Advent Day 4

In my classroom we are celebrating advent by making Christmas tree ornaments representing the names of Christ. We make a new one each day and put it on our tree!

Today we made the Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5)

Mark 9:33-37

This is the passage where Jesus reprimands his disciples for arguing over who is the best. He then takes a little child into his arms and say " Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me"  (v. 37)

I thought this was a random passage for a Christmas advent- but the more I ponder the more I think "yes, this fits". Advent is a time of welcoming Christ into the world. How perfectly fitting.

As a teacher, I am working with children all the time. Some days I welcome them- their stories, their excitment (man, mention Christmas and they cant stop talking) and their joy. Other days- however- welcoming them is not so easy. They are grumpy, I am grumpy, they complain, I complain... you get the picture.

Jesus tells us and modeled for us- living is not about us. We are to serve. On earth we have the privilege of serving one another- and untimely God. When we start focusing on us- we are no serving.

I count myself lucky to be a teacher. I get to be with children every day and show them God's love. If I were to re-write this verse into the context of my world- I think it would say "Whoever welcomes one of their students into their classrooms, welcomes Christ. And whoever welcomes Christ does not welcome him, rather the one who sent Him." What a challenge! And a joy!

advent day 3

Luke 2:1-20

Good news! When the angels appeared before the shepherds, there was a moment of terror, then the act of complete obedience. Cleary- this was not a typical night for the men gathered on the hillside. And cleary this was enough to freak anyone out.

If I were to examine the reaction of the shepherds against what would have been my reaction- I am pretty sure running into town would not have been what I would have done. I tend to stop, think, question, ponder, journal, process, discuss, THEN act. So far that has served me well, and kept me out of a lot of trouble.

But does that justify me NOT listening to God the moment He tells me to do something? Probably not. There have been times that I have been prompted to do something- like talk to a new person at church or reach out to lend a helping hand- and I didnt because I didnt want to. Good thing the shepherds didnt do that- they would have missed out on the birth of the Savior.

On the other hand, there have been times that God has obviously stepped in and I have trusted his direction and gone with it. The one example that comes to mind is when Ed and I started dating. I was in my last term of college, all set to head to Mali. I wasn't looking for a boyfriend- especially because that would add a lot of complication to my life- long distance, traveling, support raising- and was at peace in that.

God had a different idea in mind when he sent Ed along. It was in the perfect timing that he could come to Mali too- he easily connected with a mission organization, there was a teaching position open at the school, and it was just enough time to support raise. God stepped in and told me "go" and this time not alone. Without the open doors, I am not sure we would have dated or been married. Oh, I am so glad that God steps in when He does!

Advent Day 2

Matthew 1

The New Testament opens with a list of the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham to Joseph. I always find the first half of the section interesting- that is until it gets to the names I have never heard of, then I skim.

Imagine what it was like to be Joseph. His fathers name was Jacob- and he probably named his son from his ancestor who saved his people from famine. I imagine he grew up hearing the stories of his ancestors and all the great people of his past. But what about him? Would he even make a difference?

Then, as he is about to be married- his whole world falls apart. The girl he is supposed to marry is prego- uh oh! That doesnt speak too highly of his actions. If I were in his shoes- there would be some serious freaking out happening.

An angel appears to set it all straight. Can you imagine what he was thinking. “uh, so she’s SUPPOSED to be pregnant? And Im supposed to act as the dad? And this will fulfill history. Right.”

But he steps up into the role. He takes the risk and has Mary as his wife. He deals with isolation and judgment. He really did know God and want to do what God has laid before him. What an amazing act of obedience.

Advent day 1

 Who says there aren't snowmen in Mali? I cleaned out my freezer and found tons of "snow". Isn't he cute?

Hi guys!

So to bring in the Christmas season I found a Bible reading plan from YouVersion.com called Advent reading plan. Right now my goal is to complete all 25 readings by Christmas. Notice I am starting early to give myself a little grace period. Each day there is a reading, then a set of open ended questions and activities related to the reading.

My plan is to take some time each day to blog through this and share a little of what God is teaching me this advent season. I would welcome anyone else who would like to read to join in with me as well. I will post as often as I see necessary, under a special "advent" tab. That way those who are interested can follow along.

