Learning to Be Still and How to do School... PI pt One

So I was thinking...

preschoolers are exhausting. I've been in PI for nine full days and haven't had a chance to sit down and write because I couldn't keep my eyes open. KIM (Kids International Ministries) runs a Christian school that serves Kindergarten - Grade 9. They also run a pregnancy clinic that serves the local women with time in the word, vitamins and food to strengthen them during their 9 months. Last year, a group of us were talking with Jeff(the founder) about how was KIM serving the children in between ages 2-5. He challenged us to think of how to do this and we decided a preschool was needed to help the children and their parents in raising children in the Word and "breaking the cycle of poverty" through education. Jeff got started on his end and the building of the Early Learning Center began about a year ago. We arrived on June 12th and with the help of the director, a woman named Jenn, we started classes on the 15th. These classes bring together the community children and the children in the nursery of the Children's Home. The first two days were crazy, teaching the children routines and practically how to do school(sit in seats, line up, wait, share, etc.) It got better throughout the week and I'm excited to see how it grows over these next two weeks. Please pray for Eugene and Mary Cris, the PI teachers, that are on this adventure with us. 

Here is a video of the first few days

Our group also had the privilege of taking a group of PI teenagers from Journey of Hope to see HillSong United. It was such a fun experience to sing praise to Christ with 12,000 others. 

I've also been able to go to some local churches in downtown Manila the past few days and a community girls Bible Study. I've been very convicted to memorize more scripture and truly know God's Word in my heart. I'm working on being still and resting in the presence of the Lord in worship, in prayer, in preschool, in playing with the children at the Orphanage. I'll keep you posted:)

If you would like to join me in prayer, here is my current list:

- For God to open hearts to reveal His Powerful Love

- For the local people to rely truly on the sovereign Lord and not on idols

- For Baby Lexie, the newest child at the children's home(6 days old) to recover from pneumonia

- For the PI government to release the shipping container that holds tons of supplies

- For myself to be fully in the Word and memorizing scripture

- For safety for our team going down to Tacloban to build houses on Monday, that through their love for God people will God's Love

~R

Why a Teacher? Linky

Thanks Mrs. Reed for this great linky party.

 

This week's questions:

1.  What made you decide to become a teacher?

I grew up in a family of teachers, professional development happened every night at my dinner table as we heard the latest development in my Momma's classroom. (FYI: Best teacher and Mom I know, Happy Mother's Day!) I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, just refer to my Kindergarten writing that said so; however, in high school I started to question it because when I told people I was going to be a teacher everyone would say "Oh because your mom and sister are" 

Now this is not a bad thing, my mom and sister are the best teachers I know, but I wanted to make sure that this was my choice. So after prayer and reflection I knew this was my path: to mold young minds everyday, teaching about Christ + some first grade standards. 

2. What has been your most rewarding experience as a teacher?

Getting to eat cupcakes on all the birthdays! (jk..well, I am a sweetaholic!)

Last year I had a little boy who came to me not knowing his sounds, needless to say being a first year teacher this made me extremely nervous but God led the way and my little L learned how to read and how to love school. This was a message he wrote me and our reading coach(Mrs. Planz). I still tear up every time I read it. This is why my (35 hour week) turns into 60, because being the best for each student and encouraging them is the reason God made me a teacher. 

 

3. If you were not a teacher, what would you be?

Not really sure, but here is a list of possibilities:

1. baker

2. missionary

3. interior design

4. children's book author/illustrator

5. stay at home mom (when I find prince charming ha)

6. photographer/crafter

Thanks for dropping in! 

9 more school days! 

24 days till I'm back to the Philippines!

~Rachel 

Five for Friday 3.2

Welcome back and happy weekend!

It's Five for Friday time!

1. We spent the beginning of the week writing our first book report on our favorite Dr. Seuss book. They did pretty well and our computer teacher let us type them up and add pictures today! We ended our Dr. Seuss unit with making Thing 1 word families.

2. On Wednesday we got to pick any object in our room to describe using adjectives: size, shape, color, number, what kind. They were so cute while they observed their object. The loft was a HUGE hit!

3. We finished Chapter 8 in our math series and spent the last two days reviewing with this unit. Find it here. 

4. My mom and I are booking our flight back to Manila, PI this weekend! I am super excited to see what the Lord has in store for us this summer!

