Snap to It!

Friday proved to be a "snappy" day in more than way but mostly because of our third annual Poetry Slam!  This has proven to a be a fun event for the past three years and I had the privilege of helping with it again this year.  One of the most critical parts of the Poetry Slam is snapping instead of clapping after each poem.  Obviously, it isn't a real big sound but it makes the ambience more artsy!  My students were amazing of course and I was proud of them as they have all shown improvements in one way or another throughout the year.  Listening to them yesterday, you would have not known that I had three who came in hardly knowing any English, some too afraid to speak, and others not confident in reading.  Instead, my second graders showed the rest of the school that they can memorize and present poems with a great rhythm, stage presentation, and even enunciate although their teacher needs helps in this department sometimes!  Alright, I do sound like a proud teacher who thinks her kids are the best, but I can't help being proud of them.  They have taught me love, unconditional love and I know the Lord has placed each one of them in my life to be a true blessing.  I told them yesterday that I was leaving and as you can imagine this was a hard conversation to have. Of course, they started asking who is going to coach soccer which seems to be the first question out of their mouths but I reassured them they are in good hands.  Oh, it doesn't get any easier leaving except that I have confidence in the next door the Lord has opened for me. 

         THis week we also made fraction pizzas which has been a favorite for three years!  I lead them in covering their pizza with sauce, cheese, and other ingredients by calling out different fractions.  We then microwave them and they feel like real chefs which is hilarious!  Of course, they have sauce all over their faces and proudly allow it to remain for proof that they indeed cooked pizzas in class.  I love sharing moments with them that seem so common to me, like cooking! 

On Friday afternoon, we hosted minute to win it games for the middle school students.  We had them eating cookies off their faces, keeping feathers up, flipping shoes onto tables, and so many other random things.  Of course it was more fun to watch then participate but I am so thankful we can have fun activities for the kids and allow them to see that it is okay to look ridiculous! 

In other random news, they are still filling in the gutters on my street.  Yes, the war zone continues as I step in puddles in mud at least twice a day.  This week I learned an interesting fact I hadn't thought of.  The new gutters are a little farther away from the drainage pipes so right now the lovely things that come out of the pipes are just dumping on the ground.  I was told that we had to drill holes into the new gutter so the drainage pipes would drain actually into the gutter.  Who knew that was our responsibility?  Oh, God Bless good old Ghana! 

This morning I was running and I was called Chinese and then Korean.  I didn't respond, so they just went with Acos which means Sunday born since they think all white women must have been born on Sunday.  I never pictured myself looking oriental bur I am always up for a good laugh while running.  One of my kids asked me if it was racist to call someone black.  I said, in the states, you would never just yell that out to someone.  Then some of my white kids ask, "well then why do they call us white people here?"  What a heavy question!  The different cultures do pose interesting questions that even second graders can begin to grasp.

Today(Saturday) we spent the day at City of Refuge which I have been at before.  They rescue children from the Volta Lake where they are used as slaves to catch fish.  They also have a school and are working on many other projects.  Several teachers and one family went today so we could show love to the kids and survey the project.  We are taking around 20 kids on Tuesday, since we have May Day off, to do work projects.  We are looking forward to teaching good work habits to our students and showing them how it can be rewarding to serve others.  There are so many needs out there and I am thankful that the Lord is allowing to show us how we can share the Light with Christ with so  many of his children.