¡Que Locura!

QUE LOCURA - an often used expression in Panama to say "What madness" or "What Insanity". I've heard this a lot in Panama, but mostly when I tell my students that they actually have to do work.

Mainly, I'm using this to explain my first few weeks here in Panama. So much has happened, I don't even know how to really explain it all! But, I'll start where I left off. This past Saturday, Joseph and I were invited to a very nice event that celebrated 99 years of the Panama Canal. It was a beautiful and incredible event to honor the Panama Canal and everyone that worked on it and helped to make it happen.

It's actually pretty unreal how bad I am at taking pictures. But this is s a picture of the Marriott Hotel where the event was held

This week was the first full week of school that I attended. Since I was blessed enough to live with the principal, I am able to ride to and from work with her and her two grandsons. In Panama, school starts at 7:30 so we have to wake up at 5 so we can all get ready in time. It's pretty crazy actually, because currently Panama City is in transition for public transportation. They are in the middle of expanding and widening roads as well as building a metro system. This is GREAT news, but in the process, it has caused a few traffic-related problems. So, sometimes our neighborhood road (which should only have two lanes for traffic going in opposite directions) actually has 4 lanes of traffic, all going one way. It causes some crazy traffic jams, so it sometimes takes us 3 times as long to get to school.

We usually have a 30-45 minute ride to school so this is what happens with the guys

I am still assistant-teaching 9th and 10th grade history as well as 8th and 9th grade Religion along with my fellow teacher Dennis King, who by the way is the sweetest person on the planet. But, in elementary school it is currently Folklore Week. This means the kids get to dress up daily according to what day it is, and they get to celebrate the different customs and cultures of Panama. Here are a few pictures to help y'all out

The first day the school celebrated los vaqueros (cowboys)

Dia de la etnia - Ethnicity Day. Again, really quality photo

Representing your country day. Unfortunately, I don't participate because I teach high school!
This is also a picture of the principal of the school - Patricia Lewis - and also the woman who I live with. I can't stress enough how amazing this woman is, and how hard she works to be her best self every single day. I have already learned so much from her, and can't even believe how lucky I am to hang out with her for a whole year!

Same day -Representing your country! The kids marched in a parade on the streets nearby the school! The next few  pictures are from this parade

They even decorate the classrooms!

There is so much energy and spirit in this school as well as this country. The culture and people are very proud of who they are and where they came from, and I really love that! The culture in general is also extremely friendly. I have always received a warm welcome wherever I go, and I am extremely grateful for that because cities are not always so friendly.

In completely unrelated news, my host brother has found out how to take pictures on my computer and enjoys taking selfies any chance he can get.

Next week is exams for the kids since Panamanian schools operate on trimesters, so say a prayer for them!

Hasta pronto!

MADE IT

So it's only 6 days late announcing this but...I made it to Panama! I'm not sure where to even start - so much has happened! I'll start off with my living situation.

I am currently living in a part of Panama City called Villa Lucre, where I am living with the lovely Patricia Lewis (who is the principal of my school aka my boss), her husband Eddy, her father, and her two grandsons Michael and Justin. It's a super busy house which is exactly why I love it! These are some of the sweetest people I have ever met and they have definitely adopted me into their family. They have been more than hospitable and overly generous, and I am so thankful that I am able to spend a whole year with them!

Hanging out in the family living room

For the first couple of days, Glenda took Joseph and I through different parts of Panama to give us somewhat of an orientation of the city. Panama City has a lot going on, and it's an extremely multicultural and diverse city. We were able to see a lot of different parts of the city, so here are a few pictures to show you what we got to see and experience!

This is Panama Centro - the old downtown of Panama.

Sunset at the Bay of Panama. To the left is the Pacific Ocean and very far away and straight ahead is part of the Panama Canal!