5. I tutor some of our ESL students two days after school and on Thursday I had a fabulous conversation with one of them about the Lord. I asked her if she needed to do her 20 minutes of reading, and she said that she does that at home when she reads the Bible. She was currently reading Psalms, Proverbs, & Luke. WOW! This young girl(5th grade) then told me about how her mother took them to church and how she loved it, but how they only could go to church on the weekends her father went away golfing. She told me that she heard her parents fight because her mother wanted the kids to know about the Lord. She was worried for her grandmothers too because "they believe Buddha" as she said. I told her that I would pray for her dad and family with a hope that they accept the Lord's love for them soon. Please pray with me for this sweet young girl's family. 

Happy Friday!

~Rachel 

America's favorite cookie & Psalms

So I was thinking... 

that Oreos are my favorite cookie. My dad fostered my love of this cookie when I was little. It was/is my favorite bedtime snack: Oreos and milk. It might have just been a sneaky way to get my siblings and I to drink more milk, but good job mom & dad, because it worked!

This past weekend I went with about 10 of the girls in my Sunday School class to the lake for a girls' retreat. We had a fabulous time playing Mexican train domino's, making crafts out of clay and just hanging out together with the Lord. We studied Psalm 139.

Here are some of my favorite parts:

vs 1-4

O Lord, you have searched me & know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. 

vs. 15-16

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

vs. 23-24

Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 

(NIV)

Didn't the Lord give David just the perfect words to show His love for us?!

Also at this retreat we had tons of FOOD. I signed up to bring a dessert(typical) and went off to google to find a fun dessert to bring. I found this recipe from Bakegirl and when I saw that the only 3 ingredients were Oreos, marshmallows, and butter; well how could you go wrong!

Chewy No-Bake Cookies and Cream Treats (Oreo Bars)

1 package of Oreos

1 bag of large marshmallows

4 tbsp butter

Bakegirl's recipe says to heat the marshmallows in the microwave, but I was a little weary of putting the whole bag inside; not wanting to clean up a huge mess later, so I opted for heating them on the stove like you do with Rice- Krispie treats. 

1. Crush the Oreos either in a food processor or by beating them with a rolling pin.  

2. Melt the butter in a pot on Med-High heat

3. Pour in the 1/3 of the marshmallows. Constantly stir until melting has occurred. Continue this step until the whole bag is melted. 

4. Take the marshmallows off the stove and immediately pour in the crumbled Oreos. Stir together and pour into a 8x8 pan. Make sure the pan is lined with aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray for best results.

5. Let set for about 30 minutes to an hour, then cut and serve! 

Happy Baking!
Rachel

I'm Thankful

So...the other day I let you in on what my students were thankful for so I thought 

I would share what I'm thankful for. There are so many things that could be on this 

list but here are a few:

1. I am so thankful that my parents gave me the opportunity to attend a great university 

where I got a great education and fostered my love of teaching and where I met some amazing friends.

2. I am thankful for those friends who I lived with and who I was able to share so 

many memories with: wedding, cruises, agd, cooking dinners, night with The Nanny

3. I am thankful that God blessed me with the opportunity to go to Manila this summer 

and meet Angelica, who dreams of a great future of doing hair and knows that even though she does not have a biological father, that her Father in Heaven has a great future for her.

4. I am thankful with a great family on both my mom and my dad's side, I'm even thankful for our beach trips where all 30 of us cram into one house for a week!

5. I'm thankful for my mom and sister who are always up for a fun trip, where the main purpose is for us to spend time together: Chicago, NYC, Las Vegas, Atlanta

6. I am thankful for our freedom and what the brave members of the military do for 

us each day.

7. It may seem funny but I'm thankful for Disney World for helping me be imaginative in my childhood and sharing in so many of my childhood vacation trips! I still would love to be Belle one day!

8. Again I am thankful for PI because I got the chance to meet these 32 amazing students and spend time in their classroom laughing and learning. I am thankful that I have a job in the states that I get to teach a great group of kids and laugh everyday.

9. I'm thankful for a great family who has always been supportive in everything I do, and encouraged me to seek God in every part of life and to lean on His understand and His will. 

Take time today to thank God for all the blessings He has given us today. You may be overwhelmed with His love for us just like I am everyday. What a great blessing we have in the Lord.

Happy Turkey Day!

