Since I can only post 5 pics at a time on this blog, I thought it would be more convenient to post an album on facebook. My link is http://www.facebook.com/kimcary .... so check it out ..
.. and go serve someone today!
Kim
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
What's happening in Newtok...
Hey yall!
I finally found a free moment to sit down and update my blog. Where to start!
At the district inservice in Bethel I finally got to meet all the teachers here at Newtok. There are 4 teachers who teach 6-12 graders and 4 for the grades below 6.
At the inservice we had a surprise guest speaker – the new Governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell! It was pretty exciting.
Since we got back to Newtok it’s been a nonstop sprint to an out of sight finish line. I had 3 days to figure out what phase my students are in and do lesson plans for the first week (phases take the place of grade levels, and each phase has different parts in itself, so every student is on a different level.) I’m teaching 6-12th grade, and in every class I have to teach several lessons for the different curriculum demands. One class may have a 2 6th graders, 4 7th graders, 5 8th graders, 3 9th graders 2 10th graders, etc. They group the students by age, but as you can tell, students don’t put much effort in their work. So the preps I have has been outrageously time consuming. This is what I’m doing:
So I sincerely mean it when I thank you for your prayers! :-)
I’m the only one here in Newtok new to the profession so I am thankful that I have a mentor teacher that Alaska gives me – she comes once a month and I met her yesterday. Guess what she brought – salad!! I never thought I would be so excited about salad. Fresh food is not seen here often, so I was happy to see it!
There was a funeral in the village yesterday, and they had it in the school gym. It’s the biggest place in the village to host gatherings. The man passed away Saturday. Monday and Tuesday for p.e. the kids couldn’t bounce any balls because the natives say it disturbs the soul of the deceased, since we were to have the funeral in the gym. School was let out at lunch yesterday for the funeral, and it lasted from 1:00 to midnight. They had the viewing, a service, a huge feast, an Eskimo dance (very interesting – I’ll post pictures later), and a fiddle band dance.
I have lots more to tell but it’ll have to wait till later. Thanks for reading!
In Him,
Kim
I finally found a free moment to sit down and update my blog. Where to start!
At the district inservice in Bethel I finally got to meet all the teachers here at Newtok. There are 4 teachers who teach 6-12 graders and 4 for the grades below 6.
At the inservice we had a surprise guest speaker – the new Governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell! It was pretty exciting.
Since we got back to Newtok it’s been a nonstop sprint to an out of sight finish line. I had 3 days to figure out what phase my students are in and do lesson plans for the first week (phases take the place of grade levels, and each phase has different parts in itself, so every student is on a different level.) I’m teaching 6-12th grade, and in every class I have to teach several lessons for the different curriculum demands. One class may have a 2 6th graders, 4 7th graders, 5 8th graders, 3 9th graders 2 10th graders, etc. They group the students by age, but as you can tell, students don’t put much effort in their work. So the preps I have has been outrageously time consuming. This is what I’m doing:
- Teaching reading to grades 6-12
- Teaching health to 9-12
- P.E.. to 6-8
- Coaching varsity girls basketball
- Sponsoring student council
- Coaching the speech group
- Teaching Saturday school every Saturday
- Running A.R. program 2 days a week after school
- Hosting study hall Monday-Thursday after school
- Leading community reading night once a month
- Chaperoning open gym night 3 nights a week
So I sincerely mean it when I thank you for your prayers! :-)
I’m the only one here in Newtok new to the profession so I am thankful that I have a mentor teacher that Alaska gives me – she comes once a month and I met her yesterday. Guess what she brought – salad!! I never thought I would be so excited about salad. Fresh food is not seen here often, so I was happy to see it!
There was a funeral in the village yesterday, and they had it in the school gym. It’s the biggest place in the village to host gatherings. The man passed away Saturday. Monday and Tuesday for p.e. the kids couldn’t bounce any balls because the natives say it disturbs the soul of the deceased, since we were to have the funeral in the gym. School was let out at lunch yesterday for the funeral, and it lasted from 1:00 to midnight. They had the viewing, a service, a huge feast, an Eskimo dance (very interesting – I’ll post pictures later), and a fiddle band dance.
