Slovakia

In 2007, I visited a country that captured my heart. It's been almost 4 and a half years since I first stepped foot in Slovakia and not a day has gone by where I didn't think about that wonderful place. I met a precious friend, Zuzana, on my first visit. She was my age and our mothers were born on the same day in the same year! Pretty cool! We met because she was in a class that my mom and I attempted to teach English!;) She was such a sweet spirit and we were able to form a friendship that still exists today. On my last visit, she shared with me that she was now a believer in Christ. The Lord is so good! The Lord has used SK to teach me many things about Himself. His faithfulness to the nations. His love of people and culture. He showed me a love for the people of Europe. I've watched the Lord provide the country two more missionaries who love SK as much if not more that I do. I can't help but wish (on a daily basis) that I was there. It's been such a battle. My heart LONGS to be there. I've been blessed with a husband who also loves the Lord and the nations. Together we've been praying about what the Lord would have us do. Slovakia is on both of our hearts. We are searching for ways to go...and soon. Campus Crusade no longer sends STINTers to SK. The IMB has done away with a lot of its 2-3 year programs. Obviously the Lord has his own plans. Please continue to pray for us...and if you know of any ways to go...please let us know!:)

Zuzka and I when we first met in 2007
My Mom and I at church in Bratislava-it was our first encounter with Europe!



Two of my dearest friends who now BOTH live in SK!

2008-Reunited!

My favorite Slovak dish!

In 2010 I was finally able to meet her family! Such sweet people!

Three Musketeer's

Isn't Slovakia BEAUTIFUL?

My Space...

My classroom feels like my second home. I spend just as much time there as I do at home! I try to make it colorful and exciting for my kiddos. My favorite season of all is fall! I love the colors of fall and all of the creepy critters that we use to decorate for fall. I came in Monday and autumn-ized my room:) I put spiders and spider webs in my windows. I drew on my board. I even got yummy candy to give out. (FOR EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD behavior only)

My Computer Station-cute blue rug is from Ikea:)

Here she is...

My awesome artistic abilities:)

3 Months...Almost

Sunday will be October 9. This means that on Sunday, I will have been married for 3 whole months! It's been an exciting 3 months. I was hit with the real world in August. HIT HARD. I love my students. However, the first year teaching is stressful for many reasons. Bradley also works about 3 nights a week. Between school and work, we get pretty pooped. However, we are learning to work together to have a functioning home. I married a great man. I know that if I leave the house with clothes in the dryer and clean dishes in the dishwasher. They will be taken care of by the time I get home. I also love that he makes the bed perfectly each day. This makes my first year teaching so much less stressful. I just had to take a few minutes to brag on my sweet hubs:) Please continue to pray with us as we try to follow the path the Lord has for our future. Time is flying by!
One more thing I love about married life...As a child, my mom use to read to me each night before I would go to sleep. I would imagine everything she was reading. I loved it! Well, those times are NOT over! Bradley reads to me each night. We both know that I am slightly dumb when it comes to the Old Testament. We have chosen to start from the beginning and go through it together at night. He reads to me while I listen and picture everything in my head! Just like a child! The Bible is filled with awesome stories and I have a great hubs who is making sure I know the Old Testament! Having child-like moments as an adult is great:) Thanks babe for loving me so well.

The Living Quarters.

So we are now permanently living in Charlotte! I have a job at Southwest Middle (near SC) and Bradley has another year at UNCC. Our new apartment is literally around the corner from the old apartment complex we lived at with our friends. Bradley and I were neighbors:) I like it because I didn't have to completely leave everything from college. I still go to the same grocery store, pharmacy, gas station, etc. It helps ease the shock of the life transitions a bit. Here is a tour...

Our kitchen! Yes, that is purple track lighting:)

Dining Area..the table was my grandmothers...her dad gave it to here when she got married! It's almost 60 years old:) We re-stained it.


Living Room...Charity..here are your couches!...also the pillows and coffee table are from IKEA..I love that store! and it's only 5 minutes from us!

Our bedroom

The bathroom

I'm a Teacher!

A few days ago, I received my teaching license. So, I'm officially licensed to teach! However, there is a problem. If you look closely, it says Middle Grades Mathematics..and highly qualified too! That is a lie my friends! I have not taken a math class since my Freshmen year. I definitely do not need to teach it:) I called and the lady laughed at me saying she's never had anyone call and say they had an extra certification. There must be a lot of liars out there:) Surely I am not the first! It was suppose to say Language Arts. I passed the Praxis for it in April and didn't realize it would already be on there. There is another one on its way in the mail. You may be asking why it still says Caitlin King. I applied for it in May and I still don't have my new SS card! Anyone else been through this before? Geeez..what a process:)

Honeymoonin'

The morning after our wedding, we headed to the airport at 3:30am! We flew down to the Bahamas for a whole week:) We stayed at the Sandals in Nassau. It was awesome! We ate..A LOT! It was a great feeling to eat a 3 course meal and then get up and leave. We loved snorkeling. We went several times and the 2nd time a photographer went with us to snap the pic below.

One day we went to an island to pet and play with some dolphins. We have a pic with one kissing me on the cheek but I haven't downloaded it yet. It was one of our favorite days.

