Mid-October

Hello family! It's so good to see you again! After reading my last few posts, I realize there is much updating on school to do. So, let's hop to it!

I have now been teaching and assisting at Kaneshie Presby. School for five weeks. My celebrity status is finally beginning to wear off as a mutual respect is gradually being built between the students and I. To recap just a bit, I'd like to review what's happened in the last five weeks. Week one was just "Get to know each other" week. This is where I had time to learn their 44 names and they had time to learn my no-caning policy. Week two and half of week three, we all know, was teacher-sick-with-Malaria-so-I'm-in-charge period. With advice from many sources, I was armed and...sort of ready. When the lessons of the day did not quite fill up the time, I used songs as my fall back. So by the end of week three when Madam Beatrice was released and back to work, these students had a repertoire of little ditties. Among them were "Baby Shark" (pictured),

"The B.I.B.L.E.", and our class song. Here are the lyrics if you're curious (think Remember the Titans with a zing!):

Everywhere we go
People want to know
Who we are
So, we tell them
We are God's kids
God's mighty, mighty strong kids
And because of our Father
We will live forever!

Each line is sung by a leader and repeated by the rest of the class. I can proudly say (with a huge smile on my face) each of my students is confident to lead the class in our song. These two weeks also demonstrated their love for hearing and telling stories. Whenever there was a lull in class, a student would jump from his seat and ask "Miss Madam, can I say a story?" Not many are capable to project their voices for all 44 peers to hear, but they say their improv. story with pride and exaggeration anyway. After week two I began to feel left out and decided to say my own story in the beginnings of week 3. It took me 30 minutes to relay the story of Alladin, the genie, and the princess but those students were more intent and focused in that half an hour than in the entire week. Maybe that's a bad thing, but in that short time I feel there was a connection between student and teacher that helped to propel us through the next few days. Week four was full of new lessons and eventually a test that most everyone passed! I took a couple days to observe another class. Each time I came back to my Primary Two classroom, I was met with an outbreak of screaming and shouting which I'm sure Madam B did not appreciate. But I couldn't keep hidden the smile that stretched across my face. They really DO care no matter how they act when I'm IN the classroom. Another example of this outpouring of love came during this past week (week five). I was met with a new challenge. The Primary One teacher was going to be out for three days at a conference, so I was asked to fill in. My whole being screamed let it be a dream, wake up Meg! But I heard myself say, "Yes" and oh how real it was. 43 five and six year olds. Wew! That was some heavy stuff. I welcomed all the help I could get. Songs and stories were my main courses of action. I taught them as much Math, handwriting, and English as their various attention spans would allow. What touched my heart was whenever one of my students from P2 would take a bathroom or drink break, they would stop in my P1 class to give a stern look and say, "Keep quiet!" to my new students. Some would even stay long enough to demonstrate one of the songs I had taught them. With pride they would stroll back to class. My little protectors made me feel loved and helped me to remember that God was watching me as well. In these next few weeks I will continue to move around the school, aiding and observing different classes. I will miss my P2ers but I will be taking with me LOADS of newly learned strategies that are sure to help no matter the age. Something I keep running into is God's craftiness. If I hadn't been thrown into teaching a whole class on my own right from the start, I wouldn't have learned so fast. If I didn't learn those strategies quickly I wouldn't have been properly equipped to take care of those young Primary One-ers. And every so often, when I think I've reached my boiling point, another teacher will step in and allow me to rest if only for a few minutes. Our God is good peeps.

Goodness, I wish I could express how exciting my life with HIM has been lately. I'm currently attempting to read the Bible in a year (thought this was a pretty good opportunity). You can't imagine how amazing those few minutes a day will affect you! Seriously, each time I sit down to read, I realize how much I've MISSED. There is some GOOD stuff in there! It's a mystery, love story, and an action-packed comedy all rolled into one. You may disagree with me on the comedy, but honestly...you gotta read it! Some lines will just make you laugh out loud :-P The best part is, the whole dang thing is TRUE! Which makes it all the more exciting!! It does seem like a daunting task, BUT I've heard that it's apparently just 72 hours of non-stop reading. So all of you Harry Potter readers out there don't really have any excuse not to pick it up and read. I know I might be preaching to the choir, but I just thought I would express my excitement with the hopes that it would rub off on whoever God wants it to rub off on, if that makes any sense.

Now I'm going to attempt to send out some pictures via e-mail. I know it's already been about two months, but doods, it takes a LOT of time to figure stuff out in this country, honest! Again I shall end this blog just like all the rest. I miss you all more than you could ever know and I'm praying tons and tons for your lives back home, because no Christian life is an easy one. With a lotta love,
Meg

P.S. If you see my sister punch her in the arm for me. She turned 17 in the blink of an eye, and I'm sure 18 is going to come even faster!!
Happy belated birthday my love :) I miss you TONS Nanner!