I have lots more to tell but it’ll have to wait till later. Thanks for reading!
In Him,
Kim
Saturday, August 22, 2009
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent' He will lift me high upon a rock.
These are excerpts from Psalm 27. These past few weeks I've read this psalm and others like it, clinging onto God, because He is truly my stronghold. Before this trip I would read the psalms and understand them, but now I can say I can relate to them. I wanted to share this because I've felt hopeless and scared, worried about what's to come and how on earth I am suppose to move forward when it seems thousands of obstacles are in the way.
I can say with complete honesty that God is my one true comfort. I was thinking the other day, when I was getting homesick and freaking out quite a bit about how to tackle this job, that I can't rely on my strengths. When I was considering coming up to the bush I was excited and confident, ready to jump at the opportunity and show the world that I am capable of surviving the harsh conditions and circumstances with the community and the people. But I know now that every thread of confidence I possess comes from God. He really is holding me together, holding my hand and allowing me to carry on humbly, continuing to shine for Christ - He has rid me of myself and I stand in awe of His power. Who am I, really, that He would allow me to take on this "adventure?" I have nothing good apart from Him, and all I am, all I have, my complete purpose I place in His hands.
I've felt lonely, lost, confused and completely clueless as to how I'm going to make it through this year. I'm here, first and foremost, to be a light for Christ. So everything I do, every thought I have, every step I take MUST glorify God. This teaching business is more complicated than I thought, and right now, after a week of school, I'm still trying to get my head above the water. But everyday God allows me to wake up, go to school, and be His servant. Not just me, but all Christians - no matter where we're at, what we do, no matter what you think, you're a witness for Christ. It's up to us to decide what kind of witness we'll be. So it is a struggle, I know.
I feel overwhelmed and wonder what I've gotten myself into, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to carry my cross, to follow in Christ's path, and to bring a light to a dark place.
Sometimes we have to be completely broken to be built up in Christ, and I'm thankful God has allowed me to experience His amazing grace.
For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent' He will lift me high upon a rock.
These are excerpts from Psalm 27. These past few weeks I've read this psalm and others like it, clinging onto God, because He is truly my stronghold. Before this trip I would read the psalms and understand them, but now I can say I can relate to them. I wanted to share this because I've felt hopeless and scared, worried about what's to come and how on earth I am suppose to move forward when it seems thousands of obstacles are in the way.
I can say with complete honesty that God is my one true comfort. I was thinking the other day, when I was getting homesick and freaking out quite a bit about how to tackle this job, that I can't rely on my strengths. When I was considering coming up to the bush I was excited and confident, ready to jump at the opportunity and show the world that I am capable of surviving the harsh conditions and circumstances with the community and the people. But I know now that every thread of confidence I possess comes from God. He really is holding me together, holding my hand and allowing me to carry on humbly, continuing to shine for Christ - He has rid me of myself and I stand in awe of His power. Who am I, really, that He would allow me to take on this "adventure?" I have nothing good apart from Him, and all I am, all I have, my complete purpose I place in His hands.
I've felt lonely, lost, confused and completely clueless as to how I'm going to make it through this year. I'm here, first and foremost, to be a light for Christ. So everything I do, every thought I have, every step I take MUST glorify God. This teaching business is more complicated than I thought, and right now, after a week of school, I'm still trying to get my head above the water. But everyday God allows me to wake up, go to school, and be His servant. Not just me, but all Christians - no matter where we're at, what we do, no matter what you think, you're a witness for Christ. It's up to us to decide what kind of witness we'll be. So it is a struggle, I know.
I feel overwhelmed and wonder what I've gotten myself into, but I'm thankful for the opportunity to carry my cross, to follow in Christ's path, and to bring a light to a dark place.
Sometimes we have to be completely broken to be built up in Christ, and I'm thankful God has allowed me to experience His amazing grace.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Fun in the sun (ha!)
Hey yall!
First off I just have to apologize for the lack of pictures. I will get them up ASAP! I've been back in forth from Newtok to Bethel for the new teacher inservice and the entire district inservice, and my head has been spinning from all the new information and the thought of all the work ahead of me. School starts MONDAY! Can you believe that? Less than a week and I'll be on the other side - the one standing in front of the class instead of sitting in a desk. Pretty crazy!
