Finding Comfort in God's Will

  Dear friends and family,

Thank you for following me along this journey God is leading me on. As many of you know I returned to Canada in August after filling in for teachers at Sakeji for a year and a half. Sakeji felt like home, and I didn’t want to leave. I have been praying about serving at Sakeji as a full time worker for quite awhile. I have lived serving here ever since I first came in 2010. After much prayer and guidance I knew I needed to return to Canada. God showed me in His word that I needed to talk to my assembly and not try to stay on my own (1 Timothy 4:14 "Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you  by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership"). When missionaries go out to full time work it is with the support of their assemblies.  God doesn’t have us do the work on our own as that would lead to a false reliance of self. That I could do the job in my own strength. God continues to show me it is through His strength and the people He puts in my life who lead me toward Him and His will that I am able to complete the missions He gives me.

I returned home with a great sense of peace knowing this is where God needed me right now. I was back in time to help out at Joy Bible Camp where I have been going for years. I went with some small roles that would give me time to help in different ways through the week. When I arrived, I was told there was a counsellor missing and could I fill in for the night until she arrived the next day. The next day came and the counsellor did not. I was asked to fill in for her for the rest of the week. The small roles I had were given to someone else which she filled in a big way. I had so much fun being a counsellor again. I hadn’t done that at Joy since 2017 so I felt a lot older. I was paired with an amazing co-counsellor and we were the oldest team there. Hoorah for experience! haha She also “happened” to have spent some time in Zambia when she was younger. It’s so cool how God brought us together.

Through the summer I helped with our assembly’s VBS, stayed with Mom while Dad was helping family out West with the harvest, and hung out with friends. I spent just over a week visiting Nanny in Saskatchewan. She had just moved into a nursing home and Mom and I got to help her set up her new apartment. We enjoyed home cooked meals every night and driving into Estevan to do some shopping. While out West I got to visit some friends in Manitoba. I got to spend the afternoon with Heidi Hanna who I travelled and lived with for 7 months in Zambia in 2022. Unfortunately her dad was stung by a bee or wasp and ended up in emergency, but God had that under control. The restaurant we had lunch at was right across the street from a hospital. God had each person there who needed to be there to deal with it.

One of the most special things was being able to say goodbye to Grandpa.  His Parkinson's had been getting worse, and he was going downhill quickly.  I got to see him a few more times before he went to be with HIs Lord.  He was a special man who was always one of my biggest supporters.  A quiet, strong prayer warrior who loved his corny jokes and Tim Hortans coffee. He is greatly missed, but I am so glad he got to go home and be with His Saviour. 

During this time at home I had been meeting with the elders of my assembly to discuss returning to Sakeji. After much prayer and consideration I will be returning to Sakeji Mission School as a full time commended worker for as long as God will have me there. I will be the grade 2 homeroom teacher as well as taking on many other responsibilities around the school. While I have so much more to learn, God is willing to use me right where I am in my journey with Him.

When I first came to Sakeji, I was young and inexperienced but eager to serve God. I was unsure of how my mission trip was going to go. I had never travelled by myself. Through a story I was reading of a young girl who was moving far from all she knew, God gave me comfort. "Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared" Exodus 23:20. I held on to that promise for myself, too. Ever since that first visit I have had a desire to go back. I wanted to make sure it was not my desire alone but that it was from God. I prayed He would take away the desire if it was not from Him and to guide me to His will. As I prayed this over and over the desired to serve at Sakeji stayed. Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD, and He shall bring it to pass." Verse 5 continues to say, "Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. A few years ago my cousin served God by fighting cancer and continually turned to God throughout his illness. A woman in my assembly asked me to pass on a verse to him which I did via Messenger. The note stayed in my Bible. The verse became my anchor. "But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth" Exodus 9:16. 

I have learned that even though I have grown in experience I still have so much more to learn. I am thankful to know that God wants to use me as I grow. 1 Timothy 4:12-16 says it best: "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." Being an example of Christ to others is a great responsibility which I do not take lightly but at the same time know I can only do so in His strength. 

If you have any questions feel free to reach out. You can email me at blondeviolet@gmail.com.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support as I make this transition back to the Lord's work at Sakeji Mission School.

Your sister in Christ,

Yolanda

Praise points:

- travel companions from Lusaka to Sakeji

- safe travels for all

- work permit has been approved

- safe arrival at Sakeji

Prayer points

- three of our suitcases to be transported from Lusaka at another time

- one suitcase did not make it to Lusaka and I am trying to track it down

- term 1 has a delayed start across the country (January 29) because of the number of cholera cases has increased

- 8 grade 2 students I will be teaching (3 girls, 5 boys)

We got one skate in before leaving the cold.

"Then sings my soul, my Saviour God to Thee, How great Thou art!"

True and Reliable

 Hello dear friends and family,

Thank you for your continued interest, support, and most of all, prayers as I serve here at Sakeji. As many of you have heard, God opened the door to stay another term. 

Some highlights since my last post:

In third term 2022, one of our older students was sent home because of decisions made. This affected one of my students as well as he is a younger sibling.  Even now the boys in my grade 2 class miss him.

