First Step

The first step for both trips was to apply.
For Guatemala my application incorporated my testimony. Most of you know this but for those of you that dont the Lord has been working in my life and taking care of me since I was young. Our relationship really developed in college when He put 3 amazing girls (and by affiliation 8) in my life. They really showed and taught me what a relationship with Jesus was really like. I started to study the Word and grew a lot spiritually. He has continued to use the people He places in my life to show me His love. I am blessed beyond anything I can imagine. Currently He is teaching me about healing and forgiveness. I struggled with an eating disorder for a few years and then struggled with trying to "fix" myself for a few more years. Just recently He has shown me that by laying my burdens down I can truly be set free in Him and cant wait to see what He has in store for me now that I can walk without that on my shoulders! Praise Him!
My application for Invisible Children had 5 questions I had to answer. Here they are:
1.What do you think you should expect when traveling to another country?
Traveling to a developing nation means expecting to be surprised, expecting to learn about a different people group, and expecting to be changed for the rest of my life. I expect uncertainty. There will probably be disorganization in many things and so patience will be a necessity.
2.What draws you to Uganda?
The children draw me to Uganda. Since the first time I read about what was going on over there they have been on my heart. I desire nothing more than to help them as much as I possibly can. God has given me the gift of teaching and the patience and desire to work with children and I want to use those gifts to help the children in Uganda.
3.Please discuss an experience or encounter that did not have the expected outcome and expound on it as a learning experience.
My first year teaching there was a student that I just new I would be able to reach. He tested my patience and boundaries every day. I invited him to come in early to do work with me, I offered to fix him breakfast so he would be able to use that time to work in my room, I offered him help with other classes besides mine, and I gave him chance after chance. He was going to be the one that changed because of me. He did not change his behavior and did not accept my help. He got into a lot of trouble outside of my class and was sent to an alternative school. I learned that sometimes everything I know to do is not enough, that I do not control everything. I also learned the satisfaction of knowing that I did not give up and that at the end of the day I know that I did everything I knew to do.
4.How do you expect to deal with the issues of western privilege?
The culture I live in right now is very different than the culture I plan to visit. I understand that I take for granted the things that people there only dream about. I in no way plan to downplay the fact that there are many things that are easier for me because of where I live. However, especially with the students, I want to communicate what things in which they are rich and privileged. They have worth outside of material things. They have dreams and aspirations just like me. The strength and courage that they have are so amazing and valuable. The issues of western privilege are issues that I know I can not explain or defend, I can only humbly come to learn from them and give what knowledge about teaching I have.
5.What are your expectations regarding a teaching/learning opportunity of this nature?
I expect to learn much more that I teach. I plan to give what I know about teaching to the teachers there to help them use what resources they have to the fullest. I expect to use what I know about pedagogy and management and adjust and modify it to benefit the teachers and students there. I expect to be blown away by the teachers and students there. I plan to take this experience back to my classroom and school and community and use it to inform others and better my teaching.
The crazy thing about my application for Invisible Children was that I completed it and sent it off through over night mail the day before it was due. I did not even know about the program. I had gone to the website a lot but never searched around more that the bracelet, news release, displace me, and merchandise sites. The website really has a lot on it.