Greetings,
Well, I have finally arrived home in Georgia, safe and sound. Wow, I didn't realize how much the time difference and jetlag would effect me. I think I am finally getting used to the time difference and all. It sure is great to be home. My room here is actually dark, which is nice. I am used to sleeping with the security light for the church coming in my window. Even with curtains and a blind it was still kind of light at night in my room.
Well, about my trip home. It started out pretty uneventful. I got to the airport about 5:30. There was only one person in front of me for the inspection of checked luggage. They literally open the suitcase and check it out. I'm thankful everything got back in there and without damage when they were finished and zipped it back up. Then, I was next in line to get my boarding pass and pay an exit fee. While I was at the airport with the Bucks, I had some visitors come by. Pastor and Mrs. Lang, Miko and Donut, Bertha, Mrs. Joseph, Deeyon, and Mr. Kablo and his son, Eric, had all come to see me off. Here is Donut and me.

I'm sure gonna miss Donut. He is a cutie. He even gave me 2 hair flowers as I was about to go in through security. How sweet! About 6:30 we go were called to go through security. Then, we just waited in the holding room until we boarded. The flight from Majuro to Honolulu served dinner. I ordered a chicken dinner. They also had lasagna, but nothing can beat my mom's homemade, so I didn't want to get that. Of course I wasn't able to sleep. Then, the flight got into Honolulu about 3 am. I had to go through customs since I was reentering the country. Finally, I made it through everything and came up to enter at street level, and met the couple that was kind enough to put up with me...for a few hours... Steve and Patty. I was able to crash for a few hours before we went sight seeing in Hawaii! Got a few souvenirs, and we were off. They even bought me breakfast, lunch, and a shaved ice from North Shore! Very nice people. Well, I got checked in and my boarding passes for Honolulu to Houston, and Houston to Atlanta and went through security there. I get to my gate and find out it has been delayed! Not a long delay, but the problem comes when I land in Houston. Originally, I have a 30 minute layover from arrival to departure of the next plane. There was an airline worker that was helpful. He was able to move me from row 33 up to row 18! This way I would be able to get out of the plane sooner. The airplane from Honolulu to Houston was 9 seats across with 2 aisles! We even had our own tv screen in the seat back in front of us...we were able to watch whatever we wanted out of 9 channels. I didn't sleep again! Well, I got off the plane in Terminal E and the final plane was in Terminal B...and I had about 15-20 minutes before departure...which meant they will be ready for take off, not just boarding in that time! The little shuttle/train ride was a good 5 min. or so walk from where I was...one of the last gates in the terminal. While on the train, I met 2 other ladies traveling on the Atlanta flight. We finally get to the gate and...the doors are closed! They had already closed off the plane from the walkway. Well, they do our ticket things and send us down. Well, we get to the end, and the airline worker said that she was going to have to rebook us. She thought the first lady was only sending 1 person down, not three. So, we walk back up to the gate and while we are waiting...one of the crew guys...either pilot or co-pilot...came up and asked if we were going to Atlanta. Yep...he said, "So, let's go. We've still got 6 minutes." He wasn't allowed to escort us by himself. So we followed her down the walkway, down the outside steps, and around to the steps outside to the plane, and up the steps into the plane. We were finally on our way! I want to give a shout out to the crew member of the United flight that was able to get 3 of us that were late due to late/delayed flights from other parts of the airport! 
I still was unable to rest/sleep. However, I had not eaten anything since lunch the day before in Honolulu...I did have to purchase a snack box on the plane to Atlanta. I thought of getting one item, but when those things cost 2.99-3.99 for one, I figured I was better off paying 7.49 for a variety of small items instead. So, I had that and was on the final leg of my journey. I finally arrive in Atlanta!!! We are in D Terminal. Well, I walk all the way to Terminal C before I even think about the tram thing. So, I finally get on that, and it takes me to baggage claim. I come up the final stop steps to baggage claim where my parents are waiting! Finally I'm home!
Now the unpacking of all the boxes I sent and getting adjusted to American home life again. It was a great experience and blessing. I've learned a lot. I was able to get the pictures finally to work on my computer. Took camera to Best Buy. They couldn't get the pictures to show up on the store computer, so one of the guys tried it in his phone...the mini sd card. He was able to pull up the pics on his phone. So, he was able to transfer all 760 (remember these are all pictures from right after Thanksgiving until now) pictures from the phone to a computer and save it to a new thumb drive. It took probably close to an hour! Oh well, at least I now can get to them! Just unpacked my other camera...the one that stopped working...today. So, next time I go into Athens, I will be taking the camera to Best Buy to see if they can fix it, or if I need to get a new camera. 
Thanks so much for reading and following the blog!
Sarah

Greetings!
I am pretty sure this will be the last post from this side of the International Date Line!!! You probably won't hear much from me until I reach Georgia sometime on Tuesday. As, I will have no way to update anyone until I get home and get to Internet access again. One of the first things I will be doing when I arrive home( after some sleep I'm sure!) is look for a phone. I am considering StraightTalk through Wal-Mart. Believe it or not...I do kind of miss Wal-Mart! I guess not being able to go there for almost a year makes a difference. Of course, that was not by choice. :) Another thing I will get to do is get my hair cut! I haven't done that since I've left the states! Definitely in need of a cut! 

I can't believe the time is already here for me to leave! It seems like yesterday that I got here. I remember being homesick at first and wanting to quit after 1 semester. But I would have missed all of the Blessings that the Lord had for me, if I did quit. He helped me to persevere! He has taught me a lot of things along the way, too! God is good all the time. All the time God is good.! 

My bags are packed at least as much as I can pack! I do have to still get up in the morning and get ready. As, we give out report cards tomorrow. Bertha, our school secretary, will be calling first thing in the morning to make sure that the flight and everything is ready to go. Meanwhile, I will be handing out report cards from 9-4, and yep, taking my lunch one last time. Then, shortly after 4, we will be heading to the airport. I will be heading to Hawaii for a few hours. I will be staying with a couple that will be taking me to do a bit of sight seeing. I asked them what would they do if they only had one day because that is all I will have. Can't wait to see what they have planned! Then after visiting in Hawaii for a little while I am off to Houston, TX. I actually will probably only have enough time to get to the other flight...as I think I have about a 30 min layover from arriving in Houston to departure time to Atlanta! Then, it's Atlanta or bust! 