Today the reading was Luke 2:21-40. It is when Jesus was taken to the temple 8 days after his birth.

There were two main characters as part of Jesus circumsicion. Simeon and Anna. As Jesus was presented at the temple, it was not just the typical ceremony- people were waiting for him. They knew who He was and were ready to meet Him.

Simeon knew right away who Jesus was and why he had come. There was rejoicing and celebration. Jesus parents marveled at his reaction- for it seems they did not fully grasp what was happening.

The account of Anna was specifically intriguing. She had been married for 7 years then dedicated the rest of her life to God. She fasted, and worshiped every day for years- it says until she was 87 years old. It seems she knew the messiah was coming and was willing to go to all lengths to be there- ready to go- at his arrival.

When I reflect on my own life, I know I couldn't have the dedication. I like to "do" things too much. I wouldnt be able to drop my life and surrender my life to wait. I hate waiting. But God blessed her waiting and her worship and she was given the privilege of seeing Jesus as a baby being dedicated before the Lord. I hope she knew the eternal significance at the time. Wow.

As the Christmas season begins- even here in Mali- do I wait for the arrival of the savior? Or is it the expectation of tradition and fun times? I know right now my heart is set on a break from school, a fun trip that's in the works and spending quality time with my husband. All of those are great things- but yikes! There is so much more important things coming up. My prayer is for focus on Christ and for an Anna-like patience and dedication. This is going to be hard.

Sarah

why I love working with TCKs

Sometimes I sit back and say “I love my life”. Not because I’ve got all the goods. Or because I’m in love. But because God has blessed me with a ministry that fits me.


All my life I have wanted to be a missionary. I love culture. I love people. And I love to travel. Now I’ve entered the adult world and you guessed it, I am a missionary. But, my “mission field” is not what I expected.

TCKs or third culture kids are those that are from one culture, grow up in a different culture, but are not fully part of either.- yet can take identity in both. They form their own identity- in this case TCK. This can refer to missionary kids, kids of foreign aide workers, immigrants, refugees or anything of the sort.

At BCA we have only TCKs in attendance. Our school is in Mali and our entire student body has moved from a different country to live in Mali. We have students who are from: Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Benin, Senegal, England, Brazil, United States, Cameroon, Chad, and South Africa.

  

But that doesnt tell you why I love working with TCKs…

1. I can learn about the world without having to leave my home or classroom. I have learned so much about life in Brazil- yet I never lived there. I have seen how Senegalese raise their children- yet I have never stepped inside a home. I have tasted Korean food- yet I didnt even get on a plane. The world is brought to my door. I also learn about different holidays and get to celebrate along side others. This year I learned of the fun of Guy Fawkes night- aka BONFIRE :)

2. I love seeing how the Bible can bring people together. I have been leading a girls Bible study for the high school students and although we study in English- I have girls from England, The United States, Germany and Ethiopia. As we dive into the word together and discuss it is fun to hear different understandings, yet the unified word of God.

3. I love the fun that comes from the intersection of cultures. Any given day we can be playing mancala (an African game) in French and English with three different sets of rules (maybe not at one time, but over the course of different games.) Just the other day I had a car ride where we spoke a combination of French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Bambara in a 10 second time frame! Phew- that’s exhausting!

4. I get to provide a safety net and a stable environment. On a serious note- this is also a very vulnerable group. The loss of identity and challenge of fitting in can cause stress and tension in school and home- especially during times of transition. Although TCKs have expose to many different cultures, there is a risk and tendency to idolize one or the other and that can lead to trouble. Missions, schools and parents can take steps to enable healthy environments, but it can be rough for some people.

I love that I can be part of this process- and provide a classroom environment that builds appreciation for each others culture, but also a place to develop transferable skills to make the transitions smoother. Outside of the classroom I love to have students over to play games and watch movies- in other words be the kids and teenagers that they are.

