October 25th and 26th: End of the School Week, Beginning of an Adventure

Thursday, October 25th:

Today was the school's dress up party. Our apartment was hustle and bustle as we donned our outfits. My students asked me yesterday if I would dress up as a princess. Since I didn't have a Cinderella ball gown, I put together what I had and called myself a Grecian princess. Sarah went as a bird with her fancy mask that she found at Holland Bazaar. Mary dressed up as Sarah! She borrowed an outfit from Sarah's wardrobe, then came over so Sarah could do her hair. John and Henry dressed up as students in their blue, collared shirts and jeans.

As we walked outside, it was raining pretty steady. I suddenly wished I'd dressed up as someone wearing jeans, a thick jacket, and heavy boots! We taxied to school and noticed almost immediately how quiet it felt. No kids anywhere in sight. When we walked into the teacher room we created quite a stir! None of the other teachers had dressed up, and because of the rain they were telling kids not to come in. We waited until Andy and Lisa arrived in their superhero outfits, took a couple pics, then taxied back home.

A couple kindergartners were the only students who came dressed up despite the rain...

I jumped into a nice hot shower, changed into traveling clothes and pulled all my last minute things together for the trip. With a couple extra hours ahead of us, I made a cup of tea and curled up with a book. A little after 2:30p Samer came to pick us up. Sarah and I said goodbye to John and Mary, then hopped in the car to start our trek to Erbil.

Beautiful sunset on the way down...

We arrived at the Winchester's around 5:30p. After a delicious baked potato dinner, Sarah and I read for a little bit while the family went visiting. Hit the sack pretty early.

Friday, October 26th:

A leisurely morning, although it started at 5:45a with an early call to prayer and holiday message for the Eid. I read for most of the morning, enjoyed a fried egg and coffee for breakfast, and iMessaged Mary. They thoughtfully messaged last night to make sure we arrived safely! I've already been told that my "cousin" Brad is in Erbil (he is not related, but has an organization that gives out wheelchairs to kids in need.) All the internationals have decided we are related... Funny how word spreads so quickly. For lunch, we had cheese quesadillas and pico de gallo ... with CILANTRO! In the afternoon, Sarah and I walked around the neighborhood for some exercise, visited with the other SGI family and met some local neighbors.

Back home to read and rest.

October 23rd and 24th: Change in Plans and Life Goes On

Tuesday, October 23rd:

This morning got off to a slow start as 5B was a little distracted with seating arrangements. After I made the executive decision to move one student to a new seat, the whole class erupted in chaos. Ten minutes later, I finally sent everyone back to their original places...

There is an excitement building among the students as they anticipate the upcoming break. I am little giddy too, but try my best to maintain a calm demeanor and carry on with "business as usual." I had to keep three students during their long break. Two of them have made significant progress since last year. I was disappointed with their behavior, but determined to follow through with the consequences, hoping to prevent further issues. Disciplining wasn't easy since the younger students kept coming up to give me hugs. Stern look at Anthony, then a loving smile for one of the 1st graders ... Switching back and forth at the right times proved challenging.

Because of the short week, we've had to cover two lessons in order to stay on track with the yearly plan. Though I was a little apprehensive about covering so much material, it has been encouraging to see improvement in their ability to stay focused and engaged.

After school, Sarah and I walked to the market for some dried fruit and snacks for our trip. When we got home, I baked a chocolate cheesecake for Lisa’s birthday which we are celebrating at tomorrow's team night. Finished my schoolwork in time to help at an English conversational class for locals and ESL expats. It was fun talk to new people and visit with expats that I don't see very often.

Wednesday, October 24th:

Some of my students started their holiday early, so a couple classrooms were sparse. 5B only had six students. We played math review games, which was a lot of fun and helped reinforce the four lessons that we flew through in the last two days. 6B sang to me as I walked in the door, "Dear Miss Helen, Dear Miss Helen, take us out, take us out" to the tune of Frere Jacque. I offered them "no homework passes" for the team that won our game, so that compensated for not going to the garden.

After school, Sarah and I walked home. The teacher giving us a ride to Erbil asked us if we could leave tomorrow to avoid the Eid traffic. We spent the afternoon packing and called our friends in Erbil to see if we could stay with them until our flight leaves. It was hard to make the mental transition for finishing school to getting ready for a trip, but it helped knowing that this is just how things work here! Made a salad for tonight's team dinner so Lisa wouldn't have to do anything for her birthday meal. I pulled out the dried cranberries and bacon bits for the special occasion. Mary made Stromboli ... Mmmm good!

After dinner and our Skype call we were able to surprise Lisa with the cheesecake (her favorite) and presents (a new watch and artwork for Zephie's room ... It is her birthday today too!) Celebrating birthdays makes me feel more at home, especially since I am missing out on so many in the States. As Zander puts it, "this is a nice big family." Thankful to be part of a loving, supportive team.

It was a late night by the time I finished packing for the trip and preparing things to work on during our down time in Erbil.

October 21st and 22nd: Mercy, Class Update, and the Orphanage

Sunday, October 21^st:

The weather was significantly cooler this morning. It seems like Fall is actually here! Mary and I went to school early so I could make copies of today’s test. Thankfully there was plenty of paper and ink! Classes went well … I no longer feel like I am just “getting through the day.” My students seem to be settling into our routine and I don’t feel like I am struggling against them as often.

With 15 minutes left, about half of 6B was still struggling on their test. Even though I had told them multiple times to memorize the chart on divisibility shortcuts, they either hadn’t taken the time to study it or they had forgotten it. After having them turn in their papers, I told the students I was going to show them mercy. “Oh, Miss Julie taught us this word!” I told them to write down the definition on a piece of paper, then take out their books and study the chart for two minutes. After they reviewed and helped each other understand the shortcuts, I gave them back their tests to finish. The definitions were interesting to read. One student wrote, “I hate giving mercy, but I love getting mercy.” Another wrote, “When God (had) mercy (on) the world, He [brought] a rainbow.”

