3 Lessons...

My students this session are the five kids who have the highest English skill in our school. At the beginning of the session, I told them that I have three goals for our class. They are:

1. Learn English at a challenging pace
2. Talk with Tk
3. Be a good role model

The first goal is obvious. The second goal has to do with me wanting to know about their days and hear their stories, so that they know that someone cares for them and wants to listen to them while they are so far away from their homes and their families during a huge period of growth and development mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually in their lives.

As part of being a good role model, I've been trying to teach them two things: being grateful and appreciating other people. I'm teaching them gratefulness by having them say things like "thank you" when I give them candy (candy, btw, is a great initiator of good behavior!) I will be teaching them how to appreciate people by having them write out thank you cards to people here that have helped them in one way or another (also giving me a writing assignment for them!)

The funny thing is though, it always seems like the teacher learns more than the students. Yes... the teacher became the student. This is what God did. He took:

Talk time with Tk and told me that I need to learn to talk to Him. My prayer life needs to be seamless, needs to be continuous, needs to be fulfilling.

Being grateful. I need to offer God more sacrifices of thanksgiving, because that is His will for me, because that is how my heart is ruled by the peace of God, because that is half of the whole of faith.

Appreciating people. I need to edify more of the people in my life, because we are to love one another, teach one another, admonish one another in songs and hymns.

The Lord is gracious and
Slow to anger
He is
Rich in love
He is
Good to all
Great is the Lord...
So worthy of praise
Great is the Lord...