Discouraged

Im feeling particularly discouraged today. I dont know if its the weather (cold and rainy), or if its just Satan trying to mess with me. But Im feeling a bit lost when it comes to this job. I have found that I go through cycles here in South Africa. I feel hope and joy at working with the kids. I see wonderful things that can happen and Im blessed to be a part of them. Then a day like today comes and I feel like Im not making a big enough difference. I feel like Im floundering and not meeting anyone's expectations. I feel like I cant do enough, I cant do it good enough and I cant do it fast enough.

Please pray for better communication between me and the entire church staff. Pray that we can all see how God is working wonderful things through all of our human blunders. Pray that the teachers will be open to drastic changes. Pray that they will see how changes brought can make the kids happier and their jobs easier. Pray that I can keep my eyes focused on what God has planned. Pray that I dont get distracted by the delays and small steps.

God is good all the time. Im so gald I can write about what is going on here and KNOW that you will pray. I have no idea how many people read this blog. But I thank each and every one of you. Wether I know you personally or not, your prayers are making a difference. I am humbled that you keep coming back to read more. Please know that God is doing great things (even on the days when Im discouraged).

Tutoring

I had the opportunity to work a little girl today on her school work. Oyisa is one of the teacher's daughters and is struggling with adding in school...and her class is getting ready to move on to multiplication! Im trying to do some last minute tutoring to get her up to par. She is sweet as can be, but so unsure of herself. As I was working with her, I realized she had major holes in her education. She has many things memorized well, but has very little application. She knows all the numbers and can write them perfectly. But she can’t process how to add 2 numbers without using her fingers. She knows all the letters and letter sounds, but cant sound out a simple word. She can write a sentence, but only ones that she has memorized. She has no techniques for attacking problems. This impromptu tutoring session highlighted the fact that we need to implement an after school home-work-help time. The church had plans for an after school program, but with a shortage of funds, space and adults, it has gotten pushed to the side. Please help me pray about this. Maybe God can make it work after all.

Rugby Fan

For those of you who dont know me really well....Ive never been a big sports fanatic. Until now! Somehow I am hooked on Rugby. The Rugby World Cup is being held in France this year. I have watched many of the games on TV. Im actually proud of myself because I have learned some of the rules of the game and can cheer along with the other rugby fans here in South Africa. I dont know how it happened, but I finally found a sport I enjoy watching.

The South African team is called the Springboks. They have done really well and are in the finals. Tonight is the last game. South Africa vs England. I am amazed at all the pride that can be seen all over South Africa. TV shows are moved to make room for Springbok specials. EVERYONE is wearing Springbok colors (green and gold). Flags are flying and all of the stores have dress their manaquins in green and gold. Springbok fever has hit. Im tempted to spend an atrocious amount of money on a Springbok jersey, but Im not sure I could find one in the store today!

Im looking forward to the game tonight. The Springboks have a good chance of winning the finals! Go Springboks!

The Drakensberg Mountains

This past weekend I had the opportunity to get out of the city. A nice couple invited 5 volunteers in the Jo'burg area to go with them to their time share in the Drakensberg Mountains. I was amazed at the beauty that God creates. I have seen mountains in VA, Mexico, Germany and South Africa....and each set of mountains was unbelievably beautiful and unique. I cant begin to describe how gorgeous the mountains looked. Some of the mountains looked worn down with age. As if the outer coating had been worn off and the inner frame of the mountain was exposed. Other parts of the mountains looked like giants had laid down and been covered with a mossy green blanket. The dips and valleys seemed to be the nooks behind the giants’ elbows and knees. Everything was so calm and peaceful. No rushing cars or bright lights. No to-do lists or schedules. Just a lot of good conversation and gorgeous scenery.

We went on 2 hikes while we were in the mountains. On the second hike, we wound our way through the woods toward a grotto. The path we took was narrow and steep at points. And you could always hear the river below, but it remained elusive most of the hike.....until suddenly you'd come upon it and have to hop from rock to rock to get to the other side and continue the search for the waterfall at the end of the trail.

As we were hiking, I couldnt help but sing "Ive got peace like a river." My roommate commented that rivers are rarely peaceful looking. More often than not they are rushing and tumbling over rocks and down waterfalls. But I think that what peace is.....peace is knowing you are heading in the right direction, even when the pathway is rocky. Peace sweeps you through the rough spots of life and keeps you moving when you want to stay stuck and stagnant in the still waters.

I have experienced peace like no other as I follow God's will here in South Africa. Much like the river, there have been rocky spots. There have been moments when I felt like things were going to fast and I just wanted to slow down. There have been moments when I felt like I was falling through space like the water in the waterfall. But through it all, Ive known I am heading in the right direction. I know God has a great plan and I just need to go with the flow.

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to spend some time in the mountains. I always feel a bit closer to God when I am surrounded by the beauty that he created.

My Friend Sunday

A while back I asked you to pray for a child at the Day Care named Nero. I was amazed and humbled by the affect of your prayers. He blossomed almost overnight. He is more outgoing. He is attempting to learn more English. I have seen him smile SO MANY times in the past few weeks. Your prayers are making a difference.

