School starts on Monday and boy are we excited! The third term is full of good stuff, but so quick! Zambia's national exams (for grades 7, 9, and 12) begin in October and the kids will be finished for the year in early December! We also have Independence Day and the national elections for the next Zambian president! Be praying for this country and the leadership!
To prepare for the upcoming term, we held a workshop for our current teachers (23 right now) and it was a success! We shared our vision for the next term and some strategies and advice. The teachers were excited and had such a teachable spirit! I love when we have workshops because I'm able to teach and work with them one-on-one. A classroom environment is always present and it's so neat to see them enjoying it. Kathryn--who joined me on this side to work on education--led the discussions and sessions which was so great! It was awesome to see her with the teachers laughing, giving advice, and pouring her heart into them.
After doing this so long without the help of someone else, it is SUCH a blessing to have her here helping out. She's an experienced teacher--someone who I am learning from as well. Isn't that the way it should go? As teachers, we teach and learn--it's the same way. I'm teaching Kathryn about life in Zambia and she's teaching me more and more about education. God's timing is perfect.
In our workshop, Kathryn had them write a reflection from time to time--most of the time they answered a question that she posed or wrote their thoughts on the activity they just participated in. While they wrote, we brought my iPod and played worship music. While listening to the song, "We Are Redeemed" by Hillsong, something hit me. It's a beautiful song, and my heart was already in worship, so as I looked around the room, I saw a beautiful sight. You know, there are many times when we work with people in an environment of hostility--one where you constantly think about how YOU can best be served, how your employer should bless YOU, and how YOU deserve this or that for all YOUR hard work. But in the end, it's all about us. It's all about how we can climb the ladder of success. Some of our teachers are here to make money, I know that, but some are here giving everything they have so that they can teach
God's children--those who are forgotten. Their teachable and humble spirit is intriguing. As I looked around to our teachers, and meditated on the song, I was overwhelmed by the peace that God gives when the environment you work in is not focused on you. We started the day and ended the day in prayer. We listened to worship music during reflection time. We talked about how to show God's love to the students and how to be a reflection of Christ to them. We talked about godly discipline. We basically lifted the day to the Lord. The song says, "We the redeemed, hear us singing, YOU are holy, YOU are holy."
What if we could have a working environment like this every day? What if I had started my day before my students walked in my room and ended my day after they left with prayer? Obviously I couldn't pray with them, but I could easily pray about them. What if during planning time I listened to worship music and spent time each morning focusing on how to bring God glory in my school? I KNOW that if everyday was like this when I was in America, I would be slow to anger and abounding in love. I'm not saying I wouldn't make mistakes, I'm human. I'm saying that I would have peace and God would be given the glory HE deserves.
It was an amazing time with our teachers and I just continue to pray that they will become more and more humble before the Lord. I'm excited to see what God has for us this term! Please be praying for them. They are teaching in the compounds with these orphans and I am SO proud of them for getting their hands dirty. They are trying to teach to children and talk to caretakers whose view is on survival not education. Please pray that the Lord will DRASTICALLY impact the community and the leadership of this country!
Because of the infusion of Christ's love with having godly teachers daily working with our orphans, I believe they will one day be the leaders of this country! And oh what a beautiful day it will be!
To prepare for the upcoming term, we held a workshop for our current teachers (23 right now) and it was a success! We shared our vision for the next term and some strategies and advice. The teachers were excited and had such a teachable spirit! I love when we have workshops because I'm able to teach and work with them one-on-one. A classroom environment is always present and it's so neat to see them enjoying it. Kathryn--who joined me on this side to work on education--led the discussions and sessions which was so great! It was awesome to see her with the teachers laughing, giving advice, and pouring her heart into them.
After doing this so long without the help of someone else, it is SUCH a blessing to have her here helping out. She's an experienced teacher--someone who I am learning from as well. Isn't that the way it should go? As teachers, we teach and learn--it's the same way. I'm teaching Kathryn about life in Zambia and she's teaching me more and more about education. God's timing is perfect.
In our workshop, Kathryn had them write a reflection from time to time--most of the time they answered a question that she posed or wrote their thoughts on the activity they just participated in. While they wrote, we brought my iPod and played worship music. While listening to the song, "We Are Redeemed" by Hillsong, something hit me. It's a beautiful song, and my heart was already in worship, so as I looked around the room, I saw a beautiful sight. You know, there are many times when we work with people in an environment of hostility--one where you constantly think about how YOU can best be served, how your employer should bless YOU, and how YOU deserve this or that for all YOUR hard work. But in the end, it's all about us. It's all about how we can climb the ladder of success. Some of our teachers are here to make money, I know that, but some are here giving everything they have so that they can teach
God's children--those who are forgotten. Their teachable and humble spirit is intriguing. As I looked around to our teachers, and meditated on the song, I was overwhelmed by the peace that God gives when the environment you work in is not focused on you. We started the day and ended the day in prayer. We listened to worship music during reflection time. We talked about how to show God's love to the students and how to be a reflection of Christ to them. We talked about godly discipline. We basically lifted the day to the Lord. The song says, "We the redeemed, hear us singing, YOU are holy, YOU are holy."
What if we could have a working environment like this every day? What if I had started my day before my students walked in my room and ended my day after they left with prayer? Obviously I couldn't pray with them, but I could easily pray about them. What if during planning time I listened to worship music and spent time each morning focusing on how to bring God glory in my school? I KNOW that if everyday was like this when I was in America, I would be slow to anger and abounding in love. I'm not saying I wouldn't make mistakes, I'm human. I'm saying that I would have peace and God would be given the glory HE deserves.
It was an amazing time with our teachers and I just continue to pray that they will become more and more humble before the Lord. I'm excited to see what God has for us this term! Please be praying for them. They are teaching in the compounds with these orphans and I am SO proud of them for getting their hands dirty. They are trying to teach to children and talk to caretakers whose view is on survival not education. Please pray that the Lord will DRASTICALLY impact the community and the leadership of this country!
Because of the infusion of Christ's love with having godly teachers daily working with our orphans, I believe they will one day be the leaders of this country! And oh what a beautiful day it will be!
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