disclaimer

i just wanted to add another update to yesterday's post, for i have felt badly about the way i portrayed my students.

in her defense, pbf said some of the most intelligent things in class yesterday- there were some things in our lesson that none of the students knew of, but she used context to correctly guess what the term meant. she is delightful and fun.

and, apf has one of the top grades in my class and is a bright student.

yesterday wasn't a banner day, but hey, everyone has their moments...

all in a day's work

me: "since we're studying the middle east, we're going to learn about islam today."

pretty blonde freshman: "why do we have to learn about her? and who is she anyway?"

(me staring dumbfoundedly at pbf)

(pbf sees look on my face)

pbf: "j/k mrs. fisher, j/k! ['just kidding' for those of you out of the 15-year-old lingo] but... for real... where is that place?"

(realizing i have more work to do than i thought)

me: "try again. not a girl, not a place..."

pbf: "COUNTRY! it's a country!"

(other students start putting their heads in their hands, shaking them in disbelief)

me: "nope. a country is a place."

pbf: "building?"

finally another student says, "[pbf], it's a religion."

pbf: "oooohhhhhhhh....... that's right...."

me: "so can anyone tell me what people who follow this religion are called?"

one student answers, "muslims."

me: "that's right."

another pretty freshman: "i thought they were arabs."

me: "no. that's their ethnicity, if they're from the middle-eastern region."

apf: "oh. so don't they speak muslim?"

me: "no. muslim is an adherant of islam."

apf: "so what do they speak?"

me: "well, if they're arab, they would speak arabic. if they're american, they would speak english."

apf: "so what do arabs speak?"

me: "arabic."

apf: "i thought that's what muslims spoke."


this led into a conversation about how, as one student pointed out to another, we don't speak american; we speak english (apparently new information). i used the example of how people from mexico- mexicans- don't speak mexican; they speak spanish. this led into a conversation about the differences between spaniard, mexican, hispanic, and latino.

apf: "so what do latinos speak?"

me: "spanish."

apf: "so who speaks latin?"

me: "no one. latin is a dead language."

apf: "WHAT???? how can a language be dead? and why are they called latinos if they don't speak latin?"

i quickly answered the question and moved on to the lesson on islam. about half-way through, the notes containted some text unknown to the students.

pbf: "what are those squiggly lines?"

another student: "that's arabic."

pbf: "ooohhhhh...... so that's what muslims speak?"


update: pbf just came into my classroom to ask me a question about her grade. just to prove what she had learned, she said, "islam is a country... NO... i mean... religion." she sighed proudly. "good job," i said. "and what are the people who follow islam called?" "arabs." "no." "oh...uh....muusssllliiiiims?" what a feeling of accomplishment.

guest speaker

we had a great day in geography today. there is a student here at grace whose parents are from nigeria- his mother came in and spoke to the class today. i found it quite intruiging. she talked about religion, food, tribes, and culture. she spoke of how the entire continent used to be pagan and animistic, worshiping carved images. she went on to tell us about how grateful the african christians are for the missionaries who first brought the gospel to their land. she talked about how, because of disease and climate, many of them got sick and some even died. "but," she said, "when you love God, you must continue the work of God." it was encouraging to hear such passion.

she then went on to speak of the community of believers, and how the christians in africa worship the same God the christians in america do. they may do things differently, she pointed out, but they are all the same within. this also relates to her view of the missionaries-that the commitment of those who first brought the gospel to africa over a century ago has opened doors for her belief in Christ now. our christian community not only transcends space, but also time... i wonder if david livingstone or robert moffat had any idea the impact they would make on the world...

some pics

last week i looked through carolyn and rocky's wedding pictures. they were taken at the farm of the people we rent from and jon lived with before we met. this gave me ideas... so, saturday night i drug jon and his brother ben over to tromp around the farm with me, and ben took some magnificent pictures... here are just a few...

southern beauty

we had a wonderful weekend. carolyn, a good friend and teacher at grace, has a beautiful house on a lake in the mountains of north carolina. i didn't actually take the picture above; i dare say that where we were at was even more beautiful. we drove up late friday night and came back sunday morning- i think even being there was so relaxing it felt like a 4-day weekend. it was fantastic. we have been really fortunate to meet carolyn and her husband rocky. we have "clicked" from the beginning, and they have made the transition much easier for me. carolyn's parents and grandfather we also there; i felt totally at home and relaxed the whole time. it actually reminded me of being at my grandparents' a little- what a warm feeling!