After the drama in 6A last week, I had them write about “Love others more than yourself.” (My 5 year old brother was memorizing that this summer.) Reading through their answers, it is apparent they don’t understand this concept. “We love others because they love us.” “To make more friends.”

After school, I went to the market for time to process the past week while picking up a couple pens, some dried fruit, and another Internet card. As I headed up the stairs near our home, I ran into Sarah who was walking back from school. We caught up on the day, and then I took a long nap (still tired from our week with company and the basketball clinic). At 5pm, I got to Skype with my family. It’s been a long time since we’ve talked. Even though the Internet connection isn’t as good and it was difficult for them to hear me, I enjoyed seeing their faces and telling them about the latest happenings.

Monday, October 22^nd:

5B is doing much better. They aren’t the perfect class yet, but they respond to my warnings and overall I see more attentiveness. God is opening my eyes to students’ good behavior, which is encouraging. He is also showing me that I have to trust Him with the situations I can’t overcome. John encouraged us with this verse a couple weeks ago, “Let us not grow weary in well doing…”

5A is back on track. “Mr. Indignant” from last week is now the model student. The rest of the class is eager to learn, though I have a couple “stragglers” who don’t put any effort into their homework assignments and are suffering on their tests as a result.

6B was quieter today. I told them they wouldn’t get their tests back unless we finished everything on my lesson plan. I had to cover two lessons in all of my classes. For 5^th grade both lessons were review, but sixth grade needed more explanation. Thankfully, they were attentive and seemed to understand. I still had a few students who didn’t get their tests … they were still talking when I left and I don’t think they even noticed!

6A is doing really well. Two of the most troublesome students at the beginning of the year are not only attentive in class, but doing a fantastic job on their homework assignments! I leave with a grateful heart every day. They are a very loving group … the girls painted my nails during our break the other day, and they are always coming up to give me hugs.

After school, I took a short nap and did some grading until J picked me up to go to the orphanage at 3 pm. This was my first time back. I was curious to see their response. The women weren’t very friendly in the Spring, so I wasn’t sure if they would be happy to see us. We walked in without anyone coming to welcome us … then one of the older girls came around the corner. Alost immediately I was whisked off with hugs and kisses on the cheeks. She opened the door to their shared bedroom. “I have a surprise” she told them in Kurdish. More kisses and hugs. My Kurdish is a little better and we were able to communicate about our time away, school, my family, etc. (It was a good way to practice what my students are teaching me.) I had my iPad and was able to show them pictures from home. They couldn’t believe that the trees were so big and they loved seeing the pictures of the river.

J dropped me off at A&L’s for our team time. We prayed through sections of Psalm 119, and then went to dinner at the Turkish shwarma restaurant. After a nice walk home, I was able to finish all the grading that had piled up over the last week and crawl into bed by 9:30pm. 

October 19th and 20th: Playing in the Rain

Friday, October 19^th:

Had a good time at Fellowship this morning. We looked at Galatians 2 – the reproachful behavior of the Christian Jews towards their Gentile brethren. There were several personal applications, but one in particular addressed that morning’s taxi drive. The driver insisted that I wasn’t American and even asked if I worked in a massage (different connotation here). Falling under such scrutiny and being looked on as “unclean” is difficult. The temptation (which the Gentile Christians faced) is to look to the externals for security rather than Christ, to build on the gospel with outward forms. God patiently brought me through this lesson last year. It was in my defilement that Christ delivered me. And it was nothing other than His blood that saved me. Though I may not be wicked in the way that the people here believe me to be, it is true that I once “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air.” Christ alone is my salvation and my defense.

After fellowship, I walked to Texas Chicken to order lunch (and use their wifi). Sarah arrived a little later and we did some research on a possible trip to Istanbul. We found out yesterday that our four day weekend just turned into a 10 day holiday! After a couple of hours, we still weren’t done and decided to order an ice cream so we would have an excuse to stay and use their wifi.

We got home, rested, then “borrowed” Mary’s Internet to purchase airline tickets. One of the teachers from school called to say that he had a solution to our Internet problem. He came by to deliver a new Internet stick. This one is pay-per-use, so we are still a little restricted in our usage. However, we are extremely grateful to have Internet again!

Saturday, October 20^th:

This morning, I helped out at Andy and Lisa's basketball clinic for CSM students.

It was a beautiful morning!

I helped with the girls' session from 9:30 to 11am.

(Photo courtesy of Sarah)

And stayed from 11 am to 2 pm to help with the boys' sessions and take pictures. Just as the girls' session finished, it started raining! Not just sprinkling, but real Oregon rain! The boys thought we would have to stop the clinic, but we kept right on playing. The rain was refreshing and cool (no mugginess afterwards). It felt just like home!

Jump ball!

After our coaches' lunch, I finished my schoolwork, cleaned house, and hung some coat hooks and a picture! (Thanks Grandpa for the horse picture and the masonry drill bit to hang it with!)

New coat rack:

New picture above my desk:

Rearranged some pictures:

Since August, I've received several emails from church family that include their favorite Bible verses. I've been writing the verses out on "leaves" and adding them to my tree. We'll see how big it grows! The plate was a secondhand find in Erbil. It would be fun to know the story behind it. My only clue is the engraved word "Albania" on the back of the plate.

At 6:30 pm, I headed over to A&L’s to watch college football! They streamed the Iowa State vs. Oklahoma State game on their big screen. We had an assortment of tailgate food - popcorn, chips, soda, and mug brownies. It was hard to believe we were actually in Iraq! A late night, but definitely worth it!

October 17th and 18th: Sunrise to Sunset - Sharing Time with Friends

Wednesday, October 17^th:

Today overflowed with activity and blessing. Woke up at 5 am and dressed in the dark, so we could go on a sunrise hike. It was magnificent! The hike was a little steep in some places and the loose gravel meant it was easy to lose your footing (reminded me of Dad’s description of the McLaughlin hike, although this hike was only about 40 minutes to reach the top.)

Still pretty dark out as we made our ascent:

The sun just peaking over the ridge

Sunrise! (Duhok Dam below us)

A beautiful morning in the valley:

On the way down, we stopped at the cave where Andy, Dan, and John spent the night last Spring.

