And so it begins...

So the day has finally come... Tomorrow morning I begin my student teaching internship. It is absolutely crazy to think that I am going to be in this position for a whole school year. I have wanted to be a teacher my whole life and it is finally becoming a reality. I have a whole ton to learn and even more to experience, but I feel like this kind of learning can't be learned in a college classroom. So I am willing to see the roses and thorns of this profession...I pray that God would give me patience, wisdom, strength and determination... but for now I pray for sleep :). I pray that God would use me in some small way in the next school year in the lives of the students that I will come in contact with... may His glory shine through.

Its all for you Heavenly Father.

Chapter 9: New Schools

This chapter was interesting. It discussed the many different directions that Web 2.0 could take in the coming years. Over the course of the chapter, several miscellaneous notes were made. First of all, one of the main ideas that is developed is the use of technology that is used at home, should also be used at school. We must, as the chapter points out, not fear away from the use of social networks, cell phones and video games. We must embrace that technology because that is the world that our students live in. In research for another project I came across a program entitled wiffiti.com which uses cell phone texting to respond to questions in real time. This is a way for teachers to use cell phones that is educationally beneficial. Furthermore, I think that it is important the remark that is made about Web 4.0. I am excited about the progress that has been made since this book has been published. I think that there are great ideas in the world of education that can only help us in creating a technology community and a very fostering environment for our students.
Another idea that emerged in this chapter was the comment about David Warlick's bookA Day in the Life of Web 2.0 where he talks about how a school librarian subscribes to all of the teacher's blogs in order to use that information to keep on track in order to supplement the instruction when their students come to library. This makes me VERY excited, because this same concept could be used if I am an ESL teacher. One of the main challenges in teaching ESL is that some teachers don't keep you informed on what is going on in the classroom. With this kind of technology, the ESL teacher would be able to be "in the know" without the mainstream teacher doing any more work than just updating their class blog and assignment calendar.
Finally, I appreciate that the authors of this book realize that this is a changing and very dynamic field. I think that it is very interesting that they include their contact information at the end of the book. This shows that they are always looking for the latest ideas. This is a display of professionalism and a willingness to shift with the educational field.

Chapter 8: Systemic Issues

This chapter was very interesting to me since I am studying to become an ESL teacher and a Gifted Teacher. The former issue was addressed in somewhat lengthy detail in this chapter, providing helpful information for instructors. One of the things that I appreciated about this chapter was the suggestion for the use of blogs for communication. It is true that often times one division of a language development in a student is lacking and so blogging offers a way for the student to work on these skills. It also provides a safe and non-threatening environment for the student in which to work. I also liked the blogging community aspect because it reinforces the component that everyone in the classroom has something to offer to a composition of an piece. This would cultivate the classroom community and would be beneficial for everyone. I also appreciated the "blog as a tutor". This format offers a system for the students to be able to communicate with both the teacher and other students in order to share knowledge and help each other in the path to knowledge.
The second main component that I gained from this chapter was the explanation of e-portfolios. I like the idea for use in teaching ESL students. I like that the materials can be tracked in one place and the students can personalize. One thing that I am excited about ESL teaching is that it can be individualized instruction and so the e-portfolio gives me the chance to individualize assessment.
Finally, I think that there are extreme benefits in using e-portfolios in the professional world. Our year is the first year in Teacher Ed. at JBC to use Livetext as our final portfolio. We will update it at the end of this year in order to include the artifacts from our internship. I like that I can update the artifacts but still maintain the same format. I also like that this portfolio can be used to share with other principals in other states without having to send a big stack of papers. It offers the person hiring with the option of scanning what they deem important and skipping the things that are non-essentials. I believe that I will use it if I ever do become a principal in order to more effectively get teachers that would be best for the job.