Over all, I know that each person’s identity must be found in Christ alone. Living overseas- or even just moving-can strip you of the identity you think you have. By teaching all my students that Jesus is the only constant in their life- and one they can trust- I know they will do alright. It’s rough at times, and fun at times. I am so blessed to be where God has put me and it is a privilege to be a light to all my awesome TCK’s!

Prayer for my neighbors

This weekend was the holiday Tabaski where our muslim neighbors celebrate Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son Ishmeal. As part of the celebration each family saves up to buy a ram- or families combine if they have to- and have a big feast. Check out Tabaski 2010 for pictures (beware, a little gross).

This year I was sick at home with a cold- so instead of venturing the streets, I laid on the couch. As I sat, part of my heart was saddened. Everyone outside is celebrating a "God victory" yet they do not know the ultimate victory. The ultimate sacrifice. God allowed his son to be killed on the cross.

Here is my prayer for my Muslim neighbors.

Father.

You are mighty. You are good. You love us.

My neighbors know of you. My neighbors pray to you. But my neighbors do not know you.

On this day as they remember the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son, may they know it did not finish there. You had bigger plans ahead. 

May they seek to know your son Jesus. May they accept his sacrifice for their sins. May they find freedom and redemption in His name alone.

You are working in this place.

Amen.

How do MK’s learn to flirt?

By playing “honey if you love me” at a school lock-in. (if your not what that is, look it up- its pretty innocent and funny!)

Last night was the semiannual BCA lock in for the 6-11th graders, and with Ed and I being the token “young, cool” teachers, we are automatically chaperones. That really isn’t too bad now that we issued mandatory lights out. Sleep is a good thing.

As with all good lock ins we had snacks, games, and of course a giant water fight. I love that we live in a country where we can have a water fight at 10pm and not worry about children getting sick because it is still hot out.


Here are some pictures and highlights of the evening.

Arrival and set up

Playing some games

Talent show

And of course wake up, clean up and breakfast

The terrific tshirt tale

Last spring BCA held a tshirt design contest for the new school shirt. The staff chose the winner, or in this case winners, and created a modified design combining several favorite elements of the entries. The kids were pleased, and so were we. Now, the trick was,  how to get the tshirt made. Fortunately about the same time of year we were ordering supplies for the next year and we decided to screen printing kit would be a useful tool for the school.

Fast forward a few months. The kit arrived, as well as the tshirts. Somehow Ed and I decided that tshirt making was in our future so over the course of the following two Saturdays we learned the ends and outs of the screen printing process in order to produce this years BCA tshirt of wonder (cue triumphant music).

Here is what went down…

First we had to create a space with no light. In Mali in the middle of the day- that means blocking in a bathroom window!


After a few steps in total darkness (hence no pictures) we shone a bright light on the screen to create the stencil. Notice the elaborate use of brooms, adapters and electrical equipment.
 

The screen was completed and was looking good!!!

 

Next we taped off the edges to make sure there were no extra lines of ink.

 

Setting up the press, we were able to center the image and actually ready to print!

The first shirt actually looked pretty good!

 

It takes a lot of time to get the ink through all the stencil

  

My classroom is starting to look like a workshop!

Last shirt! Ed looks a little tired! 

This next week we will be selling the shirts and soon will have a school picture taken in the royal blue!

One day

Life at Bamako Christian Academy is one word: unpredictable. It’s a gamble to what mood the students are in, what tricks they are up to, and how hot it is. Then it varies on the day of the week as well… so here is just a snip-it of a “typical” day…

6am- The alarm goes off and Ed and I both groan. Snooze!

6:05am- Second alarm. Time to roll over. Snooze!

6:10am- alright, alright, I guess we DO have to get up… maybe just 5 more minutes. Snooze!

6:15- ok. I roll out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. After taking care of my necessaries, I wander into the living room, flip open my computer and do a quick check for any emails from the night before.

6:28- I ask Ed if he has any ideas for lunch, grab some leftovers from the fridge, and wander out the front door, slipping on my flip flops as I head down the stairs.

6:32- wander through the neighborhood in a half cognizant state of mind towards the sotrama stop.

6:48- after being bombarded with drivers yelling, we hop into the “green machine” heading in the right direction. I HOPE I heard them correctly.