We got back to our apartment around 7:30. I took a quick shower, got ready for school, and met the rest of the group in front of our apartment at 8 am. The college students were able to sit in on some classes – Mary’s humanities class, Lisa’s art class, Sarah’s literature class, a science class and a humanities class taught by local teachers. All of my classes went really well. By God’s goodness, 5B is making a turnaround. They love lining up at the door to give me a handshake before they walk in. Yesterday, seven of my best students were in class early. “Miss, why can’t this be our class? The rest make noise and we can not study.” Understanding their frustration, I “recruited” them to be my secret role-model agents. They have promised to be on their very best behavior, regardless of the distractions, in order to help me. As part of our plan, I make a concerted effort to call on them, point out their example, and pass them a couple winks during the lesson. It’s been fun for all of us and I notice that the minor improvement in their behavior has had an effect on the rest of the class. Today, only one student lost his break.

In 5A one of my students was indignant when I wrote his name on the board. Even though he knew why I had issued the warning, he refused to complete any classwork. I added an X for breaking my first rule, “Try your best.” And then another X for the disrespectful behavior that followed. After class I talked to him a little bit, but he was still upset with me.

6B has been noisier each day. I finally sent three students out of the class and told them they could have their conversation outside. The class breathed a sigh of relief. When one of the students poked his head in the door and asked if he could come in, I told him that I could hear them talking outside and knew they weren’t ready to come back in. I heard a couple chuckles from the rest of the class.

During the breaks, I’ve been sitting outside the 6^th grade classrooms and visiting with my students. They love teaching me Kurdish words and asking me about my life. I get to hear about their lives and learn about their interests. Today, I noticed that some of the students were upset. As it turns out, 6A has some drama … I was addressing it at the beginning of class when one of the students told me, “Miss, it has finally started. All last year we had this problem.” Right then, I knew what I’d be tackling this year. Near the end of my class, the teacher after me (Miss A) asked if I could stay for 10 or 15 minutes while she went on an errand. The kids needed extra time anyway due to the interruption at the beginning of class, so it wasn’t a problem.

After 15 minutes and Miss A hadn’t come back, I told 6B to start on their homework assignment. Half of the class did exactly as I asked and worked quietly on the assignment. The other half didn’t even try; they whispered to each other and passed notes. Ten minutes before class ended, I announced that anyone who had been working on the assignment could turn it in for full marks. They didn’t understand at first. “Miss, but I’m not done.” I explained that God says, “Them that honor Me, I will honor.” Because they had honored me through their obedience, I wanted to honor them with full marks on their assignment. It was obviously a novel concept. “Really Miss? You will give me 20 out of 20 even though I didn’t finish?”

During the next session, I taught John’s 7^th grade math class (a little hesitantly since I know they act out a lot for John). God kept them under control and strengthened my voice so I could teach the entire lesson. [Side note: they told Mr. John the next day that they didn’t understand anything, even though I explained the lesson three different ways and had them solve example problems. Oh bother!]

After school, I headed over to Andy and Lisa’s to visit with Lisa, Lisa H, and Mary who hadn’t gone to Al Qosh. We chatted until the rest of the group got back and we went to dinner at Dilshad Palace. (It’s not really a palace, just a fancy restaurant). On the way back, Lisa H, Sarah and I were dropped off at the Mareen St. apartment. (Sarah and I wanted to show Lisa our rooms). We grabbed some bonfire clothes, then walked back to A&L’s. Realizing we needed chocolate and crackers for our bonfire S’mores, I ran back out to the ducan (corner market) near A&L’s to buy some. As I left the ducan, God impressed on me that the owner had given me too much change. I went back, to the owner’s surprise, and gave him the extra money. A good opportunity to demonstrate honesty and uprightness.

We enjoyed our bonfire…

And got home late and exhausted.

Thursday, October 18^th:

Happy Birthday Eithen!

The group left early this morning. My throat still hasn’t gotten the rest it needs, but thankfully I had a review day in all of my classes. All of my students were really good. In 5A, I couldn’t help noticing that the student who was so upset with me yesterday was on his very best behavior. I was shocked! I made sure to thank him … and then thanked the Lord, knowing that these changes don’t come from anything I do or say.

After school, I came home and slept for 2.5 hours! My voice was almost gone. Thankful for the time to rest and recover. John, Mary, Sarah, and I went to Vin House for dinner. We were all craving “American” food (hamburger and fries). A great way to end the weekend! I tried to Skype with Eithen for his 3rd birthday, but John and Mary's Internet ran out too ... not a good week for Internet.

October 15th and 16th: Lost My Voice and Our Internet but Gained Friends from America

Monday, October 15^th:

My sore throat was worse this morning, so I kept my talking in class to a minimum … it helped me realize that I probably need to say much less than I do! In my fifth grade classes, we played multiplication Bingo. It was a good way to review the essentials (which they are desperately in need of). The students drew their own Bingo cards and wrote a multiplication fact in each box. I called out the answers, which meant they had to think about the problems backwards. The winners got a “No Homework Pass.”

Two days ago, I mentioned in 5A that the students should not try to bargain with me after I’ve written their name on the board with an X. (They usually ask, “Miss, if I be good, you will clean my name?”) I told them they ought to be good because God sees them and they are responsible to Him. I didn’t think anything of it, but today when I reviewed the rules, the student I had been specifically addressing said, “And we should be good because God knows we are good, not to have our names cleaned.” I was shocked, and then I was thankful that they are hearing some of the things I say. Better the important things, than most of what I stammer out. (As a side note, I stammer a lot in my classes. The kids don’t make fun of it, for which I am thankful, but it makes me rely on the Lord to give clarity of thought and to keep it from becoming a distraction.)

In sixth grade, they finished their surveys and drew a bar graph and a circle graph to represent that data. I think they had fun doing the activity and collecting data. It was sad to see how many of the groups couldn’t work together … something I would like to improve, Lord willing. God was very gracious and I had enough strength to teach the entire day. After school, I was just about to leave (actually praying that the Lord would give me wisdom as to whether I should stay or go home to rest), when the curriculum coordinator asked me to take report cards to grades 5B and 5A. Not only was it an opportunity to be helpful, but I also got to see the “responsible” teacher’s comments for 5B. Thankfully, they were the same as I would have written, so it was encouraging to know that I don’t have unreasonable expectations.

