Wedding Bells

Hello everybody!

I know you've all been breathlessly awaiting this announcement. :D Just kidding, of course. But we have finally decided to take the leap. My girlfriend and I are getting married! Everyone, send money or presents! :D

The wedding will take place on November 24, 2006 (yes, that's a week from Friday as of this writing), at the university church here in southern Mexico.

We are going to try to register online at Walmart.com and maybe a few other places like Foleys.com, but we've been having major internet problems for the past few weeks which are not completely fixed, plus we've been super busy with wedding plans, etc., so we'll see if we can. This also explains why this notice is coming less than two weeks before the wedding. We also don't mind wedding presents or cash that come a little late. Far better late than never!

Have a great day!

Still here

I don't have a lot of time to write, but a quick update is in order. I am still here in southern Mexico. I've decided to stay, even though I won't be able to get that other situation I was hoping for. But I am the English Academy Director, which is a slight increase in pay, etc.

One cool thing is that I am in meetings with the Academic Vice-President about my vision for the English Academy. At the moment it is not officially recognized by the university. That is one of the things I want to change. Eventually, I want it to become a School of Languages which offers a Bachelor's Degree in English. Additionally, I want it to be in charge of all the English classes that the university has in all of its majors. I also want it to offer refresher courses for professionals. Plus, there should (will) be a course for teachers that is continual and required, but counted as a part of their teaching load. These are just a few of the ideas I have for the English Academy. I'm very excited about the possibilities.

I also want to start talking with the ESL department of the college where I got my BA. I can learn a lot about how these things work from them, and we may be able to work out a deal where workers from there come here to teach, and our best students from here go there to finish their degree.

At the moment we're in the middle of registration, and we have far fewer students than we should. Pray for us.

More changes to plans

Hey look, everyone! I blogged twice in the same calendar year! Recently, that's some kind of record. As you can read above, my plans have once again changed. The main reason I wanted to be in the US this summer was to take the GRE. The Academic Vice-President called me into his office a few weeks ago and explained to me that, since the English Academy Director was leaving, that I was his first choice to fill her role. When I mentioned the test I needed to take, he explained to me that I could take it in Mexico City, and that we could arrange for me to leave my work for a weekend or so, allowing me to take that test. So I decided to stay for the summer course. It ends towards the end of August, so I'd better already be talking to universities, etc.

Another idea that a friend of mine told me is that I could offer to stay on the condition that they let me go get my Master's and doctorate in the US and that they help me with it, plus that they change my status to "Inter-Division Employee" in the church, which, as long as I want to keep working in the church system, would put me light-years ahead of starting from zero as most people do. It would also facilitate an easy switch if/when I got a call from another part of the world to teach English there, as I dream of doing in many places.

That second thing is still just an idea, but I do rather like it.... We'll see how things turn out.

Silence is golden, but this is ridiculous!

My apologies to any/all of you who are following this blog. I have not updated it in a very long time. However, the title of the blog is fair warning, I would say. Since my last blog post, I either have not had time, or have not felt like it.

I went with Yesenia to Peru in December. I did not ask for her hand in marriage, because I did not feel ready. For the same reason, we have not made wedding plans.

This semester has been hectic, with a class for administrative secretaries, a class in English Composition, the same two classes in the elementary school, a class for the Theology department, a class for Sciences of Education department (during Spring Break), and working in curricular development, among other things.

The plan now is to come back to the US in early July, see all my family, take the GRE and GRE Lit, apply to grad schools (maybe in WA near my parents and two of my brothers or in TX near my other brother and his family, maybe in southern California like my English teachers did, maybe somewhere else), find a temporary job, etc., etc., etc. I'm going to be busy.

Because of the combination of things that are happening right now or about to happen, I'm feeling mixed/odd. I'm happy, sad, apprehensive, and more, all at the same time.

Please pray for me. And if you have an recommendations on grad schools, info on the GRE, or other comments, feel free.

I hope you have an extraordinary day!

Busy-ness

It is amazing how busy the life of a teacher is. I am currently teaching six classes for four different departments: English 4 and Family Relations to the Science of Education department, Philosophy of Education to Nursing, Pre-intermediate English to the English Academy (of which that is the only class), and English to Fifth Grade and Sixth Grade (separately) at the elementary school. This week is time to turn in monthly grades, and I am working furiously to get them ready.

