This week can be summed up by the word “busy.” Yes, even in slow paced Burkina things can be crazy. Sheila has not been feeling well, so she has been to a few doctors and was told to stay home and rest. Therefore, I instantly became full time this week. One of my Kindergarteners asked me on Wednesday, “Is Ms. Hanks not here because she is trying to let you learn how to be a teacher?” I thought that this was pretty funny. I was supposed to take over full time next week, but I am thankful that I have had this experience. It is a lot different than third grade, but I am learning. I have found that I learn best through just experiencing something like this. Please pray that Sheila will start feeling like herself soon.
Yesterday was a lot of fun. I taught full time which always makes the day go by faster. Then, I came back to the school to meet Marie and Elizabeth. We were supposed to meet last Wednesday, but I think that Elizabeth was sick. Around 5pm when I was back in the classroom preparing since I didn’t think they would show up, I got a call from the guard at the gate. I caught my name and entrance. So, I figured that they must be there. I went to the gate and there were my smiling Burkinabe friends. Marie had some large book in a plastic bag. Here she brought a French-English dictionary in case we needed it. They are so cute. We had some sodas and split some french fries. We didn’t end up even using the dictionary once; however, that is not to say that we always understood each other. We did a lot of acting and broken phrases. Their English has improved so much since I was here in 2006. They said that they wanted to follow me back to Sheila’s to see where I lived so that they could come and visit me. However, with Sheila being sick, I didn’t think that was a good idea. So, we are hopefully going to meet again next week. They are so precious. It is so neat to see that the love of God is so universal and that there is a deep bond in that. When I got home from school, Leanna (the teacher who is a missionary) called to see if I wanted to come over her house for a girls night. Leanna was going to make some pumpkin pies, so she thought that we could have some fun carving them before cooking them. As we were carving, we listened to some Christmas music. I am quite aware that this was an unusual combination; however, it was a lot of fun. I got home around ten and talked with Bri for an hour before crashing.
Today is Thanksgiving. The first part of the day seemed like a normal day to me since I was teaching. It was my first Thanksgiving at school. I had talked about Thanksgiving to my students the past few days and why it is celebrated. There are three American students in my class, so they helped me out. Today I had the students write what they were thankful for and draw a picture of it. I am going to put it together and make a class book. I was able to talk with my parents, Bri, Grandma, and Gramps this afternoon before they went for their Thanksgiving meal at my Aunt Jill’s. Even though I would love to be sitting around with my family today and eating some pumpkin roll, I am thankful that I am here. This week with Sheila being sick, I have again realized that God has placed me in Burkina and with Sheila for a specific purpose. After talking with my family, John and I went with some missionaries to Ouagadoumil (the next city that is booming) for a CMA (Christian and Missionary Alliance…my denomination) Thanksgiving feast. The dinner was at the house of a missionary couple who I met the last time also. Steve, the husband, actually remembered meeting me. I have been in contact with his wife, Debbie, since I have been here. She is a teacher and has been working with creating education opportunities for underprivileged kids around Burkina. We have been trying to get together, but our schedules have not coincided. However, tonight I got to the house and saw my nametag was next to hers. How sweet that she was willing to get to know me on this special day. We decided that next Wednesday we are going to get together for lunch after school. Then, I am going to go with her to one of the Christian schools in the area, and we will talk about what is currently happening in the line of education in Burkina. I am excited about this! Besides the people around the table, it felt very much like Thanksgiving dinner. I was pleasantly surprised to see TURKEY there! Turkeys are extremely rare, so they are very expensive. I’ve heard that sometimes they still do not even taste like turkey. They also have hardly any meat on them because all the animals here are skinny. So, this was a big treat. There was tons of food and a table full of yummy desserts. I chose a piece of pumpkin swirl cheesecake. Basically it was fabulous! :) It was a fun night, and I glad that I got to be with people that I know.
Today I have been reflecting on things that I am thankful for. Being in Burkina makes it really easy to be thankful when things like clean water or a meal once a day is living well. These people die everyday from preventable and treatable things like malaria, malnutrition, and diarrhea. So living each day with healthy resources is a major blessing. There are so many things and people that make my life blessed and joy filled. First and foremost, I am thankful for the hope that I have in Jesus Christ. When I look into the blank stares of some of the people here, I can see the emptiness in their eyes. I am thankful that I have hope and therefore, I have joy. My family would come next on my list. There are not words to express my love and appreciation for them. The other night as I was lying in bed, I was thinking about their love for me, and I was overwhelmed. I know that they would do anything for me. How much must God love us? Wow! This has been a year of change for my family—a good change. It has been a year that I have seen God work immensely in all of our hearts. I thank God for this! I thank God also for all of you. Each one of you has touched my heart in some way, shape, or form. Thank you! Lastly, (as this could go on for days) I am thankful that God has allowed me to experience His people around the world. I have been changed by these experiences and people. My eyes have been opened, and my heart has been broken. I hope forever.
Happy Thanksgiving! I love you!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Mighty is the Power of the Cross
The past week started as a difficult one for me. I found myself asking God, “Why am I here?” There were a lot of things on my heart, and I think that I allowed Satan to take control of those thoughts. I know that I am where God wants me, but it is sometimes hard to see why. Life here is a lot different here compared to Taylor or home. Here, everyone around you is not pouring truth into your life daily. In fact, it is hard to find at all. I feel like my time here has been wonderful but exhausting. I am frequently in new situations, and there are a lot of “foreign” aspects of life…even though I’ve been here for awhile now. I have had to seek out many relationships which has been good for me. However, sometimes I wish that I could just sit and not have to explain myself to everyone. I want to talk with someone who knows all of me. Some days I just long for a good hug (I will get my share of these and more in a few weeks!!). However, yesterday was different. God was showed me that I just need to focus that much more on Him. I think that being here a second time and wanting to know His will for the next step of my life has caused me to put unneeded pressure on myself. Last night I was reading about God’s grace in my Bible study and how precious of a gift this is. I was reflecting in my journal afterwards about this, and God gave me the calming peace that I have been looking for this week. Then, as usual I put on some worship music to fall asleep to. I was listening to “Mighty is the Power of the Cross” by Chris Tomlin. I have heard this song countless times, but last night it penetrated my heart. I realized that it was all about the grace of God. I listened to this song three times last night and thought about the words in the verses. I realized that I have been forgetting the power of the God I serve. I have been so worried about my future. How could I even for a second doubt that my God who is so powerful would not be able to guide me in His timing? After this, I started thinking more about these words and what God has the power to do.
What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
What restores our faith in God?
What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father's love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones?
What can save and overcome?
…The power of the cross….
As I was thinking about each of these things, I started thinking of how His power has changed these situations in my life and others I know. Also, it made me have incredible hope for those I keep praying for. There are people I love that are broken. There are some that need to see the love of the Father. Some need to be released from the guilt they carry as they realize God has forgiven them. Some are searching in the world for happiness and need to realize that God is waiting with open arms to satisfy that void. Last night I was so encouraged to know that all of these things are possible through the power of the cross. And I believe in that power! I have seen it work in my own life. I refuse to let Satan have the victory of those I love and others in the world that are without hope. I went to bed so excited and refreshed!
