Learning Center is flourishing

Talofa Lava- 

Our Learning Center has now been up and running for almost 4 weeks now. Four weeks filled with laughter, tears, frustration, excitement, and probably every emotion in between. 

Me with some of our youngest students

Learning Center:

We started our school with 26 students between the ages of 5 and 15 broken into 3 classes based on their ages and abilities. We now have 54 students! We just keep growing, and it is all by word of mouth. Neighbors hear about it and show up with their kids begging us to let them come and give their children an education. We planned to cap at 40 because of space constrictions and lack of resources, but it is just so hard to say no to giving children something they so desperately want and need. Because of the numbers, we have had to split our youngest class into two classes. This has actually been a huge blessing because of they were running out of space and there is such a huge difference in the abilities of a five year old and eight year old. As it is, every day the kids beg for (you might want to sit down for this one)...homework! They want to learn so badly. I am not saying that they are perfect kids and never do anything wrong. Far, far from it! Some of them are the worst behaved children I have ever seen in my life, but they want to learn. 

Mark teaching math to our Level 2 class

The "Hand-fulls"- they keep us on our toes daily

I have started pulling out kids to work with one-on-one for reading and math who are either ahead or behind. I have been working primarily with the eight year olds teaching them basic reading and with a little boy named Ray who is 10 (above greyish shirt with leaves). As he has never been to school before, he is far behind his classmates and can’t read or even write his own name. He struggles with writing numbers, writing most of them backwards or out of order and can’t even begin to do basic addition. We debated whether or not to put him in the class below, but I couldn’t bring myself to put him with the five and six year olds when he is so much older and more mature. Instead, I have been working one-on-one with him. He now can write his name, identify all the letters of the alphabet, with prompting read three letter words, add and subtract three-digit numbers (with carrying a number), and he writes all of his numbers correctly-Except for multiplication he has caught up to his class and has passed a few! He is such a fast learner. Today his class was  watching a movie as a special treat. He didn’t want to watch a movie; he wanted to work on math!

Teaching English to the Level 2 class- we were learning about clothing (ofu)

Besides one-on-one tutoring, I am teaching English everyday to the two oldest classes. They are learning so quickly. Although it has proven to be a challenge as things that work in the States or even in one class don’t work for the other. Also most of the kids can’t read or write in Samoan let alone in another language. I am making up my curriculum as I go along and learn daily what works and what doesn’t. I am also leading our Bible time. Every morning we have worship for 30min followed by a short Bible lesson. I have decided to focus on a different character trait each week. We have now done Courage (Malosi), Thankfulness (Fa’afetai), and Generosity (Lima foai). We have a Bible memory verse we practice everyday and a story from the Bible emphasizing what we are talking about. Each class creates a skit, song, or dance throughout the week demonstrating what we have learned and performs it for the base on Friday during our combined worship time. The staff have decided that the kids can’t have all the fun so we create our own each week as well as leading the worship for the base.

Recess!

The Learning Center is helping me drastically in my language acquisition. I can teach basic math concepts in Samoan- I know words like add, subtract, and multiply as well as all the numbers. When I’m not teaching I often sit in the lessons so that I can learn new words.  Little by little. It is a blessing and a curse not to speak Samoan. It is very difficult not being able to communicate with them, but apparently the kids are very disrespectful at times and use horrible language, swearing all the time, but I can’t understand it. :)

Level 3 class

Level 2 class

The first week of school went very smoothly and better than I expected, but it was difficult for me personally as I adjusted to being in a more administrative role as opposed to actively teaching and having my own class.  I didn’t like it. I’ve really had to learn to relinquish a lot of control. Teaching and having a school in Samoa is very different from in the States.  I have to remind myself often that I am the only trained teacher-I have to be patient and take things step by step and not expect miracles overnight. For never having taught anything before, the staff are doing an incredible job; we are all learning. Also, the majority of these kids have never been to school before so anything that we can give these kids is better than nothing. Today a couple came to see the base, the husband is Samoan but grew up in New Zealand and the wife is from New Zealand. They encouraged me so much, reminding me that for these kids just to have someone or something be consistent in their lives is something they probably have never experienced before. Even though this man grew up in New Zealand in a western culture, there were still times when his parents forgot to pick him up at school. We drive to pick these kids up everyday. To have someone show them love is not an everyday occurrence, but we are doing that.

