesterday, Christian sang in Music class and...." (trying to contain her excitement) "he pointed to me!"  I smiled and said, "Woah, that's pretty cool.  So what does that mean?"

She awkwardly twists her arms in a knot and with a big goofy smile says, "so now I like him!!!!"

Drama Guy

Every six weeks the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are allowed to sign up for activity periods, a class where they can learn something fun or participate in a skill building activity.  I teach drama, and love watching the kids having fun and pretending they're someone else.  

So the other day the kids are signing up and this little 3rd grader comes up and asks me if he can sign up his friend who's really looking forward to drama.  I told him, "Sorry, but you can only sign yourself up, he'll have to wait his turn."  A disappointing answer indeed.  He responds that it's ok, because he's still excited for the club.  Then he proceeds to ask, "sooo....are there any parts with fainting?  Cause I'm pretty great at fake fainting."  He then goes on to demonstrate for me his "perfect faint."  It's hilarious and actually pretty good.  All I can do is give him a little wink and say, "we'll see what we can find!"

let's get some perspective

Woke up this last Sunday to a beautiful sunny morning.  I love the church where've I've been going this last year so I was eager to be fed and refreshed for the week.

As you may know, the traffic here in Manila can be quite the adventure.  However, I am a fairly confident driver and I have adapted to the weaving and dodging ways of driving in the Philippines.  But I guess there is always the exception.  Because on my way to church on Sunday I was T-boned by another car.  I swerved to avoid it as much as possible but unfortunately could not have saved my little Lance (my mitsubishi lancer).

I looked out my driver's side window to see a little honda civic sitting right there.  While trying to maintain my cool I moved forward to the side of the road so that I wouldn't be blocking traffic (something I later learned you should NOT do).  As I got out of my car this old man got out of his and apologized for the accident telling me he never saw me coming.  I told him it was fine but just earlier that week had heard a story about a friend who did not call the police and now regretted it, so I told him that I wanted to call the police just so that we could report that it had happened.

As soon as the cops arrived the man's demeanor changed and he began blaming me saying that he had the right of away.  After standing around for nearly an hour the cops told us that since I had moved my car they couldn't sketch the scene and I had to go down to the police station to report the accident (had I left my car right where it had happened they might have been able to declare who was at fault at the scene).

By now I have called my friend Wendy and Ted who have joined my room mate and me.  I am so grateful to them, they were such a moral support!  Having 4 white faces though creates quite the attention, so much so that people were actually slowing down to gawk! haha

Anyway, we get to the police station and by now the old man is so irritated with me, and starts calling me names, and telling me it's definitely my fault.  When asked to give my side of the story I explained to the police that I was driving down the road when he neglected to stop at the stop sign and ran into me...I even had to pull out my teacher voice when he kept on trying to interrupt me :)  Thank you fourth grade!

After another hour of going over our stories and filling out our paper work the police informs me that since the man refuses to admit it is his fault we'll have to go to court (because he doesn't have insurance).  I am so overwhelmed at this point, and feel like there is no hope, that my car will forever have this huge dent in the side I start to cry.  Great...now I'm the crying white girl... let's just invite even more people to stare.

After the old man left, the police were so gracious to me and apologized to me for the whole situation and the stubborn old man.  They told me it was surely his fault and that I just need to report it to my insurance and let them fight it for me. Uhhhh. what a morning right?.... well my friends and I decide that it's lunch time so we'll take a visit to our favorite Indian restaurant and treat ourselves.  I am so shaken up though that I have Kelli drive.

As we get to lunch I begin thinking that it's ok.  It's not he end of the world, and worst case scenario I'll have to pay out of pocket to get by car fixed.  It's disappointing, but as my friend Tedge prayed for lunch, He is Lord over all and He protected Kelli and me.

After lunch I am feeling much better, and think the best thing would be to get back on the horse and ride again.  So I tell Kelli I'm fine and I'll drive home.  As I'm leaving the parking lot I remember that there is a huge sale going on at the mall next door, and when there is a sale in the Philippines everyone and there mother show up.  So the traffic is TERRIBLE.  bumper to bumper....unfortunately I say that statement literally, because yes I was hit again.  I stopped the car and look at Kelli and literally say to her, "you're kidding me right," to which she responds, "have you seriously been hit again?"  I get out of the car and look at the car which was was trying sneak past me but clipped my rear bumper.  There is large white scratch...I am so shocked I can't even cry, think, and barely speak.  I look at him and tell him this is the second time I've been hit that day.  The guy was so apologetic and I could see that he had no money.  He was a driver for some large company and so I decided to forget it.  I wrote down all his information, but couldn't get myself to call the police AGAIN.