Today I met Pete and team at the guest house. Alice called last night and said that she and the kids were sick, so they didn’t go to church today. The team is made up of seven guys, some dads and sons and some others. They are from a church in Atlanta, and I had a great time talking with them. It was really exciting to see a glimpse of what Pete sees when new people experience another country. They were asking me questions about the people and about Burkina, and it was great to see their eyes trying to take everything in. Church was a little different today because one of the guys from the team preached…so I actually knew what was going on for the first time!! His message was from Mark 2 which is the passage of the friends who bring their sick, paralytic friend to Jesus…through the roof. He focused on the friends and how they were not backing down. They knew the power of Jesus and had faith that He would heal their friend. There were so many people there, that they couldn’t get inside. They did not give up and leave. Instead, they decided to dig a hole into someone else’s roof. I had never caught the part that Jesus looked up and saw their faith…the faith of the friends. He then healed their friend. What would have happened if the friends would have thought, “I guess this isn’t going to work, so we better just go back.”? Not only was this man healed, but it was in front of a giant crowd. The power of God was displayed vividly to these people. I was sitting there thinking, God this is just like you to have this message today as this was still so pressed on my heart. There are several people that I love that I need to have this kind of faith for. Some of you may even be reading this. You are precious to me, and you need to be brought to Jesus. I pray that I will be that type of friend for you.
Some people aren’t able to get to the feet of Jesus alone. Let’s join together and bring people to Jesus!
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
…The power of the cross….
As I was thinking about each of these things, I started thinking of how His power has changed these situations in my life and others I know. Also, it made me have incredible hope for those I keep praying for. There are people I love that are broken. There are some that need to see the love of the Father. Some need to be released from the guilt they carry as they realize God has forgiven them. Some are searching in the world for happiness and need to realize that God is waiting with open arms to satisfy that void. Last night I was so encouraged to know that all of these things are possible through the power of the cross. And I believe in that power! I have seen it work in my own life. I refuse to let Satan have the victory of those I love and others in the world that are without hope. I went to bed so excited and refreshed!
Today I met Pete and team at the guest house. Alice called last night and said that she and the kids were sick, so they didn’t go to church today. The team is made up of seven guys, some dads and sons and some others. They are from a church in Atlanta, and I had a great time talking with them. It was really exciting to see a glimpse of what Pete sees when new people experience another country. They were asking me questions about the people and about Burkina, and it was great to see their eyes trying to take everything in. Church was a little different today because one of the guys from the team preached…so I actually knew what was going on for the first time!! His message was from Mark 2 which is the passage of the friends who bring their sick, paralytic friend to Jesus…through the roof. He focused on the friends and how they were not backing down. They knew the power of Jesus and had faith that He would heal their friend. There were so many people there, that they couldn’t get inside. They did not give up and leave. Instead, they decided to dig a hole into someone else’s roof. I had never caught the part that Jesus looked up and saw their faith…the faith of the friends. He then healed their friend. What would have happened if the friends would have thought, “I guess this isn’t going to work, so we better just go back.”? Not only was this man healed, but it was in front of a giant crowd. The power of God was displayed vividly to these people. I was sitting there thinking, God this is just like you to have this message today as this was still so pressed on my heart. There are several people that I love that I need to have this kind of faith for. Some of you may even be reading this. You are precious to me, and you need to be brought to Jesus. I pray that I will be that type of friend for you.
Some people aren’t able to get to the feet of Jesus alone. Let’s join together and bring people to Jesus!
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross
Friday, November 21, 2008
Bonjour!!
Week five out of eight in the classroom has been completed. This week I taught science. We did a lot of experiments, all dealing with the Earth and the land that makes it up. It is funny how some dirt and water will thrill five and six year olds beyond belief. :) I am enjoying being with these students and feel like a mom to them since they are so little. There is constantly someone that needs their shoe tied or needs help in changing for P.E., or a little girl that asks me to do her hair. This is a very independent age compared to the third graders that I worked with first. I think that it is going to be difficult to leave knowing that I won’t be able to just “pop in” when I want later on. However, I cannot wait to see my third graders in just a month or so! I still don’t know what I think would be the “perfect grade” to teach because I have truly enjoyed both experiences and am so thankful that God has placed me in these two classrooms.
Well…to catch up…not too much out of the ordinary has happened since I last updated you. I am teaching more which is why I haven’t had a lot of time to write. Most of my day is still consumed with either being at the school or planning for school. Other than that, I have enjoyed spending evenings with Sheila and John. I am going to miss these two a lot! I hope that they someday come to Ohio and stay with us! There have already been a few things that I told John we will do if they come. Some include: enjoying Mom or Bri’s Chicken Fried Rice, going to Tokyo House, going ice skating, going laser tagging, and many others.
Monday I went to the orphanage again. I got to see a glimpse of my future dream. In the past year or two a few buildings have been built to begin a school for many uneducated students. The landscape is an open field and so far there is the orphanage, a high school, and elementary school, and a women’s clinic (where woman can go to safely give birth). A preschool is in construction and will be running within the next few months. This whole thing is so exciting to me. As some of you know, my heart is to educate, love, and bring the hope of Jesus to children who don’t have access to education. Someone else has seen this need, too. It is possible through Him!
Speaking of educating children, this week I experienced one of my favorite teaching experiences thus far. I decided to start reviewing the letters of the alphabet that the students have covered so far and to start forming words with them. The easiest way to do this I thought was to use word families. I had seen the idea in one of my labs to make an actual house out of paper. So, I made the “at” and the “an” families. …For those of you who don’t follow education lingo or remember from your early days, these are the words that have the same rhyme. Anyways, we went over these words as a group, and then I tried to act them out so that my two French speaking students would understand. The French speaking little girl knows the letters that we have covered so far very well, and she quickly figured out the pattern. Soon she was reading all of the words and she would get more excited each time. To see this girl being able to read these words in English when I have heard her say only a few words for weeks besides, “Miss Marshall” and “paint,” was thrilling for me! Today we reviewed, and she lit up. I think that I found her new favorite thing. Moments like this make me know that I am supposed to teach.
Youth group was on Thursday night, and it was a unique one. We got to go to someone’s house and help an organization who will be distributing 3,000 backpacks to orphaned and underprivileged children for Christmas. The Gospel will be presented in the process. We made a huge assembly line and cranked up the Christmas carols. It was so exciting to be a part of this, and a lot got accomplished since there were so many of us. There were times when I felt like Lucy from the I Love Lucy episode where she and Ethel are working on an assembly line for chocolate. The bags kept coming; however, they were a little harder to put inside our clothes or in our mouths! :) We took a one minute water break half way through. This was my first “water in a bag” experience. Here they don’t sell a lot of water bottles but water bags. You simply bite the edge and squeeze the bag. It is common to see someone walking down the street with a water bag dangling from their mouth. I tried this to see what it would be like. I concluded that the Burkinabe not only have tough heads but tough jaw bones.
Tonight after I went back to school for a little bit, Sheila and I did a little relaxing in from of the Tele. We watched the finale of “Strictly Come Dancing” which is the British version of “Dancing with the Stars.” I have followed this show…along with CSI, CNN, Super Nanny and others….a lot more than at home. I love dancing. Whenever I see these shows or any type of dancing, it makes me want to dance. After I graduate from the LTC (the no dancing policy at Taylor), I think that I will think about my future dance career. Haha!
Well, tomorrow I will wake up at the usual 6AM…but on a SATURDAY!! I will be heading to the school with Sheila to help with the school’s annual Walk-a-thon. It is a fundraiser that the school does to give money to a village school.
Random fact of the day: Mosquitoes are attracted to the color black. Maybe you knew this. I didn’t until yesterday. However, after wearing black pants yesterday and a black skirt today, I confirm this theory.