oh, ye jigs and juleps!

jon and i had a lovely day yesterday. after a breakfast of waffles & eggs (made by jon), we set out on the motorcycle to find a used book store or two. i was a little disappointed when i first walked into one (the first one we went to had shut down)- it was mostly romance paperbacks. i did find a small classics section, though, which is where i spent my time.... and stumbled upon the perfect used-bookstore find. this small hardcover book is a collection of essays written by virginia cary hudson, a 10-year-old-girl, in 1904. virginia attended an episcopal boarding school (note her denominational observations), and she is a witty and delightful child. the essays were found in 1960 in a locked chest in an attic and published. she has thoughts on all sorts of topics, though her writing shows how easily a 10-year-old mind is distracted! here are some excerpts:

on etiquette at church:
"Before I go into the house of the Lord with praise and thanksgiving, I lift up mine eyes unto the town clock from whence cometh the time to see if I am late. It is not etiquette to be late...
"The Baptist church is next door to our church. They sing as loud as they can all the time we are trying to pray. I bet the Lord can't hear one word we say. The Baptists sing about plunging sinners in a bloody fountain drawn from Emmanuel's veins. We sing about Crown Him Lord of All. I think it is much more ladylike to crown the King than to be plunging around in a bloody fountain. I took the cotton off my sore finger once and stuffed it in my ear on the Baptist side. But just once. My mother attended to that."

on everlasting life:
"When you are dead as a doornail, God gives [Everlasting Life] to you, and you can't get rid of it. You can't buy it, or sell it, or trade it. You have to keep it whether it suits you or not... Bishop Jordan told me Everlasting Life was God's precious gift, and I told him if it was just the same with God, I could think of things I would like better...
"Heaven is sure far away, and hard to get to. You don't hear much talking about Heaven... But you sure hear plenty about Hell at the Baptist Church. When I go with Darthea, that preacher hollers himself red in the face about Hell. When you go to Hell with your Everlasting Life, the devil waves his pitchfork and turns it into Everlasting Damnation, and he builds a fire under you, and you will wail and gnash your teeth. If poor Mrs. Columbia Stonington ever goes to hell, the devil sure will be surprised when it comes her time to stand up and gnash her teeth, because her dentist pulled her teeth out. He just kept on pulling and pulling until they were all gone...
"If I have to go to Hell, I sure hope I go to the one for Episckpalians, and don't, by mistake, get pushed in that horn punching, and tail wagging, red hot blazing on the Baptists are going to have."

and last but not least, virginia's thoughts on education:
"Education is what you learn in books, and nobody knows you know it but your teacher. I asked Mrs. Harris when we were plaiting rags for her kitchen rug what good Marco Polo would ever do me, and Mrs. Harris said education gave you satisfaction, but I had rather be ignorant and have fun than be educated and have satisfaction."

after a few more thoughts on education, she ventures off to tell the story about how she needed tutoring in math, but the woman who was to tutor her wasn't home. she instead enlisted the help of the woman's mother, who, from all descriptions, seems to be the old spinster type. the woman tells virginia to make herself comfortable and help herself to the crumpets... and the wine... we'll pick up there...
"And the wine was in the most beautiful frosted bottle with purple grapes hanging down the sides, and when I poured the wine in the glass, it ran down in the stem and looked so cute. And I drank it all and the crumpets were good, but the wine was better, and by the time I poured me out four or five glasses so I could watch it run down in the stem, Miss Fanny and Maxwell sounded so far away, and the chair seemed so soft and I leaned back and thought about poor little Romulus and Remus having to build Rome on seven hills without any help, and then I heard Miss Fanny say, 'The child is almost asleep, it is time for her nap, drive her home.' And he did.
"And I said to Edith, she's our cook, 'Send for the Doctor,' and she did, and Doctor said he would come, and he did. And Edith said, 'Get in bed,' and I did, and when Dr. Reddings came I was so glad to see him, I just love Dr. Reddings, and I said, 'Cross your heart and hope to die if you ever tell,' and he crossed his heart and hoped to die, and I said, 'I am drunk.'...
"When my mother got home from Middleton on the trolley car, she said plenty. And when I thought she had said everything there was to say, she still had plenty left. And the next day after school she said, 'Put away those roller skates and sit down,' and she reached in the book shelves and blew the dust off of her Women's Christian Temperance Union book and she said, 'Read it every word' and there was a big picture of a green snake wrapped around a wine glass with his tongue sticking out, and I read all about whiskey making people have wild fits so they have to be locked up, and I didn't see why I should have to read all afteroon about whiskey when all I drank was a little wine.
"And now Hallelujah and God forbid. Amen."