Learning Center Staff Team (from top left) John, Thomas, Mark, Kristin (here for 4 weeks from Canada), Sabrina, Leba, Me, and Carol

The second and third week were incredibly difficult for the school. It was a really rough week and a half mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It felt like there was this huge weight or burden on me. I felt dry and empty. I didn't really want to spend time with people. I was tired all the time, feeling like a failure at many things, and definitely not at the top of my game in anything. It was really weird. I didn't know what to do to fix it. I was getting rest and having time alone with God, but I felt like I couldn't really engage in my personal God time or worship. In the middle of last week, I had a huge revelation. I had asked some of the girls to pray for me during our girls’ group. We felt that we needed to pray for the teachers at the Learning Center as well. I sensed very strongly that we needed to go to the Learning Center and pray over it especially praying against certain spirits like rebellion, lying, control, etc.. Anyways, there was so much spiritual junk we had to rebuke and cast out-God kept revealing more and more things to pray out and take authority over. I realized that these kids all come from really hard, dysfunctional homes and are bringing all of this here to the school with them. We did crazy spiritual warfare over the place. I took authority over it as one of the leaders. We prayed over the fale, each classroom, the playground, and field. When we finished, it literally felt like a weight had lifted off my shoulders. I felt so light and free. I felt joyful, peaceful, and happy again. I felt like myself again. It was crazy.  I realized that, firstly, I live in the same building as the Learning Center so I am around this all the time and, secondly, I am one of the heads of the Learning Center-where does the enemy attack? the head. John, my co-leader, has been physically sick and I have been mentally, emotional, and spiritually attacked. It all made sense, and I realized why I couldn't pin point what was wrong because it wasn't with me. It was a spiritual attack. It has changed the atmosphere of the place. Tuesday last week honestly felt like there was a demonic presence around- the kids were literally punching and pummeling each other. We had over nine in tears on the playground. It was scary and out of control. After school on the day we prayed, I hadn't even told the other teachers what had happened yet and all of them commented on how different the day was. The attitudes and behavior of the kids was completely different. We had very few problems, and the problems we did have were normal kid-stuff-not even remotely like Tuesday. The staff team worked better. Our worship time was completely transformed. After I told the teachers during our staff meeting that night, they all agreed and felt that it was really true. Everyone prayed over their own classrooms, and then we prayed together as a team. We have never worked so well as a team; the kids have never been better. There has been so much joy and laughter and learning happening in this place the last week and a half. It is like a different place. Now that we know what we are up against we can fight it. We had spent so much time preparing in the physical-the classrooms, lesson plans, etc. and as a result neglected the spiritual. No wonder we were under attack. Clearly though if the enemy is attacking us this strongly, God has some incredible things in store.

The kids enjoying the playground

 

Outside the Learning Center:

Besides the Learning Center, I have continued my role in the office doing all of the base communications as well as writing grant proposals. I am working on several at the moment one of which is to refurbish our playground using recycled materials (primarily tires). Check out our project page http://playgroundideas.org/projects/ywam-samoa-learning-center-playground. On days I finish quickly in the office, I still help out in the kitchen and plantation.

 

Mobile Team:

Our Mobile Team has hit a bit of a stagnant point. Uncle Sio our leader is gone for several weeks at his daughters wedding in Australia. Since he has been gone, not much has happened although starting next week we will be at it again performing at an Assemblies of God revival meeting and a church across the island. We also just had uniform poletasis made.

 

Girl’s Fellowship:

Our girls’ fellowship on Wednesday morning is still happening although some weeks are better attended than others. One week we will have eight and the next four. It is still very difficult to get them to open up and share their hearts. This week I asked them if there was anything that is a struggle for them that we can help hold them accountable to and encourage and pray for them- all but one said that there was nothing. I could write you a book about things in my own life. :) So it is a bit frustrating and slow going, but persistence and patience is key. My lovely Taiwanese friend, MeiSu, left this week. She was one of the leaders and brains behind our girls’ group. We have assured the girls that her leaving doesn’t end our fellowship time, and hopefully they will continue to come.

 

Relationships:

No I am not engaged or married. My relationships with the girls have been getting better. It is still very slow going and can be like pulling teeth at times to extract information that is below surface level (and many times those teeth refuse to come out). It is like one step forward and two steps back. My relationship with Tiffany on the other hand has never been better. Last Saturday we spent the whole morning and early afternoon in our room talking and laughing, telling stories, reading the book Divergent out-loud, and just enjoying one another’s company.