Chapter 7: Online Safety and Security

This chapter had a lot of good information that is relevant to the issues that I will face as a classroom teacher. I also like that during the class lecture, there were points made about a technology coordinator. The picture is much more involved than I had originally expected. I think that if I do become in that kind of role, that I would try to understand what the school is trying to accomplish through technology and attempt to blend those objectives with Acceptable Use within the district.
One of the key things that I appreciated about the chapter was the survey that was given in the middle of the chapter. Even though this survey or questionnaire would need to be adjusted depending on the grade that you were teaching, I think that it is a good idea to include the students in the process of understanding the AUP and the reasoning behind the policies. I remember when I was in school and we were given AUPs to sign. I don't think I fully understood why I was signing the paper. I think that if I were to have been included in the process of making the policies or have been guided through the process of understanding them, I would have taken the issues more seriously. I think that if the students are included in the process that they would take more ownership and the problems after the signing would have been less. Therefore, I believe that if I were to be a technology coordinator, to some extent I would take the students through a lesson, at least, of what they are signing and the reasoning behind the issues that are addressed. I think that that is an important concept, or life lesson, that students should get. They should know that they shouldn't sign something without knowing what it says and in most cases what the reasoning is behind it.
The second thing that stood out to me was the creative commons license. I think that is a great idea in showing that there are safe and secure ways of guarding and sharing your property. I think that this gets at finding the balance between complete open source and protecting the property and ideas of the creator. It gives credit where credit is due, but it also prevents others from reinventing the wheel.
The last thing that I appreciated about the lecture and chapter was the websites for images. I want to use images in my classroom for interactive learning and possible "image field trips" for engaging lessons. As a teacher, it is good to know that there are sites out there that offer free but quality images that can be used in the classroom.
I think, overall, this chapter is really the climax of how we are to handle ourselves with technology in the classroom. It offers us, as teachers, resources, information as well as cautionary notes that we can take in order to protect ourselves, the students and the educational community as a whole. No matter how much we may think that Web 2.0 is the greatest thing, if we do not take caution, it will end up being more disruptive than productive.

Chapter 6: Leadership and new tools

This chapter deals with a few things that I am interested in after I am in the classroom for several years. Although this chapter would be helpful for a classroom teacher to understand, I am looking at it through an administrative stand point. However, I believe that one of the main components to an effective administrator is to understand what it is like for a teacher. One of the main things that I grasped from this chapter again is how effective blogs and wikis can be in administration. I think that just like blogs can be used in professional development and in the classroom, they are versatile in use for communication from the administration. Again, I think that the blogs should enrich the face to face contact. I think that this could be played out in the use of blogs before "official" professional development. One of the ideas could be to use blogs to see what teachers want to learn about, then to see how they are implemented it and then their feedback on the whole process. I believe that consistency is also a big deal when an administrator uses a blog or wiki. One of the components is to cast a vision and if you have an administrator that sets up a program or process in using technology and then they don't update the blog or they don't follow through on what they are talking about. I believe that the vision is a big part of it, but the details to follow are also very critical.

One of the other key things that I grasped from both the discussion in class and the chapter was the use of grants for school use. I appreciated the comment on developing relationships with the program officers of the organizations. I know that funding is always an issue and if I know a basis for how to go about the process, or what name to look for on the website of the organization, I feel that I will have some kind of grasp on the next step.

The final note that I would like to make about this chapter concerns the comment on the effective administrator that was made in class. Although I do not know this administrator personally, I am gathering that one of the reasons that he was effective was because he was learning, in some regards, "on the job" and along with the other people in the educational community. Often times the best learner (and teacher) is not an expert. This administrator saw a need for change and implemented the change, and apparently followed through with the vision. I hope that one day, in a small way, I can use my knowledge and passion for learning to make a difference like this administrator did.

