Hello all,
I am finally sitting down to write another update. A couple weeks ago I was in my room as the juniors were in the next classroom for Sunday school singing “I’ve Got the Joy”. What a joy to hear their voices lifted in praise to God. Please pray that each one will receive the joy in their hearts that comes from trusting Jesus as their Saviour.
Grade One has been a busy place these last five weeks. Each one is new to the school and so has had to have a crash course in all of the routines they are expected to follow in classes, in the dining room, in the dorm, and on the playground.
They are all very eager to share their knowledge in class which excites me. They are working on taking turns in sharing, not just blurting out. It is a slow process. Some days are better than others, and some days I have more patience than others.
I have one student who is far above the rest in her reading ability so I am trying to figure out how best to challenge her. Her Math skills are about the same as the others. She can actually read the instructions in the book so this helps her to be more independent as I guide the rest through the page. I am getting a crash course in how to direct the students around the page since they are still becoming familiar with the format. The Phonics books are great because the page is set out the same way every time.
I have the grade twos for Grammar/Spelling. They are a more chatty group so require more structure. Since I only have them for one class I have set up a routine where they come in ready to learn. I start the class with five minutes of quiet reading which helps them to settle down for a successful class. They are a very creative group. I have them for handwork and it’s so fun to see what they come up with. “Animals” is the theme for Birthday Party in March so we have made paper bag animals, symmetrical paint butterflies, and we will be making beaded lizards. These will go on display in the dining room on the day of Birthday Party except for the lizards as we are still working on them.
This is a wonderful learning experience for me as well. I have been supply teaching at home for the last year so I still have a lot to learn. Thankfully I have been teamed up with one of the senior staff here who is there to answer any questions and offer advice. Thankfully, God has promised to show His strength through our weaknesses.
One of my favourite things here is how beautiful nature is. Sunsets are beautiful everywhere but when they are paired with the oddly shaped trees and the vibrant flowers of Zambia it’s just astounding. It has been raining a lot as it is rainy season so we get an abundance of cloud coverage with nice sun breaks where the water has a chance to get warm enough to have a warm shower. You’re not likely to get warm water first thing in the morning as it has all lost its heat again. We have had a few more sunny days lately which means some clear nights as well. The other night four of us went up to the airstrip where there are no lights to gaze up at the stars. It was an awesome view, and we even got a lightning show on the horizon!
Wednesday is Birthday Party and Heidi Hanna and Natalie Grove will be the MCs. They always get the new people to host the party. It consists of introducing all the sometimes hilarious and sometimes long skits the seniors put on for our entertainment, playing games, or putting on a skit of your own. The three of us will be dressing up as the three blind mice. Hopefully, we
Remember to take a photo. The kids can hardly wait, and it will be quite the task to get them to do any work tomorrow or Wednesday with all the anticipation in the air. I am most excited for the cake decorating the staff get to do tomorrow. I got a hold of a cake decorating book back at home which has a lot of amazing animal ideas. It traveled in my suitcase for just such an occasion.
That is all for now. I hope this finds you well. As we learned from Noah today, God is with us and helps us even when we are in scary or bad situations.
God bless.
Your sister in Christ,
Yolanda
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