School and a Birthday Party

The past two weeks have been busy.

We're starting to get to the time of "last dinners" and "last get-togethers" with people.

We're getting our school work done, I've been teaching at the Ocean and also at Sala Sala, but we are also taking out time to go to the beach and pool with our homeschool group for one last lesson with our swim teacher and to attend birthday parties for our friends.

It is hard to believe that in a month, we'll be back in the US and setting off on a whirlwind adventure drive around the States to visit family and friends.

Just two more weeks of school and then packing!  The time will fly!

Mother's Day photo with my kiddos!

Some of the books that we used for school these past two weeks.

Sissi, working on one of her drawings.  Do you see her painting in the background, on the right?  She did such a good job with all the details.

The boys, watching a video about Booker T. Washington and Tuskegee University.

Sissi's gift to Mae for her birthday.

Mae, wearing the necklace that Sissi and I made her and getting ready for her candle to be lit!

What a smile while we were singing to her.

Mae's mommy and sister.  They are from Germany and work with SIL/Wycliffe.

Sissi, all ready to eat her treats!  You can kind of make out Deanna's shoulder and Mahayla in the window...Mahayla didn't want her picture taken.

Mae's sister, Grace.

On the way home from this party, we started to get stuck in the sand pits and mud.  The girls were a bit worried as you could feel us sinking and the mud was spraying everywhere.  I was praying for 4WD to "kick-in" and trying to move the tires in different directions so we didn't get stuck.  Deanna was praying as well, and I was driving..or as she put it later, when we were shaking and out on the road, she "had the prayer wheel and I had the car wheel."  Whew!  It was quite an experience!  Memories to be sure!

A lovely day with friends

Our friends, the Vargies, came over and spent the better part of the day with us.  I put a few pictures up on Facebook, but thought I would put the rest of them on my blog, so that we can always go back and look at them and enjoy them when I print my blog at the end of the year.

What a lovely family, with such sweet hearts.  Always ready to help and to serve.  They have been an amazing blessing to us, from the very first day we arrived in Tanzania.  I hope one day to visit them in their hometown in India.

A bit of goofing off as they were posing for the picture.

I really like this one!

This was Sissi taking the picture :), too cute not to share!

The parents!

Big Julia and Little Julia

The boys with Grace

We wanted a group shot and so we asked Happy, our gardener, to take it.  As I was showing him how to use the camera, this was one of the shots we took.  I love how Indy is stretching and getting ready for that picture.

Group shot success!

Happy!  What an awesome guy this man is, he keeps us safe, takes care of our yard, plays games with the kids...we could not have asked for a better gardener and guard!

A Happy Birthday to Gwangi, in Pictures

Our special day started with breakfast, of course....  The birthday person always gets to pick, so it was toast, fried eggs, a small bowl of cereal, and a smoothie.  The smoothie flavor was banana and mango with strawberry yogurt and some chocolate chips, oh so yummy!

Then, we had to shoot on over to HOPAC for Gwangi's ABRSM piano exam.  He was doing the Prep Test this year, so you get instant results.  That was good for my birthday boy!  He passed!!!

Then, home to do presents and have some play time.  This homeschool mommy gave the kids the day off!  So glad that I'm learning to be more flexible, hmmm.

He got a set of Orient Expedition Legos that Indy and I had purchased over 10 years ago :), it was the last of the "before we had kids...but, we're buying them for when we have kids" Lego sets.  Also, an Atari Greatest Hits DS game from Titi Vette and Uncle Tony!

When Krypto turned 8, he got his very own Bible.  Well, I had no idea I was setting a precedent by doing that, but Gwangi has been mentioning for ages that when he turns 8, he wanted his very own Bible as well.  As soon as we get back to the US next month, we'll be taking a special trip to Mardels to pick one out and have his name put on the front cover "in golden letters"

Yes, I know, his name shows up here :), but it was just too cute of a certificate and he was so happy that I made it for him!

Another "slip" with his name, I wanted to keep his certificate "from the Queen" for posterity though.

"Ahhhh, this is the coolest Lego set ever"....

Yes dear, I know, you say that about EVERY Lego set you get.  I'm just happy you are so content with a Lego set and a certificate for a Bible for your birthday!

Working on putting together his "Emperor's Ship"

Lunch was left over Irish Stew...and toast :)

I think my boy loves his carbs.

His completed Lego set.

Krypto with his teacher, Mr. Notman.  He feels like he did very well on his Grade 3 ABRSM Violin exam.  We'll know in a few weeks, once the results are returned.

Mr. Alloys, Gwangi's piano teacher.

Walking up the steps to the music room today.

Some beautiful flowers outside of the music room.

For dinner, we went to DJ's with the Peterson family.  

The boys played a Lego card game.

Sissi and her Daddy

The girls, enjoying their after dinner playing and milkshakes.

Sitting with the Petersons, chatting after dinner.

