Youth Day

Today people around the country celebrated Youth Day.

On 16 June 1976 students (youth) protested against an unequal educational system.  These protests eventually led to a better opportunity for the education of all pupils.

In honor of the day most youths (ages 15 to 30) wore school uniforms to church or another event.

Me and two of my good friends

Rockin' our uniforms!  (Mine is from the high school Sozama, with the exception of the skirt)

June

When you think about June, what things come to mind?  Perhaps Father's Day or the first days of summer.  Maybe you think of spending time at the lake and bonfires with friends.  It might be time to get back into biking, running, swimming, or tennis.

Unfortunately when I think of June I think of one word: winter.  Yes, winter in South Africa starts around June.

Last night there was a cold front moving through the area and this morning I woke up to 'winter'.  That means that I find it so cold in the mornings I can barely get out of bed.  One of the first things I have to do is drink a cup of tea.  Then I pile on layers and layers of clothing: leggings, dress pants, sweater, coat, scarf, gloves, hat, socks, and boots.  All of this clothing and I'm still cold!  In the early hours of winter mornings it feels as if your body will never feel warmth again...in other words, it's not pleasant.

Today when we left for school it was about 30F.  You may think, "Well, compared to your usual Midwest winters, you should be used to that."  It's true, it doesn't get near as cold as that.  But there's one significant difference: heating. 

It's a rare sight to see a house, store, or restaurant with central heating around here.  So for the vast majority of us, when it's 30F outside, it's close to the same temperature inside.

This morning when I got to school I immediately went into my classroom and stood in the 5cm of sunlight coming through the window.  My hands and feet were numb until 9:30.  I didn't take my coat off until 1pm and my hat stayed on until 3pm.

So, in case you're wondering what my favorite South African season is, you can most definitely count winter out!

Exam Time!

It's that time of the year again!  Mid-year examinations!  All students from grades 4 to 6 have to write an exam for each subject area (this year they have 12 subjects)!  As you can imagine, it's a stressful week for the teachers and students.

However, after the kids write I have the joy of marking all the exams.  Okay, in reality, it's not 100% fun.  But, I always find some answers that make me laugh and now it's time to share some with you.

Q: Name four animals that are vertebrates:
A: Lady bird, Man bird, Sister bird, Baby bird

Q: In the box below draw a picture of the life cycle of a butterfly.  Include these parts: egg, caterpillar, cocoon, butterfly.
A: (Baby girl, Sister, Mother, Granny)

Q: What is one thing you can make out of silver?
A: Gold

Q: What culture group made the matjiehuis traditional houses?
A: Back yard
A: White people
A: Animals

I hope you got a few laughs.  Perhaps I'll add more after marking the 4th and 6th grade exams.

Makes Me Smile

Teaching can be a strenuous job--planning lessons, keeping order in the classroom, writing tests, and coordinating materials are just a few things we have to do on a regular basis.  Despite the stress, uncertainty, and exhaustion that come with this profession, there are moments of happiness just the same.  That's why teachers teach, isn't it?

Our school has over 250 learners.  Each one of them brings a ray of sunshine with them.  Although I wish I could introduce you to all of them, that's not too realistic (unless you come and visit me!).  So today I just want you to meet one fellow in particular who never ceases to put a smile on my face.

It started at the beginning of the year.  My little dear would pop into my classroom at the end of school and greet me with a, "Teachuh Ehhhhhmily."  After greeting me he'd just browse through my classroom while I marked papers at my desk.

One of my 'little dears' (and the one this blogpost is about)

My little dear makes me smile because he seemingly comes out of nowhere to greet me.  I'm standing outside my classroom and there he is behind me.  I'm sitting at my desk and all of a sudden he's standing next to me. 

It might be a stressful day-- the laptops won't charge or I forgot my materials at home and have to improvise at the last minute-- but when my little dear pops up out of nowhere to give me a, "Teachuh," I just can't help but be happy.

I think God likes to put moments like these in our busy lives in order to tell us two things:
1) Everything is going to be fine (seriously, God's in control)
2) Take a moment to enjoy the life He's blessed you with

In five years if you ask me about the best moments I had at St. Peter I hope I can tell you about my little dear who brought an adorable greeting to me each day.  Maybe I'll talk about teaching kids how to make paper snowflakes and seeing how excited they were about it.  Perhaps I'll remember one of my students who offers to carry my bag for me every day.

The point is, I'm going to remember these blessings.  What I'm not going to think back on are all those times I was stressing about this or that.

May we all be able to let go, trust God, and appreciate the little things He puts into our lives!

The Sower

In Term 1 my overall theme was Plants and Animals.  I asked our gardener, Baba Mdluli, for a section of the garden to plant with my fifth and sixth graders. 

One sunshiny day in February we planted carrot seeds.  And then we waited, waited, and waited.

A few days ago a student ran up to me and shouted, "Baba Mdluli says that our carrots are done!"  I took my sixth graders on a trek through the garden and we pulled up the veggies.

Two fifth graders with our produce!

As my students discovered, it's a great feeling to reap what you sow.  But we didn't play a huge role in the growth of these carrots.  Yes, we dug a hole, buried the seeds, and poured water over the top.  After that we walked away and waited.  It wasn't us who watered the plants or pulled the weeds, but the gardener.  Thankfully we did get to see the final product- fully grown, tasty carrots-but this is not always the case.

Christians often encounter this same scenario.  God may use one person to sow a 'seed' of faith in one person, but then it's someone else who comes by to nurture that person and help them grow.  In the end, we may never see how that person became a Christian and in turn planted 'seeds' of their own. 

We may never figure out the role that God had us play in another person's life, but rest assured, He has plans to use you.

"Still other seed fell on good soil.  It came up, grew, and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

-Mark 4:8 (Parable of the Sower)