Pictures!!!

I realize that it's been a few weeks (or at least a few posts) since I last posted pictures. And I know that everyone wants to see what life is like here, so I am taking my Saturday to add visuals to my verbals.

Praise the Lord that my classroom is close to the internet connection! I can sit at my table and talk/blog/whatever and actually have privacy and good posture!

I started my full load of classes this week. God is so good! Even with all that I have to do, I actually have hours of extra time on my hands. I don't really know what to do with myself! So, I started a daily exercise program (yay pilates!) and am looking for a hobby. I already pray and read all the time, so I need to do something else besides facebook stalking. I think I may take up sewing, but I'm not sure where to start nor what to make. Any suggestions? :-)

As I live my life here, it makes me so grateful for the life I used to have. It is not at all a sorrow that I feel when I think of where I came from. Do I miss it? Yes, sometimes. But even in missing my former life, it's not like a longing type of missing. It's not even a I wish I had this all the time again kind of missing. It's more of a It sure would be nice kind of missing. And yet, it's not even that. Oh, to have the English words to express the memories!

America, do you know how rich you are?!! You are SOOOO blessed! And I'm not just talking about financially. You are so rich with the presence of God. You are rich with the opportunity to learn about anything you want anytime you want. You are rich with pastors. You are rich with Bibles. You are rich with wisdom. You are rich with life. Do you know just how rich you are?! Please, on behalf of the nations of the world, turn your riches over to the Lord and allow Him to send you and use you!

Ok, now on to pictures! There are SOOO many!!!

These pictures are from the teacher training days a few weeks ago:

The is Brain Galaxy Memory training. I have learned how to memorize a list of 60 items and recite them forwards and backwards from this guy. Pretty cool!

Team building/ community building in a classroom

Team building activity. Don't break the line. Only the first person can touch the pipes and stack them on a pole. All but one person is blind-folded.

These are just random pictures from my time here:

Jeep-nee- kind of like the community taxi, but we have those as well in Manila

Moving furniture to kill a cockroach. This is inside my apartment.

Saying bye to Jing. We serenaded her and made skits as well as a card. :-)

Raffy, Pat's adopted son, and Rainya, Sheila's adopted daughter

The view from my apartment one morning. It changes every day, but is always beautiful!

What mosquitoes did to my foot. Ignore the red and white lines from my scratching.

Bitter gourd. I do not like it at all, but we had nothing else to eat. So, I ate it, of course.

Did I say we didn't have air conditioning? I'm mistaken! (This is inside a car that looks like a bumble bee on the outside.)

Coconut filled with fruit. Called Buko. DELICIOUS!!!!

Another view from my apartment

Same mountain as above, but at a different time

Jing in the car on her way back to Singapore

This is from when I ate bolut:

Did I write about that? It's a local favorite. It's a boiled, aborted egg. You add salt to the "soup", drink the "soup", then crack open the rest and eat the soft parts. It's DELICIOUS! (These pictures were taken with my iPhone in the dark, so the quality is not the best, but gives you the idea.)

First, Jorge showed me how to do it. But he cracked the egg on his forehead, not the table!

My turn to crack the egg.

Drinking the "soup."

What the inside looks like when the "soup" is gone.

Raymond laughing at me as I drink the soup. "You ARE a missionary!"

Eating the soft part.

The hard part that you don't eat

The before and after picture as displayed by the oh-so-serious Jorge!

Here are some pictures of Tina:

Tina (Valentina) age 16

Tina and me

These pictures are from Nutrition Month Celebration:

Kids working on their posters that I judged

Kids preparing a meal

Place setting

Ate Jo helping to cook (she is also one my students)

Another place setting and one of the finished products of cooking

More food. I don't know what anything is called, but it was all wonderful!

Kid dressed up as a pumpkin (I think) for their nutrition skits

More nutrition month skits. They were hilarious!!!

Last Batch of Randomness for Now:

Charlotte, this is probably not the best place for you to spin your web. You may catch something you don't really want.

Not even the natives knew what this food was! We just knew it was edible and greasy!

My classroom with a touch of my personality! :-)

(In broadcaster's voice) I hope you enjoyed today's blog post and pictures. Join me next time on... Life's an Adventure! This is Raymi Moore reminding you... Don't forget to have your pets spayed and neutered! (Seriously, we don't need any more dogs and cats running around here!)