I taught grade 2/3 in first term 2023 since that teacher went on furlough until April. This was difficult  as I had two grades to teach and some students who really push the boundaries. God was gracious and gave me wisdom and patience each day.

One of my grade 2s who comes from a strong Christian family and knows a lot of Bible knowledge, put his trust into that knowledge. He accepted Jesus as his Savior in March! He was very excited to share his decision with all the teachers. He continues to show fruit this term.  I pray he will continue to grow in his new faith.  

A girl who made a profession of faith last year made another one in first term. Please pray that she will be assured of her salvation. She is asking good questions about assurance this term. 

I got to go home over the Christmas break and have some long awaited visits with family and friends. While home I attended New Years Revolutions which had their first retreat since they had to shut down for Covid. It was so nice to see so many people I hadn't seen in ages! I was humbled to be interviewed for one of the missionary minutes and share how God has been working through me. I also got to celebrate my nephew's first birthday and my 30th!

It felt odd bundling up and wearing such cozy clothes again.

I got to serve at the Scripture Union camp in April over the Easter weekend. There was clear gospel and learning how to grow in our relationship with God from Ephesians, John and Romans. Here is a video I put together of our time together.

Term 2:

With all teachers returned, we are able to have a teacher for each grade in lower school.  I am with the grade 2s who I taught all last year.  For the most part we no longer share a classroom with the grade 3s.  I have been able to set up my own classroom. It has been so nice to have my own space which I can decorate and set up. We have a mini library space with lots of fun books, a word table where they can write down all the new words they discover, and a space for independent learning activities. I am discovering what teaching tools and behaviour strategies work for me and my students. 

Since I have had these kids since January 2022, I used moving into a new space to reinforce the expectations. I was on top of them each time they didn't meet expectations and rewarded those who did.  The first couple of weeks there were a lot of marks on their behaviour chart as they worked to remember the rules. So far this week we have less marks and I am seeing better remembering of what is expected of them. 

Our birthday party theme this term is Ancient Egypt. The grade 2s made themselves into little Pharaohs.

Saturday fun at the pool

I am responsible for junior Sunday School this term which means I have 32 kids gr 1-4 every other Sunday. Last time I had them in third term 2022 we talked about the fruit of the Spirit. The first week we did a Jeopardy game to review some of the things we learned. It's a fun way to review lessons they've learned.  Somebody passed on the template to me years ago and I'm willing to share so let me know if a Jeopardy template would be useful to you.  This term we are covering the Armor of God. 

God really intervened last week as I felt the Devil trying to frustrate me. I spent the hour before Sunday School finalizing my slideshow with all the resources I would need for that lesson, and when I got up to the hall my slideshow was completely blank! I could only recover the work I had done on Saturday.  Thankfully, I was able to quickly find the links to the resources I needed on other tabs in my computer. As I started my lesson, I felt frazzled. I confessed to the kids I was feeling frustrated with my computer.  We stopped right then, and I prayed for God's help as it was through Him and for Him that I was speaking to the children.  God granted a smooth lesson and great participation from the children as we learned about the Belt of Truth, our stabilizer in our lives.  God's word proved true again. "Ask, and it will be given to you: seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" Matthew 7:7. 

Ruthie and I are taking the senior girls for Rally every other Saturday. First week we did some ice breakers.  They literally had to break a shirt out of the ice and race against each other to see which team got the shirt on first (thanks New Years Revolution for the idea). They had lots of fun! Our project this term is making latch hook rugs. The girls are completing their designs this week, and Ruthie and I are going to go through the craft container to see what colours of wool we can find. I did this craft a few times when I was a teenager. I'm excited to get into it again with them! 

Senior girls ice breakers

Please pray with me:

- that God would reveal where He wants me long term. I would love to continue on here. It feels very much like home.

- wisdom as I continue with grade 2. Ch especially gets overwhelmed when he thinks the work is too much. He will cry and not even try.  When he comes back at it another time, he sits down and gets the work done with confidence. 

- for God to speak through me in every interaction: in the classroom, during Sunday School, on the playground, doing dishes, monitoring the tables being set for the morning, etc.

- for the staff and those helping as they plan for the 100th anniversary of the school in 2025.

- the grade 3 teacher, Margie, as she now has the students who like to test the boundaries. 

Growing in God

Hello dear friends and family,

Well, we are suddenly finding ourselves finishing the third week of term 3.  The time has flown by. Sorry for such a long time since my last update.

A couple highlights of term 2: Second term I took the senior girls for Sunday School. That's ages 10 to 15. This involved friendship building activities (with the focus being God needs to be first in those friendships), chalk drawing activities which has shown them how they can share the gospel with others (Elva Hurst: Chalk Talk, thanks Mom and Dad for the Christmas gift), and hard conversations. John Louden, who has been taking the senior boys, had to be away for a weekend so I took all 35 seniors. We watched Ray Comfort's video "180" which compares abortion to the Holocaust. Ray Comfort has conversations with people on the street convicting them of Biblical truths without getting into shouting matches with them on this hot button topic.  He is calm the whole time not letting their differing views goad him into arguing.  