monday, monday

another monday.

a couple weeks ago my 7th graders chose between several topics to write a paragraph on. many chose "why i hate mondays".

ah well. it was a good weekend, but busy. jon had a soccer game on friday, which unfortunately i didn't get to go to. it was an hour and a half away, and since two teachers were already out that day, and jon and josh (the assistant coach) were also leaving (at NOON in order to get to the game on time), i had to stay and hold down the fort. a loud, bouncing, hormone-crazy, pushing-the-envelope fort. the team did win, though; they are now 3-3! this is the school's fourth year with a soccer team; the first three seasons combined they won only one game. i am very proud of them all- coach and players! :-)

we also began the house hunt this weekend. our realtor had emailed us info on about 60 houses (not exaggerating), which we narrowed down to 15 that we drove by on saturday. we narrowed those down to 7 that we walked through with the realtor last night, and a couple of them look like definite possibilities! the nice thing is that we have no date that we HAVE to be out of our current house (it's a month-by-month rental), so we don't have to settle for anything we don't love.

we had two couples from church over for lunch yesterday. that was fun. just like at kent city, jon and i contribute to the oh-so-small population of "married-with-no-kids"- fortunately, we aren't the ONLY ones, so it's nice to hang out together. one of the wives works here with jon and me, and she and i have become good friends. the other couple has been married only a few months, and she is from england- they met while he was working there with Operation Mobilization (a missions agency).

well, i best be going- our morning teachers' meeting begins in one minute. and so it begins again...

having a ball

i’m sitting at starbucks right now, sipping on my african red bush green tea. the bakery display case is advertising pumpkin cream cheese muffins… ah yes, the tastes of fall are approaching…

jonathan had drill this weekend, which included a military ball last night. it was lovely. the dinner was excellent, the company at our table was enjoyable, and meeting the men he served with- and their wives- was unforgettable. jonathan wore his dress blues- something he hasn’t had occasion to do since our wedding. If you want to see pics, go to jon's site- www.chaplainfisher.com- he has a couple posted there.

a friend of jon’s asked me last night how i’m enjoying georgia so far. you know, when people ask me that question it kind of takes me aback- it’s like i forget that i’ve moved to another state somehow. i look at my move as being one to be with jon, not one to be in another state. how do i like georgia? well, i like my new job. i like the house we live in and the friends we’ve made. i don’t like being so far from family and friends, i miss my old church, i freeze in the perpetual 60 degree air conditioning. but, i absolutely adore living with my husband. is that the state, or is it just the state of life? i don’t know. i always answer the question with “i love it!” if for no other reason than to make the inquirer feel proud to live in the south. i do have to admit, though, i have gotten used to chick-fil-a, brewsters, and a waffle house on every corner. i am starting to identify with “fayette county,” not just fayetteville (did i EVER say i was from “kent county” up north?) and i’m getting used to “y’all” being both plural AND singular.

don’t worry, though. i am sticking my ground on “pop” as opposed to “soda” (i actually had a high schooler ask me what a “pop machine” was after hearing me say it), and i have even held up my hand proudly to point and say “i lived here” a few times (okokok, so maybe that’s something i should actually STOP doing, but hey, i have to keep my heritage!)

ah. the last sips of my tea. it’s cool now, but i don’t mind. it’s a great way to wrap up a perfect morning.

georgia pics

here are a couple pics of our backyard- the people we rent from own a large farm, so our view is absolutely beautiful...

some pics

a few pics for your viewing pleasure... i'll get some up from down here soon....

