whirlwind of a week

My new home-

It is hard to believe that last week, was only my first week in the classroom. It felt like the longest week, but also the shortest week. I am co-teaching a mixed class, 2 grade 5's, 1 grade 6 and 5 grade 7's. In total we have a lovely number of 8 students in our class, all at different math levels and at extremely different English levels. It's great! The school is small right now and I know all the students in all the classes names, its refreshing. I am learning that teaching is hard work, I knew that but now being in one classroom full time, is so rewarding. I even got MY OWN classroom!! It's official EFL and when the class splits during certain subjects they go into Miss Turner's room. It is not decorated or set up nicely, but it is my new home and I love it!

I have found a little community at my school. There has been one family the DeGarmo's that are here, they have been the biggest blessing. Rachel is one of the other 5, 6 and 7 grade teacher and we get along well and she has been helping me with so much. Her kids are adorable as well and I love hanging out with them :) Oh and can't forget about Rebecca! she is their nanny/art teacher at our school and she is my age. We met last semester before through friends who are also abroad and now I teach at the school. It is nice to see her at work and to have someone my age there as well. It is always fun getting to know new people and this job has great people to get to know. I have been going to dinner with different teachers and talking to them in breaks and just getting to know their stories. They are great! and my roommate is hilarious. Today was her birthday and I bought her some flowers :) she is a sweetheart and I am enjoying her company and getting to know her as well! I definitely miss seeing Christine every day but we have been trying to make the best out of all of this and I have seen her and Jessica quite frequently. Last night they even through me a belated surprise birthday party that was wonderful :D I really enjoy the community that is being established here in Shenzhen and I love them all dearly.

I have done a lot this week, catching up with old friends here in Shenzhen. I went and saw Mission Impossible "Ghost Protocol" with one of my old co-workers and that was fun! I have found a fellowship near by where there are a lot of expats that come together to worship. It is refreshing to have english music/sermon. I am enjoying that a lot these last two weeks. I am slowly figuring out the new part of the city that I am in. I get lost often, but the motorbike guys help me out and cost me about 75 cents. I also have hunted down most of those Academy nominated films and have been watching them. I have enjoyed them all so much!

It feels like this semester is going to go by quickly and that is exciting but nerve racking. Friday's have become a little blessing. The kids get to go golfing on Fridays up at the country club and I am a chaperone for it. I get to hit at the driving range for an hour, so relaxing!! It is fun getting to know the kids outside the classroom as well :D

Some of the kids waiting to go up to the country club! They are a lot of fun and super cute. They had the driver put in one of their cds. The driver and 8 students were rocking out to Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" I started to cry because I was laughing so hard. They are all hilarious.

Everything is busy, teaching EFL, remembering my math skills, helping them in everything! It is fun being in the classroom with these kiddos. So much so that I have been seriously thinking about next year again. I feel very called to be here next year. So please pray with me as I decide what to do next. I am also busy with the summer camp's, I was approved for a 3rd group from CUI. I have 2 different summer groups to work with now and that is so rewarding, but exhausting as well.

Highs:
Surprise birthday party
Getting to know the teachers
having someone my age at work

Lows:
relearning all this math. If you know me, math is just so foreign to me.


Prayer requests:
For my friends brother who will be going into surgery this week to remove a brain tumor, here in China. The more prayers the better.

Continual growth with the teachers and new friends here.

For my students as they improve their English.

for fellowship

If coming next year is what is best for me.

Summer camps!

with love,

Ashley

New Job, New District and New Friends

I conquered those evil kidney stones a few weeks ago, I can not be grateful enough that it was not as painful as everyone said it would be! With the conquering of these evil stones that meant one thing, head back to China--to start the new job.

I had a really hard time with grasping that I would be returning to China. I was scared, I didn't want to come back at all--but because of the commitments I had, I came back. Best decision yet, it has been a great first couple weeks. I love where I am working and what is happening here, what will happen in the future and just hoping I can leave an impact here. The staff is all American teachers and we get along really well and I enjoy their company.

The past few weeks of being here in a nutshell:

I turned 23! yes yes I celebrated my birthday in Hong Kong with my friend Jessica. We went to lunch at a great little bar and grill and then continued to walk in a cemetery (I know, weird.) It is a cemetery that I have seen a million times while walking around in Hong Kong and finally I walked right by the entrance! It is huge and beautiful. It dates all the way back to the first people that colonized Hong Kong from Britain. It is an interesting cemetery to say the least. It is Catholic, Parsee and Muslim in different areas. We walked around and met a homeless lady there, we talked to her for a few minutes and it was just a really interesting day that I enjoyed a lot. After we headed for some frozen yogurt and then the jet lag got the best of me and I fell asleep pretty early. An eventful 23rd birthday, if I do say so :)

My friend Krystal came to visit that following Monday for 6 days! I have pictures, they will be posted later. I have been too busy to even upload them yet, so I will get that done soon! We visited all of Shenzhen. Walked miles and miles and miles, it was exhausting but a whole lot of fun! It was really cool to show her different parts of the city and show her what the team this summer got to see and just enjoy it together. I hope that I did a good job showing the city without overwhelming a first time abroader :P I had fun taking her to Lo Hu which is the shopping district where you get to barter and watching her stop and becoming friends with everyone as I tell her to keep walking...it was good ol' fun. I really enjoyed her coming! Art district, shopping, hot pots, moving.

I got to move to a new district of the city of Shenzhen for my new job. I am about 45 minutes west of where I was before. I now live with a roommate, who is fantastic. I am really enjoying getting to know her and what she has done in her life, she is an older lady. I hope I can be her age and still be living abroad! The new apartment is still not set up, when it is...I will attempt some pictures! Her stuff has made it quite cute and comfortable...my stuff is still everywhere...naturally.

The new job is great. I will be teaching language arts, math, science and social studies to grades 5, 6 and 7. I am essentially a real life teacher. weird. Not something I thought I would be doing 5 years ago. I am also the head of the ESL/EFL department, that runs the after school programs. So I make sure everything is running smoothly and that we are actually making progress in our EFL development with the kids. I will be teaching EFL every day after school with 2 or so other teachers helping to all the grades we have. I am excited to be busy and to also enjoy getting to know such a small group of kids. I have 9 students in my class and I am excited to get to know them. I am Miss Turner, weird. :) I also am in charge of bringing a group of 10 students to China this coming summer from Concordia, Irvine! I am turning into a busy bee, I am so excited though!


That is all I can update for now :) I will update again next week as I get into the teaching mode and update you along the way.

Prayer requests:
Continual growth as I figure out this whole teaching thing, especially with no specific training.
That I can show the Light to these kids and my coworkers in many ways.
I continue to stay healthy
That I can still be in the people I met last semesters lives, even with being far away now.

Highs:
Krystal coming
New school
New friends
Possible Chinese lessons!

Lows:
not seeing friends/family on my birthday
missing everyone back home.

with love,

Ashley