So yea, by the end of Sunday I felt like everything was breaking.  I was exhausted, stressed, and miserable.  The next day I started to blog about the whole situation (cause I'm always looking for something to blog about) and as soon as I started to write I realized I needed to get some perspective.  I was still too mad, frustrated, and confused about the whole situation.  Later that evening I skyped my beautiful sassy sister Clare and began verbally processing.  I realized that this was my first week where I thought...."why couldn't I be here next year? The Lord has blessed me so much, and could that possibly be a sign that I am doing exactly what He wants me to be doing?  That my work here is actually making a difference."... and then as I explained to Clare I clearly remember thinking, "I mean I even have a car which is a huge blessing!"

As I was verbally processing (which is quite often) with my sister I had to ask myself could this possibly be an attack?... I still don't know, and perhaps I will never know.  But it has made me think even harder about staying.  I have been encouraged in the last few days with the verse from Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."  


Please pray for me as I make this huge decision about another year as well as if you would like to continue to support me financially and through prayers.  The Lord is good and He will make his plan known to us, and I will simply follow that path.


Pray for just enough illumination for the next step, and then the courage to take it. -David Crowder

funny presents.

I love when my students bring me home made gifts.

This is the newest edition to my collection...not sure what it's supposed to be but she told me she "crow-shayed" it just for me! 

I'm feeling the love..just trying to figure out what to do with it :)

Beaches, Balconies, and Bruises

The title of this blog post may sound a little funny, but it perfectly describes my rest this last week.

Living in a the tropics has it's perks.  Most of the time I may complain about the heat, how it's so humid, the terrible traffic, and flooding roads but when I am able to escape the Manila jungle and relax on a white sand beach I am reminded of how blessed I am.  

As you may have noticed, from my past blogs and updates, my class this year requires much more of my energy than last year's. So as my October break rolled around the corner I was more than welcoming and ready for rest.

Some friends whom have become more like family and I were able to retreat to Puerto Galera where we were welcomed with the sound of the lapping ocean, the pitter patter of rain, and the comfort of a cool air conditioned room (it's too expensive to use at home).  I was so looking forward to bundling up in the air con and reading a good book.    I am so thankful for books and lounge chairs on the beach.

One of my favorite games to play is Frisbee and thanks to my room mate (who brought hers) we were able to run around on the beach passing it back and forth for hours.  I love running in the sand and diving for the Frisbee.  My friends and I can also get pretty competitive while playing and so I found my arms blotted with purple bruises.

Another one of my favorite activities includes hiking!  I love being able to get out of the city and hike through the woods.  I was able to take one of my favorite hikes from last year.  The "trail" takes you up to a waterfall where you can jump in the water and feel refreshed in the cool fresh water!  While climbing on the rocks I took a little spill and fell down one of the smaller falls.  I was left with another huge black and blue bruise on my leg...not so pretty.

I have always been teased by how easily I bruise, but this week it has proven to be more true than I would care to admit.  But each little ugly mark comes with a reminder of what a blessing this last week is and my wonderful Phili-Fam (Philippine's family).  I love laughing with them and playing games with them (no matter how many times I may lose miserably).

While sitting out on the balcony late one night some friends and I reminisced about what the Lord has taught us this last year, prayed about our classes this year, and even discussed next year.  I love being able to hear what the Lord is doing in my friend's hearts and how He has worked in all of our lives in bringing us together.  I am thankful for prayerful friends.

All in all my little beach get away was magnificent and I am refreshed and ready for the return to school.

Ran out of room in the trike so Leo had to ride on top.

Hike to the falls with Kelli and Luke

Jumping in the pool

one ugly bruise...

talking

Never has my voice been so tired.

Having 54 parents of 27 students I have spent nearly 14 hours this week talking about their kids and how their doing academically, spiritually, and emotionally.

I am exhausted, relieved and yet I'm so happy I was able to meet with each of them.  Faith Academy has some pretty amazing parents, and I am so honored to be able to teach each of their kids.

Ready for rest.

Lately...

Lately...