Last night the church had a farewell party for Lucy and me. It was great! One of the teachers, Charlene even made purple rice~because she knew that was my favorite color! How sweet! I have pictures too! So many handicrafts too! Love everything. And of course Marshall Islands water bottle and mouse pad to help remember my time here! I will certainly miss everyone here a lot. I will always have the memories that we have shared. Maybe one day I will return, if the Lord leads here again, or just for a visit! Either way, I know I will see many on the other side of Heaven one day. Boy, that will be a great reunion! 

Anyway, it's about 9:30 Sunday evening here. So, I better get some shut eye as it will be a long day tomorrow! 
Blessings!
Sarah

Greetings!
Time here is certainly drawing to a close quickly! It's Thursday here already, so four days left. On the night of the 4th day I will be boarding a plane. Thanks to Mr. Buck, I was able to get all of my stuff boxed and pretty much cleaned and put in suitcases. He generously gave me the day to work on packing and shipping, as that was his best day to go to the post office. So, I sent off 4 more boxes, which I believe will be my last ones, unless I get a lot of stuff at the farewell fellowship that won't fit in my luggage. Today he is picking up our high school graduation speaker. Later today is K5 graduation, and tomorrow is high school graduation. Busy, busy! Then on Saturday night, the church is having a farewell fellowship for Lucy (one of the other girls/my roommate, who is also leaving) and me. Then, on Monday is final report card, from 9-4. I will not be there after 4 pm, as I will be heading to the airport. I think we have to check in about 2-3 hours before takeoff.
This morning I got up and milled around a bit. Then went to clean my classroom. Done! Boy, sure missed my mom today. She usually comes to help me clean up the room at the end of the year, and she helps set up at the beginning of the year. I love her payment...for helping I take her out to eat! Great company. Oh well, not this year. :( While I was cleaning, mom was on her way home from Ohio, actually. She went to visit family. She will get home just for a few days of resting before I get home. Then, I get to unpack all of my boxes that I began shipping awhile back! Plus the 4 I sent yesterday will not arrive until after I get home. So, after addressing 1 of them, I thought to myself, "Oh, I can send it to me!" So, I addressed the other 3 to me! 
So, instead of having to work these last few days, they became optional if we were finished with our work. We just have to be at the church by 1 today in case there are any last minute things to get done before the ceremony. So, I went in a little later and cleaned the classroom. Now, I'm waiting for the van, so Lucy can take me to the bank. I had the school pay me with a check instead of direct deposit. So, I will go and cash this one, and then close the account today. This way I will take care of everything before I leave. Well, I think that is all for now. Talk to you soon!
Blessings,
Sarah 

Greetings!
In one week from this time I will already be on a plane headed towards Hawaii! I can't wait. Tomorrow is the last day day with kids, and it's Honor's Day. So, that will start at 10 am. With each class going down to the church for their awards...I was told only do 6 awards in the church. And I've been told that some classes will also sing, but they aren't supposed to. I mean think about it...there are 14 classes. If every class takes 10 minutes, we are looking at this taking over 2 hours! So, they said only 6 for presentation time. It doesn't mean we can't do more in class. I came up with 6~actually I had a boy and girl tie for highest GPA for the year and 2 improved the same amount of GPA from the beginning of the year. I also have a fabulous drawer in class, so an artistic ability award goes to her. And the happiest cleaner goes to a girl that loves to clean. She will actually take the broom from someone to sweep the classroom, even when it's not her turn to sweep!!! And she does it happily! So, I think she deserves an award. Don't you?
Anyway. I just found out today that I am not actually off at all before I leave. Apparently, we still get to work even at 7:30 each morning!!! Ugh! What's up with that? I have no idea. I guess they work all summer, so when he said "vacation days" are next week, he was implying that meant we continued through this week...full days! Well, I'm just about done with everything. I have attendance to do for report cards. Then, I guess I will spend some time cleaning my classroom. Because when I'm finished with all my stuff, I get to help everyone else that isn't finished with their stuff. If I knew that before hand, I would not have worked so diligently getting all my stuff done,"Thinking wow, the more I get done now, the sooner I will get off on Tuesday after the kids leave!" So I worked so diligently on finishing all my stuff, just so I can help the others that didn't work so diligently and waited until the last minute to do their things. The principal said don't wait until Monday afternoon to work on awards...cuz something may happen~power goes out, printer stops working. Well, at least 3-4 people were working on them when I was in the office about 2:30 or so. I got mine printed and all on Friday!!! I was planning on finishing up my packing on Wednesday, since I thought I had it off. I knew Thursday and Friday would be kind of crazy because of the graduations being in the afternoon. Interesting to say the least. 
Then, this evening we had a funeral to go to. It is quite different from the states. One being they keep the body in a casket with class on it in their home for about 7 days, unless it's going to a different place. Another thing that is different here, I noticed is the men sit in chairs, while the ladies sit on the floor...even elderly ladies sit on the floor. Then at the end when they are done speaking, it is time for us to go around and shake the hands of the relatives. By the casket is a basket. At all funerals we give one dollar to the family. Well, we were sitting there waiting...and no one was moving. We were waiting on the men do go through and shake hands first. Families do not sit together nor greet the grieving family together. In fact, for the most part husbands and wives do not sit together in church (they don't even sit on the same bench) or Sunday School or anything. It took me some time to figure out who was married...and then I got help from Mrs. Buck on exactly who was married. 
Well, I guess that is it for now. Talk to you soon! Come on next week! Get here already, will you?
Sarah 

