As you might have realized by now, I am not saving all of the children on the street who don’t have an education or food. I build relationships with them but my number one job right now is to teach the children at AIS who come from different backgrounds than the children living on the streets but they still require the same amount of love. This summer during my training, I learned about TCK’s which are Third Culture Kids. They are kids who are from one culture, are moved into a new culture, which then creates a third culture as they are surrounded by a community that has also moved from their first culture. Let me give you a few examples of a Third Culture Kid.
I have students who had been to over 23 countries, probably more than I will ever go to! Most of the students have lived in multiple countries and will probably move again within the next several years. Last week, I lost a student who will be going to Argentina. The kids were talking about how they were sad but that they could be brave because they would see her again. We also had another family leave this week and during chapel we prayed for them and then said goodbye. The kids were sad but they are use to so many goodbyes and hellos.
One thing about these children’s lives that effects them in the classroom is their living situations. The parents of these children have prestigious job that require them to travel a lot. Each day when I take prayer requests, I normally have a few who want to pray for their parents who are traveling. They aren’t sure where they are or when they will be back, but they know they are gone and they miss them. This does affect their school work as there routine at home is thrown off and they are worried about their parents. Also, in this culture, the father handles the discipline and school achievements. If the father is gone, some of the students tend to act up more or not get help from with their work.
I have some students’ whose parents work outside of Ghana so they live with relatives because it is safer here. These students tend to be more touchy feely as they don’t get the affectionate touch at home. One small girl the other day hugged me from behind and then said that sometimes she makes mistakes. I told her that we all do but God still loves us. She then went on to tell me that sometimes she forgets she isn’t hugging her mother when she hugs other people. This is a small girl who clearly needs a hug from her mom who she only sees on short breaks or during the holidays as she works in a different country. Yes, these parents are able to provide nicely for their children, but are they able to provide the care and nurturing that these small children desperately need? Now I am not in their shoes, so I have no right to judge but I do know that it does affect the children academically and emotionally. That is why it is my job to provide the care that these students need. It might not seem like they need saving as they have it pretty well of but inside they are crying out for someone to care for them. I know that my job is to love on these kids unconditionally because chances are they will be future leaders who will be better off if they know how it is to be loved and to love back. Please pray for my children who are constantly worrying about their parents traveling or miss seeing their parents on a daily basis. They need the strength to press on each day as this emotional roller coaster they go through does wear on them.
One quick story; this week we were talking about being a citizen and one boy said that he was a citizen of the United States because he was born there. I told him that anyone born in the U.S. automatically is a U.S. citizen. He then said that he was actually born in an airplane. We said, “really? That is amazing!” He said, “I think so, well I am half white and half black.” This statement puzzled me as I wasn’t sure why he threw that comment out there but then he proceeded to say, “well I must have been born in an airplane since I am half American and half African but not just one.” In his mind, he was born between the two countries since he has a little bit of both in him so he must have been born in airplane and not just in one of the countries. I hope this makes since. I guess you had to be there to understand it but this is a perfect example of something a TCK would say as they try to figure out where they belong in life.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Clearing the Land and Filling our Hearts
Rich, green leaves surrounding the countryside. Large rolling hills cover the background as the defining white clouds stamp sponge over the inviting blue sky. Oh the life of Accra, how I love it!
Okay, if you have been reading any of my blogs, I hope you won’t believe any of this nonsense because they are not synonyms of Accra. To experience real life, you must travel out of the city which I did yesterday to help at Children of the Light. If you haven’t read my other blogs, no need to fear because I will tell you right now that it was started by the lady who teaches the preschool program at school. She is originally from New Zealand but married a Ghanaian so has been living here for 15 years. She started this ministry for the children in her village who are not getting a proper education in the public schools. The students in the area can come to her house Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday after school to get extra help and learn about the Bible. I have pictures below that show the kids sprawled out in her driveway with a container that has many books for them to use. She is running out of room here so she is in the process of buying land down the hill from her. It is all bush there so she is working on clearing the land so she can hopefully start building on it.
Yesterday, some of us went to help clear the land: move rocks, clean up weeks, and rake the soil. This is where I saw nature which I don’t get much in the city and where I realized that I belong out in the bush, living with the people. I love hearing Auntie Jean’s vision for the land. She talks about all the things she will do, like put a road to it since there is only a small rocky path that connects it to the town. She doesn’t even have all of the land purchased yet but she knows the money will come and the plans will be set in stone as she has full complete in Christ. After all, she did start this ngo on her own from nothing so I don’t think anything can stop her. Her testimony is extraordinary as there are many times in my life that I don’t try to accomplish something because I know it isn’t possible. Here is a lady who is taking nothing and turning it into the impossible! I wish you could all see the land, oh yeah, I included some pictures so you can get a small glimpse of what is to come. See if you can picture the grass where the dirt is, a pavilion in the background, containers lined with thousand of books. If you can’t, don’t worry because Auntie Jean can see it and believe it.
