Ok, so a little verbal vomit is about to happen (gross!)
I handed back the grade 8 science test and gave little Pecky hers…her squeal caused everyone else in the class to jump and rush over. She got a C on her test!!! She jumped up and down and tears welled up in her eyes! She has such little English skills that it has hurt her grades for the 3 years I’ve had her. She’s not dumb, she works hard, but she just can’t get down the language. She was the one I made cry last year as I tried to encourage her to answer a question. Most teachers passed over her and wouldn’t make her try but I knew she could do it. Well, over a year later she passed her first test! She was the one who would get 10 out of 60 and now she was flowing with joy as her classmates hugged her! What an awesome sight! I sat back and smiled and laughed with them!
Then my grade 10’s came in and we were to start our new chapter on evolution. I told them I was excited about teaching it and that it would probably be the last chapter we do before the end of the school year. Ben looked up and said, “Really?” Then he stuck out his hand and with his classic Ben head jerk continued, “You are a good teacher, I mean it.” I shook his hand and laughed. What a great guy! As we went over the new vocab he said, “This is what you believe, right?” “Nope.” “Really? Why not?” Ahhhh, music to a teachers ear! I started to explain to him some broad reasons of why I believe in Creation and not evolution and the other 3 guys kind of tuned out. It was one on one with Ben and it was great! I actually think I frustrated him a bit with my answers but it sparked something in him that I look forward to wave into a fire before this chapter is over. I want him to look at the facts that are known in each case and the faith’s that go along with each and then let him choose for himself which he believes. Gosh, I really want these kids to learn how to think for themselves on WHY they believe what they do and not just hit the “I believe button” to pass a test!
My weekend ended with a church youth trip to near the Cambodia border to help a YWAM Thai lady for the weekend. We were to play games with about 75 kids for 3 hours, sing, and bring them a message about Christ. It was amazing! After the human knot, leg wrestling, balloon popping, and an interview game we sang and then had lunch. After a brief lull, we walked to the villages nearby and heard the testimony of new Christians there and then we played soccer with some local Thai team that came in their cleats, shin guards, and uniform to face a ragged looking team of youth with tennis shoes and dopey grins! The Thai guys laughed at us girls playing but they were great sports. It was a fun time! Sunday morning we sat in on the local church meeting which was in the YWAM house on the floor. We all sat on the floor and listened to them sing about how awesome God is in their own language, it was fantastic to see the light in their old, saggy, worn eyes and faces as well as the joy in the faces of the Thai youth who danced and clapped along. Our journey ended with a stop at a Thai Wat (temple) where we prayed for a guy’s family right in front of the Buddhist monks who were teaching people not 100 feet from us. What an amazing opportunity to bring God to that place! We were humbled at the belief and trust of these new Thai believers as we experienced life sleeping on wood floors, no AC, and little electricity. Their joy was contagious!
Phew! It was quite a week and that is scratching the surface! You know what the cool thing is? No matter where you live or what job you have, you can have the same affect where you are! Don’t feel like my opportunities are more special than yours, that is a lie! God has placed you where He wants you and your work is just as important for His kingdom as mine is! May we always be faithful stewards of the opportunities and people that God places in our lives no matter where we are!