Did you know . . .

I just discovered what the e-mail setting accomplishes - wow, that took awhile to sink in ;) Anyway, I went to my first concert last night - it was a folk group called Salvia Andina. They are a group of five guys who went to school together and have been together for 30 years. They have performed all over the world, including a concert in Moscow, and a private concert at the White House with President Nixon. It was very cool - but also exhausting. The concert was about 2 hours long and the music was beautiful. They played some songs from other cultures - a few songs from Fiddler on the Roof, and Ave Maria. They also played a lot of South American songs in general. The last half of the concert was all Bolivian Folk Songs and that was awesome. The guy behind us (aside from talking to his wife the whole time) was STOMPING his feet and the floor rattled all around us. During one of the folk dances the ladies in the audience pulled out hankies and started waving their hands in different patterns. Ann said that is part of the dance (it reminded me of hula dancing, and how the hand motions have meaning). Then they sang the Bolivian anthem and we all clapped to the beat. I love their rhythmic clapping though. It isn't on the first and third (or second and fourth), it's on the half and the whole. Those of you that have listened to Spanish or Latin music understand what I am talking about. Anyway, it is very fun!
Another crazy thing about the concert was getting into the theatre. We all had assigned seats, but EVERYONE was pushing forward and cramming around you. Nobody budged either. I lost Ann for a little bit, but finally I made it through. We had a good laugh as we found our seats. She said that's the way it used to be on Bolivian airlines too. Only they didn't assign seats, so you had to fight for wherever you wanted to sit. Can you imagine? I guess old habits die hard.

Well, anyway - I just wanted to share my evening with you. One of the other teachers, Liz Huanquiri taped a little of the concert, so maybe I will see if there is some way to put a clip of it on here. It really
was incredible.

Chaperone Emily

Well, I don't kow who had more fun at last Friday's costume party. Everybody knows how much I love to dress up. My only major distress was that all my costumes (especially my Elizabethan one) are still in the States. In all honesty, it would have been way too hot for all that fabric though. :) So, I went as a shooting star. Katie Wells made two styrofoam stars, and I borrowed a water gun. Anytime one of the kids asked me what I was, I shot them with water. It was great!!

We also played some normal high school games, like Honey If You Love Me, and the Winking Game. It was a little weird, in a very funny way, to wink at my students. All the guys had these funny little grins on their faces, as if it say, "Is Miss Barlow going to wink at ME?!" It was hilarious. I spent more time laughing than I have in a long time. It was a great time with my students just to relax and have fun. Make sure you check my home page to look at more pics of the evening.




Senior High Camp starts next Monday - be praying for me as I spend two hours every day with the eight students who have chosen not to attend. Camp is definitely optional, but staying in school for a week is not meant to be the easy way out. So I have to find lots of work to occupy them! :) But I also want it to be a time where God can move in our lives. Just because they chose not to go to camp doesn't mean they can't hear from Him, right?

On a side note, it has been awesome to talk to everyone who has called my new phone. I LOVE it! At the same time, God has been very good about giving me things to do here so I am not tempted to talk on the phone all the time :) That was a prayer request, by the way. :)

Ciao