One of the grade 1 girls professed to be saved at the end of term 2! I am quite excited about this but will be even more excited to see if true fruit comes from this profession. This term has brought it up as an event that happened last term, so she is still holding to her salvation over being home and coming back to school. Please pray for her and the others who professed in term 1. They are all kind hearted girls naturally, so it will be good to see how they all stand for God as they get older.

Over the term break, I spent the majority of the time at Chavuma Mission Hospital. Thankfully, I was not a patient there. Janette and Margie Young (sisters teaching here at Sakeji) grew up as missionary's kids in Chavuma so most often return there for the holidays. I tagged along this time to get off station and see another part of Zambia.  I also visited Dr. Ros (from the UK) at Chitokoloki Mission Hospital for a week. I found out I had ringworm while there so I was glad to be in a place where I could readily access medication for that. Thankfully, it's only called "worm" because of the shape the fungal infection leaves on your skin. It has cleared up now, and as I had some medicinal cream left, I gave it to Pam Ronald (the nurse at Sakeji).  

The most exciting thing I did over the break was help at the girl's camp in Chavuma. It was such a blessing to work alongside the local women as they served God. Here is a link to a video I created of some of the fun we had: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYS0hsHwVMs (the videos were captured on my phone so if you watch it on a computer it will be quite fuzzy).  Despite hard beds and some food poisoning, it was clear to see God working.  The gospel went out clearly every day as well as Biblical truths for growing Christians. Our theme was the Holiness of God which led to some very convicting messages and discussions in our cabins.  The focus was highly on memorizing God's Word so about 20 girls memorized 40+ verses! Please pray that even now the power of God's Word would continue to impact the campers' lives as well as the counselors'. 

Being the third term, my grade 1s are settling in even better. There are still tears and sadness; however, they know what to expect and getting back into routine is a great comfort.  Some are having to learn again, they do not get everything done for them and have to be independent.  One of my boys who had the toughest time settling in first term has had the easiest time this term. He is also the one with the most questions in Scripture class this term. He is getting to the point where all the truths he has heard from the Bible are beginning to connect, and he wants to know more. Please pray for Luke as he sorts all these things out in his 6 year old mind and for myself and other staff members as we encounter students seeking answers. I would say all my grade 1s have more questions this term, but Luke has the most.  He lost his mom around 3 years ago so that is a piece of his puzzle.  She was a missionary in the area so from what I know of her, she will be in Heaven and he is trying to piece together what that means and what that means for him. 

The kids are already saying how they don't want me to leave, and I feel the same way. I need to dwell on right now and not think of December just yet. Prayer for God's guidance for the next step is much appreciated.  Also for the school's next steps as they go into 2023. They need more full time staffing to carry on effectively. There are quite a number of student applicants so God still has the door open for service. 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support. May God bless you and keep you as you serve Him.

Your sister in Christ,

Yolanda

Ps. Prayers for continued health: we had a flu bug pass through the school in both term 2 and term 3. It was in the last three weeks of school so thankfully not many teachers were down as we all had much to do with marking, writing exams, and keeping everything running (we had 4 staff members leave right before as well). This term a number of staff went down at various times with achiness, fever, and extreme tiredness. Most were able to take some time off and carry on with the help of God's strength and ibuprofen. I still have a residual cough trying to get rid of all the extra phlegm but am 99.9% better. 

-- 

"For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose" ~Romans 8:28~

Here is a picture of my grade 1 students with their puppy friend. We are learning about animals in Science so they were very excited to hang out with Pepsi and the kittens who were born a couple of months ago.

God of Wonders

Hello all,


As we gear up for second term, I look back at the end of term 1 and the needed rest and change of pace of the last few weeks. I have seen God working in many ways which puts me in awe of Him. He is not limited to our way of thinking and our finite abilities, yet He chooses to use us for His glory.


I feel very blessed and humbled to have been used by Him to guide some of the grade 2 and 3 girls to salvation. One Saturday afternoon after swimming I walked over to the river area where the kids were playing. A grade 2 girl, T, came up to me and said she really needed to talk to me. We found a quiet spot to chat and she told me she wanted to be saved. We had a lengthy conversation talking about how salvation has nothing to do with anything she can do and everything to do with what God has done. During this time a grade 3 girl, C, saw us and said she needed to talk to me privately. T and I prayed together, but I still wasn't sure if she really understood. I talked with C briefly along with M, another grade 2 girl. By that time I needed to be on duty watching the kids so I couldn't put as much attention to our conversation. Thankfully, all three girls came up to me or one of the other teachers the following day and said they had gotten saved! Their classroom teacher wrote down the day so if/when they ask again we can turn them to this moment where they put their trust in Jesus and His work on the cross. "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand" John 10 28.


God has been taking care of me financially even when I forgot to cancel payments I no longer need to make. Some one has offered to cover one of my big monthly payments while I am in Zambia for which I feel truly blessed. This was an automatic payment out of my bank account. I forgot to cancel the transaction the first two months I was here. So not only was this person paying the bill but so was I. I was feeling quite frustrated with myself for this. Thankfully the money wasn't being wasted as it was still paying off my debt, but this was not how I intended on using the money I had. I received an email from the teacher's union saying there had been negotiations, and they had come to the agreement to pay occasional (supply) teachers more. This was to include back pay up to a certain date. A short while later I received a payment into my bank account that was enough and more to cover the two large payments I had forgotten to cancel! It makes my think of Matthew 6:26-34 but especially 31-33, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."



