PB&J

Dear GaTech dinning hall staff,

How in the world did you forget the PEANUT BUTTER on my PEANUT BUTTER and Jelly sandwich...That is now a jelly sandwich...with banana. At least I remembered the banana.

Do better next time,

olivia

Faithfulness...

I'm just so excited right now.

#1...I ONLY HAVE 8 WORK DAYS LEFT OF INSTITUTE!!!!!! AND ONLY 4 MORE LESSONS TO TEACH! Praise the Lord...Seriously.

The end is in sight!


I can see it...I'm going to survive this. (It hasn't been that bad...but I will be glad to get my life back. )


#2...I don't know if I've mentioned this to any of you...or maybe just a couple of you...but I've been craving christians. Seriously. I mean, I just want to be around christians so bad that I can't stand it. I dont' think I realized how much I took for granted the community that we all had (together and w/ others) in auburn, and that I've had in Dothan. Even if it wasn't always intentional community, it existed at least...NONE at TFA so far. It so hard to be in such a secular environment. EVERYTHING is F*** this, F*** that, Let's go get wasted. I seriously had a conversation w/ a guy about drinking last week, and he thought I was CRAZY because I don't go get nasty drunk ALL THE TIME. I told him I'd only ever been drunk once, and I count it one of my bigger mistakes in life, and he didn't believe me for a long time, then he just didn't understand. This is the prevailing attitude of most people here.


SO...That's good, because I am learning patience and how to deal with people who are different than me in a non-judging, just loving (that's good...non-judging just loving) way. ANYWAY...all that to say, last monday or tuesday I just realized that what was missing was christian community. I just prayed and cried out for that, because I need it.


THE NEXT DAY...I found out about this church that has dinner/bible study on wed. night and some of my corps was going to meet in the lobby at 5:45 wed. to go. 5:45 came and went. No one showed up. I've been really home sick this week (which I think is a result of no community) and I just cried wed. night. I saw the girl who was suppose to be organizing it later, and she said that everyone was just really busy so they cancelled at the last minute (UGH! True though...I can relate to the business). I was dissapointed to say the least.


Which brings me to today. I knew a group of people was going to go to this church tonight (midtown community church...if you know people in atl. tell them to check it out)...I woke up and decided that I just really wanted to go to First Baptist Opelika (their pastor is really popular in the southern baptist convention). It was a great service. But it was their 4th of July, honor the military service. Which is great and SO important, and SO NOT WHAT I WAS NEEDING THIS MORNING. The afternoon came and went...I went to the MLK Jr. Historic site, and saw the museum, his birthplace, his church and the fire station he spent time at. I got home and decided to take a little nap... I slept through the "meet up time" for church tonight, and honestly, I wasn't sold out about going anyways. So I got up, ate some oatmeal and thought "you know what, I'm going to church...who cares that I have to go in by myself, who cares that I haven't done ANYTHING for school tomorrow and I'll be up WAY late...I'm going" BEST DECISION EVER! There were 8 REAL NASHVILLE PEOPLE THERE! Real people who love Jesus. And in my judgements that EVERYONE was terrible and currupt I missed at least 7 other people who love the Lord (and I know there are at least 2 more).



The service was phenomenal. A retired missionary from Indonesia spoke (which is good for me, because I feel like my heart for missions just keeps growing and growing).


There were 2 points in the service where they told us to turn to a neighor and pray for them/over them. The first time was @ the beginning and it was to pray for someone. I was w/ Jessica...a TFA girl from Nashville, and it was just so good to pray w/ her...then later we prayed God's blessing over each other.

AHH!! So Good. Afterwards...Anita (one of my roommates for next year) wanted us to all pray together after the service before we came back to GATech, so we did, and it was just good. I don't know these people well, but I'm so excited for the opportunity to get to know them more. It's gonna be so good. Okay, sorry for the novel. I am just so excited.

Jesus, Kids and Phones

So yesterday's post was NOT suppose to be about that...but I got on a tangent, and I'm glad I did.



Speaking of God's faithfulness in the previous post...let me tell you about yesterday.



Have I mentioned here that my schedule is nuts?



Well, let me tell you, my schedule is crazy. Up at 5:30 (or 6:13, just depending on when your body decides to turn your ears on so you can actually hear the alarm)...breakfast between 6:15 and 6:45...bus leaves at 6:50. Teach at 7:30...classes for me after that. Get back to Ga Tech by 5. Sometimes run, sometimes nap (only twice actually...pat me on the back), work some, read some, chill some, then buckle down till at least 10....sometimes midnight. It's pretty intense.

