more summer school

So all the kids can now officially write their names! They all just about know their letters and sounds too. We've had two teenage girls stay with us for a week who have been huge help. They came to volunteer at the orphanage and help anyway possible. They assisted with school in the morning and painted in the afternoon (ceilings no less!), they got lots done. Katie is a MK who's parents are with Wycliffe in Yaounde. Joy used to be a MK here but her family went back to the States a few years back. Her folks were great friends of ours and really took us under their wing when we first came. Joy is actually Cameroonian but was adopted when she was about 2. It's pretty awesome that she got to come back and make an impact in the lives of orphans this summer.

Painting the ceiling of the "living room" we're trying to get finished

Next week we head to the beach for 5 days! Can't wait. It is so beautiful there and hardly anyone around, looking forward to just doing nothing for a few days, life has been a little busy to say the least the last few months. Also looking forward to some delicious fresh fish that you can buy right from the dugout canoes as they come back from a night of fishing, Yum!

Summer School going well!!

Wohooo... summer school is going great, had a monumental moment today, Perseverence, who has had no real schooling before and has been struggling more than any other child at our summer school, wrote her name all by herself for the first time (after 3 weeks of drilling it into her), I almost cried when she did it! And then during Bible club she wrote it easily so she's really got it, thank you Lord!

thoughts..

Went for a run this morning and was listening to Toby Mac (great music to run to) and really listen to one of his songs. I've heard it a hundred times but never really paid attention to the words before and it really touched me, about while we're here on this earth, what we are created for. It's easy to forget sometime and get so focused on other things that really aren't important. Here are some of the Lyrics:

Whatever happened to a passion I could live for
What became of the flame that made me feel more
And when did I forget that...

I was made to love you
I was made to find you
I was made just for you
Made to adore you
I was made to love
And be loved by you

You were here before me
You were waiting on me
And you said you'd keep me
Never would you leave me
I was made to love and be loved by you

Summer School

Started summer school at the Children's Home this week, 9am to 12pm, 4 days a week. Basically just trying to get the kids up to a K or 1st grade reading level and helping them to have a basic understanding of English. So lots of read-alouds, abc games, rhyming, etc. It has been going great so far (2 days into it:) and they all seem to be really enjoying it. The children are extremly smart, they just haven't been taught. Also teaching them manners, hygine (stop peeing outside the door!) and getting them used to a school type setting.

This week we're also helping to monitor the kids as they get up and go to bed. The Ma and Pa have been saying it's been tough getting them motivated in the morning and to settle down at night. So the Borns have got the mornings and we've got the evenings for the next week or two. I had a great time tonight as I was there for dinner with them and devotions and got to kiss them good night. We just need to get a bit more organized and things will be running smoother. These children have never really been used to a schedule before so we need to get them used to getting up and going to bed early so that they will be ready for that when school rolls around.

The ABC memory game