Chpater 5: Professional Development

This chapter opened my eyes to a new perspective to this area of the educational field. I think that community is an essential component to Web 2.0 and even moreso with the educators along with the students. One of the main ideas that I have had to grapple with is the administrative side of professional development. As I have said, I would like to be a principal one day or in some kind of leadership role. I want those that I lead to feel confident in the work that they are doing and the work that I am leading. I want to create a community of learning and not something that hinders the work that they are already doing in the classroom. I want it to be a community of learning and not a community where people are prideful for giving away their ideas or taking ideas.
Another one of the ideas that came to mind was the idea that blogs should be used in professional development. I think that the comment was made in this section that blogs (or web interaction) should not take the place of face-to-face communication, but it should enrich conversation. I think this is essential in both professional development as well as looking at development in the classroom. We should use these tools for a better enriching environment and not something that takes away from face to face communication.
Another idea that emerged from this chapter is the need for preservice learning and training. This is an interesting concept to me, because I am interested in keeping up with the latest technology and I hope that that continues after I become a teacher. I know that when I took Educational Technology as a Sophomore, there were not near as many techniques that were taught in that class as are available right now. I think that it is important to educate preservice, but it is also important to keep up with the latest technology because of the quick rate at which technology changes.
Finally, as one that would be interested in leadership in the school system in the future, I think that Web 2.0 offers a lot of invaluable resources. We can use these resources to make sure that the teachers are not only getting the information, but it also allows the instruction to be more individualized and flexible. I look forward to where this may take us in the future.

Chapter 4: New Tools in Schools

This chapter was inspiring. Just like Trudy said this morning, it was a chapter that even though most of the sites might not work any more, there is still the element of inspiration and a collaborative community of good ideas. Reading the examples in the chapter made me think of one of the schools that I have run across within the past month while surfing the web. I believe that the school is in South Carolina, somewhere. I don't remember all of the details of the program, but two of the things that I do remember is that they used PDAs to do a running record for students. This recorded all of the information and grouped it all together without using paper. Furthermore, I also remember that this particular school was a key proponent of collaborative teaching. They welcomed the idea of sharing ideas and planning together. I really like this aspect. This is a theme that, I believe, is a main factor in the success of Web 2.0. The shift is moving from "look what I thought of" to "look what we did together with the resources around us" and better is "look at this idea that I found, that may be helpful to you in your teaching". I think that as a community of educators we must look on how we can help each other and push down the pride issue. In the chapter, Lemon Grove School District must have had some of this environment because they were able to train 20% of their teachers each year, in order to train everyone over the course of 5 years. For this model to work there would have to be a low turn-over rate for the teachers. This is a good model to follow for administration, of which I would someday like to be a part of.

I really did enjoy a lot of the content area resources that were available in this chapter. I know that over the course of this course we will look at most of the sites, but I appreciated the idea for the use of wikis with independent novel studies. As a future gifted teacher I would like to use this in my classroom because of the higher order thinking skills and the fact that this could go outside the classroom, but still achieve the same objective. The students could be serviced, even if there is not a lot of funding for this program.

I know that I am not very old, but some of the things in this book make me feel a bit old. The component about Journalism and broadcasting made it to appear as if more and more schools have programs and equipment to have a morning show. I remember when I was younger that the morning show was only for high schools and very rarely for Elementary schools. And if they were in Elementary schools, they were run by the administration. What an exciting advancement for the students to be a part of the growing technology community!

Finally, I would like to point out a comment on ThinkQuest. I am not very familiar with the program, but the discussion on this site in class this morning got me thinking. Dr. Krug mentioned grants that were given by this organization. I would imagine that there are others like this organization that give grants. I have heard of some in the past and I know that they are out there. My concern, and one of my objectives within the next year, is to become a little more informed in writing grants. Perhaps there is a "Dummies guide to grants" I could purchase or find free online. That is something I could look into in the future.