Today me and another teacher were walking to our hotel, and we saw a man on a big scooter, with 2 husky dogs pulling him. They were training for a dog sled! I wish I had a camera on me. I just got back from an Eskimo fiddle band concert - that was lots of fun! This little old eskimo man asked me to dance so we had fun doing a 2 step. I danced with some of the other new teachers...there's a group of us that have had tons of fun together! It's great to know there are other people out in the bush, completely isolated and have no idea what they are doing either. There are lots of people out here who are right out of college, like me, so it's been fun and eye opening, trying to keep our heads above water while figuring out how to adjust to the different cultures. This is an AMAZING school district, and they've been nothing but supportive. For instance, we have a person designated just to assist teachers, to fly out to our site anytime someone needs her for anything at all. It's just been extremely encouraging to know help isn't far.
SO! So far in my Alaskan Adventure I've been part of an eskimo dance, eaten eskimo ice cream (not sure I want to try it again: the main ingredients are berries and criso), I've had 5 different kinds of salmon cooked tons of different ways: smoked, baked, grilled, salmon jerkey, I've eaten salmon skin/scales, salmon with seal oil (great stuff)... I've eaten moose stew, salmon berries, salmon tacos, halibut...
People don't realize how much these natives live off the food in their backyards. Kids miss school weeks at a time to go hunt with their families. They don't each spaghetti, hamburgers, or pizza. They still lead subsistence lifestyles, and it's just amazing to me! Lots of people have fish camps, which is a place off a river with a small shack and drying rack. They spend weeks at a time at these camps, catching fish and drying them so they can store it for winter. The little girls and grandmas are out picking berries on the tundra to have, also, and in September they hunt for moose, caribou, and muskox. (I saw 2 herds of muscox a few days ago!)
I took a boat ride on the Kuskokwim River with a few other teachers, and it was absolutely beautiful! I'm just awed at God's creation! We made several stops on the river - we saw a fish camp, fish traps, and a dog yard, which was interesting. There were probably 50 dogs, each chained to a house. They were dogs that are going to race in the K300, a popular dog sled race. These races, I gather, are to them like baseball is in East Texas, or football is in the South. It's a major thing!
In the village someone offered me a steam bath. It's basically like a sona, then you wash. I really want to try it, but didn't at the time...there are lots of people who get boils because they are not well kept and clean. Maybe when it gets -50 outside I'll rethink it.
The natives have some great talent in making jewlry, decorations, and clothing. Walrus ivory is a popular (and expensive) item to use, and it's actually illegal for anyone other than a native to sale walrus ivory. I met an elder in the village who makes parkas, and one man has a seal parka he made. Honestly, it's like Dancing with Wolves!
So about the water situation...I've never been so happy to see clear, tasteless, odorless water before. The school is open, and that's where we can get it and take it back to our houses. To do dishes you have to heat the water on the gas stove to fill the sink. I fill both sides of the sink to wash then rinse. You don't realize how much you use the faucet until you can't. There is an incinolet for the toilet. How it works: each time you use it you have to put a liner in the bowl. After each use, you step on a pedal to manually "flush," and it goes in a bucket. You then press a button to begin the burning process. It takes it about 45 minutes to heat up and burn, and it makes a really loud noise. You can imagine what it smells like...so that's why I have a candle in the bathroom! It's really hot for quite some time after that, so it's best to try and find a routine. :-) If you step on the pedal during the burning process, huge flames come up. It was probably to my waist. That was some kind of experience - It could really be dangerous if you don't get out of the way!
There's so much more to tell, but I'll wait till next time. I have to get an early start tomorrow and it's almost midnight (even though it's still bright outside!) I will post pictures soon!
Love from Alaska,
Kim
First off I just have to apologize for the lack of pictures. I will get them up ASAP! I've been back in forth from Newtok to Bethel for the new teacher inservice and the entire district inservice, and my head has been spinning from all the new information and the thought of all the work ahead of me. School starts MONDAY! Can you believe that? Less than a week and I'll be on the other side - the one standing in front of the class instead of sitting in a desk. Pretty crazy!
