End-of-Year Whirlwind

It's really so hard to believe, but I am done with my first year of teaching.  Thursday was the kids' last day in the classroom, and today was the year-end celebration and awards ceremony with parents.  I don't know if this has hit me yet.  I want to reflect on and share in writing the things that the Lord has taught me this year, but honestly, I think I'm still reeling and need more time to process.  I have a feeling that some key themes will be His amazing grace and faithfulness, though, just as a preview.  Stay tuned.

For now, I'll let pictures tell most of the story.  Here are a whole bunch from various events these past couple of months.

Popsicles in Science Class! (April)

...making popsicles happens to be an AWESOME way to teach the states of matter!  And no jokes about my last name, please and thank you!  :)

Poetry Celebration (April)

 We worked on poems for all of Poetry Month.  My kids did a GREAT job with reciting their poems, and they looked so spiffy!  Also, the moms who helped with this event are fantastic!

 

 

 

 

 

Visit from Ministry Kids (May)

 ECA 2nd grade is paired up with the kids from a Christian school called Acoinprev.  We visited them in September, but they came to us this time!

 

Panaca Field Trip (May)

 Cool park north of the city...lots of animals and pretty scenery, some rain, but overall a fun trip!

Fun Day Trip (May)

Fun Day is an elementary tradition.  We went to Multiparque with the firsties.  Again with the rain...but oh well.  The kiddos did cool stuff like go-carts, bumper boats, putt-putt, and those bungy-trampoline jumping things.  (Thankful again for the fantastic moms...and trained park staff!)  Overall a fun way to celebrate the kids' hard work this year.

(Gotta love kid photography...and teachers who make students pull them on the cart things on the playground...?)

Year-End Celebration/Awards (Today--June 1st!) 

 The kids helped me make a video to share some of what they've learned this year, I and other teachers presented awards for character traits, outstanding effort and academic achievement.  And we prayed and thanked God for how He has gifted and worked in our class.  Afterwards, the parents took me out for lunch to say goodbye and have an early birthday celebration.  It was so nice and I'm so thankful for them!

 
 
  
 
 
 
  

  

Here's the birthday treat, silly kids whom I will miss, and one little sister (in the back) who is coming to my class next year!

Mixed in with all of this were also a Spelling Bee (made me so proud of my kids' progress this year) and several days of "normal" teaching!  Like I said, I'd like to share more reflections once they are formed.

Please pray for me as I wrap up organizational tasks and prepare to head home soon.  Pray for the kids as they transition to vacation, but hopefully also retain things they've learned this year in their hearts and minds.  Pray for ECA staff who are saying hard goodbyes and transitioning to life and ministry elsewhere.  And finally, please keep praying for the open positions we still have, including two administrative roles.

Gracias y bendiciones (thanks and blessings!),

Miss Sickles

ECA 2013-2014 Staff Needs

Hard to believe it, but there are only 5 weeks left of this school year!  God continues to bless, challenge, and grow me and the 2nd graders.

I want to take a minute to share the list of positions that are still open at El Camino Academy for next school year:

Elementary teacher

Middle School--Computers and Math

High School--English, Science, Math

Administrative--Academic Director, High School Principal

Other--Special Ed & Library staff

If you are at all interested in missions teaching and ministry in Colombia, please explore these opportunities.  Check out http://www.eca.edu.co/get-involved/potential-teachersstaff or email me (kelli.b.sickles@gmail.com) or info@eca.edu.co to get in touch!  If you know someone who might be interested, please pass this information along!

ECA exists to support Colombian and international families by training their children for lifelong service to Christ.  Please pray for these needs as we trust God to meet them, and again, pass this message along if someone comes to mind!

Thanks and have a great weekend!

Pictures from 2nd Grade!

Here's a mix of photos of my class from first semester...Better late than never, I say!

Here's one of ALMOST the whole group.  We have a few new kids this semester (I'm at 25 students now), so I'll try to post a current group shot soon!  Also, disregard the headdress and face paint...this was from a Pilgrims and Native Americans competition at Thanksgiving-time.  :)

Below are some kiddos working on posters for our presentation about Squanto and Joseph for Thanksgiving Chapel.

Sharing awesome Science projects about environments (rainforest, tundra, etc...)!  My students are very creative!

Fast forward to the amazing, bilingual Christmas play, "In the Beginning." My kids were Israelites during the time of the plagues in Egypt. 

Singing "Joy to the World" at the end of the production.

 Christmas celebration!