After we worked for awhile, we ventured down the hill to the small stream at the bottom. We came across a man who had a palm wine distillery set up underneath his palm leave hut. Yes, you heard me, he was making palm wine! You never know what you will come across if you look for it. They showed us the process of how they chop the tree down, cut a bowl shape whole in the side of it, and then let the sap pour into a can. We were surrounded by palm trees being ripped of their sweet sap but the process was amazing to watch. So yes, they are making wine, but this is how they make a living. They are not begging on the side of the road but yet using their resources to provide for their family as they are proud of their work. I enjoy being out of the city as life is much more simple and it is freeing. I have more opportunities to interact with the people and be amazed at how they can turn nothing into there own business. Through that time with the men, we met his son and Auntie Jean invited him to come to Children of the Light which will be a resource for him to gain more English and here about our Savior. Through this small adventure, God might be able to use Auntie Jean to reach this family for Christ. I am learning to take every opportunity to explore the land and the people as you never know what you might come across.
Okay, if you have been reading any of my blogs, I hope you won’t believe any of this nonsense because they are not synonyms of Accra. To experience real life, you must travel out of the city which I did yesterday to help at Children of the Light. If you haven’t read my other blogs, no need to fear because I will tell you right now that it was started by the lady who teaches the preschool program at school. She is originally from New Zealand but married a Ghanaian so has been living here for 15 years. She started this ministry for the children in her village who are not getting a proper education in the public schools. The students in the area can come to her house Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday after school to get extra help and learn about the Bible. I have pictures below that show the kids sprawled out in her driveway with a container that has many books for them to use. She is running out of room here so she is in the process of buying land down the hill from her. It is all bush there so she is working on clearing the land so she can hopefully start building on it.
Yesterday, some of us went to help clear the land: move rocks, clean up weeks, and rake the soil. This is where I saw nature which I don’t get much in the city and where I realized that I belong out in the bush, living with the people. I love hearing Auntie Jean’s vision for the land. She talks about all the things she will do, like put a road to it since there is only a small rocky path that connects it to the town. She doesn’t even have all of the land purchased yet but she knows the money will come and the plans will be set in stone as she has full complete in Christ. After all, she did start this ngo on her own from nothing so I don’t think anything can stop her. Her testimony is extraordinary as there are many times in my life that I don’t try to accomplish something because I know it isn’t possible. Here is a lady who is taking nothing and turning it into the impossible! I wish you could all see the land, oh yeah, I included some pictures so you can get a small glimpse of what is to come. See if you can picture the grass where the dirt is, a pavilion in the background, containers lined with thousand of books. If you can’t, don’t worry because Auntie Jean can see it and believe it.
After we worked for awhile, we ventured down the hill to the small stream at the bottom. We came across a man who had a palm wine distillery set up underneath his palm leave hut. Yes, you heard me, he was making palm wine! You never know what you will come across if you look for it. They showed us the process of how they chop the tree down, cut a bowl shape whole in the side of it, and then let the sap pour into a can. We were surrounded by palm trees being ripped of their sweet sap but the process was amazing to watch. So yes, they are making wine, but this is how they make a living. They are not begging on the side of the road but yet using their resources to provide for their family as they are proud of their work. I enjoy being out of the city as life is much more simple and it is freeing. I have more opportunities to interact with the people and be amazed at how they can turn nothing into there own business. Through that time with the men, we met his son and Auntie Jean invited him to come to Children of the Light which will be a resource for him to gain more English and here about our Savior. Through this small adventure, God might be able to use Auntie Jean to reach this family for Christ. I am learning to take every opportunity to explore the land and the people as you never know what you might come across.
Comforst of Home
First I want to apologize for not writing in a while. I have a good excuse though! The power was out last weekend because the dam was not up to par since the new president won’t fix it entirely. It was a project of the past president and the new president doesn’t want to do anything that has to do with him. It is always fun getting ready in the dark! The lights then stayed off during the day but came on at night. It was kind of frustrating as we had to get grades done at school but the Lord provides and everything was accomplished! Then during the rest of the week, we did not have internet at the house so I am finally able to connect with you all again!
Okay, now back to the topic at hand. Two weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to visit a new church and how connecting with a church has been hard for me. Well, that church proved to be an interesting story as that day they were having a special revival by a preacher from England. We went with the business manager and his family and they told us that they really learned from the sermon a week ago so we figured it must be good. Unfortunately, they forgot about the special revival and that it started earlier so we were late. We had to sit outside where we really couldn’t see into the church at all. The message was pretty much the “prosperity gospel” which is a big message here. The gist of it is…. The way to be right with God is to have a lot of money and by listening to him, you can get. That sounds about right doesn’t it? In Ghana and other African countries, the preacher is the one with all the money, nice house, and great car. I wish that was the same in America? Just kidding I promise. Anyways, it isn’t the message that should be preached to people here because again they base their salvation on good works and on selfish reasons instead of learning to work together as a community to build up their resources. The rich will keep getting richer as the poor get poorer because no one is willing to invest in them. Oh the story ends with us leaving through it as we obviously didn’t agree with the message or learn from it. I also left very discouraged as I want Sunday to be a close time with God where I can learn from His Word and be with the body.
