Giving Tuesday

Did you know that today is Giving Tuesday? 

One of the main reasons that I am able to continue doing what I am doing is through the incredible generosity of men, women, and children, from around the world, who sacrificially give to support my ministry. 

What is my ministry, exactly? 

Well, I get to hang out with this super fun bunch all week long :)

I am a Missionary Teacher, serving with the Assemblies of God, at Dakar Academy, an international K-12 school, which teaches, using an American and Biblical-based curriculum. I am a Special Education Teacher. And I also head up a couple clubs/programs for students after school. 

Would you prayerfully consider giving to support my ministry in Senegal?

If you feel led to give, there are a few different options for doing so...

* Click HERE to give online.

*Send me an email at enichols85@gmail.com to find out how to give via check.

* If you would like to send a care package with supplies or a gift card to buy supplies for my students send me an email for a Wish List and address in the States for where to send the package that I can pick up while visiting later this month. 

* And if you would like to join my prayer team and to receive updates about my ministry, send me an email and I'll add you to my mailing list.

My Thanksgiving Weekend

Happy Monday

On the first Monday of each month, I share a bit of gratitude here on the blog. Sometimes I share gratitude for a certain person or a certain thing. Sometimes I share a random list. And sometimes, I share a lesson God is teaching me. 

And today...

Today I'm sharing gratitude for Thanksgiving weekend.

Thanksgiving started off super early, at 5 a.m., with me coming to the school to see off my Drama Team kids as they, and other students and staff from our school, headed about 600km south of us, to spend the weekend ministering through puppets, singing, skits, and sermons, about our Savior and His Love for all.

I loved getting reports throughout the weekend from the teacher who went in my place, along with other staff members as well, telling me how awesome my kiddos were. They dealt with all sorts of issues throughout the weekend. But they powered through and proclaimed the Gospel throughout.

A couple weeks ago, I had made the very difficult decision to not go on Outreach weekend. Due to my teaching schedule of teaching 8 out of 8 periods a day, I'm unable to do lesson planning/prep during the school day like other teachers. And due to various school responsibilities in the afternoons/evenings of every week day, but one, I'm not really able to do much during the week either. So my weekends have to include lesson planning. I'm not saying that to complain. Just being honest...

So all that to say, I realized my stress level was through the roof. And when I thought of leaving for the entire weekend, knowing that meant I wouldn't have time to do my lesson planning/prep, I knew I had to make a choice. And since my primary ministry here is to teach my class, I knew I had to back out of going on Outreach. Thankfully, the people in charge were super encouraging and the lady who went in my place was as well. So, I packed up and prepped them as well as I could before they left, and then I spent the weekend praying for them, a part of Outreach I could, indeed, participate in.

And I was able to finally catch up on (and work ahead - big time) on lesson planning and midterm exams prep, and get a LOT done. The picture below shows the books (and handouts) I need for 7 of the subjects/classes I teach. This does not include the books/info for one of my guys, as I don't have textbooks for him. So his stuff is still on my computer at home, needing to be printed out.

I did get to celebrate Thanksgiving (with turkey - a rare treat here in Dakar), with my fellow AGWM-ers here in Senegal. It was a nice morning. 

I then spent a bit of time on Friday and Saturday, catching up on rest and reading (for fun) - neither of which I do a lot of during the school week...

I also checked out a new grocery store in town. They're saying it's like the Dakar version of Wal-Mart. And after visiting it, I'd say that's a pretty accurate description. I mean, there wasn't American products or anything like that. But still... It was pretty nice. And it's not terribly far from where I live. So score! :)

I also had the chance to visit a couple restaurants with friends :)

And, yes, while working on my grad school coursework, I watched the Iron Bowl on the "big screen" (a.k.a., the wall). And while our guys didn't win, it was still nice to both be able to watch the game AND catch up on grad school work I'd been putting off, knowing the deadline wasn't 'til this weekend.

All in all, I'd say it was a good weekend. 

And I am, indeed, grateful for all it contained.

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I started my monthly Growing in Gratitude posts, as part of the link-up fun, hosted by Julie from Fall into Life, where bloggers would share a bit of gratitude each month. Julie stopped hosting the link-up this past summer. But I decided to keep posting a monthly gratitude-themed post. After all, there's always something for which we can be grateful. Right? :)

And, in case you missed my previous month's posts...

