One day at a time

So, must admit that I have nothing interesting to blog about it this week so I will keep it short even though I said that last week and it was still long! When you think about it, it is fascinating that people read what I write every week since it is just my life. When did that become interesting? Don't get me wrong, I love that people read it but my life isn't any more exciting than anyone elses. So, write down all about you and I will read it also! I do appreciate the support and you all wanting to know how the Lord is reaching Ghana because He is working here and in many places around the world. It is crazy to think that we are just one small part of his large amazing plan!

So, I am learning to embrace each day and enjoy it as now everything is pretty much routine. God has placed these children in my care and it is my responsibility to show Love at all times. Monday, my students and I decided to have a sweating contest and I think we broke the new world record for gallons of sweat lost in one day! In fact, we had so much fun that we played the game on Tuesday and partially on Wednesday. Never a dull moment in second grade. Alright, the truth is my air conditioner did not work and was actually blowing out hot air! In that little room with so many bodies, the place turns into an oven pretty fast! We were all dripping by lunchtime and we collapsed outside the first and third grade rooms where it felt like the artic to us. There are humorous moments when you are sweating and trying to teach or learn. For example the kids will be playing with manipulatives and then all of a sudden lose them. "Miss Sopcisak, I can't find my paper!" Check you arm! And low and behold their paper is stuck to their arm where evidence of sweating is left on the table. The boys deal with the issue by sticking plastic counters on their head which still quite nicely! This is unsanitary but sometimes you just have to do the unimageinable to get by. My kids were real troopers through it all even though it was not conducive for their learning. However, it does make for some good memories!
God is showing himself in mighty ways as Faith, the third grade teacher, spoke in chapel on Wednesday about salvation. Afterwards, there was a four year old who asked why Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins. The Lord is moving!

Please pray for our high schoolers as they are dealing with deaths, friendships, lack of parent involvement, and lonliness. It takes so much energy to teach all day and pour into these hurting teenagers. The harvest is plentiful and the workers few, so we must work hard!

On Friday, Mr. Crosby came to observe me. The kids behaved so well, wished he would have stayed all day since they were crazy in the afternoon! After Thursday, where all of them forgot how to read, I was nervous about what my students had actually learned this year. However, the lightbulbs all came on during Friday. It was an enjoyable Friday morning as Mr. Crosby observed my students reading, following directions to make mirrors, and memorizing poetry. I even had my students who normally don't like to work, read poetry very dramatically. Whatever makes them happy! I know my teaching methods aren't the best but I am doing the best I can and enjoying every minute. Just have to remember that from moment to moment.

One of the students who normally tells me I am the worst teacher, prays that I won't talk too much, and only likes school when we do food stuff, wrote an acrostic poem about me. I was so touched. I konw you want to hear it!
Super-natural
Opposite of dumb
Pretty like a flower
Intelligent
soccer
active

Well, okay, he left out some letters but definitely an A+ for trying. It really meant a lot, especially coming from this student. I know my satisfaction doesn't come from the edification of my students, but it certainly helps and it is cute. The girls of course, shower me with compliments but don't worry, I am trying to not get a big head over it!

I have just started tutoring a student on Saturday mornings. He is not confident in his English ability so I am just suppose to talk with him and help build up his self-Esteem. I can handle talking! I went to his home today and just sat on their living floor trying to get him to talk. I usually have the opposite problem in my classrom so I am not use to this but he is such a nice boy and I just pray that I can help with his English vocabulary knowledge so he can gain confidence and play more with the kids. As we sat on the floor, the cook brought us a try of ice tea and a China plate of Japanese cookies. It was so nice and out of the ordinary for me to be in a regular house.

So this afternoon, my girls down the street came over for more books. They read to me in their broken English which they are actually good at. It is just hard because they don't have a lot of schema for what they read and I try to explain it as best that I can. They get so excited looking at the pictures and spending time with me. I told them that next weekend I will take the two of them up to Auntie Jean's so they can pick out their own books. They are so excited about this and I can't wait to show them a plethora of books. They are expecting a lare building even though I told them it is a container but it is still more books than they have ever seen. Please pray that I get them there and back safely and yes, I am bringing someone with me to help.

There is only 5 weeks of regular school left but I must keep persevering until the end. These kids deserve my best all the time! Please pray that we all hang in there until the end.

