I never thought I would be famous...

Foreigners are famous here. People stare ALL THE TIME. Many ask to take pictures with you. We are often asked for our autographs.Our fame opens the door for them to hear about our Father. Our translators have not been a part of the family for many years but they have already shared with hundreds maybe even thousands of people in those few years. Their passion for others to know the Father is inspiring. Without us here people would not listen to them. Ask that Father opens the people's ears and not just their eyes to what is different about us.

 

Well, I have arrived in the city I will be in for the next two months. It is a HUGE city. I live in the school on the 8th floor (with no elevator) in the middle of the city. The school has grades k-6. Many of the students and teachers live in the school too. My team is composed of 6 people- 2 boys from Alabama 2 girls from Georgia (me included) and two translators and guy and girl. They are a HUGE gift from the Big Man. Our main goal is to build relationships with the teachers and share with them about the Father.

 

Our day to day schedule is never the same. And we never know what we are doing until the day before. That is just the way it works here. They don't even know what day is their last day of school. My job here is to teach English... wherever they put me... which does not always mean this school. I enjoy teaching with our translator. She is great with kids and is able to help manage the Masses. But I also often teach alone... which is a little more difficult. Sometimes a teacher is there to help but often there is no one. The students speak very little English. They know vocab words but they cannot understand you when you speak or communicate with you. This make discipline very hard. Today I taught grade 2 alone and I had one boy who would not listen and would not participate. He was being a major disruption- standing o the desk, making noises, etc. I had just taught them come here and sit down and so I used our lesson words. I had him come here and took him into the hallway where I told him to sit down, then I left him. Haha, I could see him from where I taught the class and he just sat there stunned. I hope it will help keep him from disrupting the class again. We are given no instruction as far as what to teach and no books... but I enjoy just making things up. As long as the Father continues to give me ideas I will be ok. 

 

We will do this day to day thing until school gets out teaching anywhere from 1 to 6 classes. And school can happen everyday... including Saturday and Sunday. They often don't if they will have school on Saturday until that Friday. Sometime in July we will start summer camp... which is pretty much just look school but with a few field trips thrown in. We can also have kids of all ages for that. We will again be teaching English.

 

There are 4 teachers here that live on our floor that I have been talking a lot with... well as much as I can with my almost non-existent knowledge of their language and their broken English. All of them teach English but only one of them can communicate with me. I have shared with them why I am here and both the translators have had chances to share with them too... seeds have been planted. Lift for growth.

 

We went shopping the other day and it was quite an adventure. When it is just me and someone Asian they think I am from Tibet or Russia but when b is with us (like today) they know we are different. we had quite a few people following us around through the streets. A couple of girls even asked if it was ok if they followed us. One girl about 13 said we were the first foreigners she had ever seen. Everyone asks where we are from. All the clothes are real small... real small. I bought a large today and it is even still a little small. The stores that have bigger clothes have pregnant manikins outside of them. They are hilarious.

 

Yesterday we climbed a mountain. Me and the boys and our translators. It was all stone steps. There were lots of temples and places to worship ancestors along the way. We had a large group of followers once we made it to the top and we shared with them why we are here and what we are doing in the city. Many of the kids want to come to our summer camp at the school. The climb was very hot but definitely worth it.

 

That is all I have for now. We are about to head out to hand out info about the summer camp.

 

Oh! I almost forgot! I want to tell you about my favorite place here. There is a doorway just outside of our room that leads you out on the roof. Every where you look you see the city. We are one of the taller buildings in our area so nothing obstructs the view. When there is not too much smog you can see the mountains surrounding the city. It reminds me of what my friend David says- though I walk in the valley of darkness I will fear no evil for YOU are with me. I often watch the city- lifting it to the One who holds all the power. 

 

Your Sojourner.