Greetings!
I know...another post so soon. 
I didn't tell you that for Mother's Day the men served us soup, donuts, and ice tea after the morning service. Before the servie, some of the men were giving out necklaces to the mothers...well. they were lei's with a string of gumballs wrapped around them too. The deacon that was passing them out, came over to me and, "You're not a mother, but Happy Mother's Day anyway." Then he gave me one to wear! My roommates also got one, but they didn't wear it during church. In fact, they put them down in their bags. :( I did b/c if he thought enough to include me, then I should feel honored, and I wanted to show him that I appreciated the thought. 
Today, 6th grade had the MISAT test. It is Marshall Islands SAT. Third grade, sixth grade, eighth grade, and this year tenth and twelfth grade students take the test. The guy got to the classroom about 8:45. Then, he was done by 11...the paper said the test time was 8:00-12:00. So, that was interesting. Anyway, the guy said that I didn't need to stay; I should be back by 11. I came back at 10:45. On my way up to the classroom, I noticed most of my students were outside...along with kids from other grades. I get to the classroom, and there are only a few still taking the test. Apparently, he sent them outside to play as they finished the test. Only problem was that there weren't any teachers/staff out there watching any of the kids. So, while the others finished up, I watched the ones outside. 
After school I ran up to the apartment before I started tutoring. All looked normal...door locked, no one was in there. I did think it was odd that the ac was on, since we usually turn it off for the day. I was in my room when I heard a baby crying. At first, I thought it must be someone coming up to see our neighbors...Pastor Lang and family...with a baby. But I thought I would go closer to the door and see. But wait! I hear the crying coming from one of my roommates' rooms! I go in. Sure enough, one of the other teachers has a little one...and she was in the room. I think she was asleep and had woken up. No one was in the apartment, and it was locked up. Wow!!! Well, Lucy, my roommate came up a few minutes later. I told her what happened. She said that she has brought her up b/c she was asleep. And that another teacher was up here with her. I said that she was no longer up here, in fact...door was locked too. Lucy said she had even seen the other teacher outside earlier, and just figured the baby was awake! But alas, nope. Baby was left upstairs in an apartment alone. Different culture to say the least! The staff member probably didn't think twice about leaving the sleeping baby. Oh well, all is good. I'm glad I came up when I did and found her.
Well, I gotta get ready for Wednesday evening service. Less then 3 weeks and counting!
Blessings,
Sarah

Greetings!
It is already May 13! The day after Mother's Day. I am so excited to say that I have only 3 more Mondays before I am on my way home! After tomorrow gets here...I will be home in 3 Tuesdays! YYYYYYAAAAYYYYY!!!!! I cannot believe it is finally so very close.
I finally received my flat rate boxes, and I have filled 2 already. This week, or weekend, will be used to pack up maybe one or two more boxes to ship. I'm thinking I will still have a couple of more after that, but then most of it should fit in my luggage~checked and carry-on. Bertha's (the school secretary) mother-in-law is making a couple of island lady tops for me. I saw some at the yard sale that the Sr. had, and I thought~"I wonder if she makes those too..." Since I wear skirts/tops more than dresses, I thought I would ask because I would like some tops too. And, by george, she makes those too! So, Bertha and I went out last Saturday to look for material, which is called "yards" here because they measure it in yards. Found some nice prints. Can't wait to get them back. :)
This week we have what is called MISAT, Marshall Islands SAT. Tuesday, 3rd grade will take it...Wednesday, 6th grade...Thursday, 8th grade...and Friday, 10th/12th grade will be taking it. I guess this year 10th/12th grade has been added. It is usually just about half a day. New experience again. From what I understand, in years past, they have their own testers come...and I guess last year the testers told the teachers they needed to leave the room b/c they couldn't stay. So, I will make sure that is what may happen...and I may be hanging out at the apartment Wednesday morning! Cool. 
I found out last week that one of my student's mom is in Hawaii because she is pregnant. Apparently, many women do this...better healthcare there. Well, not a surprising thought...one, it is a socialist government and two, it is a third world country. Interesting, though that mothers would do this and leave husbands/children and other family here while they leave for months. 
Next week is called "Exam Week". They figure most students are not going to be sitting in classes all day all week taking exams, so every day next week is half day for the students, not teachers. I'm fine with that...I can hang at the apartment and work on entering grades and such since no internet access in my classroom. Teachers are having afternoon workdays to grade exams and get report cards and all ready. So, I will probably leave things for me to grade in the afternoons, then come and enter grades. It will be nice to enjoy hot meals for lunch, too. The week after that is 2 days of school...Monday not much happening, while Tuesday is Honor's Day/Last Day. So, I've got to be thinking of a few awards to hand out on that Tuesday...not everyone will get one. Well, I am getting sleepy...it's about 10 pm here Monday, May 13 here. So, I think I'm going to turn in for the night. I hope all Mothers and Moms-to-be had a wonderful Mother's Day!
Have a blessed day!
Sarah

