I’ve had quite an exciting weekend. It all started at 4:00AM on Friday morning. A girl came and woke me up and said that someone was trying to climb into her room. At first I was confused. Then I was thinking to myself “those boys are going to be digging holes all day tomorrow.” But when I went outside and shined my light on them, I realized that it was one village boy. How can I punish a village boy? Well I asked him to leave and after quite awhile he left. I couldn’t tell if he was drunk, but he must have been drunk. The thing that bothers me the most is that he was not scared of me. He was not ashamed of my presence. He did not flee once he knew that we knew he was trying to get into the building. Well, that woke me up! I walked around the building for a little bit and then rested until worship. After dorm worship I took a walk into the village and reported our little incident to the police, who had also been drinking. But they took down my story and they went and talked to the boy that had come to our campus.
Friday I made so many trips to the village. First to the police, then I went to call James so that he knew what we needed for his flight, and then I went back in to pick up one of my girls. But it was quite amazing, I was so full of energy after being so rudely awakened early, and walking to the village so often. I ran to the village every time.
Sabbath DIIC took Sabbath School, and AY. Byron and I planned Sabbath School Friday night in a rush. We had talked about it before but we hadn’t done anything or figured out the texts or the order of the program. But we had the things down quickly, and we said some prayers, and Sabbath morning God came through. The church said that they had never had such a good Sabbath School. PRAISE THE LORD! It was so not us. (We hadn’t planned the Sabbath school, because Byron had gotten sick during the week and I was working on AY.) AY came around and the kids did well. We used the PF Sabbath program about the Pioneers. It was good, the kids read too fast, but it was good.
I’m so glad that this Sabbath is over and that God blessed our efforts; our well laid plans and our spur of the moment plans.
Now we have one week before mission trip. And so much to do. So much to plan and stuff to get from GT. Please pray for us as we prepare and as we hike there, and as we serve this other village.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Second School
Have I told you about the second school we run? It is not our main focus and so I forget about it when I usually write home. We have the industrial school with 19 students and they live on campus. Then we have a CXC (Caribiean Exam Council) which is like government exams,and we have the first year, called Form 1, with 11, and 12 year old’s.
Anyways, I guess you could say I teach at two schools and am the principal of both! Fun isn’t it. Well I teach their math. These kids have had so many substitutes that I can’t count them. And so we finally decided that until a more permanent teacher comes we (Byron, Maria, Steve, and I) will be teaching them. Because having a new teacher everyday is not cool, So I start teaching at 9:30 and am done at 12:30 with no break. Four 45 min classes.
Things are going better here. Rosalia has turned over a new leaf. We had finally had enough, and we gave her discipline for not listening. I also talked to her parents. But it was after the discipline that she changed. She started by running up to the farm when we go to work. We walked to church together, all 21 of us. And she volunteered to go to the farm when she didn’t have to, she did her cooking on time and didn’t complain about what she had to cook, etc. It has been amazing! It is so exciting.
Here’s a picture of the Snap Snap game we played. It was fun.
I have been so encouraged with how energetic I am. Did I tell you about climbing the mountain or going to the falls an hour down the trail? Well I felt amazing on both trips. And I feel so healthy! We have to keep this up so I can stay in shape.
The motor bike just got fixed so we now have a working motor bike, hopefully we will get gas so that we can use it! We just got a lawn mower to make this campus look like a campus and now we are out of gas. Hopefully the plane will bring that in today too. It’s a good thing we have solar panels for electricity, otherwise we would run through the gas even faster.
I sent two kids home the other day. They are day students (not the industrial kids). They seem to not care about school and so I had to do something to make them know that I was serious. Then I sent home a letter and talked to parents of the one kid and I still have to talk to the parents of the other. But huge change! It has been amazing.
I have seen God working a lot lately. It has been good.
Anyways, I guess you could say I teach at two schools and am the principal of both! Fun isn’t it. Well I teach their math. These kids have had so many substitutes that I can’t count them. And so we finally decided that until a more permanent teacher comes we (Byron, Maria, Steve, and I) will be teaching them. Because having a new teacher everyday is not cool, So I start teaching at 9:30 and am done at 12:30 with no break. Four 45 min classes.
Things are going better here. Rosalia has turned over a new leaf. We had finally had enough, and we gave her discipline for not listening. I also talked to her parents. But it was after the discipline that she changed. She started by running up to the farm when we go to work. We walked to church together, all 21 of us. And she volunteered to go to the farm when she didn’t have to, she did her cooking on time and didn’t complain about what she had to cook, etc. It has been amazing! It is so exciting.
Here’s a picture of the Snap Snap game we played. It was fun.
I have been so encouraged with how energetic I am. Did I tell you about climbing the mountain or going to the falls an hour down the trail? Well I felt amazing on both trips. And I feel so healthy! We have to keep this up so I can stay in shape.