1.) I've been wondering what next year holds for me.  Please pray that the Lord would make it clear to me where He wants me.  I am open to staying another year in the Philippines, but would also love to go home. Honestly the idea of raising support again makes me nervous and anxious.  Thank goodness the Lord is in control, other wise I would be a nervous wreck.

2.) I've been thankful for a working car.  The other day my battery died and I realized how nice it is to have a dependable vehicle....which leads me to my third

3.) Met some kind people who stayed with me until my new car battery was delivered.  I was stuck outside, and had to wait outside for an hour until the auto parts guy delivered my new battery and some really nice guys Joji, Peter, Jun, Simon, and three other guys waited with me.  We learned a lot about each other.

4.) So excited for visitors.  Counting down the days for the arrival of my home church's mission team plus..... MY DAD! So excited to see him, and show him around my new home. (still hoping on emily rankin and alex sparks ;)

5.) I've been feeling warn out by my fourth graders.  I've shed a few tears praying for their little hearts.  They need to learn to love each other the way Christ loves each of them.

6.) Missing home, but looking forward to my quick visit in December.

7.) I've been grading like a mad woman.  Parent teacher conferences are coming up and having 27 kiddos takes a lot of prep time.  Please pray that I would be able to share with each parent properly and for wisdom.

8.) I've been looking forward to my little escape to the beach.  Praying that there aren't any typhoons as we travel.

9.)  Loving the soundtrack for "O Brother Where Art Thou"

10.) Been thinking about a new study for some senior girls....hmm I think Psalms will be perfect.

Dog Crimes.

I woke up this morning and this is what I found....

My favorite sandal (that I wear nearly everyday) chewed.

The perpetrators.

Daisy...she's a lover, but she can stir up plenty of trouble.

And Holly....I'm convinced she's the mastermind behind it all.  

I am a little embarrassed by this but when i found my chewed up sandal I nearly cried.  It's only a material thing, and I've gotten almost 4 years out of these shoes but I was so sad to find them buried in the couch, drool covered like no one even cared about them.  My poor little rainbows :(  maybe one day I'll be able to get a new pair.

a few photos to share

Just a few photos I thought were fun.

This is Elias. He's a fun kid despite what it might look like in this picture...he was telling me that the class was too loud so I found him putting tissue in his ears. haha

I love this! One of my kid's brought me this! It's a thank-you giraffe!  

My little German and New Zealand friends.

I don't know what it is about my classes and claiming everything as a class pet...but this Moth has visited our classroom two days in a row and my kids have named him Kevin (I have no idea why they picked Kevin, but I thought it was pretty funny).

a small victory.

I just wanted to post a little something that happened the other day in fourth grade.  As most of you know I've been feeling a bit challenged with my class this year and in particular there are a few strong-willed, stubborn kids.

The other day I had put one of my boys' names on the whiteboard indicating that he had to walk the soccer field for me during his next recess (this is my new strategy, wearing them out plus they have to watch their friends having fun haha I'm such a scheming teacher).  Anyway he came up to me later that afternoon and asked, "Miss Cosper why is my name up on the board?"  I replied, "Because you were talking when you were supposed to be silent reading."  "No I wasn't", my student responded, "I was reading and the boys AROUND me were talking."  I shook my head and said, "I watched you and I saw you talking with the other boys!" almost in disbelief that he was fighting this so hard.  "No really I was reading the back of so-in-so's book." If there's one thing I learned while student teaching it was to call the student out, so I asked him, "so are you calling me a liar?"  The student not sure what to say says, "no I wasn't calling you a liar but I wasn't talking."  "So I'm lying when I say that I saw you talking?... one of us is lying here and it's not me."  He looks around trying to think of how to respond..and says "well it's either you or me...but I wasn't reading."  Oh gosh, I then told him he had to walk for the entire lunch recess and think about what he did and how to make it right.

Haha It's funny when these things happen to me (much later of course).  I am dumbfounded at the sin in man and couldn't believe that someone whom I have grown to love was lying to my face...hmm sound familiar meg?  I know that this is how Christ feels when I am in sin.  I am literally in his face lying to him, and yet I think my sin is somehow different from my little fourth graders.  Woah... reality check for me.

Anyway as I write this I have a big smile on my face, because after lunch my little guy came in, all drenched in sweat, and tapped me on the arm and said, "Miss Cosper, I'm sorry I lied to you."   I threw my arms around his sweaty little body and said, "of course I forgive you, and I am so proud of you for making the right decision.  But next time I want you to think about today and what you learned about lying." "Yea, I'll never do that again."  Well I really doubt that it won't ever happen again, but it was so good to see some change in him.  I can already tell that the Lord is doing some big things in my class.