I also met a young couple, Willie and Natalie, with two children, Reuben and Gianna, this weekend who took me to the beach and to their home for a home cooked meal. They are here as missionaries as well working with an organization called Victim Support. It was so wonderful to spend time with people facing similar trials, encouraging one another, sharing life stories, and even talking about what God is doing and has promised to do in Samoa. I even got to take a HOT shower at their house! It was so nice just to have a sense of normalcy-to sit around a dinner table, help tuck their kids into bed and tell them stories, and have a night away with friends. I just have a feeling that they are going to be very dear friends and very instrumental in my time here.

My friend Erone and I

 

Firsts:

I got my Samoan driver’s license! I successfully drove to Apia and back in one piece with only a few minor snafus. Still learning all of the traffic laws and how to drive in the craziness that is Samoa.

Made chocolate chip cookies and pancakes and bacon for mother’s day. Best day ever! So delicious.

YWAM Samoa Staff

Please pray for:

Protection over my health-being with kids everyday whose hygiene is definitely wanting as well as having a roommate with bronchitis, I could definitely use prayer.

Protection from spiritual attacks of the enemy primarily in regards to the Learning Center-that I wouldn’t give the devil a foothold. Spiritual covering over the Learning Center.

Wisdom and discernment in my administrative role. As our staff are quite young and immature, we have had to deal with several issues pertaining to behavior.

 Please pray that MeiSu’s leaving doesn’t end our fellowship time, and that the girls would continue to come and be open with one another. Continue to pray for my relationships with the girls on staff-they are better but still very slow going.

Sneak Peak at the Learning Center

Enjoying the slide

All 26 students during morning worship

Level 1 kids- ages 5-8

Level 3-ages 12-15 taught by John

Level 1 kids playing a game

Tasi and I-a little girl who has adopted me as her new best friend

Our very busy and loved playground

They LOVE the slide

Lunch time

We currently have 26 students between the ages of 5 and 15. We have broken them into 3 classes based on their ages and abilities. I am currently teaching English to the two older classes. I have also started pulling out kids to work with one-on-on for reading and math who are either ahead or behind. I had the privilege of helping a little boy named Vavega learn to read...in Samoan...this week. Or at least 3 and 4 letter words. He is so excited and hasn't stopped smiling. I have now taught two little boys in two different countries how to read in languages that I don't really speak. This is helping me drastically in my language acquisition. Still adjusting to having more of an administrative role and less teaching. Not a huge fan, but it is good and what is needed and what I can do for now. Working a lot with supporting the other teachers and teaching them good strategies and helping them plan their lessons.

More to come soon....

Learning Center in T-5 days!

Talofa friends and family!
I am now closing in on three months of being in Samoa. It has been better and different than I expected. I will start with the biggest news first..

Sunrise over the base

BIG Learning Center News:We plan to start the Learning Center on April 22, the Tuesday after Easter. Less than a week now! The last few days the team of us working at the Learning Center have been cleaning out bedrooms and converting them into classrooms, painting, clearing the land for a playground, and repainting the old playground equipment that we have. The next two days will be spent planning for the first few days of school, prepping the staff, and giving a teaching workshop for the staff to teach them good principles and teaching strategies. I am very excited since I have been getting a bit stir crazy not getting to do the things that I really love. We have had numerous families stopping us in town and on the street asking when we are going to start. We plan to start small with the children who have attended in the past and let it grow by word of mouth. We already have at least 20 who have signed up to come and I am sure more will show up. We won’t really know what to expect until it starts.

Putting up posters in the classrooms

Classroom for the oldest students

Teaching Workshop for the LC teachers

Critiquing the practice teaching

Teaching Workshop-Practicing teaching a mini-lesson

Teaching a practice math lesson

Painting the walls

Our Library/resources

Building the Blackboards

Painting the Blackboards

Our staff team is really bonding well and working hard together to get everything ready. I am really pleased and proud of them. We have a team of seven-two from American Samoa, one Fijian, one Solomon Islander, myself, and two Samoans. We are planning on having three classes based on academic levels with two staff in each class. I will be hopping from class to class supporting the teachers, helping them plan lessons, teach, and maintain order-doing more the administrative role-as well as teaching English. This is going to be very different for me as I love being in the classroom, but I think that right now (not speaking Samoan) the way that I can best serve is by teaching the teachers how to teach as only one of them has any ounce of teaching experience. If I can give them the skills to teach and empower them, then I will have fulfilled my purpose here. I have really had to hold things loosely though as even the way that they set up a classroom is very different from how I would do it-aesthetically pleasing vs. practical and useful. God has given me a lot of grace and patience and I have just had to let go. These are their classrooms not mine.  