The motor bike just got fixed so we now have a working motor bike, hopefully we will get gas so that we can use it! We just got a lawn mower to make this campus look like a campus and now we are out of gas. Hopefully the plane will bring that in today too. It’s a good thing we have solar panels for electricity, otherwise we would run through the gas even faster.
I sent two kids home the other day. They are day students (not the industrial kids). They seem to not care about school and so I had to do something to make them know that I was serious. Then I sent home a letter and talked to parents of the one kid and I still have to talk to the parents of the other. But huge change! It has been amazing.
I have seen God working a lot lately. It has been good.
A Cow plus a Bull plus an Elephant
Do you think that you could get some people to come once school is over to work on this kitchen? I don’t want to leave next years' staff with this kitchen. Our stove keeps breaking, we need someone who is an expert in bricks or jungle ovens/stoves to come and build us a new kitchen and dining area. OSHA would have a cow plus a bull plus an elephant, if they saw where we eat. It is so unsanitary. It doesn’t bother me but it probably shouldn’t continue. I’ve really been considering staying and helping out with that project in June. But I can’t do it alone.
Authentic Guyanese Souvenir
Everybody keeps saying how they haven’t heard from me in a long time. Well I think I can say the same thing back to all of them.
We are getting ready for our mission trip. I do not like being in charge. I wish James didn't have a plane so that he could just be here. I wish I was not in charge. Things are really busy getting ready for mission trip. And I can’t imagine that I’ll have time to write while we are gone.
I bought a warashi (war she). I’m going to see if I can get Joy to send you a picture. It’s cool, my first authentic Guyanese souvenir.
I’m anxious to come home, but I’m also anxious to stay here. But I’m enjoying every moment that I have here.
The kids all make fun of me, they say I’m getting thin, and not eating enough. It’s so bad, I come here and lose 20lbs or more and they gain it all. Almost all the girls are much bigger than they were when they got here.
Can you carefully tell Mama something for me? Miss Maria has been running into snakes a lot lately. I think she needs my mother to pray that she won’t see snakes. Because I never see snakes. I have never once come across a live snake. I have seen them when they are dead, but Maria finds at least one every day. Don’t make mama scared for me, but if you can kinda get her to pray for Maria as well, I think that would do wonders! Because I know that my mother is praying for me, and I’m pretty sure she is praying that the snakes stay away from me. Maria’s mom prays for her too but it’s not working as well!
The other morning it was 65 degrees F. I was freezing. I couldn’t put enough clothes on. I was fine in bed but outside I was COLD. And today inside the building it was about 83, but outside in indirect sun it was 100 degrees. But it is nice because we don’t have AC that freezes us out when we are inside!
I wish our farm was producing more food. If I had started planting when I first got here, it would be great, but I didn’t. I didn’t really start planting until right before Christmas, and that is too late. But what I do like about planting here is you can plant whenever, and not have to worry about frost. In our garden at home I want to have zucchini, and asparagus, and tomatoes, and bell peppers, and cassava, and dashin, edos, Okra! Corn, beets.
Ok well I better get to worship.
Love you,
Please write back as soon as you can.
We are getting ready for our mission trip. I do not like being in charge. I wish James didn't have a plane so that he could just be here. I wish I was not in charge. Things are really busy getting ready for mission trip. And I can’t imagine that I’ll have time to write while we are gone.
I bought a warashi (war she). I’m going to see if I can get Joy to send you a picture. It’s cool, my first authentic Guyanese souvenir.
I’m anxious to come home, but I’m also anxious to stay here. But I’m enjoying every moment that I have here.
The kids all make fun of me, they say I’m getting thin, and not eating enough. It’s so bad, I come here and lose 20lbs or more and they gain it all. Almost all the girls are much bigger than they were when they got here.
Can you carefully tell Mama something for me? Miss Maria has been running into snakes a lot lately. I think she needs my mother to pray that she won’t see snakes. Because I never see snakes. I have never once come across a live snake. I have seen them when they are dead, but Maria finds at least one every day. Don’t make mama scared for me, but if you can kinda get her to pray for Maria as well, I think that would do wonders! Because I know that my mother is praying for me, and I’m pretty sure she is praying that the snakes stay away from me. Maria’s mom prays for her too but it’s not working as well!
The other morning it was 65 degrees F. I was freezing. I couldn’t put enough clothes on. I was fine in bed but outside I was COLD. And today inside the building it was about 83, but outside in indirect sun it was 100 degrees. But it is nice because we don’t have AC that freezes us out when we are inside!
I wish our farm was producing more food. If I had started planting when I first got here, it would be great, but I didn’t. I didn’t really start planting until right before Christmas, and that is too late. But what I do like about planting here is you can plant whenever, and not have to worry about frost. In our garden at home I want to have zucchini, and asparagus, and tomatoes, and bell peppers, and cassava, and dashin, edos, Okra! Corn, beets.
Ok well I better get to worship.
Love you,
Please write back as soon as you can.
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