June 2017 Summary

June was a month of odds and ends...uploading language arts plus library lesson plans and documents to the teacher drive;  a storytime for preschool-second grade, orienting teacher Shelley to operate circulation desks at the two libraries during summer hours while I was away, training avid middle school reader Lydia to help shelve books and do other library tasks, helping other librarians with the Davao linguistics library....plus medical tests with waiting, and more waiting until July 1 for a definitive "no cancer" diagnosis, but a new enlarged left ventricle diagnosis appeared. 



FIRST ROUND of MEDICAL TESTING: I flew May 30 to Manila to go to  St. Luke's Medical Center (member of Mayo Clinic Care Network) as strongly recommended by several colleagues for follow-up on a questionable lesion that showed up in January.  The mammogram called for an MRI, done on June 6, then back to Davao on June 7. MRI results later received via email called for a surgical biopsy which took awhile to get arranged. 

    
I am extremely grateful for prayers of family and many friends in several countries. Good fellowship in the Philippines helped ease the waiting between so many tests and medical appointments.

Teamwork! 

Fellowship included a June 9th breakfast with co-workers in the Lord - Anna (face in corner), Marla, Kathy, and Bicbic.

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The second full week of June included fellowship with two librarians who came to Davao for five days to work on the SIL* linguistics library - Lauren, a Wycliffe Technical Library Consultant  and Manny, SIL Librarian/Archivist from Manila. Manny was a tremendous long-distance blessing to the SIL Cameroon linguistics library in spring 2015 when the head librarian passed away--another school librarian and I were asked to assist during the transition to new librarian time, not understanding the new Koha software.

Back to the Philippines, June 2017. The needed tasks exceeded Manny's and Lauren's time here and I assisted by withdrawing from the catalog several hundred weeded journals and some books. We three librarians enjoyed several meals together.

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On July 19th I presented a Storytime at Faith International Academy targeting preschool-new second graders with a "BUGS" theme.


I designed a flyer of summer hours for the elementary - middle school and the high school libraries.

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On June 23 I went back to Manila to be ready for Monday appointment with my surgeon and surgery clearance meeting with a cardiologist. Wanted to attend church on Sunday rather than airport waiting, a good decision...

Such a blessing to fellowship at Greenhills Christian Fellowship in Manila with Lauren Denny and Manuel Tamayao and his family, wife Tericel, and sons. All the adults in this group are full-time librarians.

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While in Manila both times, it was a real blessing to stay at the SIL Guesthouse in Quezon City, near St. Luke's Medical Center. Peaceful, pretty, economical, tasty inexpensive meals available, great fellowship with missionaries and others. Wonderful support from the staff. A great place for much needed rest after an extremely hectic school year with double assignment...while waiting test results or for other medical appointments.

*SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics) is a partner organization of Wycliffe Bible Translators that contributes greatly to language development wherever it is located.

Announcing: March-April-May 2017 WattsLine is now posted

Announcing:  

 March-April-May 2017 WattsLine 

  

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May 2017 Summary

Elementary Chapel  - Led by 5th Grade, May 4th

Classes are welcome to lead a chapel program at Faith International Academy (FIA), and my 5th grade language arts class was eager to do so. They had wanted to use puppets on our service / ministry field trip, but doors opened for us to go Davao School for the Blind, where puppets would not be the most effective group tool. Therefore puppets were first on the agenda to share with younger fellow students.

I taught 5th graders basic moving mouth puppet techniques and  coached them to lip sync "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" that has good built-in choreography of leaning many times. Students choose "Our God Is An Awesome God" as their second song for puppets to share.

Fifth graders led other students in action / dance songs, "10,000 Reasons,"  
"I'll Follow Jesus,"  and 
"Building Others Up."





Many mornings before language arts curriculum, devotions included an Bible animal object lesson from one of several books on my Kindle...always with the request to pass the stuffed/puppet animal around.  Chapel was now their turn to share! Each fifth grader choose from several printouts which animal lesson they would present that took a characteristic of the animal/object, related that quality to scripture, then to their audience's lives.

 These students were asked to read their scripture verse directly from their Bible. During rehearsal time I explained that decades ago in children's ministry training, I had been taught the benefits of reading scripture directly from the Bible: 1) to make sure the verse is given accurately, and 2) so your audience knows that your presentation is indeed based on God's Word. 