Greetings!
I can't believe April is just about gone...tomorrow is the last day of April, at least where I'm at. And 5 weeks from today, I will be on a plane headed home. 5 weeks from tomorrow I will be arriving in Atlanta! WooHoo!!!!!
I'm diligently working on crocheting bookmarks for the kids, as an end of the year gift. Thanks mom for picking out and sending the pretty yarn! I'm also collecting gifts for an end of the year game. Mrs. Buck did it with our Sunday School class at the Christmas party. I will be getting a story with the words right and left throughout the story. The kids will each get to pick a wrapped gift from the pile. Each time I say right or left they have to pass it that direction. They will wind up with a different gift at the end of the game than they started with. Then, they can swap gifts if they want to. I ordered several things from christianbook.com back in early January. It still has not arrived. So, I contacted them, and they issued a refund. I reordered and got some of the same things and some different items, this time I had to pay a little more for shipping in order to get the priority shipping. I hope to have it in about a week. We shall see. I even found a few things at the seniors yard sale this weekend. I found 2 card games...phase 10 and blink...both brand spanking new. The cards were still in the plastic. Each game was $.50. I also found a like new "Treasure Island" book (a classic)...one of the illustrated versions, for a $.25~I have about 23-24 things so far. I was thinking for the other items I would get packs of cookies or some candy. Mrs. Buck suggested some of the little cans of fruit, which will cost about the same. She said they give them out sometimes, and the kids all tell her they don't get that stuff very often. So, I will be picking up some of those as the rest of the gifts. 
As the school year is winding down, time is speeding up. We have a lot of things to do between now and the end of the year. A few things just this week...Wednesday is May Day, also known as Constitution Day. We count it as a day, but we don't actually come to school. We meet in town and walk to the Capital building. Once we hear presentations or whatever, we are free to go. I plan to have some money. The Sr. are selling BBQ plates, and apparently, there are a lot of booths around. So, I want to see that. Then, Thursday, May 2 is National Day of Prayer that we will be recognizing as a school. Friday, May 3, is the 6th-12th grade Field Day. So, we have a busy week. To top it off, not only is May 4 the first Saturday of the month, in which we meet together as a church at 7:30 am for prayer time and after that work/clean day around campus and church, but this Saturday is also "MBCA loves Majuro Day". We did this a few weeks ago. We are asked as a school to help clean the island this day. So, busy week and weekend! Maybe I will get to rest Sunday. :) Then at the end of the month there will be k5 graduation and high school graduation. Next week is the Sr. trip. They are going to an island called Arno, I think. There is no electricity there, but people live there. So, all of their foods will have to be cooked before they leave. Many of the outer islands from Majuro, the capital, actually do not have electricity but are inhabited. Most people on the outer islands do not speak any English. They will be traveling by boat. One of the parents were going to let them borrow their boat...the sr. would have to pay for the gas. When they checked into it, it would cost $3,000 just for the fuel! They can rent a smaller boat for $500 dollars. Big difference~ They pay for the whole graduation and the trip. And they do tons of fund raisers to help with the costs. 
After the last set of boxes I sent home, I definitely decided to use only flat rate boxes for as much as I can. From the island no parcel post is offered, so everything is expensive! Thou we use the U.S. Post Office, not all the services are offered. They do not even carry the flat rate boxes...they don't make any money off of them. However, we can order them. So, that is what I did. I ordered a set of the Large flat rates, Medium flat rates, and on the website I saw another kind of flat rate...they are called large game board flat rates. They are longer but thinner...for a game box to be shipped in. I ordered a set of those too because I have some longer things I will be sending home, but I know I will be able to fit other things in there too. So, for now, I'm waiting on the boxes to arrive before I pack anything else to ship. I am going to be setting aside all school related items to see if the Bucks want to look through it and purchase it from me instead of paying to ship it back. I'm also going to be asking about a few things from the apartment...that I've either sent or purchased here about them purchasing instead of sending back. Some of the stuff is cheaper for me to sell and rebuy when I return home than it is to ship it back! 
Anyway, thanks for stopping by. A few more weeks and I will be in the same time zone of many of you!
Blessings,
Sarah

Greetings!
Time is quickly coming the an end here on the island. It is less than 8 weeks before I am on my way back to Georgia. That means there is less than 7 weeks left of school. Wow! Time is flying for sure!
Still working on packing and shipping things. 
ALL PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, TEACHERS, ANYONE AROUND STUDENTS:
Here is a new teen "challenge" going on here...which they have gotten from the internet. So, I'm sure it is going on the in the states as well. It is called the salt and ice challenge and beware. Apparently, students~usually teenagers, but could be younger if they are watching older siblings, friends, relatives do this and want to be like them~put salt on their arms...or skin to be technical...then they place an ice cube on the salt. Salt lowers the temperature of the ice, making it colder. So, doing this on the skin can result in 1st, 2nd, AND 3rd degree burns, which if not treated carefully can lead to infection...like gangrene, and can cause death. The salt and ice when placed together on your skin can lead to something like frostbite. Another consequence of the challenge will be scars where ever they have tried this. This is a very serious game...and at face value, if you aren't familiar with how salt can affect the temperature of ice, then you might not have thought how severe the consequences could be for this game. There are tell tale signs...just look at their arms, hands, etc (skin) and you will see what appears to be burn marks in the shapes of ice cubes. Share with them the possible outcomes of playing this "game". It's been said it is to show who has a higher pain tolerance, by who can hold the ice on there the longest. Please share this information with anyone that has children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers...anyone, even your enemies... that deals with children to be on the lookout for this new activity. I guess it's all over YouTube by teens that want to put these videos on there. However, they only show the milder cases, so kids don't really see the harm in it. There are cases of kids that are in ICU with 3rd degree burns, which are not shown on YouTube. Please be conscientious of this new thing going on with young people. We have been alerted of some students here at the school participating in this...2 that I know of from 6th grade alone. I had a girl faint in class this week, and from what I understand it was because of her doing this. Salt will also dry out your skin. So, maybe it caused her to become dehydrated? Any guesses on how it caused her to faint? So, I wanted to get the word out to those that may deal with kids of all ages. And to let parents know how dangerous the consequences can be for anyone participating. 

Okay, now on to something else. After church last night, the pastor's son, Jonathan, was playing down by the office last night. There were 2 baby kittens that he found. He found them in a trash can. We think they were placed there for safe keeping...they obviously could not get in them themselves. So, I held one that was the calmer of the two for a bit. She was so little and cute. I kept thinking, maybe I should keep it. The other one was way to hyper...wanting to keep moving. I mean, it would definitely help with the mouse problem in the apartment. Yet, I had to think about house training it. And if I did keep it, it would be used to people. Then what would I do with it when I left. You think people are cruel to animals in the states...people here torment and hurt cats and dogs and do not even think twice about it. So, if I took care of the cat and allowed it to be used to people, I could in fact be leading it to a certain death after I leave and have to let it go. So, in the end, I think it is best for the cat for me not to take it in...though it was really cute. I was able to hear the kitten crying this morning outside of my window. But when I went down, there was only one kitten, not two. Plus, over by the office door was the back leg, yes a severed leg, of what was left of either a mom or dad cat. So, I'm guessing the parent came back to find them and was faced with danger...and possibly saved one of the babies. Marshallese people do not see cats and dogs as pets as we do. There are a good bit of stray cats and dogs. The cats usually stay away from people. People, in general, do not like cats and dogs. A lot of my students say they have cats and dogs for pets. But they are not treated the same way Americans treat pets. For the most part, people are ok with puppies/kittens. It's when they get bigger and grow up, people stop caring for them, or torment them. Well, I will just have to wait for Miss Kitty and Maxine. Oh, the Taiwanese people have actually put an ad out in the newspaper...they will pay $8 per cat...wonder what they do the ones people sell to them. And some people here raise dogs to eat. If you think about it, God did create animals for meat...and dogs are animals. Not saying I plan on doing that, but who are we to judge what kind of meat they eat? 

