You're Going Where?

The long wait is finally over! The perplexing question that had everyone gnawing their fingernails and pacing a rut into the floor now has an answer! Where will Karina be for her missionary trip?

Answer: San Salvador, El Salvador!

Where is that you might ask? In Central America where there are only 2 seasons - count them, 2 - Rainy Season and Dry Season! The country where you don't have to exchange your money because the US dollar is accepted everywhere! Where they grow coffee and have lots of shrimp fishing! Where I will be for the next year starting in January! (specific dates pending)

Well, that's a lot of exclamation points, I better take a break for a minute, bring my heart rate back down. Now, there are a few safety concerns: the homicide rate in San Salvador has increased by 25% since '05 and apparently swimming in the Pacific off El Salvador's coast is a bit dangerous as the current is VERY strong there. Oh yeah, and apparently the buses there should be avoided all together due to a high robbery rate.

Let's focus on more positives: I will be living in community with the Salesian sisters (how exciting!), I will have my own room (even if it is just a cell, I'm very excited about my own space), my 3 main duties will be teaching English, helping promote the role of women (I'm not sure if that will be empowering the women to do more - like in the US - or helping the women to understand their role based on the Bible. Hmm... those two things don't need to be separate), and working with youth in after school programs - kinda like youth group I'm thinking.

I think because I'm living in community with the sisters I'll also participate in their day to day activities such as prayer and the rotation of chores. I'm planning on cold showers and having to clean my laundry by hand. I don't know what to think about the bathrooms. I do expect to have access to the internet since I was given an email address to get in touch with my contact at the missionary site, but I don't know how often I'll have access.

I just read the information packet again and now my mind is spinning just like the first time I read it! So much is going to happen, and really quickly! I need to translate the page because it's all in Spanish. I understand most of it, but some words are important and I haven't looked them up yet - for example, they ask me to bring a laptop if I'm able, but I don't understand the reason. I also just read that the beginning of the school year is January 13 and, if possible, to be there by that date! Yikes! That is only 3 days after the end of my training in Texas! I am going to be tired of flying I think.

Some representatives from the community will be present at the airport to pick me up, so that is reassuring, won't have to navigate the San Salvador busing system as soon as I arrive. So they want me there by the time school starts. I hope they don't expect me to start teaching as soon as I arrive. Maybe I'll get to help out in a classroom for a week or so at least, see how it's run. That makes sense actually, I'm sure they have programs all set up since they do run a regular school, so I'll have to see how everything works before jumping in. (i hope, i hope, i hope!)

Yes, teaching is definitely the one thing I am most nervous about. Memories of my semester student teaching in Muskegon fill my head. They consist of: spending the entire semester 2 steps behind the work load, never feeling adequately prepared for the days lesson, and having to create all the lessons from scratch. I get anxiety just thinking about it! It can't be as bad as that semester!

I shouldn't think about all this before bed, my mind will be so busy thinking about everything, I won't sleep for a few hours. Ah, who am I kidding, it will only be 20 min or so, it never takes me long to fall asleep.

Over Thanksgiving my Dad and I went shopping for a duffel I can pack my entire life into. Found a nice army green duffel at the Army Supply Surplus Store. My dad recommended I stencil some identifying features on it. The only stencils I have are of dragonflies and bumble bees. That could work. I just had an idea! I'll put the bumble bee on one side of the duffel and have his flight path marked out in dashes across the bag! Brilliant!

I haven't figured out everything I need, but Mike C. - who has been on several oversee adventures - gave me some tips over Thanksgiving, such as making sure to pack one nice outfit to wear to Mass and other nice occasions. I think I'm going to steal the alarm clock my parents have in the spare room at home. It's small and runs on batteries. Of course, I already asked if I could take it and they said yes, but stealing seems more exciting.

Well, the state of my mind has taken to rambling, so I better stop here. My next step will be to make more lists. List of questions, list of items to bring, list of items to purchase, list of Christmas gifts to buy, list of ....