 

The lovely lady with me below is Gloria, the 2nd grade teacher aide (pictured at our staff Christmas dinner).  She is a major source of support and a wonderful blessing!

 

Now you prayer warriors out there have some faces to put with your prayers!  One more week of 3rd quarter (crazy!) and two more weeks until Semana Santa (our "spring break").  Please pray this week as we wrap up the quarter.  Pray that God will give strength, joy, wisdom, and love to me, Gloria, and the kids.  Thank you!

Bendiciones!

"Who You Are"

I just wanted to take a minute to share my favorite song of 2013 so far..."Who You Are" by JJ Heller.  The lyrics of the chorus remind me that no matter what God brings us through, joys or struggles, He never changes.  He made me His child through offering me redemption through faith in Christ, and His love and goodness never end.

I hope this song is as much of an encouragement to you as it is to me.  Just for fun, this is my other favorite by JJ. 

Take care, friends.

P.S. The kiddos took part in an event called "Celebrate Colombia" today, which was put on by our wonderful Spanish department.  They did traditional dances, and they were awesome!  I hope to share photos and/or video soon!!!

Random Tidbits You May Not Have Guessed About Bogotá and My Life Here

As always, it has been wayyyy too long since I updated.  I can't believe it, but we're about 5 weeks into 2nd semester.  God continues to be so good as the year continues.  I feel that I know my kids so much better than the start of the year, and I'm so thankful for how I know the Lord is with me through each joy and challenge as I learn how to teach them.

I hope sometime to share a bunch of pictures with you...the kids, maybe a few from Christmas in the States (which was wonderful), but I don't want to make promises.  Know that I do want to communicate more regularly, and I'm trying not to be such a perfectionist/procrastinator about it.  For now, here are a few random and (hopefully) interesting things about life here.

Limes

In high school Spanish class, I learned the word “limón” for lemon.  You ask for that here, and you will, without a doubt, get a lime...a small and cute one, but definitely a lime, nonetheless.  Ask for limonada (the word I learned for lemonade)?  Sure enough, limeade.  Not a complaint, just a funny thing.  There are no yellow lemons here.

The Weather

It’s not actually that hot here.  Bogotá is over 8,000 feet above sea level, so it gets chilly.  70’s and sunny does happen (especially in December and January, which are lovely) but 60’s during the day and 40’s at night is more normal.  Don’t get me wrong, I won’t complain about not really wearing coats….well, you might catch me complaining about cold rain, but that is my LEAST favorite weather.  If you want hot weather, you gotta go to “Hot Country,” which is the name for anywhere at a low enough altitude to actually be (you guessed it) hot.

Scrambled Eggs

…win the award for the meal I make most often.  Fancy and exotic, I know.  I do like to cook more elaborate things, but I’m just not going to make the effort very often during this crazy first-year-teacher period of my life. I do try to take advantage of the plentiful fruits and vegetables here, though…so sometimes my eggs have red pepper in them.  :P

Chicken-Flavored Potato Chips

They are very popular here.  It creeps me out how much they actually taste like chicken.  Seriously, who came up with that mixture of chemicals?!  I’m not a fan, but if you ever come here, I’ll probably make you eat them.

I can see mountains from my classroom.

Lovely, foliage-covered ones that always have different patterns of sunshine and shadows, depending on where the sun is and what the cloud cover is like. I’ve never lived in the mountains before, but I love them.  I lift my eyes up to the mountains--Where does my help come from?  My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

Watch out for sneaky limes, dear friends, and as always, thank you for your prayers as God leads me through life here.

Thankful (Agradecida)

I know that it has been WAY too long since I posted here, and I apologize for being non-communicative!  The school year charges on, filled with both challenges and God's grace.  Soon I hope to share some photos of my students and other events from this year, but since it's Thanksgiving weekend, I wanted to make a Thanksgiving post.  This was my first Turkey Day away from my family, and I certainly missed home, but I was able to spend the day with some fellow missionary friends and enjoy a delicious meal. (Complete with cranberry sauce, the main ingredient of which cost me somewhat of a wild goose chase and way too much money...but oh well. :P ) 

This season of life has been full of many changes, but no matter where I celebrate Thanksgiving, I know I have much to be thankful for.  Without further ado, here is my list.  I am thankful for...

*Jesus Christ.  "Sunday school answer," some may say, but without Him and His amazing grace, I truly would be lost.

*God's guidance in my life.  I continue to believe that He led me here.  No matter the challenges I face in adjusting to a new culture and my first year of teaching, I believe that He has me here to bring Himself glory.  My task is to draw close to Him and follow how He leads.