A beautiful view of the city from a district in Panama called Casco Viejo - a very nice and historical part of Panama that was built right after the destruction of the old Panama City (which was destroyed by pirates - seriously)

Then on Wednesday, Joseph and I were able to visit the school for the first time and observe classes. I will be assisting Rev. Dennis King and teaching World History (taught in English) and Religion (taught in Spanish) for grades 7, 8, 9, and 10. The incredible thing is that each class is 40 minutes, so the students have 9 different classes each day. WOW! So, throughout the course of the week, I will have 15 different classes to teach. So, it seems I will have a lot of planning to do soon! Here is a picture of the front of the school:

I will find a better picture of the school and classrooms soon! :)

The next day was a holiday celebrating the birth of Panama City. So, Glenda was nice enough to take Joseph and I to a parade downtown. Basically, it was a select set of school bands that marched in the parade. San Cristobal was one of the chosen schools, so that was pretty cool to see! Band is a HUGE and popular thing here, so it was fun to watch how excited everyone was. Here is a picture of one of the bands

One of the bands playing some Bruno Mars

After the parade, my family wanted to take a day vacation to the rainforest. Fun fact - Panama City is the only city in the world that has rainforest inside the city limits! So they invited Joseph and I to go with them - such a good time! Eddy even drove us over the Panama Canal so we could get a quick look. I took a terrible photo, but you get the idea!

After showing us around a bit, they took us to a place that has a pool out in the rainforest, especially because the boys love to swim. It was super nice and relaxing and we all got to talk and hang out. Here is a picture of my new little brother and I:

I could probably post a lot more but I will save that for another blog post! This is enough of a novel!

But, I thought I'd add one more thing. Patricia took me to church this morning with her to La Iglesia de San Cristobal, and it was a really nice service with even nicer people. During the service, we sang a song called, "In His Time" and although it was a super short song, I thought it had a powerful message. The last two lines were:

Lord, please show me every day as you're teaching me your way,
That you do just what you say in your time.

Usually things don't jump out at me, but I thought this was especially relevant. Sometimes I get antsy while wondering what is coming next, what my regular routine will be, and just in general thinking about the rest of the year and what is to come. But this reminded me that all will fall into place in his time, so for now, I will just live in the present and enjoy every second!

Hasta luego!

ONE WEEK

Today marks ONE WEEK until I leave for Panama! It feels crazy just saying that. The past few weeks of preparation have consisted of doctor visits, paperwork, watching "Friends" on repeat, trying to decide how in the world to pack for a whole year, eating an excessive amount of burritos, and spending time with friends and family.

But, before I say more, I would like to give a HUGE shout out to everyone who has donated to my mission. I could say thank you every single day, and that still wouldn't be enough. I am beyond blessed and so grateful for every single one of you. Without y'all, this wouldn't be possible! I promise that I will keep you all well updated on all of my adventures and work that I do!

Since my last post about orientation, I have had a super relaxing and wonderful time catching up with friends and family.

First, I got to volunteer for a week at a camp for people with disabilities called Adventurers Camp. This camp is located at my favorite place in the world, Trinity Center, where I also grew up going to camp and eventually worked as a counselor for two summers. Being here for a week reminded me how humbling it is to be able to serve other people, and made me even more excited to be able to serve others for an entire year abroad! Here is a quick picture to sum up how great this week was:

Sweet girls of Cabin 6

Oh wait, this is where the camp is located:

Beautiful sunset at Camp Trinity

Otherwise, I have been traveling all over good ol' North Carolina just to make sure I get to see everybody one last time and say final goodbyes. It is incredible how much support I have received from family and friends. I have always said that I have never understood how I am so lucky and blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life. I realize I am a total sap and constantly post about people and how great I think they are. But it is true, and all of you are my inspiration. The place I see God the most is through other people, which is yet another reason why I am BEYOND excited to meet and experience a whole new culture. I can't wait to meet new people, new friends, and learn as much as possible about the culture. One more week - and I couldn't be more excited.