Breaking News!!!!! It rained this afternoon and afterwards it was glorious! It was so cold that I put on a sweater to go outside. That was the first time I have worn a jacket in Ghana and it felt so good. Granite, when we came back, I had to take it off but for the moment I loved my life! Oh I can't wait to wear long sleeves for a long period of time. So sorry if you want the summer to be warm, but selfishly speaking, I would like a little colder weather when I am home.

Okay, I have bored you long enough, I will try to be more interesting next week!

Through Routine God Shine Throughs

Alright, to be honest with you I must admit that nothing too exciting happend this weekend which I guess is good and bad! The week went pretty well at school considering the kids and teachers just got back from spring break. I was afraid I would have a hard time adjusting from teaching the village children to my own but it wasn't bad at all. I did miss the kids and I think they missed me. It is funny at this age as the girls all adore their teachers and want to make me their mom(which is sad since their own moms aren't around) and the boys make it clear that they could care less(well on the outside at least!) I have one boy who can't wait for third grade so he can play first at lunch instead of eat first. I guess whatever makes you happy! Anyway, the kids constantly remind of Faith like a child and the truths they bring up always hit me in a powerful way. On Monday, I was telling them about how the kids in the village were so excited to receive pencils as they don't have any. My kids can buy pencils but they lose them every second. Makes for one happy teacher for sure! Anyways, one of my girls raised her head and said they understand responsibility better because when they don't have anything and then get something nice, they want to take good care of it. Amen sister, preach it! What a powerful thing for an eight year old to say as I know that took me a lot longer to figure out. The kids at school don't take care of things because everything is disposable like in America, however the kids in the village don't have much so they hold tight to whatever they are given. Later on in the week, we were talking about the word blindness and one girl brought up that some people are blinded towards the truth of Jesus Christ and they are stuck in the dark. This girl doesn't even come from a Christian family! On Friday, we were talking about wants and needs which the differences are somewhat hazy for all of us but my kids said that we all need Jesus' love and we all need to share Christ with other. The first kind of needs they listed were about Christ instead of, "we need an XBOX, a sports car, etc." Okay, those did come but the important ones, like following Jesus did come first. Again, these are eight years who are crazy about God and speaking His truth every chance they get. My faith in Christ is definitely being strengthened through their example.

Wednesday, my class led chapel which we started planning for on Monday. Plenty of time right? I taught them the Agnus Day drama skit which you can watch below(hopefully). I performed this in Ethiopia three years ago and it took us awhile to get the timing down. My kids learned it in two days and did a great job! It is such a powerful message and I would have my girls crying everytime it was performed. I must brag and say my kids are truly amazing and it is good to write it down so I can remember that(as there are moments when I forget!) The first picture above is of the kids making three dimensional shapes with marshmallows. I love combining math and food and so do the kids!

Yeah, sorry, this is a boring blog but one more thing. This week for soccer we only had five eligible players as the rest did not have passing grades to play. Not good! Some of the high schoolers just sit around after school instead of doing their work so I got on them about it. They told me they would do it at home which we all know what that means. One boy was trying to give me all these excuses why he couldn't turn in his 90 notecards for a research paper. Obviously, I wasn't let him get off the hook and ended up giving him the notecards and letting him use the internet on my computer. He kept telling me that I was only doing this so we could win games and get a cup. What cup? You think we are doing this for the money? What money? No, we do this for them, so they have an outlet from school but they have to understand that school comes first. I think he knows we care but you know they are high school age, they don't want to express that, especially to a girl teacher! Out of God's grace, the boy turned in almost 90 notecards which I was amazed and thrilled. I told him how proud I was of him but he hated that. Oops, okay I don't know all the rules of communicating with high school boys, after all I spend my time with eight year olds but I am praying this will come. I love being a part of these children's lives, almost like moms since they don't have anyone at home to harp on them about homework or ask about their days. Now, this isn't always the case but their parents are gone a lot. Who knew having extra notecards in my room could be such a help to someone else? Please pray for the high schoolers as they are all going through a rough time trying to find themselves and their place in life.

