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 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.

October 1st and 2nd: Little Things to Remember

Monday, October 1st:
The pipes that collect our shower water and dish water are drained throughout the day into the alley outside our house. The sound of water splashing underneath my window as I get up in the morning is oftentimes deceiving, and my heart will leap with the thought that it is raining outside. On most days like that, I lay in bed and pretend that it is rain and that I am back in Oregon waking up to a Fall morning. I've felt more homesick these past few days. I find myself in the middle of my normal routine and all of a sudden I am reminded of a moment back home or thinking of what I would be doing if I were home. Other times, a familiar smell catches me off guard.

Each class took a test today. The students know that I will follow through when I say they will lose points for talking, so it ended up being a quiet day. I got to sit in on Sarah's class, just to be on hand for any classroom discipline she might need. They can be a handful, but were encouraged to be better behaved after she expressed her desire to make the lesson engaging provided they would listen. I shot up my eyebrows at two of the boys, but the class as a whole did really well and enjoyed Sarah's lesson. I stayed until 2:30 pm and visited with students on the way out. Hopped in a taxi and went to Andy and Lisa's to meet up with the Director's daughter from Erbil. She is in charge of curriculum and will be teaching at the school in Suly this year. John, Mary, and Sarah came over too and all of us visited for about an hour. After she left, we had our team devotional time. It was a good trial run. The meeting is more focused since we don't have to worry about a meal, catching up, and a Skype call. Andy challenged us with three questions, which helped us share what God has been teaching us. It was helpful to know how to pray for the others.

After team time, we went to Al Azaim and ate outside. It is Zander's favorite restaurant - he calls it "A to Z restaurant" because of the giant lettering on the top of the building. I think the name might have a double significance, since they really do serve it all, from A to Z. From salads, soup and bread to our main course to the chips and french fries and finally dessert and chai, everything was really good. We were stuffed full with food. I had parzola (lamb chop) since they were all out of beef, but brought a lot of leftovers home. John, Mary and Sarah headed out early so Henry could go to bed. Andy, Lisa, Z&Z, and I visited for half an hour longer while Zander played on the playground equipment. It was good to catch up with Lisa. We took a taxi home and then I worked on grading my stack of papers.

Tuesday, October 2nd:
Our first "phase" ends on Thursday; phase grades will be finalized then as well. I've been telling my kids to turn in their work for the past two weeks, but somehow it always manages to pile up in the last few days. I had a lot of grading to do last night. I finally quit at 10pm and got up early this morning to enter the grades in Excel.

Since most of the students did not do as well as I'd hoped on their tests yesterday, I offered them an assignment worth "extra marks" if they listened quietly to the lesson and made it through the material. All of the classes did well, but it was interesting to notice that the students in my disruptive classes were more excited about the opportunity than the students in my "better" classes. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw my usually "difficult" students working diligently. Most times I end up regretting these types of "great ideas" when quiet working time turns into mass chaos.

As it turned out, my first sixth grade class (6B) had a surprise waiting for me when I walked in. The classroom was in complete silence as EVERY single student was working on their warm-up problems. I couldn't keep the smile off my face! It was nice to reward them with no homework for the day in addition to the opportunity to earn extra marks. The students in 6B are eager learners and they often have lots of questions for me during the break. Today, as I was answering their math questions, Sarah came by with a Coke to help me get through my next lesson! That really made my day! As I saw my students studying my reaction ("Wow! Thank you so much! Isn't she thoughtful?"), I realized she had just provided a tremendous example of how Christians love one another.

As I left the classroom, I had the opportunity to encourage two of my sixth grade girls to forgive each other. Similar scenario to Sunday, except this time another student chimed in. "Remember, you are supposed to forgive each other 70 times 7!" I reminded them that friends are from God and we need to cherish the ones He has given us. One of the students (who is new this year) looked skeptical, but the other promised me she would keep trying to be friendly.

I stayed after my classes to grade papers and was thankful when I got through the entire stack! Said goodbye to students on the way out, jumped in a taxi, and picked up Sarah at the bottom of our street to go to Mazi. She picked up her wire, then we did some shopping for tomorrow's team dinner. John and Mary were just arriving as we left, so we took their taxi home. We are fighting off another torrent of mosquitoes. Sarah and I have almost sealed up every hole imaginable and poured bleach down the drains that we can't seal. We've started a scoreboard - Sarah and Helen vs. Mosquitoes.