In addition to all this, of course, I dedicate part of my time to my girlfriend, and I also try to relax some. Balance of this nature has never been something I’ve been particularly good at. But I thank God (literally, of course) that I’m getting better.

The trip to Peru is still in the plans, but it has been moved chronologically. Now we are headed to Peru this December. We’re also planning on taking some time during that trip (about three weeks is the plan) to visit Machu Picchu, partly because even though it is an internationally-known and important site of Peru, she’s never been there either. So we’re saving up money for the December trip and planning to save up more in the spring for another trip and a wedding. A tentative date is July. Note the word “tentative,” meaning “Not fully worked out, concluded, or agreed on; provisional; uncertain; hesitant” (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=tentative).

I hope everyone who reads this has a great day!

Evening program

Yesterday evening, Yesenia and I went out on a date. We went to a program that one of the departments provided. It included a short play, called "Studio Q," two dramatic recitations of poems, and one performance (three songs) by a classical guitarist. His name is Saul Vera and he is truly a master of his art. The drama performance went well, but because the sound wasn't working well we couldn't hear much of it. The guitar went extremely well, as we knew it would. He is a friend of ours. One poem was recited by one of my students (Antonio), and it went very well. The other, recited by a woman I don't know, was very difficult to hear because people were talking during it. Overall, it was a very nice evening.

Plans and more plans

It is interesting how things change over time. I wasn't planning on coming to Mexico until August, but my girlfriend talked to the university president here, and they decided to pay me enough for me to pay my debts to my university, so they told me at the last minute that I could come to teach English again this summer. So I asked my brother to buy me a plane ticket and I flew down here. Here I am, teaching English, busy as ever. I don't have a lot of time because I have books to grade. But I also wanted to mention the plans Yesenia and I have for the future. We would like to work here in Mexico (maybe at this university if they want me) for on academic year. Actually, the director of the English Academy is leaving the school, so possibly I can fill her position for next year, but we'll see. Next summer we would like to go to Perú so that I can meet her family and talk with her parents directly about marrying their daughter. Sometime not very long after that, we will probably get married (Perú seems a likely location), and when that happens, I'd like to go back to the US and get my master's and doctorate. Then it will be in God's hands where we go (as all our plans are now, of course), but those are our plans for now. But tonight we were talking about our plans, and we had a midweek service, and while the preacher was preaching I had what I might call a vision of what the future might be. I see myself working here, possibly for a long time (maybe after I have my master's or doctorate). I may also end up teaching classes in theology, not just in English. Everything is in the Lord's hands. God bless!

The sooner the better

My girlfriend told me yesterday about a conversation she had with the president of the university in Mexico that she works for, and he told her that I should come and teach English for them in the Academia de Inglés in July. I don't know for sure how much they'd pay me, but it sounds like they would certainly pay me more than last summer when I was there as a student missionary, and he probably has some idea of how much I need to be paying to my creditors here. If I can work it out, I would love to go to Mexico a month earlier, as you can imagine. I miss my girlfriend so much. But there are still some things in the way. I may not be able to leave my work here earlier, they may not be offering me enough (he had to go somewhere far from the school right after their conversation, so we won't hear from him for a while I guess), and there are some other questions as well. So it is still up in the air. Here's hoping.

My girlfriend last Christmas 

Thankful

As my imood says, I'm feeling especially blessed right now. I'm thankful for all God's blessings, from a place to stay and a job to my awesome girlfriend who I'll be seeing soon. God is so good. I want to grow closer to Him every day. I want to become more like Him and show His goodness to everyone around me. I want Him to change me into what He wants me to be. I am unafraid to go anywhere or do anything that He wants for me, becuase I know that He will be with me and will give me the ability to do it. My girlfriend and I both want to be missionaries. But whether that ever happens or not, I can't wait to see what God has planned for us!

My beautiful girlfriend

Work, etc.

I have found work at a bookstore here in town, and I'm really enjoying that. I'll be working here until sometime in July, and then I'm headed for Mexico, where I hopefully will start teaching English this fall. As I mentioned to a friend tonight, I've never had a permanent residence outside the US before. I can't wait to see my girlfriend. I'm uploading a pic, for all of you who have expressed such great curiosity.

Going to Mexico isn't exactly the most popular thing with my family, since they may not see me for some time, but going there fits my plans both personally and professionally, and they know that.

