Pre Field Orientation Adventures!

Hello all of my dear blog followers, skimmers, and casual observers!  I'm so sorry it's been a bit of time since my last update - for those that do not know I am currently on the second leg of my inadvertant farewell America tour - after spending time with my father out west I am now in upstate New York for two weeks participating in my Pre Field Orientation for teaching overseas.  Note:  Three days after I returned from Colorado Springs the city like almost burned down.  I apologize in advance to the state of New York, assure them that anything that happens has nothing to do with me, and hope sincerely that this is not some sort of a pattern!  

Pre-Field Orientation is taking place on the campus of Houghton College in New York.  It's been a VERY educational time with lots of seminars for us educators that will be leaving for specifically the international schooling foreign missions field.  There are about 80 of us here and between all of us we are traveling to every continent except for Antarctica.  It has been a fantastic opportunity to bond with folks who will be facing the same challenge as me.  The topics we have been practicing have also been great!  It's a bit overwhelming (the educators liken absorbing the information to drinking from a fire hose) but excellent nonetheless.  Some topics are:

* Language Acquisition

*Making a healthy emotional transition

*Classroom strategies for the International Educator

*Third Culture Kid Profile

* Personality Profiling

*And many, many more!  All taught by christian educators who have themselves spent many years on the field :-)

The added bonus of this experience is the opportunity to bond with fellow educators - particularly those who will be going to Vienna with me.  I've gotten to know my future roomate Sarah very well and also have met three other families and another single gal who will be joining us.  We're already turning into a family!  

Disclaimer:  I wanted to put studious pictures of us all learning but I was too chicken to take pictures during our sessions so instead here are some pictures of our trip today to Niagara Falls on our day off.  Enjoy and please keep all of us in your prayers!

Love you all!

 Amy

Part of our Vienna team.  We're in Red and White to represent for Canada day!
On the left are the Canadian Preusse Family and on the right you'll see the Wiisanen
family, Sarah (in the white shirt) and myself.  We're practicing our cross cultural skills if you
look closely :-) 

DeAnn (left) will be very close to Sarah (right) and I as she teaches in
Budapest next year.  They are practicing their best tourist expressions.
DeAnn is succeeding 

The Rainbow Bridge to Canada!

My Future Roomate Sarah and I are a very attractive Mountie and
her pet moose on the Canadian side of the falls :-)