Running in the Rain

One of my favorite parts of running a race is seeing the photos taken by the race photographers. Usually I look absolutely terrible in these pictures but every once in a while there's a winner. Sometimes I'll even buy a few of the shots when they offer a sale months later. So it makes sense that I just now got around to buying my race photos from the RnR Madrid Half Marathon back in April.

While training for a race in the arid desert climate of Madrid, rain was the last thing I anticipated. (Go ahead with your rain in Spain on the plains jokes, I'll wait.) In my months of training, I hadn't encountered rain once while on a run. So you can imagine my despair when, come race day, the sky was overcast and the rain fell steadily. It let up for the start and I prayed desperately for it to hold off a few more hours. When the heavy rains began pelting me at mile 3, there was no turning back. I was in it for the long haul and I had no choice but to keep moving forward and finish the race. It ended up raining hard for the next ten miles and by the time I crossed the finish line I was completely drenched and rocking the drowned rat look.

I looked something like this.

I've been reflecting on this experience recently as I participate in another race - the race of life. Yes, I know it sounds cheesy but bear with me here. My life as a teacher is divided into four major "races" with visible finish lines. The first race is completing the fall semester and being rewarded with Christmas vacation. The second race is completing the stretch between Christmas and Spring Break, and the third race is like one of those super intense Spartan Sprint 5Ks as we return from Spring Break and barrel towards the biggest finish line of them all: summer vacation. The fourth race is spending the summer raising support to do it all over again the next year. I cross that finish line when I reach 100% of my support for that year.

Sometimes those races go exactly as planned but more often than not, things come up. I trip over surprises like untied shoelaces, and obstacles block my path like potholes in the road. Spiritual attacks strike me from every side like a torrential downpour of rain. Sometimes I have to stop and catch my breath. Sometimes I think about quitting. But every time God gives me the strength to keep moving forward and finish the race.

I've been studying scripture passages about patience and perseverance as I grapple with the latest surprise, Germany's minimum wage law. It is still beyond my understanding how I will raise the rest of my support in the next two weeks. This unexpected spike in support needs has taken me by complete surprise, much in the same way that the rain did on race day.

While reading Romans 5, I was blown away by the Message version.

We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary - we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit! (Romans 5:3-5, The Message)

There are so many great images in this passage! Passionate patience. The tempered steel of virtue. Alert expectancy. These are the kinds characteristics that I strive for as I actively wait for God to do a great work in and through and for me. In the meantime I shout my praise to the Lord who is indeed my Everything.



Please join me in praying for this final $565 in monthly support to come in. Pray that it will pour in so fast that I won't be able to "round up enough containers to hold everything" as God generously provides.

If you'd like to participate in God's provision, please visit my personal giving page and sign up to make a monthly gift of any size.

Celebrating a birthday in Spain

I had no idea what to expect this year for my birthday. It was really, really hard to think about spending it away from my closest friends and family, and I had even considered flying to Germany for a few days because my best friend Katrina was passing through Kandern that very weekend. Unfortunately that didn't work out for a number of reasons, so I ended up celebrating my very first Spanish birthday!

The day began like any other, but once I arrived at school I quickly realized something was up. Usually the third floor filled up with middle schoolers right around 9:00 but as the warning bell rang and no students appeared, the halls were still and my classroom was empty.

Where are all the students?

At 9:10 on the dot, the bell rang to begin first period and the familiar chimes sounded to signal the start of the morning announcements. They were nothing special, but I listened carefully for any sign of shenanigans. Just before signing off for the day, the announcer revealed that there were some people in the office wanting to wish me a happy birthday. Through the loudspeaker I heard a crowd of students singing, cheering, and shouting happy birthday to me while the rest of the school was forced to listen in. Turns out both the seventh and eighth grade classes had crowded into the office to partake in the festivities! 

Meanwhile in the office ...

(photos courtesy of my roommate Robbyn, who was at the scene of the crime)

Moments later a stampede of students tramped up the stairs and burst through the door bearing huge grins and all kinds of wonderfulness.

Surprise!

My first period class, life science, had already made plans for a class party that day because it was the end of the quarter and they'd earned it as part of our class reward system. Those sneaky seventh graders hijacked their class party and turned it into a surprise party for me, and they were pretty proud of themselves for pulling it off! They lavished gifts and sweet treats on me and I had to spend the rest of the day comvincing the other teachers that I did not, in fact, plan a birthday party for myself! Thanks, kids!!

Some of the snacks and goodies from the seventh graders

Lots of affirming words on these cupcakes - how did they know my love language?

Not to be outdone, the eighth graders crafted a jumbo birthday card for me full of funny quotes, sketches, and some of our class catchphrases. Some of them also gave me individual gifts like a tin of cookies and chocolate milk, while others gave me the gift of the written word via a letter and even a personalized poem. To say I felt loved would be an understatement!