Walked home after that and took a nap. Then Sarah and I cleaned to get ready for our company. At 6 pm, the team met up at Sarky’s. When it came time for Sarah and me to order, the owner remembered our pizza preference again. It is strange (and nice at the same time) to be settled in enough to be a “regular.”

We stopped at the small secondhand store near Sarky’s before going home. I picked up some utensils, a utensil container, a large mug that seemed perfect for fall tea, and a glass. (Which reminded me of Dan, since he likes drinking out of glass – me too!) By the time we got home, I had body aches and a high temperature again. My throat hurt worse too. Took some vitamins, drank some tea and went to bed.

Tuesday, October 16^th:

Thankful to be feeling a little better when I woke up. My classes went well and I didn’t have to strain my voice. Three boys from 5B ended up losing their break. It is tough to “stick with it” when I’m not feeling well, but I know that in the long run consistency is more important than the severity of the discipline.

As I am writing this in hindsight, there wasn’t anything memorable about my classes. When I got home, I mentioned to Sarah that we had used so many GBs of Internet. No sooner had I said it, than the Internet disconnected and told us we needed to recharge. We won’t be able to recharge until the 25^th. In the meantime we have the option of paying for 10GB for the same amount that we normally pay for one month, or we can limp along on “borrowed” Internet and wifi at Texas Chicken… I think we’ll try to hold out if we can.

Around 3 pm, the Mareen crew (that’s the name of the alley where John, Mary, Henry, Sarah and I live) headed over to A&L’s. We visited until the group from “Amreeka” arrived. After they rested and got cleaned up, we headed off for dinner at Shindokah Restaurant. Thankfully one of the local friends from CSM Erbil had driven all of them up in an H1, which was at our disposal during their time here. We were able to ride to the restaurant together (all 16 of us). It was a little tight, but a lot of fun.

After dinner, we went back to A&L’s for candy and the “Name Game.” Team Duhok knows how to have a good time! Since there were an odd number of adults, I ended up playing for both teams – the perfect situation for a competitive person! It was a late night when we were finally dropped off at our apartment. Two of the college girls stayed with Sarah and me, so we showed them around, then headed off to bed.

October 13th and 14th: A Little Under the Weather

Saturday, October 13th:
This morning, Mary had me over for waffles! Yummy! We visited for awhile, then I came back and did some laundry. Through the rest of the morning and early after I did a lot of writing - blogging, IM'ing friends, writing emails, jotting down thoughts for math. I drafted an email to send out to financial supporters (if you didn't get it, please let me know!)

At 2 pm, I laid down for half hour, hoping to relieve my headache. I ended up falling into a deep sleep for 30 minutes. The kind of sleep where you haven't moved a muscle and you don't even remember closing your eyes. After I got up, Sarah and I went to Texas Chicken. We walked for a good part of the way, enjoyed our meal, then walked part of the way back. It was a really beautiful day to get some good exercise. The weather is changing and it stays a little cooler in the afternoons. We stopped at the "green store" on the way home for popcorn kernels, laundry soap and paper towels.

In the late afternoon and evening, I did some research and lesson planning. Sarah recommended a classroom management site. I read through a dozen or so articles and was encouraged to persevere. At the beginning of the year, my classes responded well to my rules and procedures. Within the last week, I felt like everything was falling apart. After reading the articles, I was encouraged to realized that the rules and procedures are good, I just need to review, role-model, and review again.

Sunday, October 14th:
Woke up at 5:30 to a really bad dream. I was trying to get a sucker fish off my back that kept growing until it became an octopus. I woke myself up trying to call for help. Once I was fully conscious, I realized that I had really bad sore throat and my back was tingling like it does right before a fever. I've had the sore throat off and on the past couple nights - gargling and drinking tea have helped. This morning it was worse, but I felt a little better after my shower. It turns out that Mary is feeling far worse. Sarah ended up teaching her morning class.

I tried something new with 5B. Since they usually come into class at different times, it takes a long time for them to get settled down and working on the warm-up. I took a recommendation from yesterday's Website. We lined up outside the classroom. I greeted them as they walked in the door and then they started on the warm-up. It wasn't perfect, but I noticed that the tone was different. We'll try it again tomorrow. I also demonstrated how I wanted them to sit in "timeout" (when they get their second X). A lot of kids ended up sitting there throughout the class (the Website says this is a sign that I am doing what I'm supposed to ... I just need to make sure that participating with the rest of the students is more desirable than sitting alone). I started to lose them at the last 10 minutes (I needed more timeout chairs!) but we held it together as the teacher after me came in to set up the projector for his class.

5A went well. We reviewed the rules and procedures and I explained how I wanted them to go outside for their 2nd X. I didn't have nearly as many disruptions. Just as I finished their lesson, it felt like all the energy had been sapped from me. The cold/flu symptoms really started to kick in. I prayed all the way to my next class for the enthusiasm to teach their class. God blessed me with a fresh supply of energy. We talked about excellence and what that looks like coming from the class and from the teacher. A snack at the break helped me give my last class everything I had left. They were patient with my fading voice and listened attentively. After a quick 15 minute lesson, we went outside so they could start on tomorrow's group project.

Walked home right after my class and took a 3 hour nap. I woke up to Skype Mom and Dad. They caught me up on life at home so I wouldn't have to talk too much. Read and graded papers afterwards. Forced fluids and kept up a steady stream of vitamin C. Off to bed, praying that I will feel better tomorrow.

October 11th and 12th: Our God is Able to Deliver

Thursday, October 11th:
I had a really good day with all of my classes. This was completely a matter of God answering prayer. The past few days have revealed an utter lack in myself to accomplish anything. I have, in many ways, felt undone, "desolate and afflicted." After reading the verse, "I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify Me" I have tried to repeat it to myself. As I remember that it is God alone who will lift me out of despair and cause me to glorify Him, my heart is strengthened.