The water was beautiful!

Our favorite restaurant was the Italian one called Casanova. It was VERY authentic. I felt like I was back in Roma.

There were lounge chairs to lay on at night with fire pits. It was very romantic!:)

Israel Highlights

So I am just now updating my blog! Student teaching was very stressful but exciting at the same time. It is over now! whew! I am searching for a job..prayers please! Here are just some of my favorite Israel pictures. Everyone else that went posted pictures..idk..like 2 months ago!!:)

Riding a boat on the Seal of Galilee was amazing. 70% of Christ's ministry was around the sea. Also, I loved being able to experience everything with my parents.

Riding a camel with my mother! (in a gas station parking lot-HILARIOUS)

The best tour guide is all of Israel. I loved him! He knows God's word inside and out and made the trip even more exciting!

Getting Baptized in the Jordan was definitely a highlight!

This is probably my favorite place of all. This is where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. It was beautiful and relaxing. I could just seen people sitting and listening to Christ.

coming soon...

whoa!

wow...what a semester. student teaching has definitely been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my life. i LOVE my students. however. i dont always love the attitudes that they can get. smacking of the teeth/lips. you know the typical teenage stuff. i had the conversation with my mom the other day saying that im not sure i can ever have a teenager (being dramatic i know!). they make you feel too guilty. i had a student act out very badly in class on thursday. not only did the student become very upset when they were informed that they were in "trouble" but they yelled out saying that i take things too far and that they whole situation was my fault. wow. ouch. sounds like something i told my mom in 8th grade (maybe even 12th:)) it hurt. i felt like a failure. now, many of you veteran teachers are saying youll get over it and im sure i will. hopefully letting things like that roll right off will come very soon! when walking my students to their encore classes after the worst class period ive had yet, a student whispered, "ms. king, are you sure you want to become a teacher? there are some crazy students out there." i said yes. of course. i am so glad that i have the assurance that the Lord has called me to this profession. if he had not, i probably would have peaced out a while ago. but i have no 2nd thoughts! a friend spoke at CRU a few weeks ago and reminded me that God equips those that he calls. so true. i have to tell myself that on a daily basis. if the Lord didnt equip me to do this, i could NOT do this! it is so encouraging to see how the Lord has provided for me in this area and i am even more confident in his ability to provide for all of his children.
i often feel like moses. he argued with God saying, why me! i dont speak well! there is NO WAY that i can do this. there must be someone better! but the truth is the Lord is probably thinking youre right! you cant do this alone! but with me, you can! he wants to provide for us and use us to glorify himself. we ( i mean mostly me!) need to chill out. its not about us but rather about him. Christ. we are hopeless without him. he died an insane death on the cross so spend eternity with us and use us UP for his glory while we are on the earth. sit back and let the Lord carry you through this life! its what he wants!
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. Romans 14:8

My babies...

I officially have 300 babies! Yup! and they are all about 13-14 years old! i call them my babies because i love them...i really do. yes they may test me...and push my patience...but i love them. I have truly been called to love these students. For those who don't know, I started out as a nursing major. I was totally set on being a nurse from the time I was in 8th grade. I knew I was going to help save lives. I "sort-of" chose UNCC because of their nursing school. April of my freshmen year I began to have middle school on the brain a lot. It was all I could think about. I would ponder my own middle school experience. Slowly the thought of teaching middle school students crept into my mind. I thought..no way!! I can't do that! I would have to speak in front of people! and get up early!! really early!! (not that nurses don't...i have no idea what i was thinking) During this same time, I was struggling with an illness called pacreatitis. The Lord was really causing me to evaluate my life and what I was doing. He was pretty dang clear:) I heard the calling and changed my major in about 3 weeks. I have never even looked back. I am so thankful that the Lord loves me enough to have a wonderful plan for me. I love my students and what I'm learning how to do. I also LOVE working in my inner city school. Working in these types of schools is the only thing in the world comparable to my passion for going overseas. I never thought I would love anything as much. I would still go at the drop of a hat to any place on this earth but I am thankful to have found satisfaction in the calling the Lord has given me in my home country. I am also thankful that I am marrying a man who spends time with the Lord and listens well to what the Lord says. Bradley has one more year of school and I am praying for a teaching job. CMS threatens cutting jobs all of the time but the Lord is bigger than the economy and I am asking you to pray for an opening this summer for what the Lord has specifically called me to do. I also ask you to pray for clarity over the next year about what the Lord would have us do when Bradley graduates:)

the science classroom! one of the walls is painted like an ocean. another one is painted like a jungle!

I made that word wall!-I am slowly learning the true effectiveness of them haha

The Big Day Details!

I'm getting hitched on July 9th, 2011!! and it's to my best friend, spiritual leader, and love of my life! I can't wait! If you want to know any details of our wedding go to:
http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/BradleyMorris&CaitlinKing

I'm getting MARRIED!

YES...you saw correctly!!! I'm engaged! and to the sweetest guy I know! Tonight Bradley took me out to eat at Ishi, a Japanese Restaurant that we went to on our first date in October 2009. He popped the question while we were waiting for our food! I could barely eat I was soo excited! We are planning on getting married in July (hopefully!) More to come!!!!!