Updates all around!

I've been gone for so long, it would take hours and hours, possibly days, to catch you up on what's happened since October! I'll just give you a few updates. If you wanna know more, just ask, and I'll send you a message or post another blog entry and answer your questions. Sound good? :)

Job at GDQ: Things are going great! I absolutely love the kids (and teachers!) that I'm working with. I'm not with kindergarten anymore, but with grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Usually it's just preparing projects for upcoming lessons, doing hallway bulletin board displays, running copies, sitting in on classes and answering kids' questions about different problems and assignments. However, lately I've been doing quite a bit of substitute teaching! Mostly 2nd grade, but I've done 4th grade a couple times, and next week I'm on schedule to help teach 1st and 5th grade.

Tutoring: I've started tutoring! The job is actually described as ESL Support and Homework Help, but it's more tutoring and after-school math and english lessons. My student is a 3rd grade girl from Brazil. We're getting to know each other much better as each week goes by. Most of the time we work on math--addition, subtraction, doubling, tripling, pairs to 20, that kind of thing. Then we'll finish out the last 15 minutes or so with some reading from a book with some scripts for simple plays in it, including "Rumplestiltskin", which she absolutely loves! I think we've been through that one about five times. It's really fun for both of us to read through as the different characters, practicing different voices and accents for each one!

Job at the Co-op: I only worked at the co-op for the first semester. Although I liked working there a lot, my schoolwork couldn't handle it. I had to stop volunteering there so that I would be able to graduate on time. :(

Babysitting: In the past couple months, I've had time to start babysitting again! There's this awesome new family here in Tirana with two little kids that I've babysat for--a 3 year old boy, and a 6 mo. (?) old baby girl. They also have a really big, muscular, very playful boxer dog that can be really fun. :) A couple weeks ago, I did a job for the Ogburn family. I took care of the 4 kids for a weekend while their parents were at a conference in Germany. Last year I did the same job for them, and both times it's been a blast! I always have so much fun with those kids--this time wasn't an exception!

Highschool: I'm almost done. If everything goes on schedule like it should, I'll graduate the first week of June. For now, I have a bad case of senioritis. I just don't want to do anything! It takes a lot of self-control (and reminders from mom) to make me stay on my schoolwork! Oh well... I just have to push through another month and a half, then I'm DONE!

College: I'm all set to go to Bryan College in the fall! In February, I went back to the states for 10 days with my dad to take part in the Presidential Scholarship Competition at Bryan. Things went very well while I was there. My interview was good, so I ended up with a renewable $8,000 scholarship for the 4 years that I'm there, as long as I keep my GPA up. It's really awesome to see God's confirmation in everything that's happening at Bryan. He led me to a place close to family, with a nurturing Christian atmosphere, friendly people that want me there, awesome academics, and a financial aid package which has me covered without loans! I'll be able to graduate debt-free, or with $5000 tops. The peace that God has given me about college and life in America is astounding. I feel this chapter of my life closing, and the next one beginning, and it doesn't hurt. I'm not resisting. It just feels *right*. What an awesome feeling that is!