Whew! Been a while. . .

Today was the last day of week three at Amicitia.  Did I just say week three??? Because it felt like week three hundred!!!!!!! They say a day in heaven is merely a moment.  In Moroccan time, a day is a millennium!!!  I have had so many ups and downs these past three weeks.  Part of my stress & frustration stems from the fact that it's a million degrees here (Wow Rachel. What a great use of hyperbole!).  I literally moved to the surface of the sun! :) (Although I'm pleased announce that there was a heaven-sent breeze blowing through my classroom windows this afternoon--first day I didn't sweat since school started!! Lately I've been stewing in my own filth. . .haha!) But enough complaining. . . . let me give you a glimpse into my crazy busy life since the beginning of September.

The school is set up on block scheduling.  That means that each class I teach is 1.5 hours long, but I don't teach every class each day. I have Freshmen & Seniors on M, W; Foundations and Honors on T, R; and then all the classes for only 45 minutes on Fridays.  I also monitor a study hall in my room 3 days a week (and my study hall students have been teaching me some Arabic the last 20 minutes of class. I learned the colors this week.).  So back to the time slots, it's nice to be able to get a lot done in one setting, but that also means I don't see all of my students each and every day making it a bit difficult to keep up with all their English needs.  So far, my classes have been pretty mild.  I tried to start out really strict--gotta get the image of the "mean teacher."  (I did hear positive results through the grapevine.) We've been moving fairly slowly, as in haven't-made-it-to-the-textbook slow.  I had to really reign in my expectations.  Some of my students don't have books yet as they're stuck in customs in Casablanca. Some of my students are needing a bit more practice in basic English, grammar, and sentence structure skills.  There's definitely a large discrepancy between what they say they know and what they can produce.  The Lord is trying to teach me patience in so many departments.  However, it's still just week three, and we have many more meetings.  I hope that some of my enthusiasm for reading can rub off onto some of the kids.  We're supposed to be getting Kindles for all the high school students with lots of novels loaded onto them already.  I'm looking forward to jumping into some great books with these kids and hopefully helping them find something they enjoy.

Fridays, even though they're jam-packed with all the shortened classes, are my favorite.  I'm a little bit more lax with the kids.  We take vocab quizzes in all the grades and then work on other stuff (or play Would You Rather with the remaining time--I really  need to work on that "not being off task" stuff. . . ), and then we all sing Rebecca Black's Friday song.  I'm pretty sure my kids think I'm weird, but somebody's gotta be, right? I've started to become more comfortable and I'm skating the line between strict and "fun." I've starting singing and bustin' out some dance moves. So fun! They're uber big and devoted negotiators though, and they haven't learned that I don't negotiated well. haha They turn in their homework late and try to get full credit. Not happening!

I really enjoy the rest of the faculty at the school as well! The new teachers are AMAZING! I think we've all bonded really well the past three weeks. Actually, we bonded before school started and I hardly see them now that we're all busy teaching and planning. :)  The returning teachers are also fantastic!  They're so willing to help and provide insight into aspects of life in the city and at the school. I live with two of them and they have been so sweet, offering wisdom about everything & really setting my mind at ease.

One thing that I've gotten to do (other than be a full-time teacher) is drive a car. That's right folks, Rachel Rufenacht has officially driven through Fes and Morocco!!! (more than once, too!) The school has a car that they loan out to the teachers if they need it to drive to the store or just around the countryside. Two weekends ago, two of the other teachers and I took the car up into the mountains to a little town called Ifrane.  The town is only two hours away and inspired by Swiss construction--all the houses have pointy roofs and look like they could be in the Alps. It was so much cooler up there, and we spent the day enjoying the sunshine, the breeze, and lounging in a cafe drinking coffee & tea--Ahhhh the life!

Lauren, Katie, Me, and Marcy before setting off

Yea. We had to stop for the sheep and the cows. Typical.

All the buildings looked like this. Love it!

We're hoping to go back and ski in the winter!