Thanks for reading this random blog and being great friends. I can't wait to see everyone in less than two months. If you can't tell, I am really looking forward to this but I need to remember to stay in the moment here which is hard. Please pray that I will focus here and pour into everyone I come in contact with instead of looking forward to the future which will come fast enough. Although I can't wait to see everyone in the states, I must admit that I am a little afraid since I have been gone for 10 months and it will be a hard adjustment back into the American culture. God will be my strength though! Anyways, enjoy the Sabbath and keep in touch!

For sports on Friday we had balloon races. The kids enjoyed doing something different, even though they all looked silly!

This is Cynthia cooking in the outside kitchen at Fenaso. Food preparation takes a long time as you can see below. It definitely is worth the work as it is all delicious. Well, I guess I didn't make all of it so I can say it was worth it!

They are smashing the Palm Nuts to make the soup.

The older children put on Daniel and the Lions Den as a skit. They did a great job!

This is a typical house in the village. It is made out of palm branches for the roof and branches and mud for the sides.

The girls showed me how to make a broom out of palm leaves. They are very resourceful with their supplies. I have a cutless in my hand but the scary thing it belongs to the girls. I have never given sharp knives to kids before. I guess there is a first for everything.

This is the entire school with Megan and me. Aren't they all adorable?

This is me playing bingo with my class. Can you see the rainforest out the other window?

This is the kindergarten class without any manipulatives or fun things at all but yet they are still disciplined in coming. How I wish I could offer more to them!

This gives you a good view of the classroom as we were writing words. Each child must bring their own desk as you can see are all different. Some of them are just too small for their growing bodies!



