All is well

The typhoon has finally moved on, and with little fuss. God truly spared us and the storm was not that bad. There were heavy rains and winds and we were all expecting it to get much worse, but it just didn't. I think people took this very seriously here because of all the other storms in the Pacific. Also, the locals were worried this time, so all of us expats worried also as a result. But there was no flooding, our power came back on quickly, and very few, if any, trees came down on the island. The main difference is the high waves. Wow, they are amazing. But there is a reef on the western shore that keeps the big ones from coming close and the eastern shore is not as populated and has high cliffs.

Today after church J and J, Isaac, Christy, Mark, Brittany, Amanda and I went to this amazing beach called Jeffrey's. This beach is different than the others because it is not the typical tropical beach. You have to drive down this horrendous rutted one-lane mud road, but the result is spectacular. The beach is rocky and is surrounded by high cliffs with a fairly narrow opening to the ocean. The waves come crashing in and it is incredibly powerful. I promise to post pictures. As we were leaving, about 15 land cruisers were coming down the road filled with Japanese tourists. It was a challenge passing the other cars with the road being about 13 feet wide with thick jungle on either side. J and J said that was strange to see because usually that beach is completely deserted.

I am back at the apartment now and will be working to get ready for school tomorrow. I hope I will have a chance to observe for a week, but it looks like there is a possibility that I will already have to teach a few classes tomorrow in my own separate classroom. So I will be creating an emergency lesson plan just in case that happens. Most of the local teachers never had the opportunity to student teach, and were thrown into their first teaching jobs to sink or swim. I think that they are not sure just yet about how to help me with my student teaching and kind of expect me to sink or swim too. It is a good thing that I am a quick learner and that I am quite flexible. I really like my cooperating teacher---we will get along fabulously, and I think there is a lot I can learn from her.

I do love this place. The heat can get pretty bad, but I am finding that it is bearable. And once again, the food is AMAZING! Thanks to everyone who prayed for us over here. We were blessed because the storm could have been much worse. Please continue to pray for the people in the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, American Samoa, and Indonesia who have been hit so devistatingly by all these natural disasters.