Kids Club

Yesterday was our last Kids Club of the school year.

We watched a movie.

We had snacks.

We thanked our volunteers.

It was such a fun time.

And it got me thinking about Kids Club over the years...



A few years after I first arrived in Dakar, I asked if we could reinstate a kids' program which had been cancelled a few years prior. It'd be similar to Children's Church back in the States. It'd be the little kid version of the weekly Youth Group held at the school.

We'd hear a Bible lesson, play games, do crafts, sing in Worship, eat snacks, and just have a good ol' time together each week, while learning more about our Savior.

Then I left for 2 years. And that first sweet lady who helped us kept Kids Club going. I was so happy to hear all the incredible reports of kids coming each week and continuing to draw closer and closer to our Heavenly Father. I loved it!

Then I came back and that sweet lady left. So back to it, I went, leading Kids Club.

And last year, I had 5 other adults working with me. We joked that sometimes we were stepping over each other because we had so many helping. These ladies were such an incredible blessing to me last year. I was so grateful for their work. 

This year, I was alone again, in leading it. While I definitely enjoyed it, it was hard. Eventually we had another adult come in to help out some. So that, combined with our middle school helpers, was such a blessing.

My goal in reinstating this program at my school was to provide the opportunity for our youngest students to have that extra time to learn about the love of God and His Word. And for some of our kids, school is the only place where they can have this opportunity. So it's extra special and meaningful for me that we can have this club, to add to what the kids are already learning in their Bible classes each day and chapel each week.

Wednesday is my longest day each week.

But I love it.



I love working with these kids.



I love teaching them.



I love sharing all about the love of Jesus. I love seeing them working together in games and crafts. I love hearing their sweet voices singing during Worship time.



I love seeing their eagerness to learn more about the Word of God.



I love it all.

And while I'd love to say that I'll definitely continue to lead Kids Club this upcoming school year and beyond, at this point, I just don't know...

My class is tripling in size from what I had at the beginning of the year this year. As a result, I'll be stretched a little (well, actually a lot) more than I was this school year. So, lately I've been thinking that it might be best for me to step down from leading Kids Club. And that's a hard, hard decision to make. But I just don't know if I can do it on top of the extra responsibilities and prep time (outside of normal school hours) that automatically come with teaching a class like mine. 

But we'll see. 

I have an idea of how it might work. And hopefully there will be more interest from our Staff to help next year, so I won't be all alone in leading it. If so, then it might work out. So again, we'll see.

But one thing I know for sure is, whether this is my last year or not, I have thoroughly enjoyed leading Kids Club each week. My time with these precious elementary schoolers has been such a blessing - one I'm so very grateful for.

What's Up May

Happy Wednesday Y'all

Today I'm joining  Mel, Shay, and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. 

 

Every month we answer the same few questions based on how things are currently going in our lives. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?

I've been on a peppermint tea kick lately. Last night, I drank my cup while popping the popcorn for our Kids Club party which will be this afternoon. And yes, I realize this isn't eating. It's drinking. But still... It sort of counts. Right? :)

What am I reminiscing about? 



High School

It really seems like just yesterday that I was wearing that green cap and gown and receiving that diploma. It's so crazy to me that it's been 15 years since I graduated high school. I've changed so much in that time. And I wrote about this last week. If you missed it, you can read that post HERE.

What am I loving?

I'm loving these 4 faces. I'm loving the way they look at for one another and care for one another. I'm loving the fun we have. I'm loving the academic, social, and behavioral growth I'm seeing in them. I'm loving hanging out with them this last week of classes before Summer Break. And I'm loving that I'll have the privilege of being their teacher again next year :)

What have I been up to?

I'm keeping the same answer that I had last month, because it's still true...