week 2

i'm now into my second week teaching. i have to say, i love it. i have great classes, and enjoy my students. i'm getting into the swing of how it all works too, feeling out the cirriculum, adding my own spin to it. it is fabulous. i think my favorite moment so far was yesterday. i had had my 8th grade english class write a 1/2 page compare/contrast of two characters from their literature book. one student did an exceptional job- not only in content, but even more so in writing style. i don't think he even knew how great his structural and syntactical dynamic were- but he is genuinely a gifted writer. yesterday i pulled him aside to tell him this, and his eyes lit up in wonder as he said, "you mean you liked what i wrote?" his smile after that was irreplaceable.

in other news, jonathan and i went to savannah this past weekend. it is about 3 hours away, and is a lovely city. we went on a "ghost tour" on a trolley, with a man with a forced goulish voice telling us about legendary deaths in the town. we also went to see these two guys on "dueling pianos" who played anything the audience requested.

by the way, it has been rumored that i am a tough teacher. some of my students would agree (as would their parents...)- but what can i say? when you look younger than your students, you have to do SOMETHING to maintain authority! :-)

almost there...

today i sit at my desk with a mix of confidence and fear. the syllabi are copied, the lesson plans are written, the class lists are in the book, the desks are neatly arranged. now all that's left to do is this actual thing called teaching.

the class i'm most excited about is the 9th grade geography class... the only one i specifically asked for. "geography???? that is the most boring class ever!" many of you are saying...

well. that's true. though, i have to admit, i have always found geography fascinating- i still have the books i asked for for christmases in elementary school on u.s. and world geography. but even as a child, my interest in it was not for the map alone...

to me, the christian should be MOST interested in geography, for it is not about places on a map, it is about the people throughout the world who need to hear about Christ. it is about our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries, suffering for their faith under a regime that disallows it. it is about the community of believers, the body of Christ, the spreading of the gospel, and ultimately, the glory of God.

my main source for the missions emphasis of the geography class will be Operation World. if you don't have it, it's worth the buy. it is an incredible book compiled by Patrick Johnstone and Jason Mandryk- it is a catalog of EVERY country in the world, including not only the geographical facts, but also what is taking place in missions, specific prayer requests for that country, and challenges to the faith.

as the semester goes along, i hope to post some of the things we discuss in class- feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section (i just set it up so that you don't have to have a blogger identity to comment).

"Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples...
great is the LORD and most worthy of praise!"

the winds of change

here i sit, behind a desk. i glance up to the front of the room. "Mrs. Sara Fisher" it reads. underneath that heading is a list of 5 classes and 2 study halls including every grade from 7-12. how did i get here???




monday afternoon we arrived at our new home. jonathan had done a lot- i mean A LOT- of work those 2 weeks he was here without me, getting it ready. everything about the house far exceeds my expectations- he did an excellent job cleaning and decorating. i will post pictures as soon as i find my cable! :)

tuesday morning he started work at the school... long story short, by wednesday morning i was agreeing to help fill in some holes in teaching. i have an excellent schedule with classes i am quite comfortable in, and i am blessed with a very helpful faculty. yet, the knowledge that in a few days- 5 to be exact- this very classroom will have the energy of dozens of teenagers... well... it's just a bit unexpected.

all in all, i'm excited. a new state and a new career, all in one week. i have to say though, so far i'm loving it!!

(oh, and for all you in michigan who are saying, "she's FINALLY warm enough down there!"- yeah... not so much... i have had goose bumps more down here in the frigid air conditioning than i have in MONTHS!)

feelin' groovy!

this is a jon and me at a 70s-themed party we went to last month in honor of some friends' 25th anniversary. it was a blast!






here is josh and amy at the same party- as you can see, they got even more into the 70s theme than we did!

georgia on my mind

well, it's been a while. i think it's one of those things that the longer you stay away, the harder it is to come back. i have had much on my mind to blog about though, so the best way is to jump right in.

for now, though, an update. jon is now in georgia with all of our earthly possessions, save what i need to survive for the next two weeks. he had a drill (drills are a one weekend/month commitment to the national guard) this weekend... the same weekend as i was a bridesmaid in sara's wedding. whatareyagonnado; being apart is kinda par for the course.

he'll fly back up in about a week and a half to get me; we'll drive back down together. we do have a house that we're renting from some close friends temporarily; that is a real blessing.

i will use this blog as a mode of keeping you updated on our lives- be sure to check back!

the bike

it is saturday, and a beautiful saturday at that. after getting used to the 80s the south offered, the 40s we returned to in michigan were an unwelcome change.