I keep praying though that the Lord would give me wisdom, guidance, and even patience as I teach these kids.  I also would love for prayer for my kids also, and that they would see the love of Christ in me and have a huge year of growth both spiritually and with maturity.

Thank you,
 A grateful teacher

Hitting Pot Holes.

I wish this were only a metaphor for my second year in the Philippines, but unfortunately it serves as both an excellent metaphor and reality.

I arrived in the Philippines and I think I had the idea that it would be easier, that I would be able to simply swing back into things and the daily routine here in the tropics... but it has proven to be more of a challenge.

Coming home to a big empty house for one thing was very hard.  My room mate Kelli had not arrived yet in the Philippines and so I was left to take care of three rambunctious and attention deprived dogs. After leaving a full Cosper house in the States it was a little strange to be all by myself.

 I was also greeted by a car that needed a set of new wheels.  I don't mean they were getting a little worn out...I mean you could literally see the wire coming through.  I was getting seriously worried every time I had to drive out somewhere.  Not only were the tires worn out but it had a serious odor problem...yuck.  I was on my way to work one morning and I decided i had plenty of time to stop for Starbucks, as I was backing out of the parking lot I hit a pot hole and my coffee (which had yet to be even tasted and was sitting in my unreliable cup holder) went flying across my passenger seat.  you're kidding me.  I got out and tried to clean it up as much as I could, but as I'm beginning to run late for work and people are waiting for me I had to get going.  "Great", I think, "I have a latte lying on my floor....that's going to smell awesome." so now I have this stinky car that has tires that are about to give out.

Finally after a week of trying to get a hold of my mechanic he comes and rescues my tires! Thank goodness for people who know how to fix cars! I wish I was gifted with such talent!  Unfortunately there was nothing he could do for the smell, he said he would have had to take out all the carpet and redo it... I told him it wasn't worth it and I'd just try to clean it up myself.

I've always heard that the first year of teaching is the worst...but what about the second? I guess now that I think about it, it's not going to be magically 100% better.  Last year I was blessed with a class that loved each other, loved to learn, and were so eager to please.  This year...not so much.  I love these kids, and they are sweet kids.  But I do have 11 more kids than I did last year, and this group of kids aren't as excited about school.  I have to be honest in that it hasn't been easy.  Last year I was seen as a fun teacher, this year not so much.  I have to be strict and punish kids, and I hate that!  I'm praying that the Lord gives me some serious patience and that I would be able to show these kids the love of Christ...even if that's through giving out consequences.

So I'm headed out to work this morning, mentally kind of preparing myself for the day ahead of me.  I'm following this car in front of me when out on no where it swerves and I hit the biggest pot hole I have ever seen...followed by the sound of scratching metal.  "shoot"...I decide that school is only 15 more minutes away and in this case ignorance is bliss and I'd try to make it to school. I know it wasn't the smartest decision on my part, but come on, how bad would that be if a blonde girl were stranded on the side of the road looking quite out of her element! Made it to school ok and found that my brand new tire had a hole in it the size of silver dollar.

WHERE DO THESE POT HOLES COME FROM!!!

yikes...  well long story short got it fixed and I'm able to drive around again, though I drive significantly slower and am watching the ground more often than I ever have before.

So now I'm trying to think about what God is trying to teach me through this...and I'm still not sure.

Please pray for me this year, as I have a challenging class and have a lot more kids than I did last year.  I am also now teaching computers to my 4th graders, and I feel completely inadequate to be teaching this. I am struggling with feeling insufficient and being overwhelmed.  I find myself leaning on God more and more every day, and maybe that's exactly where I should be in the first place.

But please God, no more pot holes.

Exploring 4th Grade

My theme for my classroom this year is "exploring 4th grade".  I find it quite fitting as I now understand the basics of how to teach 4th graders and now I'm looking forward to seeing what more I can do.  I had such a wonderful first year, but I've been praying that the Lord would help me to be a better teacher to these kids and how to love on them.

Here are a few pics of my new room.

All 27 students will work here...there are a lot of desks. 

 Our "base camp"...the kids love going to the reading corner and reading a good book.  I told them my favorite place to read is somewhere I feel comfy and I can relax so I wanted one in my classroom.

took me most of my day on tuesday to draw those binoculars and compass rose. 

