My angels can't fly

Since I got to the school, I have been pestered to change the display from last year on the Art Bulletin Board in the hallway. Today that finally happened...but I didn't change it.

The bulletin board is one story off of the ground, way out of anyone's reach. Three Hungarian maintenance men (Zoli, Latzi, and Tibor) had to help me. I thought about doing it myself until I saw the HUGE ladder they had to drag out to reach the board. One would climb all the way up to the top. The other two would stand at the bottom and catch the things he dropped. They also had to throw up various tools like a stapler and scissors. They did such a good job!! They paid such close attention to getting the art straight and evenly spaced. I felt so warm and blessed that these men took such care to put up the students' work.

Yesterday, I also had some angels in class.

I had to be stern with my 8th grade boys about respect. We talked about respecting our own work, respecting our friends' work, and respecting the classroom/teacher. We also decided to have a competition to see which table group could be the most respectful. They were soooo great!! They would tell each other the nicest compliments, like "Kirk, your drawing is extremely fabulous today!" They also raised their hands when they had a question! At one point, one table group even stood up every time I came over to talk to them! Maybe they were merely joking around, but I was smiling the entire time. When class was over, I was not frustrated, I was happy. I enjoyed having them!

Angels come in all ages and all sizes...even if they can't fly.

Sorrows and Joys

Life just keeps going. Sometimes I am so thankful that life doesn't stop, but other times I find myself asking, "Why?"

Recently, ICSB experienced a sorrowful loss. A past teacher lost her battle with cancer last week. She left her husband, young daughter, and young son. It was her son's birthday. The school had spent much time praying for this family, but after 4 years, this woman is home in heaven. Since the start of school, we had been getting sad updates about her cancer. It had kept a dark cloud looming over the school as many teachers, students, and families knew this family closely. It was difficult to watch my friends deal with this. Sometimes it is just hard not to question God about these things and trust that he is truly good.

Praise the Lord! I got my visa worked out. The immigration officer accepted my certificate of health insurance coverage and now all I have to do is go back to the office and pick up my actual visa. It is soooo good to not have to worry about this anymore.

Praise the Lord! I made it through TWO open houses: one for middle school and one for high school. I met many parents who were so encouraging. It seems like ICSB has just been waiting for an art teacher. I am so grateful to be here.

Praise the Lord! He has given me good friends in Hungary. I enjoyed homemade gulyas (Hungarian goulash) and palacsinta (Hungarian crepes) with friends one evening after school. I got to go wedding dress shopping with another teacher who is also engaged. I went to a coffee house and met many new people while listening to good guitar music.

Praise the Lord! My students are doing so well with their assignments! The 8th graders self-portraits look EXCELLENT. You can tell which kid is which because they actually look like themselves! My 7th graders are drawing shoes with great attention to detail. My high schools have finished their first projects and are ready to move on to bigger and better things!

Life goes on and God is good.

A Student's Life

So, here I have been, blogging about everything I have been doing in Hungary. But, you may be wondering, "What is a student's life like in Diosd?"

Of course, all students go to school. A regular school day is 8:30-3:20. Many students' days are extended, however. For starters, those in band start their days earlier. ICSB has a "Zero Hour" which occurs before school starts, from 7:40-8:30. This is when the band practices.

During the day, some students are involved in more than just school classes. For example, many teachers lead Bible studies during lunch hour. These teachers invite their students to their classrooms for times of devotions and lessons. They are living on more than just bread for lunch.

As I said, many students days are extended. This happens after school just as it does in the mornings. This week two events took place: Staff vs. Student volleyball and soccer games. These were scrimages intended to challenge the student teams for practice. Although the 8th grade boys tried desperately to get me to play soccer, I explained that my body just could not move to get my head in the right place to get the ball in the goal like theirs do. I'm not that coordinated. I was a great fan for the teachers' team instead. Later in the week, I decided to brave the volleyball game. Kristin and I went to the gym very nervous. I was sure that the coach would ask me not to play as I would not give enough of a challenge for the team. I must have spiked and bumped just right, because the game turned out to be fun! In fact, we all stayed and played some extra games for enjoyment.

Some students just can't get enough of their teachers at school. Susanna, my 6th grade independent study study, has been eager to come see where Miss Kahre and I live. So, yesterday she came over. She LOVED playing with Shabella, and Shabella loved playing with her. We also made cookies. Susanna was kind enough to bring some eggs as we were out and our van would not start to let us go to the store. She also brought me some flowers. It was a fun afternoon with yummy cookies.

I think that the students have just as much fun as the teachers at ICSB!