Currently

Drinking: Iced vanilla chai tea lattes.  When I lived in the DR my mom sent me this wonderful vanilla chai tea latte mix.  It was a special treat on rough days.  This summer I have been drinking it iced since the weather has warmed up.  So yummy.

Listening to:  More than Conquerors by Rend Collective.  The other week I Bible journaled the lyrics/verse to this song (see this blog post).  On Saturday night I went to church.  The worship leader said, "Tonight we are learning a new song for this church."  And guess what song it was...  I love it when God taps me on the shoulder with the same lesson until I start listening.

I also discovered a new Spanish artist, Jaz Jacobs.  I even bought her cd.  "Senor sobre mi situacion" and "Purfume a Tus pies" are two of my favorites.

Writing: down my blessings.  One of my mentors in the DR gave me a cute little jar before I left Santiago.  It is a blessing jar.  It is amazing how when we are obedient, He blesses us abundantly.

"All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God."  Deuteronomy 28:2

Watching: Ghostbusters (Kevin was my favorite) and the Last Ship

Reading:  Blog posts by these wonderful ladies.  Writergirl5786 has beautiful posts on the Illustrated Faith Revival Camp.  I absolutely adore reading what she does each week with the prompt.  Seeds of Creative Grace has beautiful posts that make me want to buy everything in Illustrated Faith's shop.

Wanting to read:  Uninvited by Lysa TerKerust and Without Revival by Lisa Bevere

How has your week been?  What have you been learning?  Reading?  Sipping on?

Con mucho amor. 

Lego Movie

What we've been doing: A month ago my mom found these awesome Lego character sets.  I had been wanting a bunch of Lego people because I thought they would be perfect for acting out war battles, or scenes from books.  She sent one superhero and villain set, and one set that had normal people.

The boys finished a novel called Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep.  It is about a young boy, Otter, who is from China.  He makes a journey to the US to help build the transcontinental railroad with his dad and uncle.  This is their Lego movie based off the book.

I gave them two options.  They could either recreate a chapter, or they could recreate a shorter summary of the whole book.  They chose do to the whole book.  It was taking really long, though, so we had to cut out some scenes they had planned.

If I were to reteach this assignment I would have them focus on a theme and pick out scenes that represent the theme.  Or I could have them focus on a character and pick out events that changed that character to give the project more depth than just a summary.

We used a free app called My Stop Motion to create the movie.  It was easy for the boys to figure out how to use it.  I liked it much better than Flipagram because we could save directly to the camera roll.  The boys added sounds and voices in iMovie.

The boys loved creating the movie.  There was some bickering between brothers throughout the process, but overall they had a great time.  I snapped this picture of them adding the voices to the movie.  They were smiling and giggling.  

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Here's the link to the Youtube video.

THANK YOU MOM for always sending me exactly what I need.  Even from many miles away you help and serve me so very much.  I am forever grateful (and so are the boys, even if they do not express it). :) 

Currently Reading

What I've been watching and reading: I have been helping out with the youth group at one of the churches I go to.  Last Saturday we had a special day where we watched the most amazing movie.  It is called Faith like Potatoes.  It is about a Scottish gentleman and his family farming in Africa.  At the beginning of the movie he starts out a rough, mean, angry guy.  God transforms his heart and life and uses him in big ways in Africa.

The condition for a miracle is difficulty, however the condition for a great miracle is impossibility. 

We need faith like potatoes.  Plain, simple, real faith that will sustain us in our everyday lives. 

It is based on a true story, and there is also a book.  I am going to buy it on Kindle and maybe use it with the boys for Bible class in the spring.

We are currently reading Peace Child for our Bible class.  It is the most fascinating book about missionaries in New Guinea in the 1960s.  They are trying to connect to a culture based on treachery and cannibalism.  Every day when I stop reading the boys beg me for another chapter.

Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza was a book I found on this list of books to read before you die.  I splurged and purchased it from Barnes and Noble this summer, but didn't get a chance to read it until I got back here.  It is the story of a woman during the Rwandan genocide.  It is a heroic tale of survival and forgiveness.  

It is impossible for a person to harbor anger and hatred when their hearts are bursting with love. pg 223

One book that I fell in love with this fall is called One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp.  One of my bosses suggested it for a book to read as a class.  It is too poetic and wordy for the boys, but I loved it.  The main message is to be thankful.  We overlook all the little blessings God showers over our lives.  We get too wrapped up in ourselves.  Ann Voskamp challenges readers to make a list of 1,000 gifts or blessings in their lives.  