Well, I will just leave it at that. We have Ladies' Bible Study tonight, so I guess I will start getting ready for that. 
Blessings. 
Sarah

Greetings!
I can't believe in 9 short weeks from this day and hour, I will be on a plane heading towards Hawaii, which I will have a layover, then I basically change planes in Houston, Texas which will take me on to Atlanta. Wow! It seems like a long time, but I know it will fly by! Tomorrow evening I will be handing out report cards...third time of that. Then, the next time I will do that is the day that I leave. I will hand out final report cards Monday, June 3, 9-4 then head to the airport for an 8 pm flight! This will be different for me. I've never flown at night, and both flights will be at night. From Majuro, I will get into Hawaii around 2ish in the morning. Then I fly out of Hawaii at 7pm, just to arrive in Houston in the morning. Then, the flight into Atlanta will be during the day. 

I can't believe Easter has come and gone already. Yes, here it is the evening of April first. We had today off from school. I already had my report cards finished, so I just had a lazy day. I like those kinds of days. :) I did some reading. I will have to get it out of my system, as in a few weeks I will get my course sheets for Pensacola Christian College, summer classes. I  will then start reading things for summer.Now, it just feels like it is crunch time. I need to make sure I get everything that I want from the island, so I can be sending it back...but also make sure I have money when I return. I will have to get my car insurance up and running, get a new cell phone. I've been looking at StraightTalk. I know one friend, Kelley, has it. I wanted to see if anyone else has it too...just to get feedback on the service and reception that you all get. I think that is the best for the money...if it has good reception area like it looks like it does. Just any help would be very beneficial. I do think I need a cell phone to travel all the way to Pensacola by myself, so before I go, I want to find a good one that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg. Those are just a few things I am going to be getting again when I return. I do need to get my hair cut too! But the lady I've been using moved to Hartwell. I am not sure what I am going to do for that, but I'm sure I will find someone I like when I get back. 

I was invited to Easter dinner with the Bucks. The other girls were invited but weren't able to make it. Pastor Lang, Belinda, and their son Jonathan came too. We enjoyed ham, pork...from a freshly killed pig, mashed potatoes, gravy, rice, deviled eggs, and corn. Banana pudding was the dessert. It was a nice time of fellowship. The church gave out sandwiches, hard-boiled eggs, and a drink to those in attendance. Someone also brought coconuts. Many people here poke a hole in the coconut to drink the milk out of it. Then you can scrape out the insides and let them dry for the coconut flesh. The coconut milk is okay. I like coconut, but not fresh coconut, as it is still wet from the liquid being inside. Once it dries, I like it. Even though the church voted on it, it is an expensive thing to offer the community...sandwiches/eggs/drinks. Each person would get one of each. One large loaf of bread costs 2.99, which I found out is more than minimum wage here...$2.25 an hour. Wow! That is a sacrifice for some families...families were asked to bring 3 loaves of sandwiches, and 3 dozen eggs. Eggs are about $2.50 a dozen! Singles were to bring 2 of each. They later decided we girls in the apartment could bring one of each...which would be total of 3 of each from one household. So, I was good with that. I had already purchased 2 dozen eggs, so I gave them to Mrs. Buck for the deviled eggs. 

I guess that is all for now. I hope all had a blessed Easter, and remember that He is alive. He is not in the grave anymore! He is risen indeed! 

Blessings!
Sarah

Greetings!!!
Already the middle of March! Time is flying for sure. Mrs. Joseph took me to their version of a department store called DAR for some fabric. I got some pretty red fabric for an Island style dress. Mrs. Joseph is the secretary. Her mother-in-law is making my dress. She has made me several dresses already. Then, we stopped at my first handicraft shop. It was really neat. I found a hair flower and matching earrings that will go perfect with the new red Island dress I'm getting! I enjoyed looking at everything and getting ideas for another visit. I bought many souvenirs to ship back. 

I am working on some emails to parents now. I have a couple of students that will not be promoted to 7th grade completely due to absences. After 25 absences in a year...excused or unexcused...a student will be repeating and not be promoted.  Not only that, but every 5th tardy results in a day absent. This is where many of the limits have been reached, in being tardy. I have one student that will not be promoted, that has one of the highest GPA's in the class. Believe it or not, I have some students that have over 90 tardies for the year!!! So, that is 18 days absent just from being tardy. The crazy thing is, her mom works at Marshall Island High School as a teacher! So, that means she is also late to work. The stardard in public education here is low. Even in our school one of the hardest things to deal with is the child is in charge. Whatever the child wants, the parents do. If they "don't feel good" or just don't feel like coming to school, the parents will let them stay home. And it can be ALL the time. The most current Minister of Education is trying to bring the standard up in education in the Marshall Islands, so many people are going to be shocked that things are not what they expect. I have another student that has missed over 30 days in actual absences, plus tardies. This girl was on facebook and playing volleyball and in the ocean most of the days she was out of school. One time, she missed over a week at one time. No contact from parents...no request for make-up work. We started calling at day 3 of being absent. No response. Apparently, grandma is part of the royal family, and mom and dad were thinking that we wouldn't hold their child back. For one thing, though, the principal~Mr. Buck~is not Marshallese. Another thing, we do not play favorites or give certain people special treatment based on who they are. I think some people do not think we are serious. But it will take one or two not being promoted for everyone else to see that we mean business! Plus, when they are out, if there is no note, or a legitimate reason for being out, the student is not allowed to make up work and receives a zero for any tests/quizzes that were missed. I have really started enforcing that one since I do not usually get notes of any sort...so, if they miss and have no excuse from dr or parents, they receive a zero for missed tests/quizzes. It only takes one or two to totally mess up their grades. But they have been warned. I do see more notes, though. 

Please pray for safety and traveling mercies, as Pastor Lang and his wife, Belinda, return from a trip to Guam...for a missions conference and Chuuk, visiting Mrs. Lang's family. They will be returning tomorrow evening. Talking about traveling. I will be Georgia bound June 3, and I will make it to Atlanta June 4. Then, at the end of June, I will return to Pensacola Christian College to work on some courses towards my Master's Degree. I should finish next summer. 