I've been contacting pastors, slowly trying to fill my calendar for the summer, in hopes of sharing my heart/passion for this incredible ministry God's allowed me to be a part of. And here's where I insert a shameless plug... If you, your church, your small group, your kids' program, your family, or even just you, yourself, would like to have me come and share about the work God's doing here in Senegal, and beyond, send me an email at enichols85@gmail.com and we'll set something up.

What am I dreading praying for?

I'm going back to erasing the "dreading" part and replacing it with "praying for" instead. At the moment, I have a few main things I'm praying for...

I'm praying for a good ending to our school year. I'm praying for safe travels as I prepare to head back to the US for the Summer Break. I'm praying for open hearts and minds in hearing what I have to share about this ministry God's blessed me with. I'm praying for all the little financial details to be worked out for my missions budget/support and for living expenses this summer. I'm praying for good/special times with my family this summer. And I'm also praying for all the plans that need to fall into place for the upcoming school year, too.

What am I working on?

I'm in the middle of my class (as a student). So each week, I have assignments I'm working on. Every single week there's a multi-page Chapter Summary to write. Then there's also other random assignments along the way. I'm hoping to work ahead as much as possible this coming week, though. That way, I won't have quite as much to do once I get back to the States. Wish me luck :)

What am I excited about?

Have I mentioned Summer Break lately? ;)



Past that, my students were super excited yesterday about having fun with water balloons. I had big plans for "organized" games we could play with the water balloons. But my crew nixed those ideas and asked if they could just have a fun water fight. So that's what we did. And you know what? We had a blast :)

What am I watching?

I've been watching, in a semi-mesmerized state, so to speak, the videos from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. It was such a beautiful wedding!

What am I reading?

I read a new book this past weekend. Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson... Y'all, If I'm being 100% honest, I would have to say that this might just be my most favorite book I have ever read. Seriously. It was that good.

What am I listening to?

I treated my self to some new music the other day via iTunes. The songs below are just a small example of the eclectic variety of music I got :)

What am I wearing?

Y'all, it's been quite chilly the last few nights. The other night I was skyping my mom and looked at the temperature and realized it was 67F! That's crazy for this time of year in Senegal. And ironically enough, it's actually cooler here in Senegal, West Africa, than it is at home in Alabama! Oh and by the way... I'm so not complaining. I'd much rather be cold than hot. That's definitely for sure!

What am I doing this weekend?

Tomorrow's the last day of school for my students. And after lunch, we'll be helping most of the school with a big moving project, moving various classrooms around. Then I'm thinking about going home and crashing and partying hard by going to bed early. Ha! On Saturday morning, I'll work in my apartment, cleaning, and packing stuff away, getting it ready to be closed up all summer. And then that night, I'll be getting all dressed up and going to my school's Junior Senior Banquet. On Sunday, I'll spend the morning, finishing everything at home. Then I'll probably end up packing for my trip to the States. I'll go to church that night, for a special service honoring our graduating seniors. I usually call my mom on Sunday nights. So I'll do that. Then, I'll finish up any last minute grad school work due that night before going to bed. Doesn't my weekend sound simply fascinating? Ha! :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

Seeing my favorite two girls... Well, I'm looking forward to seeing all of my family, of course. But let's face it. These two rank pretty high on my list. :)



What else is new?

I have big plans for my class next year. It's unlikely they'll all come. But if they do, I could have a total of 12 kids in my room. Not all of them will be in here full time. But still... I'm so excited y'all! I've gone from being afraid my class would be cancelled because of potentially having too few students to possibly having too many... I can't wait to see what all God has in store for my crew next year!

And that's what I'm up to this month.

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Water Balloons and Prayer

Title caught your attention, huh? :)

In planning for this week, I told my class we could do one fun activity each day, outside of the normal day to day learning type activities we would be doing. I then let each student choose a fun activity. That way we'd have one a day :)

One guy chose for us to have a Water Balloon fight.

The problem was, the only water balloons I found were in a ziploc bag, all melted together and just didn't look hopeful. But still... We made plans. I sent a note home, for the students to bring in their towels and a change of clothes the next day.