Last weekend I borrowed the car again and did some more shopping for my classroom as well as grocery shopping.  Let's discuss: grocery shopping is frustrating!!! The produce is really fresh, but that's about where the wonders end. The carts remind me of cart racing. They don't turn on a dime and I'm always an inch away from running into someone.  The food labels are all in French and Arabic--I have to make my purchases based solely on the pictures. And the checkout lines take twice as long as anything I ever waited for in Defiance or Memphis.  You bag your own groceries, and any price checks can take up to a half hour. Seriously!

I also spent Saturday morning with Amy W. We drove around Fes for a bit, ate lunch at a nice coffee shop, and found some cheap clothes. :) That night I took the boys and her to a restaurant and spent the night so we could all drive to church together.  They're so fun!!!

Let's see. . . . I feel there is so much more I should catch you up on.  My roommates and I have a maid.  I know. Lap of luxury, right?! She comes on Fridays--she's like a magic fairy. I leave in the morning, the house is super dirty. I come home at night, everything is clean and stacked in neat little piles.  I think she'll even cook for us if we leave her ingredients!  

Last week was super fun. I received books in the mail that a wonderful friend from Memphis sent to me, a letter from a dear and extremely missed friend from college, and a package from Mom and fantastic peeps from FCOG!  You all are so wonderful and faithful!  Thank you for your continuing thoughts and prayers.  I know that most of my blogs are maybe the stressful and difficult times here in Morocco (yes, there are lots of them), but it's nice to know that I can vent and know someone is listening and praying.  Morocco has lots of wonderful and beautiful parts too.  The people can be very hospitable, it's a blessing to have a job, and I'm learning so much about myself and others here. Memphis was a growing time in that I learned I could be on my own and survive.  I'm having to relearn that a bit here since survival requires so many different things than America did. I can't just reheat my leftovers in the microwave, or drive myself to the store, or walk alone at night. It's just such a different feeling living in a foreign country.  My wonderful friend Natalie from Memphis gave me a devotional before I left, and it's been so pertinent every night.  It always has encouraging words for me, and has been on the theme of TRUST lately--something that I have been working on growing in.  God is faithful and I'm learning to put my trust in him every morning.  He never lets me down and always exceeds my expectations.

That's all for now.  I'm trying to get a handle on this teaching thing and will hopefully be writing more than once every three weeks!  Hugs and kisses from the other side of the world! xoxo

From the desk of Ms. Rufenacht

I'm pleased to announce that I made it through my first day as an official high school English teacher---and it wasn't that difficult. That could be partly because today was "syllabus" day, and I spent most of the day going over expectations and procedures and giving the students a wonderful reading assessment (I'm sure the students were pleased with that on the first day!), and partly because today is a B day on the block schedule, and that means I only teach from 8:30-12:30. How wonderful to have the afternoon free for planning (or for sweating because it's ridiculously hot in the classroom)!!!

I wanted to add some pictures so you can see the before and after shots of my classroom. . . Enjoy! (The first pics are from Mr. Palossari.)

 These are what the classroom looked like this summer.  There was a balcony at the back of the room that they enclosed to help add a bit of room (still a tight squeeze, but it looks great now!)

So this is what my room looks like now. I brought over some posters that help brighten it up a bit. My desk is in the back left corner, but may need to be moved to make room for more desks (apparently lots of students want to take Honors English). I'm pretty excited about my two whiteboards. It's nice and homey--needs a bit more organization, but I'm definitely on my way to being done with it soon.

So today was my first day teaching. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but I actually had a lot of peace this morning. Such a blessing!  Tomorrow I teach my other two classes, and then the real fun starts--planning for actual lessons!  I definitely covet your prayers and thoughts as I get ready to dive into teaching my students. I really want to get to know them and find out what they need so I can cater lessons to them. I'll keep you posted!

