Sorry the ending to my last entry was so randomly abrupt.  I had written it over the course of a couple of hours as I was doing work in my office and my boss/co-workers were coming in and out talking to me about unrelated things.  Once I had finished a complete thought, I really need lunch.  Thus, it ended.  Sorry. 

As promised, though, my list of options for next year.  I have already widdled them down a little in my mind, but I wanted to give you the full spectrum of what I have been thinking about:

1) Attend Mars Hill Graduate School as a student in the Psychological Counseling program and in my spare time I would sit at the top of the Space Needle with Anu sipping coffee while marveling at Mt. Rainier in the distance and contemplating when my next three hour train ride would be to meet Evan and shuck corn in a field together.  (You guessed it.  I would be moving to Seattle)

2) Continue to chase my 'cholitos' and 'cholitas' around and continue to beat them over the head with the saber es poder  ("knowledge is power") stick

(A.K.A. remaining with my current job for one more year)

3) Applying for a position with ITTO (International Teacher Training Organization) to go through 4-week TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification training in Guadalajara, Mexico and following certification to be placed anywhere in Mexico for the following year. 

4) Pursuing a position with TC Dance Company in order to be trained as a ballroom instructor and work a great paying job from 12-9pm everyday.  As a side though, I would probably have to work on commission (talk people into paying [alot of] money to take dance lessons from me.  The thought of that aspects is not too hot for me.  But in the end I could move to New York and teach little Dominican 5th graders how to ballroom dance, thus, providing them with a system of discipline and rules that will enable them to excel educationally and socially. (See 'Mad Hot Ballroom')

5)  Take a 6 month paid-internship position with the United Nations Development Programme in Quito, Ecuador and live among my family there (Joy, my 'sister' who has lived with my family this year and her family). 

(I do not know a lot about this yet...but I am making some good contacts down there)

There they are folks.  The task you are left with now is to vote twice.  Once, saying what YOU would do and the second time predicting what you think I will do.  And tell why for each.  Your votes will not be the determining factor in what I decide, it is really all for my own amusement.  Yay!  Future!

Oh the year is finally winding down... 

In the last three weeks, I have attended 1 memorial service, 1 out-of-state wedding, been in 1 in-state wedding, attended 2 in-city graduations, 1 out-of-town graduation, and 5 senior recognition ceremonies, helped organize/execute 1 graduation party, attended 3 birthday parties, and at work have visited an average of 2-3 schools per day.  Praise God, it's winding down.

I attended a Senior Breakfast at one of my high schools (Northeast HS) this morning.  During the 'shout-outs' portion of the event, there were students that gave shout-outs in English, Spanish, street-slang, and French-Creole.  That was just of the students that went up.  There were students from Japan, China, Sudan, and numerous other places that I probably cannot fathom.  Also, my counselor liasion, Dr. Chavez, took a moment to recognize me and have me stand up in front of the students and faculty.  As a sidenote, he is particularly fond of me because I have red hair like his mother did.  This entire situation was pretty terrifying and embarrassing since my students occupied only about 20% of the entire class, and therefore, there were a lot of students/faculty who did not know me or did not care to know me.  He told me later that he had meant to have me come up and say a few words.  So I am glad at least that that did not happen.  I am so proud of my kids.  I have done very little for my seniors in comparison to the people that have supported them the 17 years prior to now.  I am thankful to have been able to witness the rewards of all their efforts.  More to come...

This week has been busy...but that will pretty much be said about most of my weeks from here on out.  I have about 4 weeks left in my schools and it is a race of against time to meet the 'numbers' and 'materials' in which our National agency requires.  It is a bit tedious and I feel like when it's over, I will realize that I have missed my kids and some of them will have graduated.  <tear>  Kids...they just grow up so fast.  Update on life: 

My BSF Study is going well.  I have been studying Genesis and right now we are nearing a close and studying the life of Joseph.  If I can say one overarching statement about studying this book and the beginnings of the earth, man, and the nation of Isreal, is that from the get go God's chosen people have been depraved individuals.  This has been a humbling and glorious revelvation.  In studying the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now, Joseph, each had their own personalities and areas of sin (so profound, I know).  With that, each went through a time of rebellion that varied from the Lord's plan.  The most profound pattern I have seen for each, though, is that in that time, the Lord never renounced from them their identity (what He had originally purposed for them).  Although they suffered the consequences of their sinfulness, the Lord accomplished His Sovereign plan through them.  These concepts have been and will continue to rock to the core my legalistic living.

I have been dancing a lot.  Mostly, salsa, merengue, and another type of latin dance called the "Casino Rueda."  It's a variation of salsa with a bunch of couples in a circle with one person (guy) shouting out different dance moves, that everyone does at once.  It is really different and looks really cool when everyone is in sync.  Here's an example of one move (except I usually wear jeans a tanktop, not a dress):

I have been taking pics, but none of them have turned out how I have wanted them to.  Through this, though, I have met a lot of really nice people.  Their ages range from my age to my parents age, with numerous backgrounds, cultures, and nationalities.  It's really neat, though, because everyone just loves to dance.  I actually tried out for the 'Rueda' performance team last Sunday.  But no such success.  I didn't do very well, but I was glad that I had tried.  Be on standby for upcoming pictures. 

In addition to work, bible study, and dancing, a large topic in and around my work has been the current Immigration Protests.  Aware that a lot of people possibly in school right now are more in-tune with their textbooks than current news events, it's possible that you are not up-to-date.  The most recent demonstrations nationally occurred last Monday (4/10) to oppose a piece of legislation called 'H.R.4437.'  If anyone is reading this subscribes to Wyatt's Xanga, it's the legislation that he spoke of a few weeks ago.  Without going into too much detail, in short, I too oppose it.  If you would like to talk to me more about it, then ask, and I will be more than happy to dialogue. 

However, the point of me writing about it, however, is that I attended the protest ralley on Monday in front of the Federal Building in Ilus Davis Park in KCMO.  For anyone that knows me, you probably already understand that it was probably the thing farthest out of my comfort zone I have done to date. 

It was daunting and really somewhat terrifying walking into a sea of brown faces, especially when you know that in their mind your face looks alot like the ones of the people who are fighting against them.  Of course, while there I tried to avoid alot of attention but was cornered by a NPR (or a radio station affliate) reporter for an interview.  I thought that I might be ill for a number of reasons in that moment but the interview was entirely unavoidable.  I am not too sure what I said or if any of it made sense, but I realized later how important it was for me to be able to vocalize the importance of that demonstration and really taking a stand for things you believe in without being so terrified about what people may think.

(Go here for specifics and pics from Monday's KC Protest)

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/14312750.htm

That's all for today...stay tuned and you can cast YOUR VOTE for what I should do next year!!  Yea!!!

Today, one of my students told me that I looked high...ahhh, freshmen.   

Currently Reading Zondervan NIV Study Bible By Zondervan see related

The funniest moment of my week last week besides my students informing me that they are creating for me a list of potential boyfriends (ha!) occurred when I answered the phone.  As a sidenote, it is not an uncommon thing that we receive all kinds of odd phone calls (in English and Spanish), because keep in mind Hispanic Educational Resource Center  is a somewhat ambiguous title.  But anyway, I answered the phone "(organization name) this is Emily."  The other line stated back after a couple of moments pause..."uh yeah, my name is _____, I was wondering...uh...does anyone there, uh, speak English?"  <um, ok... haha>  It took me a couple of minutes to process that one.