God shows His not only in the big ways but in the small choices that we make as well. During the break Heidi and I went to Livingstone where the mighty Victoria Falls is located. The town in named after David Livingstone who did some of his work in the area. The national park there is called Mosi-oa-Tunya which means "smoke that thunders". We surely saw, heard and felt God's glory on display as we visited Victoria Falls. The sights were magnificent, and our senses were filled as we were soaked by the spray coming off the falls which is at its peak at the end of the rainy season. However, I spoke of small things.


On our second day there we decided to stay in town and experience things within walking distance of the hostel we were staying in. I had in my mind which shirt I wanted to wear so I reached into my backpack to pull it out. A different shirt appeared, and with out much thought, I decided to wear that one instead. We went on a walking tour around the town of Livingstone with some others from our hostel taking in the sights of local markets and stores and daily life. Afterward we parted ways and Heidi and I went out for lunch at a restaurant we came across. Typical of many of the restaurants we saw there was an outside eating area fenced off from the public with a roof overhead. As we finished up our meal and had just paid, a young man came up to us and said he wanted to ask a question about my shirt. On the back it said, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." Romans 12:2. He asked if he could join us, but as we had just paid the bill I didn't want to take up the table so we moved to the outside of the fence. He showed us a book that he had been writing of his analysis of the parables in Luke. I don't remember the exact conversation now, but it rang of truth and a believer's knowledge of the Scriptures. He was such an encouragement to us. it was so lovely to have fellowship with a Christian who was willing to come up to us and share what God had put on His heart. We prayed together as well. We were all so encouraged. The simple choice to wear that shirt led to a wonderful conversation enjoying the truths that God set before us. "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth" 2 Timothy 2:15.


Please pray with me:
- as we start Term 2
- for the safe arrival for the students this weekend
- as I prepare for classes this week
- that I would rely on the power of the Holy Spirit and not my own
- for students to come with open hearts for the gospel
- for students who have shown apathy towards school so far this year
- for safe arrival of more staff who are coming at the end of May


Your sister in Christ,


Yolanda


Ps. Here is a video I put together of our time in Livingstone.

He Is Faithful Day by Day

 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

Grade 1 learning about how we use or sense of sight to see all the amazing things God created.

Here We Go Again

 Hello Everyone,

First, I want to say thank you all for praying for me as I set off on this adventure in Grade 1! 

For those of you who have not heard, I have had a desire to return to Sakeji School in Zambia for a number of years now.  I have looked for an open door ever since the last time I was here in 2016 between my Bachelor of Arts and my Bachelor of Education.  The door finally opened for this year, 2022.  Since I have tried so many times to come, doubts have crept in whether I was following God’s will in coming or just my own.  God has so clearly paved the way that it would be very wrong to doubt Him at this point. Satan is good at deceiving, but when you are willing to follow what God wants you to do, He makes it very clear it is from Him. 

The past year, even, I have looked into going, but I felt like God was telling me to wait.  He had more to teach me here. I even told some of the workers here that I was in the waiting stage and was learning to be good with that.  A couple weeks later we took a family trip out to Saskatchewan. After driving about 30 hours, we arrived around 1-2am and slept for a few hours before heading to meeting Sunday morning.  There I heard from a friend, Heidi, that she was planning on going to Sakeji in January.  Oh that made my desire even stronger! She had never travelled before outside of Canada or the States without family.  One of my first thoughts was, “Maybe God can use me to be a companion for her while flying.” If I collected frequent flyer miles, I would have racked up quite a few at this point (Note to self: look into collecting Air Miles). 

I did not want to make this journey against what God had in plan for me.  As wonderful as it would be, the best place to be is right in the middle of God’s will.  I would say the #1 lesson for 2021 was I cannot do anything with out God’s help.  Sure, I could get a passing grade, but it would not be my best. I had a traching experience in the spring of 2021 that made me realize just how much I needed to rely on God’s strength and wisdom. Anyway, I digress (though with purpose).

Back to September 2021 in Saskatchewan.  That week at the beginning of ministry meeting a letter is read from some missionaries at Sakeji School. During the meeting the preacher read Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. If this verse didn’t fit exactly how I was feeling after the spring, I don’t know what does. Before that experience, I was thinking going to Sakeji would be easy as I had made three trips before.  I would have been going in my own strength. Have you ever been hit between the forehead? I can’t say I recollect a time, but I imagine that’s what it would feel like. Ever since then God has been giving me verses that show it is “...God who leads us in triumph in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:14).  

Once I told some of the missionaries I was interested in coming for the year, I found out the school was losing two of their teachers for the year.  This, among other personal reasons, showed me God was opening the door.  Though I had a few months before December, it worked out that things were not finalized until November, December and even January! I sent in documents for obtaining a work visa, but heard right before Christmas that I needed one more proof before they would consider my application. Apparently the government did not have proof that I left the country last time so I had to send a picture of my exit stamp on my passport.  You cannot apply for a work visa while in the country.  Also if you have applied for work visa you cannot obtain a visitor’s visa upon entry. With this delay right before Christmas break, my application was not looked at until January 4.  Our flight left January 6! I turned to God to intervene and had many people praying that my visa would be approved.  If I did not have the approval letter by the time I landed in Zambia, I would be turned away. The prevailing thought was, “If God wants me in Zambia, He can surely get this application approved”. 

