Christmas is near!

WOW! I can't believe Christmas is here again. It seems as though the semester just started and yet here I am half way through my second year of teaching. I have been doing the Christmas story with my students this week. The question they have all had is "when Jesus was born, who made me?" or "When Jesus was a baby, who made everything?" I had never heard that perspective given before. I suppose it does seem as though when Jesus left heaven, the world stopped turning. I think of that song from the Messiah by Handel: "Rejoice greatly O daughter of Zion!" I have so much to rejoice about: a break from school; seeing family and friends; meeting my brother's fiance; move into a new house. I may need a break from my break :) I have to say that I will miss Ghana and my community here in Accra, but it will be nice to be home.

Thankfulness

Top 10 Things I Am Thankful For:

10. traveling opportunities

9. electricity

8. a 4 day weekend

7. living overseas

6. singing in the choir

5. Teaching in Africa

4. being a teacher

3. Children

2. Family/Friends

1. Saved by the blood of the Lamb

2 is better than 1

We had character day at school today. I was really excited about it which is something for me in that I do not get excited about dressing up. However, last weekend, Kim and I decided we should be Frodo and Sam from the Lord of the Rings movies. We became VERY excited about it especially when we thought about getting capes (cloaks whatever) made as well as vests. So, Kim got the material and our seamstress Joyce did an AMAZING job in very quick time for a Ghanaian. Anyway it turned out great and we definitely wore it to school....all day long. I usually don't put up pictures of myself online BUT I decided to make an exception. So here we are. :)

MMMMM.....BACON!!!

It's amazing how a simple meal can be so wonderful. My roommate Kim and I made pancakes and bacon. She LOVES bacon and I just like to eat especially with someone who also enjoys it. So, we had WAY too much fun making this amazing lunch. Packing frozen bacon was definitely a good idea!

1,2,3

Triplets?! My director's wife came to me Tuesday quite excited. This mom in our school, she tells me, had called to see if we had any more room in kindergarten. Mrs. Crosby said yes we do. Good says the mom because I have a friend who has triplets. It took me a minute to process that yes all three are coming to my class. I tried to recover and say that's great, the more the merrier. So, for the rest of the day, I would randomly stop and say triplets?! I am rather excited about them coming. They are Muslim, and I pray that I will have the opportunity to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. If you have an extra minute though, I would ask that you pray for me as I am expecting triplets. :)

September update

Dear Friends and Family,

We are rocking and rolling along here in Ghana completing our 5^th week of school. Everything is going well. I can’t believe how much easier everything seems this year. Praise the Lord you only have one first year! We just had the Asia/Africa director’s conference this week. A lot of people from the NICS home office and all the directors of the schools in Asia and Kenya came to our school. It gave the week a busy feeling. The students are all well so far. I have 14 in my class right now, which is nothing by America standards, but here seems like a huge number. There is the possibility that I will get 2 more. One for sure is coming back in November. I like this class. They are so different from last year’s class. They don’t question in the same way and are more in awe of things I tell them. I had the amazing privilege of sharing the gospel with them all last week. I think that was the quietest they have ever been. They just soaked it up as fast as I would tell them. Thursday, I got the question of ‘when is Jesus going to come back and take us into heaven’? I told him truthfully that I don’t know. They are a sweet class and really take care of each other. I help with the 4 year old class sometimes. There are 10 boys and 1 girl in there. I try to help the teacher keep them under control as they certainly give her a run for her money. I have a lot to look forward to next year with those boys! J Chapel is going well. I am leading the 3-5 year old chapel. We have a lot of fun together. They are a great group. Please pray for me to be creative in my telling of different Bible stories. I had a little girl come to school for a week and then leave. Her family is Jehovah Witness. I heard stories from last year about how she couldn’t get the party favor bag from birthday parties because they don’t accept gifts. They couldn’t pay the tuition so the dad came in to talk to Mr. Crosby. Mr. Crosby worked it out where they only pay half tuition and the school pays the rest. A huge gift, but many prayers were offered that they would take it. They did, and she was able to come back to school. Prior to taking the scholarship, they thought about changing schools. When they did come back to us, Mr. Crosby told me that the dad told him ‘my daughter comes home telling us Bible verses she has memorized. How could we put her in another school?’ Needless to say, Mr. Crosby and I were extremely excited. We have seen a change in her dad. He allowed Maame (pronounced momay the o saying ah in father) to take home a birthday party goodie bag. He also came to chapel on Wednesday. Please pray that God will continue to work in his heart, and he will come to know Jesus Christ.

Prayer requests

Please pray for/that

· we will get a transformer for the school soon. It would help the electricity be better.

· Our container will come in soon.

· The students. There is a little Muslim girl in 2^nd grade who is fighting everything ‘Christian’ her teacher says. Her brother is 4 and is struggling with anger.

