Monday, October 20, 2014

Patience, Truth, and Six Sweet Faces

I inherited my mother's patience - and that's saying something.  She's the most patient person I know.  So when I tell you that recently in my classroom I've been at the end of my patience, that's really saying something.  It takes a lot to get me to that point.

Last week, I started asking myself, What's the problem? and I came to one simple answer.  Maybe I'm just not good at classroom management.  Maybe I'm just not a good teacher.

Thankfully, God has a way of bringing the truth to light even (and maybe especially) in the midst of my doubt.

Just as these thoughts were forming in my mind, God sent two veteran preschool teachers on a team that was visiting from the States.  These teachers were incredible.  They gave me a few practical ideas to try in my classroom, helped me work on my upcoming social studies unit (cultures around the world), and most importantly gave me encouragement.

They told me that I'm doing everything right, insisted that I really am a good teacher, and reminded me that in my classroom we may not have it all together, but together we have it all.




Saturday, October 11, 2014

A Year Later

Exactly a year ago, I visited The Little House for the first time.  (The Little House is  one of the houses in our Children's Village. Itt is home to 12 of our orphans.)  I came into that trip to Cap-Haitien feeling nervous and unsure about moving to a big city where I didn't know anyone and had no community waiting for me.  But when I left at the end of that trip, I felt confirmed and excited about the journey ahead.

How appropriate that today - exactly a year later - I visited The Little House and watched the movie Tangled with those same kids.

"Why is Tangled significant?" you ask.  Because Tangled is all about following your dreams.  You know the boat scene just before Rapunzel sees the floating lanterns?  Before coming to Haiti the first time in 2012, I watched that scene and felt exactly the way Rapunzel did.

What if my dream isn't everything I hoped it would be?  And what if it is?  What then?

Now, two and a half years after that first trip to Haiti and a year after my first visit to The Little House, I get to answer those questions.

It was everything I hoped it would be.  And then I got a new dream.  A dream to move to Haiti and teach orphans.

And now I'm living the dream.


Huddling around my laptop, watching Tangled while I translate.

"Go. Live your dream."