After entering grades in Excel (I'm sure there will be one more large batch to process tomorrow), I joined Sarah for popcorn and a movie. We painted our nails and swatted at mosquitoes while we watched. Ended the night talking about home. For Sarah, it was probably similar to having a conversation with Doug the dog from the movie "UP." "So when was that? [Abrupt break and a pointed finger] Mosquito!" ... "Oh, right. I had something like that happen to me too. Right above your head!" By the end of the night, our "kills" board was pretty full.

September 25th and 26th: Trial and Error -or- Learning Lessons the Hard Way

Tuesday, September 25th:

Mary, Sarah and I took a taxi to school since we weren't sure if our escort was picking us up again, and we waited until 8:15 for him to arrive (apparently we don’t need protection anymore).  :) My first class was not very good. One of the students wouldn't sit still during the lesson and refused to stay outside for five minutes. I told him to go to the principal and tell him that he could not behave in class. Five minutes later, he was back with principal and it turned into a “he hit me first” and “it wasn't my fault” drama. The principal ended up telling everyone to sit in their seats and then left. It was frustrating. What I look to as my last resort seemed to have no effect. In my next class, I had a student, S, pull the exact same stunt. Since they had their 15 minute break afterwards, I took S with me to my 6^th grade class. It turns out his cousin is in that class (and also happens to be the student who was held back and is doing extraordinarily well.) They sat together, but after a little while, the cousin complained that S was bothering him. As I directed S to another seat, S muttered something in Kurdish. The class gasped. At first, I didn't think anything of it, since S does this to me all the time in our 5^th grade class. I usually ignore it since the other students will only tell me, “He said a bad word, Miss” and then laugh. My older students were not laughing though. They said he called me a bad name. Two of the boys said they would take him to the principal. I let them go, hoping that the principal would believe them, but not thinking anything would happen after the scenario in 5B.

When they came back, they told me that the principal had suspended him. I didn't get the whole story, but I hoped they had accurately represented what had happened in class. It bothered me for quite awhile after class since I worry that the administration will think I am complaining about every little issue that arises. I am trying to handle classroom discipline on my own, but not sure how far to let problems go. Anyway, we had a good class afterwards and I was able to stay through the break to explain problems to some of the students.

6A went well. We were able to get through the material and everyone seemed to understand. Sometimes I think it is easier to explain things the second time around. Other times, I think I explain it better, but they don't necessarily follow since the explanation is shorter.

Graded papers in the teacher lounge until school let out at 2:30pm. I was able to chat with students as they left. The school gave Sarah and I two more bins so we could use them for a makeshift couch. As I was carrying them out, two of my students offered to help. I am really thankful for "my kids" - I even find myself loving the ones who cause so much grief in class. Class wouldn't be half so interesting without them ;)

I took a taxi home, then Sarah and I put together our "couch." We ate popcorn and watched a movie just to enjoy our accomplishment. Graded papers, wrote the quiz for tomorrow, then headed for bed.

Wednesday, September 26th:
We walked to school this morning - first time this week! I had to make copies and ended up waiting in the copy shack for ten minutes. I was able to practice my Assyrian a little - I say a word, and then they pronounce it right back at me ... exactly the way I said it! :) Well, not exactly, but sometimes it seems I never get "close enough."

My first class went well, especially since we had a quiz and I took off points if they talked. Unfortunately, when I wrote one students name on the board, he left and got the principal. He insisted that he was only talking because the student behind him was calling him bad names. There are four boys that consistently tattle on each other and I'm not sure how to handle it. I've told them to bring it to me after class, but by then it isn't an issue. Of course, they have to turn it into a disruption in the middle of the class. At one point, three of the four boys had left (two to get to the principal, unbeknownst to me, and another to the bathroom). The class was unbelievably attentive and we got a lot of work done. Unfortunately, the two students came back with the principal. The principal could tell I was surprised to see him and asked if I had given permission for the students to get him. I told him no, hoping that he would realize the students are taking advantage of my lack of Kurdish and dragging him in unnecessarily. He scolded them and they were better after that. I ended up giving the rest of the class an extra point on their quiz for being so attentive. Still wondering how to deal effectively with my students when they go to the principal without permission...

The rest of my classes were fairly uneventful. I gave a quiz in each one. Because I take away points instead of writing X's on the board, I don't have to worry about losing my break. :) I ended up spending it with the students, giving them their phase averages and telling them which assignments they've missed. (It turns out that the student who called me a bad name wasn't suspended. He was in class today, but more subdued.)

