Very (Noun)

The past week has been an exciting one. For the teachers out there, this week was the time that we (students and myself) started to settle down a little and get used to each other. In my class of Freshmen, they were actually confident enough to ask me to speak slower. This is, of course, a big improvement over them nodding and trying to transcribe everything I say, even if they don't understand. Last week I could have told them that water was dry and they would have faithfully written it down. As a corollary I'm starting to notice when they don't understand, even if they don't say so.

I'm also beginning to understand what the pacing will be like in each class. As I said earlier, in some classes I cover material faster so I need more prepared material. Also, slogging through a commentary on Romans is about as fun now as it was a few years ago in college and seminary. For you Biblical studies nerds out there, I was pleasantly surprised that the library here at Aparri Bible Seminary had a copy of all three volumes (but not the index) of the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Thus when I was preparing to teach in Romans 1 I could go look up "righteousness" in the aforementioned NIDNTT and be that much closer to being properly prepared.

Just for fun this week, I had the first year students give impromptu presentations of an assignment that I gave them. The class is called Intro to Bible Study and the assignment was to read 2 Peter and take notes and summarize the letter. Now I know why people volunteer to teach speech, it was one of the most amusing class periods I've ever experienced, but we didn't have anybody get up to the podium and completely freeze; so I'm only considering it a moderate success. (Also, there were no speeches about the topic that my cousin Trisha prefers.) For most of them, it was the first time that they had spoken to a group of people; They did very well considering and I'm confident that they will improve.

Probably my favorite part of this past week has been getting to know the students better. I have a group of 7 students that have been assigned to me as my care group. This past Monday we met in care groups so that we could participate in campus day where we cleaned up the campus here. So I got to know my group a little better there, and last Friday night we had "get acquainted" time with all the students which was the first opportunity many of the students had to speak to me outside of class and ask me any number of questions about my family, my age, my marital status, and the United States.

One of the guys in my care group, Alfredo, knows English well enough that he likes to make jokes about how Ilocano phrases translate into English. When one says that it is hot in Ilocano, one literally says that it is "very fire." Using this as a base Alfredo likes to say things like "I'm very excitement!" even though he knows that it is technically incorrect. Thus Alfredo's new nickname from me is Very English. Since that Friday night I've spent a lot of time making stupid jokes that are highly amusing to me in this pattern, namely "Very (noun)" or other incorrect usages. The distance from the U.S.A. to the Philippines is "very length," and to learn the guitar I need to "very practice" etc.

I'm constantly impressed by how welcoming and loving people are here. One of the students in my care group, Harmony, calls me her twin. A 4'8" 100 lb. (approximating here) Filipina is my twin. Even though it's just a foolish seminary joke it made me feel very welcome and made me realize how much they want me to feel welcome here. It is difficult not to respond to that in kind, and it is just one more way that I feel the blessing and guidance of God here.

There's much more to tell, many more experiences, but not the time to do so. I miss home, but things are going well here. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Nick