But before I go, and staying on the topic of people, I just want to take a hot second to recognize and yet again congratulate these two cuties - my sister Katherine and her fiancé Stefan:

It is officially 3 months until these two get married!!! A wedding in The Netherlands - stay tuned for a post about that in 3 months!

Once again, thank you to everyone that has gotten me to where I am! Keep the prayers coming, I appreciate them more than you know!

Chau!

It's Happening

Hey everyone!

As some of you may know, I, as well as my fellow YASCers, just returned from 2 weeks of cultural training in NY! These two weeks were absolutely amazing, wonderful, challenging, inspiring, educational, hilarious, and beautiful. Obviously I can't find a way to describe it in words so maybe this picture slideshow will help!

This is a picture of the Young Adult Service Corps 2013-14 (with the addition of some Young At Heart missionaries)! Such a cutie group!

 

We got to meet with Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori at the Episcopal Church Center - what an amazing and inspiring woman!

We had a "multi-faith day" in the city. One of the stops was Eldridge Street Synagogue, which had this beautiful stained glass window.

We got to visit Park 51 Mosque -the mosque around the corner from the World Trade Center. It was an incredible info session with an even more incredible and inspirational speaker.

We also got to visit this beautiful church in Tarrytown. This is a picture of the church where Susan Copley, our boss' wife, is a priest. It was a beautiful service that was in both English and Spanish. It was so full of joy and happiness and everyone was so welcoming!

This is the room where we pretty much lived. Home of all of our info sessions, discussions, worship, laughter, and just spending good ol' time together.

I couldn't leave out a picture of TEAM PANAMA. This is Joseph Morin, who will also be going to Panama City. I got way too lucky getting placed with this silly guy!

I could probably post 1,568 more photos, but I just thought I'd put in a few gems that would help sum up the two weeks. These don't even do the 2 weeks justice, but I'm trying to spare y'all and not write a novel for every blog. The two weeks were exactly what we all needed and I think we all left with a new inspiration and excitement for our missions. 

For me, one of the most important parts of this orientation was building such an amazing bond and community with all of the fellow YASCers. I realized that one of the coolest parts about  this mission is that we have each other as an incredible support system, which will be super crucial once we are shipped all over the world. 

So, I thought I'd end this post by allowing y'all to meet all of these amazing missionaries! My fellow YASCer and friend Ashley Cameron put together this awesome video. It's in the post below since I am the worst at technology and couldn't figure out how to put it in this post. Enjoy!

Meet the Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) members of 2013!

Fundraising Dinner!

This past weekend, I held a fundraising dinner for my upcoming mission in Panama, and the only way I can accurately explain how I felt about it is WOW!!! The amount of support and encouragement I received from my family and friends was absolutely astounding. I never imagined that so many people would be so passionate and excited for me, but most of all I am so grateful and blessed to have so many generous people in my life. After this fundraising dinner, in addition to donations from my extended family, I have almost made the halfway mark for my fundraising goal! Although I still have a long way to go, the energy and enthusiasm inspired a new and exciting hope that I can continue down this path when I appeal to churches.

For the dinner, the Alberts, our family friends, were kind enough to help us rent out a room at their yacht club. It overlooks the water and was the perfect spot to hang out with family and friends. Not only was it a great way to inform my friends and family about my upcoming mission in Panama, but it was also just a really nice and fun reunion for everyone. We got to see a lot of faces that we don't see too often anymore, and it was way too much fun to catch up with everyone and have a good time.

With the help of several people, the dinner was a great success. A special thank-you to everyone that brought dishes of food and drinks! Most of all, I want to give a special shout-out to my mom - Beth Carter - for making it all happen! This woman I, at least most of the time, claim as my mother went above and beyond and organized everything as well as devoted so much time and energy to make it all happen. Her efforts truly showed since the dinner was awesome! Also a special shout out to Mrs. Alberts, a close family friend and basically my other mom, for helping us find the perfect place as well as help organize.