God heard my call as last week brought a little taste of home in terms of church. I went to Elim International Church where a lady at our school, husband, preaches there on occasion. I needed that sermon as He talked about Paul in 2 Timothy 2 and still pressing on even though He was in prison. Everything about the service reminded me of home and helped me focus more on my relationship with God. After the first service, we stayed to teach Sunday School during the second service. Before we taught, we listened to the music again. We were singing “How Great is Our God” when the power went out. We had the drums, no lights, but the spirit of the Lord was working as we sang out to our God and told him how Great He really is even when the power is out. God uses even the power to prove his Almighty Presence. For Sunday school, we really didn’t have any books or have a clue what we were doing but when we started looking through the materials I realized that it is the same curriculum that I used at UCC for four years! I was even teaching the same age group of young children as I had at UCC. Oh this was music to my soul as there was familiarity and a feeling that I could actually contribute as I already knew how to teach the curriculum. I still haven’t figured out exactly where I need to go to church and how involved I should become. I know this is very different than how I am in the states. I feel like I am not doing the most I can for the community but like I said before, I need to realize that my number one priority is my classroom and as long as I am just seeking out the opportunities to make contact with the people, then I am following God’s commandment for my life right now. Hard lessons and changing of my heart to bring me closer to my Creator is still a work in progress.
Okay, now back to the topic at hand. Two weeks ago I mentioned that I was going to visit a new church and how connecting with a church has been hard for me. Well, that church proved to be an interesting story as that day they were having a special revival by a preacher from England. We went with the business manager and his family and they told us that they really learned from the sermon a week ago so we figured it must be good. Unfortunately, they forgot about the special revival and that it started earlier so we were late. We had to sit outside where we really couldn’t see into the church at all. The message was pretty much the “prosperity gospel” which is a big message here. The gist of it is…. The way to be right with God is to have a lot of money and by listening to him, you can get. That sounds about right doesn’t it? In Ghana and other African countries, the preacher is the one with all the money, nice house, and great car. I wish that was the same in America? Just kidding I promise. Anyways, it isn’t the message that should be preached to people here because again they base their salvation on good works and on selfish reasons instead of learning to work together as a community to build up their resources. The rich will keep getting richer as the poor get poorer because no one is willing to invest in them. Oh the story ends with us leaving through it as we obviously didn’t agree with the message or learn from it. I also left very discouraged as I want Sunday to be a close time with God where I can learn from His Word and be with the body.
God heard my call as last week brought a little taste of home in terms of church. I went to Elim International Church where a lady at our school, husband, preaches there on occasion. I needed that sermon as He talked about Paul in 2 Timothy 2 and still pressing on even though He was in prison. Everything about the service reminded me of home and helped me focus more on my relationship with God. After the first service, we stayed to teach Sunday School during the second service. Before we taught, we listened to the music again. We were singing “How Great is Our God” when the power went out. We had the drums, no lights, but the spirit of the Lord was working as we sang out to our God and told him how Great He really is even when the power is out. God uses even the power to prove his Almighty Presence. For Sunday school, we really didn’t have any books or have a clue what we were doing but when we started looking through the materials I realized that it is the same curriculum that I used at UCC for four years! I was even teaching the same age group of young children as I had at UCC. Oh this was music to my soul as there was familiarity and a feeling that I could actually contribute as I already knew how to teach the curriculum. I still haven’t figured out exactly where I need to go to church and how involved I should become. I know this is very different than how I am in the states. I feel like I am not doing the most I can for the community but like I said before, I need to realize that my number one priority is my classroom and as long as I am just seeking out the opportunities to make contact with the people, then I am following God’s commandment for my life right now. Hard lessons and changing of my heart to bring me closer to my Creator is still a work in progress.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
God of This City
Two weeks ago when we had a bible study at the business manager’s house we sang the song God of Our City and explained the story behind it. I had heard this story before and heard the song many times on the radio thanks to KLOVE! However, hearing it again in this setting helped me take the words and message more seriously. The song was written when this band was in Thailand. They saw all of the sin and evil happening in the city and they were distraught from it all. They went into a bar and asked if they could play on their stage with unfamiliar Christian music. As they played music to God, they all of a sudden began to sing the song below. They sang it and composed it right there in that bar. Only God could have ordained that message to be spread at that exact moment as those people were heavy on their hearts.