· Strength/health/unity of the staff. No major illnesses so far. However, my assistant Helina went home yesterday with a lot of pain.

· Several of the staff are going through hard times as friends/loved ones suffer back home.

I thank God for all of you knowing that you pray for all of us over here. It is such a blessing and encouragement to me. Thanks for your support as well.

Blessings to you all!

Wedding and a Reptile

This actually happened Sept. 4th. Our internet has been up and down....so here it is a week later than I planned

I was able to experience a Ghanaian wedding this past Saturday. It was a lot of fun. My aid, Helina, invited me to her older brother's wedding. They are very community oriented. Everyone is invited. First, they do a traditional blessing where the bride's family presents gifts for the bride to the groom's family. They have a singing competition while the family decides if they will accept it. Then, the future couple comes and the story is told of how they met. Apparently, Racheal (the bride) had a very pretty singing voice. :) Anyway, the groom to be then gives her the engagement ring. There was a short break for the bride/groom to get redressed and off to the church we go. The service lasted about 3 1/2 hours. I had a great time.

The funny part was when I first got there, Helina and I went walking around this Muslim village. We were stopped by the town assembly man who told us to go look at the 30 year old crocodile. So, we asked around and were finally pointed in the right direction. We found him. He was about 6-6.5 feet long and quite intimidating. He is kept in this shallow covered area and is fed chickens and fish. (Picture above) All in all, the day was quite an experience.

little sponges

WOW!! Yesterday, I had the amazing opportunity and privilege to share the gospel with my entire class. This includes one muslim child who seems to know more about Christ than the others. We were talking about Adam and Eve and how they sinned. Then, I decided to plunge in and explained that God had a plan thus opening the door for the plan of salvation. It was one of the most exhilarating and exhausting things I've ever done. I had 22 eyes fixed on me, taking in my every word. They all shouted and clapped when I told them that when Jesus rose again, he defeated Satan and through faith by his grace allows us to go to heaven. I must remember this moment. "...I have fixed my eyes on the prize...".

First Week

Hurray!!! I survived my first week of teaching! I have had my 2nd successful day of kindergarten. It was a very long week but a good one. What a difference a year makes. I felt this week like everything was soooo much easier than last year. We did have several adventures including a throw up day. :) I am glad it is the weekend, and I'm required to do nothing. I love my new students. They are very different, and that is a good thing. I have 17 on my role but only 10 have come. Everything will change when others come not knowing all that my 10 currently do. Oh well. Thanks for all your prayers.

You know you've lived outside America when...

It's amazing what attempting to fit all needed (but mostly wanted) into 3 suitcases to teach and live for 5 months in a foreign country will do to one's psyche. I don't like packing; I enjoy unpacking. It's almost like Christmas presents. I seem to forget what I brought with me. Each item goes from "why did I want this" to "I remembered this. How marvelous". Treasures range from good clothes to prizes for good behavior to bacon and cheese to chicken and granola bars. Interesting still to me how such simple things can bring such joy and pleasure.

T-15 days

Time in the U.S. is growing short. In 2 weeks, I will be prepping to go off again. At the same time, I feel a pull to go back. I am ready for my new challenge; ready to set up my classroom and prepare for a new year. I am ready (I think) for the adventure.... though not as new as last year when I embarked. Yet, in many ways, this year will be new and different and unlike last year (again I hope so anyway). So, I am excited and preparing my mind to accept my mission once again with renewed fervor!!

Ahhh...home!

I am again back in Alabama. I have been an advisor at PFO for the past 11 days. We had a good time and lots of fun. However, I haven't wanted to be home like I have the last 2 days in a long time. I hope not to leave it again for a long time until I fly out again 5 weeks exactly from today.

Back in US!

WOW! I am back in Bama and it is nice. In the past week, I have been in /on 3 continents, 3 countries, 4 states and 6 airports!! I am glad to be at home....at least for a week. Thanks for all your prayers!

WOW!!!! 3 1/2 days of school left in this year! I can't believe it. I fly out a week from Monday..how exciting! Anyway, I had an "aha" moment last week that actually worked. I came in from doing a science experiment with Pre-K. My students had finished math and were coloring. I decided that math shouldn't be over yet. I looked at the square tile on the floor and then at the bucket of shapes. That's when it hit. Why not have them fill the floor tiles with the shapes and make interesting designs. That is exactly what we did. I put them in groups and had them fill the square with shapes. They are quite the designers. I'll get pics up soon.

donkey

Have you ever wondered why donkeys are so distinguished in the Bible? Think about it, Abraham loaded the wood on a donkey when he and Isaac went to sacrifice. Jacob's sons, when they heard that there was grain in Egypt, loaded their donkeys and went to Egypt. Balaam was riding a donkey when the angel appeared. Who was it that saw the angel? The Donkey!!! When Samson was taking one of his many times of revenge on the Philistines, he used the jawbone of a donkey. When we first read about Saul, he was sent on a mission to find...donkeys. In Nehemiah 2:12, he rode on a beast. I would say that there is a good chance that the beast is a donkey. In the New Testament, the Good Samaritan rode a donkey. Also, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a young donkey.

