Go and make disciples of all nations.: school videos and picture day

Our day starts out with both classes together. We sing a chorus and then one of the teachers does a devotion with the kids. Afterwards, there is always a memory verse for the day. Here was part of the class working on it...

English: Psalm 119:60 I will hasten and not delay to obey your commands.

Swahili: Zaburi 119:60 Nalifanya haraka wala sikukawia, Kuyati maagizo yako.

This particular day the head teacher decided to take a field trip outside and let the kids practice writing their letters in the dirt. It was super fun! Here's me talking with a few of the kids. The first is Nyevu working on writing an "A" and "B"... Asha is to my right calling me most the time and little Monica you see at the end. Nothing that she "wrote" was legible but I think she was saying her vowels.

Walimu= teacher

hapana= no

jaribu tena= try again

unaandica= you write

kubwa= big

hapa= here

mstari= line

ingine= another

ndyio= yes

Here you catch the tail in of Salena praying... she mentions my name... she's praying for a safe trip back to Nairobi. The other class starts before us so when Salena says Amen and the kids break out screaming they are trying to be louder than the other class and they are saying: May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us now and forevermore, Amen.

School really is a highlight for me each day. I'm getting more and more comfortable and actually had a couple days on my own this last week and I survived! These kiddos, as cute as they are, have zero discipline so I was really worried being on my own. Proverbs 3:5-6 put me at ease the morning I found out I was going to be alone for the day. I play a little game with them every time I want their attention. I say/sing, "Unasikia" and then follow it by an action. It's a take on "if you can hear me...." but it works wonders and the kids LOVE it! I keep my voice really low after we finish and it was the only way I survived lesson transitions!

It's amazing how different it is from the "western" world of schools but it is slowly becoming more normal for me. Kids wondering in and out doesn't bother me near as much anymore and when they don't start on their assignment right away I'm not as annoyed they aren't listening. Eventually they get it done and that's all that matters. We have four lessons each day. Two before break, break for PE and porridge and then two more lessons. Mornings are always Language and Math. After break we either do science, social, music, or Bible. I have taught all these lessons by now.

A lesson usually goes something like this... the kids are asked to sit down and be quiet (asked but rarely followed through with) and then there is an upfront lesson. For math I drew pictures of 3 balls, 5 triangles, 2 trees, 4 sticks and 1 cat. On the other side of the blackboard I wrote the numbers 1-5 and then had one kid come up at a time and match them with the stick. If they do it correctly we sing a little song that goes like this (in a british accent), "well done well done try again another day, a very good (boy/girl) a very good (boy/girl), keep it up keep it up! I love the positive reinforcement! After about 10-15 minutes of upfront lesson I ask the kids to "chakua kitabu na andica ndani" take out your book and write inside. Our older group does it on their own and then brings their books up front to be graded. Our youngest ones trace numbers, and the next class up I draw pictures and write the numbers and they do the matching part. This "freetime" to get their work done lasts anywhere from 20-40minutes and then we transition to the next thing.

Right before I left I decided it would be fun to take pictures of all the kids and then get them printed while I'm in Nairobi and then give them to them when I get back. First is my class and only 3 kids are missing... then is the older class.