Achievers Elementary School

My job as International Student Coordinator at IGSL has led to several other roles. As part of my ministry to our students from other countries, for the past four years I have served as adviser to our small kids' school on campus. We have 45 students in the school, aged 3 to 16. We use a group home schooling approach with the kids divided into four classrooms. Each class has a teacher and an aide. Last night was their closing program. Twelve of the kids will be leaving and going back to their own countries next month. Here are the preschool kids doing their dance. Pretty cute, eh? The kids in these photos are from Indonesia, Pakistan, Korea, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, India and Myanmar.

If you are looking for an adventure, we would love to have you come and spend a few months with us at Achievers International School! Anyone who loves kids is welcome!

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A Mother-in-Law Shower

Have you heard of a mother-in-law shower? We hadn't either, until last week! IGSL is famous for baby showers. We always try to celebrate with women who are expecting a new baby. And we do wedding showers too, to celebrate with girls who are about to become brides.

But last week our faculty wives' team invented a new one. Jan Hobson, one of my longtime colleagues, is about to become a mother-in-law. She will leave on Monday for the U.S. to prepare for the wedding. So, we decided to bless her by creating a new kind of party. We had a special breakfast together, and we gave her gifts to bring to her new daughter-in-law on our behalf. And we gave her advice! I am the only one in this group who is already a mother-in-law, but we all had lots to say from our own experience as daughters-in-law. It was great fun, and I am sure it will become a tradition!

Jan is second from left, beside me.

One Thousand Gifts Update

Today I reached 500 gifts in my One Thousand Gifts List! This has been so good for me, because it is teaching me to recognize gifts from God. In the beginning, I would sit down in the evening and try to think back over the day, and discover the gifts. Now, after five months of practicing this, I am learning to recognize them as they come. Several times each day, when things happen, I find myself smiling and saying, "Now this is a gift!"

Last week, a student dropped by my office at 11:00 and invited me to lunch at 12:00. She said, "We're having soup!" When I got there, her husband explained, "We used to feel we had to prepare something special so that we could invite you. It had to be formal. But now, we know you love us, and we love you. So, even though we are just having soup today, we wanted you to be with us." And my heart whispered, "This is a gift!"

Sometimes the gifts are small and silly, like "Gift #378, My new green pen!" Sometimes they are awesome, like this morning when I was reading I Peter 1:7, and I read that trials come to prove that my faith, which is more precious than gold, is genuine. So, since the habit is growing, I immediately grabbed my green pen and added to my list, "Gift #498, My faith, more precious than gold." A few hours later, pondering that idea again, I added "Gift #501, The trial that proves my faith is genuine."

What Babies Think of Baby Dedications...

I was honored to take part in a baby dedication recently, and it was a lovely ceremony . . . but according to baby, a wee bit too long.