December 2018 Summary

Wycliffe 2018 Christmas Greeting

Thank you to all the passionate, dedicated Wycliffe partners around the world 
who have played a role in advancing Bible translation. 

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orAvtptH2l4)

As referred to in this year's greeting, I also cherish my
 hand-carved  wooden nativity scene from Cameroon.

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Kangaroo Book Club Storytime on December 1

Kangaroo Book Club - December Storytime craft related to The Legend of the Poinsettia.

The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie DePaola,
dramatized with green weeds placed around
 baby in manager - tops turning beautiful scarlet red.

Other Christmas stories were shared.

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 FIA Elementary Chapel on December 5

 Since Christmas IS Jesus' birthday, what gifts would He want?

"The Friendly Beasts,"an old French carol. Each student
 read a verse and five held an animal (donkey, cow, 
sheep, dove, camel) who told about its gift of service to the
Christ child. Sometimes you have to make do...our stuffed
moose was the closest thing to 4-legged brown animal we
had to a camel, so I told student to cover the anthers
with his hand.

Sharing the book: A Birthday Party for Jesus by Susan Jones.
The forest animals provide packages to celebrate Jesus labeled: 
Hope, Peace, Faith, Charity, Friendship, Mercy, Kindness, 
Honesty, and Love.

Opening three packages with symbols of what Jesus wants
from each of us for His birthday...year round.
1 - Fruit: Jesus wants our daily words and actions to reflect fruit of the 
Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23a)
2 - clock / watch / calendar: Jesus wants us to spend time with Him 
in Bible reading and prayer, and in service to others 
(Matthew 25:40 "...when you did it to one of the least of
 these my brothers, you were doing it to me."
3 - Heart: love with all heart, mind and strength and love neighbor as self (Luke 10:27)

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Community Service Club (CSC) on December 7

These 10th and 12 graders that I coach in storytelling

I coach these 10th & 12th graders at Faith
International Academy in storytelling for
community outreach.

First visit to Brokenshire Hospital
pediatric activity room.

In December at Wireless Elementary, FIA high school students shared:

Bright Star, Bright Star, What Do You See? by Cassandra Maxwell; The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs; Room for a Little One by Martin Waddell with stuffed animals/puppets. Community Service Club also launched ministry to children in hospitals.

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CFC Children's and Family Outreach 

on December 9

My puppet "David" led the children in singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.  This program included:

* PAPER CUT: Pilot's Wheel. Psalm 32:8

* Bird PUPPET laying EGG: message in egg - 

What does Jesus want for his Birthday?

* BOOK: A Birthday Party for Jesus by Susan Jones.

* GIFT PACKAGE OBJECT LESSONS, children unwrap: 
1-fruit; 
2-clock/watch/calendar;    
3-heart (shaped box, clear cover. picture of Jesus inside heart). 
The same scriptures and lessons were presented as in FIA Chapel.

INVITATION PRAYERS: give heart to Jesus or renew commitment to Him.

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Preschool / Homeschool  Storytimes  
This school year's theme thread of animals continued during the three Christmas season sessions with stories of animals at Christmas. 

This is the Stable, Cynthia Cotten and Delana Bettoli (Kindle). Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale, Martin Waddell.  Bright Star, Bright Star, What Do You See? Cassandre Maxwell. One Shining Star. Anne Kennedy.

The Christmas Bear, Anne Mangan. Biscuit's Christmas, Alyssa S. Capucilli. The Little Christmas Tree, Mercer Mayer.  The Animals' Christmas Eve, Little Golden Books (Kindle).

Merry Christmas, Curious George, Margaret and H.A. Rey. The Friendly Beasts: An Old English Christmas Carol (YouTube). Night Tree, Eve Bunting. The Perfect Christmas Tree, Igloobooks.

Our craft during the last storytime of 2018 was a jingle bell tied to
a plastic cup, decorated with foam animal stickers. The older children
 were good at swinging the bell and catching it in the cup.
I was not on this day...oh well, it was fun for all of us.

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FIA Staff Christmas Party

On December 14, Faith International staff and spouses enjoyed good food and  
fellowship at "Tiny Kitchen."

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                   Other December Gatherings

I enjoyed several other small group December gatherings including a birthday dinner with my housemate and friends.

Birthday dinner with Naomi (with cake/candle
in front of her).

Wycliffe/SIL missionaries share Christmas day dinner.

SNOW on Christmas day in Philippines.
We have to use our imaginations a bit 
when living in the tropics.

Missionaries and a friend share a post-Christmas lunch.

New Year's Eve

My housemate Naomi and I hosted a New Year's Eve Party  -  inviting Faith International Academy and Wycliffe/SIL missionaries and families to our house to share games, snacks and fellowship. Before midnight we shared praises from 2018, prayer concerns for 2019, and Mr. Park led us to the throne of prayer.

Our special guest who stole many a heart  was "Hazel," the newest addition to the Park family. 






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"7.0 magnitude earthquake shakes southern Philippines" 

On December 29th, we were surprised with a 7.0 earthquake. I thank God for His protection. No injuries have been reported to my knowledge. I heard that the tsunami warnings were cancelled after two hours.

I have a new appreciation for this phrase since December 29th. I’ve been through a number of earthquakes in my 2+ years in the Philippines…sometimes we stayed in the building and sometimes we exited. Saturday’s swaying sensation seemed a bit longer than other earthquakes, so I looked around to take cues from Filipinos. When I saw people rushing out of that third story Abreeza Mall discount “Book Store” and other stores, I followed their lead though I did not see or hear anything falling…down the corridor, turning right at the evacuation route sign, through a zigzag hallway to stairwell door held open by a clerk. Stairs are problematic for me, but God enabled me to maintain enough speed as not to hold up others who were behind me. (A relief!) 

