What's Up June

Happy Wednesday Y'all

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

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

The questions are...

 

What am I eating?

Chik-fil-a, of course.

What am I reminiscing about?

The 2018-2019 school year. What a year!

 

 What am I loving?

I'm loving sharing my heart at churches and over coffee, with small groups and kids' classes... I'm loving telling others about this incredible ministry God has called me to be a part of. I'm loving connecting with supporters and meeting new ones. I'm loving traveling around my home state, seeing the beautiful land I call my sweet home Alabama. And most of all, I'm loving that God has entrusted me with this calling, this gift/opportunity to help further His Kingdom.

What have I been up to?

Soaking up all the family time I can in between speaking engagements

What am I dreading? 

Nothing at the moment... Well, except maybe going outside at any point due to the ridiculously high humidity Alabama is facing.

What am I working on?

I’ve started reading our required summer Professional Development read. I sent my principal the image below as a joke. But I must admit, the teacher nerd in me loves this sort of thing. I love reading these required books, attending workshops and seminars... I love learning. I really do :)


 

What am I excited about?

My mom got a new puppy. Seeing her happiness over this adorable ball of fur (named Cindy, by the way) made me super happy/excited :)

What am I watching?

My mom and I going my brother and his family last night and watched Toy Story 4 in the theater. I’m so glad I went. I won't share any spoilers, due to so many people not being able to see it yet. But I will say this... I thought the movie was so well done. And yes, I totally cried (more than once). It was a great movie!

What am I reading?

I had big plans of blogging a lot and reading a lot this summer. So far, I’ve blogged none since Summer Break started. And I’ve read two pages out of the book pictured below. The book is good. I just have spent more time hanging out with family, going to church, and relaxing. And y’all... I’m not in the least bit sorry about that. It’s been glorious.

Past that, I have a stack of books, ready to be read. But honestly... I've enjoyed spending time with my family and relaxing and not worrying about reading a ton. And that's okay. Sometimes relaxation involves reading (for fun). Sometimes it doesn't. And I'm okay with that. :)

What am I listening to?

Have you guys heard Jeremy Camp’s song, “Reign in Me”? Such a good song!

 

What am I wearing?

I found a new hair product that works with my super long, thick, curly head of hair. I realize this is such a non-important thing in the scheme of things. But y’all have no idea how hard it is to tame this frizz ball in the high humidity of Senegal and in Alabama. So finding something like this was huge! And yes, I will be saving quite a bit of luggage space for this goodness :)

What am I doing this weekend?

I'm going to Florala (the city where I graduated high school) for the weekend. There's a parade at this time every year and lots of fun events set up in town. I'll be speaking at one of my supporting churches while there. And my mom will be going with me this time. So it'll be nice for the two of us to have this extra time together. 

What am I looking forward to next month?

Still being on Summer Break for most of it
More speaking about Senegal, including 3 new to me churches!
More family time

Family Reunion
Heading back to Senegal

What else is new?

My newest class just started today. This one will be all about working with individuals with Autism. Autism is such a fascinating diagnosis. And since no two cases of Autism are exactly alike, it makes it all that much more fascinating. So I know I'm going to really enjoy (and learn a lot from) this class.

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

He’s here.

Today, I'm joining Ashley and Erika for their monthly Tuesday Talk link-up, where we, bloggers, come together and talk about whatever is on our mind at the moment.

I had something else planned for today’s post. Something light-hearted and random. But my heart wasn’t in it. So instead, I’m writing this...

Sometimes, life is hard.

In the last 4 days, I know of 2 separate incidents that have occurred, leaving children I know seriously injured. One happened here in Dakar, involving a kid I know here. And the other, happened back in Alabama, involving three young children (and their mom) who are part of a family in my home church.

So here’s where my thoughts have been...

Why God?

Why?

Yep, that’s it.

I wish I could say that my first thoughts were different than that. I wish I could say that my first thoughts were of a Bible verse or something super spiritual, but they weren’t. It’s hard to fathom why things like this happen. It's hard to understand why these things had to happen to anyone who gets seriously injured like happened in both of these cases... But especially when it involves children.

It doesn’t make sense.

At all.

And that’s where God steps in.

And yes, I know He’s been there along, but you know what I mean...

It’s when I have those big questions that He steps in and says

I’m here.

When it doesn’t make sense...

I’m here.

When we wonder why...

I’m here.

When we don’t know what to say/do...

I’m here.

God is always with us. 

And it’s this model that we should imitate. We need to be there...

Here in Dakar, I watched as neighbors rallied together, leaving their own homes, helping someone else even before fully knowing what was happening... I’ve heard reports of people from all over praying for healing and protection and provision of medical care. In Alabama (well, on Facebook), I’ve watched reports of a family with 4 members fighting for their lives, reading comment after comment about individuals and churches praying. It's times like this that the body of Christ steps up. And it's beautiful to see.

I will never ever understand why things like this happen.

Hurt.

Pain.

But, in the midst of the bouts of the not understanding...