A Humdinger of a Weekend

It probably wasn't really a "humdinger," but gosh it feels like one when you're somewhat stranded in a foreign culture and all you can say is "hello" and "thank you" and that just doesn't get you very far. Ironically, we talked about culture shock this morning at New Teacher Orientation (Yes. That in itself is SHOCKING, since I've only been going to school for, oh, my whole life! Can't believe that I actually start teaching in a week . . . but that's a whole post in itself. . .). It's one thing to say "these are the reasons for culture shock, and these are the symptoms, and these are the remedies," but it's an entirely different thing to be present and waking and living and sleeping in culture shock. So because I'm having a rough, culture shock-y day, I'm going to vent about the things that I'm finding very disagreeable at the moment:

Friday: I tried to get cash out of the ATM. Both times that I inserted my card, the machine told me, quite politely I might add, that it could not complete the requested transaction at the moment. No problem. I'm learning (or think I'm learning) to deal with NOTHING working like I think it will or should.  I'll just get money later, right? Except that it charged my card BOTH times.  Okay. No problem. I'll call the bank and tell them there's been a mistake and everything will be fine. Except it's not, because I've now discovered I have no idea how to use the phone to place calls that aren't already programmed into my cell phone. I have a number the length of a football field with a bunch of 0s and 1s and 2s and every other number under the sun, and I can't dial out. And when I do try, I get a message in French (a language I also can only say "hello" and "thank you" in), so it's uterly futile to try to get ahold of anyone. I try deleting numbers, still get the same message, and hang up disusted with my current situation. *Update: I did eventually get ahold of someone who told me how to call, and I was informed the money would return to my account at the end of 30 days. Great.

Sunday: Being sick in another culture is AWFUL! Not only do I have no idea where to buy drugs (I haven't had to buy them when I'm healthy at the grocery store. . .), I don't have mom or a dear friend to run out for me and buy me a giant box of tissues or chicken noodle soup or whatever else I may want. And of course the heat REALLY is so very comfortable and conducive to sleeping when you already have a giant headache and are sweating profusely. That's right gentlemen, girls sweat!

Monday: This is actually a couple-day frustration, but it culminated today. I bought fabric this weekend, beautiful, beautiful fabric, and was uber excited about it. Of course, when the shopkeeper showed me the price, I had a mild heart attack, but my math skills weren't sharp that day, and he used a calculator, so of course he had to be right, right?! I didn't question it; I just gave him the money. Word to the wise: ALWAYS question. He did give me back a few Durhams (the currency here), and I was totally confused, but figured he was being nice and giving me a tiny price cut because it was so expensive. Come to find out 24 hours later, the price was in Ryals, which I don't completely understand, but apparently they're like half of a Durham. Which means I paid almost double the price he had originally quoted us! ANGER! Well, I went back to try to get my money, but of course it was my word against his, and he swore he wouldn't have charged me double and I swore I knew exactly how much I had given him. I got some back, but the point is: This wouldn't have happend in the U.S.! Why? Because they have things like receipts, and cash registers that count the money and record how much should be in the system at the end of the day, and they also have U.S. dollars that I totally understand.

So, sure when I write about it the stories don't seem so bad, but when you're stressed about figuring lesson plans out for the next week (did I just say next week???!!!), and trying to figure out how to walk to place X without getting lost, and what you'll say if you do get lost since you can't ask for directions, and whether you reallly need to go to the store or you can get buy with the fruit you have in the fridge because you don't really want to walk to the store alone, and you don't want to have to meet anyone because you can't have a decent conversation, and it's hot out so you don't want to have to be modestly dressed so it's easier to stay inside. . . . then the stories seem like the most horrible things in the world. Our HR person says "get over it" when deal with culture shock, but I don't want to get over it. I want to fight and kick and scream, and so that's why I'm telling you about it--because I'm a whiney American baby who will get over it eventually, but doesn't want to just yet.

Oh, how I wish I could snuggle up with Mary, or Beka, or Kathryn, or Jacque and watch one of a thousand movies avaible on the elusive-to-Morocco Netflix, and hear them whisper that everything's okay. But I can't, so instead I want to buy a plane ticket to. . . Antarctica???. . . because I'm sure I wouldn't have ANY culture shock there. . .