Chapter 3: New Tools

Wow! This chapter has a lot of information and it makes me want to look into a lot of the tools that are available. Overall, I continue to get this feel for Web 2.0 as being interactive and the internet no longer is simply something that we get information from, but a place where students and teachers can engage in learning and make it more of a lifestyle. However, with this notion comes a caution, in my opinion. If students and teachers are engaging in this online educational community, isn't there a danger in loosing human interaction. On one hand I see the valuable resources, but on the other hand, some aspect of the tangible human connection is lost and is replaced with technological connection. Nonetheless this is how students today are viewing connection and meaning so we must meet them there. Although, I still think we should strive to find a balance between social skills online and social interaction face-to-face.
A couple of the tools that were mentioned in this chapter really got me excited for the opportunities that await in the classroom. One of the main ones are wikis. We talked about these yesterday, but today through class discussion and readings, I am beginning to see how helpful they can be in the classroom. One of the main connections and uses I can use is with 4th grade writing portfolios. When I was in 4th grade I had a portfolio that was several folders bound together. In here we kept the brainstorming, drafts and the final copies. If wikis were used for this process, it could be an online community where other students are giving feedback and the student is taking more pride in their work. This can also be shown on an electronic portfolio platform, as mentioned in the chapter.
Secondly, I found that the discussion of blogs was especially helpful in giving pointers on how to use it in the classroom. I found that it was interesting that the author commented on the authority and validity of most blogs. It used to be that you couldn't really trust things that you found online, but more and more there are really some valuable resources and information that can be found online. Even so, obviously, there still needs to be discretion. I wonder if educational blogs will become more like the "scholarly journal" community in the future. I also liked the mention of Class Blogmeister. In a world that is more open and the possibility for potential mis-use of the internet are more prevalent, safety should be a top concern for your students. I like that this community is safe and protected, but the students are still exposed to the technology in order to enhance learning.
Finally, a few miscellaneous notes about the chapter. One of the things that I was wondering about is if there was an open-source version of a pdf creator. Based on the discussion of other desktop applications being available, I would assume that there would be, however, I have not run across this service. Secondly, I thought that the social bookmarking discussed makes a lot of sense. Just as with a lot of Web 2.0 it encourages working together and sharing resources. This is a skill that will be helpful for the students even after they graduate your class. Finally, I thought that the concept of Mashups was ingenious. With the possibility of working with churches in the future, these kinds of tools will prove to be invaluable. Furthermore, the use of these applications could prove helpful in administration, which I hope to be involved with, at some level, some day.

Chapter 2: Students and Learning

This chapter brought a good overview of several aspects of technology in education. In general the chapter deals with how students are viewing technology differently than teachers would view it. It is no longer something that we simply go to for information, but a source of interaction, engagement and resource within education. I remember 3rd grade very vividly because we were very engaged in the activities that we did. We did a lot of "hands-on" learning. Likewise, the "hands-on" learning may have shifted to included more "technology-on" learning, for lack of a better word. Just as I enjoyed and engaged in learning on a kinesthetic path, the students today engage both on a kinesthetic path and a technological path, which are often integrated. Moreover, the students in today's school systems are becoming more literate than the teachers so much so that the students are ahead of the teachers. For example, I interned at Mt. Olive 1st grade and they were using a Smartboard, and catching on with the use within days of learning.
Futhermore, this chapter discussed how today's technologies are interactive, which further builds on the "technology-on" concept. Like it was mentioned in class, students probably know how to manage social networking programs more effectively and thoroughly than "an educational site". The challenge then becomes for teachers to tap into those social networking skills in order to more effectively educate the students. For example, I have heard of a teacher that used Facebook for use in Social Studies. They had the students create a facebook for account for Abraham Lincoln. I believe that activities like this one would both achieve educational objectives and reach the students at their level.
Another one of the big ideas that I have continued to grapple with is this concept of differentiated instruction. For years, that has been a topic that educators have delved deep into with the purpose of meeting the needs of each student. To me that seems intuitive. We are being paid as teachers to educate students. No where in our contract does it say, "Only the Jones and Smiths of the class". Intuitively we would want to find ways to individualize instruction because no two students are alike. That being said, I do agree that technology would more effectively bring tools to the forefront for students to be able to be engaged in a more beneficial education.
Finally, in this chapter it deals with PBL once again. This method has been used and proposed in the field of gifted education (of which I am studying). For gifted students, particularly, they grasp tightly to working for "real-world" reasons in order to find "real-world" solutions. In my opinion, to some extent, especially in this technology era, all students, both gifted and mainstream students can use this method. As a consumer, or student, you want to know that what you are doing in the classroom, or the immediate present, will benefit you in the future.
Overall, technology in education brings the world that our students are living in to life. We must adapt to the culture in order to continue to provide quality education.