It is about time to call it a night here. Please let me know if there is anything that I can be praying for you. A few of my prayer requests are:
-To finish strong as there are only a few weeks left
-For continued health
-To be able to spend some quality time with Elizabeth and Marie
-For my upcoming visit with Farida
-My new relationships here…that I may truly reflect who Jesus is and that they may come to
know the Lord
-Patience to “sit and wait” for God’s plans and His timing in many areas of my life
Thank you for your prayers and for your love!
Week five out of eight in the classroom has been completed. This week I taught science. We did a lot of experiments, all dealing with the Earth and the land that makes it up. It is funny how some dirt and water will thrill five and six year olds beyond belief. :) I am enjoying being with these students and feel like a mom to them since they are so little. There is constantly someone that needs their shoe tied or needs help in changing for P.E., or a little girl that asks me to do her hair. This is a very independent age compared to the third graders that I worked with first. I think that it is going to be difficult to leave knowing that I won’t be able to just “pop in” when I want later on. However, I cannot wait to see my third graders in just a month or so! I still don’t know what I think would be the “perfect grade” to teach because I have truly enjoyed both experiences and am so thankful that God has placed me in these two classrooms.
Well…to catch up…not too much out of the ordinary has happened since I last updated you. I am teaching more which is why I haven’t had a lot of time to write. Most of my day is still consumed with either being at the school or planning for school. Other than that, I have enjoyed spending evenings with Sheila and John. I am going to miss these two a lot! I hope that they someday come to Ohio and stay with us! There have already been a few things that I told John we will do if they come. Some include: enjoying Mom or Bri’s Chicken Fried Rice, going to Tokyo House, going ice skating, going laser tagging, and many others.
Monday I went to the orphanage again. I got to see a glimpse of my future dream. In the past year or two a few buildings have been built to begin a school for many uneducated students. The landscape is an open field and so far there is the orphanage, a high school, and elementary school, and a women’s clinic (where woman can go to safely give birth). A preschool is in construction and will be running within the next few months. This whole thing is so exciting to me. As some of you know, my heart is to educate, love, and bring the hope of Jesus to children who don’t have access to education. Someone else has seen this need, too. It is possible through Him!
Speaking of educating children, this week I experienced one of my favorite teaching experiences thus far. I decided to start reviewing the letters of the alphabet that the students have covered so far and to start forming words with them. The easiest way to do this I thought was to use word families. I had seen the idea in one of my labs to make an actual house out of paper. So, I made the “at” and the “an” families. …For those of you who don’t follow education lingo or remember from your early days, these are the words that have the same rhyme. Anyways, we went over these words as a group, and then I tried to act them out so that my two French speaking students would understand. The French speaking little girl knows the letters that we have covered so far very well, and she quickly figured out the pattern. Soon she was reading all of the words and she would get more excited each time. To see this girl being able to read these words in English when I have heard her say only a few words for weeks besides, “Miss Marshall” and “paint,” was thrilling for me! Today we reviewed, and she lit up. I think that I found her new favorite thing. Moments like this make me know that I am supposed to teach.
Youth group was on Thursday night, and it was a unique one. We got to go to someone’s house and help an organization who will be distributing 3,000 backpacks to orphaned and underprivileged children for Christmas. The Gospel will be presented in the process. We made a huge assembly line and cranked up the Christmas carols. It was so exciting to be a part of this, and a lot got accomplished since there were so many of us. There were times when I felt like Lucy from the I Love Lucy episode where she and Ethel are working on an assembly line for chocolate. The bags kept coming; however, they were a little harder to put inside our clothes or in our mouths! :) We took a one minute water break half way through. This was my first “water in a bag” experience. Here they don’t sell a lot of water bottles but water bags. You simply bite the edge and squeeze the bag. It is common to see someone walking down the street with a water bag dangling from their mouth. I tried this to see what it would be like. I concluded that the Burkinabe not only have tough heads but tough jaw bones.
Tonight after I went back to school for a little bit, Sheila and I did a little relaxing in from of the Tele. We watched the finale of “Strictly Come Dancing” which is the British version of “Dancing with the Stars.” I have followed this show…along with CSI, CNN, Super Nanny and others….a lot more than at home. I love dancing. Whenever I see these shows or any type of dancing, it makes me want to dance. After I graduate from the LTC (the no dancing policy at Taylor), I think that I will think about my future dance career. Haha!
Well, tomorrow I will wake up at the usual 6AM…but on a SATURDAY!! I will be heading to the school with Sheila to help with the school’s annual Walk-a-thon. It is a fundraiser that the school does to give money to a village school.
Random fact of the day: Mosquitoes are attracted to the color black. Maybe you knew this. I didn’t until yesterday. However, after wearing black pants yesterday and a black skirt today, I confirm this theory.
It is about time to call it a night here. Please let me know if there is anything that I can be praying for you. A few of my prayer requests are:
-To finish strong as there are only a few weeks left
-For continued health
-To be able to spend some quality time with Elizabeth and Marie
-For my upcoming visit with Farida
-My new relationships here…that I may truly reflect who Jesus is and that they may come to
know the Lord
-Patience to “sit and wait” for God’s plans and His timing in many areas of my life
Thank you for your prayers and for your love!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Happy Birthday...African Style!
Today is Sheila's birthday! :)
Two posts in two consecutive days...you're so lucky! haha! Just kidding! Anyways, today was another great day.
I went to church with Alice and the kids this morning, and it was a joy as always. We were more late than usual, so I had a hard time finding a seat. Elizabeth was walking out of the church and saw me. She grabbed my hand and led me to the front to where Marie was sitting. I was so excited just to be sitting by her. This may seem strange to some of you, but my heart is filled with delight and gratitude when I am with these people...especially these two girls. I keep thinking how amazing God is to allow me to be worshiping in the same church that I fell in love with two years ago. It is wonderful! I didn't understand the service at all since I was sitting by Marie and another Burkinabe girl. But Marie would point to the verse in her Bible, and I would find it in mine. The sermon was on Samson, and I'm not sure what about. So, I read all about his story.
This afternoon Sheila and I got some things done in the classroom while John had tennis lessons. We then came home, and John and I decided that we would be the cooks for Sheila's birthday dinner. John wanted to just make eggs, and Sheila wanted to have chicken. I suggested we make chicken fried rice with eggs (one of my family's favorites!). They liked that idea, so John and I got busy and two hours later "well ah!" This was my first experience cooking in Africa. The rice was a lot drier than normal but still pretty good. If it were up to John we would have had a million other things in it because he kept trying to add things like tomatos, mayonaise, some spice that I've never heard of, etc. For those of you who know my food selections, you may know how I felt about these ideas (cough, cough, DK!). :) Anyways, we added some soy sauce and overall...a success! Sheila was happy not to cook, and John and I had fun. For dessert we decided to have the Snickers bars that I bought the other day. I unwrapped the three bars and carved "Happy B-day" into them. Then, John found a candle from the freezer, so we lit that. We went into the room with the snickers and candle singing "Happy Birthday" to Sheila. It was mainly me singing, but John was a good sport. We wanted Sheila to blow out the candle, but it had already gone out. So, I ran to the kitchen as I held out, "Shhheeeeiiiilllllaaaa......" and grabbed another match to relight the candle. She then blew it out.
Well, time to finish up lesson plans for tomorrow!
Two posts in two consecutive days...you're so lucky! haha! Just kidding! Anyways, today was another great day.
I went to church with Alice and the kids this morning, and it was a joy as always. We were more late than usual, so I had a hard time finding a seat. Elizabeth was walking out of the church and saw me. She grabbed my hand and led me to the front to where Marie was sitting. I was so excited just to be sitting by her. This may seem strange to some of you, but my heart is filled with delight and gratitude when I am with these people...especially these two girls. I keep thinking how amazing God is to allow me to be worshiping in the same church that I fell in love with two years ago. It is wonderful! I didn't understand the service at all since I was sitting by Marie and another Burkinabe girl. But Marie would point to the verse in her Bible, and I would find it in mine. The sermon was on Samson, and I'm not sure what about. So, I read all about his story.
