ELMS English Language School Students

Here is one more. This is 9a. My super loud and *super fun* group of 9th grade students. So now you have pictures of 3 classes out of the 12 total that I get to teach. I'm tellin ya... really cool kids!

ELMS English Language School students

Here are 2 of the classes who I meet with every week, 9th grade "g" class at the top, and below is 11th grade "d" class. I meet with 7 9th grade classes and 5 11th grade classes weekly for about 40 minutes each. It's not always easy. Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes it is very fun. I have learned a lot, and I really like these students.

3 Months Out From Going Home

I am starting to get really sad about leaving. It's only a little over 3 months out. I guess in all fairness, it's still closer to 4 months - 3 months and 20 days to be exact. But those 20 days will fly. I'll be going to Berlin and Poland. Then Rebe will come to Burgas in the beginning of April. Then Kat and her niece Kim will come in May. It is going to be incredible. But I know it will fly. And then it will be time to go home. Last night I was thinking of my students, and how much I am going to miss this silly bunch of teenagers who I have really grown to love spending time around. They've done so much more to enrich my life and challenge me than they know. And maybe I'm just super-emotional, but I'm also feeling like a part of the family of those I've begun to live with. While I'm writing this note, I'm thinking that I better hurry because for dinner tonight I promised I would help peel the onions, garlic, and potatoes. The little black kitty purring in my lap and my little plastic чашка of Nescafe 3 in 1 that I got on the way home in this rainy day make me not want to get up. I've found a place here that I really care about. I care about what happens in Burgas, Bulgaria. I care about the people. I care about making Bulgaria a better place, and I care about appreciating the things that are beautiful. I care about Macedonia. I care about them having their own freedom and proclaiming their own name. I care about them being recognized for the people who they are. I care about learning the language here, and I fear going back to America because I won't be able to use it. For many reasons it will be hard to leave the Balkans. I have found a lot that I care about here. Today my heart is beating not for this people and this place, but for my God who sets my feet where He knows is best. I pray that my heart will be for what His beats for, and I feel like in some small way as I find so much care and love for people in America, Macedonia and in Bulgaria that it is.

Pictures from October

Halloween is not widely celebrated in Bulgaria. However, in the schools they do fun activities as a cultural event. Here are some pictures of me with the students during Halloween and fall celebrations at our school. I really have a lot of fun with these students. I couldn't ask for better. Some of these kids just had some rockin' costumes...

Some from November...

Visiting the village of Koprivstitsa with the Fulbright group

Thanksgiving Dinner hosted for us by the American Embassy

Skopje, Burgas, and Looking Back and Reflecting...

Nothingness. That is the scary part. When you are first coming into a new country, and you know you will be here for a long time, and you have a blank slate. No friends, no concerns, no stories... not yet. You begin with a blank slate.

It's difficult to explain the mental experience when that "nothing feeling" first hits you. It's scary. It's exciting, and at the same time remarkably insecure. You know and hope that you will have a future in the new place. But you haven't connected with anyone or anything yet. But your mind and your heart must have something to think of. So until the "nothingness" of new arrival is filled with it's own drama and relationships, we cling to home.

Having people in your life on a regular basis who you really treasure and care about fills your heart with such a warm feeling. Without this, life is actually miserable and meaningless. I'm learning more and more that this is the way God built us. Not just for adventure, but to love...

I recently had the chance to go to Skopje, Macedonia. I feel in love with the friends I made in that city who I feel my heart was connected with even before I met them face to face. I am sooo thankful for these new friends, and I am so thankful to Kat who without a second thought shared and opened her "Macedonia life" to me and connected me with all of them. It is absolutely amazing to see what God is doing in that group and in that city. I was blessed and refreshed and I'll go back the first chance I get!

I am also beginning to connect with new friends here in my city, which is really great because it is something that I had struggled with nearly since the time I arrived here in Bulgaria. Burgas is a small city. There isn't a great number of people my age who stay here during the winter (most go to study in Sofia or else go abroad). Even in church, opportunities to meet and really connect with people my age seemed scarce. And since it seemed that in capital cities like Sofia and Skopje friends were just plenty, being so lonely in my own city was a difficult concept for me. But thanks to the grace of God, it seems that things in this area are really finally turning around.

In 5 days, I get to have my 4 month anniversary in Bulgaria. I simply cannot believe that it is December already. Thank you God, for your goodness and all that I have learned over this whole time!!!

Macedonia was more than wonderful

What I've been doing a little of with my time...

This is my friend, Ivan. This song is "Goodbye my Lover" by James Blunt. We still have a lot more work to do on this.