 Our sunny carpet area.

Thanks for visiting my classroom!

A Partly Cloudy Summer

It seems as if my summer has come and gone so quickly.  I kept on trying to remember to enjoy my time here in the Pacific Northwest and yet too many mornings got away from me (even though I greatly appreciated my rest).

After a year of learning to be completely dependent on Christ and dying to my own desires I felt like it was safe to say that coming home would be a nice vacation from all that I had been learning.  Funny thing though, God doesn't take summer vacation.  As soon as I flew home I quickly realized that what I was learning across the world still applied in my own home.

But God is good, and I feel like I am going back refreshed and ready for this school year.  I am excited for what the Lord has in store for me and my fourth graders this year!

My grandma gave me a verse the other day, she told me it was meant for me :) and I thought it was appropriate.

          "A miserable heart means a miserable life; 
           a cheerful heart fills the day with song (Proverbs 15:15)."

Rene's Interview

Last February a good friend of mine, Rene Ramos, stopped by my classroom and spent some time with the kids.  Rene was curious and wanted to ask the kids some questions about life here at Faith.  

Enjoy!

A typical day as a Faith teacher.

I find it difficult blogging because I never know what people want to hear about and I don't feel like its my day to day life that makes it interesting....but as I was talking to someone the other day they reminded me that what is now "normal" to me was not just a few short months ago.  So I thought I would share what a normal day would look like for a teacher at Faith.  what now may seem normal to me may not be to you, so here we go....

5:30 am: wake up sweating, not too bad today, sheets weren't wet so I feel pretty clean.
5:35 am: turn on the Today show "live" from the previous US morning.
5:40 am: put the coffee on (make an extra cup for my friend Sharon who's coffee maker spontaneously stopped working earlier this quarter) but won't drink my cup til I'm in the air conditioned classroom.
5:45 am: wash the layer of grim that has formed on my face from the pollution coming in my open window...thought about doing my hair today..but realize my hair is starting to stick to my neck, time to pull it up.
6:20 am: Leave for school.
       *avoid the small herds of cows and the occasional chicken crossing the road, pass any slow moving  jeepneys
6:21 am: the minute I walk into my classroom I put on my beloved air con (I have even considered naming my first child air con, love it so much)
6:40 am: Out to morning duty, standing in the 90+ degree heat sweating already...
7:15 am: kids come up and the day begins
9:35 am: kids come back from merienda (means snack break) and tell me about their newest adventures...who's chasing who, and who got hurt, ask me what are we doing next.
11:00 am: send kids out to lunch and head over to the cafeteria to see what they're serving...usually kimbob, bicol, bulgogi, or some off color potato boat...when in doubt go with the Korean food (our cook is Korean)
2:00 pm: Kids are dismissed, first time you walked outside since lunch....seems more humid than you remember...feels like a wet blanket has been draped over me...maybe I'll stay in my air conditioned classroom to work a little longer.
4:00 pm: Finally leaving school cause I have to go "run" to the grocery store...traffic is bad of course...and even though the grocery store is 5 km away from my house it takes 20 minutes to get there...darn trikes
4:30 pm: finally found a place to park in the parking garage...now have to fight the crowds to the market...too bad most grocery stores are in the malls.
4:45 pm: don't have exactly what I'm looking for..so I guess I'll have to find a substitute...disappointing since they had it just last week.
5:00 pm: time to check out...but the bar code seems to have a small scratch on it, or the mangoes haven't been properly labeled so someone has to run back and find a new one...waiting waiting.  I'm finally noticing all the staring people, and kids giggling whispering to their moms, "americano mammi".  All while the annoying market's jingle is going on in the background, "Shop to til you drop at hypermarket, no matter where you turn there's another exciting adventure, the Hypermarket experience, lots of choices funs and prizes, for everyday living, everything you need all in one place that's the hypermarket....Happy to Serve!" the cashier and bag boy are asking me whole long I've been in the Philippines and why don't I have a boyfriend yet...don't know how to respond.
5:10 pm: As I'm walking out everyone stops to clap and chant "Happy to Serve" while calling out "Hello Mam' Sir"
5:15 pm: Finally out of there, now its time to stop by my sanctuary...Starbucks. Seriously love it here, they even remember my name and drink...Filipinos are excellent with names.
5:30 pm: Finally headed home.  My feet are very tired from standing around in flip flops all day.
6:00 pm: So happy to finally be home, my condo feels pretty good.  Turn on the TV to see what is on, mostly last seasons of So You Think You Can Dance, Live to Dance, ABDC, Criminal Minds or Glee....
6:30 pm: too hot to cook, so I guess it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner, but lucky for me I found Sunchips at the grocery store :) yum. and frozen mango for dessert.
8:00 pm: realize just how gross I feel so I think it's time for a shower...virtually no water pressure....and luke warm water...at least it's draining today.
8:30 pm: stand in front of the fan trying to dry my hair...but too hot to get the hair dryer out...oh well, I'll probably end up wearing a ponytail tomorrow again anyway.
9:00 pm: been a good day, start thinking, "what's on the agenda for tomorrow?"


