His Mission, His Resources

The responsibilities of teaching in the bush never seem to end. I’m not complaining because it keeps me on my toes and I’m continuing to learn along with my students. All upper hall teachers (there are 4 of us who teach grades 6-12) have been recruited to teach science and include a lab with our homeroom class once a week, and present what we learned and discovered to the rest of the school. Yikes. The first one was fun but I’m definitely no science person! But you have to be flexible as a teacher, especially in the bush, and take on what you need to. It’s either that, or go without. So more planning, more prepping… but it’s for a good cause. We just have to figure out how to do what’s asked of you. Now, how on earth I’m going to come up with labs that we can do, I have no idea. So any ideas (that don’t require many materials, as they are nearly impossible to come by here) is very welcome!

So needless to say it’s been a busy school year so far. Afterschool programs have been up and running for a while – student council, speech, NYO, cross country, robotics, open gym, computer lab, study hall, men’s and women’s night… our days are packed. Sometimes I don’t get home until 9:00 at night, and I just crash. I get up at 4:45 to start my day with exercising at the gym, so weekends are very much needed for getting sleep and rest. Even though we still have Saturday school, I have a few extra hours to sleep on Saturday mornings.

I’ve mentioned how depressing this place is with all the death, suicide attempts, dropouts, crime and violence, etc. It’s not always a happy place but that’s just the way it goes. But please don’t think I’m complaining. I’m very humbled that God would allow me to be here, experiencing this way of life. Typically I enjoy challenges. I like rising above the low expectations and prove I can overcome the obstacles. And with God’s grace and strength, He has been successful with this adventure. All glory goes to HIM! Without Him I am useless. My saving grace is in knowing that everything will be okay, even if not in this life. I know that for all the struggles, pain, sorrow, and hardships we go through, God is still with me, and even if everything fails, it’s okay, because His will is greater than mine.

Things could be much worse, I know, but it’s far from being a joyful place. I do find it a challenge to try and be a counselor for pretty much all of my students, while still doing everything it takes to be a good teacher. And many times, because I’m working to try and help everyone else, I forget to take care of my own needs. I get focused on what I need to do and say and tend to push my emotions aside, trying to remain strong. I know I got this from my mom, but even though it seems admirable (I do admire my mom!), it can eventually cause everything else to suffer, or even collapse. (I think my mom is the exception. She’s like a superhero.) It’s overwhelming at times, but it’s nothing that God cannot handle. I simply cannot take on all the responsibility with my own strength, however tough I may think I am. And I do like to think I’m tough! It’s too great of a task (in importance and the amount of responsibility). He knows this, and He gladly carries me through. I have to remind myself of that every single day, that I am on HIS mission, using HIS resources. And that makes all the difference.