Sarah and I met with the curriculum coordinator right after Sarah's last class. It was a short meeting about grade books and class attendance. Afterwards, we walked down to the vegetable den. We bought an "asberry" or fruit slushy, which involved a lot of pantomime in order to figure out the flavors. I got nectarine and Sarah got strawberry. Next, we got some fruit for team meeting. Again, this involved some pantomime. We wanted to get watermelon, but they were all too big. Then we tried some grapes but they had seeds. I figured out the name for seeds, then asked if they had some without the seeds. Apparently, Iranian grapes are seedless, but the Kurdish ones aren't. Bought some anyway, along with a kilo of oranges and a kilo of green apples. On the way home, we went by the DVD store to exchange a "na bashe" (not good) disc, and then picked up a new internet card. It turns out that our internet is either good for 45GB or one month, whichever comes first. On the 20th, I got a message saying we needed to recharge. Even though it was 5 days before the end of our month, I bought a new card, figuring that this is Kurdistan and the dates were off. It lasted for two days, then I got a message telling me I needed to recharge again. Turns out our month does end on the 25th and we only get 10GB between the time we use up our 45GB and the start of the next month. A teacher at the school explained all of this to me, so we waited until today to buy a new card. Anyway, Internet is back up and running and we are connected with the rest of the world.

Graded papers, then Sarah and I cut up fruit for our team meal. Mary made pizza casserole, which was delicious! We had fruit on the side, then Lisa (actually Andy) made apple crisp for dessert. Ahhh, the taste of FALL! We had a good Skype call, then chatted about how we want to organize our team time. We ended up deciding to meet another day of the week for more focused spiritual discussion and use Wednesday nights for team meal and Skype. We will see how it works on Monday ...

Finished grading, then off to bed. It took a long time for me to fall asleep last night because a mosquito kept bothering me. I finally killed it, but was up again at 1am to kill another one that had bitten me several times. Again at 3am, I found their triplet (or as Sarah dubbed him, the resurrected mosquito) and managed to exterminate it. Realized that I could use this as an exercise to pray expectantly and asked the Lord to put it to an end. I was able to read and pray each time I got up, so the night wasn't wasted, although I did get very little sleep. Pushed back my wake-up until 6:30 for the usual morning routine. Hopeful that tonight will be more restful.

September 23rd and 24th: Baby (chick) Steps Forward

Sunday, September 23rd:

Despite the uncertain start to our day (with the school rep picking us up and Mary needing an escort to class), God blessed in tremendous ways! My first class went well. "Pedro" is really trying hard in class and I haven't had to reprimand him. In fact, he came up to me at the beginning of class to find out which homework assignments he is missing. We did an activity in class that I guessed my first class would like, but my second class would probably hesitate over. I had them make their own multiplication tables. The first class dove right in; students asking me if they were doing it correctly after they were already halfway through. My second class was as predicted. "Miss, we don't understand." "What, Miss?" Interestingly, when we used the class as a multiplication table (R is in the first row, first seat, he would be 1. S is in the second row, third seat, so what number would she be? 6), the students who have the hardest time sitting still and paying attention were able to answer the fastest.

My sixth grade classes were amazing! On Thursday I told them to come prepared for a discussion about why God created math. Many tried to give me their answers at the beginning of class, but I made them wait until the last fifteen minutes.

"A week ago we learned that God created math when He created the earth. So, today we're going to talk about why God created math."

I got all kinds of answers. "So Adam could count the animals." "So God could number the stars." "So we can go to the market and buy things" ... I stopped the discussion, "Wait a minute, did Adam go the market?" Bursts of laughter. "So if Adam didn't need to buy things, why would God create math at the beginning? You are giving me ways we use math, but think about a tornado. How do you know a tornado has been through the area?"

"Because of the carnage." (Big vocab word. You can tell Miss Julie was their literature teacher last year.)

"Right, because of the things you see on the ground, the effects of the tornado. You are giving me the effects of math. But explain to me the tornado itself. Why did God create math?"

The students started getting closer and closer, "So we can learn." "To understand."

"To understand what?"

One student answered, "Gravity."

"Now you are getting closer. What other laws of nature does math help us understand?"

We made a long list including the rising and setting of the sun, our breathing and heartbeat, the existence of the mountains, land, and water.