Repainting our playground

Prepping the ground for the playground

Final product (for now)

Getting the area ready for our playground

Painting the swing set

Roommate News Flash!:One big piece of news is that I have a new roommate...Tiffany decided to move out of her family’s fale and in with me! She is absolutely wonderful although we stay up way too late talking most nights.  I am so grateful for her; I am not sure what I would do without her. God truly knew what He was doing in putting the two of us together again. God is just blessing our relationship and it is growing deeper and deeper by the day. Not only that but she challenges me spiritually and continually points me back to God. She’s been an encouragement, shoulder to cry on, escape when I need it, and a cultural bridge. God has been revealing more and more my purpose in coming here specifically relating to my time with Tiffany. We are a really good team especially when praying for people because our gifts compliment each other, and we know each other so well that it just flows and we can read where the other person is going. I think that us being together is as much for her as it is for me.

Tiff and I :)

What God is doing on the base/Bible Study and Mentoring:
God has been showing me His heart for this place and what He is doing and is going to do.  I am so excited to be a part of it!  I/we keep feeling that God wants to restore people’s identities, self-worth, and for the girls to show them what it truly means to be a woman and walk in beauty. Most of them have been told their entire lives what to believe and think and who they are that their true God-given identities have been lost, crushed, or buried. He is already beginning to transform some of their thinking. Tiffany, Ema, Mei Su and I have been praying over each other (basically doing deep inner healing) and seeing God breakthrough strongholds, lies, and fear bringing freedom and restoration.  We really feel that this is just the beginning and God wants this to sweep over the base starting with us. We have been sensing that God wants to tear things down to the foundations with hurricane force and rebuild it from the base up-not patch jobs.

One of the huge needs on base is mentoring the staff.  The culture of Samoa is steeped in religion and Christianity, but it is surface level. Most of the DTS students become Christians and begin to have a relationship with God on their DTS. Post-DTS there is a huge need for discipleship as most of them are baby Christians. Because of this, Mei Su (a Taiwanese lady) and I have started a small group once a week for the girls on base staff. As I said in my last update, people are really lonely but have so many walls up and don’t share their hearts with others. The group is going pretty well, but is slow going as there is so much resistance towards being open and vulnerable and so many layers or walls. A few of them have shared a little piece of what’s on their hearts; a few others have at least started sharing that they are struggling although they still don’t feel comfortable sharing what or why. At least they can say that they aren’t doing well which is a start. It is frustrating sometimes because I am impatient and want to see growth and openness now, but I know it is a process and a very slow moving one and that I can’t push or rush things. This is new and scary for them, but they want it. They desire it. They continue to come and say that they are lonely and want to have community and openness. Everyday there is a little bit more that they share.

I also have two girls that I am discipling once a week. I have seen huge growth in them. God is really moving. As I am one of the most mature Christians on base, many of the staff have started seeking me out to ask questions about God, the Bible, and a multitude of other related questions. I have been able to speak into people’s identities, about God’s anointing and favor, spiritual warfare, and so much more. I have also started leading worship and intercession twice a week which has given me the opportunity to speak into/teach about both of those topics and what true worship and intercession look like. It has been so amazing to see God answer prayer directly. There have been several times that we have prayed for something and the next day see it answered.

Mobile Team:
I am continuing to get better and better as well as less self-conscious at learning and performing our island dances in our Mobile Team. We have had huge opportunities to speak and perform in churches and are “booked” almost every weekend. Last week we had the privilege of leading a service at a church that has broken relationship with YWAM-they have even stopped supporting the three staff who come from their church. Because of our willingness to go and the things we did and said, they not only have reconciled with the base, but are now supporting the staff again! They have even asked us to come and train some of their youth. We have also been asked to come to different churches and help lead some Bible studies specifically with the youth. We have broken our Mobile Team into four different groups so that we can divide and conquer. We also have had some financial blessings from the churches and have been measured for team uniforms :).

Random Jobs and News:
I am still working in the office several afternoons a week doing all of the email correspondence, updating our YWAM Samoa facebook page, working on writing grant proposals, and more. I am currently working on designing a playground and trying to obtain funds to build it. I have been talking to a man who owns a company designing playgrounds in underprivileged areas and we have some fun ideas. For a sneak peak of what we are thinking check out this website:
http://kaboom.org/blog/cool_playgrounds_wood_tires_thailand.