Chapter 1: New World, New Web, New Skills

CHIP: Chapter 1
This chapter makes me excited to be a teacher in this day and age. From the discussion in class today and the reading from today's chapter, one of the things that I wonder about is Web 4.0. Dr. Krug described it as something of a predictive nature based on analysis of data for students. I know that it is not yet completely out there, but how beneficial it would to be put out there for the students and teachers. I wonder if it was specifically designed for students and educational uses or if it is something that was designed with something else in mind and has just evolved with the educational community in mind. As more concerning the chapter, several things came to mind. I think about the different blogs that I have read over the past couple of years. One of the points is made that "Bloggers often have an effect on their readers". I first think about a movie that was made around a food blog that was created. The readers responded to what the lady had to say. In a growing technology educational community, what a great opportunity for our students to be able to have an effect on the world that they live in at the time. The big push now is to teach the test, but I hope that we don't loose the fact that our students have the potential to impact the world around them. This would extend outside the four walls of our classroom. Blogs would afford them the opportunity to have that impact while still meeting educational objectives. Of course the issue of digital citizenship would have to be observed, and so perhaps a blog could be set up as a classroom. What a great opportunity to have the students share their ideas and have other people respond to their ideas.

Another topic that was brought to my attention in the reading. The issue of Digital-age literacy. When we are working in the schools, we may be confronted with parents or grandparents that do not know how to effectively use the the technology that we might use in our classrooms. Our students will probably know a lot more than we might think by the time that we become their teachers, however we must not overlook the issue of educating their caregivers as well. This would foster a learning community with the parents, students and school, which is an invaluable resource for the educational process. This could be accomplished through workshops or parent/student internet scavenger hunts throughout the school year. Hopefully through this class I will be able to gain more tools that can be used to increase educational experiences through the use of technology.

The final component that caught my attention in the reading was the idea of problem-based learning. I am not very educated on this concept, however I look forward to using it in my classroom. In my opinion this very concept is the bridge that needs to be used from the classroom into real world application. I want my future students to be able to think for themselves and not simply "plug and chug" information that is given to them. I believe that PBL reaches these objectives. I think that these objectives can be met through science instruction but also in math instruction and in other content areas.

The blog that I reviewed was Practical Theory. I like this blog because it offers many different links to other sites that this education technology guru has found helpful. I like how he uses Delicious for his bookmarks and offers current news stories on the right panel. These features will be helpful to learn how to do when I am setting up my classroom blog in order to maximize the students' exposure to helpful, relevant and safe resources. I also appreciate that this blogger is someone who is in the field, with his involvement with his school. That gives me as a future educator that opportunity to connect with relevant and helpful information that will benefit my students.

Thoughts from an Education Grad Student...

So I am in grad school... and I am really enjoying it. It has been an opportunity for me to really dive into the heart and soul of education. Throughout the next year I am going to be learning a lot and experiencing a lot and I wanted to be able to log those experiences.. so here are my thoughts, ideas for the future or ramblings from the mind of an education grad student...
* Stream of Conscious writing is effective in classroom instruction because you discover unique things about why you do what you do
*Some of the things that I have discovered from this writing... I think that I originally wanted to become a teacher because I wanted control of the classroom...one of the most vivid mental pictures I have deals with a group of people...
* Maybe a way to keep students' attention is to do a "3-2-1 recap"... what are 3 things that you learned, 2 connections made, 1 question you still have.

