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.