MARANATHA

Cowman's principal, Angie Bundy, and I have been talking off and on throughout the school year about a way to get our kids to broaden their horizons a bit and find joy in serving others, preferably even outside the walls of Cowman School. 

About a month ago, we found a focus for our desire to serve:  A short walk down the street is a "Starfish" school, a church-run and OMS affiliated school which is supported, at least in part, by sponsorship of individual students. That means that just like thousands of other students across Haiti, the kids of Maranatha are able to get a solid, Christ-centered education thanks to the outreach efforts of a local church with the support of OMS and individual donors from the U.S. and Canada. 

What a beautiful thing!

Over the last couple of weeks, Angie and I made a couple of trips to Maranatha to speak to the director there and brainstorm about how our 6th and 7th graders might be able to serve her students.  Since our Cowman students are all fluent in English and her upper grade students are required to learn English, we decided one way we could serve would be in giving her 7th grade students an opportunity to practice conversations in English. 

So Angie, the students, and I walked off campus yesterday morning to spend an hour meeting some new friends in our neighborhood.

It took us less than ten minutes to walk down the main road that runs in front of Cowman.

When we arrived, the Maranatha director unlocked the church sanctuary, which is part of their campus, in order to give our 15 students and her 22 enough space to interact.

The Cowman students paired up and then each pair welcomed three or four Maranatha students in order to form small groups for conversation.

I quickly learned that the little game I had planned to lead them all in for the hour was NOT going to work - these students were in their FIRST year of English.  So on the spur of the moment, our Cowman kids were put on the spot to lead their new friends in questions and answers with very little help from me or Angie. 

And they did an INCREDIBLE job without even a fuss.  Angie and I were both so impressed - with both their attitudes and their abilities. 

Our kids really stepped up to the challenge, even the ones who are usually very quiet (which, admittedly, is only a tiny handful of my students).

Our Cowman kids even spent the last few minutes of our time together leading an impromptu rendition of "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" - and before we knew it, we were saying goodbye and shaking hands. 

The director assured us that she would love to have us return soon and we assured her that we certainly would.  Our students seemed more than enthusiastic about the whole experience.

The director headed back to the school grounds with one of her younger students ...

And we headed out the gate and back towards Cowman...

With the abiding sense that we had been of some small but concrete use in God's Kingdom ...

And that makes for a GOOD day at school.

 

 

I don't mean for this to be a back-handed compliment, but these guys surprised me by giving me so many reasons to be proud of them yesterday!  They really are a good group.

 



SCHOOL SPECIAL - THE 100TH DAY AND PENPALS

Friday was a special day at school - for both Melissa's students and mine.

For the kindergartners and first graders, Friday was the 100th day of school.  The kids each made a special hat and a necklace with 100 beads (ten each of ten different colors).  And since they had been counting the school days throughout the year thus far with an ice cream scoop graphic, Melissa decided to treat her class to some homemade ice cream for their celebration.

The ice cream was quite a treat for them ... their excitement was quite a treat for everyone around them!

 



 

 

 For my kids, Friday was special because we received pen pal letters from a 6th grade class at Southside Elementary School back in Indiana.  Mrs. Prestel's homeroom class wrote personalized letters to my kids and included all kinds of candy, bracelets and pictures with their notes. 

My students were eager to respond and we got to work on our own letters right away.

At the end of the day, Mrs. Prestel's class Skyped us so that a few of the kids could meet "face to face".  Hannah enjoyed a little quiet time talking to a few of her friends - these are her former classmates and they are very curious to find out about her new life in Haiti. 

We are looking at one more week of class before the start of our spring break.  Our whole family is especially excited for the break because there is a retreat planned for the first several days for all the missionary families - and it will be across the border into the Dominican Republic.  We will be staying at a hotel on a beach!  Since we moved to Vaudreuil in August, we haven't traveled more than maybe 20 miles in any direction, so we are looking forward to a little adventure.

When we get back to school in March, we'll have just one more week of classes before Mrs. Prestel herself comes to visit (along with her husband).  And now it's not just my own kids who are looking forward to that visit, but all my students as well.

We are thanking the Lord for special days here and now and special days to look forward to!

PARENTS' WEEKEND AT COWMAN

We survived (and enjoyed!) a busy and GOOD weekend at Cowman School and it was all about the parents. 

Friday night (Valentine's Day) brought a "Parents' Night Out" - a special meal and program for couples. 

The evening itself, of course, was the culmination of hours of work behind the scenes.  And that work started several days in advance.  A visiting mission team from Erie, Pennsylvania, joyfully put in a lot of hours prepping lasagna, garlic bread, salad and cupcakes.  Melissa served in organizing the whole process and, of course, in the cooking as well.

Did I mention how "joyfully" the visiting team served?

Being Cowman parents ourselves, we looked forward to the opportunity to sit down to the meal while the Erie team took care of all the serving.  In Haitian culture, an event like this is a good excuse to dress up, so we went all out.  I even cleaned the mold off my dressiest black shoes!

When we arrived at the radio station, the Erie team was putting the final touches on the tables in anticipation of the arrival of 35 couples.

The placemats for each couple had been created at school by their own kid(s).  In the foreground is Sarah's work and in the back is Hannah's.

In the kitchen, the food was readied for presentation ... joyfully.

