Just in case you needed to see a bit more of us in Guatemala... The main song in the video is "Vivir mi vida" by Marc Anthony. If you're interested in seeing a rough translation of the lyrics, click here. The translation isn't perfect, but I think you'll get the idea!
I have loved this song from the first moment that I heard it because it has such an uplifting beat and positive message (how many secular songs can you say that about?)! My favorite lines say: "Sometimes rain comes to clean your wounds; sometimes just a drop can overcome a drought." I can recall a few experiences in my life when I was feeling like I was in the middle of a drought in my life...and then God sent me just a drop of happiness that turned it all around: a hug, a phone call, a devotion with the perfect Bible verse. Whatever it was, God knew just how to take care of me. I pray that God grants you any drops (or rain showers) that you may need right now!
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One of my very favorite things to do is to travel with my students! Yes, you read that correctly, I love to travel with teenagers. (The secret? Food. Plenty of food.) I have a passion for traveling and getting to know the Lord’s beautiful world and it has been an incredible gift to be able to share that as part of my career! This past Sunday I returned from 14 adventure-packed days in Guatemala with 6 of my Spanish students. During the first week we lived with Guatemalan host families and spent 7 hours each day immersed in one-on-one Spanish language study in the city of Antigua. Even though the first week was an amazing yet challenging experience, a relaxing second week was welcomed by all. A variety of activities kept us busy, including: kayaking, horseback riding, muddy jungle hiking, learning about traditional and modern Mayan culture, swimming, eating lots of great food, getting wet on boat rides, sleeping on long car rides, visiting the ruins of Tikal, zip-lining, and peacefully resting in hammocks. I am certainly going to miss leading these trips...extending the classroom walls and opening the world to adventure-thirsty young adults. (...maybe I can travel with some of my Chilean students to the USA? Hmmm…) Check out the “Picture This” section for some highlights! Where is home? Or maybe the better question is: What is home? According to dictionary.com, the noun “home” has seven definitions...SEVEN! Then, on top of that, it could be used as an adjective, adverb, or verb! (Wow...such a small word with so many uses!) I’d like to focus on home as a noun...my first thoughts go to what has been drilled into my head since early elementary school:“A noun is a person, place, thing, or idea.” I have long thought that home was a place. But the more places I visit, the more people that I meet and grow to love, and the more life adventures God gives me...the more convinced I am that home is all of the above. Home is some sort of “super-noun”! It can be ALL of those things at one time (and maybe that is why it can evoke such strong emotions). Home is a person. My friends and family have moved houses, cities, and states but yet each time I visit them I feel "at home" because they are there and they are what makes it special. Home is a place. When you’ve been away for awhile, there isn’t a much greater feeling than the site of a familiar city/plot of land/building/room you know as well as the back of your hand. Home is a thing. You know...when something “smells like home”... Home is an idea. It isn’t always tangible. What is home for me is not home for someone else. Home is sometimes my own little place built inside of my memories. The thought of home has been crossing my mind a lot as the school year has ended and my thoughts are turning towards a different field of ministry. All praise & thanks to you, my loving heavenly Father, for the immeasurable blessings I have received these last 8 years. My Watertown, SD & Great Plains Lutheran High School family have been, are, and will continue to be part of what I call “home”. The people. The places. The things. The ideas. I'd like to extend a special "¡Gracias!" to all of my students from Great Plains. (This past year's students are pictured above.) What a privilege and blessing it has been to serve you and get to know you. Thank you for being a huge part of what I call home. I cannot wait to see the immeasurable riches God has in store for each of you! {amor y abrazos}
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