Yap SM

Student: Teacher, I'm going to miss you.

Me: I'm going to miss you too.

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest.

[One of my kids snapped this picture!]

I will miss…

1.     My babies- I love my 11 students aka my kids and babies. I have seen them grow up so much during the past 9 months. I can write a book on how much each of them has changed me for the better. They have shown me, truly, how great God is. They are full of life; love, energy, knowledge, faith and hope. They make me proud daily. I am thankful I was able to be apart of their lives. They will remain in my heart until I see them again, hopefully during their High School Graduation. 

2.     The Rain- I think the longest its gone here without raining was 3 or 4 days? I like the rain. I love the sound of the rain. I love when it rains super hard, whether its for 30 seconds or 3 hours. I will miss the sporadic rain. I will miss sleeping to the sound of rain. I wish I could take this rainy weather back to California.

3.    Singing- My favorite part of going to church was the car ride to church. We would sing songs during the 20-minute drive. It was a mix of children praise songs to old school hymns. I loved just singing for no other reason then to praise God. I’ve had some time to adjust, since Nathan (aka the lead singer) moved off campus with his family last month. But even then, I will miss it once I’m home. Above all, I will miss singing with my kids every morning during worship.  I will miss showing them new songs in English and in Spanish. I will miss hearing their voices.

4.     My Friends- I’ve been fortunate to make some friends during my time here in Yap. I will miss Ms. Sue and Mr. John more then they know. I will miss their friendship, kindness and genuine care. I’ll miss bugging Akram and speaking the tiny bit of Urdu I’ve learnt. will miss Ms. Delphina, Chloe, Mr. Thomas, the Yap church family. I will miss making Mercer act like my friend. Most of all, I will miss my 6 roommates- we did life together, --however messy and challenging it became at times-- it made Yap, Yap.  I already miss Ivana, my original roommate; she made the transition into Yap go smoothly. I will miss Larissa, my current roommate, and our meaningful 1 am talks about life. I will miss Jo’s baking goodness. I will miss Melissa’s “thank you’s” and kind words. I will most def miss my tres amigas! Nallely and Kristin’s laid back attitudes really balanced out my aggressive one to a T. I will miss my güerita, our walks and talks.  

5.     Teaching- I became a teacher overnight. I have spent hours researching, making posters, grading worksheets, copying and lesson planning. It has caused me some frustration but most of all it has made me feel accomplished.  I did my best for my kids. I have never been so creative in my life. I will miss teaching. I will miss seeing the faces of my kids when they finally understand a concept. I will miss hearing my kids say their memory verses. I will miss watching my kids write sentences. I will miss teaching my kids about God. I will miss teaching my kids to read new words. I will miss hearing my kids read out loud. I will miss asking my kids to show me “whole body listening”. I will miss asking the class, “who is smart and special?”. This list could go on and on. Its safe to say, I will miss being a 1st grade teacher to my babies the most.

6.     Being Appreciated- I will miss all the simple thank you’s, hand picked flowers, notes, drawings, nunus, and hugs I receive on a daily basis. Genuine appreciation via my students and other people around me has made these past nine months feasible. It is so nice to feel appreciated and little people do a great job at making me feel loved and appreciated.

7.     The Culture- Among other things, I will miss wearing my lava lavas. I will miss the respect the students show. I will miss how simple and happy the people live. I will miss the warm welcomes. I will miss seeing the traditional dances. I will miss hearing people speak Yapese and outer island. I will miss seeing the care people have for their villages and how they keep it clean. 

8.     The Scenery- I want to ship home the deck I sit on every day during recess. I love how peaceful it is there. I don’t appreciate enough the beautiful scene I am surrounded by. I will miss my backyard. I will miss hiking through the jungle. I will miss all the pretty manta rays, sharks, fish I was able to see when we snorkeled that one time.

9.     My (other) babies- there are so many other babies I am attached too. Mainly my babygirl Misha, shes my next-door neighbor and I love that little girl. I already miss my baby boy Derrick, he was my buddy at church but hasn’t came recently. All the other elementary, middle and high school students who have smiles and readily greet me. I will miss Jerlyn, her smile and kind words. 

The kids LOVE playing football.

Me: Good morning Kimberly!

Kimberly: Teacher today is my happy birthday to me!

Me: No, its not your birthday.

Kimberly: Yes teacher, my auntie say!

Me: Are you sure?

Kimberly: Yes, my auntie say!

Me: Ok, let me go check in the office because I don't have your birthday down as today.

..... [lo and behold the birth certificate shows, yes, it is indeed her birthday!]

.... walk back into class