After we finished the lesson in each class, I played math games with the students until the end of the period. Some of the boys were still determined to fight, talk, and leave the class without permission. Instead of spending a lot of time addressing it, I tried to acknowledge good behavior and thank students who were being respectful. I have concerns in each class, which I hope to spend time thinking about this weekend. How do I get 5B on the same page, moving forward and challenging their way of thinking? How do I accommodate 5A in their need for repetition without getting bogged down in review? How do I encourage 6B in their desire to learn, while stretching them to do things that are uncomfortable? How do I persuade 6A that math is important?

I graded papers in the teacher's lounge until 2 pm. By then there was a pretty bad dust storm outside. There were a few raindrops, but mostly dust and wind. I walked down to the bala (second-hand market) for a girls' outing with Mary, Sarah, and Lisa. We shopped for some linens for Lisa (they are fixing up their spare bedroom and changing out their flowery living room pillows with classic black and white.) Sarah, Mary, and I found some Fall weather clothing. And Henry got a couple new sleepers too. It was fun to get out with all the girls. When we got home, Sarah and I went over to John and Mary's for Pizza Hot. In the evening, I did some research on teaching math. There are not a lot of resources on the philosophy of math, but I am gathering ideas and trying to put together some of my own lesson plans.

Ended the evening by chatting with friends and catching up on emails.

Friday, October 12th:
Went to fellowship this morning. I taught the children's lesson. We looked at Nebuchadnezzar's fear masked by pride, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their faith, and God's deliverance. It was a fun lesson as we related it to circumstances here. A teacher perhaps who is "filled with fury," a bully at school who is afraid, but hides behind physical superiority over others... The kids were very attentive and started sharing stories as they put themselves into S, M, and A's situation.

I find it easier to relate to many of the Bible accounts because of my current location. I can imagine the king erecting the statue on one of our nearby mountains, the sound of the musical instruments filling the valley, all the people bowing down in unison. The fire is easier to imagine too. Here, the bakers have a large stone oven with a hole for the door. The fire blazes at the bottom of the oven. After he has kneaded and flattened the dough, the baker reaches into the oven and throws the dough against one of the inner walls. The dough sticks there where the heat from the fire cooks it until it starts to bubble. Just in time, the baker grabs the flat, round piece of bread out of the oven before it falls down into the flame.

The kids were fascinated with our lesson. They knew from experience how hot their mothers' ovens can get, so the thought of being thrown into the fire was terrible. It was one thing to believe that their own fathers would keep them from falling into a campfire, but how could S, M, and A believe God would deliver them when they couldn't even see Him? I enjoyed teaching an account that was familiar to me, but obviously new and challenging for them.

After fellowship, the hosting family treated us to a Korean/Chinese meal. It was wonderful! Sarah and I visited with the group, then headed to Mazi to pick up groceries for the girls coming to stay with us this week. When we got home, I listened to a sermon, read Isaac Watts, "A Guide to Prayer" (I've been convicted lately that this is an area I need to study), and enjoyed a day of rest.

Mary had us over for pasta dinner, then we watched a movie and ate popcorn.

October 9th and 10th: Feeling Further from Home, but Drawing Nearer to God

Tuesday, October 9th:
As we walked to school this morning, Sarah made the comment that this was the coldest day yet ... somehow "frostbite" even made it into the conversation :) It still gets pretty warm by the afternoon, but the early mornings and evenings are pleasant.

I had a much better day, even though 5B wasn't very good. "Pedro" is acting out again. It's amazing how much his misbehavior affects the class; it has made me more thankful for his one week of outstanding performance. I know that a large portion of the overall class behavior is my own attitude. I went to school feeling more encouraged about the day, but by the second class, I wasn't feeling very well. Thankfully it wasn't a "just get through the lesson" day, though I did leave school wondering how/why I'd regressed (or the class had regressed) to teaching for two minutes, disciplining a student, teaching for one minute, sending a student out of the class...

During the breaks I visited with some of the older students. It is nice to build relationships outside of the classroom setting and apart from the teacher-student roles. I remind them that they are setting the example for the younger students. And every so often, I ask one of them to speak to their younger brother (or sister) about behaving in class ... and it works!

At 1 pm, I walked to the market to T's office. She is the lady I met last year who introduced me to the orphanage. She works for an organization that protects the rights of local citizens. When I arrived, she told me that they were waiting for the supervising organization to come and make their monthly inspection. The visits are unannounced, so she wasn't exactly sure when they would arrive. I ended up waiting for two hours. We talked for a bit, then I graded papers in a separate room while they conducted a meeting with the supervisors. Close to 3:30 pm, T and I left the office to walk around the market. We bought shwarma to-go and ate them  in a juice shop. I had "keis" juice (apricot). Afterwards, we visited some of the shops that belong to her relatives and stopped by the "bala" or second-hand market to buy T a new bag. By then it was close to 5:30 pm when we said our goodbyes. I was able to have a profitable conversation with T. I trust that the Lord will continue to provide opportunities for good discussions, especially as she has expressed that I am her only friend here. I need to pray for wisdom in this area. T is twice my age and I often feel that I do not have the knowledge or experience to challenge her with deeper thinking.

I came home and graded papers. God was good to me; the work was not as difficult as I'd expected. I had prayed that my time with T would honor Him ... in His goodness, He blessed me with a more relaxing evening than I'd planned. After I finished grading, Sarah and I ate popcorn and watched a movie. At 9 pm, I got to Skype with Dad. It was encouraging to talk to him. Despite our vast geographical difference, we seem to struggle with similar trials.