Gwangi and his friend, Caleb.

Monopolies, Strikes, and Immigration

Over the past two weeks of school we began covering the issues of child labor in the US, strikes and how they impacted children, communities, and families, the intricacies of the "Gilded Age" along with meeting some of the major players of the times (Carnegie, Rockefeller, Pierpont), and immigration during the 1870's and 1880's.  

We also read about Lottie Moon and her work in China, what a powerful story that was for all of us.  

We know most all of the states now, and so several times worked on a review game to be sure they could find them all on the map.  

Keep reading and looking to see some of the other things we did during the past two weeks of school.

The boys, seeing who can point out their state first.

Working on a craft while reading about how the French gave us the Statue of Liberty.

My take on a cinnamon roll/french toast casserole for breakfast.  Yummy!

Gwangi performing his ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal School of Music) pieces.  Their exams are next Thursday, the 9th of May.  A musician/examiner from the UK will be in country that day to hear all the children that are ready to perform.

Krypto playing his ABRSM exam pieces.  They also have to memorize 8 different scales, arpeggios, sight read a piece, and do several aural exams during the process.

Little Miss Sissi is working her way through Math U See Alpha...she loves to do math!

Gwangi likes to do his math on the floor in his room, so it's quiet and he's not disturbed by Sissi and I talking. 

Krypto is keeping a journal each day as part of his Tapestry of Grace writing assignment.  It also helps him to get his typing up to speed.  We used the free  www.typingweb.com this year and I highly recommend it.

For art this week, I pulled out our Draw, Write, Now books and we drew the Statue of Liberty.

Gwangi, working on his special lady.

Sissi, coloring her picture of the Statue of Liberty.

In this Life...

Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.  

2 Timothy 3:12

As I was finishing up reading 2 Timothy in my quiet time, this passage really stood out to me and I stopped and re-read it several times.  Then I prayed, and read it again. 

You see, where I live, there is quite a bit of persecution.  I know there are places with much more, but from my American perspective for the first 36 years of my life, there is very obvious persecution here…especially for our fellow believers.

In the past few months and weeks there have been riots, local church leaders killed, church fires and vandalism, violent home break-ins of friends with knives and guns, and fellows workers leaving the field because of cancer and other serious health concerns.  It is so obviously an attack in the spiritual realm, an attack to cause fear and to chase off those faithful ones that are here to spread the news.

Our family has been spared any of these more outrageous attacks, and yet there still has been the occasional thought of “why me?” due to financial strain, health attacks with back pain, shoulder issues and foot problems, overwhelming commitment levels on many fronts, and environmental issues with loss of water and electricity, and flooding on our dirt road so that our home isn’t accessible for a vehicle without 4-wheel drive.

Many of these issues you can probably relate to, as I know they aren’t just relegated to the Third World location in which I live.

And yet, I think - Then why am I complaining? 

I willingly took on this role; it wasn’t a sacrifice, it was something we wanted to do, that we worked and spoke about and saved to be able to do.  We considered it a blessing to be able to be one of the ones that “goes”…we get to do what so many want to do.  We knew going in to this that these kinds of things were a reality.  But, is it really all that different from my life before?

Do people get cancer back in the US…even friends of mine?  Yes.  Do people have break-ins and get hurt where I come from?  Yes, they do.  Have people vandalized buildings and hurt church leaders…why, yes, they have. 

So, I re-read the verse again… "Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”  It doesn’t say just those in the field will be persecuted…we ALL will be persecuted when we make the decision to follow Jesus.  It’s going to happen, and it isn’t a sacrifice, we choose it, knowing full well what is going to happen.

Then, I say, be ready, be prepared, expect it to happen so that it doesn’t overwhelm you when it comes…yes, even in a comfortable life in a First World country.  You desire to follow the Lord?  Then expect persecution and trouble…BUT, remember this next verse, because just like all scripture is God breathed (2 Tim 3:16 &17), so too is this wonderful truth...

The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever.  2 Timothy 4:18

I am so thankful that the Lord’s promises are true.  Will there be trouble and persecution in this life, yes, but, we also have the hope that He is the strong tower that we can run into and be safe! (Prov. 18:10)

What is a Servant?

The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those in opposition.  2 Timothy 2:24

Over the past couple of weeks, I have seen a resurgence of “issues” crop up between my 7 and 5 year old.  Almost daily my husband comes home to hear some report of how the two of them were “at it” again and needed some time-out to cool off before we could have a chat about what happened and what was the condition of their heart.

I am not sure where it is coming from…presumably it’s stress with the upcoming transition back to the US, losing friends again, having to make choices about what toys and clothes to leave behind, fear of the unknown, because remember, they have been here for 2 years… Sissi can hardly remember people or places that we bring up in conversation anymore, and she gets very frustrated when Indy, Krypto and I say “What, you don’t remember that?”… Poor girl, we’re trying so hard to stop, but it just “comes out” sometimes.