This afternoon Sheila and I got some things done in the classroom while John had tennis lessons. We then came home, and John and I decided that we would be the cooks for Sheila's birthday dinner. John wanted to just make eggs, and Sheila wanted to have chicken. I suggested we make chicken fried rice with eggs (one of my family's favorites!). They liked that idea, so John and I got busy and two hours later "well ah!" This was my first experience cooking in Africa. The rice was a lot drier than normal but still pretty good. If it were up to John we would have had a million other things in it because he kept trying to add things like tomatos, mayonaise, some spice that I've never heard of, etc. For those of you who know my food selections, you may know how I felt about these ideas (cough, cough, DK!). :) Anyways, we added some soy sauce and overall...a success! Sheila was happy not to cook, and John and I had fun. For dessert we decided to have the Snickers bars that I bought the other day. I unwrapped the three bars and carved "Happy B-day" into them. Then, John found a candle from the freezer, so we lit that. We went into the room with the snickers and candle singing "Happy Birthday" to Sheila. It was mainly me singing, but John was a good sport. We wanted Sheila to blow out the candle, but it had already gone out. So, I ran to the kitchen as I held out, "Shhheeeeiiiilllllaaaa......" and grabbed another match to relight the candle. She then blew it out.
Well, time to finish up lesson plans for tomorrow!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Conferences, Fancy Birthday Dinner, Laughter, and More
It has been awhile since I have updated this. Sorry. I tried to post this last night, but the internet decided not to work. Anyways…I think this will work. I hope that you are all doing well! This week has flown by like others. My experience is already half way over. I am loving my time here, learning a lot, and glad I am here now; however, I will be so excited to be home for Christmas!
I taught mathematics this week to the Kindergarteners, and it went well. It was easier for me to teach this than Language Arts because there is only one group of Kindergarteners in the room during math. During Language Arts, the first graders are also in the room which makes it hard for both groups because they distract each other. But, both have been fun. These are the two main subjects that are every day. The other subjects are only one or two times a week. Next week I will take over science. Even though I am teaching the majority of the curriculum, I feel like I am not teaching a lot compared to teaching in my last experience. This is somewhat of a blessing because it allows me not to be overwhelmed here and to really enjoy the people and experience which I was afraid would be taken away with busyness that I felt during my last placement.
Thursday night John and I decided to watch a movie. I picked out several that we could choose between with a process of elimination. He liked all of my choices, but I think he liked the elimination game better. So, at the end he said, “Let’s just add some more to our choices.” After we decided that Land Before Time was the winner…we realized that the VCR was out of commission. It no longer releases the movies, so John came back with two rulers. For twenty minutes he and I tried everything to get the movie out. After my cut finger and him getting shocked, it came out! Then, we went to put it in, and it wouldn’t stay in! I was cracking up! We eventually got it in and working…persistence pays off!! John said to me in a serious tone, “Oh, life is hard!” We both had forgotten how sad this movie was. Wow…little kid movies teach kids hard things about life awful early. We were both sad during the movie, but it was a fun experience.
Thursday and yesterday were parent-teacher conferences, so I sat in on them with Sheila. It was so interesting to see the parents from several different countries and to see how each culture views their children’s education. Compared to parents in the states, most of these parents are “over concerned.” Some parents don’t speak any English, so Sheila would speak in French for some conferences. I tried to follow along during these twenty minute sessions in French, and I understood the basics. I now know maybe five phrases in French instead of my two starters, “Bonjour!” and “Se la Vi!” Another thing I really enjoyed was observing the different clothes that the mothers wore. Most came in beautiful African dresses. It was a great experience to be a part of!
Yesterday afternoon I went to Marina Market with Sheila, John, and Kaytah. We restocked the kitchen, and I decided to buy a few treats to share…like WHITE CHOCOLATE Magnum Bars!! When I got to the counter, the bill was extremely expensive. I realized when I got back that the magnum bars were the equivalent of $4 a piece…not per box. So, I don’t think that I will be purchasing any more of these!
Today was a wonderful day! I did some reading this morning after sleeping in! :) Then, Sheila took me to Charity’s birthday party so that I could help Alice. It was a Dora theme party and a lot of fun. There were twenty little girls, all 5-7 years old. It was loud but great! It was nice because I knew all of the girls from class. They all thought I looked different since I was wearing jeans instead of a skirt. I got some lesson planning done this afternoon and went to school with Sheila for awhile. Then, Sheila, John, and I got ready to go to dinner in another city…next to Ouagadougou. Its name is Ouagadoumil, and it is amazing. I had seen only a small part of it last time and remember being in awe of the president’s palace. However, I was blown away today by the mansions we passed (literally). I think that I have seen another side of Burkina Faso this time. Maybe it was just where I was the last time, but I think that Burkina is doing better economically as a whole. But poverty is still a major issue. You just have to walk out your door to see a hungry child or starving dog rummaging through the trash on the road. Anyways, we went to Ouagadoumil to eat at a fancy restaurant in which I can’t remember the name and couldn’t pronounce it when the sign was right in front of my face. All of us dressed up, and it was so wonderful to dine together and to enjoy our fancy meal. I guess I forgot to mention that we went because tomorrow, the 16th, is Sheila’s birthday. We went on the back roads home, so John was navigating. He asked if I wanted to go past the Presidential Palace, and I said I would since I forget what it looks like. Well, Sheila drove us down a road, and we went through an intersection with a yellow, flashing light. John started to kind of freak out and told Sheila that she had to turn around because we weren’t allowed to go this far. I guess that it was the street to the palace and that there are military waiting with guns a little further down. So, she put the car in reverse and we backed up several hundred feet. It was hilarious! We were all laughing, and I told John that they probably have a camera that they can see us on and are saying, “dumb Americans!”
Thank you for those of you who have been praying for me. God has opened my eyes and heart a lot these past few weeks, and I am excited to share what He has been doing. You are a part of that! My health has been great so far, and I thank God for this. Please pray for continued heath as mosquito bites are inevitable, and malaria is so common. I think that I may have mentioned this before, but one of my prayer requests is that I would be proactive about the rest of my time here. It is so easy to be consumed in the routine of school and just living. Even though I am so happy that I am truly experiencing an international teaching experience, I want to be able to soak up the Burkina experience. These are so different from each other. Please pray that I would have the motivation to look for opportunities and to also have opportunities come my way. Please also continue to pray for God to confirm things in my heart.
I appreciate each one of you!
I taught mathematics this week to the Kindergarteners, and it went well. It was easier for me to teach this than Language Arts because there is only one group of Kindergarteners in the room during math. During Language Arts, the first graders are also in the room which makes it hard for both groups because they distract each other. But, both have been fun. These are the two main subjects that are every day. The other subjects are only one or two times a week. Next week I will take over science. Even though I am teaching the majority of the curriculum, I feel like I am not teaching a lot compared to teaching in my last experience. This is somewhat of a blessing because it allows me not to be overwhelmed here and to really enjoy the people and experience which I was afraid would be taken away with busyness that I felt during my last placement.