This past week, the girl who had morning devotions played that song as she showed pictures of people in Ghana, on the streets and at the school. This really made my heart change as I realized that God is the God of Accra and He can only be known if we are willing to share with others. There are moments where I am concerned about not having electricity or the best lesson prepared but that doesn’t matter as long as I am showing the love that God has called for me to share with the people I encounter. He is the God of the little children on the street who call me Obruni or want to slap my hand even when I don’t know where it is. He is the God of the taxi drivers who argue prices with us and He is the God of the Muslims who walk around in their long robes. He is the God of our new day guard who is a Muslim and He is the God of our night guard who brought his T.V. upstairs last Friday so we could all watch a soccer game.
He is the God of my students who come from all different background and religions. This past week in about five minutes, we went from talking about Christopher Columbus to why we don’t deserve Heaven because we are sinners but yet Christ died for us. They are curious young minds who always have a question and I am so thankful that I can take the time to share with them whenever they feel like they need an explanation. Yes, there are moments where I am tired and I just want to get through lessons but again, I am here because of God so I must allow him to work through me. Friday after school, a boy stayed behind so he could ask me if he could take home a Bible. I told him to start in Matthew and we talked a little about the Gospels. God is working here and everywhere because He is the God of each city! On Wednesday, my class got to lead chapel with the music and a small message. We sang past VBS songs and did a small skit on Moses. It was fun to share some of my life with the student body as you all know I love VBS songs. I was nervous and it was a little stressful but then after hearing the “God of This City” song that morning, I realized the real reason why I am here doing this. These children who are not all Christians have the opportunity to hear Christ each day, Yes God is the God of this City!
The guard at the high school has been absent this past week due to illness. We had a replacement guard and on Tuesday he collapsed during our after school meeting. Luckily we were able to get him to a hospital where he was able to recover. If he had been anywhere else, he probably would have not made it as there would have been no one to take him to the hospital and make sure he was alright. He did not just happen to be our replacement guard that day, he was there because of God’s ultimate plan. Yes, God is the God of this City and ordaining each encounter.
Sometimes I struggle because I teach at a nice school and then travel three minutes home to a nice house. I live within a gated community with a guard. How can this be reaching the people of Accra? Although I know this is not where I need to be for my entire life, this is where God is calling me to be right now. These kids might seem well off but they need the love of Christ also. There are also chances on the street for small interactions with the kids, talking nicely to clerks or taxi drivers, and encouraging my co-workers. I know God can use all of us in the position that we are in to show others the God of This City and Your City.
You're the God of this City You're the King of these people You're the Lord of this nation You are [Verse 2]You're the Light in this darkness You're the Hope to the hopeless You're the Peace to the restless You are There is no one like our God There is no one like our God [Chorus]For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City Greater thing have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City [Verse 1][Verse 2]There is no one like our God There is no one like our God [Chorus]For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done here There is no one like our god There is no one like our God [Chorus]Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done here.
This past week, the girl who had morning devotions played that song as she showed pictures of people in Ghana, on the streets and at the school. This really made my heart change as I realized that God is the God of Accra and He can only be known if we are willing to share with others. There are moments where I am concerned about not having electricity or the best lesson prepared but that doesn’t matter as long as I am showing the love that God has called for me to share with the people I encounter. He is the God of the little children on the street who call me Obruni or want to slap my hand even when I don’t know where it is. He is the God of the taxi drivers who argue prices with us and He is the God of the Muslims who walk around in their long robes. He is the God of our new day guard who is a Muslim and He is the God of our night guard who brought his T.V. upstairs last Friday so we could all watch a soccer game.
He is the God of my students who come from all different background and religions. This past week in about five minutes, we went from talking about Christopher Columbus to why we don’t deserve Heaven because we are sinners but yet Christ died for us. They are curious young minds who always have a question and I am so thankful that I can take the time to share with them whenever they feel like they need an explanation. Yes, there are moments where I am tired and I just want to get through lessons but again, I am here because of God so I must allow him to work through me. Friday after school, a boy stayed behind so he could ask me if he could take home a Bible. I told him to start in Matthew and we talked a little about the Gospels. God is working here and everywhere because He is the God of each city! On Wednesday, my class got to lead chapel with the music and a small message. We sang past VBS songs and did a small skit on Moses. It was fun to share some of my life with the student body as you all know I love VBS songs. I was nervous and it was a little stressful but then after hearing the “God of This City” song that morning, I realized the real reason why I am here doing this. These children who are not all Christians have the opportunity to hear Christ each day, Yes God is the God of this City!
The guard at the high school has been absent this past week due to illness. We had a replacement guard and on Tuesday he collapsed during our after school meeting. Luckily we were able to get him to a hospital where he was able to recover. If he had been anywhere else, he probably would have not made it as there would have been no one to take him to the hospital and make sure he was alright. He did not just happen to be our replacement guard that day, he was there because of God’s ultimate plan. Yes, God is the God of this City and ordaining each encounter.