In the midst of wondering why these sorts of things happen...

I remember

He’s here.

Please help me pray for these people and their families. Even if you don't know the names, you can still pray for healing, for protection, for provision, for strength, for peace and comfort, and for all of those involved to feel, even in the midst of the pain and suffering, and possibly even questioning of God...

Pray that they'll be able to feel

He's there.

God's there.

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If you missed my previous Tuesday Talk posts this year, just click on the links below to check them out.


January - Introduction to Me

February - The Little Things

 March - You Might Be A Special Ed Teacher If...

April - Spring Break in America

May - Home Assignments 

A Missions Related Favorite

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post, sharing 10 things I wish I'd known before becoming a missionary, which you can read HERE if you missed it. However, I accidentally left one thing off. And it's actually a big one. Want to know one of my most favorite lessons  is that I quickly learned after becoming a missionary?

People are so amazingly generous.

 Different mission organizations handle support raising (fundraising) in different ways. I am with the Assemblies of God. We, missionaries, are given a budget to raise, which includes a certain amount of monthly commitments and a certain amount of cash (one-time) donations to procure, as well. 

It's truly humbling to have to ask people for money.

It's not easy.

But you have to realize that you're not just simply asking for a handout. You're asking the person to prayerfully consider partnering with you for the advancement of the Kingdom - for assisting with fulfilling the Great Commission. 

And y'all... That puts it all into perspective a bit more.

So back to the point of this post...

People are so amazingly generous. 

There are people and churches who, for the past 10 years, have sacrificially/generously given each and every month, in support of my ministry.

There are people who have donated food and school supplies.

There are people who have sent care packages and birthday cards and little notes, all in the mail, as reminders that someone's thinking about me. 

There was a dentist who did a major work on my teeth (for free).

There are people who have bought my textbooks for my classes.

There was a family who let me live with them for 5-ish weeks during the summer while I was finishing my Master's degree. 

And then most recently, there was a couple who, out of the blue, contacted me and paid for my summer flight to/from the US.

Y'all, I've seen it so many times.
And each and every time, it makes me catch my breath and I get a little teary eyed, thinking of the generosity of these men, women, children (and whole church groups, too). These people are giving of their own resources to help me and to help my ministry here in Senegal. It really is humbling. It is.

So, yes.

This is most definitely a favorite in this career I call my own.

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Today, I'm joining Erika, Andrea, and Narci and for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup. Click one of their names to and join the fun

May 2019 in Photos

Happy Thursday, Y'all 

Tomorrow's my last (required) work day, so in my mind, I'm like this...

 

In reality, I'm not though.

I'm staying an extra week to do some prep work for the upcoming year - for Kids Club, and to work on some of the stuff for my Teacher Binder that I'll need to bring (the electronic version of) with me to the US over the summer. That way, I can do a little work on Long-Range Mapping/Planning for my students.

Anywho, on with the post...

For the past few years, I've taken a photo every single day. Then at the end of the year, I compile those photos into a book. I share some (not all) of the photos each month on here, if for no other reason, but to help me remember some of the fun memories and thoughts that went with them. 

And today, I'm sharing a few of my highlights from May.

May started off with a favorite prize in Kids Club - glow stick glasses. It made for lots of laughter and so very much fun. 

Towards the beginning of the month, I got the treat of watching our annual Spring Musical at school. This year, they did Wizard of Oz and it was so good!

Early in the month, it was like Christmas in May at school, due to the arrival of our shipping containers at school, holding all of our books and supplies and such for the upcoming school year. Seriously... It's like Christmas when the container comes every year. It may be hard work for most of our guys. But it's such a fun day!



A fun writing activity I did with my class in May was based on the book, The Best Part of Me, by Wendy Ewald. I was so very proud of my students for their writing in this assignment. They did such a great job!



I was able to spend a few days at the beach with some friends in May. It was such a nice trip. And waking up to the sound of the ocean/waves crashing, with a cool breeze blowing through the windows is such an amazing feeling. I love it!



May included some tasty treats, like home grown tomatoes (that tasted like the kind I buy in Alabama - so so good) and a new to me flavored water drink.

 




Another fun activity for my students was a new way of studying, courtesy of a Bible Jeopardy game I found online. How exciting!



Towards the middle of May, I watched the series finale of The Big Bang Theory with a friend. I've really enjoyed the show. And yes, I totally cried all throughout the last episode. It's slightly sad how sad I was at its ending.



A fun Kids Club activity we had this month was the day we'd learned the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead and then "re-enacted" the scene. Y'all... I haven't heard that much giggling in a long time. But you better believe the lesson stuck with the kids because of it. I loved it! :)



I spent a good bit of time in May, shadowing the current Drama Team Leader, watching how she runs practices, how she plans things for them, and how she handles their big dress rehearsal/performance, all in preparation for taking on that role in the upcoming school year.



