Under the Cross

Lately, many people have asked, "So, I noticed there are Buddhist idols at your school, why is that?" While my mouth gives the black and white answer in my mind I think about what those idols represent. They are symbols of a lie of the devil that we daily fight against. How daily we live and work under the loving eyes of our all-seeing Father as well as in front of the unseeing work of man's hands.

On the surface, we are just a school. Underneath there is so much more.

I have Buddhist children who during FUN reading when they get to pick anything they want choose my English Children's Bible. When they've looked in that Bible they get the Thai Children's Bible and read about the stories. My boy from the mountains who has trouble speaking Thai sits next to this boy and tells him the Bible stories that he knows. When the daughter of an woman suffering from cancer who is also an ex-prostitute comes to join my class I'm thankful I get to speak into her life. I have a little girl who was just taken from her father and his girlfriend (who is a man who has decided to become a woman) because of abuse and other illegal activity. I have a boy whose parents abandoned him, and one whose parents are in jail.

Everyday our team speaks into their lives. In all the languages we speak we tell them they can overcome. With all our efforts we show them they are worth it. With every ounce of His energy we pour His love on them.

For many of them we are their only hope. Their only hope of coming to know Christ Jesus as Savior. Their only hope of receiving a good education and not being left behind. Their only hope of a better future and a life different from their parent's.

Everyday we fight to be light in the darkness. We pray that the entrenched tradition of Buddhism and the unseeing, unhearing, unknowing statues which represent it will one day be cast down. That its influence will no longer blind our children or their families to the truth of Christ.

So at times when it seems like we live under the darkness of the idols and the lies of the devil which pervade this country, we have to remember that really we live under the cross, the victorious and gracious cross of Christ. That Christ on the cross ransomed and redeemed all who will come to Him. That He is the light in this darkness, the hope for these precious ones, and the Savior of every nation.

Numbers 13 and 14

Grade 4 was the class we almost didn't open. We started out with three students, lost one, and gained three more. Now with five students it is the third largest class. They bring my grand total up to fourteen which is still six short of the twenty students that certain friends were praying for me. :)

Our general school policy is that we are not accepting applications for this current school year. Mostly because the more students miss the farther they are behind and the harder it is to catch up. However, when they come and we are basically their only hope we make an exception. An exception we hope will change their lives for the better.

Meet two of our exceptions.

This sweet little girl has recently been removed from her "home." She has so many struggles and challenges to overcome. This kind of smile is fairly rare but is beautiful when it surfaces.

This little girl came to us two days ago with yet another heartbreaking story. We'll be taking her home as well as our other special little charge.

Please pray for these two little girls that they would quickly adjust to our school and that they would begin to thrive. Pray for their families and the healing that is needed in both situations. Pray that they would know the Savior's love for them and that would respond to His call.

Reasons to Smile

So I have to admit I think it's funny when he says plower instead of flower and fourn instead of four. Every time he says six it comes out like the Thai word for ten (sip) and the poor girl next to him gets confused.

It makes me smile when I go over to check on him and the other fourth grade boy because they are talking over a book in fun reading and I hear him explaining to his friend the Bible stories he recognizes from their pictures in the English Bible. They ask me if the statue in the picture is Christian or Buddhist and they don't quite get that it is neither.

I smile when he brings me a book in the library at break and asks me to read to him. When he excitedly calls a friend over and they hurry to the mats to sit down to hear the story. When it's finished they ask for another and when time is up they say, "Thank you, teacher" in English.

I smile when we're doing addition fact flashcards and he yells out "Seventyhaa." A strange mix between Thai and English which he thinks is so funny. Pretty soon we were all laughing, including my Thai co-teacher as we were going downstairs for the end of the day. He kept repeating it to himself and then giggling in the funniest way.

I smile when the ping pong ball taped on our back bulletin board in a solar system model randomly drops to the floor and makes that distinctive noise when no one is in the classroom and I am walking down the stairs.

I smile when one of my students from last year comes into the room politely, wais, looks confused and says, "I'm sorry teacher...um...I forgot what I'm supposed to ask." Before hurrying out to find Miss Amy again and ask what he is supposed to be getting.

I smile when I see my three third grade girls playing and giggling all together since one is a tomboy and the other has a hard time fitting in.

