School

7:45AM – Staff devotions and prayer in the office. It’s short, but always encouraging.

8:30AM – 1st period begins. I don’t have class this period so I continue to work on lesson plans, make copies, and other such things.

9:20AM – 2nd period. I teach in the only finished new classroom building. If the electricity is on then there’s air conditioning. This is my junior AP speech class. They are just a great group of kids. The speak English really well. Sometimes they say certain words or ask to do something and I just can’t quite understand them. Most of the time, eventually, I figure it out. One time I thought Job was saying, “Can I go outside to sit?” I’m thinking, “Why on earth is he asking me that?” Finally, I realize he’s saying, “Can I go outside and sPit?” Well, honestly, I can’t figure out why he’s asking me that either but at least it makes a little more sense. My class? Job, Ray (son of the Filipino pastor and his wife, Pearl, who teaches Chemistry), Texter, Franky (just an all around great kid), Doralyn (has the most beautiful smile), Ermy, Alvin, Arlene, WayOne (pray that we get along, kinda too smart for his own good and needs a kick in the pants every once in awhile), Narcisa, Sumantha, and KI (yes, that’s pronounced kay-eye). (Done from memory, thanks for praying!)

10:10AM – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is chapel. At least one song is in English (hurray!) and the students have amazing voices. They really do. Pat preached (well, I don’t know if some people would call it that) this morning on Romans 10:9-10. He did a demonstration and used volunteers and so forth to get the kids interacting. I thought it was good and I was praying all the way through.

10:55AM – 3rd period. My senior AP speech class meets in the resource room which is connected to the office. This is great because it means that it’s air conditioned. This is not great because the room doesn’t have a door so any of the staff/teachers that don’t have class can easily hear me. *shrug* Ah, well. They have excellent English and, although shy, some are very outgoing. I’m having both of my speech classes do fun exercises and so forth to help them learn their vocabulary (articulation, inflection, rate, and so forth). I have a great time. They do their first recitation from a book next week for a grade. I’m sure they would appreciate your prayers. My class: Manvis (Mandi and Elvis’ son, can’t you tell?), Peterson, Justin, Nathaniel, Lillian, Memorina, K-Ann, Saileen (sigh-lean), Meriem, and Jasyuri (jazz-er-ee). (Done from memory, thanks for praying!)

11:45AM – 4th period. New Testament Survey with the entire sophomore class, 24 students. I won’t attempt to name them all. They’ll pay attention and do their work if I make them. I did write detention up on the board today and threatened with writing names down. They were pretty quiet after that. The biggest problem I’m having is that they don’t bring their Bibles to class. The textbook I chose for NT was the New Testament. Please, pray that they learn that it’s important and necessary. Pat said they do all have Bibles that they could bring.

12:30 – LUNCH Normally I bring my lunch and all the staff eat in the office with each other. Fellowshipping and all. :o)

1:00PM – 5th period I have freshmen World Geography. Today I wanted to cry. It’s right after lunch. It’s the only class I have with them. It’s the entire class, 30 students. Not all of them speak English great so they speak in Chuukese A LOT. They’re just younger and not paying attention. I threatened the class with detention but I didn’t know how to put all but three kids there. At the end of the day, Linda and Junotte comforted me and gave me tips and encouragement. Pray that I learn to discipline! Pray that I discipline! Pray that my students will settle down and know that I’m their teacher. Pray that they learn from me. I want to cry just writing about it.

1:50PM – 6th period sophomore World Geography. Same 24 kids from NT which is nice so I’m learning them fairly quickly. They pick up things much more quickly than my freshmen class and remember a lot more things from last semester. I really don’t want to have to write two different lesson plans for my freshmen and sophomore WG classes, but it looks like it may come down to that.

2:35PM – 6th period gets out and 7th period begins at 2:40PM. Praise the Lord that I don’t have a 7th period class. It’s nice to get back home early… and continue writing lesson plans.

But I’m alive and God is gracious. I still know this is where God wanted me to be.

Did I mention that my first Sunday in church when Elvis was introducing me in Chuukese he was saying how they needed to find me a Chuukese guy to marry so that I would stay here forever? Of course, I had no clue what he was saying and didn’t find out until the next day at school. The reason I mention this is because I think that one of the things I’m learning a lot about is just how to manage without a mommy. (Mom, I love you!) I think I’m a pretty good cook and house cleaner and all. But it IS different not having your mom living with you. Junotte’s teaching me a lot, as well as, allowing me to learn on my own.

Thank you again for all your prayers. They are sooooooo encouraging! God continues to work in me, teaching me more about His wonderful self. And I pray that my students see Christ in me. I pray at the beginning of each of my classes specifically for my students and specifically for me as I teach them. Pray that my devotion to God and my reason for devotion, my Savior Jesus Christ, would be abundantly clear to them.

I want to close with an excerpt out of the book Through Gates of Splendor. I would love to put all of the excerpts that I’ve been reading lately but I’ll only put two. I know they’re long, but they’re real real good.

“It was time for soul-searching, a time for counting the possible cost. Was it the thrill of adventure that drew our husbands on? No. Their letters and journals make it abundantly clear that these men did not go out as some men go out to shoot a lion or climb a mountain. Their compulsion was from a different source. Each had made a personal transaction with God, recognizing that he belonged to God, first of all by creation, and secondly by redemption through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ. This double claim on his life settled once and for all the question of allegiance. It was not a matter of striving to follow the example of a great Teacher. To conform to the perfect life of Jesus was impossible for a human being. To these men, Jesus Christ was God, and had actually taken upon Himself human form, in order that He might die, and, by His death, provide not only escape from the punishment which their sin merited, but also a new kind of life, eternal both in length and in quality. This meant simply that Christ was to be obeyed, and more than that, that He would provide the power to obey. The point of decision had been reached. God’s command “Go ye, and preach the gospel to every creature” was the categorical imperative.” – Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor

“Oh, the fullness, pleasure, sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the cast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes – ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself.” --Jim Elliot, from Through Gates of Splendor

Serving the Savior of my soul,
Katie