It's left little time to be lonely. But I think it finally hit yesterday. It's some combo of me just standing out here...and getting into the groove of things so that I finally have time to stop and reflect.

What do I mean by stand out...well, for instance. We've been talking about floating the river next weekend, and a bunch of people are taking a bus to the river. It's an extra $12, so I told him I wanted to drive. He said "not a good idea, you'll be wasted." When I told him that I don't get drunk - 1, he didn't believe me. 2, he looked at me and said "why not? I've never met anyone who thought that way before"
Another thing that is new for me, is this is the first time in my life I've heard someone talk about church one minute, and the next use the f word and talk about getting drunk. It's a strange culture. I'm fortunate to have been shadowed by a very Christian bubble. But I'm glad it is popping, I need to learn to love the world...not just the Christian and morally good people of the world.

WOAH!! That was a tangent...anyways...

Lonely...I was lonely, and Tuesday night was just journaling and praying a community. Just a place to be with other Christians, and people to encourage me, etc.

Yesterday, my former TFA crush who's becoming more of a good friend, told me that the Indy corps has a bible study and praise time on the soccer field on Sunday morning, and he invited me to come! SIGN ME UP!

Again yesterday, some member of my corps told me about a great church they've gone to a few times, and said that they are going back, and are going to start going to a Wednesday night dinner and small group study!

THANK YOU LORD! Less than 24 hours after I asked you delivered. I should ask sooner!

Oh, and we had the WHOLE afternoon off yesterday. My response "I have NO CLUE what to do with a free afternoon...I've never considered it possible"...and I didn't even sleep...Gotta embrace time while it exists.

WooHoo!!!

On a lighter note,

My goal for my class is to take up a cell phone by the end of the summer. I'm super lax with my kids, but they're well behaved because they love me (seriously...who would have thought I could relate to African American teenagers in inner city Atlanta). I just really want to play teacher and take up a cell phone. I mean, I'll give it back at the end of class.

Dear students,

Please let me catch you texting.

Sincerely,

Olivia Singleton!

How did I get here #2

This my friends, is a Bolivian sunrise. God made it just for me...and the thousands of other people who saw it. But just for me.

I said I was going to do more How did I get here's...and Oops....i forgot. My life has kinda gotten crazy lately. Have I mentioned I'm @ TFA institute?

Anyways...I just thought my blog is boring these days, no pictures you know. That led to me finding this picture, and remembering my How Did I Get Here's. So...this one is gonna be short and sweet. And I apologize in advanced that a lot of these will be related to Bolivia and Africa...but that's my heart...I'll find other ones.

I had a moment when I was watching this sunrise.

Three of us had taken a few days off at the internado in Bolivia and hoped a bus to the first "big" town, rurrenebaque. I'm using the word big VERY LOOSELY. Think the smallest town you know...then divide by 10. Rurre is probably still smaller. Anyways...We decide to do an overnight tour in the pampas, which are basically swampy jungle. The tour consisted of floating down the river. Seeing capabaras (the world's largest rodent...think about what a rat would have looked like in the movie Honey I Shrunk the Kids and you'll have an idea what that is), pink freshwater dolphins, monkeys of all kinds, birds of all kinds, and more alligators and cayman than I ever care to see again.

In the afternoon we went swimming with the dolphins. Which also means we went swimming with the cayman and alligators as well. (obviously we lived to tell the tale).

That night we met up with other tourists to watch the sunset and play soccer...and in that conversation we met a girl from Holland. Her name was Claire. The story is simply this. Claire asked what brought the three of us to Bolivia. We explained that it was mission work, yadda yadda ya...

Then Claire said she "wasn't a Christian and she didn't really get what that was all about anyways. If there is a God, he should just care that people are nice, not whether or not they put their faith and trust in Jesus"my paraphrase . Long story short...We got it all wrong. We gave her the wrong answer. We flat out told her lies (I'll take the brunt of that one). We were ill prepared to share our faith, and we did nothing to help Claire's along. In an effort to keep her from thinking Christians were pushy or judgemental, we failed, and we all walked away from that conversation knowing we had failed.