I smile when one of my dear little boys asks me "How are you?"before I ask him and when I ask him how he is he answers, "I'm fine thank you and you?" I wonder how long we could go in this cycle.

I smile when I am helping one of my students complete a behavior reflection form to help him think through why he got in trouble and how to avoid it in the future. We went through the first part of the Thai form fine with the name, date, grade and then I read him the first question because he can't read in Thai. He answered me and then went to write the answer and then asked me the Thai equvilent of "Now, does that start with an s?" (Which in Thai there are numerous symbols for the /s/ sound.) I looked at him and told him, "I have no idea." And then we both laughed because neither of us could spell.

I smile when they help each other (the one who really struggles helping the one who struggles even more) and encourage each other.

I'm thankful for these many reasons to smile and my thirteen blessings who cause them and the God who carries us all.

The Moments that Matter

Just wanted to express thankfulness and answers to prayer for small steps of progress for my smallest one today.

He's walked a rough road and if he thinks he's not going to make it he gives up. I've seen it in English when he doesn't know the words and he literally shuts down and becomes unresponsive. In PE if he sees that the race is lost he won't finish. It breaks my heart, living life already defeated at eight years of age.

This morning he was sitting all alone watching the other kids play, so I went over and tried to strike up a conversation which all things considered went well. After school his ride was two hours late picking him up, luckily four other kids ride with him and two other students ride home with teachers so he wasn't alone. I was on duty today, outside watching the kids, playing games, talking, waiting for parents to come. This afternoon as I sat alone watching over the other kids he came and sat beside me. In a mix of languages we talked about all sorts of things like whether or not he liked tea, what colors were around us, what animals he liked, what games he liked to play, how God loved him, and other random thoughts. And then he asked me, "Where do your mom and dad live?" And normal as that question may or may not seem, I know what he's asking. My answer was simple, "They live in America, far away." I wonder if he knows what I'm not saying. That my parents and his parents are both physically inaccessible but for very different reasons. We played with the basketball, him making sure I got my turn and cheering wildly when I made a basket. I hope it's a breakthrough, I hope he knows he's worth the time, I hope he knows that with God's strength he can overcome his circumstances. I hope he learns to persevere and not give up. Like all my other students my hopes for him are high. Please continue to pray for the Lord's working in his life.

Words for Life

"We will walk the path of Jesus."

These are the words I hear little voices sing when we are playing a game resembling checkers on our stone tables with rocks, or when we bounce the basketball around the circle, or in chapel on Friday afternoon. The most unlikely voices sing these words and it's music for our souls. They sing the words proudly and joyfully, somehow knowing that its the way to live life.

As a school we've been memorizing Genesis 1:1 in both languages. During this same chapel time some students got a chance to recite their verses on their own for the first time. Sitting up straight just hoping to be called on, they were so proud to show what they could do. One of my boys was sitting up so straight his gaze fixed on the front of the room. He's one of my little guys who hasn't yet answered a question on his own correctly in English. He just hasn't yet figured out what is happening. As he was leaving school yesterday piled in the bed of his dad's truck with a bunch of other kids he widly waved at me and yelled out, "Good Morning!" His soft heart always goes out to the hurting and he is such a good encourager. This week I was having a conference with one of my newest students who has given up. I think he already feels so behind that he doesn't make any effort to learn. After Khruu Ooy and I talked with him about him needing to try this other boy walked by the doorway. He wanted to know why his friend was crying. When Khruu Ooy told him, he told his buddy "Oh, its okay. I don't understand anything she says either! I'll help you!" He put his arm around his friend and spoke words of encouragement as they walked away down the hallway.

Back to chapel time - I caught his eye and did the teacher/student communication thing (the signal across languages that means "Are you wanting to be called on or are you secretly dreading it with all your heart?" He gave me a huge smile and nod letting me know that he indeed want to be called on. I was afraid if called on he would be embarrassed in front of the whole school if he couldn't recite the whole verse in both languages. Sure that he did indeed want a shot I told Miss Brittany to choose him. He started off in Thai reciting without a problem and when he went to answer in English he started speaking Thai again. Amidst the giggles from the other children he started again in English and said the whole verse without a problem.

I was so proud, when I realized the first words he has spoken on his own in English are not his words at all. If all my children ever speak in English are God's words that will be more than enough.