Don't they look great communicating these Bible truth lessons?  I confess I had ulterior motives for taking the time to teach the how and why of object lessons. I pray that these students will go on to share Bible lessons with children, youth, and adults...Bible in one hand and prop as appropriate in the other hand. My goal is multiplication - teach these students simple techniques to help them share Bible truths with persons I'll never see.

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Elementary Chapel -  'Golden Rule' Theme - May 18th

On May 4th I had the privilege of being the speaker for the last Elementary Chapel of the school year at Faith International Academy.  First, I called students up to dramatize the story of "The Good Samaritan" as I read it from the Bible.

This Chapel also included:

-VIDEO STORY: Sara Tucholsky - An Inspiring Softball Story     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaXVk5GBx-s  5:28 min.

-VIDEO SONG : Steve Green - Do To Others - Matthew 7:12   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUV_uljLekc  1:47 min.

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Teddy Bear craft

PRESCHOOL / HOMESCHOOL STORYTIMES in May included stories, 'show-and-tell,' and crafts related to:

Thursday, May 4 –  PINK

Thursday, May 11 – GRAY

Thursday, May 18 -  BROWN




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FIELD TRIP - Tebow CURE Hospital 
The Tebow CURE Hospital provides pediatric surgical care in Davao City in the Philippines, helping children with treatable conditions like clubfoot and spinal deformities and also treating injuries.  It is a partnership of Tim Tebow Foundation with CURE International.

The fifth graders worked hard with the puppets during the week and half we had to prepare for Elementary Chapel. Why stop there? We planned to share the puppet songs and action songs with children awaiting orthopedic surgery one morning at Tebow CURE Hospital.

In route to Tebow CURE Hospital in the school vehicle. Missing from picture is photographer Mom, Mrs. Wagner.

In lobby of the hospital

 


Our time together with began with introductions of patients that included learning what kind of surgery they were waiting to have that day. Fifth grade FIA students took turns praying for a patient.

FIA fifth graders repeated puppet songs and action/dance Christian songs which they had shared in Elementary Chapel. 

I was delighted that one student asked if they could let patients use the puppets. Of course! Parents joined in using puppets. Staff retrieved some finger puppets to add to the action and smiles.

             

My students wanted me to greet patients with my 
"Grandma Gracie" and "David" puppet voices.

 Several fifth graders had a phone camera that could add cartoon features to photos. They entertained patients by taking their pictures, adding the features and showing the patient their new pic.

Before leaving the hospital, we had a mini-tour including introductions to staff, view of x-ray rooms, and explanations of some of the physical therapy equipment (students enjoyed trying a few pieces out). We also got to visit "Timmy's Playroom" with football motif (for Tim Tebow) where youngsters wait for their turn at the Thursday charity clinic for disabled children and where regular patients play at other times. 

YEAR END FESTIVITIES
After a busy morning at CURE Hospital, students had chosen to return to school for a potluck picnic, water activities, and 'root beer' floats that I had been promising in honor of a compound spelling word.







Without a full-time fifth grade teacher this year, various teachers taught the different academic subjects. We enjoyed having most  of them plus a library reader join as schedules permitted during our picnic lunch (although attention was divided during later part with filling water balloons).

The whole class climbed in the tank after the dunking mechanism stopped working at all for a special Kodak moment..








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Last Day of School Reflections and Prayers

Early morning sharing time on the last day of this school year will long be etched in my mind.

One of the things I asked students was what special memories did they have of their fifth grade school year. Several students mentioned "field trips." YES!!! They got it!
 My theme verse in preparing students for trips to Davao Blind School and Tebow CURE Hospital had been Philippians 2:4 -  "Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in other, too."  A deep desire of my heart is to help others (especially children, early in life) to experience the joy of outreach and serving, of sharing God's love with others.

During our devotional time, I suggested 'pop corn' prayers of  popping up to thank God for our school year together and asking God's guidance and blessings as they entered the new season of life called "middle school.'  My heart was deeply touched by their profound, insightful, powerful prayers for each other. Amen! (So be it!)  
I continually pray for God's special blessings and guidance on each of you Daniel, Emily, Irene, Peace, Saem, and Simeo.