Id like to tell you about another student at our Day Care. His name is Sunday. He is 6 and getting ready to go to school this coming January. Sunday lives with his grandmother. Both of his parents have passed away. And this past week he recently lost his grandfather.

Sunday came to the Day care a year and a half ago with some coordination problems. At the age of 4, he wasnt able to walk up and down the stairs without adult assistance. He wasnt able to run and often tripped over his own feet when walking. I believe that much of this was due to neglect. In the past year Sunday has made great progress. He now runs and walks up stairs and can climb the jungle gym. His running is a bit awkward and not very fast (he always gets caught when playing Duck Duck Goose!) but he is making progress.

Sunday is considered the "Bad Boy" of the Day Care. Because of his reputation, the children easily blame him for everything that happens. (Although, 50% of the time he probably is at fault.) Although there may be a little ADHD problem, Sunday is very immature for his age. He loves to be the center of attention...be it bad attention or good attention.

Sunday is cute and adorable. He has a loving heart and a desire to learn. But he is also one of those naughty kids that misbehaves and then smiles at you to see what you are going to do about it. Although I find his behavior endearing (Ive always had a soft spot for the naughty ones)....apparently his behavior is going to get him in major trouble at school. The teachers at the center have commented "When the schools see how he is, they are going to put him in one of those special classes and he'll never get out." This breaks my heart. Sunday has the ability to learn. He has the ability to behave. He just desires a little positive encouragement.

Please pray that the teachers at the Day Care will see the great things about Sunday. Please pray that God will prepare a teacher for him that will see his potential and accommodate for his faults. Please pray for his family. Pray that Sunday will overcome the negative expectations that people have of him and live up to the wonderful expectations that God has for him. I know God can imagine so much more for Sunday than I can, so I leave it in his hands to guide the life of this little boy. I cant wait to see what your prayers and God's love can do for this child!

Good News

I wanted to update you on a little boy at the Pre-school who was tested for HIV. Thabo's (Ta-Bow) test results were negative! Praise God! No HIV!! Please continue to pray for him. We are trying to get his legal custody straightened out. Pray that this will be a matter of paper work and that no other problems will arise during this process.

I also wanted to share with you the joy I feel when I get to speak to these children about God. Although I tried to show God's love, I wasn't able to speak about God as a public school teacher. I am so blessed now that I have the freedom to speak about God ANY TIME I WANT! I get to sing about God, to talk about His love and provision. And nothing is more precious than asking a class “What story should I tell today?” and hearing them ask for Bible Stories!

Today I watched as the children practiced for their Graduation Program. They sang about God. They acted out the Nativity Story. They recited the Lord's Prayer. And they danced to praise Jesus.
I was nearly in tears....I am so blessed to be a part of the lives of these children.
I was nearly doubled over laughing because of the way they danced and sang some of the words wrong.
I was proud to see them trying to hard to get everything right.
And I was a bit overwhelmed that these 60 children are constantly looking to me and the other teachers to know how to act.....how to act in the play and how to act in life.

I cant thank you enough for your prayers, encouragement and support that make it possible for me to be here and experience all of these things. I feel I am unable to fully express what is happening here. I cant show you how obvious it is that you are praying. I can physically see and feel the power of your prayers. I cant show you the joy in these little faces as they get socks, balloons and stickers that YOU have provided. I wish that everyone could come here and experience it for themselves, because words will never describe the powerful things God is doing here.

If you ever want to see it for yourself, all you need is a passport and a plane ticket! Anyone is welcome to come and visit and see for yourselves what is going on here in Jo'burg. Warning: We may put you to work!

Burn, Books and Big Job

Its been raining alot lately. Thursday was a nice break from all the rain. I spent the morning on the playground with the older kids. In the afternoon I spent some time on the playground reading. It was warm but there was a nice breeze. After that much time in the sun....you guessed it....I got a sunburn! Dont worry, I went to the pharmacy and bought some sun screen right after work.


Friday, Carol and I rode to Pretoria to pick up a truck load of free resources for the church. Apparently churches in the states have partnered with this BIG church in Pretoria. They pack and ship a tractor trailer load full of out dated materials. The church here invites the neighboring churches to come share in the wealth. They target churches that dont have the money to buy these resources. It was amazing to see full sets of curriculum, VBS kits and Open Windows devotionals. What a great way to get more use out of old resources.

Im making progress with the curriculum Im putting together. I wanted to get the whole year planned with themes, stories and skills so I could work on the detailed lesson plans month by month. Ive planned, re-planned, unplanned and planned again. Some days I feel like I havent gotten far. Other days I see a light at the end of the tunnel. Resources and materials are so different here than in the States....so it takes a little creative planning on my part. I am definitely out of my comfort zone.

Tired

I've been unusually tired the past few days. I'm not sure why. I've tried to link the weariness to sleep, food and several other factors and can't seem to figure out why Im dragging so much. I let myself sleep an extra 45 minutes this morning and went into work a bit late. I felt alright after eating breakfast, but on the drive to the church I felt drowsy and exhausted. (I can hear all the moms out there going: take some vitamins, drink some orange juice, eat more vegetables, dont sleep too much...that'll just make you more tired. I know, I know....Im being a good girl!)

So please pray for a little more energy.
Also, Pastor Cheryl is recovering from the flu. Please pray for her health....she has been sick off and on all year.