The next morning, seeing this sunset, I was reminded that "His compassion never fails, His mercies are new every morning" -Lamentations 3:22-23

And I wondered ...
"How did I get here?"
In a strange country,
With three people I barely new before I left the states
In the middle of the jungle
Talking with a girl from Holland
Who was fluent in 3 languages and learning a fourth
Was way smarter than me
and was asking me about Jesus
AND THEN...
Even after I failed and knew it...
The Lord painted that beautiful picture for me.
To remind me that he knows my faults already,
and has compassion on them
because my words couldn't have saved Claire anyway
Only my God can
and my God will send me another Claire
and He'll send Claire another christian.

First Days

I haven't posted about the first day yet. I want to. This post is definitely not going to do it justice (since I'm still trying to figure out why I'm awake and blogging and not taking this precious opportunity to sleep), but I'll try.

I wasn't nervous like EVERYONE else on campus. I think I care as much as they do, I'm just really good at separating personal and professional life. Anyways, the only nerves came because I knew I would be observed for at least 5 minutes at some point. What I wasn't prepared for was to be observed for 15 minutes by my CMA (corps member advisor) and SD (site director). ..especially not the FIRST 15 minutes of my class.

I'm gonna be honest, I had kinda sorta planned to scrap some of the things they wanted us to do, so them being in there changed my game plan a bit. But not too much. I'm just not super strict like I feel like they want us to start out as. And that works for me. I realize it doesn't work for everyone but it works for me.

So. It was good. I got my first extended observation and debriefing out of the way. My FA (faculty advisor) always observes.

I'm not gonna lie. I think I'm a bomb teacher. I think I'm great. True story, I think I'm pretty great at everything. I know it's not necessarily always true. For example, I think I'm a great football player (if you know me you know I can't play football worth a crap, I still think I'm great).

All that to say, I got a bit of negative feedback, but best I can tell, I'm ahead of a lot of people.

And, as much as I hate to admit it...I'm getting better.

THE CLASS:

The first day was good...I was feeling them out, they were feeling me out. I had a decent lesson, and a decent amount of people did well on my assessment. I'm thankful for that. Nothing major happened. One girl refused to answer when I called on her, and for the sake of a confrontation on day #1, I let it slide.

I don't let it slide, but they're comfortable with me now, so that's good.

The funniest thing so far is when Cliche (yes, that's her real name...she doesn't spell it like that, but I don't want her to come across this blog on a google search for herself) told me her pit bull ate her homework. She's one of my favorites. I mean, we all know her pit bull didn't eat her homework. I gave the class this whole spiel on being a grown person, and not lying. If you don't do your homework, own up to it. I understand stuff happens. She was so funny...she kept saying "I wasn't lying I was just playing"

Really Cliche? That was a joke? Your dog didn't really eat your homework? I'm shocked! :)

Several of our students have missed more than the 2 absences allotted, and probably won't make it through the summer.

We have one kid who works until 5 a.m. then makes it to school b 7:30. I'm impressed he shows up, but even when he's awake, it's so hard for him to focus. Today, we started bringing him a coke, so hopefully that will help keep him up some.

We have one kid who we don't think can read. He just smiles a lot. I'm sad for him. I'm not sure what we can do to help in the 3 weeks of teaching we have left.

We have a kid who is so smart, but because of a transcript issue is having to makeup algebra I. He aces everything.

Actually we have several who ace everything. We're still confused about why exactly they are in summer school.

I had great lesson today. 2 of my kids made 50's, 2 made 6o somethings, and EVERYONE else made 75 or 100. I was proud...and I was reminded that for at least the next two years, I will be living for moments like those!

BTW, someone called me and crushy boy out today for our "sexual tension." Oops...guess I need to check my flirting at the door!

My favorite things....

Some would say I live my life in phases...some would say I commit temporarily, but overall am non commital. They would all be correct. My current temporary (but I think will be permenant) commitment is a new used, but new to me pair of sunglasses that N. found in his office and was going to chunk. I LOVE THEM. I've gotten some pretty nasty comments about them.

"olivia, those are so ugly."

"You're not actually going to WEAR those inside are you?"

"We're going out in public, leave those in the car."

When I ask people what they think, they almost always respond in the negative.

I'm holding my ground.

I like them.

Here I present Exibit A: The glasses

What? It's not love at first sight? It gets better. The little sides are grey and say LIONs and have a picture of a Lion...I'll admit it, I have NO IDEA who the LIONS are. I'm sure they are a sports team of some kind. I like the glasses...who cares who the LIONS are.

So this brings me to yesterday...I'm on my way to a little volleyball, when Joseph makes a comment about my glasses. Basically he just acknowledges them, or says nice glasses or something. So I immediately launch into a tirade about how I don't care what people think, they're beautiful, etc. etc.