Today me and another teacher were walking to our hotel, and we saw a man on a big scooter, with 2 husky dogs pulling him. They were training for a dog sled! I wish I had a camera on me. I just got back from an Eskimo fiddle band concert - that was lots of fun! This little old eskimo man asked me to dance so we had fun doing a 2 step. I danced with some of the other new teachers...there's a group of us that have had tons of fun together! It's great to know there are other people out in the bush, completely isolated and have no idea what they are doing either. There are lots of people out here who are right out of college, like me, so it's been fun and eye opening, trying to keep our heads above water while figuring out how to adjust to the different cultures. This is an AMAZING school district, and they've been nothing but supportive. For instance, we have a person designated just to assist teachers, to fly out to our site anytime someone needs her for anything at all. It's just been extremely encouraging to know help isn't far.
SO! So far in my Alaskan Adventure I've been part of an eskimo dance, eaten eskimo ice cream (not sure I want to try it again: the main ingredients are berries and criso), I've had 5 different kinds of salmon cooked tons of different ways: smoked, baked, grilled, salmon jerkey, I've eaten salmon skin/scales, salmon with seal oil (great stuff)... I've eaten moose stew, salmon berries, salmon tacos, halibut...
People don't realize how much these natives live off the food in their backyards. Kids miss school weeks at a time to go hunt with their families. They don't each spaghetti, hamburgers, or pizza. They still lead subsistence lifestyles, and it's just amazing to me! Lots of people have fish camps, which is a place off a river with a small shack and drying rack. They spend weeks at a time at these camps, catching fish and drying them so they can store it for winter. The little girls and grandmas are out picking berries on the tundra to have, also, and in September they hunt for moose, caribou, and muskox. (I saw 2 herds of muscox a few days ago!)
I took a boat ride on the Kuskokwim River with a few other teachers, and it was absolutely beautiful! I'm just awed at God's creation! We made several stops on the river - we saw a fish camp, fish traps, and a dog yard, which was interesting. There were probably 50 dogs, each chained to a house. They were dogs that are going to race in the K300, a popular dog sled race. These races, I gather, are to them like baseball is in East Texas, or football is in the South. It's a major thing!
In the village someone offered me a steam bath. It's basically like a sona, then you wash. I really want to try it, but didn't at the time...there are lots of people who get boils because they are not well kept and clean. Maybe when it gets -50 outside I'll rethink it.
The natives have some great talent in making jewlry, decorations, and clothing. Walrus ivory is a popular (and expensive) item to use, and it's actually illegal for anyone other than a native to sale walrus ivory. I met an elder in the village who makes parkas, and one man has a seal parka he made. Honestly, it's like Dancing with Wolves!
So about the water situation...I've never been so happy to see clear, tasteless, odorless water before. The school is open, and that's where we can get it and take it back to our houses. To do dishes you have to heat the water on the gas stove to fill the sink. I fill both sides of the sink to wash then rinse. You don't realize how much you use the faucet until you can't. There is an incinolet for the toilet. How it works: each time you use it you have to put a liner in the bowl. After each use, you step on a pedal to manually "flush," and it goes in a bucket. You then press a button to begin the burning process. It takes it about 45 minutes to heat up and burn, and it makes a really loud noise. You can imagine what it smells like...so that's why I have a candle in the bathroom! It's really hot for quite some time after that, so it's best to try and find a routine. :-) If you step on the pedal during the burning process, huge flames come up. It was probably to my waist. That was some kind of experience - It could really be dangerous if you don't get out of the way!
There's so much more to tell, but I'll wait till next time. I have to get an early start tomorrow and it's almost midnight (even though it's still bright outside!) I will post pictures soon!
Love from Alaska,
Kim
Monday, August 3, 2009
a whole new world
Hey yall!