Sometimes I struggle because I teach at a nice school and then travel three minutes home to a nice house. I live within a gated community with a guard. How can this be reaching the people of Accra? Although I know this is not where I need to be for my entire life, this is where God is calling me to be right now. These kids might seem well off but they need the love of Christ also. There are also chances on the street for small interactions with the kids, talking nicely to clerks or taxi drivers, and encouraging my co-workers. I know God can use all of us in the position that we are in to show others the God of This City and Your City.
You're the God of this City You're the King of these people You're the Lord of this nation You are [Verse 2]You're the Light in this darkness You're the Hope to the hopeless You're the Peace to the restless You are There is no one like our God There is no one like our God [Chorus]For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City Greater thing have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City [Verse 1][Verse 2]There is no one like our God There is no one like our God [Chorus]For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done here There is no one like our god There is no one like our God [Chorus]Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done here.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Christmas in October
I love celebrating Christmas earlier(actually we can celebrate it anytime since it is the celebration of the birth of our Savior.) I would also like to celebrate fall since it is October but alas, the palm trees have not turned colors yet! It is weird thinking it is already October and there aren't any chances, well except for the fact that it is actually getting hotter here! Last year my friends and I took a fall walk around Taylor so I do have plenty of pictures of fall, praise the Lord for these!
Anyways, back to Christmas in October. At the beginning of August, the school had a container sent over from America sent with needed supplies for the school and personal people. I had two boxes sent over with things I would not need right away. After two months of traveling on the seas, the container arrived on Friday and everything is off of it already! This was a huge blessing to the business manager and his family of 7 since they did not have all of their furniture yet. They will now have a more complete house. Also, three of the teachers will be moving into their new house soon and they now have needed furniture like beds! It is better than the tile flooring for sure! The school also received text books, better late than never! I now have enough science books for each student and leveled readers. Seriously, being here has helped me appreciate the little things!
In my personal boxes, I got my dry erase boards(will be so nice for teaching and peach salsa. Oh happy day! Again, it doesn't take much to get happy around here! I was almost out of shampoo and that arrived in my box too!
While we were unpacking, something started to smell. At first we though it was Ghanaian food but then the smell got worse. If mom, was here, she would have known what to do right away because she has a keen sense to the smell for smoke. When the smell got worse, we called Mr. Crosby(the director) and he called the electrician. However, when we turned off the lights, the light right outside my classroom door caught on fire and was burning just a little bit. One of the guys climbed up on a desk and forced it out with an extinguisher so that was the end of our little fire! There is never a happy medium here as the volts are either too weak to turn on lights or they are too strong so they burn everything! Where is baby bear and goldilocks when you need them! One morning, the cleaning lady happened to get to school earlier than normal just in time to see one of the outlets on fire! We just have to keep praising the Lord through these times because things could have gotten worse and there could not be a school at all.
So, we are all doing well at the moment. Please pray for the director and his wife as they are sick. Pray for the normal day to day happenings of the school and that no more outlets would catch on fire. Also, pray for my patience in the classroom and that I can find the best teaching styles to reach all of my students. They are so great. We are leading worship during chapel this week so pray that it will go well and that my kids will behave on stage! You never know! Please let me know how I can pray for you all, I would love to hear from all of you!
The pictures at the very top are pictures of men making beads. They break up coke and sprite glass bottles, put them in the clay molds, and then bake them in the “kiln.” They are gorgeous! This place is located near Ghana Christian University which is outside of the city. Some of the teachers’ husbands work at the University which is a blessing to Ghana to have a developed Christian University.
So, we are all doing well at the moment. Please pray for the director and his wife as they are sick. Pray for the normal day to day happenings of the school and that no more outlets would catch on fire. Also, pray for my patience in the classroom and that I can find the best teaching styles to reach all of my students. They are so great. We are leading worship during chapel this week so pray that it will go well and that my kids will behave on stage! You never know! Please let me know how I can pray for you all, I would love to hear from all of you!
The pictures at the very top are pictures of men making beads. They break up coke and sprite glass bottles, put them in the clay molds, and then bake them in the “kiln.” They are gorgeous! This place is located near Ghana Christian University which is outside of the city. Some of the teachers’ husbands work at the University which is a blessing to Ghana to have a developed Christian University.
Fellowship, Trials, Rejoicing
Well, this about sums life up right here so I guess I don't need to blog but for those of you who took the time to upload my page, the polite thing is to expand on these topics which is fine with me. Afterall, I am an expert on all subjects(except for humility!) so I will enlighten you!