News and job

I just graduated with a BA in English and Religion. Now I'm looking for work in Keene and online. I signed up as a freelancer with an online thing that brings freelancers and buyers together. I finally won a bid a few days ago, and now I need to come up with 1000 original pickup lines (3-10 words) by this Saturday. I've worked on it for just over an hour, and I have about 80, so as you can see, it is taking me forever. If anyone would like to help, feel free to send me what you can come up with. Remember, it must be original. If it is something you've heard before, they likely already have it.

!

I haven't time to say much, but I wanted to tell everyone that I am under more stress than I ever have before. I am almost falling apart from stress. These papers and other things are killing me. Please pray for me. I need it.

Busy Life

I cannot believe how fast this semester has gone. I just got back from spring break. I went to Mexico on a mission trip, where we had 6 evangelistic series, with VBS (Vacation Bible School) at each, built churches, painted others, had English classes (which I unfortunately was unable to participate in this year, because I had other priorities), and had a wonderful time. For me, the best part was the fact that my girlfriend came up from southern Mexico to see me. She was able to be a part of the group and worked with us the whole week. We were practically inseparable. What bliss, after almost five months of no closer contact than phone calls, email, MSN Messenger (with webcam for part of the time), and a few letters! To be actually face to face with the woman I love! It was truly a dream come true. I spent a lot of time translating for her, since she speaks almost no English and most of the group spoke only English, plus the worships and stuff were all in English. All our conversations were in Spanish, and I got the chance to meet her uncle and aunt and two cousins who live nearby. That was awesome. And I even got a few minutes on the phone with her mom who lives in Peru. I couldn't hear very well and sort of bumbled along, but I was very nervous, so I must have sounded like I didn't know much Spanish, though after this trip my Spanish (which was fairly good before) is much better. The preacher at the site where we were was very good. Even though my Spanish isn't perfect, I could understand everything he said. It was a very simple message, but very powerful, with lots of illustrations, especially from his own life. I could say a whole lot more about all that, but I'd better move on to other topics.

Now that I'm back here at school, I miss my girlfriend far more than I missed her before the trip, which is mainly because I feel so much closer to her now. We are very much in love. I got back from the trip last night at 7 PM or so, and we have already communicated twice: once by phone last night, and once by Messenger today. But since she will be traveling back to southern Mexico soon, she won't be able to contact me until Wednesday night, which will be our five-month anniversary. And a great five months they have been, despite the distance.

As far as school assignments, I didn't get anything done during the trip except a little bit for like an hour on the way back. So my stress level (which went from very high before the trip to very low during the trip) is creeping back up again, but slowly. If I can get my honors thesis done, that will be a big relief, and everything else will be doable. The Lord is good.

As far as future plans go, I must finish this, my last semester of school, before I can see her again. If I can find a way to get my loans paid off quickly, I'll head straight to Mexico to find a job near her, hopefully teaching. This summer she will be starting her master's program at a school fairly near the US border, so if I must work during the summer here in the US (since money in Mexico is worth so much less, I probably couldn't pay my loans if I tried to find work there first), if I can get a job down near the border, I may be able to visit her a few times. Then when this summer's over, if I must continue to work here, hopefully we can get her a work visa to come to the US, so she can be here. Neither of us believe in premarital cohabitation, which harmonizes with our ideas on the immorality of premarital sex, but to live near each other and see each other every day is the plan. One way or another, we want to be together, and it doesn't matter to either of us whether that is in Mexico or the US.

Even though we are definitely in love, we don't want to rush into anything blindly. For that reason, we want to spend some time (maybe a year) in the same location before making any greater commitment. Sure, you can learn a lot about a person by email, etc., but there are many things that you can only learn by being around that person. We want to know those things beforehand.

Of the several gifts my girlfriend gave me, my favorites are a film canister with a little of her perfume in it (I gave her some of my after shave, too) and a green, star-shaped pillow with Tigger asleep on it and the phrase "Sueña Conmigo". That means "Dream with me." She also sprayed some of her perfume on that too, so when I went to bed last night, I could smell her scent all night long. I know I'm sappy and sentimental, but I'm a hopeless romantic: It's who I am. Besides, that's the way my girlfriend likes me, so that's the way I'll stay.

Hopefully, I'll be able to put more info on here soon. May God bless you.