Our flight left around 10am, and with the new Covid protocols, the airport suggests being there 4 hours before an international flight. We left the house at 5am trusting that God would see it through. Five minutes after leaving the house, I checked my email once again to see if anything had come through.  I was flying with or without it making a plan to fly to South Africa or something until it was approved.  The “checking for mail…” message came up as it loaded. An email popped up with the subject line “Zambia Immigration. Case was approved.”

God is good all the time. I truly believe that even if I had not been approved God would still be good.  His will be done. We safely travelled the 13 hours to Ethiopia (it is in political unrest right now so that was another prayer point) and on the Zambia. We left the Lusaka airport with ALL of our luggage.  When Heidi landed in Toronto airport January 5 her luggage some how ended up routing to Ethiopia that night instead of coming with her.  The good thing is she didn’t have to recheck her bags and they were heading in the right direction. We just weren’t sure if we would meet them in Lusaka or if they would get lost. Again, God intervened.  

Up to this point I didn’t know for sure what grade I would be teaching. Once we got to Sakeji, I was given the keys for the grade one classroom. The government delayed school opening for a week so I and the other staff have had more time to prepare. I have had a chance to become familiar with my classroom and ready it for my seven grade 1s. The teacher who is away for the year is very organized so I was able to walk in not feeling overwhelmed.  Classes begin on Monday, so I will be preparing this weeks lessons this weekend.  Half the staff have every other weekend off, and mine is this weekend. The children mostly arrived yesterday so that has given me an opportunity to meet my students and interact with them before school starts.  I now have a sense of who they are as I plan for this week. 

God bless you all as you follow Him.

Yolanda

Home and Continuing On

Hello one last time,

I am so sorry for the VERY late last email.  I figured I had better send one more because God worked so amazingly in my travel home. I started writing this over a month ago, but for one reason or another I never finished it.  

I made it home July 31, Sunday afternoon. It never ceases to amaze me how God provides.  He had someone or something help me on every leg of my journey home.  Miss W drove me from Sakeji to Solwezi. We left around 6am for the five hour drive.  The trip was extended a bit because the gate where we should have exited wasn't open yet so we had to go the long way around through the villages.  Miss W had to continue on soon after she dropped me off, but she knew a woman in Solwezi who could help me.  

The woman's daughter was a student at Sakeji years ago.  The woman ordered a cab and stayed with it while I had a chance to eat my lunch after the five hour car ride. She brought me to the airport where she brought me to the small shop with some touristy items.  They were mostly too big or heavy to fit in my suitcase, but I was able to find one thing.  She walked me over to the tiny building which contained the security check, departures, and arrivals.  While there, there was a great hubbub going on at the airport.  I knew there was a lot of campaigning going on with the elections happening later this month.  I couldn't figure out why it was so loud that day. Later, when we were about the board the plane, a helicopter landed and one of the candidates for president came out.  There was much cheering and excitement.  The crowds gathered around him and guided him out off the airstrip.  Everything settled down and we boarded our flight.  Once I arrived at the airport in Lusaka, I was able to find more gifts for friends and family.

As I boarded the flight in Lusaka, they gave me a meal voucher for my layover in Dubai because I was staying for more than 4 hours.  I slept for a little while on the plane, but I was still exhausted when I arrived.  There were rounded couches which were much more comfortable to sleep on than the airport chairs.  Someone had also reminded me of Audible so I was able to have an audio book with me to help pass the time.  

When I got to New York, I had a 16 hour layover which I only found out about the day before I started traveling.   Through one of the teachers, who calls California home, I was able to find a connection in Brooklyn where I could stay the night.  That was definitely God working! 

Now that I am home, I have started another step to becoming a teacher.  I started m y first year of my Bachelor of Education this week.  All is going well.  Please, continue to pray for me that I will be a light for God to my classmates.  I am traveling with the same 45 students for the next year or two.  

(: Yolanda :)

Parting shot: One of my last mornings at Sakeji.

I Am Still Alive

Hello All,

As the subject line indicates, I have not dropped off the face of the earth. I have been quite busy with out even realizing it. This past week alone I have been trying to sort out form papers for school in the fall, had visitors for Sport's Day and Half Term break, and got ready for two other girls to stay with me for three weeks.

I got a notification saying the down payment on my tuition was due June 1 on June 30. Thanks for letting  me know. I knew there was something I was forgetting. So currently I am trying to find the form via Selena so that can be taken care of. I also get an email with a list of forms that need to be sent in by July 15. I have them all filled out. Now I just need to scan them home so they can be mailed to the school. I never quite experienced the complications living in the middle of Africa can bring. That was mostly Thursday.