"We take these things for granted. We know them to be true. But what defines them? How do we explain them?"

The light is beginning to dawn on their faces. "Math?"

"Exactly! Math provides us with a framework to understand ..."

"God's creation!"

In one of my classes, a student piped up, "Miss, we don't have to worry about those things because God rules them. He makes sure they happen." I explained that God controls them, but has given us math to understand them. She replied, "Oh ... so then we can develop the earth based on what we know." Exactly. Math is important.

Such an answer to prayer, especially with these students who have so fiercely resisted my "new" style of teaching. I had students telling me at the break that this is the first year they have actually done well in math. Others are more subjective, “Miss, every year I HATE math, but this year, I love math.” And then I had a teacher come up to me. "Miss, the students were asking me a question that I think you had asked them." I sucked in my breath, "Uh-huh." "Something about the natural elements and why is math important. I told them I didn't know. I hate math! Then they told me that Miss Helen says, 'Math is everywhere. That it explains all the nature around us.' This is really good Miss. Before, they only have teachers that tell them that math is numbers and plus and minus. They don't understand that it is important and that they need it all the time." I am relieved. And then I am thrilled. The students' understanding of what I am teaching them is growing. Multiplying really. If each student passes on one idea to two of their friends, the exponential effects of that ... well, eternity will tell! :)

After school, we had a fun surprise. The shipment from America came in! They brought the gray crates into the resource area and started cutting off strip ties. After counting up our boxes and checking the contents, we (and by that I mean, Andy, John, and one of the school guards) carted them back down the hill to a taxi. Several students asked about the boxes, but only one of them offered to help us load them into the taxi (I was very pleased that he was one of my students!) Once we arrived home, we dove into the boxes and unloaded them. I brought a lot of books and school supplies (special prizes for the students who meet their goals at the end of the semester). Unfortunately, the drill that Grandpa gave me is missing. I will have to find out if it is still in America or got lost in transit. At 5pm, I was able to Skype with the family, which is always an encouragement.

Monday, September 24th:

We were given a ride to school again this morning. After her first class, Mary went with the school administration to the security office to file an official complaint regarding the Facebook threat. We hoped she would be back before John needed to teach his classes, but we had a backup plan just in case.

Grade 5B started out noisier than yesterday. “Pedro” is still doing well. By the end of class, I had written a lot of names on the board since students were out of their seats and talking to each other. As I was showing students their phase averages (grades), someone erased all the names. Still trying to figure out how to deal with that problem… We had a discussion at the end of both fifth grade classes about facts. Our discussion led in the same direction as sixth grade, but I wanted to use terms that they are using in math. We made the connection that facts are not just “multiplication facts” and “addition facts,” but truth and reality. We listed examples of facts on the board. Then I asked them how we explain facts to other people. “In English.” “Arabic.” “Kurdish.” “No, we use a universal language. Do you know what it is?” In 5B (despite the growing chaos), one student guessed it. “Math!”

6B is usually my best class, but today they were pretty noisy. We worked through the lesson and then I had them work quietly on the problems while I showed everyone their phase grades. I hope it will help the less-motivated students to turn in their homework before the end of the phase. I ended up staying with them into the break to answer their questions and make sure they knew which assignments they were missing.

When I walked into 6A, they were silent. Yesterday I told them (I actually wrote it on the board since I couldn’t talk over them) that if I walked in and the entire class was working quietly on their warm-up problems AND they could listen quietly during the entire lesson, I would let them have a day of no homework. I was impressed that all of the students were trying so hard … especially since I came in half way through their break! They still had 15 minutes before class started. I let them off the hook and told them to enjoy their break. During the break, I talked with John and since Mary still wasn’t back from the police station, we went to our back-up plan. I explained to his 7^th grade class that I would be teaching them (well, supervising them) simultaneously with my 6^th grade class. They needed to read the lesson, then start working on the homework problems. If they weren’t working when I came back to check on them, they would have to copy sentences for me for the rest of class instead of going to the garden. I talked to two of my 6^th graders about cheating; then started class as everyone finished their warm-up. I was thankful that my 6^th graders wanted to impress me, since being out of our normal routine could have easily led to bedlam. After I explained the lesson, they started working on the problems in the book. I told them it would be really hard to earn a no-homework day since I would have to leave and check on 7^th grade and there would be opportunity to find them talking when I got back. They actually did really well. When I went back to 7^th grade, they were just finishing up the problems. I quizzed each student on the lesson before allowing them to leave, and then rushed back to 6^th grade. They were working quietly and I was able to reward them with no homework just as their next teacher walked in. Phew! The 45 minute session felt like ten minutes, but it was a good test to see how well my students can do when they know what is expected of them. Thankful to see the blessings…

