My life in Haiti has been such an incredible journey. God has been teaching me so much and while I have been wanting to post lately to update my readers and friends, I have been too busy living life to record it. Today, I have set aside special time to update my blog and to post this post because I believe you deserve it. You who have read my posts and responded to them in ways you felt led have been an incredible tool in this season of my life. Your prayers, encouragement and support are vital for me. This ministry won't happen without you. So before I go any further, PLEASE know how grateful I am for every single one of you. Even those of you who stumbled upon this blog and read it every now and then. Thank you for letting me share my life with you.
Okay now for the update:
I traveled home over Christmas break and spent 2 wonderful weeks with my family and some friends. I didn't get a chance to see everyone I wanted to, but I am okay with that because I know a time will come when our paths will intentionally cross and we can once again spend sweet time together! Being home was incredibly soothing and I was able to come back to Haiti refreshed and encouraged.
I was back in time to welcome the new year with everyone at the orphanage. This was completed by waking the children up for popcorn, music, balloons and candy about 45 minutes before 12:00am. This was our second year to do this and we've decided it is now our tradition!
Our English classes started back a week after my return. The kiddos seemed to have forgotten practically everything they had been taught since August and I was more than discouraged. Am I really THIS bad of a teacher? For a short couple of days, I believed yes. Since then, however, I have come to believe the Lord is using my classroom as an opportunity for me to be more patient, more creative, more repetitive and more understanding. These kids come from situations where they missed out on stimulation at an early age, proper nutrition and almost any form of love. How can I expect them to achieve academically the way I would many traditional students in the states? I use the word traditional here because there are many other children in the states who have lacked the proper care at an early age as well and have similar struggles in school.
So no, I am not a terrible teacher. I just have a very special group of students I am working with here.
Also, OLTCH will be gaining another teacher for this special group of children next school year. Her name is Jordan Ivey and she, with her soon to be husband, are moving here in August 2012. I will be partnering with her in the classroom and I am looking forward to having her here! Praise God for His obedient children!
The Lord is teaching me even more in addition to how to teach with more compassion. He is showing me what it means to live my life concerned with His thoughts toward me and what I am doing instead of everyone else's.
The work God is doing here and what He is specifically entrusting me with has recently grown and will continue growing. I cannot wait to share this part of my life with you too, but for now just know God continues to call His children to do things that don't always logically make sense. Actually, most of the time what He calls us to do never makes sense for our human understanding. My schedule has become even more crowded lately and I am learning how to manage my time. I have had to omit things from my "to-do-list" and replace them with new responsibilities. While I feel like life is out of control and nothing can be efficiently handled by me because there is so much to do, God is teaching me to live with NO expectations. No expectations for myself, my students, my friends or my family members and to only wake up every morning expecting Him. Oh, how I am learning to expect God and oh, how He shows up! God is holding my hand and carrying me along this sometimes weary path. He is giving me His joy and peace. When I forget, and so many times I do, He picks up my chin and pulls my face toward His once more. My gaze once again meets His as I draw closer to His heart. Looking straight forward. No distractions.
He is our prize, and victory over this finite life and the powers of darkness are His. Glory and praise shall forever be His and I am thankful to be a part of a winning team.
Though I have such a long way to go and am only just beginning, it is nice to know that our God's focus and attention is on His children and He will not let one of them fall.
From the words of Bethany Dillon: "Teach me how to hum it, because I don't know the words yet."
Majority of the older students were able to choose and put TWO stickers on their charts because they knew their words AND bible verse! Most of the younger students were able to choose and place a sticker also for knowing their bible verse! (It takes us a little longer to know our sight words in our younger class so we will test much later). Their reward once they gain a full row of stickers??? MOVIE AND ICE CREAM NIGHT!!