we went for a drive this afternoon... well, rather a ride. yep, jonathan got a motorcyle. it's a 2006 suzuki v-strom, for those of you that means anything to. if you're like me, the pertinent information is that it is a sleek black and dark silver.

i had been on a motorcylce once before, but only for about a 20 minute drive. the 2 hours today was a very different experience! it was lovely though, as we rode through small towns (and villages) north of where we live, admiring the rolling farmland and old houses. it was quite charming.

look back soon for pics from vacation! (maybe if i post they're coming i will be more motivated to get them done...)

chillin out max and relaxin all cool...

i'm tired. it is saturday night, and we spent the day on the boat and jetskis out on the atlantic ocean off the coast of georgia- we explored an uninhabited island and saw several dolphins playfully jumping in the water.

we spent last week in pensacola, florida, hanging out on the beach and spending time with jon's family. i have eaten more seafood in the past 2 weeks than i think i ever have- eel sushi, oysters (twice), talapia, mahi mahi, shrimp, and crab/lobster crepes.

there have been a couple events happen that will require separate postings, but i have not as yet had time to write them...

this weekend we are at andrew (aka "mac") and lori mcdonald's house right outside savannah, georgia, with sean and tracy emery (and their two incredibly adorable sons)- it has been really cool to get to spend time with two people who have meant so much to jonathan over the past year- and their wives! (thanks to lori for her incredible hostessing abilities! :)

that is as much of an update as i can cram into one post- i apologize to those of you who have been asking how we're doing because i haven't posted... i haven't had internet for the past week, but i'll try to catch up- i promise! :)

full circle

i apologize for the delay in updating this site. much has happened...

right now, i am in hinesville, georgia, about a mile away from ft. stewart. it is amazing to me how much of a different connotation "fort stewart" has in my mind now than a year ago! last year it was the place at which i said good-bye to my husband of one month. yesterday, it afforded us a very sweet hello.

i have had the opportunity to meet several people over the past couple days who have been involved in jonathan's life. today i was at taco bell with a friend of jon's and his family (jon wasn't able to come)- a soldier brushed past me, and i heard another say to him, "watch out- you just ran into the preacher's wife!" they turned and smiled at me, and i returned it. later this afternoon, i was looking for some patches for jonathan's uniform at the px. i inquired the help of a soldier standing nearby, who just happened to be his commanding officer. when i introduced myself, he proceeded to share with me how great of a chaplain and a man jonathan is. on his way out of the store, he even said to me, "you are authorized to tell your husband i appreciate him." (only in the army, right? :) it filled me with great pride to hear such a dedicated officer talk of my husband in such a way.

for our entire marriage, jon has been an email in my inbox, a screenname in messenger, an address to which i send packages. now he is home. now we will live together. that thought wells up within me countless emotions...

so this is the end of my journey as a "wife of a deployed chaplain," as the top of my blog says. it has been a long, painful, yet sweet journey. thanks to all those who have walked it with me...

'til death do us part

one year.

one year ago today, i became a new person. sara nave vanished into the past, and sara fisher began life anew.

i'm not really even sure what to say... the emotions that come along with this event are entirely surreal.

of the past 365 days, i have spent 28 with jonathan. it has not been an easy year. he comes home very soon, and for that i am thankful. many people say that our "real" marriage is about to start... and in some ways, i agree. we have not lived together, we have not shared in daily life experience together. but we HAVE walked through one of the most trying experiences any couple could go through... and we are coming through much stronger than we started. how can you get more "real" than that? one year ago, we had no idea what the next months would hold. we could not even imagine what deployment would look like, nor the frustrations and challenges it would bring. we knew it would be hard, but there are things you don't know until you walk it. all things considered, i think we have done well. i look forward with excitement (albeit mixed with some fear) to his homecoming and the new challenges and joys that will accompany it.

i celebrated our first wedding anniversary by getting a massage and having dessert with some dear friends. sadly, it is likely our second will be the same way. but in the middle will be some time that we will cherish more than others would, for we know that time is fleeting. my heart beats for those times.

for better or worse, jonathan, til death do us part...

wherefore art thou, spring?

last week it was in the mid-sixties.

the last couple days, the mid-fifties.

this morning it rained.

now, it's snowing.

i hate michigan.