consolation

my last two weeks on mission...really transforming, and worth recapping - i don't want to forget these fun experiences i had...sometimes i don't like taking pictures, cause i don't want to feel like a tourist, and usually, i don't - but sometimes i have to take pictures, cause well...the moments are THAT good :)

we are called. i think i sing this in my sleep. really.

sr. terezinha and i recently started teaching religion to a small elementary school, about half an hour outside of baguio city. we got connected to this school because sr. terezinha is involved as part of the leadership team at one of the parishes, and the secretary there used to teach religion classes there, but now she can't, so she asked sr. terzinha, and the rest is history...so every week, there we are...sr. terezinha teaches grades 1-3, and i teach grades 4-6. i'm pretty sure every time i leave my day of classes, walking up to the main road with sr. terezinha, i say, "wow, i would teach here, for real." it's that good.

it's pretty amazing how all of these opportunities for ministry have come up for sr. terezinha and i. at first it was really difficult, cause i did not really know where to even begin - but sure enough, when you stay inside 4 walls, you miss out on the world outside. something that i have also been reflecting on, is "too small a world." mother cabrini is right on with that...and that is how i feel right now. i am so thankful to have discovered this school with sr. t and to be able to venture from place to place, spreading the love of God. but not even just at this school...there is just, so much here. i am realizing it's all about going with your heart, and if your intentions are good, if your desire is there - God will use it, and so...to all of these barangays we are headed, and all of these experiences i have had so far!

the 5th graders working hard on the project i assigned em!

in terms of lesson planning, it's really interesting, but working at the high school last year, and receiving training from response ability last year, really prepared me for teaching right now. even though now i am teaching elementary school, wow, i am getting so much experience! a lot of the times i step into the class, and i think to myself, ok, here we go!! and i don't even have time to think, i just GO! or most the time i think on my feet with my materials in hand. :) i think the teachers like when i come in, cause it gives them a break too. haha!

the classes here are SO respectful. as soon as i step foot into the door - they all stand up and say, "goooooodddd morning ateeeeee crystalllllll" haha when i brought one of my friends there they other day, she said, "wow! they know you!" and they do. :) and i love it! and then when you leave, they all stand up and say, "thank you and have a nice dayyyy ateeeee crystallllll"

yes. this is my spontaneous activity i brought up for the balili bible study.                                                                                         it's ok, they knew it was a light bulb, despite it's awesome lopsidedness.

it's really good too, because i end up recycling my lesson plans - plan the saturday activity for the kids here at SOSCFI, and then do the same activity with each of the classes at the school. and then for our bible studies, we use the same ones for the week for the cathedral, balili and irisan. oh! AND we have turned our balili bible study into a bible study for the children! the parents have not been as active, but the children are ALWAYS there! and so...we adapt to the situation :) can't wait to come up with a name for that community! needless to say, i think i heard sunday's gospel, i WANT to say, 8 times this week. SERIOUSLY. haha it's ok, repetition is good. sometimes. :)

mass at the high school!

the other week, sr. terezinha taught the religion portion for the day to the classes, and then i taught them the music for the mass that they would be having for the first friday. that next day, sr. t and i joined the parish priest, another seminarian and the music director, and we ventured off to celebrate mass at the school. well, we asked them to drop us off at the main road, and then they said they were heading to another high school to do mass. and sooo we came along for the ride! it was so fun! it was my first experience being the commentator, and though it is not a role that i super love, it was needed, and now i am officially trained :) YES! i also learned more songs in ilocano. woohoo! i think these past couple of weeks, i really felt like a missionary on the go. and i realize, i really like it.

mass at the elementary school! :)

and so, i'm looking forward to what is next. there's a need, and so we go. that's kinda our motto. thank you, mother cabrini!

view of the cordilleras. beautiful.