Is this the new norm?

Another month has passed.  What’s new?  The well is finished or at least it is functional and supplementing the need so we don’t need to “store” water any more, but we do occasionally have to haul in a few buckets when the flow is lacking or wait an extra day to do laundry.  Not so bad, but still very different.  Oh and the rains have started to fall a little.

We were able to visit a fair number of my students at their homes to share their semester end certificates and folders.  I was able to invite them to come on the permitted days to read and color in the Mission House.

We are also getting ready to pass out a few small portions of rice to some families we know are in need of help with essential items.  Some friends in another ministry on the other side of the island received a donation of flip flops that they shared so we are also in the process of determining who to distribute 60 pairs of the new footwear for kids!

It’s a different feel for me right now.  2020 is definitely a transitional year.  My family came for the first time, I got married, ministry is fluctuating away from use of my educational skills toward relational and mentoring.  There is still hopes to return to regular classroom teaching, but we may be turning more toward the mentoring side sooner than expected.

Right now we are still required to use social distancing, face masks, and youth are only allowed out on Friday and Saturday.  The regular school system will be done either by weekly modules or online.  When we visited homes earlier this month Jun talked with parents to see if their kids were enrolled yet.  Only about half of them were which makes me nervous for their future.  Jun and I will likely put something together as a way of accountability and support to the students we know are most at risk of not completing the next school year.  We are not sure yet what that will look like but we shared with families that they are welcome to come see us anytime if they need help with the modules.  I also let students know they are welcome to come visit when they are allowed out to read and color.  I’ve been having some easy educational worksheets out as well and a few of the kids have come and seem to enjoy it.  I’m also hoping to start back with the two classes that were smaller.  They were my more advanced students and generally more comfortable with me anyway so I talked to some of them and they seemed excited.

One thing I sent to myself during my US visit last December was a series of workbooks from Family Entertainment Network Inc.  It has activities and colouring pages based on many Old Testament characters and Parables of the New Testament.  They were originally part of a video series, but all I sent was the workbooks.  I’m so blessed that my mom bought and kept those books from back in the 1990’s because the copyright allows photocopies as long as they aren’t sold!  I’m going to start using these for some of the kids too.  I’m going to do a test run this weekend and visit an area that I know has a couple of the families close by and I’ll read the story of Abraham and Sarah while they color and do the activities.  I might even surprise them and read parts in Visayan!  No promises.  If nothing else I will just slowly share the pages with them as I can distribute them.

As always thanks for your support!

Praises!

We are continuing to be blessed in the ability to reach out even if it’s not the way I expected.

Prayers:

Continued directing from God as to what comes next.

I (Christine) have actually gotten sick twice in the last month.  Not respiratory so no COVID, but it seems to indicate a weak immune system right now and I t concerns me a little bit.