At the end, it was obviously appropriate to have a photo shoot. Here are a few gems that accurately sum up how amazing my family and friends are:

Again, special shout out to this woman who made it all happen as well as has supported me in everything I do. I can't imagine where I would be without her. Most amazing is the fact that we took a good picture together, considering most of the ones we take are absolutely absurd like this:

Another special shout out goes to my dad - John Carter - for being my other number 1 fan. After all these years he somehow is still able to put up with me, which is a miracle in itself.

To continue the photo shoot, I naturally have to add the two girls in my life that I couldn't imagine my life without. These two have been by my side since the beginning and helped shaped me into who I am today. Although I can't believe I can't pack these two into my suitcase for Panama, I'm sure we can find a time to adventure around Panama together.

And just to add to this list, I can't leave out the two other mamas that I have. I have probably spent more time at both of these houses than my own, and probably more than they wished I would, and I am more than blessed to have three families that I claim as my own.

Lastly, how could I leave out my weirdo sister Katherine. Although she couldn't be there since she's kickin' it in the Netherlands with her new fiance (YAY), I know she was there in spirit. I love this girl more than life, and I am positive I wouldn't be half the person I am today without her. Here's a real beauty of this silly girl:

Okay - just had to send some lovin' out. THANKS AGAIN to everyone that has supported me and continues to support me - without you, none of this would be possible! Thank you thank you thank you for all of the donations made so far, and I promise the next few posts will not be this long and sappy.

LOVE YOU ALL.

Going to Panama!

So! A lot has changed since my last post! What you really need to know is that my placement has been changed, and I am now officially serving in Panama! I'm super excited about this opportunity and what is in store for me there! So, I thought I would re-introduce myself and describe exactly what I will be doing there!

Who am I? :

I’m Rachel Carter and I just graduated from North Carolina State University!  Two semesters ago, I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina and absolutely loved it. Once I returned to America, I realized I had the travel bug and couldn’t wait to get out of America and travel again. That’s when I heard of this really cool opportunity to work for the Young Adult Service Corps, and realized I couldn’t pass the opportunity up.

What is YASC? : In early March, I was officially accepted into the Young Adult Service Corps  (YASC) through the Episcopal Church. YASC is a global outreach program that sends out young adults to serve in foreign communities through the Anglican Communion. Basically, YASC is like the Peace Corps, but only for one year.

What will I be doing? : I will be working at the Instituto Episcopal San Cristobal (St. Christopher's Episcopal School) which is the largest Episcopal School in Panama with 1500 Students. During the academic year of March-December (the seasons are opposite here, so summer is January-March!) I will work alongside the history teacher in the school as an assistant teaching 11th and 12th grade history. During the summer (January-March) I will work with the school Social Outreach and the Diocesan Youth Program. Sounds like it's going to be a lot of work, but I'm really excited about it!

What’s this blog for?: So in order to keep everyone back at home updated on all of the work I’m doing, YASC asked that we keep a blog so that we can give updates as well as post pictures. So even though I'm not a pro-blogger, I'll give it a try and try and make this as painless as possible for y'all :)

I decided to name my blog Buena Onda in Panama. "Buena Onda" is slang for "good vibes". It is commonly used in Chile and Argentina (and maybe is spreading to other countries as well) but it was in Chile and Argentina where I learned this term. The people used "buena onda" for almost anything that pleased them or anything they liked -whether they are talking about a friend or even about a soccer game! So, I thought Buena Onda in Panama would be the perfect name for my blog since I have been feeling nothing but good vibes about Panama!

Last of all…I need your help!: I can’t believe I have been so blessed to have this beautiful, terrifying, amazing, challenging, and incredible opportunity. BUT, in order to even partake in this mission, I’m going to need some help and support. We have to fundraise $10,000 to help fund us on our trip. If you are interested in donating (even a little bit helps!) please e-mail me at rjcarte3@gmail.com.

I hope y’all will keep up with me while I go on this journey! This is just the beginning!

Rachel