April 21st through 22nd (Days 104-105): When Peace Like a River

April 21st:

Went on a picnic with the teachers from school. John, Mary, Henry, and I taxied to the school a little before 9am. We were supposed to rendezvous at 9am so we could leave around 9:15 ... which turned into 9:50. We loaded up into five vehicles and drove for about an hour and a half to a beautiful location on the Khabur River. It was a perfect day for a picnic. The sun was shining and we stayed nice and cool next to the river.

Green grass and blue skies!

We wandered around taking pictures and played games until lunch was served. Lunch was lamb soup over pieces of bread. The awning provided some nice shade - it was truly a unique picnicking spot!

It didn't matter where you turned, the views were amazing.

After lunch we had a program arranged by the school's vice principal (on the left). One team wrote down "Why..." questions about our fellow teachers and the other team wrote down "because..." answers. The "why" questions and "because" answers were picked at random. For example: Why did Nadia fall into the river? Because ... she wanted to get married!

Around 5pm it was decided that we should change locations. We drove about a few minutes back the way we came and stopped here. Simply stunning. I couldn't soak in enough.

There was more space, so we did some Kurdish dancing. The Assyrians have a couple different dance steps, so they showed us their moves too. 

We ate dinner - beef and vegetable skewers with bread. Mmmm...

One last group pic before we head for home. (They love taking pictures here, so we fit right in with our cameras!)

We left to go back to Duhok around 6:30pm. It only took us 45 minutes to get back ... yep, that's right, half the time! When they want to get home, they can really step on it, and that goes for everyone on the road! Close your eyes and hang on!

April 22nd:

Tired after a long day out, but blissfully content as a result of sunshine, time with friends, and beautiful scenery.  It was really peaceful to spend some time away from the city. Thanking the Lord that I can participate in fun events that make me feel more at home in this place.

Had a good time with my kids in the "rowdy" class. I gave them their grades from the last "phase" (each semester is broken into at least 3 phases). I think the low scores opened their eyes to the importance of turning in homework. Some tried to blame me for their marks, but I kept putting the ball back in their court and showing them how many homework papers they had missed (or copied for a zero). Much to my relief, I had several students approach me after class, "I want to get better marks in your class, Miss. What can I do?"  It's really exciting to see that they want to improve ... leaving me an open door to help them! Praying that God will give me the patience and wisdom to teach them what they need to learn.

Taught my 11am (3rd grade class) the art lesson for the new curriculum. It went fairly well. The highlight of the class was to see that the three worst students are now working diligently in class! Their faces light up as I praise their work and acknowledge their good behavior. They are so happy to be the first to leave and shake hands with me while I thank them for being good students.

Read a chapter out of "Little Pilgrim's Progress" during the lunch break. Two of the girls are really there just to be with me. They can be distracting as they try to sit close and ask me unrelated questions. We only made it through one chapter today, but I was happy to end the story time early and just talk to them.

The phase grades had the same effect on the second 4th grade math class. Unfortunately they weren't as attentive as usual, but I was able to apply a math concept to the situation ... what fraction of the students are misbehaving? Should I stop the class and make you work on your homework because of them? The kids were quick to point out that the misbehaving students were in the minority, so their argument was "No." Funny how fast they catch on to math when it directly relates to them!

Took a taxi to H and J's house. We read for a little while, but cut the lesson short since they had to go visiting. H's husband came home and made iced lattes. AMAZING! I haven't had an iced latte in a really, really, really long time! When I got home, Stacy and I went to the market. It has taken awhile to get used to not buying things in bulk or always having a supply on hand. Thankfully, one of my friends told me about her experiences in Asia and mentioned how she would go to the market daily to pick out their food for dinner - it helped me adjust to the idea a little faster (otherwise I would've thought it strange to go to the market so often!) Bought a juice (fresh melon) and drank it on the walk home.

Skyped with Mom and Dad at 5pm. It is always good to see their faces and hear their voices. Ate some leftover curry chicken that I had put in the freezer for a quick meal. Ready for bed, knowing with confidence that it is well with my soul!