Thursday night John and I decided to watch a movie. I picked out several that we could choose between with a process of elimination. He liked all of my choices, but I think he liked the elimination game better. So, at the end he said, “Let’s just add some more to our choices.” After we decided that Land Before Time was the winner…we realized that the VCR was out of commission. It no longer releases the movies, so John came back with two rulers. For twenty minutes he and I tried everything to get the movie out. After my cut finger and him getting shocked, it came out! Then, we went to put it in, and it wouldn’t stay in! I was cracking up! We eventually got it in and working…persistence pays off!! John said to me in a serious tone, “Oh, life is hard!” We both had forgotten how sad this movie was. Wow…little kid movies teach kids hard things about life awful early. We were both sad during the movie, but it was a fun experience.
Thursday and yesterday were parent-teacher conferences, so I sat in on them with Sheila. It was so interesting to see the parents from several different countries and to see how each culture views their children’s education. Compared to parents in the states, most of these parents are “over concerned.” Some parents don’t speak any English, so Sheila would speak in French for some conferences. I tried to follow along during these twenty minute sessions in French, and I understood the basics. I now know maybe five phrases in French instead of my two starters, “Bonjour!” and “Se la Vi!” Another thing I really enjoyed was observing the different clothes that the mothers wore. Most came in beautiful African dresses. It was a great experience to be a part of!
Yesterday afternoon I went to Marina Market with Sheila, John, and Kaytah. We restocked the kitchen, and I decided to buy a few treats to share…like WHITE CHOCOLATE Magnum Bars!! When I got to the counter, the bill was extremely expensive. I realized when I got back that the magnum bars were the equivalent of $4 a piece…not per box. So, I don’t think that I will be purchasing any more of these!
Today was a wonderful day! I did some reading this morning after sleeping in! :) Then, Sheila took me to Charity’s birthday party so that I could help Alice. It was a Dora theme party and a lot of fun. There were twenty little girls, all 5-7 years old. It was loud but great! It was nice because I knew all of the girls from class. They all thought I looked different since I was wearing jeans instead of a skirt. I got some lesson planning done this afternoon and went to school with Sheila for awhile. Then, Sheila, John, and I got ready to go to dinner in another city…next to Ouagadougou. Its name is Ouagadoumil, and it is amazing. I had seen only a small part of it last time and remember being in awe of the president’s palace. However, I was blown away today by the mansions we passed (literally). I think that I have seen another side of Burkina Faso this time. Maybe it was just where I was the last time, but I think that Burkina is doing better economically as a whole. But poverty is still a major issue. You just have to walk out your door to see a hungry child or starving dog rummaging through the trash on the road. Anyways, we went to Ouagadoumil to eat at a fancy restaurant in which I can’t remember the name and couldn’t pronounce it when the sign was right in front of my face. All of us dressed up, and it was so wonderful to dine together and to enjoy our fancy meal. I guess I forgot to mention that we went because tomorrow, the 16th, is Sheila’s birthday. We went on the back roads home, so John was navigating. He asked if I wanted to go past the Presidential Palace, and I said I would since I forget what it looks like. Well, Sheila drove us down a road, and we went through an intersection with a yellow, flashing light. John started to kind of freak out and told Sheila that she had to turn around because we weren’t allowed to go this far. I guess that it was the street to the palace and that there are military waiting with guns a little further down. So, she put the car in reverse and we backed up several hundred feet. It was hilarious! We were all laughing, and I told John that they probably have a camera that they can see us on and are saying, “dumb Americans!”
Thank you for those of you who have been praying for me. God has opened my eyes and heart a lot these past few weeks, and I am excited to share what He has been doing. You are a part of that! My health has been great so far, and I thank God for this. Please pray for continued heath as mosquito bites are inevitable, and malaria is so common. I think that I may have mentioned this before, but one of my prayer requests is that I would be proactive about the rest of my time here. It is so easy to be consumed in the routine of school and just living. Even though I am so happy that I am truly experiencing an international teaching experience, I want to be able to soak up the Burkina experience. These are so different from each other. Please pray that I would have the motivation to look for opportunities and to also have opportunities come my way. Please also continue to pray for God to confirm things in my heart.
I appreciate each one of you!
Monday, November 10, 2008
A Long Awaited Reunion
Saturday was a relaxing day filled with sleeping in and lesson planning. Other than that, we went to a pizza restaurant in the evening and played cards for a few hours. We had a great time laughing together! I know that I am right where I am supposed to be! Thank you for all of your prayers!
Yesterday I went to church with Alice and the kids. It is so refreshing to be there. Even though I don’t understand most of what is going on, I sense the presence of God and the hearts of the people. I love these people. These are the Burkinabe that impacted me so much two years ago. Speaking of two years ago…one thing that was a highlight for our team was the two nights of dancing around the church in a circle while singing…for three hours each time. It was a sweaty celebration of brothers and sisters in Christ. I tell you this because while we were singing on Sunday, the circle began! I was excited to just watch, but little did I know that the second person in the line was MARIE! She was the other girl who I got to know well here last time. She motioned for me to come join her with a big smile. So, I gave her a quick hug as we danced around the church. Not knowing the words and not being able to “feel the beat” exactly like an African, I again felt like I did in 2006…silly but wonderful! Afterwards, I got to talk with Marie and Elizabeth together and give long overdue hugs. What a moment! I thank God for allowing me to experience this! With broken French and English we expressed our excitement, and I think that in two weeks they are going to come visit me. We will see! I can’t wait to talk with them more! The rest of Sunday was not as exciting…more lesson planning. Here is a picture of Marie, me, and Elizabeth:
Today I introduced the Kindergarteners to Mr. S and his Super Socks! They really like this one…and so do I! I also taught the math lesson today which was the last day for “one more.” I thought I would be creative and use playing cards since the numbers correspond with the hearts, spades, cloves, and diamonds. I had the kids find the card that had one more, etc. This was not as big of a hit as I had hoped. I think this would have been good for older grades though. Oh well…we learn.
Funny story of the day…during story time I noticed that two of my students, of the opposite gender, were sitting really close. They are the tiniest kids in the class and both are five. They were holding hands and then pulling up their shirts so that they could tickle one another. At first I was cracking up, but they were getting a little inappropriate for the class, so I sat in between them. During free time later, they made each other gifts: a painting for the boy and a necklace for the girl. So, before we went home, we were sitting on the carpet. Sheila noticed that they couldn’t keep their hands off of one another again and told them to move. This time they were putting their hands down each other’s pants. Sheila and I caught glances and tried hard not to laugh.
After school I went back to the orphanage with Sheila and a few other older girls. There were only a few of us, unlike last time. When we got there, several of the babies were crying, so we jumped in and started picking them up. Even with all of us and the few workers, there were still more babies. I don’t know how these workers do it by themselves. Today the smell was not as bad and the babies seemed generally cleaner which was good to see. The little girl that was so little the last time, her name is Sienna. She is still so tiny but maybe just a bit bigger. As soon as I walked in the door I grabbed one little baby name something close to Anna. She stole my heart, and I had a hard time leaving. She was so precious and so happy. It is so hard to imagine that someone could not want someone so beautiful and so innocent as this little baby. I heard tonight that during our break when we didn’t come, the orphanage got a baby that was three days old. He was found in a dumpster. A few days later he died. My heart is broken for the children with no hope. I still feel that God may have something in my future with homeless children...in some way, shape, or form.