6:56- hop off the green machine, cross the line of moto traffic, jump over the open sewer, dodge the men eating breakfast on benches, traverse the car wash lot, and make our way to school. Think frogger in real life. That about sums it up.

7:02- stop at the house across the street from the school and buy mini pancakes for breakfast. 5 hot cakes coated in sugar for 10 cents is a great deal.

7:05- unlock my classroom door, open the windows, and set up my computer. Time for “teacher Sarah” to start.

7:12 -gather with school staff to pray for the students. today I have an 8th grader… good thing it’s a small school and I can know all the students.

7:27- finish praying and head back to the classroom. Ed heads to the kitchen to make a cup of instant coffee to get through the morning.

7:30- bell rings and the kids are released from downstairs to their classroom. My students make their way into the classroom, take down their chairs, and start talking at once.

7:35- my brain has started to wake up and we get going on lessons for the day. Today we are talking about natural resources- they each get to choose one and make a mini poster

8:15- my French speaking students are released to go to French class while I work on spelling with my English-speaking students.

9- the student groups switch, now it is time to work on vocab with my ELL’s

9:45- Snack time! I bust out the tin of oats, pour on some water and zap it in the microwave- breakfast part 2!

9:54- the kids are done eating and head across the street to the playground. Now I have to figure out what the rest of the day holds…

10:30- I yell at the kids from the balcony that it is time to head back to class. next is math. My third grader take a unit test while my fourth graders review for their test the following day- I love easy teaching days like that!

11:43- One of the students name is drawn who will pray for lunch. We line up at the door and pray for our food, then lunch begins.

11:57- lunches are eaten and the kids head out again to play. Peace and quiet. Almost. Usually the teachers stay at the lunch table and talk about their day so far. The upper kids have been getting detentions for being late to class… uh, oh!

12:45- time to yell again and call the kids back! Next is Bible and we have to practice our verse for chapel tomorrow! Duck, duck, goose game it is!

1:30- Third graders head to music class where Ed is teaching them about brass instruments, and fourth graders head to Drama, where another teacher does games and activities. Me, I get to prep for the next week!

2:13 the kids storm back into the classroom “whatsmyhomeworkwheresmybookseeyoutomorrow”. I wave them off and they head down stairs to wait to be picked up by the parents.

2:30- I walk downstairs to see if the printer is working. New cartridge is indeed installed. One small victory for this BCA teacher!

2:56- I pack up my computer and double check that things are ready for tomorrow. Everything looks, good- downstairs I go.

3:05- Ed and I pile into the van with another teacher family and we drive off towards home.

3:12- Hopping out of the van, we sluggishly walk back towards our house. it seems to be cooler today, but I am still tired

3:18- I drag myself onto the couch and open my computer again. Time to check facebook and unwind for the day

3:47- the power goes out. I silently thank God that it seems to be cooler today than usual

4:06- the power goes back on! that wasn’t too bad!

4:25- I look at Ed and ask what he wants to do for dinner. We have some steak and mashed potatoes, that should work right?

4:45- too hungry to wait any longer, Ed and I head into the kitchen to make some dinner. We are glad the power was out for only a little while so the meat didn’t go bad!

5:05- like old people, we sit down to eat dinner. tastes pretty good!

5:26- we pop in a movie. Tonight is one of our “down” nights with Bible study and choir the night before, and several other activities other nights of the week.

8:04- I get hungry again and decide corn flakes and yogurt sound like a good snack. Then it’s time for some reading.

8:32- The wind starts to pick up outside, and it sounds like a storm is blowing in. I go outside and gather the laundry left of the line for the day before. I don’t want it to blow away or get wet again.

9:13- I think its time to bed. I start to fall asleep on the couch, then move to my bed. Outside I can hear thunder and every once in a while a flash of lightning. I think it might be the last real rain of the season- so I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Rest

About once a week I hit the wall. If you think of that literally, it would be more like once a day because of my clumsiness, but this time I mean the “AH- I cant do anything” type of hit the wall. It usually comes in the form of being tired, grumpy and loss of patience. As a teacher- this is not a good thing!