Well, that has been my day. Hope all is doing well. And thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it! 
Until next time, 
Sarah
 

Greetings Everyone!
It's already March! Hard to believe there are only a few more months. I am going to be slowly packing and sending things back...at least stuff that is not needed as the time arrives for me to head home. The two boxes today were mostly books and cards...but in one box it has one of the handicraft hand fans and some coconut candy...for my family to try. It's pretty yummy. Soon, I may begin to send some of the clothing items I haven't worn for a while...just to start getting things out of the way. 

Back at the beginning of February, the school had their first health fair. It went well for the first one. They had booths set up from dental people to CPR. The classes that were scheduled to visit the booths after lunch did not have a lot to look at, as some of the places left. Even after Mrs. Buck asked them if they realized it was an all day event...which they replied they did know that, they were just ready to leave. And yes, that is how it is here on the island. If someone doesn't want to show up to work one day, that is OK. I mean, it isn't like that here at the school but other places seem to allow it. Anyway, they had the medical students from the college here to do weight, glucose testing, and blood pressure. They had invited parents, church members, and neighborhood people in addition to the students to enjoy this new activity. The Bucks felt it was needed to help raise awareness for diabetes and high blood pressure, among other things, that is very prevalent here on the island.  The teachers were encouraged to have glucose and blood pressure checked. Mine was normal. No worries there. They also had a couple of healthy cooking demonstrations. Considering that most meals here are accompanied with a large serving of rice, poor diets are here. They were even able to get some of the businesses to donate bottled water/juice and either cans of fruit or fresh fruit for the students to enjoy as a snack that day. The Buck's son has returned to the states, but he continues to have fund raisers to help the school. One being that he as able to get several bottles of children's chewable vitamins donated. They knew that just giving the students one or two vitamins would not do any good. So, they figured it out and decided to allow 3 different grades--3rd, 4th, and 6th grade--to give each student a daily vitamin...and they had enough that we will give them the vitamins for about 3 months. I thought that was a good idea.  It was a good experience, and I'm sure they will do it again. 

Another activity that has taken place recently was the Friendship Banquet. It is only for 9-12 grade students. The students are put into "couples" in which that is who they will attend the banquet with. It is a night of friendship, fellowship, and fancy dressing up. This year's colors were purple and silver. So, every couple would dress in fancy matching clothes...yes, the couples are guy/girl pairs. They were all very fancy. Most students' outfits were sewn by family and friends. They have a devotion time, songs, testimonies, and of course...FOOD, which is served by the staff. At the end of the night, we did have an uninvited guest show up...a mouse! Yikes! Girls and guys alike were screaming and sitting on tables. The banquet lasted until about midnight. Then, there was cleaning up. After that, we waited for parents to get the kids...and it was sprinkling somewhat that evening. I even had a dress made for the occasion. In fact, two were made. We went to one fabric store and nothing jumped out at me. So, we went to another place...and I found one that would do the job...and I liked it well enough. So, I got it. Then we went to one other place...and the fabric jumped out at me! So, I got it too. It's the school secretary's mother-in-law that makes the dresses. All that I needed was another dress for the size and stuff. So, she made dresses out of both materials! Luckily, purple is my favorite color, so no worries in me not wearing them!

Anyway, I guess I will be calling it a night. Hope everyone has an enjoyable and safe weekend...as tomorrow is my Sunday here. My weekend is just about over! That is OK...it's been a good and restful weekend!

Thanks for reading!
Sarah

Greetings!
I know...don't faint or anything because I'm writing again so soon! I can't believe it is Wednesday evening here already...at tomorrow is not only Valentine's Day here, but it will mark the halfway point in February. Wow, where did the first part of the month go? It really is flying by!
Things were a little crazy today, at least near the end of the day. I found 2 students cheating on a test. One was my new student...the other was a friend that has been helping her to adjust. Apparently, the student that has been here actually wrote down all the answers from the test and then gave the paper to the new student. When I noticed it, I went over to her. She claimed she was writing it down...to help her remember. I said there was no reason at all to be copying down the answers...could be cheating or how would I know she wasn't going to be giving it to someone. I decided to compare the two tests without them realizing it. And between the quizzes that they took this morning, the written paper, and the tests it was pretty obvious that they did this. We only had about 30 minutes or so until the end of the day. After school I asked her some of the questions from the test, but her answer, "I forgot...that is why I was writing it down." After she left the room, I talked to one other student sitting  behind them. He confirmed that they had passed a paper between them. Talked to Mrs. Buck...went to get them to talk to her. They pretty much admitted to her right off that they did it. Parents were called. This culture is very non-confrontational. Which pretty much means they don't want to cause any trouble...if someone asks something of them--answers to a test--or anything--they will say yes because they don't want to say and cause strife. Well, the new student did stay for tutoring, but she was required to retake the test during that time. Then we did some tutoring. 
Well, it is time for me to run...church time. 
Have a great night!
Sarah