Friday at supper we had three medical students from Kalene arrive for the long weekend: E, B, and D. E stayed with me and the boys stayed with another teacher, J (he helps me with the grade ones as well as other classes). The medical students helped on Sport's Day by timing races, keeping an eye on field events, and running in staff races. While here they helped me in the kitchen when I was on dishes; extra hands to dry the dishes is always nice. B showed the kids tricks with his diabolos. You will have to look that one up for yourselves. I don't know how to explain it. Coincidentally, it is very similar to the Spanish word for Devil (diablo), but it has nothing to do with that. We had a few game nights either at Miss W's house or J's house. We even played scrabble on the trampoline a couple times. That only worked when the kids were down at the river or had gone to bed. That's right, we played scrabble on the trampoline after dark. We are that talented. E, B, D and I went up to the airstrip on their last night here (Monday). The stars were so brilliant! We went up after a games at Miss W's so it was 11pm by the time we got up there. We walked out into the middle of the field and lay on the ground looking up at the sky. There were so many to look at! I felt incredibly small knowing how big each of those stars really are. God is so awesome in that he loved me so much he sent his only son to die for me even though I am just this little speck on this tiny planet called earth. By the time we got home again it was midnight. We had to be at breakfast by 7am so I lost a little more sleep than I wanted, but it was totally worth it. We had the second half of Sport's Day Tuesday morning. These were all the fun races including sack races, barrel races (with an actual barrel!), and three legged race. The medical students left Tuesday afternoon.

I am now preparing for two girls to be staying with me. They arrive sometime this afternoon. Hopefully, it will be at the time where I do not have to be teaching a class. I would like to go up to the airstrip to meet them. They will be helping in the small but important tasks that need to be done. They will help me with reading groups, hand crafts, and helping individual grade ones. They will be helping in many other areas as well: such as library, other reading groups, dishes, supervisions, etc. They will basically be taking the jobs that S and P (the two other girls who were here) were doing. I have been living on my own since they left. It will be nice to have the house full again.

I suppose that's it for now. Oh, yes. I forgot. I have also been trying to get things together for camp in the midst of everything. I will be glad to be back in Canada so I can communicate more easily with everyone.

Please pray for:

Grade one

-At least one is struggling with spelling and reading

-we are learning a new concept in Math that they are struggling with. We are learning to count in the hundreds now.  They are having a hard time finding the number that goes between 299 and 301. It usually comes out 2910 or some variation.

-integrity: I have caught a couple of them cheating on their tests.

Me

-as I get things ready for my own school

-as I get ready for camp

Much love,

(: Yolanda :)

God is Good All the Time

Hello all,

I guess it's been a while since I sent an update.  Things are going well with the grade ones.  There were two short termers who were helping with reading groups.  There are three groups and the other two are covered by other staff.  The two short termers are leaving on Friday (so tomorrow!) so I will be sharing the job with another staff member.  Two more girls are coming at the beginning of July and they can take over then.  In between, I will also be taking a reading group for the grade 2/3 class.  New adventures are in the horizon. :)  The rest of the grade one classes are going well.  I have to remember to keep up with the marking.  Midterm marks are due tomorrow!  I just got a word processor (called LibreOffice) on my computer.  It was wiped a couple weeks before I came out here and I forgot to install a new one.  I now have the ability to input marks with my own computer (They use an Excel document for report cards

Yesterday was supposed to be my convocation if I were at home.  I felt a little like I was missing out.  The feeling rather took me by surprise.  I didn't think I would miss it that much.  However, I got to watch part of it through a live feed.  It was so cool to watch my friends walk across the stage from half way across the world.  Through that and though encouraging messages from friends, I was able to go to bed satisfied.  I know God is all I need and He will keep me satisfied.  "The best place to be is right in the middle of God's will."  I had that reminder from a movie we are watching with the seniors (Last Flight Out).  

It is getting colder so the swimming lessons have stopped and the preparations for Sports Day have started.  Yesterday I was leading the juniors through their skipping race and helping the seniors get ready for their 100 meter race.  Some gave it their all and others...not so much.  Hopefully, they will perk up come race day.  

Last weekend was my weekend off and I planned to walk around with my camera and get a few scenery shots. Instead, I had a nap.  Maybe I will get to it today since it is my afternoon off. Maybe. Miss Y and I will head to the orphanage to sing songs with them, but there is usually about an hour in between when we get back and supper.  

Oh yes.  When the Rs left last week Miss W moved into their house which is attached to the infirmary.  I was living in Miss Y's loft, but then I moved back into Rosebank (I was staying there last time I was here).  The two short termers, S and P also were staying there.  I will be by myself for a couple weeks and then I think the two girls from Scotland will stay there.  

Well that's it for now.  Please pray for 

-S and P as they travel to Livingstone for a few days and them back home.   

-myself and the other teachers as we get all the midterm marks in

-general health and wellness.  There are a lot of coughs and colds going around.

God is good all the time.

Yolanda

A Baptism and Half Term

Hello All,

 This week has been quite busy. I meant to email on Thursday on my afternoon off but I ended up being busy all day. Last weekend Miss W and her girls, the Rs, and I went to see Joel and Kaleigh Griffin at Kalene where they were taking vacation time from Angola. It was so nice to see them and to see the Rs in a more relaxed situation. Mr. R is the headmaster and also the grade one teacher for this year.