In the ESV Bible, the word donkey is used 86 times. A donkey was redeemable under the law by breaking a lamb’s neck. There is a verse that refers to having the patience of a donkey. Our musical was called “Donkey Tales”. It was said then that a donkey is stronger than a horse and eats less than a cow. I just thought it was rather interesting how often the animal used in the Bible is the donkey. Perhaps, it is too show that we are redeemable and can be used in different ways but must be a hard worker just as the donkey was/did.

Running the Race

I think I can say that the last 3 laps in a race are the hardest. I have about 3 laps left or in better terms 17 1/2 days. It blows my mind to think about it. In one month from now, I will be in the US. I suppose what makes it seem more real is that we had our spring music program last night. Now that it is over, it really feels like the end of the year. The next big things are elementary awards day and GRADUATION!! The students did great in the music program. My students seem so big now. Thinking back to the fall and looking at pictures and then watching them now, it is like looking at two different classes. I'm so pleased with them.

Please pray for the unity and perseverance of the faculty. It seems Satan is trying his hardest to destroy us right here at the end. Thanks for all your prayers.

Our music program theme was country western. Here are three Amigas that are very hard to separate. :)

Poets who don't know it

Some of my "3 Little Kittens". We said the poem "The Three Little Kittens" at the Poetry Slam on Friday. We also did "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"

Germany Pictures

This was a really cool cathedral we saw in Worms.

Isn't this a cute picture? This was in Worms, Germany, as we were walking down this really neat cobblestone street/alley.

Hmmmm....I wonder

I had a sensation today. It was one of not fear, exactly, but more complete bewilderment. What happened?! Oh, we were being told what is going to and needs to happen by the time we leave the country. It seems like SOOOO much. I felt completely overwhelmed....actually i am not sure that word comes close at all to how I felt at the moment. Anyway, I am also being formally observed tomorrow by my director. I am prepared; I suppose though the idea of someone else forming an opinion of all I will be doing doesn't exactly define peace in my soul. Right as I was about to write this, however, the definition or rather description entered. Jesus Christ knew this moment would happen before the world was created. He knew long before I was born that I would be formally observed tomorrow and "slightly" :) overwhelmed today. THAT is a very comforting thought indeed. We were discussing Esther this morning in Bible. The children answered very emphatic "yes's" to questions such as "Does God have a plan for your life? Does He know what is going to happen?" It suddenly hit me, and I was reminded that I have that assurance too. I can answer an emphatic "yes" to both those questions. "...And the peace of God which surpasses ALL (everyone of them completely) understanding (circumstances) shall guard (protect, secure) your heart and mind in Christ Jesus."

I stand amazed.

April Update

April 18, 2010

Dear Family and Friends,

Happy Resurrection!! I hope everyone had a blessed Easter and was truly reminded of what our Savior did for us. Things are going well here… about six weeks until school is over. WOW!! I can’t believe how quickly this semester has gone. We just finished our first week back after Spring Break! My roommate Faith and I went to Germany. It proved to be a beautiful country…full of history. We went to Worms and were able to see a couple of Martin Luther’s churches. We also explored the ruins of a castle. What fun!!! We stayed with the youth minister for Ramstein Air Force base and were able to help with the young people one night. I met a young couple that were both medi-vac pilots and had just spent the past year and a half in Fort Rucker. I also met two Auburn fans from Phoenix City in a restaurant! It was quite exciting to see people who had been in or were from the South.

School is rocking and rolling along. My students are in the process of learning to read. It is fun to see light bulbs come on for them. We took our first spelling test on Friday. They all did very well. We are learning basic Square dancing moves for our end of the year music program. I am thankful to have done square dancing before and thought about our fun dance evenings. My students really soaked up the Resurrection story. We talked about it for a couple of weeks prior to the Easter break. They all recognized that the bread and wine were symbols of what Christ did for us and were not his actual body and blood. It was really neat to talk about with them. They are very studious and have all memorized 18 Bible verses so far this school year. They are wonderful students and keep me on my toes. J It has been very HOT lately. Our daily temperatures are usually in the 90s with 60-80% humidity. Our generator hasn’t been working well lately so my air conditioner doesn’t work. This makes for hot, sweaty days especially in the afternoons. We all sweat buckets it seems. I count it as part of the African experience and hope it builds some character in me. Hopefully, south Alabama heat won’t bother me at all when I come home. Haha!