Thanks so much for the kind words! It's extremely comforting to know I do have a support system, and I appreciate all the prayers. Okay, so lots has happened already since I moved to Newtok, and the best way I can put it is it's like another country! It reminds me of Mexico in lots of ways. When I flew into Bethel from Anchorage it was COLD and WINDY. It was in the high 40s, but this is warm weather to Alaskans...crazy! So the next day I took a bush plane to Newtok. On the flight over, there were a few mountains (either that or very large hills...) and there was still lots of snow. There were also tons of puddles/rivers everywhere you looked.
When I got to Newtok the school maintenance man was there with his family to welcome me and take me to my house. Since there are no cars in the village people have 4 wheelers and snow machines, and boardwalks are the only way around town. Honestly, you can't even walk in the grass, because e.coli is EVERYWHERE and mud is everywhere you look. When I rode down from the airport my first thought was "Oh my GOSH this stinks!" The reason why there is e. coli everywhere, I'm sure you know, is that the people have become lazy and don't take their honey buckets to the designated spot, so they just dump them anywhere. But the smell was horrible. The first day was the worst. Either I've gotten use to it already or I'm in a slightly cleaner part of the village, but it was pretty intense. Lots of people have warned me to not get in the mud because of the e.coli, but I already knew that!
I met a man while going to get water my second day, and he said "welcome to isolation!" It was funny at the time, but it really hit me when I was there alone in my house, with no connections to the outside world.
The boardwalk keeps you from walking in deathly puddles, it's true, but it's still risky because there are loose boards, broken boards, missing boards, and huge gaps in bewteen boards... there are places you have to jump over, and places you have to walk on the very edge with a 4 foot drop off because of holes. I guess because the village is planning on moving in a few years to Nelson Island they don't bother fixing the boardwalk.
There were some water jugs in the house that you take about a 5 minute walk to the water tank and fill up there. That water is the only safe drinking water, even though it stinks and is still a little brown! When the school opens I can bring water from there which will be more convienient. It's about a 3 minute walk from my house. I do have running water in the house but it's not safe to drink or even to shower in, so I'm learning new ways to wash dishes and such. Tonight I'm in Bethel for the new teacher inservice and had my first shower in 2 weeks, so I'm feeling good! (I haven't had internet so this is my first chance to update).
The kids in the village have been extremely friendly and intrigued by the new teachers. There are 120 students in Newtok, and I'd say almost all of them have been in my house. The first day I got there the kids visited and asked a million questions, asked about my family, where I'm from, how long I'm staying, what I'm teaching, and wanted to go through all my stuff. I'll post pictures when I can - at one time there were 18 little Eskimos all piled up in the living room. It was really funny. One thing I'm sure I'll get use to but am having trouble with right now is understanding the kids. They speak Yupik, and they don't even start learning English until second grade. They also have 2 names: one in English and one in Yupik. They gave me a yupik name, too: Ayaprun. I asked them what it means, and all they said was "ayaprun!"
I've played hackysack with some of the kids and they really enjoy that. We have to play in front of the school because it's the biggest playing area where the ball won't fall in the mud. The kids also like to ride bikes, but obviously it's really hard with the crooked and dangerous boardwalk.
There are 8 or 9 teachers in Newtok, I can't remember, but only 4 are in the village now. My roommate has not made it yet, but I'm anxious to meet her. I know she has taught in the district (just not in Newtok) 10 years, so that will be helpful to me. :-)
I've talked to some of the kids and lots of people are catholic. I'm planning on starting a Bible study once a week when everything settles down, and I know, from the kids being so anxious to learn more about me, many will want to come. The only drawback would be if my roommate does not want the kids there - we would have to find some other place. So please pray with me that she is understanding and willing to join in with this idea! Also, if you have any ideas on how to make it fun and effective, please let me know! I'm trying to work out, too, if I should have 1 for the younger kids and 1 for the older, or just combine them. On top of this I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to teach. :-)
I guess that's about it for now. Thanks for the prayers and comments! I look forward to hearing from yall. (they think my Texas accent is funny!)
I love and miss yall already, but am learning to lean on God more everyday, so even though I may be isolated, I'm surrounded by His amazing love and warmth!