 The Rs are actually leaving next week to settle their oldest into university in Saskatchewan. I have been observing Mr. R with the grade ones and slowly taking over classes. On Monday, I will completely take over the classes. I will have circle time, centers, Math, Spelling, Language, Phonics. Mrs. R was doing the handcrafts for the grade 3/4 boys on Saturday mornings. I will take it starting this week.

 This weekend was half term. The kids and teachers get a couple days off school and spend all day down by the pool and river. We had school Thursday but then they started the swimming Thursday afternoon. They have a half term movie the kids all watch together. This time it was Monsters Inc. It is so fun to watch a movie with the kids and see and hear their reactions. One girl in particular has a very infectious laughter. I was on pool supervision Saturday afternoon and Friday morning. I was able to even out my burn over the weekend. I was on one side of the pool all morning so was only really red on my left side. I was on the other side on Saturday. I have a particularly bad spot on my neck. My clothes keep rubbing against it.

 Last Sunday I had the privilege of witnessing four of the senior girls obey the Lord in baptism. I have known them since grade 2 and 3. They are in grade 8 and 9 now. I am so happy to see them going on for God.

And so it starts again

Hello all, I am happy to say I have arrived safe and sound at Sakeji school in Zambia. I had a good trip. From Dubai to Lusaka there was a bit of a delay because of an issue with one of the passengers, but once resolved, the flight went smoothly. The first night in Zambia I stayed at the flight house which is a private guest house for missionaries. I was so tired from my trip I easily slept straight for nine hours. I flew to Sakeji on a private flight Since the plane was smaller, the ride was more bumpy. I almost needed an air sick bag, but I was able to make it through. I was greeted by many of the teachers and many greetings that were long over due. I have missed being here immensely! I had a few surprise greeters as well. Joel (my cousin), his wife Kaleigh, and their three little girls are here in Zambia for a little visit. They are currently missionaries in Angola. It was so nice to see them on this side of the world. I didn't think I was going to be able to. They have gone to a little getaway at Kalene, but I will see them again on the weekend before they head back to Angola.. Since I have been here before I know most of the students in grades 5-9. I don't necessarily recognize all of them because it has been nearly four years since the last time I was here. They have done a lot of growing up! I am slowly learning the younger students' names. I believe their are 83 students in total so it is nice to know half of the names already. Please pray that I will be able to adjust back into the routine of things soon. I woke up at 2am this morning and could not get back to sleep until 5:30. Then my alarm went off at 6:30 to get ready for breakfast. Hopefully, I will be tired enough to sleep through the night and get over my jet leg. I will be taking of the grade one classes the headmaster, Mr. R, has been taking. Please pray the adjustment between teachers go well. Also pray that I will be a good teacher and that the students will be attentive and ready to learn. They are a very energetic bunch, and I am excited to be their teacher this term. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, Yolanda

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Oral Exam Today!!

This is my two minute speech for my oral exam today. Estoy nerviosa!

Hola! Mi nombre es Yolanda. Ahora mismo vivo en Windsor. Yo soy de Hamilton. Mi gustan los ninos. Ensene en una escuela en Zambia el ano pasado. Ensene tercer grado. Tambien trabaje con todos los grados. Durante las vacaciones los ninos nadaron en la piscina y jugaron al lado del rio. Ellos comieron fuera. La escuela tiene tres semestres. Los ninos van a casa por un mes entre los semestres. Nosotros desayunamos a las siete de la manana.  Nosotros comemos bizcochos de arroz y panes tostados para desayuno todos los dias. Todos los domingos nosotros comemos los cereales tambien.  Los ninos tienen que esperar hasta las siete y veinte antes de ellos se levantan de la mesa.  Nosotros comemos pan de maiz y frijoles marrones todos los sabados. Mi comida favorita alla son las bananas pequenas. Yo fui alla por siete meses. No fue tiempo suficiente. Yo deseo volver a Zambia despues de terminar la universidad.

Hello my name is Yolanda. Right now I live in Windsor. I am from Hamilton. I like kids. I taught in a school in Zambia last year. I taught third grade. I also worked with all of the grades. During half term the kids swam in the pool and played beside the river. The ate outside.  The school has three semesters. The kids go home for a month in between semesters.  We eat breakfast at 7 in the morning. We eat rice cakes and toast for breakfast every day. Every Sunday we eat cereal also.  The kids have to wait until 7:20 before they get up from the table. We eat cornbread and brown beans every Saturday. My favorite food there are the small bananas. I was there for 7 months. The time was not sufficient. I wish to return to Zambia after I finish university.

Lo que un salvador!

Hola!

Yo voy a utilizar el blog para practicar mi español. Yo aprendo español a la universidad.  Yo creo deber practicar mas.

Hace frío afuera.  Octubre está muy nublado.  Está lloviendo ligeramente.

Yo voy al centro para la iglesia. Nosotros recordamos Cristo en la mañana.  Gracias Dios. Tú muestras tu amor.  Yo empiezo a entender por qué me quieres. Haces me tuyo por tu sacrificio. Aleluya, lo que un salvador!

Hola mis amigos!

Hola mis amigos!!

Yes it's been awhile! Since my time in Zambia I have well adjusted back to Canadian life.  It was awesome to see my family again! I spent some time in New York before heading home for Christmas...but that's all old news! 