My life is pretty exciting...

A very special visitor

A week with Mrs. and Miss Cosper?...what a treat!  The kids loved having my mom visit, and I loved spending the week with her!

After spending a few days in the classroom, we were able to drive out to Subic a beach about three hours out of Manila.  It was very relaxing, and gave us an excellent excuse to lay out in the sun while reading a good book.

When we got back to Manila we were welcomed by a tropical storm and I have seriously never hear rain and wind so loud.  It was so loud we couldn't even hear the thunder outside.  After three hours of restless sleep mom and I got back in the classroom. 

It was so fun having her hear, being able to meet all my friends here, my students, and spend some time in Manila my new home.  It was such a blessing having her here, but it made me realize how much I miss my dad and sisters.  Can't wait to see them again soon!

A few 4th Grade quotes

In our class we have a jar that has everyone's name on a popcicle stick and my kids now have named the jar "destiny" haha... today one of my kids said, "I love you Destiny..please pick me!"

"Miss Cosper I'm not going to college, cause I'm going to join the NBA!"


While talking to his plants that he's growing in science he started chanting, "Please grow panties grow panties...oh wait..thats not what I meant!"

When reading Hatchet one of my boys confessed to me, "Miss Cosper I know that the characters in my book aren't real, but I pray for them that they would become Christians so that they could pray for help."

Me: "What could I do to start getting myself excited for next year's fourth graders?"  4th grader: "You could imagine them with beards"... (what made this funnier was that he was totally serious)

"Miss Cosper, I've never been more embarrassed then when I was in church talking to two girls when I noticed my tucked in shirt was sticking out of my zipper and they saw it!"

"Can I go call my mudda?"....

"Mr. Rene, how much more do you weigh than Miss Cosper?"

The Resurrection

While living in a predominately catholic country, I haven't noticed many differences until our recent Easter holiday. 

First of all, I have never gotten Maundy Thursday off of school, and not even sure if I've ever heard the official name for it.  But I was excited about having an extra day off from school.

People had warned me that everything shut down on Thursday and Friday and that there was no one on the roads on Saturday.  They weren't lying...my friend Kelli and I ventured out on Thursday afternoon to see if we could find a McDonalds or something open to eat.  It was like driving through a ghost town (not literally, there were still people, but compared to the normal Manila traffic it was unbelievable).  Then later than night we went out to see the "Ortigas blitz" which is when people from all over Manila walk literally miles on the main road to the big Catholic church, Antipolo Church, on top of the hill.  There were thousands of people crowding the streets just walking, and the farther along you go the more you see processions that include devotees who self-flagellate and sometimes even have themselves nailed to crosses as expressions of penance, in fulfillment of a vow, or in thanksgiving for a granted request.

After three o'clock in the afternoon (the time Jesus is traditionally believed to have died), all noise and merrymaking is discouraged and the faithful are urged to keep a solemn and prayerful disposition. The city becomes so quiet, where I would normally hear karaoke and talking there was nothing.

Holy Saturday known locally as "Black Saturday", has the traditional silence and solemnity from the previous day spill over.  Some parishes will even have a presentation where Judas hangs himself because of his treachery towards Jesus.

The death of Christ was important, but it was so important because of what happened three days later.  He conquered death and rose again!  It is because of this that we have been given an opportunity to live eternally. I was shocked at the sadness this weekend in Manila...He is no longer dead, He has risen and lives today.

This Easter I have been touched by the humility in the death of Christ.  He wasn't pretending to be fearless, but went to His heavenly father and asked "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will (Matt. 26:39b)."  