Yesterday was one of those days. Friday at school are half days, with the afternoon being spent for prep time and big-picture planning. Usually with a quick lunch and pick-me-up Coca Cola, I am good to go, however yesterday I was done. D.O.N.E. done. Thankfully, I had enough steam to finish the minimum amount of work before Ed and I headed home. I walked into the house- grabbed some bread and jam for a snack- then fell into bed. About 40 minutes later Ed hollered at me that he made lunch (I am a lucky woman!) and I mustered enough energy to get out of bed and eat sweet & sour meatballs and rice (see, I really am lucky!!!) then crawled back to bed. A two hour nap later, I was pretty much back to normal.

Sometimes the “wall” days concern me. Am I sick? It must be that I am lazy? Or maybe it’s just Mali heat mixed with hyper kids on a Friday. Anyway, it happens.

I am reminded that although I like to think of myself as invincible, God didn’t create me perfect (gasp). No, really, he created me to crave him. I cant do things on my own. I cant go without stopping. Its because I have to REST. To stop. To breath. To focus. To focus on my God and my creator. God calls to himself those who are weary and He will give them rest. The forever kind of rest.

I am lucky. Not only do I have a husband who cooks- but ultimately I have a God who loves me, and wants nothing more from me than to worship HIM. He wants me to feel rested. Sometimes he gives me that rest in the form of good food and a nap. Where sometimes that rest is in the peace he gives me when I sit with Him. Listen to Him. Worship Him.

Ah, rest. hmmm….

well that was strange

Sometimes I forget I live in West Africa. I teach in English- or at least I speak English. My meals consist of food Ed or I cook, so are fairly American style. And my social circle is the missionary community- which is a culture all it’s own!
However, every once in a while a set of mini events will happen that reminds me- yes, indeed, I do live in Mali. Things don’t work the same way. And everything is a process.
Yesterday was the beginning of 24 hours of what I will call “strange events in my normal life.”
Monday- 5:24 pm
Ed and I ventured to the local supermarket to pick up a few supplies for dinner. We go to this supermarket at least 3 times a week, since it is just around the corner. We entered, were greeted as usual and then we picked up a basket… nothing too out of the ordinary so far. A Malian lady walks up and reaches for our basket. Thinking she said “give the lady the basket first” Ed hands her the basket and we reach down for a second one. She holds out her hand again and, although it is a bit odd that she wanted TWO baskets to shop, we hand her it as well.
Somehow it dawns on us, that no- she is not shopping- rather she wants to be OUR personal shopping helper. Well, that’s odd and uncomfortable, but since our language skills are close to nothing, we allow it. For the next 10 minutes we wander around the store grabbing things like honey, yogurt, and rice, turning around and placing it in one of the two baskets the lady is carrying for us. Talk about awkward.
After we mentally reviewed our list, we headed to the register where she proceeded to place all the items on the counter for us. I grab some change from my purse to tip her, but she takes off to put the baskets (remember there were two- not necessary) away before I can hand it to her. Strange.
Monday- 5:43pm
After we leave the grocery store we walk across the street to buy fruit (usually grocery stores don’t carry produce). While speaking with the fruit lady in my broken Bambara we suddenly hear a horn blast up the road. Wondering what it was, everyone- Me, the fruit lady, Ed, the random people sitting around- turn our heads in the direction of the sound. Coming down the road is a police on a moto followed by three cars with tinted windows. We all watch as they pass by- but no one seems to know who it was. Maybe the president? Maybe a rock star?  I don’t think we will ever really know.
Monday 5:51pm
Ed and I continue back to the house after our shopping trip, and are greeted by a Malian on the side of the road. He points to Ed and calls out his name, then starts making a drumming motion. We smile and try to figure out what he is meaning. A few seconds later it dawns on us that it must be someone we once played drums with last spring. He recognized our whiteness, so we wanted to reciprocate the greeting. Ed reaches forward to give him a hand shake. As he walks forward the guy points to his bag where there is a black carved elephant sticking out. AH- we were onto his trick and since we didn’t want the monstrosity, we say “no thanks” and keep walking. Only in Mali do people remember you and immediately try to sell you something.
Tuesday-6:48am
We walk halfway to school every morning, then take a “van-bus-sotrama” the rest of the way. This morning as we rounded the final corner of our walk- which takes us through the gas station that sells ice cream at one of the pumps- we come upon 50 people sitting on the sides of the driveway with suitcases in hand. That’s strange. Usually there is nobody around this time in the morning beside people selling phone credit or fruit. We walk through the group and to the right we notice a man with a clip board looking very official. Our best guess? We happened upon a make-shift bus stop. To where are they going, I have no idea. But next time I need to head out of the city I will be sure to go to the nearest gas station and wait. And maybe get some ice cream.