*My roommates.  We are goofy together, but they are also amazing sources of encouragement and inspiration to love the Lord more fully.

*My students.  They are insightful, make me laugh, and challenge me daily to grow.

*My principal, who shows me so much grace, prays for me, and offers truly biblical wisdom and guidance.

*The community at ECA.  I truly feel that I am part of a family, both Colombian and North American.

*The opportunity to see God at work here in Bogotá.  There is much darkness in this city, but also many glimmers of His light as He uses the believers here in amazing ways.

*Friends and family back in the States.  You are beyond generous in your prayers, words of encouragement, time spent on Skype with me, and financial giving.  Thank you, thank you.

I could go on for a long time, but I will leave it here for now.  God is good.

 Photo from Monserrate, one of the best places to see the city.  I really can't say "thank you" enough.  :)

One Month in Colombia

Hola, friends.

I'm so sorry that it has taken me so long to post any updates from Bogotá.  I definitely feel like I hit the ground running (with staff training at ECA and then the start of school) and then I started to feel like if I blogged or wrote an email update it would have to be a mile long to fit everything in...and I don't think everyone has the time to read that.  Of course I still want to share what's happening here, though, so I'm going to try to make this manageable.  This post will consist of some pictures with short blurbs, hopefully giving a few glimpses of what life is like for me here.


School

I often can't believe it, but I actually have a classroom!  You should have seen me when I saw the sign outside the door that says "2nd Grade, Miss Sickles."  And more importantly, there are 22 second graders who started school on August 7th, and I am blessed to be their teacher.  I have to be honest that I am feeling a lot of challenges in my role as a first year teacher, especially in a culture different than my own, but I love the group of kids and El Camino Academy, and am praying that God will grow me this year through the joys and challenges.

(P.S. These pictures were taken before school started, so the room looks different now, but these at least give an idea!)


Living Situation

I get to live in an apartment in the northern part of the city with the lovely ladies pictured above...from left to right they are Lauren, Megan, and Allie.  Lauren and Megan have served at ECA for a year already, and Allie and I are newbies.  There is plenty of silliness and frequent jam sessions at our apartment, but these girls are also already a huge spiritual encouragement and I'm really blessed to have them.  (And thanks Allie for the photo snatched from Facebook!)


Impressions of Bogotá

 

This picture was taken from a moving bus, but it at least gives some idea of how sprawling Bogotá is, and the fact that mountains are visible from most areas in the city (I LOVE that).  There is still so much of the city that I haven't seen, and I have much to learn...I have seen very wealthy parts of the city and also played with kids who live in a very poor neighborhood where prostitution is tolerated and common.  I am meeting wonderful and loving people and also learning how to be street-smart on public buses.  I have learned more of the history of this country with deep wounds but have also seen how God is at work here.  More on all of this later, but please pray with me that that work will continue and that the Lord will use me in it however He sees fit.


Prado

Last weekend was a long weekend due to a Catholic holiday on Monday, so a number of ECA teachers traveled to another departamento (equivalent of state...Bogotá is in Cundinamarca, for your geographical knowledge) called Tolima to stay in a place called Prado.  It's officially about a six-hour drive, but it took us closer to ten due to traffic on Friday night.  It was worth it, though, because the place was breathtaking.  The weekend involved rustic accommodations, one bat scare, lots of sunscreen and bugspray, time spent with new friends, our own church service with a few local believers, lots of swimming, boat rides, and some cliff-jumping (I only did the last thing once, and not from very high, but still).  After a whirlwind start at school with training and teaching, I was thankful for the chance to marvel at God's creation.  He is so, so good.


Prayer Requests

I could go on sharing for awhile, but like I said, I want to keep this manageable.  Those of you who pray, please pray for me in the following ways:

*For my teaching and my students.  Please pray that God will grow me in the ways needed for these precious kids to be taught well...I need patience, discipline, wisdom, and love from Him in my heart to do this.  Pray that our group will be closely knit together with love.
*For ECA.  Pray that God's work will be done here, and please specifically pray that God will bring a high school Social Studies teacher to the school to fill a position that is still open.  (If any of you reading are interested...let me know!!!!!!)
*Please pray that God will strengthen my relationships here, both with fellow missionaries and new Colombian acquaintances.
*Please pray that I will find a church to get connected with.
*Finally, please pray that I will be more faithful than I have been in keeping in touch with my network back home!

I really am so thankful for all of you.  As always, please email or comment with any questions for me or updates from your end of things.

Bendiciones,
Kelli