After school let out, a few friends and I went to one of the larger malls nearby for a visit to Starbucks and dinner at Foster's, a restaurant that is known for serving American style cuisine. I enjoyed a delicious burger and Coke, my splurge meal for the week! Due to the typical Spanish schedule the restaurant didn't open until 8:00 pm, so it made for a long day on a school night, but the meal and time with good company was definitely worth it.

Obligatory escalator selfie

And thus began the final year of my twenties. What will it hold? Only time will tell!

coffee cupdate: con leche, por favor

If we were to sit down for a cup of coffee, I'd have a lot to tell you.

I probably wouldn't know where to begin, because it has been so long since our last Cupdate. Carefully I would wrap my fingers around my mug and apologize for not doing my part to stay in touch.

You would probably ask me about my new students, and I would share little details about each one: how passionately Alex sings along when Hillsong's Relentless comes on during math practice time; how loudly my science class announces the arrival of Hump Day each Wednesday; how persistently Collin questions me, demanding answers far beyond my meager understanding of science; how Dafne and Elizabeth are attached at the hip; how adorable Jonathan's British accent is... I would shake my head in disbelief wonder aloud how it's possible to care so deeply for students I have only just met.

I might tell you how discouraging my first quarter of pre-algebra was with the eighth graders, but how many of them have turned over a new leaf in this first week of quarter two. I'd tell you with a huge grin how exciting it was to give out FIVE solid B's on last week's quiz, and how thrilled they were to have earned such grades!

Maybe I would share with you some of the inner struggle I have been battling each day here in Spain. I'd confess that while I am determined to be fully present and committed to my students and my role here at ECA, not a day goes by that I do not think of, miss, or pine away for my "old life" at BFA. You would most likely assure me that this is a normal part of transition and yet, I would still feel guilty for missing Germany so much. Together we might ponder how I ended up here--the way God has worked so clearly to orchestrate my timely arrival--and dream of what He will do during this year.

I might also share with you how, on accident, I have discovered the perfect café con leche at a small coffee shop in the neighborhood near my church in Madrid. You would be jealous when I tell you that this deliciousness is available for a mere fifty cents! At this point, I would simply wink and tell you that it's time for you to visit Spain so that I can treat you to one.

What would you share with me?

step into my classroom: life science at ECA, quarter one

So far this year we have had several opportunities for student-driven inquiry and learning in life science, which makes me really happy. Here are just a few highlights of our first quarter together.

During our study on cells, we talked about cell membranes and the importance of permeability in allowing substances to enter and exit the cell. Usually I demonstrate osmosis with an egg that has had its shell removed, but that demo has gotten to be pretty boring and besides it's a waste of a perfectly good egg! Taking my cue from Pinterest, I set up a new version of the experiment using gummy bears. If you know me at all you know gummy bears are an integral part of my classroom!

So for our inquiry we tested the effect of regular water and salt water on gummy bears. Students hypothesized about whether the gummy bears would shrink, grow, or stay the same based on the passage of water in or out of the bear's membrane. Much to our dismay the bears dissolved within a few hours, we suspect due to the fact that we used warm water. A second round of samples was set up, this time using cold water. The outcome was quite startling - after just one day the gummy bears placed in the regular water had shown visible swelling, and the bears in the salt water had begun to shrivel up.

Salt water on the left, regular water on the right

We decided to leave the bears over the weekend and by the time we removed them from the water on Monday afternoon they had increased in size by more than 500%! The coloring had completely disappeared, but the bears maintained their shape despite their gargantuan size! The students had fun playing with the jiggly gummies, and a few tasted them. Not surprisingly, they weren't very flavorful. Check out this video to see just how big they actually grew (sorry, no sound and I'm not sure why...).

One major skill covered in life science is the ability to use a microscope properly, as well as the handling of slides, preparation of specimens, etc. It's always my absolute favorite lab in life science because the kids get to zoom in and see with their own eyes the complexity of life. Common phrases heard during this lab include, "WOW!" "Awesome!" "Coolest thing ever!" and the like.

This year students got bored with their celery leaves pretty quickly, and they took to the skies for an end to their boredom. You see, we've been plagued by a ridiculous amount of flies for a few weeks now. So the students caught/killed one of the pests, plucked off the wings, and prepared a wet mount so they could examine the details. I have never seen such awe and wonder as I did that day watching the kids bring their flies into focus! Some groups continued their investigation, looking at the legs and eyes of the fly as well. I have to admit, I too was amazed by the design evident in something as seemingly simple as a fly's wing. It's always good for me to see through the eyes of my students. Here are some shots from the lab, including one really cool image I got through the microscope using nothing more than the camera on my phone! What an amazing picture of our creator God!