I'm sorry it's taken so long for us to post an update. Our first week here flew by and it took awhile for our two kids to get over jet lag.
------------------------------------
We've finished one week and almost 2 days of teaching. I think this is our best team that we've ever taken over here. Each of our teachers is very focused, preparing in advance for their classes and really pouring themselves into their students and Teacher's Assistants (TA's). Friendships are forming between teacher and TA and already several TA's have been asking questions about why our team acts like we do and what we think about different topics.
Our teachers spent last Saturday planning for this week and then several were able to go shopping at a nearby pearl market and a nearby silk market. This weekend we'll go to the Great Wall and tomorrow we're going to be able to see an Acrobat troup that's coming thru the city. So already we're getting to see several amazing sites.
This morning about half of our classes had Open House where parents came and watched teachers teach for a class period. Tomorrow the rest of the classes will have Open House. Today's Open House ran very smoothly. Several of our teachers received compliments from parents (which is fairly rare here) and so far all of our teachers sound pretty confident about how it went.
At the end of this week, all of the classes will perform short songs/plays in front of the other classes. They all sound pretty nervous, but the kids sure are cute and it's alot of fun to see them up on stage.
Here are some things that we'd appreciate being lifted up:
- Teachers experiencing traveller's sickness. Most of us have and it was pretty minor and quick to recover. A couple of our girls are having to adjust their diet (mostly water and oatmeal) while they wait for their stomach/intestines to heal. Pls be lifting up Kim and Samantha, specifically that they'll be able to eat solid foods soon.
- One of our Kinder teachers, Cynthia, had to go and get antibiotics for an upper-respiratory infection. She's already feeling better but needs complete healing. Pls think about other teachers... we're yarping that none of the rest of the group catch the infection.
- David and I tweaked our backs (probably from odd sleeping arrangements while trying to help our kids get over jetlag). Today we're both having some trouble walking up and down stairs.
- Each Wednesday/Sunday we have a time of singing, reading and listening to the Book at our place. We had several TA's visit last Sunday and they seemed very interested. Pls be thinking of them, that He'll continue giving them questions and that He'll help them find The way.
Thank you for your love and support. It means alot to us and our team. Blessings!