Good Friday commenced our much needed Spring Break as we reflected on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord by dying on the cross for our sins. Although I would have rather been at home, I spent my Spring Break visiting a missionary family whom I met at Laurie’s house during New Year’s Eve. We almost didn’t go because they had company but I am so glad we did as I met a life-long friend. Christine and her husband Kirk, live in the Ashante Region which is known for their gold and is west of Accra. They are lifestyle evangelists and they live among the people and help meet their needs. Another girl who is volunteering at the school and myself, started our journey early Friday morning by boarding a non air-conditioned bus for five hours. The open windows helped a lot. The journey was beautiful as we left the smelly, dry city for the sweet fragrance and luscious palm sprouting land. Oh life outside of Accra is gorgeous, such a tropical oasis. Upon arriving in Dumkwa, a nice size town, we quickly made ourselves comfortable in their house surrounded by Ghanaian neighbors, gutters which make bathrooms for some(don’t worry not me!), and munching goats. I forgot to mention walls around each house with a guard, is that what you said? No, I didn’t! Freedom! Yes, a place without walled in houses where we can live in community with one another. Isn’t that beautiful? I really respect them and the work they are doing as they are reaching out to the Ghanaians in their own environment. In their house lives two boys, which they are fostering. They have had the six year old since birth and the teenage boy since he was six. They are very nice boys and were able to go to the US with Christine and Kirk just last summer which has westernized them somewhat. America ruins everyone! Just kidding! Anyways, that night we then traveled to one of their villages called Fenaso. It is a town of a thousand people living in mud huts without electricity and very happy. There, the Wiltse’s have a beautiful grassy yard which I hadn’t seen in a long time! We were so hot in the city but when we arrived in Fenaso, it began to down pour as we found ourselves running in the rain. Seriously, the time of our lives. We were able to rest in Fenaso as we had our own simple guest house accompanied with a hole in the ground for a bathroom, bucket showers, and lanterns for light. I am so thankful for camp as I experienced all of these things in somewhat of the same form while working at Spring Hill. On Saturday, we walked a good distance to private property where they have found gold. It is illegal to mine without a company but it is good money so it doesn’t stop anyone. Actually, a town not too far away, Obuasi, makes the most money in the world from their gold! We witness many men, most who were standing around, shoveling in knee high mercy infested water for small pieces of gold. They did have three pieces of machinery to help them but other than that it was very simplistic in the process not to mention dangerous. It was definitely an experience to witness these men searching for gold to have a small earning from the profit.
On Sunday, we awoke to the usual calling of roosters, which crow a lot earlier than daybreak, to a bright beautiful Easter morning. I must say that this Easter was far different than the rest as we went to a church in town with dancing in the aisles and the preacher preaching about stomping on the devil with our feet. Typical church for Ghana but not my church in America. I did miss everyone at home with the sunrise service and the music lifted up to God but we made the most of it. The sermon was given in English but there was a man who interpreted everything into Twi, yes, just a tad different than Easter in America. I spent the afternoon not looking for Easter eggs but playing games with some of the girls that they are looking after while they attend middle school in town. They are such nice girls which enjoyed learning new songs from camp of course and playing games like Uno, or our favorite, Killer Uno. Communication barrier is somewhat difficult but I am picking up more Twi and I am learning how to phrase words that are more coherent to their English. On Monday, I had the opportunity to bake with four Ghanaian girls which was a real treat. Only one of them had read a recipe before as they cook by watching their aunties or mothers but they never bake. They had a good time adding ingredients, stirring and of course putting flour on their face which is a tradition of mine. Cathy would be proud of me as I did not make that much of a mess! I am so thankful for the laughter and sometimes tears shed in the kitchen with my mother as we baked or ruined recipes as it has helped me teach this skill to girls who have never experienced this joy. I am realizing how important it is to spend quality time with the people here to bring them new experiences and show them that we care.
On Tuesday, we packed all of our school supplies and headed to Apebrouso. This is a remote village where Christine taught for four years. She has a quaint little house which is nice compared to the crude mud huts that the Ghanaians have built. There are only about 20 houses and less than 100 people in this village so everyone knows when Auntie Abinah arrives since she is the only one with a car! The children immediately rushed to her house where they helped us bring in our belongings like little ants. You might get one shoe at a time but they got the job done. These children were willing to help in anyway possible. Christine asked who would get her water from the pipe and they all ran to get her some! They just love to help! I never had to hold anything in my hand because they would take ot from me and find pleasure in carrying whatever I needed. Talk about service. As a teacher, it was hard for me to see children who were the age of a normal fifth grader but really was at a second or third grade level. Right now, there is only one teacher for about fifty children of all ages which doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that it just isn’t cutting it for a solid education. Also, the teacher tried her best but she doesn’t have the proper education either to be teaching some of the older children.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with these children even though it was only for three days. I played phonics games with them and even read some of my favorite picture books. Their lack of English and lack of schema from not leaving the village causes some miscommunication problems and this can be frustrated but I have to remember any little help they can get goes a long ways. In the afternoon, we taught on the solar system and then looked at the stars in the evening. It was such a great place to look at the stars since there wasn’t lights to interfere! The kids loved looking at the stars through a telescope and it was so fun watching them experience things for the first time through their eyes. Throughout the time there, I was able to teach them games and songs while they taught be life skills like how to make a broom out of palm leaves, grow their own plants, take care of wild animals, or share their constant love. One morning when I was running, a man stopped me with a rifle in his hand and reached into his bag. He pulled out a huge rat the size of a small dog and I am not kidding! It was very fury and well dead at least. These people have no fear as they must hunt and plant crops in the rainforest to survive. I love it! Friday was a hard day as we had to say goodbye to all the kids. Before we left, we gave them all pens, pencils, erasers and such which were donated by students at AIS. They were thrilled and jumping up and down. I think they thanked us at least three times each! Here at AIS, or in American classrooms, students lose pencils every few seconds and they don’t care what happens to them because they know they will get another one. Here, the children cherish pencils because they can’t get them anywhere else and it is something they don’t receive all the time. It really puts all the things I own into perspective as I have so much, mostly junk, compared to them. However, some of the things I am glad they are missing as their lives are simple but it would be nice for them to have better resources for health and educational purposes. I am so thankful to Christine and Kirk for showing me the “real side” of Ghana and not just the city. I have learned so much about this beloved country in one week as I am truly loving Ghana for the welcoming people and gorgeous scenery. Who can beat running in the Rainforest? I must admit when I realized that I have less than two months until I go home(yippee!) but I consider this as home now. I have been here for 8 months straight and I am glad I made that decision as I have been able to know the people in my life on a deeper level and understand how the country works although it is sometimes not the best way. I am excited for this summer to be home but after this week in the village, God continues to tug on my heart to establish teacher training centers in Ghana. Teachers hate their job and they don’t get paid well so they don’t show up which results in the majority of kids getting to high school without being able to read. I want to fight this trend as much as possible and I will be praying to God to show me in His time how I can fulfill His will for my life.

Well, sorry this was very long and informative. I just wish you could have all come with me! Maybe next time? Please keep in touch!