Wednesday, October 10th:
There was a mosquito in my room last night! I was up until 11 pm with the biting and buzzing, then again at 1 am, 3 am, and 5 am! I tried to pray, but was overwhelmed with the physical exhaustion. The alarm went off, already 5:30 am! I felt myself sinking into discouragement, but was determined not to get ready for school, until I'd sought the Lord earnestly for a better attitude and a desire to please Him first. He answered prayer! My reading took me to Psalm 50. As I read, I began to ask myself, "Who am I to demand anything of God? Do I believe that He is the God who 'called the earth from the rising of the sun' and has 'a fire that devours before Him?'" Humbled, I read verse 15. "Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me." This is the command of the God I serve. Today He will deliver me. Today He will cause me to glorify Him. Encouraging thought that this does not depend on my willingness, my health, or my attitude.

It was with a much lighter heart that I walked to school today. After my talk with Dad last night, I decided to change up my routine. Thankfully, I was able to start right away. A group of boys from 5B was hanging out in the garden before the bell rang. I walked up to them, "Cewani bashe!" (Good morning!) They shook my hand, eyeing me quizzically. Their faces relaxed as they realized I was just there to chit-chat. Eager to have my attention, they asked me questions and told me that in Kurdish, they say "charsham" (day four) instead of Wednesday.

When I walked into class, I wrote "Wonderful Wednesday" on the board and explained that my dad always tells my brother to have a wonderful Wednesday when he drops him off at school. I wanted to share that phrase with them, so they could have a wonderful Wednesday (or charsham gelleck hoshe) too! I handed out stickers to students who were working quietly and that seemed to keep them quiet until about the last 15 minutes of class. Sarah came in twice to check behavior and take students out of the class if needed. I didn't end up sending any of them out, but three of the boys may need it tomorrow.

5A can be emotionally difficult. They seem to have a lot of drama in that class. A boy made an inappropriate hand gesture behind my back that I happened to catch. One of the girls ended up crying. And half the class laughed at her for it! I took time at the end of the lesson to talk to individual students about their behavior. I tried to emphasize that God's command to love others more than ourselves is more important than math.

6B was really talkative, but I think they felt that I was in a better mood. One student commented, "Miss, you are happier today!" Of course they all wanted to know why this Wednesday was wonderful, and it took some time to explain that any day can be exciting!

During the break, I visited with one of the teachers who was "responsible" for the older grades during "garden". She taught me a little Kurdish and I told her about my weekend in Erbil. After she left for her class, I sat with some of my girls, eating "finger chips" and talking about the little things. Two girls insisted on giving me packs of chocolate biscuit-sticks. It was cute to watch them "argue" over whose were better. I enjoyed being around my students ... God gave me many reasons to be thankful for His mercies today.

6A has been an exceptionally good class. There are two students who can be disruptive, but the rest of the class has sat quietly, ignoring the distractions for the past two days! It's been fun to teach them and I hope I am getting to know them a little more.

After school, Sarah and I taxied home, then went to the corner store for fruit. I was able to listen to a sermon and take some time to think/meditate before we had to prep for our team meal. At 4:30 pm, we walked to A&L's with John and Mary. Lisa made an amazing stirfry with Teriyaki sauce. We had fruit salad on the side and for a special treat, Mary made homemade donuts! Mmmmm Good! A poor internet connection made for a short Skype call. We had more time to visit and talk about the plan for next week when Dave and Lisa will be here.

On another note, I have been missing home a lot lately. It is a slow emotional drain that I don't spend much time thinking about, but creeps up on me suddenly. There are the emails from home that remind me of all that I'm missing out on. I've missed the process of test-driving and buying a new van, going to Caleb's football games, camping out for battle of the bands with lemon meringue pie and hot chocolate, enjoying belly laughs with a house full of boys ... Lord willing, the boys' adoption will through at the end of the month. How I've thought about being there for them! It hurts to think of missing it ... Then there are the little things. Henry using the same sippy cup as Eithen ... the memories go back to Eithen at that age, my mind wanders through his first year with us, his second birthday, and then I stop suddenly, realizing that the next ten months will be blank. I won't remember what Eithen was like when he turned three - if he was reading words, or riding a two-wheeler, or singing songs. I focus on the present until I find myself playing Duplos with Zander just like I did with the brothers right before I left. The brothers and I built a huge staircase that bordered a house with tiny windows (much like a house in Duhok). Next thing I know, I'm watching "The Princess Bride" with Sarah and repeating all of the great movie lines that Hannah and I memorized. "Stop that rhyming now, I mean it!" "Anybody want a peanut?" The days move on, but every so often I am caught in the past and the longing to be back with my family. This email came from Mom just as I was finishing the blog:

Yesterday for nap Eithen wanted to bring his 'sissy book' (Guess How Much I Miss You) to nap.  He wanted to "read" it to me, but after the first page of your voice, he got very serious.  He turned to snuggle into me and made motions that I was to continue for him.  When I turned the page he said, "where that big bear doe-ing?" "Why he over the water?" (the picture shows the bigger bear on the far side of the river and the baby is watching from the nearside.)  I said, "Going to Iraq." "oh" E said,  Then after a long pause..."dat me (the little bear) and dat sissy (big bear across the river).  Then we finished the book and the last page the big bear and the little bear are back together and cuddling close. Eithen put me in the position of the big bear and made himself in the position of the baby bear and said, "dat me and sissy agether."

October 7th and 8th: Come to Me ... And I Will Give You Rest

Sunday, October 7th and Monday, October 8th:
I am combining the last two days, since they have just rolled into one long day. I've had a hard time physically. On the way to Erbil, I reached behind the seat to get something and scratched myself on a staple that was sticking out of the back of it! I think the scratch has gotten infected. I've been dousing it with peroxide and keeping neosporin on it pretty regularly. I also think I am fighting off a stomach bug. My face seems to be experiencing an allergic reaction (might be a result of the stomach bug). On top of all that, I've been extremely tired (barely able to keep my eyes open during Sunday's classes).

After "making it through my classes" (which is a terrible feeling since I usually LOVE teaching), I came home and took a nap on both days. I've finished just enough grading to get by. Last night (Sunday), Mary had us over for spaghetti, which was amazing. Just as we finished eating, a sound outside prompted us to leap up from our chairs and head for the windows. We moved up to the roof where Sarah and I danced in the RAIN! It was dirty, but we hope this means the beginning of Fall weather...