Rachel 

Happy Hearts

So I was thinking that my heart has been moved in many different ways today. It was a great day at school, one of my students who had a B-A-D day yesterday, came in today and acted like a completely different child, she was an ALL-STAR. My stress level dropped a few points and I was soo proud : ). Happy Heart

Yesterday we were discussing 9/11 in my class because I had an American flag on the calendar and my students really had an interest in it, so today we took a few minutes to discuss the events of that day. Some of my students even watched some of the specials on TV about that day the night before. I showed some of my pictures that I took in '07 of the construction.

and then my uncle's pics of the finished reflection pool and Freedom tower this past February.

                                  

My students kept asking questions and why? and when? and so we talked through it and even discussed why it could be called the Freedom tower (land of the FREE). One little girl came up with "The bad guys must have done that awful thing because they don't like God and the USA" 

So we discussed how God told us to love everyone and to do good things, so that could be true. 

I finished by reading this book I found at the book fair last year. It was written by a 1st grade class in MO. I told them of my experience with this day and all of our hearts were sad for the people involved but happy that we could honor them with this day. 

I got home and had a great surprise in my inbox. An email from my K.I.M friends in the PHILIPPINES! Tears poured as I watched this video and missed all my precious students and friends from Cuatro, but my heart was also glad because I knew that they knew that God loved them and even though I couldn't be with them I knew God was with them as they were celebrating being in their NEWly re-done classrooms. I'm still so blessed by this experience in the PI and at my school I try to teach my kids about how to show God's love everyday like these friends showed me!

~Rachel 

Filipino Fun... PI Pt. 3

So I was thinking...that my family and friends and I had such an amazing time in the Philippines this summer serving with KIM. We saw amazing things and were able to experience God's love in sooo many ways. Here are some of the recaps of an amazing trip.

Warning: Picture overload!

Family photo after church 

 We were able to experience soft drinks in glass bottles, which you had to pay a deposit on. If you didn't want to take the bottle with you, you could have a 'coke in a bag.' They would pour the drink directly into the bag and top it off with a straw!

 Two of our group members experienced a local delicacy, balut. 

Otherwise known as unborn duck eggs.   

Jeff's son commentated on a college league basketball game at the Mall of Asia arena while we were there, so we stopped by to experience a true Filipino basketball game! The drums were so loud!

Being from the South we couldn't resist finding a KRISPY KREME!!! Look at the amazing flavors we found at the Mall of Asia! Butterfinger, Oreo, Carmel Crunch... 

 The same day we went to feed at Tent City we stopped by a local spot: Daranak Falls

 A few of us swimming!

Amazed at God's glorious beauty. 

 After school I stopped by the Children's Home nursery where our team was creating a beautiful Noah's ark mural to brighten up their rooms. We painted each room a different animal, so we had a giraffe room, monkey room, elephant room, and lion room. 

 Finished ark minus the giraffes.  The main room had animals and flowers that covered all the walls as well as this ocean wall. 

At the grand opening of the nursery, ribbon cutting and all!

 Oh the Jeepneys! Public transportation is the main way to get around in Manila. These Jeepneys cram as many people as they can inside with blaring music and crazy driving. Fun and scary all at the same time! We did learn to always go with the ones that have the most designs on them, designs equal more experience!

 Loving on the babies in the nursery. 

 We were able to take the kids from the Children's Home to the mall for pizza and ice cream on two of the nights we were there. The boys loved the ice cream, here is my buddy JayPee. 

 There was also a great play place in the mall that the kids played in before dinner! 

Precious Zarinah and Angelica!

 My Filipino family! Aria, Gerald, JayPee, and Jessica

 KIM threw us a great BBQ on the last day we were there. Here are all of the kids 

from the Children's Home, Jaz Home, and the workers for the organization.

The Alabama team at the last devotion at the Children's Home! 

It was such an amazing time filled with fun, fellowship, and amazing works from our Creator!

~Rachel 

Good Morning Teacher Rachel... PI pt. 2

So I was thinking... that my joy comes from teaching. It doesn't matter if it is at my school in the states or if it is across the world at the Cuatro Christian School that is directed by Kids International Ministries. During my 2 weeks in the Philippines I was blessed with the opportunity to teach a class of 32 students from grade 3. I walked in on my first day in grade 3 and was immediately met with a greeting. Actually whenever anyone comes in, the students stand to their feet and greet their guest.
So every morning as I stood in front of the class to teach these precious 3rd graders I was greeted with "Good Morning Teacher Rachel, it is nice to see you again!" It was the perfect way to start my day.