I think Jesus' prayers in Gethasmane have challenged me to be completely honest with God and to serve with even more humility.  I may not always love what I do every hour or even every day, but I pray that I can serve my Lord with humility and honesty.  I know that He has always been with me, and His will is ultimately the best thing for me.

I pray that His will be done in my life.

She'll be coming over the ocean when she comes!

This weekend I was blessed with being able to help out with Faith's production of Annie by doing all the hair.  It was a fun experience getting to know some of the high schoolers and middle schoolers.  However, it left me drained and very tired.  I walked into school this morning groggy, and with coffee in hand I was barely able to get through the morning.

I am also looking forward to a special visitor coming in just under two weeks. MY MOM! So excited for her to see my class, my work, my friends, my condo, and hopefully some of the fun things there is to do in Manila! As her visit is coming closer I'm realizing I'm missing home more and more.  I think the anticipation and knowing that she's coming soon is stirring up some mixed feelings.  I love the Philippines, but I'm also missing Seattle and even Chicago right now.  This time of the year is one of my favorite times in Chicago. The cool wind, and playing frisbee on oak street beach...but here in the Phils it's reaching into the 90s and I'm having trouble sleeping at night because hot season is just starting to hit.

But over all God is good, and I'm reminded of what a gift it is to serve Him here in the Philippines this easter.  I know that many of these feelings I'm feeling now Christ felt...he was someone living away from his family in a foreign land and struggled with cultural changes as well.  When I am weak He is strong, and I can know that He is with me and has already gone through what I am going through now.

The King and I in Thailand!

Two weeks ago a few of my friends and I were blessed to go on a trip to Bangkok, Thailand.  It was an amazing opportunity and I am so thankful that I was able to see more of Asia.  I found myself amazed with the rich culture and the hospitality of the people. 

On the last night that we were there we were able to go see a Thai cultural show.  I felt like I was part of the King and I eating, and watching this beautiful performance and taking in as much of the Thai culture as I could. The show illustrated the different regions of Thailand and the different cultures of each, one being a fishing community, and another being a mountainous region. 

As I sat there watching the show my heart was breaking for these people. They have come from some a strong roots, and the traditions of this country are beautiful, and yet they are so far from the truth.  They truly are a nation that is searching for truth.

The night before the show we were exploring more of the night life in Bangkok because we heard about the amazing night markets. Little did we know that with the night comes evil from it's dark corners.  The streets were lined with women and men who held folders filled with pictures of women, and flyers being passed out to passer-byes.  I have never felt so dirty in my life. 

After living in Chicago for many years I witnessed some terrible things, and was not surprised by the evil things people partook in.  Now living in Manila it's a regular occurrence for me to see poverty, drugs, and a unlimited supply of trash and filth.  But for some reason there in the streets of that Bangkok night market I have never felt such a spiritual darkness.

All this to say I have come away from this trip with a new burden. To pray for Thailand.  I can't imagine what it must feel like to feel forced into something that is so inhumane.  Please pray for these women and their families and that there would be a light in those communities where they can run to Christ.

A great experience, with great friends.  I count myself extremely lucky to be able to visit these different places in the south pacific.  It was also a time to get refreshed after another quarter of teaching.  But I love my kids and I was so ready to get back to them.

 

These are some of the pictures I took on the trip.  So many vibrant colors.  Overall I would love to go back again soon

An old sculpture at the Grand Palace... Love the gold in the background.

There is literally so much gold in the palace it was beginning to hurt my eyes with the sun...

Love this face... he's got a huge burden on his back...

wish I had enough time and courage to talk to this monk...he was in conversation with someone already...

The only reason I am wearing that sweater is because there was a dress code...long pants and sleeves. Yikes it was warm.

love the color in this one.

One day we were walking down the street when we ran into a small parade with elephants.  They were raising money for relief work in Japan. Who can say no to that big ol' elephant face...

This is me on the River Kwai and the bridge in the background. It was a great day to get out of the city and see some of the more rural parts of Thailand.

Bridge over the River Kwai.

More idols at a nearby temple.

view from up top...

La Mia and me...she was a great elephant. This picture was taken right after she had sucked up some water and sprayed it on herself trying to cool her off...and got me instead. Yuck!

our "river rafting" expedition... more like a peaceful float down the river.

feeding the babies :)

so precious.

they took us on a train ride called "the death train"...

elephant foot.

a very happy couple of friends.

On our last night we went to a cultural show which was amazing and so beautiful. Love the Thai people and their beautiful culture.