Alright, aside the humor on non-humor depending on how you saw it, last weekend at church we had communion so the message was on being in fellowship with one another and how important that is as a body to each other. That is why I love my churches at home because I can be in fellowship with believers as we encourage one another to follow the Lord. Side note real quickly, I am going to church every week and I usually go to one called Asbury but I am trying a new church today. I know I was told in college not to church hop but it is hard to do here since it depends where I can get a ride and who is preaching since they all switch pastors every week. Most of you know I love to be involved in church for the fellowship and commandments from the Lord but right now I am finding it difficult since nothing is consistent. Please pray for me in this area that I would find a body where I could be plugged in at. Although I might not have a strong church family yet, I do have the teachers at the school who have been my church. Last Sunday, the business manager, who has five kids and just moved here from Mississippi, had all of us over for dinner. We enjoyed good food and conversations and then we sang worship songs while a volunteer who just came played the guitar. This reminded me of college as we praised the Lord in chapel or in small group settings. It is amazing to here believers of all ages coming to praise one Lord and speak of his sovereign name.
Little did we know that this time of praising the Lord was necessary to get through the next day. It wasn't horrible things but enough to get your irritated. From Saturday night to Monday night, half of the house did not have electricity. My plugs in my room worked but not my light or my fan. In another room, the lights worked but not the plugs. Random wiring!
So, Monday morning was difficult because we had to do everything in the dark. On top of that, my roommate woke up to find ants all in her clothing! So we had to take everything out and wash everything right away. This again happened on Tuesday night and I have a lot of ant bites to prove it! They hurt!
Anyways, so then we realized that our fridge wasn't working too well and when we looked at the plug, we realized that our fridge guard was missing which helps the fridge not get zapped. We talked to the girls downstairs and they realized their's was missing also! Last week I told you that we had to let our day guard go because we were afraid he was stealing from us. We were feeling guilty about it but now we feel better about our decision since he has been the only one in our house for awhile. We are guessing that he took them to sell but it is still a shame that he had to take from us!
So then we finally got to school and the copier wasn't working, the printer, you name it but it was really neat because through it my roommates and I kept saying how it had to be a better day because it couldn't get any worse and we kept praising the Lord who would get us through it! How amazing to have that encouragement from other believers who are also my colleagues. I know some teachers struggle because they do not get encouragement in their work setting but I am thankful to work with teachers who know me personally and keep me accountable with my relationship in Christ. As a body, we were able to turn the beginning of the week into a praise and worship concert for the Lord!
On Wednesdays, we have bible study with all of the single girl teachers at the school. This is a time where we can pray for one another, eat together, and study the work of God. We are studying the book of Acts and last week we talked about if we have ever seen a miracle and it was hard for us to think about a specific time but this week I started to pay closer attention to things and realized how much God does bless us in even small ways. I don't take the time to look at something and wow, that could have only come from God but it actually happens all the time! This week, think about each thing that happens in your life and thank the Lord for how he truly is working even if it is having a good hair day to healing a sickness! I think here it is easier to see God's blessings because everything here is a inconvenience so when something that should work but usually doesn't, is actually working, it is definitely a blessing from the Lord! I am not saying that we are only blessed here, I am just saying being here has helped me realized how much the Lord does have a hand in our lives and how much I really do need to thank him for how he takes care of me! There you have it for this edition of fellowship, trials, rejoicing!
Alright, aside the humor on non-humor depending on how you saw it, last weekend at church we had communion so the message was on being in fellowship with one another and how important that is as a body to each other. That is why I love my churches at home because I can be in fellowship with believers as we encourage one another to follow the Lord. Side note real quickly, I am going to church every week and I usually go to one called Asbury but I am trying a new church today. I know I was told in college not to church hop but it is hard to do here since it depends where I can get a ride and who is preaching since they all switch pastors every week. Most of you know I love to be involved in church for the fellowship and commandments from the Lord but right now I am finding it difficult since nothing is consistent. Please pray for me in this area that I would find a body where I could be plugged in at. Although I might not have a strong church family yet, I do have the teachers at the school who have been my church. Last Sunday, the business manager, who has five kids and just moved here from Mississippi, had all of us over for dinner. We enjoyed good food and conversations and then we sang worship songs while a volunteer who just came played the guitar. This reminded me of college as we praised the Lord in chapel or in small group settings. It is amazing to here believers of all ages coming to praise one Lord and speak of his sovereign name.
Little did we know that this time of praising the Lord was necessary to get through the next day. It wasn't horrible things but enough to get your irritated. From Saturday night to Monday night, half of the house did not have electricity. My plugs in my room worked but not my light or my fan. In another room, the lights worked but not the plugs. Random wiring!
So, Monday morning was difficult because we had to do everything in the dark. On top of that, my roommate woke up to find ants all in her clothing! So we had to take everything out and wash everything right away. This again happened on Tuesday night and I have a lot of ant bites to prove it! They hurt!