CCS has two sites, one for 4-6 and one for K-3, so every morning I would walk through a path of green trees and up the hill to the primary school. This was the same school that our construction crew was working on to help complete the 2nd & 3rd floor. The school rooms were not air-conditioned and consisted of concrete floors & walls. The rooms were about 10 x 10. Their school was different from mine but one thing I realized was that kids are kids, even across the globe.

 Maddie walking from the school to the tree path. 

On the first day I was immediately thrown into the show. I was asked to teach Math, Science, Reading & English everyday. So from common/proper nouns to heredity & Roman numerals I jumped into the 3rd grade. It was fabulous! I loved every minute of it and found my joy in the Philippines. It was also heart breaking at the same time. You see while my classroom is beaming at the seems with supplies, my Filipino one was quite bare. I taught reading from one book, as I walked around to make sure all 32 curious faces saw every page. There was no Math or Science book just simply a pad of paper where they recorded the notes I wrote on the board. While the supplies were very slim, the presence of the Lord, the smiling faces, & the eagerness of students wanting to learn was abounding. 

Every morning, before snack & lunch, & before leaving a student prayed for the whole class. They studied the Bible in their native language as well as English and had memorized more verses in the two months they had been in school than I have this year. Their love of the Lord was amazing and their eagerness to pray in front of the class was overwhelming. You knew they were talking with the Lord when they prayed, thanking Him for all they had and for the visitors they had sent them. You see they don't see themselves as lacking anything, they are just thankful that the Lord has provided them the opportunity of an education and a meal for the day. Everyday was such a blessing. 

On my last day, the students threw me a party. They preciously brought me a gift, all that they had to celebrate my time with them. To say that I shed some tears is an understatement, I was so moved by their generosity however, not surprised because they know how to be an example of Christ and to give all that they have without thinking twice. 

 Jonathan helping blow up the balloons.

(They all said 'Happy Anniversary")

 I was asked to sit on the stage while the students told me how much they 

would miss me and presented me with cards. 

 Arnold & Ren at an assembly. 

 Silly girls!

 Precious John Christian

He gave me this lovely treat; a milky cheese flavored cupcakes!

I was given an amazing opportunity, by an amazing God to go and teach children about everyday things and was in return shown the true LOVE of the Lord and found joy with 32 lovely students. 

~Rachel 

They've got that joy, joy, joy, joy...PI pt.1

So I was thinking...about all the joy I saw while I was in the Philippines. We were blessed with the opportunity to do many things while we were in Cainta: feedings, construction, painting a nursery, and teaching were just a few.

The feedings were a humbling experience. As soon as we got off the plane and to the center a small group of us went on our first feeding. K.I.M provides 2 feedings a day, 5 days a week, that serves 7 communities.

Dad and I carrying the meal to the community. 

The cooks at the center would cook this soup mixture that was full of rice, vegetables, & dehydrated meat. 1/2 a cup would provide the children with 11 grams of protein! We would drive to the community and then carry the meal in, while yelling 'feeding' the whole way. Children with bowls, mugs, tupperware, & plastic bags would come running to get their meal, smiling, wanting to take pictures & see themselves, & asking about us & where we were from. It was an eye-opening experience seeing their homes and living conditions. 

However, I never saw a child's face without a smile on it. They were always so excited to see us, that it was heart-wrenching when we would get to the end of the tubs of food, knowing that there would sometimes not be enough. Their bellies were full & my heart was touched by their smile. 

The 2009 tsunami hit communities in Manila and the government moved one of them to an area now known as tent city. The 1st Monday we were in PI we took the hour drive out to provide a feeding and receive more blessings from these people. This was by far the feeding where I saw the most people from the start.

 Waiting in line, to the left a few of our team members were treating 

some sick children & mothers

Z & our new CA friends dipping out the meal

We met some great people here and were able to sing 'Jesus Loves Me' and share some of the gospel. Another friend from CA and I were able to go into one of the homes, which was the size of my room at home. There was a small loft area where the 6 family members all slept, but they were able to share with us about their life and how they knew the Lord was with them. Their joy in the midst of what we would consider very, very little was incredible. 

Skyler and I helped this little girl take her                                                    Enjoying a hot meal 

meal to her home with her little sister

Holding a sweet little friend from the cutest family of siblings Maddie and I met 

Though they have little, they have joy. Joy that is prominent over there in the midst of little & eaisier to see than it is here in the land of the plenty. I hope we are all reminded of the many joys the Lord has given us and be thankful, I know it has changed my heart. 

"Joy is not in things; it is in us."

Richard Wagner

~Rachel 

Check back in for the next parts of my trip.