In June (just before I come home) I have the opportunity to go to PNG, Papua New Guinea for a gathering of YWAM staff from all around the Pacific. I am praying about whether or not I am supposed to go-leaning towards yes, but I have to make sure that it will not interfere with the Learning Center and my coming home.

Workbee at 6am

Yes I know how to wield a machete

Our piggery (with 5 batches of new pigglets)

Building an extension to our piggery because of the copious amounts of piglets

Me Personally:
God is definitely moving here in Samoa. It is definitely not easy, but God is so faithful. The days that I am struggling most, He lavishes me with the presence of a Westerner who takes me hiking somewhere on the island or buys me a hamburger, an incredible conversation with one of the staff, someone bringing me chocolate, a letter in the mail or just a phenomenal sunrise. He just fulfills my every need. Every few weeks there has been a “white person” who has come to the base to visit and just lavished me or even just talked to me for a while and it is like a breath of fresh air. We take for granted such little things like being able to have an easy conversation not straining to understand or being aware of my actions and how I might be perceived culturally or use sarcasm or just the way westerners preach. Haha. God is so good.

Sea turtles

Feeding papaya to a sea turtle-Yes, I moved my fingers fast

Rochelle, the amazing Australian woman who took me around the island, to see the Samoan cultural center, fed me chocolate, hamburgers, and fries, and took me to feed the turtles

The first few weeks and months that I have been here, I felt like I really needed to be careful about what I said and really respect others, but I feel like now I have been here long enough and am at a place where I can speak into things that need speaking into-places where there is disunity or disrespect-calling people out in love. I have seen a lot of change and fruit come out of this and am modeling good forms of confrontation.

Relationship with the girls has been better but is still probably the hardest part of being here (although I am starting to get a bit sick of the food and craving things like pizza and spaghetti and pancakes...). There has definitely been breakthrough but there isn’t openness and trust-which is also partially due to the language barrier.

I am still waiting for my VISA. I applied, but they changed some regulations and the type of VISA I needed to get. I redid some paperwork and am now waiting to hear their decision. If it is granted, I will have a 3 year temporary residency VISA-not that I necessarily will be here that long, but it is the same price as one year and better than applying every year. Please continue praying. (Oh and no problems with Denghi Fever-only an outbreak of pink eye which I thankfully didn’t get).

Firsts:
I ate raw sea cucumber guts-not too bad just ridiculously chewy. Experienced my first earthquake-just a little one. I’m starting a school next week! :O

Cooking- Alexa one of the DTS students

Prayer Requests:
1. Learning Center starts next week!
        -The students who are coming
        -Grace, patience, and wisdom for me (and the other teachers)
        -That the staff would be teachable and willing to listen and learn and that I would also learn       from them and be humble
        -Finances for both the school and the playground we are trying to build
2. Mobile Team
       -More opportunities to speak and perform in churches, youth groups, prisons, etc.
       -That God would really use us mightily, that we would be led by the Spirit, and unity would  pervade our team.
       -We are believing God for a van to transport us to and from locations.
3. Clarity as to whether or not I am supposed to attend the conference in Papua New Guinea.
4. Pray that I get my VISA and soon.
5. Me
       -Continued boldness and a willingness to be obedient in whatever the Lord asks of me. To keep Him and His opinion of me first and foremost.
       -An unoffendable heart and love towards others. No judgment.
6. Relationships with the other base staff, locals, and students that will be coming to the Learning Center.  *Specifically relationships with the girls on base, and that those relationships would go deep and not just be surface level.
7. Girls Small Group- wisdom and discernment for how to run it and start it, but that also the girls would be willing to be vulnerable and open. Bond of sisterhood.

Sneak peak of Samoa

Traditional Samoan fale (this was a meeting house for the village elders and matai)

Making a traditional Samoan food

At the cultural center- demonstrating how to open and get the coconut cream from a coconut

The ocean-it was raining over that one spot

The buses from Apia into the villages

Natural harbor with a Giant Clam Conservatory-Got to swim here-the water was freezing on top and hot on the bottom because of the natural springs flowing out from the lava rocks

Laundry day in the pool fed from the natural springs

Happy Easter! Jesus is risen!
Fa’afetai Lava!

For more pictures check out my facebook Jennifer Wendt or YWAM Samoa facebook page