Greetings!
Just a quick update to let you know how things are going. 
This Friday we are having something called the Friendship Banquet. It is for 9-12 grade students. It is a time for them to get all dressed up, and we rent a place for them to go. The faculty and staff of the school serve the students. Plus we come up with the order of events. I'm on the committee for it. The committee met today at a restaurant after school. Crazy, but I guess a ship hasn't come in for a bit...I first ordered a chicken breast, well they were out of chicken breasts. So, I went for the bacon cheeseburger. Guess what? They were out of ground beef for the burger. So, I went with a chicken sandwich with cheese. Third time was a charm, like they say. :) So, we finalized the order of program. I volunteered to work on games. So, here is what I was thinking...a Bible trivia game. They will be set up at different tables...about 6 students at each table. I think I'm gonna have each table pick a "runner". After I give a question, the runners will wait for their table to decide on an answer and then come tell me. The first runner to tell me the correct answer gets a point. After 8-11 questions, we will get a winner. Another funny game will be to get one person from each table to come up front and form a circle. I will pick a person to start. The first person will have to "snort" to the person next to them...then that person has to try and snort without laughing to the person next to them. If they laugh before they get the snort out, they are out. Tell me what you guys think about those 2 games. After we planned the order of events, Bertha--one of the staff on the committee--took me to look at fabric.Bertha's mother-in-law offered to make me an island dress for the banquet. She is the one that made me the first one--blues/greens/yellows.  They call it  yards here because you measure it in yards. Anyway, we went to one place, and I didn't find anything. Looking for purple/silver which is the colors of the banquet this year. So, we went to another place that sold material. I found something I liked, so I got it. I was like, ok, I will take it. Well, then we went to one other place...and I found THE MATERIAL! It practically jumped off the shelf at me! Love it! So, I got it. Her mother-in-law is going to make another dress out of the first material I got. Also, at this last place, I saw some other material I would love to have a dress made out of, but it wasn't purple, so I will wait on that one. Well, that was my afternoon. 
A few weeks ago, I lost a student. She decided she wanted to go to a different school, so her mom didn't make her go to any school...no idea if she even tried to register somewhere else or not. So, in her place, I got a new student last Monday. Please pray for her and me. She is way behind for our curriculum in 6th grade. Anyone familiar with the A Beka curriculum can understand how it is advanced compared to the public school curriculum even in the states. However, she was going to a public school. But the standard in a public school here are much lower than the academic standards in place at the school I'm at..and much lower than even public schools in the states. So, even though her grades are really good coming from the other school, she is behind, and her grades will not be where they were at the other school. Our academic standards are high...and there are waiting lists for just about every grade. Parents want the academics and know that we teach in English. There are many students that are Marshallese, but they do not speak Marshallese but speak English instead. So, please just keep the new student and myself in your prayers as I begin to try to help her get caught up with the class.  
I can't believe in a few days February will be half over! Wow! It is flying by! 
Blessings!
Sarah

Greetings Family and Friends.
First, I want to tell you how much I love you. Yes, I love each and every one of you so much that I want to spend eternity in Heaven with all of you, someday. With that being said, I pray you will have an open mind and will continue to read this edition of the blog until the end and really think about your future and where you will spend eternity. I am certainly not writing this to judge you in any way, but I am to spread the Good News to those I am in contact with. I cannot in good conscious not say anything to each of you about this issue. I care way too much about each of you to sit back and say nothing at all. Many of you do not understand why I came to Majuro, Marshall Island for a year as a missionary. I get that. And I don't expect you to understand it completely. Let me tell you what a missionary is, for those of you that may not understand or know. Simply put, a missionary is someone who proclaims Jesus as Lord and Savior. I never thought I would be a missionary on foreign soil, even for a year and especially not in some third world country half way around the world on an itty bitty island in the Pacific Ocean! Well, God had other plans for me. That is how He works, His ways are not my ways. Boy, am I glad about that! His ways are perfect, and sometimes we don't always see and understand the reasoning for things until after the fact, but the Lord does...He knew what was going to happen even before we are born! This was one of those times. I would never have been able to do this if I was not single. After finding this position last year and praying about it, the Lord led me to the decision of this is what I needed to do this year and where He wanted me to be. As a Christian, I have learned that when the Lord tells you something, you just might as well do it, or He has His ways of getting you on the path He has planned for your life. I am learning so much! This is the only place I could have learned these lessons too. Which, again, God knew and that is why I am here. I have been asked if I get homesick, and yes of course I do. Why? Because I totally love my family and miss them so very much! I guess if I didn't love them very much, I wouldn't be too homesick, but I do! I didn't know how homesick I would be until I arrived. I keep busy and that helps. But most importantly, I am hear teaching students about God's love everyday, even if I am a little homesick every once and again. I'm doing the Lord's Work and that is what matters.
Let me change gears a little bit here. I could say...Ask Jesus to come live in your heart and your life will be better. You might say, "Better than what? My life is already good." So, that is not what I am going to ask. I want to tell you a little story. If I came up to you and said someone has just paid your $500,000 ticket, isn't that great!" You would probably look at me like I'm crazy and wonder what I am talking about. However, if I said you had a $500,000 ticket for driving past a stopped school bus, and you could not pay the ticket. Now, I come up to you and say that someone has just paid your traffic ticket that you couldn't pay; you would understand and be completely grateful because you know the debt that someone has taken upon themselves for you, knowing that they will never be repaid. Well, Jesus Christ has done just that for you! He has paid yours and my debt of sin, which separates us from God for eternity. There is absolutely nothing, and I mean NOTHING, that you or I can do to make ourselves good enough to get into Heaven. The only way into Heaven and to seal our eternity to live with God forever when we die, is to accept His gift of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives. But first, you have to know and understand what He did and why He did it for you. Think about these questions: Have you ever stolen anything, big or small? What do you call someone who steals? A thief. OK, have you ever lied? What do you call someone who lies? A liar. Now, have you ever used God's name in vain, meaning using it in a way that is disrespectful, have you spoken disrespectfully of God and sacred things?  If so, you are a blasphemer. If you answered yes to all of these questions in your head, then by your own admittance, you are a blasphemous, lying thief. Guess what, I wish I can say that my answer to these three questions I just asked you was no, but I can't. If I did, then I would be lying. My answer is a resounding Yes! That was before I accepted Christ into my heart and He changed me. Am I perfect, no way! But, I am on my way to Heaven when I die. Is it because I am good? Nope. In Mark 10:18 it states that, "...none are good but one, that is God." Is it because I'm doing good works? Um, wrong again. Ephesians 2:8-9 says,"For by grace are we saved through faith; and not that of yourselves:It is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any mand should boast." There is nothing you or I can do to "earn" Heaven. We get to Heaven by A-Admit what you are--a sinner who sins. B-Believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sin and rose again 3 days later conquering death, the grave, sin, and Satan. C--Confess your sins to the Lord Who loves you and is waiting to welcome you into His family and ask Him to forgive you your sins! You must repent, which pretty much means, do a 180 turn and completely turn away from the sin and do the opposite...never to return to that sin again. Will you mess up? Talking for me, yep, I still do. But when I realize it, I ask for forgiveness and repent...turn away from it completely. See, Jesus came from Heaven as a baby. He took on human flesh, to be able to understand what we, as humans, would go through. There is nothing the Lord Christ has not experienced or dealt with that we encounter. He came, so that eventually He could conquer death, the grave, and Satan; and so He could take the punishment of our sins~big and small~and allow us to accept His free gift of salvation. Until we accept the truly free gift He is offering, we are sinners, separated from God, and deserve eternal death in the lake of fire~Hell, forever separated from our Creator. Please, I ask that you at least consider this...those that are reading that have not done this before...and before it is too late. If something here gets your mind thinking and wondering with questions, please ask away! If you don't want to ask me, please find someone from a Bible believing church to ask. If it still doesn't make complete sense, ask them to show you in God's Word what it says. If I don't know the answer, I will find out! Your life, and eternity, is too important to not find out the answers! Again, I am writing this out of love for all that are reading this~family, friends, and maybe others I don't even know! I pray that this message today has spoken to your heart about where you will spend eternity. Don't take this post lightly, and whether or not you agree, please continue to read my blog. I love you and will be praying for each of you.
Sarah