You can click below to read them.

February - My Why

March - Photos from February  

April - Random List of Gratitude 

May - Lessons Learned

June - The 2018-2019 School Year

July - Random Bits of Gratitude

 August - 34 Reasons Why I'm Grateful

September - Hope 

October - Impactful Books

November - Gratitude for The Bible 

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So what about YOU? 

What are you grateful for today?

What’s Up November

Happy Thursday Y'all

Today, I'm joining Shay, and Sheaffer for their What's Up Wednesday link-up. ...even if I’m a day late on the fun :) 

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?

Today was Thanksgiving and I had all sorts of delicious goodness for lunch. And I even brought home leftovers for a late dinner!

What am I reminiscing about?

On this day, exactly 3 years ago, I wrote THIS blog post, in which I shared about a dream God had placed on my heart. It was a dream to reach a group of kids who had no other schooling option in our country. It was a dream to "speak up for the speechless." It was a dream to teach a truly incredible group of kids.

What am I loving?

I have enjoyed softball season's arrival. It's a nice way to spend a Saturday here in Dakar. I love watching baseball anyway. But we don't have baseball here - just softball... Anywho - I'm loving watching our teams play. I'm loving the cool breezes that come from being so close to the ocean. I'm loving time with friends. And I'm just loving having such a nice way to spend part of my day each Saturday.

What have I been up to?

Last week, I went to a fancy dinner/party in celebration of Independence Day for the home country of one of my students. It's always fun to dress up and head to a swanky party for the evening. Plus, the relationship building was huge! I feel so blessed to be here, doing what I'm doing, with these incredible kids!

What am I dreading?

Nothing that I can think of... 

What am I working on?

Finishing up my last few assignments in the class I’m taking... Even if that means projecting a fun movie on the wall to give me background noise while I work :)

What am I excited about?

Seeing one of my kiddos included in our school’s Turkey Bowl (American football) was pretty exciting. And his excitement level leading up to, during, and after this event was so incredibly high. I loved it!

What am I watching?

I had people over a couple weekends ago, to watch the new (ish) Lion King movie. It was a good one. I mean, I'm not sure anything can truly beat the original animated goodness from my childhood. But still... It was, indeed, a good movie. :)

What am I reading?

I checked out a stack of books this past week, with the hopes of tackling them during Thanksgiving Break. Two down... Three to go..

What am I listening to?

Christmas music, of course :)

What am I wearing?

I wore these super cute red pointy toed shoes to an event a couple weeks ago. They're not ones I’ll wear often, due to the sand and the nature of my job. But when I get the chance to do so, I will. They’re just so fun!

What am I doing this weekend?

It's Thanksgiving Break. I made the difficult decision to not go with my Drama Team, due to various reasons. One main one being the need to stay back and put in a couple days of work in my classroom. 

But I will be praying throughout the weekend for our 80+ students and staff who are in a town about 600km away, working with a Senegalese church and school, spreading the Gospel through a variety of ways.

What am I looking forward to next month?

Christmas - And all the fun that comes with it... There will be Christmas activities in class. We'll have the big Drama Christmas Program my students have been working on. I'll get to watch all of my students in their various Christmas plays/concerts. There will be Christmas parties/activities with friends. And of course, there will be Christmas vacation (which brings on no alarm clock). And last, but definitely not least, there will be Christmas, itself, which will bring about lots and lots of extra time with my family in the USA.

What else is new?

Not a lot...

Except, the truth of the image below, especially knowing I can be like that person for the next three days :)

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

What about you?

What are YOU up to this month?

Gratitude for The Bible

Happy Monday

On the first Monday (or on the second Monday, when I forget the week before) of each month, I share a bit of gratitude here on the blog. Sometimes I share gratitude for a certain person or a certain thing. Sometimes I share a random list. And sometimes, I share a lesson God is teaching me. And today...

Today, it is all about a book. 

Well... I guess I should say that it's all about THE Book.

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Last week, I was online, doing a bit of studying on some Bible/church related topics. And I came across a quote that has, since, stuck with me...

 
"Here, then, is the real problem of our negligence. We fail in our duty to study God's Word not so much because it is difficult to understand, not so much because it is dull and boring, but because it is work. Our problem is not a lack of intelligence or a lack of passion. Our problem is that we are lazy."
 - R.C. Sproul

Ouch.