 

Our principal, Angie Bundy, had lots to smile about, too.  This event was her brainchild and the whole thing could not have gone more smoothly.

The food and company around the tables was impeccable.  And all was going well, until my good "friend" and co-worker, James Israel, rigged the selection process for a bit of Newlywed-Game-style competition after the meal.  It's an understatement to say I am not one for quick thinking on the spot.  Melissa and I lost. Big time. I got into trouble because I couldn't remember which of us was the first to say "I love you".  (It was me ... apparently.)  James, for his part, enjoyed every moment of my squirming on stage.

The evening ended with some inspiring words from Pastor Derek Sanford, from the Erie church group, about the nature of true love and what it looks like within a solid, biblical marriage.

 

The next morning brought another event for parents.  Pastor Derek was again up front, this time presenting seminars on two crucial topics: one on effective disciplining of children and one on how to speak to our kids about sex.  And the team from his church was, once again, on duty behind the scenes making sure everything went smoothly.

 

There was plenty of food...

... and wonderfully on-target teaching (presented in English by Derek and then translated into Creole by James)...

... and constructive and lively discussions around each table.

 



Which was such a GREAT blessing.  Apparently, in past years when such training opportunities as this one were offered, few parents took advantage of the events.  So Angie went out on a limb this year and required attendance as a condition for re-enrollment for the upcoming school year, even though she took a bit of flack for it, I'm sure. BUT if any parents participated in the weekend's activities grudgingly, it certainly didn't show.  I witnessed - and experienced firsthand myself - only abundant fellowship, laughter and learning.

Cowman School exists to glorify Christ not only by serving our students, but their families as a whole. And THAT is what this weekend was all about. 

And speaking of glorifying Christ, Saturday's training ended gloriously with a new birth!  After the final seminar, a mother of one of my students came forward to pray with Pastor Derek and Pastor James and to begin a new life with Jesus. Hallelujah!

It doesn't get any better than that!

 

VALENTINE'S DAY 5K

Our good friend, Jane, was involved in organizing a 5K race which took place in downtown Cap Haitien last Saturday morning and I decided to join the race even though the heat and schedule here give me plenty of excuses to not run on a regular basis.  Mikenn and Johnny joined me for the morning. 

The running part would have been much more enjoyable if I had been in shape - all the other aspects of the race were a blast.

I'm not sure who all sponsored the run, but the United Nations was heavily involved as well as "Joy and Hope", which was Jane's connection. 

I've been to a lot of these types of events in the States, so it was fun to see how it's done in a different culture.  There were tents and tables and banners and t-shirts, so things were very well organized.  (But I had to laugh when we asked one of the organizers if there were any port-a-johns and he pointed us to the trees!) Still, who can complain when the race was free to participants?

We even scored some new shirts!  They read "Peace - it's my choice. And you?"

The race staff was trying their hardest to make sure only runners received shirts, but this little guy came up barefoot and in a torn rag of a shirt and somebody gave him a new one.

There were numerous announcements before the race started from the stage, but I could barely hear Mikenn's translations of those announcements because Haitians love their sound systems at FULL POWER.  ;-)

 

 

Apparently, some very influential people were taking part in the morning's festivities - including the mayor of Cap Haitien who was signing certificates to give to each person finishing the race. 

 

The course started out by some buildings belonging to the UN and wound down one street quite a ways and then ...

...turned onto the boulevard that runs along the waterfront.  As you can tell, by this point, most of the other runners were far out of my sight.  Mikenn and Johnny left me at the starting line and never looked back!

There were a few spectators along the route.

I am far from fluent in Creole, but I did understand one man shouting words of encouragement from the sidewalk ... to the Haitian man running beside me: "Keep going!  Don't let the foreigner beat you!"

A bit further on, I slowed down to walk a bit and yet another spectator yelled, "Kouri, blanc, kouri!"  ("Run, white guy, run!")  It was all in good fun - even the guy closer to the finish line who looked me over and asked, "Ou mouri?" I must have looked like I was feeling at that point because that translates as "Are you dead?" 

I wheezed, "Wi! M'mouri."

I did manage to run across the finish line ... eventually.  I met my unlofty goal for the day: I didn't want to be dead last.

Jane (in pink) was there encouraging every finisher.

Jane's husband, Bud, was there after the race with little Sammy.  I hadn't seen either of these two guys since before Christmas - so that was an added bonus to surviving the run. 

After the run, there was entertainment provided by the Nepalese unit of the UN.  The crowd really enjoyed the dances these ladies performed.

And the finale was a Haitian tightrope walker.  He pulled himself up on a strap that was "taut" between two coconut trees at least 60 feet apart.  He did some dancing and posing and walking up there while more VERY LOUD music played.

He made it look easy and so when he finished, a couple of other folks tried to copy him but couldn't even get themselves up on the strap, prompting much laughter from the crowd.

When we left, Jane was still on the job - in the midst of a group of a dozen men who were having a rather loud disagreement apparently over the finishing order of the fastest runners!  I was glad to not be in her shoes! 

 

There was a time not too long ago that 5 kilometers would have been a "short run" for me.  Saturday it was painful.

 

That lack of physical training lately puts me in mind of Paul's words to Timothy:  "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."  (I Timothy 4:8)

 

How's your spiritual training coming these days? Are you able to run the race God has set before you?