Then this morning came. I took the bag of rough looking balloons to the sink outside and started the process of filling them. And balloon after balloon popped before they were even half full. I literally went through 20 balloons and NONE worked.

I panicked. 

I (not so smartly) planned for us to do this activity without fully checking the balloons first. I sent a note home and got the kids' hopes up before fully checking the balloons first. I knew if this didn't work, I'd have 4 super sad kids on my hand in less than an hour.

Then, I stopped, took a deep breath, and I prayed.

God, I realize this is my fault. I realize I messed up. But if there's any way this situation can be fixed, will you do it? If there's any way possible to salvage this situation so my kids can have a fun morning, playing in water, can you make it happen?

And in a totally cool way, I had the "strangest" feeling that I should check in one of my storage bins for more water balloons. ...which didn't make sense. I just knew there was no way they were in there. After all, I didn't have any more water balloons.

But I checked.

And guess what I found.

Yep, water balloons.

4 brand new packs, at that.

...more than I needed.

I know I bought them, but I thought for sure, we'd already used them.

So I went out, filled my tub full of water balloons and then drug it back to my classroom (since I still can't lift anything heavy with my left hand). And I waited... I waited for my crew to get to school and for the time to come for us to go have fun together.

And fun, we had.

And through it all, God taught me a valuable lesson.

Sometimes our first instinct is to whine

 and complain 

and lose hope.

But why?

Why don't we FIRST go to God in prayer?

Why don't we ask God for help BEFORE whining and complaining and losing hope?

And yes, I realize this is a somewhat simplistic example of this.

But sometimes God gives us simplistic examples to help us see things more clearly.

And for that, I'm grateful. 

I'm grateful for water balloons

and happy kids

and answers to prayer

and most of all, for a God who loves me so incredibly much

that He gives me the wants in my heart, along with the needs.

5 on Friday, Q & A Style

Happy Friday Y'all

Today I'm joining April, Natasha, and Christina for their 5 on Friday linkup. 

And I'm sharing 5 of my most frequently asked questions, as of late.

~ one ~ 

When will you be back in the States?

I'll land June 9th and will fly out again on August 4th. That will give me exactly 8 weeks from touch down to take off. And while it seems like a long break, it's actually a short amount of time to get done everything I need to do.

~ two ~ 

What will you be doing in the States?

I will be connecting with churches and individuals who support my ministry here in Dakar. I will be speaking at various churches during my time back, sharing my heart for the incredible group of kids God's allowed me to work with. I'll be fundraising, raising the rest of the funds needed to keep me on the mission field, doing this work. And I'll also be reconnecting with family and friends and soaking up time spent with them, and maybe even making a trip or two to Chick-fil-A while I'm there :)

~ three ~ 

How many students will you have next year?

We don't really know yet. I could have anywhere from 6 to 10 at this point. And that's only counting the ones I'm aware of. You never know if others might apply over the summer... It all just depends on a whole lot of factors. But there's one thing I do know... Whether I have 6 or I have 60 (oh dear Lord), I will be doing what God called me to do. And that is a wonderful, wonderful feeling :)

~ four ~

How do we financially support your ministry?

Click HERE to donate online (either as a one-time donation or as a recurring monthly commitment). Or if you'd prefer to not do so online, send me an email at enichols85@gmail.com and I can send you the address to do that.

~ five ~

How can we pray for you?

Help me pray for all the little details to fall into place for planning for this upcoming school year. I, obviously, want to take in any student I can because I want them all to have the same opportunity for education as their typically-abled peers. But I also can't overextend myself to the point that I burn out and end up not good for any of them. Help me pray that the right amount of students (according to God) get accepted for my class. Help me pray for wisdom and guidance for me in mapping out my curriculum for the coming year. And on those lines... It'd be really, really nice to know exactly how many students (and who they are) I'll have before leaving for the summer. That way I can better plan for them. So, help me pray that that happens... 