Greetings!
I am sorry it's been a while since I last wrote. Just finding the time to sit down to write for a bit is a challenge. Over the last several months I have been enjoying reading books by Terri Blackstock. She is a Christian suspense writer. I am really enjoying these books! They are very quick reads! I can't seem to put them down once I get them. :)

I thought I would tell you about the holidays. I went Christmas Caroling a few times with the high school students and some of the staff. The first time I went with them, we went to 3 different business: Ace Hardware, EZ Price--which is kind of like a small department store, and Payless--the grocery store. This was the first time the school caroled at business. EZ Price actually has a sign outside the store, in which they put pictures up of the students singing. They even had these stores wanting them to come back and some calling for them to come! They were not the typical American Christmas songs, but they sure had presented the gospel and the Reason for the season to those who listened. I went another time when we went to the now-sitting President's home. It was a somber time, as they were having what we think of as a viewing/showing during a funeral. I think I mentioned before that they actually keep the body and decorated casket at their home for at least 7 days and have different groups come during this time. Well, that is what was going on at the President's home at this time. But we went to share the message of Christ with them. Actually, this President has several grandchildren in the school. Another time we went caroling to, I think it was 6 different homes, where parents have invited us. It was fun and entertaining for sure!

Anyway, that was before and after the Christmas play. The play was very good, and we had 3 showings of it...one that Friday in chapel for students, one Saturday evening, and one Sunday evening. Even when the time was getting close and the students don't seem to be getting it, they always pull it together at the last minute, it seems! I enjoyed helping with it! I got to know a lot of the students doing this, which was good.

I have come to decide that maybe my laptop has some kind of virus. It works fine, at least it seems to. Except when I try to plug in the camera, memory card, or flash drive. Then whatever is on it, does not appear on the computer. In fact, it says there are other files...and they are always the same...which I did not put on it nor will they open. But when I put this stuff back in the camera or whatever...pictures are all still there. So, that is all that I can figure out. Any ideas if that could be the case? I figure, I guess I won't be posting any more pictures until I come home. :( So, that just means I will have to save them to the memory card and only keep the ones that I want. At least I am able to take pictures though!

Christmas break was a very short one to say the least. It was about a week and a half. We had our Christmas program...in which each class comes in one at a time: sings a song, recites some Bible verses, or recites a poem. After your class goes, at least with the older ones, they can go. I pretty much let them go. Before our time, they were allowed to play some games, like UNO, tiddly winks, and Jenga. They really had fun doing that! Then, we were out. On that Saturday we cleaned and touched up the church. The benches were even repainted...and decorated. That evening we had our Sunday School party. Mrs. Buck came up with a couple of games. One game was like a cake walk...except there were other bags of "goodies". I was actually the first winner! I've always said 13 was my lucky number...and sure enough that night it was again! When the music stopped, I was on 13...and I thought wow, my lucky number. And that was the first number picked. Yippee! I got a bag of blueberry muffins and some cookies. Yummy. Then after that, we played a "right/left" game. I'm sure you've heard of it...I don't know what the correct name is for it...but they had gifts wrapped where we each picked one. Then, Mrs. Buck read the Christmas story so that every time she said right, we passed our gift right. And every time she said left, we passed them left. When the story was over, we got to unwrap our gifts. I loved the idea so much, that I am planning on doing it with my students at the end of the year. So, I am starting to get things to wrap and give them. I am sure they will enjoy it very much!

Christmas Day was different. I got up like normal. We were doing nothing until 3:00. We had a Christmas Day service. After the Service, we had a program with different singing, and then we had a meal. We are Baptists...if you know what I mean...always gotta have a meal! We had several young children in the service without any parents. I was told it is because the parents send these kids around just to get the food to bring it home. It may be their only meal for the day. Sad I know. In fact, New Year's Eve is like Halloween in the states. The kids come around and sing something about sharing and then say Happy New Year! We give out whatever we got that we don't really want...Mrs. Buck said one year they gave out bananas. And they had several kids eat them at the bottom of the steps because they knew if they went home with it, they wouldn't get to keep it. I think many people give out candy...that's what we did. Oh, but before New Year's Day, the other missionaries and I had an American style Christmas. I got to also meet the couple that runs the Salvation Army down the street from our school. It was a fun and relaxing day of fellowship.

Then, we started back to school Jan. 2. The first day back I had 11 students out of 27 show up to class! That was 16 students out...over half my class was out! Thursday was better with only 5 out. I had 4 out all 3 days that first week back. They are back now. We are finishing up the quarter, as we end second quarter/semester one on Jan. 17. So close to being halfway finished with the school year.
I do pray that each of you have a blessed and Happy New Year!

Oh, I almost forgot to mention something. I got a special package in the mail from a sweet friend of mine. And inside were special handmade Christmas cards from the 3rd Grade students at Athens Christian School. They were the students I had last year when I taught 2nd Grade there! They were so very sweet! I enjoyed each one very much! I could tell how much work and thought went into the cards. How sweet!
Also, thank you so much to those of you that sent Christmas cards! I enjoyed recieving them in the mail! I have them hanging up. Thank you so much for thinking of me! I'm sorry I could not send out cards this year! But each one of you were in my thoughts and prayers.
 As some of my students would say at the end of their journals..."that is all I have for now. Thank you for reading."

Sarah