One of the highlights of these two guys in May was issuing a challenge to a friend of mine and co-worker at the school, to a game of Rummikub. And even more than that... When one of my guys won, it was just the icing on the cake :)



I loved having the chance to see one of my younger students shine as one of the emcees of his class's talent show towards the end of the month.



We had our annual End of Year Kids Club Party at the end of the month, complete with cupcakes and popcorn, and a whole lot of board games and laughter. It was such a simply planned day. But the kids all had a blast! Me too :)



Another smile producing memory this month was receiving this sparkly note.

 

And then, on the last day of May 2019, we had our class party, since two friends would be leaving earlier than the others. It was such a fun time to recognize our students' achievements and reflect on such a nice year together.



And that was (some of my) my May 2019 in photos.

Oh, and in case you missed them, here are the previous months' photos...

January

February

March and April

Currently

Happy Wednesday Y'all

Today I'm joining Anne from In Residence for her monthly Currently link-up, where we share what's currently going on in our lives. Each month, Anne gives us a list of prompts to use to guide our posts. 

June's prompts are...

* picking * going * wishing * wearing * celebrating*

I'm currently picking/choosing what I could sell from my house (or at least I was yesterday). Every year, we have a yard sale of sorts for staff and graduating seniors to sell things. It's a great way for the people moving/leaving to unload their stuff and for the people staying to get new(-ish) things at a discounted rate. It's a win win for everyone. Anywho - I'm obviously not moving but I am trying to de-clutter my home a bit. And I thought this would be a good way to do that. Here's what I was selling. And thankfully, I only had a bit leftover, which I'll actually be donating to a good cause later next week.

I'm currently going nowhere, but school. I'm working in my classroom all day today, minus the time spent in a few meetings that are scheduled for today. I'll be taking a few Kids Club/Drama things up to our storage room on campus. And then I'll be finishing up the last of some required paperwork, as well. Then a friend and I are going to dinner tonight before heading to a reception the school throws for our seniors every year. So I'll be finishing off the night with that. 

It's worth mentioning, though, that tomorrow and Friday are required work days. Then I'll still be around for another few days. So since I'll be finished with all the required things for this year, I'm getting a head start on planning Kids Club lessons for the upcoming school year. And then by the middle of next week, I'll be boarding a plan, heading to the U.S. for my Summer Break.

I'm currently wishing there was a better option for cold meds. Liquid medicine makes me almost throw up. This horse pill of an option is what I went with. But oh my word, y'all... It's so huge! Whose bright idea was it to make people who are sick and likely have a sore throat swallow this ridiculous pill? Just sayin' ;)

I'm currently wearing a new set of freshly polished toes, thanks to a sweet end of school year gift. Also... On an unrelated note, can we acknowledge the view out my balcony door? Look at that green with little pops of color from the flowers. That's so rare for here. So I love it!

I'm currently celebrating the 2018-2019 school year. I'd be lying if I said this year has been super easy. It's definitely been a tough one. But even so, it's been a year that's produced all sorts of fun and sweet memories with the students I've called "mine." 

And now, since it's my blog, and I can, I thought I'd share a few more pictures showing what I've been up to lately...

Most of our AG workers currently in Senegal got together for lunch the other day at our mall's food court. Now, before you say anything - It really isn't like a mall in the States. But, it is still nice. ...especially for here.

Anywho - I enjoyed some tasty Lebanese food with a nice view.



I'm in the middle of sorting through everything and packing up my classroom for the summer. The dust is so awful here. So we always cover our shelves and put away anything we can. That way it's safe/clean over the summer. My room is a little more full than usual because I still need to take some Kids Club stuff and some empty boxes (that will become Drama Team props) to the storage room. But honestly, it's not too awful. Even if some days, it feels as if the meme below is true. Ha :)



We had a Game Day in Kids Club last week for our fun party activity. And we also had cupcakes and popcorn. And all of the kids really enjoyed themselves. And since they were happy, I was happy :)

  

And speaking of those cupcakes... Y'all, my neighbor/friend has such a gift for cooking/baking (and a zillion other things, too). Well, I made all of the cupcakes for our Kids Club party. Then she made the most delicious frosting I have ever tasted in my life (Seriously! It was that good!). 

 

Another friend accepted the invitation/challenge of two of my students and came to play us in a game of Rummikub. You would have thought she'd given my guys a million dollars with how excited they were about her visit. Seriously... She has no idea how happy she made them. And, because of that, how happy she made me :)



I'm going to be leading our school's Drama Team next year. I must admit. After I said I'd do it, I started getting nervous, worrying that maybe I bit off more than I could chew. But, after hanging out with these guys for a few practices and watching their big dress rehearsal and end of year performance, I'm more excited than ever about it. I can't wait :)

 

And last, but most certainly, not least... We took our students (the ones who are still here) out for lunch yesterday. It was such a fun outing with this crew. Such a nice way to finish out the school year with them. 

Although, it wasn't until this morning that I realized I forgot to take a picture. I guess that's a good sign, though, right? We were having so much fun being there, in the moment, that I didn't think of taking a picture :)