And past that, help me pray for a good end to this current school year. My students will be finished on June 1st. Then I'll have a week of teacher work days, where I'll be closing up my classroom for the summer, finishing up last minute paperwork, and doing a bit of prep work ahead of time for next year.

And one last thing... Help me pray for safe travels as I travel back to the US in a couple weeks. Thankfully, my flying time won't be outrageously long, but still...

And now, do you have any other questions? 

These 5 are ones I get all the time from supporters, from family and friends back home, from others, etc. But I'm sure there are other questions. So ask away :)

Growing in Gratitude

Happy Thursday Everybody

Today I'm joining Julie and Trista for their monthly Growing in Gratitude link-up, helping us to focus more on having an attitude of gratitude.

I shared the image above on Facebook the other day. And it got me thinking... Someone (or rather 3 someones) I'm super thankful for at work are my principals. At my school, we have students in PreK - 12th in one school. Therefore, we have 3 different principals AND a director we work under. And as a Special Ed teacher, working to meet the needs of my students and advocate for them to receive what they need/desert, I've had to meet/work with all of them a LOT this past year and this year. And I'll have to do so even more this coming school year (and beyond). 

I would have NEVER been able to start my class if it would not have been for the INCREDIBLE support, encouragement, and assistance of our principals (all of them). And knowing that I'll have students in my room from elementary grades, middle, and high school grades, I knew I'd be working with all 3 of our principals this coming year. 

And y'all... I've taught under a principal who was not very supportive of me or my students (thankfully not here at DA!). So I can truly appreciate what a huge blessing having such supportive principals really is.

I'm thankful this room every Wednesday. This is where we have Kids Club each week. I love my time with these kids each week. And I feel so blessed that God's allowed me to lead them, to learn from them, and just to get to know them. I love this time each week. And while it pains me to consider, I know I may not be able to continue to do Kids Club next year. So help me pray that God gives me guidance and peace about that decision - whether I continue it or not...

I'm thankful, not just for these beautifully delicious looking cookies, but also for my sweet friend and co-worker who had her Baking Club at school help her make them for our Kids Club party we're having next week. What a special treat!

I'm thankful for a new (to us) website geared towards kids in school, where we can research all sorts of fun things. This week, we're using it to research information about various animals for our Design a Zoo project (which I'll share more about later). My kids are LOVING this research time every day!

I'm thankful for teachers sharing ideas via the internet. This is something I've always been thankful for, but so much more so this year as I didn't have a set curriculum. So I've spent lots of time this year, scouring the internet, looking for ideas and such. And now, as I look ahead to next school year, I'm already making plans. Plans, like using the book, Ferdinand, in a special way, with my crew.

** And as a side note, my class has gone from "Oh no, we might have to cancel because we have so few kids to Oh no, if many more apply, we might have to start turning people away because we're going to have to many students for one room/one teacher." This is such an incredibly huge answer to prayer!

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15 years

It was on this day, 15 years ago, that I graduated high school.

On the 10th anniversary, I wrote this post, which shared all I'd been up to since my high school graduation. Instead of rewriting all of that, I thought I'd share a bit about what has changed now in the 5 years, since I wrote...

I taught ESL for one year in Dakar.

When I left Dakar, I thought I'd be coming back one day to do a different type of ministry, and I made plans for that. But as we all know, God likes to change things up periodically, to keep things interesting ;)

Anywho - I came back to sweet home Alabama for a year and a half, where I taught Special Education at a historic school in Selma, Alabama.

My dad passed away in 2015. That was most definitely the hardest thing I've ever gone through. And the grief from that still rocks me to my core some days...

I came back to Dakar to teach in February 2016.

And I've been here ever since.

This past August, I started a class for an incredible group of kids.

And I've seen the incredible hand of God working, every step of the way.

I feel as if I've grown so incredibly much in the last 15 years.

I used to be this super shy, horribly UN-confident person.