Yesterday I went to church with Alice and the kids. It is so refreshing to be there. Even though I don’t understand most of what is going on, I sense the presence of God and the hearts of the people. I love these people. These are the Burkinabe that impacted me so much two years ago. Speaking of two years ago…one thing that was a highlight for our team was the two nights of dancing around the church in a circle while singing…for three hours each time. It was a sweaty celebration of brothers and sisters in Christ. I tell you this because while we were singing on Sunday, the circle began! I was excited to just watch, but little did I know that the second person in the line was MARIE! She was the other girl who I got to know well here last time. She motioned for me to come join her with a big smile. So, I gave her a quick hug as we danced around the church. Not knowing the words and not being able to “feel the beat” exactly like an African, I again felt like I did in 2006…silly but wonderful! Afterwards, I got to talk with Marie and Elizabeth together and give long overdue hugs. What a moment! I thank God for allowing me to experience this! With broken French and English we expressed our excitement, and I think that in two weeks they are going to come visit me. We will see! I can’t wait to talk with them more! The rest of Sunday was not as exciting…more lesson planning. Here is a picture of Marie, me, and Elizabeth:
Today I introduced the Kindergarteners to Mr. S and his Super Socks! They really like this one…and so do I! I also taught the math lesson today which was the last day for “one more.” I thought I would be creative and use playing cards since the numbers correspond with the hearts, spades, cloves, and diamonds. I had the kids find the card that had one more, etc. This was not as big of a hit as I had hoped. I think this would have been good for older grades though. Oh well…we learn.
Funny story of the day…during story time I noticed that two of my students, of the opposite gender, were sitting really close. They are the tiniest kids in the class and both are five. They were holding hands and then pulling up their shirts so that they could tickle one another. At first I was cracking up, but they were getting a little inappropriate for the class, so I sat in between them. During free time later, they made each other gifts: a painting for the boy and a necklace for the girl. So, before we went home, we were sitting on the carpet. Sheila noticed that they couldn’t keep their hands off of one another again and told them to move. This time they were putting their hands down each other’s pants. Sheila and I caught glances and tried hard not to laugh.
After school I went back to the orphanage with Sheila and a few other older girls. There were only a few of us, unlike last time. When we got there, several of the babies were crying, so we jumped in and started picking them up. Even with all of us and the few workers, there were still more babies. I don’t know how these workers do it by themselves. Today the smell was not as bad and the babies seemed generally cleaner which was good to see. The little girl that was so little the last time, her name is Sienna. She is still so tiny but maybe just a bit bigger. As soon as I walked in the door I grabbed one little baby name something close to Anna. She stole my heart, and I had a hard time leaving. She was so precious and so happy. It is so hard to imagine that someone could not want someone so beautiful and so innocent as this little baby. I heard tonight that during our break when we didn’t come, the orphanage got a baby that was three days old. He was found in a dumpster. A few days later he died. My heart is broken for the children with no hope. I still feel that God may have something in my future with homeless children...in some way, shape, or form.
Sorry to end on a sad note...I just wanted you to know where my heart is. I am thankful that I get to be a part of something like this and finally feel like I'm here to do more than teach.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Bartering
What a great day! This morning when I woke up at 6AM, I was really glad it was Friday! The kids were crazy and wound up today. It probably was due to the large sugar intake. They first had their usual snack. Then, a mother of one of my students, who turns five tomorrow, brought in cake. It was the sweetest cake I have had maybe ever! Because today was our last day to focus on Mr. P, I bought some Popcorn. So...they did a lot of eating today. Oh, and they took treat bags filled with candy home from the birthday, also. Good luck to those parents!! :) Anyways, things went well and I am loving working with these students! I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, but teaching here is very relaxed compared to teaching in the states. There are a lot more breaks for teachers during the day. Then, because I am with such young kids, we have "choosing time" two times a day. This is when the kids basically play...dress up, my favorite Letter People Go Fish, read books, paint, make beaded necklaces, use lots of scotch tape for building paper airplanes and paper watches, dressing up, etc. It is FUN!!
After school we went home for lunch, and I hurried outside to meet the Burgs. Sarah and I have been wanting to go back to SIAO again, so we were hoping that someone we knew would want to go...and the Burgs did! I cannot begin to tell you how much fun shopping was today. They still had tons of things left, and the vendors were more willing to go down on their prices because it was later in the week. We had several hours, and Sarah and I got our feet wet with African bartering. I have to admit...I'm not too bad. I guess all of those garage sales when I was younger has paid off! :) Depending on the country, some knew English. The ones who did were hilarious because they would say, "Oh, I make you a good price...a very good price." One man cleared his chair off and asked me to sit down as I thought of "just one more final price" for the boutique (cloth picture) that I was interested in. We went back and forth and eventually I got a good deal on it. It is true that you have to walk away if you don't like the price because this strategy was extremely effective. One man found me several stands down about a necklace that I asked about. I found so many fun things and bought a lot more than I did the last time. So, I think that I am set now with my shopping for the trip. There are just a few little odds and ends that I still want to pick up around town before I leave.
Here is a picture of my beautiful new boutique. It is a picture of the continent of Africa and it has a woman working on it while her baby is wrapped on her back. I love it so much!
Tonight is a relaxing night for me. I am getting things organized and rearranging some things since I now have the dresser. I am really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. However, lesson planning will be a majority of the day I think as I will gain math next week. This should be fun! :)
After school we went home for lunch, and I hurried outside to meet the Burgs. Sarah and I have been wanting to go back to SIAO again, so we were hoping that someone we knew would want to go...and the Burgs did! I cannot begin to tell you how much fun shopping was today. They still had tons of things left, and the vendors were more willing to go down on their prices because it was later in the week. We had several hours, and Sarah and I got our feet wet with African bartering. I have to admit...I'm not too bad. I guess all of those garage sales when I was younger has paid off! :) Depending on the country, some knew English. The ones who did were hilarious because they would say, "Oh, I make you a good price...a very good price." One man cleared his chair off and asked me to sit down as I thought of "just one more final price" for the boutique (cloth picture) that I was interested in. We went back and forth and eventually I got a good deal on it. It is true that you have to walk away if you don't like the price because this strategy was extremely effective. One man found me several stands down about a necklace that I asked about. I found so many fun things and bought a lot more than I did the last time. So, I think that I am set now with my shopping for the trip. There are just a few little odds and ends that I still want to pick up around town before I leave.
Here is a picture of my beautiful new boutique. It is a picture of the continent of Africa and it has a woman working on it while her baby is wrapped on her back. I love it so much!
Tonight is a relaxing night for me. I am getting things organized and rearranging some things since I now have the dresser. I am really looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow. However, lesson planning will be a majority of the day I think as I will gain math next week. This should be fun! :)
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Leanna...one of God's many blessings!
Today was another fun day in the classroom. Yesterday I taught the students the "Down By the Banks" song/hand game. They loved this, and they wanted to play it again today. I think this may be a new favorite. Sheila thanked me this evening because it has been in her head all day long. Today was like every day in that at some point some student(s) cries. When you are 4, 5, or 6, life can easily be scary or upseting.
After school I went to Leanna's house for lunch. She is a CMA missionary here as a teacher. I have gotten to know her mainly through helping with the youth group as this is another one of her ministries. I had such a wonderful time getting to truly know her and her heart. I found out that her sister is Lydia, the girl from LIFE 2004 in Phoenix, AZ that got hit by a bus and all of us prayed for. She has the picture that they showed the thousands of us on the screen, hanging up on her wall. She also went to Kent State, so she knows where Canfield is. Also, she has been to North-Mar! Besides the fact that we have a lot of geography in common, we have similar passions and even struggles. Leanna was back in the states when our group came in 2006, so that is how I missed out on meeting her before. I know that she is a blessing from God in my life as she has already encouraged me so much. She helped me understand some of the different opportunities after I graduate and in the future. This was so helpful!