At 4pm today (Monday), we had our team devotional time. I was feeling better, which was an answer to prayer as I didn't want to drag down our time together. We read part of Jeremiah 10 and Colossians 3, then sang some hymns together. It was an encouraging time, especially as we shared prayer requests. I have been struggling with the silence that seems to drag on day after day. Trials are easier to bear when we see a loving Father behind them, but when He does not seem to answer, every day feels full of affliction. For the past week, Spurgeon has been talking about the love of God, His ability to fill us so that we can walk in His strength, His never-ending supply. My heart wants to know more of this, but it feels so empty. Physical struggles have only amplified my sense of weakness. Today I realized that instead of demanding spiritual growth, I need to wait on Him - "though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." Though He hasn't revealed anything life-changing in the past few days, I know He has provided just enough spiritual strength for each day's trials (and time to rest from them). My goal for this week: Remember His promises, see how He is providing, and be thankful that He is enough!

After team time, all of us went to dinner at a restaurant recommended by Andy and Lisa. It is similar to the "Sheep Restaurant" but it has an upper-level with high chairs for the babies. Enjoyed eating together, came home to finish a little schoolwork, then off to an early bedtime.

October 5th and 6th: Sightseeing In Erbil

Friday, October 5th:

This morning we walked to Costa Rica Coffee Shop. It was about a two-mile walk, but we were able to go through a huge park with trees, green grass and lots of foliage. The coffee shop, much to our relief, was the real deal (or "legit" as Lisa would say). 

Enjoying lattes and chocolate muffins.

Andy and John took the kids back to the house for their morning naps. The ladies got to hang out together, journaling, reading, and talking. We grabbed lunch from the nearby Papa John's and Burger Queen (Burger King and Dairy Queen combined) and took it home to the guys.

Close to 1:30 pm, the girls were off again! K took us to Langa, a GIANT secondhand market! We shopped until we dropped ... well, dropped off our bags at home and headed off to the Citadel.

Deep in the labyrinth of the market.

The Citadel is said to be "the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world." It is layers upon layers of cities. We couldn't go below, but saw some of the old ruins on the top level. They are "renovating" the structure, which means (unfortunately) that much of the historical architecture is being replaced.

The Citadel

Carvings on a post

View from the Citadel

The Citadel was an amazing place to visit. It would be neat to know what it was like to live there. K said she met an older man during one of their visits who said he had grown up there as a child. The street was divided - men would walk down one side and women on the other. That little glimpse sparked my curiosity and I couldn't help but wonder what each civilization was like, how each layer would represent the culture's priorities and "personality."

As we left the Citadel, we passed the main bazaar (which is a city in itself). K ordered a juice and we all ended up getting a fresh-squeezed fig juice for free! I love free! And the juice was excellent too! From there we took a taxi to Abu Shahab where we met John and Mary for dinner. I had an Iraqi "salad plate" and Sarah ordered pizza. We stopped at a nearby grocery store for ice cream, then walked home. Happy to just hang out. Unfortunately, the "Butter Pecan" ice cream that John picked out was actually butter-flavored ice cream with walnuts. Guess it is best to take things literally here! As we sat around on the couches, Sarah braided my hair. Sarah likes to try new styles ... and I love to have someone play with my hair! It was so relaxing and looked amazing...

 We ended up playing the "name game." It was our first time playing with Sarah ... I'm glad she didn't decide to leave our team after seeing how wild and crazy we can be!

Saturday, October 6th:

At 7:30 am, K came to the house so she, Sarah and I could walk to a mosque that we had driven by the other day. It was over 2 miles, but good exercise for the morning. We passed this fountain on the way there... I want a miniature one in my room!

Here is the mosque in the distance. Erbil is a very dusty city!

And finally, up close!

The building was enormous.

Intricate tile work that covered the mosque:

The garden next the mosque was beautiful.

We took a different route home, which kept the 2.5 mile walk interesting. Sarah and I regrouped with the team. Mary and John decided to hang out at home. Andy went to look at vehicles with a friend. (Andy and Lisa are thinking about buying a car!) The rest of us (Lisa, the kids, K, her daughter, Sarah and I) went to Family Mall. We loaded up in one taxi. Tight squeeze! Sarah and I split off to look for some things and get a bite to eat. We rendezvoused around 1, so we could get back to the house for a 1:30 pm departure. We were a little later than planned, but ended up waiting for the driver to arrive anyway. Loaded up everything and everyone in an H1 and made it back to Duhok around 5 pm.

I unpacked, took a shower, did a load of laundry, uploaded pics, and even squeezed in a little school work! :) Sarah and I watched a movie with popcorn, then off to bed...

October 3rd and 4th: Ending Phase 1 with a Holiday

Wednesday, October 3rd:
Woke up a little after 4. I went back to sleep until 6, but not until after they finished the morning call to prayer (sometime after 4:45).

There was a nice breeze blowing as Mary, Sarah, and I walked to school. The curriculum coordinator came into my classes to get after the students who haven't turned in any homework. It is not the method I prefer, but some of the kids seem to need a third-party authority figure telling them that homework is important. As Mr. B walked in the room, several of the students had Coke cans on their desks. (I let them drink in class as long as they aren't disruptive.) Mr. B made each student on my "missing assignments" list stand up, then asked them why they hadn't completed their homework, "What are you here for? ... To drink Pepsi?" I could have laughed if I hadn't been so disappointed in my students. Mr. B was gracious enough to let me be the "good cop." He told me in front of the students that it would be fine with him if I gave them zeroes on all missing assignments, but gave me the option to accept assignments until the end of school that day. I told him I would like to let them have a little more time (I really just meekly nodded my head, afraid to say anything that might break the stern tenure of his lecture.) After he left, I told the students that when they get in trouble, I feel like I am in trouble too. I want them to do well, but I can't make them turn in their homework (though I'm sure many would appreciate it if I would just do their homework for them!) Several students piped up, "Miss, you DO help us! We just don't do the work." That was encouraging. I don't want them to think this is an "us versus them" situation. I hope they will see that I am there as their teacher and advocate.