To which Joseph responds "No seriously...I love them...they're great"

When i told them where I got them he thought they were even greater.

They got great reviews on the sand court.

And when I didn't have them on today, someone asked where they were.

Which brings me to Exhibit B:Me wearing them in public @ Court's bachelorette dinner!

So all you haters...back off. They look good. I'm just sayin'

The Big Day...

Tomorrow is the big day. I start teaching at 7:30 (that's 6:30 central), hopefully my kids will be too sleepy to be bad. I'm not as nervous as I should be I think. But who defines "should." I'm going to bed.

Peace.

Embarrassed

Dear Readers,

Let me tell you a story.

I'm a LOSER!!!!!! I'm so embarrassed. SO EMBARRASSED.

SO I have a teensy weensy little crush on this guy here @ institute. It's not a big deal, he has a girlfriend, he's not from my region, etc. So, nothing is gonna happen.

But he's a flirt...and it's fun...and in my defense, I didn't know he had a girlfriend until today. SO...

All that to say, I wanted a low key night tonight. I'm going to Birmingham for Kelly and Tyler's wedding in the morning, and it seems as though everyone's plans tonight involved intoxication. I do a few drinks, not intoxication. SO, I played volleyball after dinner, then hung out.

I couldn't sleep so I thought to myself.

"I'll just go do finalize my lesson plan for Monday, type up my assessments for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and do a lesson plan for Thursday"

That sounds like a lot, but the only part that was time consuming was the lesson plan for Thursday..ANYWAYS...This brings me to my point. I decided not to go out. A lot of people were going to see movies...I just couldn't sit through a movie. My schedule has been insane. I'm too tired. I would have paid $8.00 for a nap.

Long story short, I'm sitting in the computer lab all alone at 11:30 on Friday night...everyone else is out partying. I hear a familiar voice coming down the hall way...Oh it is my teensy weensy little crush friend, and his TFA best friend.

If I could have jumped in a hole I would have. I'm in my blue plaid P.J. shorts with a fleece on and zipped up...no make-up and my hair is in a wet messy bun on top of my head...and I have an Algebra 1 book in my lap...I scream NERD...I just needed some glasses and I'd fit the bill.

So He and his TFA best friend walk by

Whew! They didn't see me.

Then I hear "Hold up? Hold up...No way"

"What are you DOING in here?"

I respond with a rant of "it's not what it looks like, I'm not a loser, etc."

There's lots of laughing going on at this point. Then silence. Then the best friend laughs a walks out...actually they both walked out. Then Teensy Weensy Crush walks back in and goes, no seriously, what are you doing?

So I explained about how I'm going to Birmingham tomorrow, and was hanging around here, and wanting to get ahead...then he says:

"Were you just bored?"

OMG, I'm not that big of a loser, I had things I could have done...Help me.

Did I mention he is pretty hott. I mean seriously. The girlfriend isn't in the country right now, and I'm pretty sure she doesn't live in his region (I have no bases for thinking she doesn't live in his region) so basically they should break up so we can embark on a long-distance relationship.

I'm kidding.

Kind of.

Sincerely,

The lame girl @ institute

hmm....

"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live"

-Henry David Thoreau

I've stood up to live right?

Procrastination Nation

I just saw where I've posted 41 times...that is super impressive to me. If I were a betting person, I would have bet against my keeping this up. I'm not great...but I like it.

Just a little break-down on Institute so far, for those of you who care.

1.) Our school got broken into. I know right, welcome to the inner city. We are broken up into CMA groups (corps member advising)...so my CMA group has/had a sweet room. This school is pretty cool, and has several mac labs. We came into school on Tuesday to find that the window was smashed in and all the macs were gone. CRAZY. For clarifications sake...these were mac DESKTOPS...I am very confused about how someone made out with approximately 4 labs FULL of DESKTOPS without getting caught. Who does that? How did no one notice? Where was the alarm system?...I'm amazed. Anyways...that threw the day off a little, but not too much.

2.) I've gotten to observe a few times and my students seem pretty cool. When I teach I'll be the only white person in the room...which I think is pretty cool...I like being a minority (hence my desire to live in Bo-Town/my new slang for Bolivia).

