Could It Be?...

Hello, everyone! It’s hard to believe, but as I’m writing this, I am keenly aware of the fact that I only have 2 more weeks left here in The Gambia. I have many mixed emotions about leaving…joy at the thought of seeing family, friends, and the familiarity of home; reluctance and sadness about leaving my Gambian students and new-found friends; guilt over all the other things I could have done…. if I stayed just a little longer.

But as I’m processing through these feelings and wondering if I should have made the trip for at least a year, I’m also thankful for the ways that I’ve been able to help the people here. For instance, my Preschool students are really turning into blossoming readers. It’s great to see the excitement on their faces when they finish reading a short book or the Morning Message that I write to them on the blackboard. They also get so excited when they ace their weekly spelling tests, that they break out into song and dance (African-style, of course)…maybe I should get that on video for y’all to see. I’m really going to miss my students---Phillip, Kaddy, Sarah, Abraham, and Naomi. Please pray that they continue to excel in school; but also, especially pray that they would draw close to God and truly know Him.

Speaking of reading, I recently presented a one-day teacher workshop on a phonics-based reading program that I use in my classroom back home. It was so great to help some of the local pre-school teachers learn more about teaching reading (By the way, some of the local “preschools” include students up to age 7). It’s exciting to think that more students will be able to receive an early, solid foundation in the area of reading…yeah!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers, packages, letters, emails, phone calls, etc. I’ve felt greatly loved and supported throughout this trip. God Bless, and I’ll see you sometime soon! (I’ll be back in Bethlehem on Feb. 26th and then back to teaching at Liberty Bell around the 2nd week of March.)