Dear Ms. Mennice

"Dear Ms. Mennice,

I'm sorry for be bad in class I hope you are not mad because I know you have a hard time trying to teach 34 kid at one time so I am sorry for all the troble I've caused I will not do it again Sorry Ms. Mennice

From your best
GF"

We're still working on my name (pronunciation & spelling)! This is a note I received from a student after he had to stay for detention the second time. He forgot the paper that needed to be signed but told me in a grumbling voice, "I forgot it but my Mom knows I am staying. I'm punished and she said that you can keep me every day next week to make up for all the things I didn't learn in class while I was talking." The crazy thing is - he is by far the toughest student I have! Each week I'm going to try and do a quote of the week so this is the first!

Who Are My Kids?

For the past two weeks I have been teaching a regular 6th grade classroom (we're down to 33 kids - we're doing great!) due to one teacher quitting, a substitute, and then another teacher quitting. Since then I've taken over and it's been quite an experience.

1. I have absolutely fallen in love with these kids! More and more I realize how much I need to work with kids. God has designed me for this.

2. I've learned how much I miss having my own classroom and having the freedom to set expectations and reward programs.

3. I'm stuck in a decision as to whether I should stay with this position or switch back to 6th Grade Inclusion (Sp. Ed.). I struggle with trusting other teachers with "my" kids. I fear that someone else won't love them enough, won't teach them enough, and won't believe in them enough.

In addition I think the bigger struggle is my fear that I am giving up on one group or the other. If I take the Sp. Ed. position I'll feel as though I'm letting down the rest of the group. If I take the reg. ed. position I'll feel as though I'm letting down the Sp. Ed. kids.

I need to realize that unlike Jesus I cannot be Savior for all. Please pray for my decision as the transition will most likely be occurring this week or next.

*Also - thanks to those of you who have offered your support to my kids! I am sooo pumped to begin this with them, and excited to pair them up with you guys! I can't wait to share them with you!

Crazy?

Well, today was the first of many times I'm sure I'll be called crazy. I was talking with a coworker today and she asked where I lived. "Just off 5th Street," I replied. "Where on 5th Street?" she asked. The response of Hunting Park and 5th didn't ease her astonishment. She continued to ask "Why do you live there? Are you crazy?"

I knew it was coming, and actually it was a pretty awesome opportunity to share a little of why I live here and why I teach here. Some think that's crazy. If it takes living on Reese Street and being considered crazy for people to really listen to why I live here then it's worth it. My prayer is that they continue to think I'm crazy. Crazy in love with these kids and their families. Crazy in love with teaching them. Crazy in love with fighting for getting these kids a just education. Crazy in love with this neighborhood. Above all, crazy in love with Jesus.

El Salvador - Beautiful People

There were so many amazing people I met on this trip! You need to hear their stories and see their faces. No matter the circumstances they radiate hope and joy. Take a look!

Frankie

Before I left for El Salvador my parents jokingly said "Don't come back with a boyfriend!" Well you don't need to worry about a boyfriend but I did absolutely fall in love with this little boy! The first night at Casa Concordia, the Luther Welcome Center we stayed at, a ton of Salvadoran children were running around playing. I found a friend in little Frankie and he convinced me to "jugar beisbol," play baseball. Little did he know I am absolutely awful at the sport. Turns out he made the rules up as he went anyway! The game consisted of me throwing the ball to Frankie, him hitting it and then running in a circle of made-up bases. He never got out and I never got to bat! I only got a point if he felt like giving me one! We had such a great time! The score was 21 - 6 and we finally stopped playing because it was so dark we couldn't see the ball anymore. The rest of the weekend I was taunted, veintiuno - cinco, veintiuno - cinco in a singsong voice. Frankie is a beautiful child with life and laughter always in his eyes. He is an extremely smart 7 year old and reads far better than many of my students in America.

College Students

These students have amazing dedication and perseverance. They are all attending college in El Salvador during the school year. They spend every vacation, and most likely weekends at school working to help pay for their schooling, which costs $1500 per year. One of the girls spent all summer working but was unable to attend the first week of university because she used the money to buy food for her family. She sacrificed for her family but missed out on valuable time in the classroom. Each of these students has a partial sponsorship but is in need of any help they can get! Think about it! $1500 per year for college courses - they are the future of El Salvador! Anyone want to help out?

Bimita

Seriously...this girl is a doll! Bimita is the daughter of Don Victor, our site manager for Habitat. The house we were working on was a member of his family! His mother lives down the road and all of his family lives in this little neighborhood up in the mountains! His daughter is truly a shining star and put us all to shame! She filled buckets for us and was up on the scaffolding helping us each day after school!

Melvin & Josue

Melvin with Immanuel

These two guys were so sweet! They were our constant companions in San Salvador! They were riding in the back of the truck with us wherever we went, pushing the water off the tarps, aiding in translation, hiking the volcano, and helped care for the kids! Their smiles and laughter were contagious!

Karin

Karin was my truck-riding buddy and artist of the week! After the volcano we rode in a truck during a long downpour. Her little screams of delight were so innocent and cute! I spent the hour attempting to cover her from the rain and hold a semi-dry mattress over her so she didn't get any wetter! At the holiday parade she spent the afternoon using rocks like sidewalk chalk, drawing pictures for all to see! Her eyes shine with joy! I love it!

Kids pictures - These are just various pictures of the other kids I was blessed to spend some time with! Praise God for their beautiful smiles and innocent hearts!

Pupusas

Flying into San Salvador the Salvadorans on the plane were telling me "You have to eat pupusas while you are here. They are the national food and are amazing!" Of course, I thought, I'll try to but I have no idea where I'll be at or what they'll be cooking. I didn't need to look far though. The first day on the worksite the family we were building for pulled out their big grill and all the ingredients.

A pupusa is a Salvadoran staple, a griddled-cooked cake of masa (soft moistened cornmeal) stuffed with cheese and either beans, vegetables, or shredded pork. It was a simple and satisfying meal, and the pupusas were served with the traditional sides of crisp shredded pickled cabbage and homemade hot sauce (or salsa).

making pupusas with the sisters

We spent about twenty minutes trying to perfect our techniques. Take the masa in your palm and flatten it out. Then grab some beans and cheese for the middle. Pull the masa up around to cover the top and then pat it. Mine were consistently the size of large coins, not the large patties the Salvadorans made. The ladies continued making them for an hour - I couldn't even begin to count how many they had made! After cooking them on the griddle we feasted! Nothing like a traditional Salvadoran meal!