Well I think the title pretty much covers it ... I'm sick.
Since orientation last week (which I must say was just incredible!!), a ton has happened. Once everyone had left for their assignments, a couple of us were "stuck" in Akron until our turn to fly out would come. We moved our stuff up to the Main House and got to spend the week with other MCC volunteers, who are really really awesome people!
Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday morning, three of us worked at the Mennonite Resource Centre (I guess it's spelt Center in the US!) making school kits, oil rags and baby hats from old tshirts, packing health kits, and other random jobs too. However on Thursday, I ended up only being able to work for about 30 minutes before my legs wouldn't support me anymore and I got very sick, very fast. I ended up sleeping on the couch while the others worked for the rest of the day.
Wednesday was spent doing grounds work/maintance around the MCC building. We were assigned to pull weeds from 2 of the flower beds, and also remove a patch of poison ivy (which just so happened to be my lucky job). Luckily for me, my body seems to have a very high tolerance to poison ivy and I only managed to get a couple of red spots which did not spread or even itch unless I started scratching them first ... I learned very quickly not to do that! While pulling weeds, we also happened to come across a huge bee nest filled with some VERY angry bees (one of which stung me right beside the ear, ouch!). The most exciting events of the day would have to have been getting to drive the golf cart that they gave us, and seeing 3 huge praying mantasis. I have no idea if that's the spelling or grammatical pluralization of mantasis ... maybe I should find out before I try and teach English!!
Afternoons have been spent (before I got sick of course) researching material and putting together curriculum for our ESL classes that I believe will be starting in October/November. I found out that I will be teaching advanced English 1 and 2, as well as doing an English lab, teaching TOEFL English, and helping out with English Club at the school. It's definitely going to be a challenge!!
Anyways, I need go to take some more painkillers and put the finishing touches on my luggage so that I'm already to leave her in an hour and a half!
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support and prayers, they truly have been appreciated =)
God be with you all until we meet again,
Katie
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Akron Orientation
Hello everyone!
I decided I would start this blog so that you could all see what I am up to while away for an entire year!!
Now where to begin? Well.
Yesterday on August 8th, 2009, my parents and brothers dropped me off in Akron PA at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) building where I will be living for the next 2 weeks. We moved in all of my stuff and I filled out more forms and finally found my nametag.
At 5pm, I went to eat dinner at my dad's favourite place ever ... the MCC cafeteria. Too bad for you dad, you had to go with the families to an MCC information session while I chowed down!
After meeting up with the Ontario SALTers and making even more friends, we all went outside while a bunch of the guys tossed around a frisbee while the girls all sat and chatted. Not too long afterwards, the information session was let out and it was time for final family goodbyes. While goodbyes are always sad, it wasn't too hard to let go since there are approximately 150 young adults right now living at the compound which makes everything crazy but a TON of fun.
Once all the parents and siblings left, the real fun began. We played some introduction "get to know you games" and then watched an MCC movie called "Second Hand Pants."
Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGhLWXo2VG4 ... now go watch it!
After we all watched the movie, we were given a challenge. We each were given an item from an MCC thrift shop, and we have to wear the item sometime while on assignment and then take a picture of ourselves and send it back for everyone to see. I got a very ... ummm ... stylish ... purple shirt which I would describe as being perfect for whoever is going to be next in the casket (and I'm really hoping that's not wear my picture will be taken!).
In the evening, we had free time and we all went back to our houses. I am living in the Americas house since the Africa house was full and there are a bunch of us "overflow" people who got spread out. We played cards, figured out how to hook up to the internet which wasn't as easy as we thought it would be (maybe MCC is telling us they don't want us online ... yeah right dad!), and hung out until around 10.30pm when everyone was starting to get tired.
I went back to my room and talked with my roommate, Lindsey, for awhile before we headed off to sleep. This morning we had breakfast at 8am and we have a planned devotional session with some singing and a speaker (Bruce Campbell-Janz) at 10am. In the afternoon we will be discussing MCC history and their mission work followed by dinner and a free evening off.
I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of my time here =)
I decided I would start this blog so that you could all see what I am up to while away for an entire year!!
Now where to begin? Well.
Yesterday on August 8th, 2009, my parents and brothers dropped me off in Akron PA at the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) building where I will be living for the next 2 weeks. We moved in all of my stuff and I filled out more forms and finally found my nametag.
At 5pm, I went to eat dinner at my dad's favourite place ever ... the MCC cafeteria. Too bad for you dad, you had to go with the families to an MCC information session while I chowed down!
After meeting up with the Ontario SALTers and making even more friends, we all went outside while a bunch of the guys tossed around a frisbee while the girls all sat and chatted. Not too long afterwards, the information session was let out and it was time for final family goodbyes. While goodbyes are always sad, it wasn't too hard to let go since there are approximately 150 young adults right now living at the compound which makes everything crazy but a TON of fun.
Once all the parents and siblings left, the real fun began. We played some introduction "get to know you games" and then watched an MCC movie called "Second Hand Pants."
Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGhLWXo2VG4 ... now go watch it!
After we all watched the movie, we were given a challenge. We each were given an item from an MCC thrift shop, and we have to wear the item sometime while on assignment and then take a picture of ourselves and send it back for everyone to see. I got a very ... ummm ... stylish ... purple shirt which I would describe as being perfect for whoever is going to be next in the casket (and I'm really hoping that's not wear my picture will be taken!).
In the evening, we had free time and we all went back to our houses. I am living in the Americas house since the Africa house was full and there are a bunch of us "overflow" people who got spread out. We played cards, figured out how to hook up to the internet which wasn't as easy as we thought it would be (maybe MCC is telling us they don't want us online ... yeah right dad!), and hung out until around 10.30pm when everyone was starting to get tired.
I went back to my room and talked with my roommate, Lindsey, for awhile before we headed off to sleep. This morning we had breakfast at 8am and we have a planned devotional session with some singing and a speaker (Bruce Campbell-Janz) at 10am. In the afternoon we will be discussing MCC history and their mission work followed by dinner and a free evening off.
I can't wait to see what God has in store for the rest of my time here =)
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