Have a happy Sunday!!

Dear friends!

I'm thinking about you this evening (that's Saturday, January 28) I hope where you are is not too cold. I was walking today and saw a marage. It reminded me of Fifal goes West and then I realized, I'm in the desert! It's rather warm in the sun! One of these days I'll get you the actual temperature.

I enjoyed our first full week of school and the after school program I'm helping Nan organize. Let me just take a minute to let you know how grateful I am to be working along side if Nan Parker. She is very knowledgable, serious, passionate, sincere, generous and kind. I'm learning alot! My sixth grade kids were so excited to get thier letters from their USA friends. I still need about five friends, to keep them motivated. Most of them have written back already. We had our second adult ESL conversation class this morning with several of the moms and some community members. Laughter was abundant as we used the language.

I've enjoyed getting to know many people in the community and from the church. Tomorrow will be my second Sunday joining the music band, since I was able to find a guitar at a reasonable price.

This year brings a lot new things for children of promise and Talitha Kumi, which can be good and has it's challenges for the children and families. Starting with the new grades, new classrooms and all furniture, three new teachers; there are at least two new foster families. Some of the kids are at a new school this year and have new brothers and sisters they have to live with. Some of them have a new language they have to begin speaking. We know how difficult it was to get along with our siblings, anyway, imagine if your just placed into an new family, alone. The others have their real brothers and sisters with them, and they are speaking another language. Do they love me? I don't belong here! I miss...whoever was with them before. I'd love to adopt a few, I love them so much!! The new families are great though, really solid!! I've enjoyed getting to know the parents as I go on frequent home visits. I also find that this enhances the teacher/student relationship, increases trust and therefore encourages an eagerness to learn and respect their classmates. I have some incredibaly bright, very special, children. They all have fantastic stories, I have their memoirs to prove it. I'm SO thankful they are in the private school. I pray and hope that the money and teachers, and provisions will be there to do what needs to be done to get the new building up and the high school running soon! Let me give you a little perspective... 30% is a passing grade, there is still a high failure rate. It's not becasue children are not intellegent, its because teachers aren't doing their job. There are still missing teachers at the third week, there are not enough text books. All these examples and more show that our high school students, in these government schools are certainly not at an advantage. We still are committed, as in the mission statement, "to challenge students to achieve their god-given potential, enabling them to soar towards bright tomorrows."

Enjoy your Sunday, I pray that it's blessed! I'll be in touch!

Anna Gdanian