Triple Threat!

They can sing... they can dance... they can act... that's right, they are the SMCA Kids!

Have I mentioned that I am doing a musical this year? Yep, that's right! Me and my cast of 7 talented elementary kids have been diligently working on the first ever SMCA Musical! The kids prepared for auditions in early March (don't worry, no one was cut!) and then we hit the ground running. Well, I don't know if running would be the right word because in our first rehearsal I quickly realized that I did not have any idea how to teach a choir! Thankfully my cast was so excited that they didn't even notice that I had no idea what I was doing! So as I learn how to direct and conduct and choreograph, my cast enthusiastically does what I request and we are dancing and singing our way to a spectacular show (hopefully)!

What musical are we doing, you may ask? Here are a few of the songs... let's see if you can guess...

"Conjunction Junction, what's your function, hookin' up words and phrases and clauses..."
"Interjections show excitement and emotion, they're generally set apart from a sentence by an exclamation point or by a comma when the feeling is not as strong."
"There's a great new craze that sweepin' the nation! Come on, do the circulation!"
"Interplanet Janet, she's a galaxy girl, a solar system miss from a future world..."

Or maybe we should unpack some adjectives? This show will ROCK! Because it is...

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! JR.

We perform on Thursday, May 13th! I hope to see you there! :) Ok, I know that is much to far for you to travel, but I will try to post some video of the show after we perform! In the meantime, I ask for your prayers. There is alot to get done before opening night- lines to memorize, dances to learn, scenes to block, sets to paint, costumes to creat... the list goes on! Please pray that it will all come together and be a wonderful experience for these students who have worked so hard!

Spa Night!

Around Christmas time, some of my dear friends generously donated boxes full of delightfully girly products for the girls in our Hope Program. The dontation was originally for Christmas gifts, but the shipment was detained in Texas and did not arrive in Mexico until after Christmas had come and gone.

Random thought: Isn't it funny how we originally intend for something to be used in a certain way and then it turns out that God has a totally different and immeasurably better purpose in mind? :)

Anyway, back to the story... In the beginning of Feburary all of the gifts arrived and I was so excited to see everything! Lotion, bodywash, deodorant, toothbrushes and make-up... lots and lots of make-up! All of these items are much needed necessities on our campus. I couldn't wait to put together packages for the girls!

Each of the female teens on our campus (there are 11) received a bag which contained something similar to the picture below.

Rather than just drop the bags off at the teen homes, my roommate and I had another idea in mind! A SPA NIGHT! We thought it would be fun to invite the girls over to our house for manicures, pedicures, facials, chololate and a chick-flick! At the end of the night we would give each of the girls their gift!

Kayta (with her gift) getting ready for her pedicure!

I ran the pedicure station! Here is Carolina getting her toes painted...

Here is Becca giving Perla a manicure...

Some of the girls at the end of the night! We all had so much fun!

My favorite part of the night was hanging out with the girls and getting to know each of them better. A special thanks to my friends who made all of this possible! You are such a blessing and God has used your genorosity to bring joy to these sweet girls! Thank you!!

Eeekkk!!!

Disclaimer: If you are not fond of certain 8-legged creatures, then please skip over this post!

It is spring break and the animals have gone wild! Let me show you what I mean...

What in this photo does not belong?

Can't tell? Look again...

Oh! There it is... to say that I was shocked by this spider in my closet would be a slight understatement!

And then there was this "little" guy on my daily commute to school...

My first tarantula sighting! Eeekk!!

The moral of the story? Add Raid to the shopping list.

Baking for the Lord

Every morning my students and I start the day off with a time of prayer. Earlier in the year we began the tradition of praying for other missionaries around the world. I have friends serving in countries all over the world and I wanted to use their stories to show my students things that God is doing in other parts of the world.

One morning, after praying for the audio Bibles that are being distributed in Mozambique (asmtoday.org) my students said, "Miss Jessica, what else can we do to help?"

After a couple days of brainstorming, we decided to have a Bake Sale to raise money to buy more audio Bibles so that the people in Mozambique can have the opportunity to hear that Word of the Lord in their own language. We partnered with a local church and planned the have our sale after their service one Sunday.

To prepare for the sale, my students went door-to-door and asked each staff woman if they would like to contribute a delicious treat for the event. I am so proud of all of the hard work that my kids put into the preparation and how excited they were to be doing something to help people on the other side of the world.

When the day of the sale arrived, we headed to the church to set up for the sale. We had so much fun sharing our purpose with the people at the church, practicing our Spanish and selling out of everything that we brought! Praise the Lord for all the money that was raised! My students raised enough to send 5 audio Bibles to Mozambique! Go kids and go God!

Setting up for the sale...

Working Hard...

Having Fun...

Sneaking a treat...