So these are some of my thoughts right now, but I hope that there are more to come.
-Monica

Newsletter Screenshots

Here is a screen shot of the newsletter... Thanks again for your love, support and encouragement over the years! You are a blessing.
God Bless,
Monica S.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

So I know that this has taken me a while... I don't think I could count on both hands and toes the amount of things that I have done in the past month... so needless to say I have been a bit busy. But finally I was able to create a newsletter from our trip to the Dominican Republic. I have sent a hard copy out (and if you would like a hard copy, please let me know) but I will include a screen shot of the newsletter. Know that I am absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of love and support and encouragement over the years. You are a blessing! I hope that you are doing well! God Bless!
Love,
Monica

Prayer Calendar- DR 2010

Below you will find the prayer calendar for our team... thank you for your love and support...
Dominican Republic Trip 2010: Prayer Calendar
Thank you for committing to pray for our team over the week that we will be in the Dominican Republic partnering with Orphanage Outreach (March 27- April 3). You are truly a blessing! This trip would not be possible without you.

Day 1: March 27th (Saturday)
 Most of us will be leaving from Nashville at 6:15am. We will then meet Lucy and Brianna (who leave from Knoxville at 8:40am) in Miami and we will be flying into Santiago, Dominican Republic by 1:35pm. Please pray that plane schedules run on time, safety in the air and that all of our luggage reaches Santiago.
Day 2: March 28th (Sunday)
 Today we will be going to church with the children as well as planning for the week’s upcoming VBS. We will be blending our preparation with the efforts of the other volunteers that we will be working with this week. Please pray for patience, wisdom, flexibility and creativity in this process. Please pray also that we are able to adjust to the new routine of a new place. Please pray for the new friendships that will be forming with the other volunteers that we would all work towards a mutual goal of serving Christ this week.
 Please pray for Lucy Hayes. She asks that you bring the following prayer requests before our Lord.
o Safety traveling there and back and while we are there
o Ability to make a difference and serve to the best of my ability
o The energy and strength to keep up with all the kids!
Day 3: March 29th (Monday)
 Today we will begin our first day at the VBS site. Please pray for flexibility and patience as we figure out the routine of the VBS. Please pray that we would begin to form friendships with the children that we are going to be serving all week. Pray that they would understand the love of Christ through our lessons and through our example.
 Please pray for Brianna Lamke. She asks that you bring the following prayer requests before our Lord.
o Emotional preparation in being away from home
o Having strength to not get too attached to the children
o This is a bigger step for me as far as mission trips so I’m a little anxious, especially for travels there and not having my parents there to send me off.
Day 4: March 30th (Tuesday)
 Today will be the second day of VBS. Please pray for wisdom, clarity, patience and flexibility as we continue to get in the grove of VBS. Pray that we continue to develop friendships with the children, conveying the love of Christ.
 Please pray for Nikki Votaw. She asks that you bring the following prayer requests before our Lord.
o Language barrier
o Pray that I step out of my comfort zone and feel at ease in this new environment
o Acclimation to new routine; being able to sleep, stay healthy, have energy
Day 5: March 31st (Wednesday)
 Today we will be our third day at VBS. Pray for continued stamina as we continue to work hard to present an effective lesson, but also for patience and flexibility when working with the children. Wednesdays are often the days that the students are most “antsy”, so pray for patience with the students that we would convey the love of Christ through our response and actions. Also pray for the continued friendships forming with the children at the orphanage that we would be a source of encouragement and vessels to share God’s love with those around us. Also pray for continued health for our team as we are in the middle of the week.
 Please pray for Caleb Trimble. He asks that you would bring the following prayer concerns to the throne of our Lord.
o Our team would remain strong and yet flexible
o We would continually show Christ in our actions and in our speech
o It would be an uplifting week for the staff at the Orphanage
o We would remember that we are working a small part of a huge Kingdom and mission.
Day 6: April 1st (Thursday)
 Today will be our last day working at VBS. Please pray that we will be able to clearly communicate the lessons, but also take time to send loud the message that these students are loved by the Savior of the world. Please pray also that we would be able to spend quality time with those children that we have formed friendships with, but in a way that would be most beneficial for the children. That the children would remember Christ’s love after we are gone.
 Please pray for Melissa Swartzentruber. She asks that you bring the following prayer concerns to the throne of our Lord.
o Communication with the kids in the English class with the language barrier
o That the Holy Spirit would guide us into conversations where we can share the love of Jesus with the kids there.
Day 7: April 2nd (Friday)
 Today we will spend the day touring Monte Cristi, a town in the Northwest corner of the Dominican Republic. Please pray that this day will afford ample opportunities for reflection and conversation that would help to digest the work that was accomplished and the relationships that were built this past week. Pray that God would instill in each team member the reason for their calling to this trip and what the “take homes” are from this trip.
 Please pray for Monica Swartzentruber. She asks that you bring the following prayer concerns to the throne of our Lord.
o Wisdom and guidance in leading the team down to the Dominican Republic. Wisdom in making decisions throughout the week and guidance to know what would be the wisest thing to do.
o That I would focus on relationships and spreading the love of Christ in service to His kids.
o Comfort as I see and reconnect with the children that I met this past summer. Pray that I would continue to convey the love of Christ to each one. Also pray that leaving on Saturday would be smooth and that I would remember the sweet memories that I have with those children.
Day 8: April 3rd (Saturday)
 Today we will be flying out of Santiago. Caleb will be on the 8am flight out of Santiago and the rest of us will be leaving out of Santiago at 3:00pm. Pray for safety traveling to the airport as well as safety as we all fly back to the United States. Brianna and Lucy will land in Knoxville by 11pm and the rest of us will be landing in Nashville by midnight. Pray that we would be safe traveling back to our final destinations and that we would be able to take time to reflect on the week that we have just been a part of.