Africa moves in

We have been in school a week now and classroom routines are just starting to be formed. I have been able to remember 90% of the students names (of the whole school, mind you) and new students are adjusting. Being back for a second year is easier. I can focus on school things and am not also trying to learn how to get places, where to buy groceries, and how to say “I want bread” (all the Mali-culture stuff).
That being said, there are many changes as well. Our school has enrolled may new families- in fact there are as many new students as there are returning. Also, the majority of our new student population come from African countries, so the flavor of the school has changed.
I love having new students, but the challenge for both Ed and I is that many of our new students do not already speak English. We are literally having to start at “ground zero” with the English language- and although that is typical for an international school, it does bring a challenge to our teaching.
Please be in prayer as we lesson plan and teach that we can guide our students through the language barrier with ease.
Now for the fun stuff- PICTURES! Here are some snip-its of the first day of school.

Ed’s class made “self portriats”

Checking out book from the library is lots of fun!

My “fish” themed classroom door. Welcome to Third and Fourth grade!

Ed was able to bring a projector to use for teaching.

In a class versus class battle of pictionary- the fifth and sixth graders were  (barely) victorious!

A quick circle game finished off the day!

Turmoil to tranquility

The last few weeks have been in one word: crazy!

Wedding

First, there is this whole “getting married” thing. No, seriously, it was a blast, but the two month engagement led to some fast decisions and stressful moments. That being said, it was a beautiful day and fun to celebrate with everyone. I am eager to get all the pictures in the next month or so…

Honeymoon

Well, only Ed and Sarah would plan their honeymoon DURING their honeymoon. That’s not completely true. We had a plan: Cancun. However the post office’s “guaranteed overnight” turned into 6 days shipping so Ed’s passport did not arrive in Oregon before we had planned on leaving. Scratching that we researched several ideas: Houston, Disneyland, and settled on a road/camping trip to Idaho and Montana.

Even though plans changed, we still had a great time and even traveled from the ocean to the continental divide back to the ocean in the 10 days of our honeymoon.

Glacier national Park is SUPER pretty!

Returning

To add some stress, we decided our return flight to Mali would be through hurricane affected area… New Jersey. Actually we had no choice. But we serve a gracious God and he allowed the hurricane to pass through two days before us so that we didn’t get stranded. Thank you!

Also, on the way back we stopped in Barcelona for 6 hours. I was EXTREMELY jet lagged,  but managed to visit the national art museum with my eyes open at least half the time. We also ventured around a mall and enjoyed our last few hours in the first world.

The art museum is in a castle!

Ed did just fine with the jet lag…

On the other hand, I was a wreck!

Landed

Our arrival to Mali was smooth as could be. The flight was less than half full, so everyone was able to have a row to themselves. I laid down and slept the flight away.. missing all drink services.

Getting back to the apartment was an awesome surprise. Many of our friends decided to paint and set up our house for us as a wedding blessing. It was so nice to come home to a made bed, breakfast food and a clean house.

Back in action

We headed into the school to check in and start setting up. Both our classrooms have been painted, and there are new tables being finished! I was able to see my class list and have an all girl class of up to 8 students. I have a good feeling about this group. They seem extra special with “Grace” “Faith” and “Hope”. I am not sure were “Tacko” fits in, but it should be fun!

Tomorrow is the work day and set up. School is gearing up. Plans are being made. And I am eager to get back to my not-so-crazy routine. Bring it on!

Moving back means laundry, right? Oh, Bamako sun… I am glad you are here!