3.) Speaking of teaching that starts Monday. I'm up right now at 9:30. I'd much rather be asleep, but there are lessons to plan, and I spent way too much time farming on facebook. If you haven't started DON'T...It sucks you in and it is a huge, pointless, waste of time. Please note, I am not judging you. I'm obsessed...I'm so close to getting a house, that it is pretty much all I can think of. Anyways...Now it is 9:40, and I have moved on from farming and am now using blogging as my preferred method of procrastination. I think it is because I had coffee for dessert (I'm SUCH AN OLD LADY..Gah!)...Anyways, I know I won't be able to sleep for a while, so that is how I'm justifying it.


Wow, I just went on a tangent. For those of you still with me...I appreciate your dedication. Let me apologize in advanced for all of the boring TFA/teaching posts to come. Hopefully once I start teaching on Monday, there will be some good stories (or maybe not, uneventful could be good...just unlikely). More posts to come on my thoughts on the TFA training process!

Increase the Peace.

Wedding Weekend

And of course the pictures are out of order so just bare with me. One day I'll figure this all out...

This is me and Cass at the Double Decker Bus/Coffee Shop. A-Mazing. The bartender guy, I think his name was Jake, got annoyed with me I think (something about Jake's) I was just making friendly conversation. Anyway...It was a cool little deal, and my hazelnut coffee was great. Just what the doctor ordered after the wedding festivities. Yes, I'm starting at the end...but not going chronologically....I can't figure this thing out. Deal.
Here's a fun reception shot. Me, the beautiful bride and groom, Cass and the fiance, and SFL. By the way, all these photos are courtesy of SFL. I used Court's camera all weekend, but given how she's on her honeymoon, SFL saved the day.

This would be my favorite part of the wedding...Meet B. who pretty much played with me and Cass the whole time. She was wonderful. This was us swinging her in the middle of the dance floor. She wanted to swing, spin, dance, play tag and...

play Simon Says. Note that neither Cass, Joe or I felt the need to tell her no. Instead, we just rolled around on the ground in our b'maid dresses...in the middle of the reception. We're cool. You're jealous.

and finally the bride and groom say farewell. I think Court would have stayed at the reception all night. Austin was ready to hit the road. Hope you guys are having fun in Utah!!!

Court wedding #1

It's funny how we get to these places...This isn't so much a how did I get here post? But kinda. I'll classify it that way anyways.

4 1/2 years ago, I sat at a football game with Cassie & Courtney and said "silk or lace" and Court said...."Silk I think...Yeah, I'm pretty sure I would rather have a silk wedding dress than a lace one." I was talking about lingerie...and we've been friends ever since. I like to embarrass her, and she enjoys it. I know this because she is marrying someone tomorrow who does the same thing (in a totally fun and she loves it kinda way).

It has been beautiful to see her life go from dreams of the wedding and wedding night, to it actually happening. Today has been a beautiful day...and I know tomorrow will be too.

Courtney, I'm so thankful for your friendship, and love and the fact that you have Austin in your life. I can't wait to see where the Lord leads you. And tomorrow night...it'll be hott! :)

It's just funny to think about HOW DID WE GET HERE FROM THERE. How did we get to Courtney's wedding day from the football game almost 5 years ago where we were dreaming of this day?

Pictures to come!!

Induction #1

I have arrived...I'm finally here in Nashville, but don't worry...not for good...that would be WAY too easy. Just until Thursday.

Here are the facts.

8 roommates (or maybe 6, there is still the potential for 2 more 1 more to show up)
The nicest dorm room EVER
Cool girls from everywhere (Ohio, Milwaukee, New Orleans, etc)
lots of work to keep me busy till Thursday

I went to the new school....I need to come up with a name to call it on the blog...suggestions welcome.

School facts:

I'm the new 9th grade cheer coach (WHAT?!?!??! ...I know)

There's not a 9th grade squad yet, so tryouts will be at the beginning of the year (there is a whole new post awaiting my thoughts on this whole thing)

My classroom is nice....it's a good size, and seems very functional, only time will tell. BUT, all the classrooms come with a closet you share with another teacher, and apparently I share a closet with Mr. "really good to look at, young, attractive, baseball coach." Now my tract record with baseball coaches isn't great...but he'll be easy on the eyes anyways. :)

I'll only have regular Algebra...which means I only have to plan for one class...which is great.

I get $400 to spend at the beginning of the year (those of you who realize this is nothing...don't spoil my excitement about having money to spend on my class)

I'm sure there are a million more facts that she told me today, but this is all I can remember in my state of exhausted delirium. Probably won't be much sleep tonight either, as I anticipate tonight this week working very much like the first week in the dorm...lots of staying up late to get to know each other.

I'll keep you posted! :)