...live selfishly, skip prayer, complain, go to bed late, neglect cleaning the toilets.  I live tired.  Afraid.  Anxious.  Weary.  pg 27

The hurry makes us hurt. pg 66

The real problem of life is never a lack of time.  The real problem of life - in my life is lack of thanksgiving. pg 72

Thanksgiving is what multiplies the joy and makes any life large, and I hunger for it.  pg 48

A few weekends ago I went to the mountains of Constanza.  It was a wonderful time for me to simply rest, relax, and read.  In a meeting recently and someone mentioned the book Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan.  I purchased the book over the summer for the boys to read.  Many years ago when I was in middle school I remember reading it, but I hadn't opened it since then.  I gobbled it down over the weekend in Constanza.  I could relate and understand so much more now.  There is Spanish mixed in with the English text, just like how Julia Alvarez (one of my favorite authors) writes.

I often use websites that send me an e-mail with cheap or free Kindle books for the day.  Last year around this time I downloaded Sugerplum Homecoming.  I loved the Christmas love story.  This year I am looking for another Christmas-y story.  Any suggestions?

In high school I loved reading realistic fiction.  It was my go-to genre.  Since moving to the DR, I love reading Christian books and books about missionaries.  It is fascinating to read stories about how God is moving and working all over the world.  I also love reading multicultural books, or books that weave in Spanish.  I have been using Thrift Books to purchase novels.  When I spent $50 I get a $5 coupon for my next order.  I also have been buying books on the Kindle app, but I love actually holding books.  It is just challenging to do that here in the DR because there aren't many any bookstores.

My TO READ NEXT list:

• Evidence Not Seen by Darlene Deibler Rose: This book is also a true story about a woman in a prison camp during WWII.  The girls in the Reyes Academy are reading it at the moment, and this woman had incredible faith to endure the camp.  
• Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis: This is the story of Katie, a missionary who left her whole life behind in the US to move to Uganda.  She is only 22 years old and has set up a child sponsorship program with over 400 kids getting food, schooling, and the love of Jesus.  
• Faith like Potatoes by Angus Buchan: The book I talked about above. 
• A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah: One of the books I purchased for the boys this summer.  It is about kid soldiers in Sierra Leone.
• Fervent by Priscilla Shirer: The non fiction book that accompanies her movie, War Room.  It is a book about prayer strategy.  

What are you reading?  What is on your book list?  

Con mucho amor. 

Avengers

What I'm watching: I have never watched any of the Marvel or DC Comic superhero movies, so this year in 2015 I'm trying to catch up.  Captain America was the first movie I watched, and I loved it.  Last weekend I finished The Hulk and Thor.  I've been telling my students (all boys) about watching the movies.

from: here

Last week I used this article to model questioning and connecting to a piece of nonfiction text.  The boys loved the article and had so much to talk about while we were discussing.  It's about changing famous superheroes

I also created an example one-page-paper to show the boys using that article.

Today I went to school and one of the boys brought in a Marvel book that contained all the different heroes and villains.  I scrapped what I had planned to start the day with and used the book instead.  We compared Patriot to Captain America.  We looked at their costume, charts, stats, strengths, and weaknesses.  Next time I would have the boys make their own individually first, and then come together as a class.

Then I was going to have them write their own stories using a superhero.  Andrew had the awesome idea of randomly opening the page and writing about that person!  I gave them ten minutes.  Isaac wrote a whole story, Joseph wrote from his person's perspective, and Andrew summarized the stats.  I loved that they were writing so diligently for the time given.  I loved that they came up with the idea about how to pick their character.  HERE is the POWER of incorporating what they love into lessons.  

One of the families purchased comic books for the boys to read, but they haven't been using them very much.  I want to figure out how to incorporate them into our classwork.  In Writing Thief, Culham talks about using mentor texts.  She emphasizes they don't have to be the typical novels.  She uses hotel signs, brochures, etc.

I have also thought about having the boys create their own comic book as a project.  Need to think more about that.

How do you tie in connections to your student's interests?

My Week

What I'm doing: This week has been full of fun activities! Nothing out of the ordinary special, but just those little things that make you appreciate life.

Wednesday Mariah and I went to church, which was really fun. We sat inbetween Kari and Rachel. We stayed after the church service was over and talked with Tina and her daughters for awhile. I did not even realize how long we were there until my host mom texted me and said, "where are you?!" I am always surrounded by wonderful people who care about me.