Chefchaouen

I was able to travel to the Northern part of Morocco this week with a few other teachers/administration as a getaway before school starts.  We drove Wednesday morning, spent the night, and drove back Thursday afternoon. It was a relaxing time in a wonderful city, and it was such a blessing to be able to get to know the other teachers so much more and in such a great way! The 24 hour period was filled with much walking, serenading the group with musical tunes during lunch, learning useful and non-useful Arabic phrases and when to use them, lack of sleep due to staying up late listening to a trumpet player at. . . 3 in the morning???!!!!, hiking up a giant hill or small mountain (being from the flat lands, it's difficult to tell isn't it?), sharing our hearts, talking about lesson plans and students and school, lots of laughter, and so much more! Here's a little video I put together for your viewing pleasure. Don't mind the fact that this girl needs a larger vocabulary.  For being an English teacher, I sure used the word "beautiful" too much! :)

Feeling Refreshed

What a busy, interesting, and exciting day.  I woke up this morning and, running on very little sleep, helped one of the teachers move from the Medina (the old part of the city) to Fes Jedid (the not-as-old-as-the-old-part-of-the-city-but-still-an-old-part-of-the-city and where the Jewish quarter used to be). Although there was a temperate breeze that felt quite nice, after moving many boxes and trekking through many alley-ways, the sweat was dripping by 10am!

Back in my apartment, I contemplated a nap, but decided (quite shockingly!) that I would be a bit domestic before it got hot.  In the less traditional Moroccan way, I cleaned/mopped my floors.  Moroccan homes are not carpeted (a fact that I will probably find unpleasant when it turns chilly in the city), and it is necessary to mop.  Traditional floor cleaning requires a large amount of water to be dumped on the floor and then squeegeed toward a drain somewhere in the house.  Because I'm not a) good at mopping floors b) a fan of dumping water everywhere when I'm not sure what I'm doing and c) Moroccan, I went for the less risky version of cleaning and used a bucket and cloth, pushing the rag around on the end of the squeegee until everything was nice and wet.  Although I'm sure I just moved the dirt from one side of the room to the other, I still felt quite accomplished when all was said and done.  I also did two loads of laundry, washed the dishes, and looked at a bit of 12th grade literature before mid-afternoon. Go me!

This evening, all the teachers in Morocco so far (some have yet to return from summer vacation) went over to the founder of the school's home.  We had a lovely meal and wonderful fellowship.  It was great to meet the two newest members of the staff who arrived just last night somewhere around midnight.  Although they were still jet-lagging a bit, they were so bubbly and enthusiastic about their new careers here. We all went around the table and shared how we each ended up in Morocco.  Each story was unique, but they all seemed to be similar cases of doors opening, and miraculous connections just when they were needed.  It was so encouraging to see how we were all ordained to be here at this exact moment.  If I wasn't excited this morning or even this past week about teaching, I'm staring to be--and if not even about teaching, then about being in Morocco.  I'm so excited for my new friends and the experiences, joy, sorrow, frustration, grace, surprises, laughs, and everything else we're going to share together these next few years.  I just know that they will turn out to be some of my life long friends!  I know that I sometimes have a trust issues, but Daddy never lets me down when I'm in a new place. He always has new, friendly faces ready to welcome me and help me adjust, and Morocco is no exception.  I'm feeling very blessed right now, and even though it's not quite home (and I'm sure I'll have down days following this high), I'm glad that I have such wonderful people around that we can transition to the "home" stage together. :)

Tomorrow I'm going to the school to check out my classroom, and later this week we're heading up to the mountains for a mini "before school and stresses begin" vacation.  I'll try to post some of my adventures later this week!  Hugs and Kisses!


P.S. I wanted to share some devotions that I've been reading this week.  Ever since I arrived here, each one has been pertinent and applicable to my situation and feelings for that day. I hope these speak to you as well.

"Find me in the midst of the maelstrom. Sometimes events whirl around you so quickly that they become a blur. Whisper My Name in recognition that I am still with you. Without skipping a beat in the activities that occupy you, you find strength and Peace through praying My Name. Later, when the happening have run their course, you can talk with Me more fully. Accept each day just as it comes to you. Do not waste your time and energy wishing for a different set of circumstances. Instead, trust Me enough to yield to My design and purposes. Remember that nothing can separate you from My loving Presence; you are Mine."


"Expect to encounter adversity in your life, remember that you live in a deeply fallen world. Stop trying to find a way that circumvents difficulties. The main problem with an easy life is that it masks your need for Me. When you came to Me, I infused My very Life into you, empowering you to live on a supernatural plane by depending on Me. Anticipate coming face to face with impossibilities: situations totally beyond your ability to handle. This awareness of your inadequacy is not something you should try to evade. It is precisely where I want you--the best place to encounter Me in My Glory and Power. When you see armies of problems marching toward you, cry out to Me! Allow Me to fight for you. Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest in the shadow of My Almighty Presence."