The final stretch

Again I am sorry for not updated as frequently as I should... I really do appreciate all of your prayers and support throughout this whole process of preparation and I ask that you would continue to keep us in your prayers. Our team met yesterday to talk about some final details and it is continually setting in that I will be returning before I know it. What a blessing! God definitely used this past summer to teach me, mold me and bless me and I am excited to share that with the other people on my team. I am also very excited, as anyone would be, to see the children that I met this past summer.
I wanted to share with you our verse for this trip:
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11).
We will be working through this passage while we are in the Dominican Republic in order that we would be able to maintain the proper focus and direction in-country.
In the next post I have included our prayer calendar. Please keep our team in your prayers as we make the last minute preparations and then as we leave in 11 days :).

Thank you for your love and support.
Monica

Friday Nights

So it has been a long last couple of weeks, and finally I was able to take a breath last night. I really enjoy relaxing with people, but when I really need to "recharge my batteries" I need to spend some time alone. Last night was one of those times. I was able to watch some TV, go for a run and just spend some time with our Father, which is always re-energizing. I don't know why I forget that in order to pour into other people I need to be filled up by the Living Water. So last night I was listening to the radio and the Desert Song by Hillsong. The lyrics are below..

The Desert Song
This is my prayer in the desert
And all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in the hunger in me
My God is a God who provides

Verse 2:
And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flames

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon forged against me shall remain

I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

Verse 3:
And this is my prayer in the battle
And triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

Verse 4:
This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will

I also spent some time in a passage in 1 John 2:15-17. What a convicting passage about being in the world, but not of the world.