I am now I proud university student working on my general Bach. of Arts.  I have started my first year with an undeclared major, so I am taking a random courses to figure out what I want to do.  I know WHAT I want to do, become a school teacher, but I have to figure out HOW I'm going to get there! So, this semester I am taking the all important, Foundations of Academic Writing (FAW), Understanding the Contemporary World (so far, basically art history), and Intensive Spanish (hence the introduction /\).  Being a student again is kind of like learning how to ride a bike again, you never really forget. I'm just a little rusty. :p My study habits need to be tuned and writing skills need practice. 

I'm really enjoying Spanish. I can't say I'm getting the marks I wanted, but I've only had one test. Hopefully, I can learn from my mistakes!

With all the words and grammar we have learned this is the introduction I put together yesterday for class:

Me llamo Yolanda. Soy rubia, alta, y joven. Estudio en a la Universidad. Soy canadiense. Me gusta dibujar y pintar.  Yo vivo en Windsor con mis abuelos, mis primos, y mi Hermana.  Fui Chicago en el fin de semana.  Deseo ser profesora de colegio.

I apologize if there are any grammatical errors, and please correct me if I do!

I may not me at Sakeji any more, but it's still "A Wonderful Life"! God is good! I have been enjoying this verse lately, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." Psalm 42:11

I went to highlight the good parts and realized I didn't know which parts to pick! It's all so relevant to me right now! I thank God for His constant presence and love!

November Update

Dear friends and family,

I bet it’s getting colder and colder at home now.  It’ll be interesting coming home and dropping 30 degrees!  This cold that I have right now could last a little longer with a temperature change.

Everything is going smoothly here at Sakeji.  We are finishing up the term next Wednesday.  The parents are coming starting in the morning.  In the evening the kids will perform their Christmas show for their parents.  It’s all starting to come together.  The kids will have 2 or 3 full rehearsals on Monday and Tuesday. 

Everyone, including myself, is very happy to be done with report cards.  They’re all due by today, so Mr. Ronald can have one  more look over before they are printed and ready for Wednesday.   I only had to write comments for two classes, so my load is considerably less than the other teachers.  I have learned so much from my time here.  I am excited to pursue my education next year.  It’ll be weird going back to school and being a student again.

Right now the kids are going through the Sakeji triathlon.  All of the students and staff have finished the bike part, with a few broken chains, and the last of the students just ran by my house.  Next the team has 50 laps in the pool.  I am very proud of the students and staff members who are going through the race. 

I leave Sakeji on Thursday morning with Jessica Russell.  We’re heading to Lusaka.  Her plane leaves on the 8^th.  Hannah is driving down so she will meet me in Lusaka around the 8^th or 9^th.  This is the best time for Jessica and I to fly because the other kids who are flying home are going on that day.  I’ll miss the kids so much, but I know God has a great plan in mind for me.  “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”  Jeremiah 29:11. It’s so cool that God knows my future.  He’s in charge!

Well, the next time I send an update I’ll either be in Lusaka or home.  God has been so good to me for the past 7 months.  Please continue to pray for the students as they return home.  Pray for the students who are leaving Sakeji for higher grades.  Pray that they will be a testimony and remember what they have learned here.  Also, pray that the students who are going home for the break will be good testimonies for God.  Most of all, pray for their salvation! 

God bless!

Yolanda

The kids make me so happy!!!!

Today, after the kids went down to river, I wrote in the sand, "If you're happy, and you know it, write your name".  i thought it would be cool to see how many people would right there names.  I wasn't really expecting any because I thought they would come from the river and start playing soccer.  After I was done I went home to work on an assignment, and I didn't come back until it was almost time for supper.  When I was walking up to the dining hall, I saw a few kids kneeling down in the sand. I excitedly went over to see if they actually were writing their names.  I was really happy to see that there were many names, plus the kids who were still writing.  It's the little things that make my day! :D I wish I could have gotten a picture of it, but it was too big!  I love my kids here!!!

I am so blessed to be a part of this school for the past 7 months!!!  Please, keep praying for the kids here and their salvation and growth in their relationship with God!

10,000 REASONS

I had been planning a girl’s night with the gr. 7-9 since last Sunday.  I wanted to do the whole shebang: feet soaking and massage, hand massage, face mask, music, etc.  I also wanted to leave the girls with a special message they would remember.  I had a difficult time thinking of what topic I wanted to do.  On Thursday night I finally decided on something, but.... on Friday I received a very special package!!!  In it was the camp video from Girl’s Camp at Joy Bible Camp.  I was very excited to get it.  I watched the video and quickly changed my mind on the topic for that night.  The girls at camp had made a poster titled “10,000 REASONS” and had everybody write a reason to worship and praise God.  I thought this was a great idea so I made up a quick poster.  During the events of the evening the girls went over to the poster and wrote all the reasons they could think of to praise God.  I was very happy to see a full page at the end of the evening.  We had such a great time with the girls, and they all seemed like they really enjoyed themselves.  They were very happy for a “Friday Night” without the boys!  Thanks JBC and Emily for the inspiration!!

Here are a few pictures of the night!

 

 

 

 

Thanks to this great group of ladies.  The night wouldn't have been possible without them!!