All Grown Up?

It's my first night alone in the apartment.  Mom and I bid each other a tearful farewell, and friends of the Wiederwohl's drove her to Casa for her midnight flight (as this family was already headed to the city, and Amy has been ill the last few days).  It was a lonely feeling watching them drive away, knowing that I can't just pop on over to Mom and Dad's during a long weekend or for the holiday season.  As much as it was so difficult to live 10 hours away from my parents, obviously this is so much harder.  I will miss them very much.  I had to remind myself on the elevator to my apartment tonight that, I am indeed 24, and that must mean I'm grown up--I can live alone for 2 weeks and be a teacher. :)

On the upside, the Wieds have been so generous to me.  They let me hang with them at the studio this evening so I didn't have to spend the majority of the evening alone.  What a gracious, giving family--so willing to share their time when they have so many errands, appointments, and family needs of their own.

Also, even in the half hour I've been home, I feel a bit of peace.  Sure, it's frightening (and sure the revving engines outside at 10:30 are obnoxious), but I've been blessed by 3 postings on facebook:

1.) "Elroi. . . the God who sees me." (from Mary Deming--shout out to my girl in Maine!) How wonderful to remember that God sees me, even when I feel lonely and far away from everything that I know, that is comfortable, that I understand. He sees my fears, my failures, my triumphs, my tears (both happy & sad). . . He is the God who sees me.

2.) A verse posted by my dear friend Ariel--"Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you. Listen to His instructions, and store them in your heart." Job 22:21-22. What a great reminder of the promises that God gives to us.

3.) The Psalm dad is planning to preach on soon--Psalm 139 (especially verses 9-10). "If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." Once again, a blessing to know that even here, over the sea, so far from home, He is guiding me and holding me in His arms.

Love to you all! Miss you very much!

The Medina

When I’m at home in my little apartment, it’s easy to forget that I’m living in a strange and foreign land (minus the annoying rooster that crows 24/7). Obviously the buildings are much different compared to those “high rise” homes in Defiance, Ohio (or even Memphis), but there are typical grocery stores, typical clothing stores, and even a store that takes its inspiration from Ikea (and the name even sounded similar. . .Kitea??).  However, today we trekked to the Medina for a glimpse at a tannery, the Fes al Bali panorama--thousands and thousands of houses stacked on top of each other, and a few other odds and ends for my room.  Stepping into the medina is CRAZY different—like stepping-out-of-a-time-machine different.  Modern is gone; old-fashioned is in style; time has literally stopped.  The sights, smells, and sounds are like no other place I’ve been (or probably ever will be).  There’s the shopkeeper beckoning to us so he can have money for food for f’tour.  There’s the call to prayer and so many men and women flocking to the local mosque to send prayers up to Allah.  There’s the tannery and its five floors of tiny, cramped steps up to the top so tourists like us can look over the pits of dye and everything else that is necessary to make the purses, coats, shoes, and belts hanging on the shop walls.  There is the carpet store, found in a room covered with the most beautiful mosaic tile; hundreds of carpets are hung and piled around the large room as the shopkeeper and his helpers unroll carpet after carpet for our viewing pleasure.  Although overwhelming, it’s amazing to see the detail and hard work that has been put into these hand-woven and -designed Berber and Arabian carpets.  There are the food vendors and meat market—the most strange of all sights and smells.  There is the fresh lamb hanging in the doorway; there is the camel head on the wall; there are the live chickens waiting to be killed and plucked; there is the case of fresh, stinky fish; there are the dates, oranges, peaches, hobs, & sweets that will be purchased for dinner and f’tour.  But wait, we must move quickly. Up ahead there is a donkey carrying bottles of. . .water?. . . just wide enough to pass through the narrow alleys.  The tourists and inhabitants of the cramped houses and alleyways smoosh up against the walls to let the animal and his driver pass. What a different way of life here! Although it is fun to experience this exotic and medieval way of life, I am relieved and exhausted when we return home.