Though the classes were a little chatty today, we made it through the lesson and I gave them their phase averages. Both 5th grade classes responded well to Mr. B's reprimand. Unfortunately, at the end of the day, I still had students who didn't turn in any of the assignments. I went to each class to make sure students who completed the assignments could turn them in.

I graded papers in the teacher room until school let out. It is fun to pick up on pieces of the teachers' conversations. They love answering questions and I am always able to learn a lot. Talked to a few of my students on the way out. I took a taxi to the chicken man at the corner of our street, so we could have a chicken for dinner tonight. After I got home and had a bite to eat, I shredded the chicken to help Sarah make a recipe she picked out - chicken tetrazzini. It got really hot in the kitchen with the stove and oven on! Squeezed in some grading during the half hour before our team meeting. At 5pm, we ate a delicious meal together. Sarah's main dish was a hit. Lisa made sauteed vegetables and garlic bread. For dessert Mary made All-American Apple Pie! We had a good Skype call, albeit short due to a late start. We had a fun time together as a team, teasing each other and breathing a unified sigh of relief as we anticipate a weekend away. We leave for Erbil tomorrow after school ... looking forward to American Burger, shopping, a possible coffee shop trip, and a fun roadtrip together.

After the Skype call, I went home and graded more papers. Finished off the gradebooks and sent them to Mr. B with a grateful heart. I've been praying a lot this week that I wouldn't get bogged down with all the grading that comes at the end of the phase. God blessed the work and it wasn't nearly as tiresome or lengthy as I thought it would be.

As I close this entry, the mosquito count is over 30 in the last 24 hours!

Thursday, October 4th:
It was muggy this morning as we walked to school. Lisa joined us since it is one of her days to teach art. She told us about her lesson for the day and the art project she worked on to prepare. Then Mary mentioned how she had watched the lecture she is reading to her class today (the videos are part of her curriculum, but there aren't any TVs in the classrooms yet). It was amusing to think of a snapshot featuring our lesson planning methods ... Lisa bent over an art project, Mary scribbling notes as she watches a lecture, Sarah reading a book and writing notes in the margin, me with an open math book on my lap researching learning styles on the computer.

Since phase grades were due today, I told my kids they got to spend their period giving me a grade! They filled out a teacher evaluation, marking "always," "sometimes," or "never" for statements like "Miss Helen comes to class prepared," "Miss Helen uses good examples." They also answered questions like, "what could Miss Helen do differently in class to make it better?" Though some of the students didn't really understand the purpose and kept trying to find the "right" answer, most provided constructive feedback. Interestingly enough, the data trend followed my results from the multiple intelligences test. More math games, more jokes in class, more math songs (I sang "10 little monkeys jumping on the bed" as an example of a "some went away" problem) reflected their musical, kinetic learning styles. I asked the students to also tell me their favorite thing about my teaching, so I would make sure to keep that in mind while making changes based on their feedback. Some of my favorite comments: "your examples are cool, funny, smarty," "when you laugh," "she work hard a lot," "your sensitivity." One student even told me,"when you don't go through all the problems and you make sure we understand the lesson."

Feeling generous (or at least tired of grading), I wrote "Happy Thursday" on the board and didn't assign any homework for the weekend as long as they could stay focused on the teacher evaluation. They like the "dashes on the board" game, where each time they get noisy, I fill in a dash, which is one letter closer to spelling out the homework assignment. In my sixth grade classes, I added that they didn't have any homework since Miss Julie (their lit teacher last year) had her baby. The kids were really excited, "can we skip our math lesson and visit Miss Julie in America to see the baby?" :) 

 

My breaks were filled with excitement. I was exhausted by the time I got home. During one break, a teacher and student got into a fight. After the principal got involved and sent the student away, I had to keep him (one of my 6th graders) from going back in. It was pretty tense in the teacher room for awhile. During the next break, I went to Sarah's class to make sure she didn't need me to sit in and help with discipline. As I walked in the door, John was bent over a student that had passed out on the floor. While John took him to the nurse and Sarah got the class organized, I started administering the quiz for John's students. John came within a few minutes and I went to the nurses station to check on the student, Chris. After getting some more information from Chris, we realized that another student had hit him on the head with a textbook in a moment of anger. Interrupted Sarah's class to get the student and finally worked out the situation. It made for a long day!

I don't know if I've mentioned him before, but the man who runs the snack shack is someone I hope to remember from the school. He is the principal's son. I think he has a slight mental disability. The students will sometimes tease him about it, so I have tried to be extra friendly. When the students are throwing money in his face, demanding their daily quota of chips, candy, and soda, I stand at the window, reminding them to wait their turn and say, "Supas" or "Thank you." The "snack guy" is always very patient with the kids. He often tells me, "No miss. No money" when I try to buy a snack. He always has a smile on his face, even when he is running around the garden picking up the empty pop cans and candy wrappers. His enthusiastic and untiring servitude reminds me what I ought to be to the students as well.

I stayed until the end of school to grade papers, then talked with some of my kids as they headed for home. One of my students from last year came up to me (in front of all the parents and drivers, which is unusual for the boys) and gave me a HUGE hug. That was a great ending to my school week!

On the walk home, I picked up drinks and snacks for our road trip. All my things were packed, so Sarah and I visited as we waited for our ride. I loaded up the van with mixed feelings. Even though I wouldn't see my kids over the weekend anyway, I was sad to think I would be "leaving" them.

We picked up A, L and the kiddos around 3:30 and started our adventure to Erbil. As always, it was fun to be with the crew. We had snacks, shared stories and started a quote book. For the first time ever, I heard Mary complain about driving too SLOW! (The driving here is fast and at times hazardous. we almost got in an accident twice.) Anyway, just outside Erbil they have their city landfill. The smell was awful and enough to make all of us wish we could fly through that section of the road.

Once in Erbil, we drove straight to American Burger for dinner. it was delicious. Unfortunately, several of us had upset stomachs afterwards. Guess we're not used to greasy American food anymore. The SGI family (K, K and their two daughters) working at CSM in Erbil met us for dinner. Afterwards, we taxied to the house and got settled in.