My 3rd Graders were the teachers in Elementary Chapel this past week. Our theme is Responsibility this school year and we have been focusing on this statement:
Do What Is Right Because It Is Right, Even When No One Is Looking
As I thought about this topic and listened to other classes present on how God sees everything we do and we should still do what is right even if no one sees us. It made me think of the story of the Prodigal Brothers. We tend to focus on the rebellious brother who runs away with his Father's money. However, I started to think about the Older Brother who stays behind. While on the outside it looks like he is obedient and doing what is right, his attitude shows that he is not doing it for the right reason. I had my students think about times when they realized they were doing something good to but to either get recognition or a reward for doing it. You see, in my class I have many students who stay on the color "green" all day and always show obedience. But, I wanted them to realize that they might start to think that they are super cool, amazing kids just because they were able to obey. This might lead to being proud of their righteousness. Jesus clearly tells us in the Bible that no one is righteous, not even one! The reason we can love and obey at all is because Jesus first loved us and sacrificed for us. Our motivation to do something right should be because Jesus did what was right first. A few of my students wrote down personal stories about when they were acting like the Older Brother and what God taught them.
"One day I wanted to have a (stuffed animal) monkey of our classroom for the weekend. The monkeys name was Meticulous. So, I be the honest person in the classroom and obedient. So, then Friday come and Miss Bergmann handle (handed out) the monkeys but I diren't won Meticulous. So then I feel jealous but I learned that you don't have to be obedient or honest to just have something you want. So you have to do what is right because it is right even when no one is looking. The End."
"We were at math class. A girl had left her math journal on the carpet. No one was looking. I thought it was fun to put her math journal in lost and found. I knew it was hers, so I put it in lost and found. I thought nothing was going to happen until I heard Miss Bergmann say, "Everybody put your heads down and whoever put her math journal in lost and found, please raise your hand. Or no one will get to play at recess." For my fault no one was going to play all because of me!!! I had to raise my hand, so I did. Do what is right no matter what even if no one is looking."
Some of the boys in my class wrote a song to go with our topic we were teaching on. Here is copy of their wrap song :-)
Connecting with Students:
1. Being born with a genetic disorder (Turner's Syndrome), I have struggled with letting people know this side of me and having this fact control my identity. God has graciously healed me of any hurt and fear I used to have and I am now comfortable sharing my testimony about how God has used a hard situation in life for good. His glory shines through this story. It makes me really excited when God uses this part of life to help someone else who is struggling (not necessarily with the exact same thing, but similar enough that we can relate.). Just this past week, I have been able to connect with one of my students and was able to share with her my experiences growing up with this disorder. This student is smaller in size and was out for a couple of days getting growth hormone shots to help make her taller. I had already connected with this student as she struggled earlier in the year about being teased for her size.
Once she came back to school, I welcomed her back into class and gave her a hug. She still looked tired. I smiled at her and told her that I would love to have a special lunch with her because I understood what she just went through. The look on her face was one of comfort. We had such a good lunch as I shared with her my experience of getting shots and people teasing me when I was young. I was able to remind her that God made both of us just how he wanted us to be. He loves us just as we are and wouldn't change anything about us. This actually brought healing to me as I began to see more and more purpose in having Turner's Syndrome. If being able to encourage and help one of my students, it is all worth it. This whole year I have seen her grow closer to Christ and really learn how much he loves her. What a privilege to be a part of her faith!!
2. One of students who has struggled with friendships all year and feeling accepted by his classmates had a rough day last week. He broke down crying during Spanish, so I was able to take him out in the hallway and talk with him. What he was feeling was that no one liked him and that he had no friends. I asked how his faith was helping him through this. He began to explain how he has prayed to God to help change his friends' hearts to be nicer to him. Also, he has been praying that God would help him be less sensitive to the things that his friends do to him. But, then he said that even after these prayers he feels like God is not answering them. This just made me so sad. I shared with this student ways I have seen him growing this year and how I saw God working in his life. Change takes time and I encouraged him to keep praying!! May God show himself so strongly and clear to this student who is crying out for faith!!
Pics of LEGO and Nemocon
Below are some pictures of our fun LEGO Robotics week in Science thanks to an ECA alumna and her family. We had such a fun time building and designing monkeys, lions, birds, and an alligator! Also, here are some pictures of our Teacher Appreciation trip to Nemocon to eat a delicious lunch and visit a less touristic Salt Cathedral. We definitely felt appreciated by the parents and the school.
Prayers/Praises:
For my parents who are travelling to Colombia to visit from June 2nd through the 13th to see the ministry of ECA again and to help move back to Chicago. Details, details...
Please continue to pray for my transition back to the USA - for the good-bye process that is coming up soon and for integrating back into life at the Orchard and with my friends who are still in the Chicago area.
For the work God has done all year - may the students see the fruit and see the areas in which they have grown this year! At this point, I have been focused on what hasn't changed yet, but pray that God would help us all focus on what did change!!
Pray for open positions at the school for next year - we still need a High School Science Teacher and either Kindergarten/3rd Grade Teacher still. For those involved, may they trust that God will send the right people to fill these roles like He does every year.
For the sake of the gospel,
Carrie