Thursday was a rainy day. There was more rain than usual because of hurricane Sandy. The other Spanish class did not have class that day, so I was a little disappointed that we did. Our teacher just disappeared. When she returned she had a whole thing of hot chocolate for everyone in class! It was SO nice of her!

Last night Mariah came over and we went to the mall and got popcorn. We watched The Mask. When it was done, her and my brother and I were all just talking in my room. He was telling us stories from his life. I swear he is one of the wisest people I know. We always have heart to hearts at night. Sharing experiences and life with people is one of my favorite parts about Costa Rica.

What I'm watching: My host brother was shocked when he kept listing off movies and I kept saying that I had not seen them. It is funny because the same exact thing happened over the summer with one of my coworkers. He was so surprised that I had not seen so many popular movies. My brother decided that we need to have lots of movie nights before I leave. We watched Inglourious Basterds on Sunday night, and The Mask last night. I thought The Mask was going to be a scary movie, but my brother kept telling me it was not. I didn't exactly believe him... It was funny but silly. I fell asleep through a small part of it, though. Whoops!

My favorite one that we watched this week was Patch Adams. We watched it on Thursday night, and it was SO good. Made me cry, but it also has such a good message. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the movie:

• When Patch is talking to God after a difficult time in the movie: "So answer me please. Tell me what you're doing. Okay, let's look at the logic. You create man. Man suffers enormous amounts of pain. Man dies. Maybe you should have had just a few more brainstorming sessions prior to creation. You rested on the seventh day. Maybe you should've spent that day on compassion."
• "See what no one else sees. See what everyone chooses not to see... out of fear, conformity or laziness. See the whole world anew each day!"  
• "All of life is a coming home. All the restless hearts of the world, all trying to find a way home. Picture yourself walking for days in the driving snow; you don't even know you're walking in circles. How small you can feel, and how far away home can be. Home. The dictionary defines it as both a place of origin and a goal or destination. Eventually I would find the right path, but in the most unlikely place."

What I'm listening to: I love Christian music, and listening to it in Spanish is even more magical. Worship is such a wonderful way to connect with God. One of my friends showed me these few new songs that I love.

• El Aire De Tu Casa - Jesus Adrian Romero
• Solo Cristo - Hillsong
• When God Ran

This afternoon is a huge first communion lunch for Angelica. I really hope that I can understand what is going on and that people will talk to me. Tonight is youth group, and tomorrow is church! Hopefully tomorrow afternoon Chandler and I will go shopping too. I am having shopping withdrawls. :) Hope everyone else has a wonderful weekend.

Con mucho amor.

Two or More and Books Galore

What I'm listening to:  Today at work I spent a great deal of time in my car, so I was listening to the radio.  And I heard my new favorite song...Cheers by Rhianna is so good!  "Life is too short to sit around being miserable."  It is the perfect song for summer and the weekends.  Love it.  :)

Also, last Sunday at church I had the opportunity to listen to Two or More.  The group consists of three brothers and one of their friends.  They also sing in spanish, which I thought was neat.  Here is the Lords Prayer as a song.  Here is Lord I Lift Your Name on High.  They spoke inbetween playing songs, and I loved their message about how regardless of the plans we make, God has bigger plans for us.  One of the brothers said, "When the chips are down, you may not be happy, but when you love the Lord, you have a joy in your heart."

photo from: here 

What I'm reading:  Tonight I went to Powells and got a few books.  I had checked out Creative is a Verb, but as I started reading, I realized that I needed to buy it so I could underline and mark up all of the pages!  Patti Digh is a genius and gifted writer.  "This is a book about waking up to the beauty around you-the beauty of seeing more and livijng more deeply" (p. 14).  This book has quotes sprinkles throughout the pages, which I love.  And at the end of each chaper Digh has activities to help readers become more creative.  She talks about using index cards as a canvas, which reminds me a lot of a different index card project... :)  I'll post quotes and activities I like from the book as I read it!

I also got a devotional called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young.  My friend had the book and read me a few passages throughout school last year.  And when I found it on sale for $5, I knew I had to buy a copy for myself.  The cover is a brown color, so I think I might paint or collage over it, which is what another friend of mine did.  Put my own creative twist on it.

What I'm watching:  Last night I went and saw the movie, The Help.  I had also read the book, but the movie was SO good!  I almost started crying several times...and I did not cry in the book.  So I think that shows how good it was. :)  Emma Stone (Skeeter) has been in so many movies lately.  Easy A, Crazy, Stupid Love, and now this one!



photo from: here

The alumni dance went very well this weekend.  You can read all about it on my friends blog, here. :)  What was your favorite thing you did this weekend?

Much love.