Where They're Coming From

Knowledge changes me...

• she can't live with her parents because they have sent her away with the command to work hard and do the very best she can and they hope that she will have a better life than they
  


• he visited his parents last week...in jail...where they've been since he was five months old (about ten years ago) and they'll be there for ten more years



• he has a house key because he lets himself in and out on his own



• he is also separated from his parents because they live on the mountain, which means that he is in 4th grade and can't read in any language



• he's in 3rd grade yet actually should be in 5th grade but he's been held back because he's moved so much that he hasn't really been able to learn



• he is put down at home and basically told that there is nothing about him that is good or valuable and is publicly humiliated



• she isn't picked up from school because her dad is just not interested in putting forth the effort and her mom is just too tired to fight her dad anymore

"Teachers are their student's second parents." In a day we see them overwhelmed, victorious, tearful, laughing, mischievous, diligent, silly, serious. We see them hurt and insecure and we try our level best to convince them that they are loved, that they are valued, that they can persevere, and that they can overcome. The snippets of life written above are just that, realities of life that my students live with. Loneliness, rejection, abandonment, poverty, and abuse are not foreign to these children. The moments when their eyes light up or they share a crooked grin are worth more than gold. Many of them behave with a maturity far beyond their few years. They work hard to understand and learn and to make their parent's dreams come true. Their tender hearts look out for others and search for ways to be helpful. May God make me the patient teacher they need, the gentle encourager they deserve, and the person quick to see their worth that they desire. May my loving Father make me a loving "second parent" to these precious ones who know little to nothing of His love for them personally.

Grades 3 and 4

I know you've already seen the school and class photos but I thought you might enjoy a glimpse of these photos of the kids taken by my great roommate. They show some more personality than the other photos.

Grade 3

He cracks me up with his sense of humor and his use of informal English. He is the only student I have who will ask me how I am before I ask him.

He is the little boy who would show up to summer school an hour and a half before school started, by himself. He is our mystery child that started singing Christian songs and drawing crosses when we didn't have any idea where he learned them from. Today when I asked him if Jesus loved babies (we were reading a book about them) he said a definite yes. When I asked him if Jesus loved him he looked at me and said, "I don't know."

Another child from summer school this little girl is a perfectionist. She has a beautiful smile that lights up the room.

This little girl is very smart and does so well in class. She has a sweet and gentle personality. Even though she doesn't understand when I talk to her she still likes to come and sit with me which I think is brave. :)

This is my sweet charmer. He aims to please and usually tries his best. He likes to explain things in Thaiglish while wildly gestering so I get the point.

She is also very smart and diligent. She survived last year as the only girl in her class. Which actually didn't bother her too much as she likes playing sports and gets along well with the boys. (Of course they all fell in love with her which also doesn't seem to bother her too much)

This is my newest 3rd grade addition. He showed up yesterday so I don't know much about him yet.

He is smart and works hard, and like most of the boys likes to be silly.

He is super sweet and respectful. He struggles quite a bit to understand but always tries his best. Yesterday, with our two new students he was very gentle and would translate what I was saying to his new friends. I think he took pity on them because it is usually him who is totally lost. He did a great job with the translating though!

Grade 4

This is my newest 4th Grade student who always answers me with "Khap. Khap."(a respectful word that shows agreement) because he has no clue what I'm saying.

He is my sensitive student who struggled quite a bit during summer school. Now he finds himself doing so much better because he understands a lot of what I'm asking. He is doing a great job remembering and building on what he has learned. Every morning he arrives on his bicycle bringing our copies from his mom's copy shop down the road.

This is my only 4th grade girl. She works hard and has such a sweet and helpful spirit although she greatly misses her friend. We started out with another girl and through a sad set of events she might not be able to join us anymore (please pray that she will be able to come back.)

I also started out with one other boy from last year. However, his parents have decided that it is too far to bring him to school everyday and he will no longer be joining us. Please pray that the seeds planted in his heart last year will be watered by someone else and that he will come to know the Lord as his Savior.

I'm so thankful for these children that the Lord has given me this school year. Please pray that I will teach them well and that I will daily show them the love of Christ by my words and actions. Pray that they may know hope and that they may have a future in both Christ's kingdom and this kingdom of Thailand.