We are three weeks into the new school year at Colegio Andacollo, and what a crazy-busy three have they been! I think the easiest way to explain everything is to simply illustrate what a "typical" week looks like for me...(though nothing ever is actually normal)
Monday--Outside of the colegio. As a part of the program requirements, I am to spend one day each week doing some type of secondary-ministry work. So, I prepare, serve, and clean up at the Comedor (Parish Soup Kitchen). The Comedor is open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and serves about 20 old people in the neighborhood. And I work on Mondays with two other ladies from the Pastoral office and then a couple of moms who have kids at the colegio. I normally end up in the Pastoral office afterwards finishing up things or helping someone else.
Tuesday--English Classes. I have my 5th, 8th, and 6th graders on these days. (The 5th graders are the only ones that I had last year, all of the other classes are new to me.)
Wednesday--Pastoral.
Thursday--English Classes. I have my 7th and 4th graders on these days. (Oh, we have a new English classroom--pictures to come--but it is huge and awesome!)
Friday--Pastoral.
Saturday evenings--Pastoral. I am in charge of the attendance for the masses on these nights, and help with coordinating them.
My Pastoral duties have changed a bit this year, which basically means that I have a ton more responsibilities than I did last year. For instance, I am totally in charge of the Primer Ciclo (Kindergarten-2nd grade)--including writing the morning prayers, accompanying them in the morning prayers, coordinating events throughout the year, organizing the masses, and developing the jornadas. I am also co-coordinating the Social Action Club for the high schoolers with Mary Jeanne--we will have monthly meetings as well as monthly activities for them to particiapte (such as visiting a women's prison or orphanages or preschools or hospitals, and doing activities or some type of service work at all of these places). Also, I help prepare and participate in all of the jornadas, every other Wednesday, with kindergarten through 6th graders. Finally, I am in charge of the attendance for the Saturday masses, which translates to me keeping track of which students came to mass and which didn't, for Pasoral records as well as the official school records. And throughout the year, I will develop/organize, coordinate, and participate in various other Pastoral activities, including the Winter Mission Trip, Holy Week, Saint Andre Bessette Week, Summer Mission Trip, Month of Solidarity, etc.
**deep breath** so, yeah...it make be more like off to a sprint start that will turn into a marathon pace...
It has been great being back at the school though--I get swarmed with little kids who want to say hi and hug and kiss me, or tell me what new English word they learned that day, or help me open their snacks. I know quite a few of the high schoolers from the Summer Mission trip and it's great catching up with them between classes and during the breaks, which is fun and different from last year. I definitely feel more of a part of the Colegio this year, which makes all of the day-to-day craziness and stress feel worth it.
Let's see, what else...It has been a big week for the Congregation of Holy Cross here in Chile. The District Provincial (the big boss) is in town, and so yesterday he visited Andacollo, and that evening we had a big mass and dinner for the Feast of Saint Joseph (Patron Saint of the Congregation), and tomorrow one of the seminarians from Haiti will be ordained a deacon (!!).
It still feels a heck of a lot like summer, not that I am complaining, so I am trying to soak in some of the warm weather before winter starts to arrive as well as find something fun to do outside of work...I can't quite think of anything else at the moment. Next blog will be filled with pictures!
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