I met H, her husband, C, and their son after school for juice and cookies. (I tutored her son last year and he is now going to CSM – an answer to prayer!) We drove to a place right around the corner from our house. I’d been there once before with Julie. It turns out that H and C know the owner; he was very friendly and generous. I had a pomegranate slushy and we ordered a variety of cookies that tasted really good. We had a nice talk and caught up on the events of the summer.

When I got home, I took a quick nap and finished grading homework. At 6, the team met up at John and Mary’s to find out how things went at the security office. On the way over, some of the neighborhood boys were coming up the stairs. They were holding a box with … baby chicks! Unfortunately, they only spoke Kurdish and mine doesn’t reach beyond market and taxi lingo. Through hand gestures, I realized that they were trying to give me the chicks! I told them I had nowhere to keep them, but they were insistent. Sarah came out and recorded some of our dialogue. After asking them what I would do with the chicks, they tried the little English they knew. “I love you. You take.” I finally remembered the magical phrase that means no. “Supas. Supas,” I said. Or “Thank you. Thank you.” Almost immediately, they picked up the box, turned and walked down the stairs. It was one of those random, awkward experiences that make for a good laugh. Over Pizza Hot and French Fries, Mary told us about her morning. She said the “report” went well – lots of people reassuring her that this was Duhok and she’d be safe. We were comforted knowing that Duhok is still in God’s control and we’d all be safe for that reason. Ice cream for dessert, then I played with Zander in the living room. Henry got new toys in the shipment from America, so we built a city out of foam blocks. Henry joined us. At point he could not stop giggling as we knocked over the blocks and tossed them in his direction. A fun way to end the evening.

September 21st and 22nd: Hiking Up the Mountains and Walking Through the Valleys

Friday, September 21st:

Thanks to Sarah, I have pics from last night...

At Zeri Park with the teachers

In the flight simulator

At Dumballah

Bershes! (Helen and Helen, Sarah and Sarah)

This morning I woke up feeling refreshed (even though I went to bed at 2am). This was an answer to prayer as I had asked the Lord for help to go to fellowship with the right attitude. John, Mary, and I went to fellowship at 9am (Sarah stayed home to rest and recuperate). We had a good time studying Psalm 81, which went along with the lecture I listened to yesterday - expect great things from God. We looked at Israel, a stubborn, rebellious people, who were intent on following their own hearts. God spoke to them time and again, even promising them, "Open your mouths wide and I will fill it." We were encouraged to NOT follow Israel's example, but to listen to God's Word and believe His promises.

On the way home, I picked up a chicken for our weekend meal(s). Sarah and I have made it part of our weekly tradition. The "chicken man" was much more courteous, telling me the bread would be about 5 minutes more and allowing me to sit inside and wait. Before, he acted annoyed (probably because I am single and Asian-looking) even though I waited outside and tried to be respectful. This culture is difficult to navigate, especially since I break all of their molds, but I trust that God will open their eyes to see that my heart is upright, and I am not trying to offend.

After lunch, I listened to a sermon on 1 Peter from Monergism.com. There were several good points that I will try to meditate on throughout the week, but one that struck me right away was that the gospel is neither cultural accommodation nor cultural withdrawal. I err on the side of cultural accommodation. I want to adapt and fit in, fearing that I will disappoint others around me. The sermon reminded me that our lives, if we are living them to glorify God, will generate praise and criticism. "Whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation." We are to live deep in the heart of our culture, set apart. Later in the evening I was put to the test. Someone local, via Facebook, asked me on a date. My first thought was, "How should I respond culturally?" After going through various responses with Sarah, I realized that I needed to respond in a way that would glorify God. I told __ that in the States he would have to meet my parents first. (Note to fathers: Tell your daughters that they can and should always use you for backup. My dad told me that back in middle school, and it was his words that came to mind.) The reaction was positive, even though I was afraid of disappointing him. I trust God will help me respond to future situations in a way that identifies me with the gospel.

At 5pm, John, Mary, Sarah and I walked to Geli (the park near Duhok Dam) and met up with Andy, Lisa, Zander and Zephie. Together, we climbed the flag mountain, where we saw the remains of a Zoroastrian temple and took team pics.