At the beginning of each school day, we work on our Scripture memory work, you can see how we do that here -

http://www.whateveristrueandnoble.blogspot.com/2013/02/scripture-memory-box.html

This past week was declared a “review week” and so there was no new verse to learn.  On Tuesday, as I was reading 2 Timothy in my own quiet time, I came across 2 Timothy 2:24 about what a servant of the Lord should be like…. how many times have I seen this list of attributes; being loving, kind, peaceful, patient, gentle.  I’m sure you can name a few verses, as can I.  It is all through the Bible and if He said it that many times, shouldn’t we do it?  Shouldn’t we have these Fruits of the Spirit in our lives?

I’ve used this verse several times with my 7 year old in particular this week, because he’ll be 8 in just 2 weeks and something in me is saying, “He needs to know this, he has got to work on this now, before he gets much older.”  I have had him memorize it, we’ve written it out, we’ve drawn pictures about what actually happened between him and his sister, and then he fills in the other side with what “should have” happened if he had been patient and gentle. 

Then it hit me, I am still struggling with this as well, aren’t I?  Aren’t we all? 

I have got to remember grace in my parenting, on a DAILY basis, because I am often argumentative, and not always kind, and the one that really stuck out to me… am I being gentle when I correct the children that are in opposition to God’s authority in their life.  And, the truthful answer is, no, I’m not always very gentle.  I often times lose my patience and have to apologize for being rough in my correction.  I might be “right” in that I’m correcting a behavior, but by being sarcastic or unduly harsh in my correction, and not being gentle, I lose any ability to work in their heart.  They just get angry in return at my harshness.

Will this change overnight?  I don’t think so, and yet I’ve seen improvement, in them and in me, over the past couple of years.  We are all going through a time of stress and upheaval right now.  Just like I attribute the outbursts on their end to the transition, so my harsh attitude at times is because of that as well… I feel “busy” all the time trying to wrap up commitments here, selling our stuff, setting up things in the US, the list seems to be never ending; yet, the kids still need me, they need my attention and my love and me to be gentle when I correct them and patient when I feel they have wronged me (and the Lord) by disobeying.  We could all stand to remember the grace in how we approach each other.

It is so important to hide God’s word in our heart, not just in the children’s heart, but in OUR heart.

We’re all on this journey, of being a bond-servant to the Lord, and just like I’m still working on it and am thankful that the Lord’s mercies are new every morning, I need to be merciful to my children each new day and realize that they are struggling to learn these Fruits as well. 

A couple more weeks of school

It's been quite a few weeks since I've done a post about school stuff.  We've been back from Spring Break for 2 weeks and it's that "wonderful time of the year" when you are starting to finish things up.  Workbooks are being completed and tossed (yes, I'm entirely un-sentimental...I toss it all, to the horror of my children and husband, but I am definitely the anti-hoarder), curriculums are being completed, new ones are being picked and ordered...I LOVE IT!

These past two weeks we've been covering the "scramble" for Africa in the 1870's and 80's.  We did mapwork showing what the African countries looked like then and the geography of the continent, read a book about African Myths and Legends, talked about the Conference of Berlin, and also covered the life and ministry of Mary Slessor.  We are winding down our study of Queen Victoria's life as well, "Mom, we've been talking about her forever!"... "Yes, I know, she was the queen for more than 60 years."  We talked about 3 Presidents and their terms in office, Hayes, Garfield, and Arthur.  Krypto got to read "King Solomon's Mines" and "Just So Stories" these past two weeks and really enjoyed both.  I had wanted to cover India at this time as well, but that just didn't get in...maybe next week I can sneak it in a bit.  We'll see what I can work out in my planning this weekend.

I also started the process of picking out all the stuff I need for next year.  Each year it seems I need less and less stuff, and that is quite a blessing.  I'm glad we've been able to pick things that have worked well for all three children and can be reused over and over again.

If you homeschool, have you started your Fall 2013 planning yet?  Anything new and exciting to share?  I have a few new things we're adding in next year.  Stay tuned for a post soon about what our next school year will look like.

Gwangi, cutting and pasting his labels onto his map of West Africa.

We started in West Africa with our map work...then we did a day on Central Africa and part of East Africa, then moved to the rest of East Africa and South Africa.  We talked about the people and cultures of these areas and read a book about the continent of Africa as whole...covering economics, religion, education, etc.

Sissi, my little Kindergartner, is really reading well.  She finished Explode the Code 1 and moved into book 2 this past week.

Gwangi is already about a third of the way through Math U See Gamma (equivalent to 3rd grade) and he's doing his multiplication tables very well.

This is what I left in my bed at 7 am one day to go make pancakes.

This is what I returned to at about 7:20, telling them that breakfast was ready.

This is quickly becoming the stereotypical "Kids' Silly Face" picture.  Let me just say, it's always THEIR idea to do this :)!