How often have I used these excuses?

 So then that got me thinking about the Bible. And while, I had something else planned for today's blog post, I can't stop thinking about this...

I'm grateful for the Bible.

I'm grateful for the truth (The Truth) it contains.

I'm grateful that even when I've let a bit too much time go in between reading/studying, God has still chosen to teach my lazy self a lesson or two.

 I'm grateful for the gift of teaching at a Christian school, where we incorporate a Biblical worldview into the lessons we teach.

I'm grateful for students who love to read the Bible.

I'm grateful for students asking the tough questions, forcing both them and me to dig deeper into The Word and explore The Truth this precious book contains.

I'm grateful for time to study and reflect.

I'm grateful for the joy I feel when reading the Bible.

I'm grateful for words, inspired by God, written by man thousands of years ago, that still are applicable/relevant to my life today.

I'm grateful to have always lived in countries that allow me to freely read this precious book. And I'm also grateful for all the men and women who risk their lives to share this precious book in countries which are not as free as my own.

So yes...

Today, and every day, I am, indeed, grateful for The Bible.

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I started my monthly Growing in Gratitude posts, as part of the link-up fun, hosted by Julie from Fall into Life, where bloggers would share a bit of gratitude each month. Julie stopped hosting the link-up this past summer. But I decided to keep posting a monthly gratitude-themed post. After all, there's always something for which we can be grateful. Right? :)

And, in case you missed my previous month's posts...

You can click below to read them.

February - My Why

March - Photos from February  

April - Random List of Gratitude 

May - Lessons Learned

June - The 2018-2019 School Year

July - Random Bits of Gratitude

 August - 34 Reasons Why I'm Grateful

September - Hope 

October - Impactful Books

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So what about YOU? 

What are you grateful for today?

Currently

 Happy Wednesday Y'all

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

November's prompts are...

* picking *  preparing * trying * feeling * following *
 

I'm currently picking out little "heart exploding" moments from my day each night before going to bed. Sometimes my job is difficult. Sometimes the days are long. ...so very long. And sometimes... Well, sometimes it helps to pick out - to remember - the good things from my day... If for no other reason than to make me smile and remember that those seemingly little things make all those difficult times and all those long days worth it.

I'm currently preparing 6 dozen, or so, chocolate chip cookies for our school's Youth Group that's tomorrow. Well, actually, I'll be preparing them after school today and tomorrow. 

I'm currently trying to incorporate more opportunities for research in my lessons and activities, as a way of preparing for big research projects coming up this school year. Anywho - Our current story in one of my English classes is on the Lindbergh family. So before we started, we did a bit of research to find facts on this family. My crew was so intrigued about this family and what made them famous.

I'm currently feeling so incredibly happy that our little class "family" is finally all together. Life may be busy and perhaps, even a bit chaotic at times. I may spend more time at work than I used to. But life is good. And this teacher's heart is both fully and happy :)

And since it’s my blog, and I can, here are a few more Currentlys :)

I'm currently missing my nieces. I'm so grateful to be able to go back at Christmas to visit them. And yes, I'm also happy to see the rest of my family too. ;)

I’m currently remembering THIS blog post I wrote 3 years ago, in which I shared about a dream God had laid on my heart. I'm remembering all the "no's" I received before that point. I'm remembering the prayers I (and others) prayed. And I'm remembering the immense joy I felt upon finally receiving that "yes." God has done so much since that day. I don't know how long I'll be in this role. But one thing I know for sure is I will continue to thank God daily for the gift of this class - something I definitely do not take lightly.

  So what about you?

What are your currently up to?

Friday Favorite

Happy Friday, Y'all

This teacher's heart is happy and full. 

Why? 

All of my people are finally here and accounted for.  

Well, minus the one new friend we just found out will be joining us next semester.

 But yes, my heart is so full of joy.

Our little "family" is finally all together.

So, that makes today's Friday Favorite post an easy one. It's just that I am so excited to have my current favorite group of students all back together again.

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Today, I'm joining Erika, Andrea, and Narci and for their weekly Friday Favorites linkup, even if I am a day late. I just thought it'd be fun to share some a bit about a lesson I'm learning from my favorite book of all time - The Bible.

Click one of their names to and join the favorites fun, too.