But now...

Now I'm confident in the gifts and abilities my Heavenly Father has blessed me with. I'm confident in my teaching abilities, my missionary abilities, my whatever abilities... I've finally hit a point in my life, where I don't care as much what people think about me. I, instead, focus on what God thinks of me, and what He has for me to do with my life. 

15 years is a long time.

There have been ups

and downs.

There have been good times

and bad.

And I must say...

I'm excited to see what the next 15 years hold!

Tuesday Talk on a Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Y'all

Today I'm joining Erika and Ashley for their Tuesday Talk link-up, where they invite bloggers to join in and talk about anything they choose on their blogs. Only I'm a day late since I forgot to post this yesterday, so...

Without further ado, here are my thoughts on this fine Wednesday :)

~ one ~

See that paper under my cup? 

It's my plane ticket. Yep, that's right. It's FINALLY bought.

I'll be landing in the US on June 9th.

And after 10 long months, I'll get to see my family again.

And I do realize that some people go far longer than that between visits.

But this is the longest I've ever gone. 

I've so missed these 5 faces :)



~ two ~

It's the end of the school year.

That time of year where I realize that while I absolutely 100% love my students, I'm so very ready for summer break. And in case you're wondering, I only have 12 more school days with students and 1 more work week after that :)

So the other day, when I saw the image below, I was like...

YES! This is so me!



I'm definitely counting down the say 'til summer break.

But at the same time, I've got so many dreams and plans floating around in my head, planning for the upcoming school year. Y'all, I just can't wait to get back here and to be able to put them all into place!

~ three ~

Speaking of my class next year...

Y'all, God has answered so many prayers! 

I went from being told there's the possibility it might cancel from not having enough students to telling my admin that we'll have to possibly turn away students if any more apply since I have so many scheduled to be in my room.

You have no idea how many sleepless nights I've laid in bed, wide awake, literally crying my heart out to God, begging Him to work in this situation.

I'm on cloud 9 y'all. 

I really am.

~ four ~ 

I'm scheduling services for this summer. But I'm having trouble getting responses back. I've tried calling multiple churches, with no answer, or with no call-back. I've written multiple emails, with only a few replies back. I'm going to start contacting pastors through Facebook this week.

Will you help me pray that I make the contacts God wants me to make?

Will you help me pray for open doors and hearts?

Will you help me pray for God to provide the necessary funds for me to continue doing this ministry He has called me to do?

And shameless plug...

If you would like me to come share my heart for Senegal and these incredible kids God's given me the opportunity to work with, send me an email at
enichols85@gmail.com 
and we'll set something up. I could share with your whole church, small group, children's or youth service, anything... Or if you, personally, would like to get together for coffee and hear more about my ministry here in Senegal, send me an email and we'll set that up. I would love the opportunity to share my heart with you while I'm in the States this summer.

What Makes Me Happy

Happy Tuesday Y'all



Today, I'm once again, participating in the #PSLoveMe Challenge, writing on Prompt #24, which asks us...What makes you HAPPY?

Want to know what makes me happy?

A lot...

My family makes me happy.



Being Aunt Zizzie to these two girls makes me happy.



Reading my Bible makes me happy.



Working for AGWM makes me happy.

 

Working at Dakar Academy makes me happy.



Seeing my name on that blue door every morning makes me happy.



Teaching this incredible group of kids makes me happy.



Leading Kids Club each week makes me happy. In fact, working at any point with our incredible Elementary schoolers makes me happy :)

 



A delicious plate of food makes me happy.



Time with friends makes me happy.



Learning something new makes me happy.



Having time to read makes me happy.




Cooking makes me happy.




Showing visitors around my beloved Senegal makes me happy.

 

And time spent in sweet home Alabama makes me happy too.



Memories make me happy.



And on a far less serious note, Reese's make me happy :)

And that's just a small list of things that make me happy :)

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Want to play along?

Check out the Prompts below.