Please pray that we all will finish the year well. Sometimes we all long to be home, but it will be over before we know it. Also, apparently swine flu is back in Accra. Please pray that it won’t strike AIS again. I look forward to being home and seeing everyone. Thanks for all your prayers and support.

The Home Stretch

This is it: the final 6 weeks of school. My roommate Faith and I went to Germany for spring break. It was beautiful!! I'm sorry for not sending out an update in March. My computer ate it and, unfortunately I was inclined to not like my computer. Still, that is no excuse. So, this is just the beginning. The week has gone by rather quickly. Thanks for all your prayers.

More to come...

under attack

Even though it closed a school for about a month, I guess I thought it wouldn't get to our school. However, the swine flu has hit AIS. We have 13 confirmed cases. We are therefore not having school tomorrow or Tuesday. I ask for your prayers for our students and the faculty and staff that the sick will heal and teachers will stay well. Other than our 'plague', we are doing good. March is here and the semester will soon be at the midpoint. Hard to believe.

Just an update. Griselda who had malaria came back to school on Wednesday and Katie came back on Thursday. Katie had a lot of blood work done. It's possible that her malaria med could be making her feel this way. Thank you for all your prayers for them.

Prayer Request

Dearest Prayer Warriors,

I just wanted to ask for prayer for two of my students, Griselda. She has malaria. Another little girl, Katie, has been too lethargic for a five year old. Anyway, other than that, we are all well.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Meghann

February Update

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope this update finds you all well. My mom tells me that it is snowing in Enterprise this morning. How amazing!!! I can't even imagine. It is not too bad here right now, overcast and not as hot. Yesterday, I looked at the thermometer outside my classroom, and it read 110 degrees. Of course, it was in the full sun and had been there all day. Wednesday night dark clouds came in from the east, and we had a magnificent thunderstorm. One thing that made it so nice is that it cooled off to 70 degrees or so. It actually felt a little cold. Marvelous! We have a long weekend right now. We have today (Friday) off and Monday is a teacher's workday. I am enjoying a chance to relax.

This semester seems to be rougher than the fall semester. There have been more issues within the teachers. I have changed malaria medicines. Other than that everything is going pretty well. February is almost half over......WOW! When I see it in that light, it feels like time is flying by. My students are in the beginning stages of learning to read, and I am scared!! Not really, but I've never taught reading before and hope and pray that I do a good job with them because these are the building blocks. Anyway, it is so much fun to see them sound out words and then figure out the word. I have four students who are knocking on the door of reading. They love to bring their books to my desk and read their books to me. So, my latest project has been to make different reading groups, and there is ALWAYS something to find for the different groups to do. The children are different now. They have changed. We celebrated the 100th day of school this past Tuesday. It was a lot of fun. We counted to 100 all day with lots of different things. The picture shows them in their 100 masks. On the board behind them are some of the 100 words we came up with.

Well, my toe is healing nicely, praise the Lord, for it is His doing. My ear is doing well too.

Thanks for all your prayers and support. I really do appreciate them. Happy Valentine's day!!

Meghann

Wondrous Things

Praise God! The blockage in my ear has gone away. I had looked into going to a Ghanaian ENT. However, God had other plans and by His healing touch, I am healed. Everything is going well; starting a new month holds new plans and ideas. Thanks to all who pray for me especially for my ear of late. I know the prayers of the saints have prevailed, and what a blessing that is indeed. I hope to have an email update out soon. Please pray for me that I will be able to correctly and adequately answer the theological questions of my students. One student asked me last week what a cult was. They are really thinkers. Pray for endurance that I might see the goal I am racing towards. Also, pray that we can find another building or that our current landlord will lower the rent. He jacked up the rent price 300%. We are planning to build but that wouldn't happen for a year or two.

Thanks

First Update for 2010

Hello Friends, Family and Supporters!!

I thought I would give everybody an update, early though it may be. I flew out on January 2nd. Unfortunately, Germany had a lot of snow, so the plane couldn't land. Therefore, we missed our connecting flight. I met Lauren, the Art teacher, in Atlanta. We then stood in line at the Frankfurt airport for 6 hours to try to get another flight. We ended up getting flown to Dubai first and then to Accra. Needless to say, it was a very long trip. Praise the Lord though, we made it safely into Accra in time to get to the teacher workday.

We have now almost completed the first two weeks of school. Time seems to be going rather quickly right now. We are all getting back into the swing of things here. I'm glad to be getting back into routines again.

I do have a prayer request. We do a street child ministry here for the children that live near us. Please pray for us as we lead that God will plant seeds according to his will. Also, please pray that all the children for whom it is God's will for them to come will come.

Thanks for all your prayers and support,

Meghann