South Americans Bless our School

God brought 3 families to our school this year plus we are 3 staff families with a total of 13 children. We have four 3 year old girls, several children ages 4-9, three 1 year olds (one is almost 1) and one 8 month old baby. We wanted to bless the children while they were here, trusting that God had a purpose for each one to be here, not just as tag-alongs while their parents met with God. I had started out trying to teach the children Bible stories and do different educational activities with them, a type of preschool. But I soon found that my two youngest often demanded my attention, taking me away from the preschool at which point the children all scattered. I was quite exhausted by the end of the first week, wiped out physically and emotionally.

But then we asked a Brazilian lady, who is here teaching in the YWAM Christian school if she would be willing to come every morning to help with the preschool. She was only teaching in the afternoons at the Christian school. She agreed to help in the mornings and has been coming pretty faithfully since. She comes prepared with a Bible story, games and activities for the children. What a relief to have her help! I gladly became her assistant.

Then 2 weeks ago, a friendly lady from Chile landed in Lichinga, ready to begin her first mission term with SIM (the mission I was formerly with). Her first assignment is to convert her Spanish language into Portuguese! Her heart is to work with women and children. We invited her to join us in the mornings in taking care of the children while hearing and practicing Portuguese. (I have found that initial language learning happens best for me with children….they correct you, accept you, play with you, and in the process share their language with you). So Rosio has been coming every morning now as well! Thank you Lord for the help of the South Americans – a Brazilian and a Chilean!

So I have taken to playing with the one year olds and the 8 month old baby, so that the moms can concentrate better in class. Some of the moms are illiterate, never having had the opportunity to attend school. But that does not mean that they don’t want to learn! They are eager students, learning what they can! And by the way, God is sending a 12 year old MK (missionary kid) girl once or twice a week to help with the children and babies too! Wow! God does have a plan for the children, as well as the adults, in this Discipleship Training School.

We don’t have a proper classroom for the preschool. The children meet in the gazebo, while I play on the verandas with the babies. The children love learning new things, such as playing with play- doh! Our girls’ progress with Portuguese has soared, playing with the children every day. They are even picking up some Yao and Makua words (tribal languages here).

Our "Classroom" for the Preschool

The Brazilian and the Chilean ladies who are blessing our children. Thank you Lord!