Anyways, so then we realized that our fridge wasn't working too well and when we looked at the plug, we realized that our fridge guard was missing which helps the fridge not get zapped. We talked to the girls downstairs and they realized their's was missing also! Last week I told you that we had to let our day guard go because we were afraid he was stealing from us. We were feeling guilty about it but now we feel better about our decision since he has been the only one in our house for awhile. We are guessing that he took them to sell but it is still a shame that he had to take from us!
So then we finally got to school and the copier wasn't working, the printer, you name it but it was really neat because through it my roommates and I kept saying how it had to be a better day because it couldn't get any worse and we kept praising the Lord who would get us through it! How amazing to have that encouragement from other believers who are also my colleagues. I know some teachers struggle because they do not get encouragement in their work setting but I am thankful to work with teachers who know me personally and keep me accountable with my relationship in Christ. As a body, we were able to turn the beginning of the week into a praise and worship concert for the Lord!
On Wednesdays, we have bible study with all of the single girl teachers at the school. This is a time where we can pray for one another, eat together, and study the work of God. We are studying the book of Acts and last week we talked about if we have ever seen a miracle and it was hard for us to think about a specific time but this week I started to pay closer attention to things and realized how much God does bless us in even small ways. I don't take the time to look at something and wow, that could have only come from God but it actually happens all the time! This week, think about each thing that happens in your life and thank the Lord for how he truly is working even if it is having a good hair day to healing a sickness! I think here it is easier to see God's blessings because everything here is a inconvenience so when something that should work but usually doesn't, is actually working, it is definitely a blessing from the Lord! I am not saying that we are only blessed here, I am just saying being here has helped me realized how much the Lord does have a hand in our lives and how much I really do need to thank him for how he takes care of me! There you have it for this edition of fellowship, trials, rejoicing!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Mixed Emotional Weekend
The weekend was welcomed with sad news as we discovered that the guard who cleans our house has been going through our things. We don’t think anything was stolen but still we had to call the project manager from school. We had gone out for the evening and so right away she went over and fired him. Yes, he might have taken from us, but still we did not have the chance to say goodbye and he had no warnings of this occurring so he is now on the street. The situation probably could have been handled in a better way but it did need to be taken care of. We just feel bad because now he doesn’t have a place to stay or a job. Please pray that he finds a job and that we find another guard soon as our other guard is now going to school so cannot be at the house during the day. It will all work out in God’s timing
Yesterday I became a big girl as I took my first tro tro ride by myself. Aren’t you proud of me? I went to Medina and then met up with another teacher to travel the rest of the way to the Children of the Light Ministry. One thing you need to know about Medina, it is a market and Saturday are Market Days so there are tons of people, and lots of goods to be sold. They sell anything from shoes, to fish, to rat traps, to you name it! One thing you need to know about tro tro’s to Medina. They stop wherever they want to and it isn’t necessarily in the right place. However, when he tro tro let me off, I knew exactly where to go to meet up with the other girl and I found her without a problem. I am so proud of myself as I no longer feel like a dependent child but can survive on my own! There are still many things to learn but I am glad that I am trying to become involved in the culture and learn their ways since I am a guest here.
Yesterday was competition day at Children of the Light. The kids had a huge spelling bee and then they said their memory verses. We started late and it took about three hours so the kids got a little stir crazy after awhile but they were so happy to be on the stage saying their words in the microphone. Most kids would not be excited about this but when there is little, you appreciate bigger things. They all came dressed in their Sunday best which I have found always stays nice no matter how dirty it is around them. Afterwards, all of the children received biscuits(cookies) and a drink for their hard work. They are not different than other children in the respect that some were upset because they did not receive a prize for being a top speller. However, they are different in the respect that they get excited over prizes such as pencil cases, text books, and readers. Whatever makes people happy!Oh, if you are interested in helping this ministry or the ministry at our house, please talk to my parents as my sister will be brining supplies over. They need things such as electrical tape, crayons, prizes, school supplies, etc. At the house, we could use small trinkets for gifts, clothes, chalk, bubbles, other toys to play with at the house, etc. This is not an obligation but would like you to know about this opportunity if you are in
Yesterday I became a big girl as I took my first tro tro ride by myself. Aren’t you proud of me? I went to Medina and then met up with another teacher to travel the rest of the way to the Children of the Light Ministry. One thing you need to know about Medina, it is a market and Saturday are Market Days so there are tons of people, and lots of goods to be sold. They sell anything from shoes, to fish, to rat traps, to you name it! One thing you need to know about tro tro’s to Medina. They stop wherever they want to and it isn’t necessarily in the right place. However, when he tro tro let me off, I knew exactly where to go to meet up with the other girl and I found her without a problem. I am so proud of myself as I no longer feel like a dependent child but can survive on my own! There are still many things to learn but I am glad that I am trying to become involved in the culture and learn their ways since I am a guest here.
