Teaching Sunday School

I have been teaching Sunday School in my ward for the last couple months and have learned more about the teachings and nature of Jesus Christ. It has been a privilege to teach and I will be sad to leave this ward and this calling. There are a number of lessons I've learned in regards to being a better teacher and I want to write them down here before I forget them:

• I've learned to start the class even if there are only a few people there.
• I've learned to ask open ended questions like "What are your thoughts on this?"
• I've learned to be present and in the moment when people are commenting.
• I've learned to relax in front of a crowd.
• I've learned to let people talk and to talk less myself.
• I've learned to always keep the purpose of the lesson in mind.

Today I taught about the parable of the unjust steward. Imagine my joy and surprise when I found out that my sister Raquel was also called to teach this week and would be teaching the same lesson! She shared the link above with me. I think one of the biggest lessons I can take away from teaching the New Testament during all of these months is that Heavenly Father doesn't just care about the things we say or the things we do even, he cares about us becoming and being. He wants us to be, not just to do. I love that. I sometimes wonder if I am becoming. I've tripped and failed many times. I do need to work harder at becoming. Teaching this class has helped me see where I fall short so I can strive to be better.

Rock Climbing

This weekend I went rock climbing with three other girls from work. We went to Sport Rock in Alexandria and got a pass and rented shoes. It was fun to be with the girls. I really had never done rock climbing in an indoor place before so that was a good experience. I actually got to the top of a rock pile! It was fun to cheer for the other girls and take pictures of everyone. At one point they mentioned going drinking and I had to explain about my religion and how we don't drink. Later we went to Olive Garden and celebrated. It was a good weekend activity. Rock climbing takes lots of strength and determination. It reminded me of my dissertation and how that's taking me so much strength and determination. As I watched some of the other rock climbers, it was evident that people really enjoy the challenge of getting to the top and I realized that when things get tough, we can change our perspective to learn to enjoy the challenge. Here is one of my friends:

Virginia Beach

I went down to Virginia Beach last week. It was a three hour drive from where I live but it was so nice to see the beach. I am happy to say that now I have been to the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. It was fun to walk on the beach and to see all the water and be in a beach town. I didn't see any surfers. I don't think there are many surfers out here on the east coast. It didn't feel completely like Cali, but it was better than nothing:) I didn't really get any pictures of the beach, but I went down to visit a friend at the Marine Base so I got to go into the base and to see some of the marine monuments and history. It was a good trip.

No More GPS

I am starting to be able to get around without a GPS. That is a great accomplishment that I wanted to share with you. I went to visit a friend this week and realized that I didn't even use my GPS when I got home. I was amazed at myself!

Crusing with Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad came to DC and it was a relief to see them. Finally, someone who knew me! It was so much fun to go with them downtown and tour all the sights and laugh at ourselves getting lost and riding around on the famous Trolley Tours bus. It was really fun. Here are some pics, but bear in mind the really good pics reside in mom and dads camera:Food at the end of the day!

DC Young Single Adult Institute Choir

I feel so lucky to have been able to participate in the DC Regional Institute Choir. It has been so uplifting and fun. I love to sing and the songs we have chosen to sing are all new to me, but very fun. More than the fun, this choir is accompanied by an orchestra, narration, and slide show. A sound system and speakers are also set up for us at every performance. Yesterday was our first performance and it was so much fun. I haven't performed anything for a really long time, but this was really fun. There's nothing like being the one singing the words. I know you can feel the spirit when you listen to people sing, but when you're singing, it's another level of "feeling it". It's like the concept of "flow" described by Daniel Pink, when you're totally in the moment that you almost lose yourself in whatever you are doing. It's a natural high that everyone should experience in their lifetime. This Saturday we will be performing at the DC Visitors Center at the Temple. I'm excited. We practiced for so long and now we get to reap the rewards. This picture shows me in the Soprano section. The girl sitting on my right sat next to me and when she found out I was a 1st Soprano, she said "Good. Divas!" It was hilarious. The top picture is Brother Toma our choir director. He has also been my institute teacher since I got here. He's inspiring.

Dinner with Megan

My friend Megan is the best. She has been such a great friend. She is so willing to help and so fun to be around. I am so lucky to have met her. We were introduced by a mutual friend and we first met through the phone and now that I live here, she is in my ward and I'm always wishing that I had more free to time to spend with her. She is the type of person you would like to hang out with for fun. Last week we went to dinner. Megan treated me to dinner. I met her at her place and then we took the path next to her house and walked for a few minutes (enjoying the sun and the conversation) down to the Vienna Inn. This restaurant is one of the best. I ordered a quesadilla. The price was way low and the atmosphere was way relaxed and almost contradictory to the usual DC standard. I loved it! We had so much fun eating and talking about good sightseeing and monuments and memorials to visit. Our walk back home was fun too. I got scared a couple of times since it was dark. It was the perfect dinner outing. And I still got home in time to take a shower and get some sleep:)