I then went to the school to wait for Sheila as she had a meeting. I watched the high school soccer game while I was waiting...and they won! We then came home, and there were two surprises waiting for me. One...Kaytah had washed all of my flipflops and they are now sparkling clean instead of coated with red dirt. I was so excited!! Then, my dresser was in finally, so Kaytah picked it up today. Basically, Kaytah is the man!! :) It is brightly colored and will soon be used instead of my suitcases.
Well, I am going to get a quick bite to eat before youth group this evening. The day has been flying by with a lot of different activities. It should be a fun night!
Today I am thanking God for again being faithful and putting Leanna in my path.
After school I went to Leanna's house for lunch. She is a CMA missionary here as a teacher. I have gotten to know her mainly through helping with the youth group as this is another one of her ministries. I had such a wonderful time getting to truly know her and her heart. I found out that her sister is Lydia, the girl from LIFE 2004 in Phoenix, AZ that got hit by a bus and all of us prayed for. She has the picture that they showed the thousands of us on the screen, hanging up on her wall. She also went to Kent State, so she knows where Canfield is. Also, she has been to North-Mar! Besides the fact that we have a lot of geography in common, we have similar passions and even struggles. Leanna was back in the states when our group came in 2006, so that is how I missed out on meeting her before. I know that she is a blessing from God in my life as she has already encouraged me so much. She helped me understand some of the different opportunities after I graduate and in the future. This was so helpful!
I then went to the school to wait for Sheila as she had a meeting. I watched the high school soccer game while I was waiting...and they won! We then came home, and there were two surprises waiting for me. One...Kaytah had washed all of my flipflops and they are now sparkling clean instead of coated with red dirt. I was so excited!! Then, my dresser was in finally, so Kaytah picked it up today. Basically, Kaytah is the man!! :) It is brightly colored and will soon be used instead of my suitcases.
Well, I am going to get a quick bite to eat before youth group this evening. The day has been flying by with a lot of different activities. It should be a fun night!
Today I am thanking God for again being faithful and putting Leanna in my path.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day!
After hearing about the election for far too long...today is here! I have been watching a lot of CNN World News, so I have thankfully been able to follow the campaigns for the past few weeks. It has been interesting to me how over here, the news involves the whole world. This is not the case with our news in the states. Basically a national disaster has to occur before we cover another country's news...unless of course it effects us. So, tonight I watched a live speech from McCain in Colorado. Why didn't he deliver a speech like that before? If he did, I think he would be a lot more confident right now. The other thing that I enjoyed watching was how many Americans are actually voting in this election...it is about time!! I have to admit that the more I watch, the more I find it hard to leave the TV or Tele as they say here. I am going to make this short tonight because I want to go to bed early so that I can wake up at 4:45am tomorrow to hopefully be just in time to hear some exciting news of the new US president. Who will be happy...Sheila or me....we will soon find out!
Quick recap of the day...school was great. Being with such little kids is a full time job, but it doesn't feel as much like work. I think this is because there is less traditional teaching and more experiential learning going on with life lessons like how to share or take turns. I am really enjoying my time with the kids. Today we found out that one of our students moved during last week, so he wont be back. This is something that I think I would really struggle with as an international school teacher. I only knew this kid a week and was sad today when I heard this news. I can't imagine not saying good-bye or anything after getting to know a child like a teacher does. This is so common though at schools like this because parents are always relocating...most of the time to different countries. Anyways, back to the day...after school we came home and had chicken for lunch. We were all excited because chicken is a precious thing here with the few that are alive and well. So, I started to use my fork to pull off the meat, but it didn't budge. I was politely trying to eat this which seemed more and more impossible. Sheila soon said, "Do you need to use your paws for this?" I told her I was waiting for that. So, we all were tugging and pulling with our fingers, but still nothing! We think that Kaytah, the cook, overcooked it or something...Then, we decided we needed "saws," so Sheila grabbed each of us sharp knives. The chicken finally came off the bone, but it still was a workout. Seeing all of our faces as we struggled was so funny, and there was a lot of laughter. It was probably good that Kaytah doesn't understand English because I think he would have been offended if he did. Good fun for the day!
Well, I'm going to bed...GO VOTE!!!!!
Quick recap of the day...school was great. Being with such little kids is a full time job, but it doesn't feel as much like work. I think this is because there is less traditional teaching and more experiential learning going on with life lessons like how to share or take turns. I am really enjoying my time with the kids. Today we found out that one of our students moved during last week, so he wont be back. This is something that I think I would really struggle with as an international school teacher. I only knew this kid a week and was sad today when I heard this news. I can't imagine not saying good-bye or anything after getting to know a child like a teacher does. This is so common though at schools like this because parents are always relocating...most of the time to different countries. Anyways, back to the day...after school we came home and had chicken for lunch. We were all excited because chicken is a precious thing here with the few that are alive and well. So, I started to use my fork to pull off the meat, but it didn't budge. I was politely trying to eat this which seemed more and more impossible. Sheila soon said, "Do you need to use your paws for this?" I told her I was waiting for that. So, we all were tugging and pulling with our fingers, but still nothing! We think that Kaytah, the cook, overcooked it or something...Then, we decided we needed "saws," so Sheila grabbed each of us sharp knives. The chicken finally came off the bone, but it still was a workout. Seeing all of our faces as we struggled was so funny, and there was a lot of laughter. It was probably good that Kaytah doesn't understand English because I think he would have been offended if he did. Good fun for the day!
Well, I'm going to bed...GO VOTE!!!!!
Monday, November 3, 2008
6AM mornings are back again!
Last night was another no-internet evening. After giving up on it, I started to read in bed before going to sleep. Around 9:30 the electricity went off. It came back on in a few minutes, but I decided that I was too tired to read anymore by that point. I am reading Miracle at Tenwek, which is a book that Megan gave me last Christmas. It is about the life and impact of Ernie Steury, a medical missionary to Kenya. So far it has been amazing, and I am enjoying reading this in my free time when I am not too tired. The book addresses a lot about the specific call that God placed on Ernie’s life and how even through obstacles, times of uncertainty, and discouragement, God carried that through to His purpose and plan. It has been encouraging for me as I am seeking God for the specific calling He has on my life.
I am not sure if it was the week off of school and relaxing or what, but I am feeling very tired and am not up to doing much. This is a prayer request of mine because it is easy to be very consumed in planning and teaching things and not soak up the culture and people around me. The school itself is a completely separate community. It is wonderful, but it is very different and removed from the rest of Burkina even though there are Burkinabe students who attend. Most teachers and students return in the afternoon and evening to either plan or attend some activity. This is a great thing; however, you must be careful to not let it consume you.
Yesterday I went to church with Alice and the kids. Pete was away on a trip, so it was just us. Once a year the women are in charge of the service, and it is located at the central CMA (Christian and Missionary Alliance) church in Ouagadougou. Yesterday was that day, so we went to this church that is very modern compared to the Pat Twah, the other church. The prime minister, whose children attend my school, was invited and ended up coming. The church was packed with probably close to 1,000 in attendance. There was a band and tons of music that was fun and energetic. Several woman were up front dancing around in a circle. This reminded me of church when I came in 2006. Our team danced around the church with the people for three hours…for two nights. It was hot but so much fun. This is how I got to know Marie (who I have not seen yet) and Elizabeth. During the service, Alice translated for me which was so nice to know what was going on. The message was about peace. The woman talked about how we often let interruptions and discouragement get in the way of the peace of God. It was a good service…all three and a half hours!! :)
Today was back to the grind, waking up at 6am. Since I went to bed early last night, I did pretty well at being awake this morning. My tea with Digestives helped! :) The kids were so well behaved today, even though I thought they were before. I think that the break was well-needed. Today was my first lesson on the letter “P.” It went pretty well, but the kids finished a lot sooner than I had anticipated. Thankfully, I thought of another activity on the spot. As I had imagined, it was really difficult to keep the attention of the kids when two of them only know a few words in English. I sometimes get bored when I hear a long conversation in French, and I have a lot more self control than these kids. Tomorrow’s lesson should be fun along with the rest of the week because I have a different theme for each day. Penguins are tomorrow, followed by pigs, picnic, and popcorn party. At the end of the day the kids usually have free time. They all love the alphabet people “Go Fish” game. I cannot tell you how many times I have played this in 6 days! Today was really rewarding because one of my non-English speaking students asked me to play with her. She was finally able to say, “Mrs. Marshall, do you have Mr. fill in the blank.” I was really proud of her!