Yesterday was competition day at Children of the Light. The kids had a huge spelling bee and then they said their memory verses. We started late and it took about three hours so the kids got a little stir crazy after awhile but they were so happy to be on the stage saying their words in the microphone. Most kids would not be excited about this but when there is little, you appreciate bigger things. They all came dressed in their Sunday best which I have found always stays nice no matter how dirty it is around them. Afterwards, all of the children received biscuits(cookies) and a drink for their hard work. They are not different than other children in the respect that some were upset because they did not receive a prize for being a top speller. However, they are different in the respect that they get excited over prizes such as pencil cases, text books, and readers. Whatever makes people happy!Oh, if you are interested in helping this ministry or the ministry at our house, please talk to my parents as my sister will be brining supplies over. They need things such as electrical tape, crayons, prizes, school supplies, etc. At the house, we could use small trinkets for gifts, clothes, chalk, bubbles, other toys to play with at the house, etc. This is not an obligation but would like you to know about this opportunity if you are in
Teaching at its Finest
Yes, if you want to see exemplary teaching skills please visit my classroom anytime. Cough Cough, Wink Wink. Well, I wish this was the case but I will be honest in saying that there are days when I am not sure if anything productive is going on but I can promise you that I am trying. First of all disclaimer: none of this has to reflect the teaching of the professors at Taylor as they have prepared me well and are experts in their area. However, I am still learning and everything I want to do doesn’t come as natural yet. I know that this is the process though but I just want to make sure that my students get the quality education they deserve so they can be successful in life.
Here is an example: On Monday, I had them do an activity I Math but it wasn’t working at all. We had all of these slips of paper cut so I had them compare the difference of one pile of strips to another pile of strips. Voila! Subtraction. Then since we had all these strips of paper, we had a snowball fight! Yes, you can have snowball fights in Africa, don’t doubt! I had the boys on one side and the girls on the other. They crumpled up their papers and got to throw them at each other for a minute. At the end, the teams had to count up how many pieces of paper were on their side and find the difference between the two sides. Again, subtraction! Yes, they weren’t doing hard problem solving but I think there comes a time when a little bit of fun is necessary! Lesson learned, be super over prepared or know how to think on your feet fast. Unfortunately, since I know how to do the latter, I tend to do this more often. Again, I am learning!
There are moments when I know they have learned and that makes me excited. My kids are addicted to compound words. Whenever they see one their hands raise up in the air and they shout them out like it is the best thing in the world. I can get all hands to go up to the sky when someone sees a compound word and I don’t even give them prizes for it! Who knew what they would be motivated in doing? Some of my kids have been learning about different states in the US through the reading program and it started with California, Arizona, and now we are in New Mexico. On Friday, the 9th graders came in to read stories that they had written about the Cyclops. One of the stories took place in California and a boy in the group pointed to the map where there were Red Woods in California. The 9th grader had no idea what they were but my boy could tell her all about them! Then, he pointed to New Mexico with a picture of old houses and she said, “Oh, it is the Alamo.” He corrected her and told her that they were pueblo homes that are made out of clay and mud! Oh, he made my day because that means he actually learned something!
I have found though that the best learning comes from not myself but from other students as they are learning how to peer edit each others papers, or teaching each other math skills. They are the teachers more of the time and I am the student!
Here is an example: On Monday, I had them do an activity I Math but it wasn’t working at all. We had all of these slips of paper cut so I had them compare the difference of one pile of strips to another pile of strips. Voila! Subtraction. Then since we had all these strips of paper, we had a snowball fight! Yes, you can have snowball fights in Africa, don’t doubt! I had the boys on one side and the girls on the other. They crumpled up their papers and got to throw them at each other for a minute. At the end, the teams had to count up how many pieces of paper were on their side and find the difference between the two sides. Again, subtraction! Yes, they weren’t doing hard problem solving but I think there comes a time when a little bit of fun is necessary! Lesson learned, be super over prepared or know how to think on your feet fast. Unfortunately, since I know how to do the latter, I tend to do this more often. Again, I am learning!
There are moments when I know they have learned and that makes me excited. My kids are addicted to compound words. Whenever they see one their hands raise up in the air and they shout them out like it is the best thing in the world. I can get all hands to go up to the sky when someone sees a compound word and I don’t even give them prizes for it! Who knew what they would be motivated in doing? Some of my kids have been learning about different states in the US through the reading program and it started with California, Arizona, and now we are in New Mexico. On Friday, the 9th graders came in to read stories that they had written about the Cyclops. One of the stories took place in California and a boy in the group pointed to the map where there were Red Woods in California. The 9th grader had no idea what they were but my boy could tell her all about them! Then, he pointed to New Mexico with a picture of old houses and she said, “Oh, it is the Alamo.” He corrected her and told her that they were pueblo homes that are made out of clay and mud! Oh, he made my day because that means he actually learned something!
I have found though that the best learning comes from not myself but from other students as they are learning how to peer edit each others papers, or teaching each other math skills. They are the teachers more of the time and I am the student!
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