Zoroastrian Temple

View of Duhok from Flag Mountain

Looking towards the dam

The scenery was beautiful and we decided to take a team picture. I set the timer on my camera and we took our places. The following pics give a good look into the dynamics of our team :)

Get Ready!

Sarah and John are fixing their glasses, Andy is getting Zander-man into position.

Get Set!

Leave a space for Helen! (What is up with Sarah and John holding the same pose?)

Go!

One more just for fun!

A view of Duhok in the sunset:

Zander and I exploring a cave (Batman's cave). I stepped on a bottle as we rounded the dark corner. "Crackkkk" Zander and I both jumped! (Thanks, Sarah, for taking this pic!)

The Kurdish flag

We ate dinner at "Duhok Paradise" after our hike. Our salads included pickled cucumbers (that weren't orange), pickled red cabbage (SOUR!), and diced apples in fig? jam. Between everyone's orders, we Pizza Mexicana (really good and tasted like pizza back home), Pizza Marguerite, and chicken tikka (or chicken on a skewer). Enjoyed a great view and wonderful team fellowship.

Saturday, September 22nd:
In the morning I was able to chat via Facebook with Pastor John. It was encouraging to hear from home (and converse in "real" American, even to the point of using sarcasm!) Went over to Mary's for a waffle brunch. Just as we finished up our meal, Mary received an alarming message on Facebook. Almost immediately, we (or least I) went into the default mode of last year - move into a holding pattern until we hear from the administration. Thankfully they responded quickly and even though we were still unnerved by the message, it seems that the response was faster and more complete. We sat with each other, grading papers and watching Henry until about 3.

Sarah was able to Skype with her parents, and then she and I went down to the market to change money and look for a DVD player and TV. Along the way, we saw a small grass fire. Someone ahead of us had just walked by, but I couldn't just leave it. After all, I worked for a wildland firefighting company! What to do? Thankfully Sarah brought her water bottle and, after assessing the situation and determining that it was just burning paper and grass (no alcohol), she poured water over it while I kicked some sand over the small embers. Sarah and I might just have saved all of Duhok! We ended up going the long way through the market, picking up a few souvenirs and other fun purchases. In the end, we bought a DVD player and TV too! When we got home, we set up the TV/DVD right away. It worked! Three successes in one day - we found a DVD player, we found a TV, and we got it working! Unbelievable!

After some lesson planning, we went back to John and Mary's to hang out. Tomorrow, a rep from the school will pick us up, take us to school, then escort Mary back home after her class. Praying that all goes well and we are able to walk in the Spirit.

September 19th and 20th: Teaching Musical Learners and Learning from Teachers

Wednesday, September 19th:
I compiled the Multiple Intelligences scores into an Excel spreadsheet (I can't help it, my dad is an accountant). The results were revealing. The majority in each class are musical and kinetic learners. The next highest is linguistic, which makes sense considering they all know several languages in a setting where storytelling and verbal communication are very important to their culture. The scores are much lower for spatial learning, which correlates with the low emphasis placed on art. Lastly, most of my students are very interpersonal, but not necessarily intrapersonal. While all of this ties to their cultural setting, I am realizing that it will not be an easy task to apply the information to my teaching style (or Saxon's). Praying for guidance as I strive to become a better teacher and for the strength to take up this challenge.

I had a quiet day with the kids. We actually worked through the entire lesson. I found myself using normal teacher methods to manage the classroom - calling on kids who were talking to answer the question, asking if their name was "Roj" when someone other than "Roj" answered the question ... all those things we remember our teachers doing to us (and being annoyed by).

After school, we took a taxi home. Sarah was kind enough to suggest it since I wasn't feeling well. I ate a bag of nuts at the break and immediately afterwards, my throat got really tight, and I felt tired and yucky. My last class was a little harder because I wasn't feeling well, but we made it through. The walk would have probably worn me out, but the taxi ride provided a little bit of rest. I took some vitamins and allergy medicine, then graded papers for awhile. Later, I looked up some math quotes for ideas to direct classroom discussion.

"Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas." Albert Einstein

"To all of us who hold the Christian belief that God is truth, anything that is true is a fact about God, and mathematics is a branch of theology." Hilda Phoebe Hudson

"Music is the pleasure the human mind experiences from counting without being aware that it is counting." Gottfried Leibniz

At 4:30, John, Mary, Henry, Sarah, and I left for Andy and Lisa's. We picked up some ice cream on the way for dessert. Lisa made Mexican, which made me VERY happy! We had Mexican chicken wraps with rice and beans on the side. For dessert, Sarah and I whipped up our own concoction - a combination of sopapillas and a dessert I've had at a Mexican restaurant. We put a scoop of ice cream in a piece of Lebanese flat bread, rolled it up, and drizzled honey and cinnamon on the top. It was actually really good!

After our Skype call, I wasn't feeling very well and neither was Mary (she is still fighting off the bug that has been going around their house.) We shared prayer requests and prayed with each other, then took a taxi home. I was in bed by 8:30pm, but had a hard time falling asleep...

Thursday, September 20th:
The Internet is finally working again! I had to uninstall everything and then we had to stop and buy another recharge card (5 days early) but everything seems to be working fine now. It is a blessing to have had Internet so consistently up until now. Last year it was more irregular. I definitely did not take it for granted the way I have this year.

During my break at school, it was confirmed - I made it on the Assyrian channel last night at 8pm. Some of the teachers told me this morning and reassured me that it would be repeated later :P

Despite my new-found celebrity status (I don't think my kids actually know), my classes went well. I gave them a quiz at the beginning of class. In my sixth grade classes, I read the questions aloud and told them I would only repeat each one three times. Thankfully, the kids were very attentive and I didn't have to stretch it to four. I really enjoyed my time in the classroom. Even though I still had to be firm, I realized their need to make noise and hum while they were working and didn't get as frustrated. The first class is doing a little better with being respectful and I've realized that pulling one boy out from the long break is more effective than a group of them. I had a good conversation with one boy today (the one who got in trouble two days ago) and hope to build individual relationships that will lead to better and better behavior (*etc.) While I was talking to him, one of my sixth graders (the one who was watching me so attentively and was a nightmare in all of his classes last year) came up to the student and said, "Why are you so bad for her when she is the best teacher?! How can you do that?!" I just stood there quietly and thanked the Lord for such a turnaround in this student. Everyone was warning me about him (and I had seen his disobedience at the soccer clinic). I prayed for him a lot before he was finally put in my class. I was concerned that he would be disgruntled after not passing the re-take (and he really did try his best on it), but God has blessed in ways I didn't expect. The younger students imitated his rebelliousness last year, so I am hopeful that he will have a positive influence with them this year.

Sarah and I stayed late to grade papers. I got to talk to some of my students as they waited for their drivers. We got home about 3pm. During our team debrief last night, I realized that the last few weeks have flown by. Without time to process recent events and a constant struggle to keep up with the needs of my students, I've been feeling behind and discouraged. After team meeting and again during devotions, I asked the Lord to help me make my time purposeful. This afternoon, He answered prayer. I was able to grade all of the quizzes and homework papers while listening to a lecture, write a couple emails, then spend time in prayer and afterwards journal for a little bit. The lecture looked at God as our intimate friend and challenged me to go to God expectantly. I was able to drop my feelings of inadequacy and felt much more refreshed and thankful after time with Him.

We have discovered Tangerine Fanta here and it actually tastes a lot different than Orange Fanta. It was a fun treat to have this afternoon.

At 7pm, Sarah and I met some of the other teachers at Zeri Park. My bershe (Helen) is leaving for Turkey at the end of the month, so I wanted to say goodbye to her before she left. She teared up when we greeted each other and there were some sad moments throughout the evening. I am thankful to know that we will meet again in eternity if not on this earth. At the park, we rode on a flight simulator, which looked like an airplane on the outside, but a roller coaster on the screen. It was a pretty bumpy ride! Afterwards, we ate some ice cream, walked around, and talked until about 8pm. All six of us piled into a taxi and went to the Assyrian hall for Dumballah! I came close to winning :) but in the end, just enjoyed being with friends. They tried to show me how to snap my index fingers together (it is something I've only seen here), and I learned some new Assyrian words. By 11pm, I thought I'd made it through the evening without drawing extra attention to myself. Then, I caught part of an announcement just as everyone at our table started squeezing my arm and giggling, "They are talking about you." I caught enough to know that they were introducing me as the Japanese girl from America whose cousin is Jackie Chan. Besides the announcement at the end, our time together was refreshing and encouraging. God has been good to provide friends who belong to a part of this culture and are willing to take me into their lives.