Tonight for dinner we are having pizza from the Burgs, missionaries that I knew last time. Their older son and a friend had started a business, but they are now in the states for college. I guess it is a family recipe, because they are still making them. I remember loving them last time, so they should be good. Well, hopefully, I will be able to post this online tonight, and I am also hoping to talk to my family. Another prayer request…even though I am so glad I am here, I am struggling knowing that my family is all together for a month since Eddie is on vacation and at home. Not talking to them as much and feeling so far away makes it harder for me.
Well, I hope that your week is off to a great start. There is now a five hour time difference between us since we don’t have Daylight Savings. The election is tomorrow, so I am planning on going to bed early, since I will want to be up late tomorrow evening. I think Sheila and I are going to be glued to the TV, even though we have different hopes for the outcome.
FYI…Clicker is back to his normal spot behind the hot water tank in my bathroom. He has been missing for a few days, so I am glad to have those big familiar eyes back! :)
I am not sure if it was the week off of school and relaxing or what, but I am feeling very tired and am not up to doing much. This is a prayer request of mine because it is easy to be very consumed in planning and teaching things and not soak up the culture and people around me. The school itself is a completely separate community. It is wonderful, but it is very different and removed from the rest of Burkina even though there are Burkinabe students who attend. Most teachers and students return in the afternoon and evening to either plan or attend some activity. This is a great thing; however, you must be careful to not let it consume you.
Yesterday I went to church with Alice and the kids. Pete was away on a trip, so it was just us. Once a year the women are in charge of the service, and it is located at the central CMA (Christian and Missionary Alliance) church in Ouagadougou. Yesterday was that day, so we went to this church that is very modern compared to the Pat Twah, the other church. The prime minister, whose children attend my school, was invited and ended up coming. The church was packed with probably close to 1,000 in attendance. There was a band and tons of music that was fun and energetic. Several woman were up front dancing around in a circle. This reminded me of church when I came in 2006. Our team danced around the church with the people for three hours…for two nights. It was hot but so much fun. This is how I got to know Marie (who I have not seen yet) and Elizabeth. During the service, Alice translated for me which was so nice to know what was going on. The message was about peace. The woman talked about how we often let interruptions and discouragement get in the way of the peace of God. It was a good service…all three and a half hours!! :)
Today was back to the grind, waking up at 6am. Since I went to bed early last night, I did pretty well at being awake this morning. My tea with Digestives helped! :) The kids were so well behaved today, even though I thought they were before. I think that the break was well-needed. Today was my first lesson on the letter “P.” It went pretty well, but the kids finished a lot sooner than I had anticipated. Thankfully, I thought of another activity on the spot. As I had imagined, it was really difficult to keep the attention of the kids when two of them only know a few words in English. I sometimes get bored when I hear a long conversation in French, and I have a lot more self control than these kids. Tomorrow’s lesson should be fun along with the rest of the week because I have a different theme for each day. Penguins are tomorrow, followed by pigs, picnic, and popcorn party. At the end of the day the kids usually have free time. They all love the alphabet people “Go Fish” game. I cannot tell you how many times I have played this in 6 days! Today was really rewarding because one of my non-English speaking students asked me to play with her. She was finally able to say, “Mrs. Marshall, do you have Mr. fill in the blank.” I was really proud of her!
Tonight for dinner we are having pizza from the Burgs, missionaries that I knew last time. Their older son and a friend had started a business, but they are now in the states for college. I guess it is a family recipe, because they are still making them. I remember loving them last time, so they should be good. Well, hopefully, I will be able to post this online tonight, and I am also hoping to talk to my family. Another prayer request…even though I am so glad I am here, I am struggling knowing that my family is all together for a month since Eddie is on vacation and at home. Not talking to them as much and feeling so far away makes it harder for me.
Well, I hope that your week is off to a great start. There is now a five hour time difference between us since we don’t have Daylight Savings. The election is tomorrow, so I am planning on going to bed early, since I will want to be up late tomorrow evening. I think Sheila and I are going to be glued to the TV, even though we have different hopes for the outcome.
FYI…Clicker is back to his normal spot behind the hot water tank in my bathroom. He has been missing for a few days, so I am glad to have those big familiar eyes back! :)
Saturday, November 1, 2008
SIAO and Reformation
Today was the long awaited visit to the SIAO festival...don't ask me what it stands for! SIAO is a BIG thing here in case you couldn't tell by the water bottle! Yeah...BIG!!! :) We thought it would be good to get an early start before the sun scorched us and before all of Ouaga came. We picked up the other K-1 teacher and her husband along the way and arrived at 8:45. The gates didn't end up opening till 9:00 and the actual buildings didn't open till 9:30. So, we were pretty toasty by the time we even began. Therefore, our first stop was the one of the two air conditioned buildings. There are four main buildings, and about 100 stands in each. Countries from all over Africa are represented. Basically, a piece of heaven for me. The air conditioned buildings were more "classy" and had fewer booths with higher priced items. The other two buildings were mass chaos with people everywhere and some aggressive African sellers. I loved just watching all the people and looking at their beautiful things they brought to sell from their country. A lot of things were similar throughout the countries, but each had specialities....like leather or silver jewelry or sparkling clothing, etc. We managed to cover the four buildings in two hours. I could have easily spent 6 hours more there and LOTS of money. I love most African jewelry...my new weakness. (I think even more than Magnum Bars)! My French is horrible, but I practiced a few market phrases the other day so that I would be able to make some purchases on my own. I did find one necklace and bracelet set that I didn't think I could live without. Later this week, I hope to go back.
After shopping in the heat, we were all worn out, so we came back to the house with the other family and had a feast for lunch. We then just sat around and socialized for hours, Burkinabe style...even though Americans and Canadians made up the room. I just relaxed the rest of the afternoon and thought of ideas for this evening's costume.
Costume you may wonder. Well, the youth group had a Reformation Party tonight to celebrate the anniversary of Martin Luther King's thesis. So, everyone had to dress up as a Reformer. We had Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, 3 Blind Mice, Pink Panther, a baker, and others that weren't really Reformers but dressed up and myself as Alice Paul. Last year I learned about her involvement in the women's suffrage movement and was very intrigued by her. So, when I googled women reformers tonight, she was one of the options. Not as fun; however, a good choice. I don't think that there was one person who really knew who I was, but since they hardly know me, most of the kids just smiled and acted like I was someone. It was a fun night with several messy games that reminded me of my days in youth group. Kids had mummy wrapping contests with TP, they carved watermelons, they chugged Coke...and threw up, they played Pin the thesis on the wall, and the messiest...bobbing for gummy bears in cooked rice. I laughed a lot and enjoyed getting to know some of the kids.
Well, that was pretty much today, and I am really tired!
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