((((((hugs))))))
~Kim
Thanks so much for the kind words! It's extremely comforting to know I do have a support system, and I appreciate all the prayers. Okay, so lots has happened already since I moved to Newtok, and the best way I can put it is it's like another country! It reminds me of Mexico in lots of ways. When I flew into Bethel from Anchorage it was COLD and WINDY. It was in the high 40s, but this is warm weather to Alaskans...crazy! So the next day I took a bush plane to Newtok. On the flight over, there were a few mountains (either that or very large hills...) and there was still lots of snow. There were also tons of puddles/rivers everywhere you looked.
When I got to Newtok the school maintenance man was there with his family to welcome me and take me to my house. Since there are no cars in the village people have 4 wheelers and snow machines, and boardwalks are the only way around town. Honestly, you can't even walk in the grass, because e.coli is EVERYWHERE and mud is everywhere you look. When I rode down from the airport my first thought was "Oh my GOSH this stinks!" The reason why there is e. coli everywhere, I'm sure you know, is that the people have become lazy and don't take their honey buckets to the designated spot, so they just dump them anywhere. But the smell was horrible. The first day was the worst. Either I've gotten use to it already or I'm in a slightly cleaner part of the village, but it was pretty intense. Lots of people have warned me to not get in the mud because of the e.coli, but I already knew that!
I met a man while going to get water my second day, and he said "welcome to isolation!" It was funny at the time, but it really hit me when I was there alone in my house, with no connections to the outside world.
The boardwalk keeps you from walking in deathly puddles, it's true, but it's still risky because there are loose boards, broken boards, missing boards, and huge gaps in bewteen boards... there are places you have to jump over, and places you have to walk on the very edge with a 4 foot drop off because of holes. I guess because the village is planning on moving in a few years to Nelson Island they don't bother fixing the boardwalk.
There were some water jugs in the house that you take about a 5 minute walk to the water tank and fill up there. That water is the only safe drinking water, even though it stinks and is still a little brown! When the school opens I can bring water from there which will be more convienient. It's about a 3 minute walk from my house. I do have running water in the house but it's not safe to drink or even to shower in, so I'm learning new ways to wash dishes and such. Tonight I'm in Bethel for the new teacher inservice and had my first shower in 2 weeks, so I'm feeling good! (I haven't had internet so this is my first chance to update).
The kids in the village have been extremely friendly and intrigued by the new teachers. There are 120 students in Newtok, and I'd say almost all of them have been in my house. The first day I got there the kids visited and asked a million questions, asked about my family, where I'm from, how long I'm staying, what I'm teaching, and wanted to go through all my stuff. I'll post pictures when I can - at one time there were 18 little Eskimos all piled up in the living room. It was really funny. One thing I'm sure I'll get use to but am having trouble with right now is understanding the kids. They speak Yupik, and they don't even start learning English until second grade. They also have 2 names: one in English and one in Yupik. They gave me a yupik name, too: Ayaprun. I asked them what it means, and all they said was "ayaprun!"
I've played hackysack with some of the kids and they really enjoy that. We have to play in front of the school because it's the biggest playing area where the ball won't fall in the mud. The kids also like to ride bikes, but obviously it's really hard with the crooked and dangerous boardwalk.
There are 8 or 9 teachers in Newtok, I can't remember, but only 4 are in the village now. My roommate has not made it yet, but I'm anxious to meet her. I know she has taught in the district (just not in Newtok) 10 years, so that will be helpful to me. :-)
I've talked to some of the kids and lots of people are catholic. I'm planning on starting a Bible study once a week when everything settles down, and I know, from the kids being so anxious to learn more about me, many will want to come. The only drawback would be if my roommate does not want the kids there - we would have to find some other place. So please pray with me that she is understanding and willing to join in with this idea! Also, if you have any ideas on how to make it fun and effective, please let me know! I'm trying to work out, too, if I should have 1 for the younger kids and 1 for the older, or just combine them. On top of this I've been trying to figure out how I'm going to teach. :-)
I guess that's about it for now. Thanks for the prayers and comments! I look forward to hearing from yall. (they think my Texas accent is funny!)
I love and miss yall already, but am learning to lean on God more everyday, so even though I may be isolated, I'm surrounded by His amazing love and warmth!
((((((hugs))))))
~Kim
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)