So the update on the trip...
We had the Valentine's Dinner last weekend to raise money for the trip. Eight wonderful people came to the dinner, and it was an opportunity to bond as a team as well as spend some time with the guests that did come to the dinner. God used the opportunity for His glory and for that I am thankful. Next weekend we will be doing a service project as a team. Melissa will be coming over to Knoxville for the weekend to go with us, so that will be a blessing. I am getting excited about going down there, as the time gets closer. Please continue to be in prayer for our team as we make the final preparations.
Blessed by you,
Monica

Swinging into a new semester

I find myself, even though it is only Tuesday, looking forward to Friday. It was a very long day and I am beginning to feel the weight of the semester. I do know that God will get me through this one, just as He has the past seven. This past week has been one of growth, a direct blessing of your prayers. I have been blessed by the quality "Rocking Chair Time" that I have had with God this past week. The passage that I read each night, focused in Psalms, has always been exactly what I have been dealing with that day. Praise God that He knows me better than I know myself. So we had our meeting yesterday and we have decided to have a Valentine's Dinner on February 13th now, because Gap Creek is free that night and we decided that would reach a greater audience than the babysitting night. So we began planning that yesterday and it is shaping up to be a good event. We will start selling tickets next Monday, so hopefully we will get a good response. We are going to have the spaghetti dinner at both 5:30pm and 7:30pm. Tickets will sell for $10 each, but we will also be accepting donations.
Please bring these requests to our Father this week:
- Stamina for me this week, and others on the team as the semester gets in "full swing"
- Provision for the funds
- Wisdom in planning out the details of the Valentine's Dinner

You are a blessing.
Until next time,
Monica

Do you have time to call me before class?

So this morning I got a text message from my mom that wanted to know if I could talk to her before class. I was concerned at first, because normally mom doesn't text me that early in the morning, so I called her and she just had some questions for me. All that to say, that that made me think that might be something that God says to me on many days, especially recently... Do you have time to call me before class? I don't know why I struggle with that so much. He is the creator of the universe, and more importantly my Savior, I many days I don't make time out of my schedule to "call him before class". Hopefully there is change on the horizon.
So an update from this week...
God is good... I am constantly overwhelmed with the blessings of friendship. We met on Monday and things seem to be progressing. We chose the theme for the week on Monday and it is going to be "Worshiping God" with our head, heart, hands/feet, soul. Everyone chose their station: English (Dr. Votaw, Melissa), Lesson (Bria), Games (Becky, Caleb), Crafts (Lucy). I will be filling in wherever is needed along the way and the actual week of. I am very excited about the possibilities that this theme will bring. We also decided that we are going to have a babysitting night fundraiser on the night of February 12th, for those couples that want to go out for Valentine's Day. This coming Monday we will talk more about this. As we go into the next week, please bring the following things to our Father, on our behalf:
- Patience in planning the week
- A continued attitude of flexibility throughout the whole process
- Continued trust in the faithfulness of God to provide the funds for the trip.

I hope you are doing well.
In Him alone,
Monica

Called to return

And so the second part of the journey begins... As of about a month ago, I have been in preparations to return to the Dominican Republic. I always knew that I would be returning to this place that absolutely captured my heart, but I didn't know that it would be this soon. I plan to lead a team from my school during the "Week of E"... Week of Evangelism (aka Spring Break). I am very excited especially because Meliss is a part of the team. I am so excited to be called the same time that Melissa is and be able to experience God in the DR at the same time as she does for the first time. As the details continue to work out, I ask for your prayers. We would like to have 10 people to go on this trip, but right now we only have 7. I believe that God will work everything out for the best, but I still fight my human need to have things figured out. I guess it is just the "old me" coming back that I thought that I got rid of this past summer. Please also pray for our team as we begin at tomorrow's meeting making the outline for the VBS that we will be doing during that week. Pray for creativity, team work and patience. Also, I would appreciate your prayers as I continue to lead this team. It is still a new experience for me... I am learning a lot, but I know that there are still other things I have yet to learn. On another note, school started last Thursday, so throw that in with everything else that needs to be done. Praise God that He remains faithful and constant. I will continue to keep you updated throughout the preparations. May God richly bless you.
In Him,
Monica