People were calm, orderly, polite, fell into line with no shouting or pushing. When outside, I discovered that the mall was being officially evacuated. I didn’t know the magnitude of this quake at the time and didn’t need to, I simply trusted the instincts/knowledge of residents who had lived through many more earthquakes than I and who knew the evacuation routes of the premises.

November 2018 Summary

FIA  Elementary Chapel @ Faith International Academy (FIA)

Students enjoy dramatizing children's literature that illustrate various scriptures. On November 7th I shared stories related to THANKS - LIVING and our this year's theme verse - "So that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." Colossians 1:10

Aesop's fable, "The Lion and the Mouse." 

Zechariah 4:10  - “Who dares despise the day of small things…” 

Aesop's fable, "The Dog and His Reflection" also demonstrated
 the consequences of GREED - the dog lost the bone he had by
trying to snatch what he thought was another dog's bone. We
 discussed how greed is the opposite of thanks living.

Aesop's Fable, "The Boy and the Filberts" - The boy
in the story grabs a large handful of filberts (nuts/marbles) but is unwilling
to let any go so he may enjoy some. Students
quickly recognized GREED as the key issue.

Proverbs 15:27a - A greedy man brings
 trouble to his family

Luke 12:15 - Then he said to them, "Watch out!
 Be  on your guard against all kinds of greed; 
a man's life does not consist in the
 abundance of his possessions."  

Following this Kindle book projected we 
discussed CONTENTMENT
 in who and how God made us.
Philippians 4:11 - Not to speak from want,
 for I have learned to be content 
 in whatever circumstances I am.

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Kangaroo Book Club Storytime

Theme: Thanks  Living  11/3/2018

(same scriptures as used in FIA Chapel)

Just So Thankful. Mercer Mayer illustrated a
 journey to  CONTENTMENT and GRATITUDE for
 family rather than for things. 

  One Teddy Bear is Enough   by Ginnie Hofmann.    "Golden Rule"  Matthew 7:12. Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 

 “The Boy and the Filberts,”  Aesop“Dog and His Reflection”,  both by Aesop,  demonstrated the the shortfalls of greed taught how it is the opposite of thanks-living. Proverbs 15:27a and Luke 12:15.

  The Lion and the Mouse by Aesop demonstrated

deep gratitude for and the value of what we might 

perceive as "little" Zechariah 4:10.

November craft: the lion and the mouse coloring page. Children drew the net trapping the lion and added background.

                                        ACTION SONG: ”If You’re Thankful and You Know It”

                                      If you’re thankful and you know it, clap your hands.  (2x)                                   
Also: stomp your feet. (2x); shout “I am!” (2x)

Usually after storytimes, students from Faith International
Academy read to students, who are working on their English.
I join in the action.

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 2nd Annual KBC Book Workshop

  

This year, my topics focused on preschool to grade 3:

~ Importance of storytelling

~ Storytelling methods

~ How you can encourage your younger students to read

A veteran elementary teacher focused on grade 4 to grade 6:

~ How you can encourage your younger students to read

~ The reading and writing connection

Small group discussions followed, then participants shared plans to apply principles with the large group. Approximately 60 people came from several parts of the Philippines...via car, motorcycles, trikes, jeepneys, and some partly by boat. 

And the beat goes on...

Starting my presentation focused on Preschool to grade 3

Hanging with teachers from Wireless Elementary.
This is the school to which I accompanied high school Community Service Club students
 this past semester that I coached in character building storytelling at Faith International Academy,

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Accreditation Team Visit

We thank the Lord for a great accreditation visit November 11-15. The team from The Association of Christian Schools International and Western Association of Schools and Colleges is recommending that Faith International School be re-accredited for another 6 years. Praise the Lord!

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International Christian Educators Conference, ACSI in Malaysia       

Most of the conference participants from Faith International Academy in Davao, Philippines. Thank for FIA for sending us! 

This conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia included 340 participants from 53 schools located in Asia, Europe, and Africa.
It was a very enriching conference. Some of the sessions I attended include:

~Pre-conference course: Biblical Integration in the Classroom
~ Bible Alive - Creative Elementary Bible Classrooms
~ Second language Acquisition - What All Teachers Need to Know
~ Publishing Possibilities for Lay People - Your Students and Your Own
~ Why Theater Matters - Developing Character Via Performing Arts
~ Being Different in Your Instruction
~ Reading Right
~ Structural Approach to Cooperative Learning
~JOB ALIKES: Discussions with Librarians

General Sessions were excellent mind stretchers. My favorites:
~ Changing Times, Emerging Trends
~ A Doubters Guide to the Bible
~ A Doubters Guide to Jesus

After a full day of workshop and general sessions
on American Thanksgiving Day, Elementary FIA
 teachers enjoyed pizza, salad, mini ice cream bars,
wonderful fellowship with our sisters in Christ that
included much laughter and fascinating stories.
Thank you elementary team leader for hosting.
We gave thanks with a grateful hearts.
Who needs turkey and pumpkin pie?

~ Why Calling Matters

After the  last  session on the last day of the conference,
a number of us took a train ride to see some sights
of the city. The architecture was so fascinating.
We went to the Twin Towers, Petronas Mall.

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PRAISING GOD that I only have multilevel disc pathology, progression of my disc degeneration rather than cancer. Thankful that an MRI did NOT show any bone metastasis as a previous x-ray impression suggested of lytic lesions. Grateful for a referral to an Orthopedic Rehabilitation doctor who designed a physical therapy program - two weeks of three sessions and ongoing home exercises. I have now lost three inches in height (1/4" since my 2015 cancer journey), but am grateful to be alive and I keep on keeping on (though more slowly, and sometimes with a cane) in various venues of educational ministry to which God has opened doors and to which I feel called during this present season of my life.