Keep the JOY

Three and a half days left of school but who is counting? I am certainly not as you can tell! We are all getting tired and are exhausted as it has been a long year. Sometimes we think this is acceptable and we have a reason to be tired and a litty nervy but it never is! God has given us JOY and this life to live for him. It is not my job to give excuses for the life I have given the responsibility I have to share Christ. God has given us each day and I want to enjoy them. It has actually been an emotional week. I have had a fever and I don't like the fact that my kids are leaving me! There have been some other problems but I am moving on. At first I wanted to dwell on these problems but today after talking to another teacher, she helped me realize the center of my life! Life isn't fair, I am not going to like what is always said but I do not answer to anyone else but God. If I am praying to him and I have His will in mind, I can't go wrong. Most of all, it is my job to love on these kids and show them Christ all the time. I have to show the love, I have to keep it alive and share the radiance of God's love even when I want to show frustration and tiredness. God gave us the joy and He has given me the opportunity to love Ghana and be surrounded by I love to serve. Why don't I show that passion all the time? I am so thankful to have God as my center and I need to live that way each day. Yes, we are all going to have bad days and slip up but ultimately I want Christ to be the center.

Overall, I have loved this year. My kids are amazing and we really do not want to leave each other. The first grade teacher feels the same way and we even tried to find a way to move up with our classes but alas this is not possible. It is good for them to move on and I will welcome the new class and we will start our new traditions. I always think the year will drag on but it goes quickly and I can't miss an opportunity to love on my kids and have a good time. They are so funny as we are all so use to each other and know each others weaknesses and strengths. They know I am crazy and have no problem telling me that repeatedly which is fine by me as it is the truth. They are excited about teaching their teacher next year how to be insane like the rest of us! I am not sure if that is a good thing but you know, if you are good at something, might as well stay good at it! Anyways, I am so blessed to have had this group of children who have soaked up knowledge and love showing it off. They are obsessed with similes and everytime they hear one they blurt it out! I still think it is funny but most people think it is obnoxious! Oops! This week we have been learning about planets. On Monday we had the discussion if we could stand on the earth. I said,"we are standing on the earth." They kept saying no, actually stand on the top of it. To them, when they see the earth they see a sphere and sphere can have a top, like standing on a soccer ball. Unfortunately, the earth does not work that way and we have to actually stand on the ground. It was a funny convresation but I am glad to see that they are trying to grasp concepts and figure out what makes sense in their own minds. They are precious! Today one of them said," I didn't realize until today that earth was a planet." I am glad she could have that revelation in my class!

Alas, I must say goodbye but it is exciting to know I gave these children knowledge and I am sending them on, confident that they can withhold challenges and thankful that I had a bried moment in their life to help mold them and ultimately show them to Christ.

As I prepare to say goodbye to my children, I am also saying akwaaba(welcome) to my parents who arrive tomorrow! Yes, really tomorrow. To be honest, it hasn't hit me yet! The poor things are still stuck in D.C. but soon they will be on their way and tomorrow afternoon I will see them sweating to death and smelling new aromas they probably wished they never smelt. Nevertheless, it is beautiful Africa and beautiful Ghana which will grab their hearts to hopefully never let go. I am so thrilled that I can share this life with them and show them the reason I can never leave this beloved place. Please pray for safety in traveling and for adjustment to life in Ghana. Don't worry, I will keep you all updated and hopefully share pictures! Oh the stories that we will be able to tell!