meet vinny

why yes.  i did set my accordion in the yard just to take a picture of it.  i am that person, thank you very much.

and apparently i'm not the only person in zambia who has an appreciation for old-timey, slightly (or "really" depending on who you are) dorky instruments.

aw, look at that smile.

the best part is that one of our toughest boys at school was so taken with vinny that the only way i could get him to be obedient was to promise a lesson.  gotta say, i never thought i'd be using an accordion to make children mind.  but, hey.  whatever works.

first week back and...

i am voiceless.  makes for an interesting music teaching experience.  but thanks to my raspy whisper i got to experience:


1. the youngest of my students running up with joy, yelling, "ba leslie! ba leslie!" only to stop dead in their tracks awkwardly when i would respond with an unnaturally low, "hi-(squeak)-iii!"


2. my students proving that they actually learned something in my class last term when i could simply point to a circle on the board and they would yell out, "whole note!"


3. a slightly unconventional music class consisting of a room full of students dancing around and singing praises to God, while i simply smiled and danced along 


4. teaching my drama club members (that's right.  we have a drama club now!) how to play charades (for obvious reasons)  

hopefully next week i'll actually be able to talk and (heaven help me!) sing too!


ooh! and speaking of students and school and the like, check out our new school uniforms!  aren't they great!? 

here's a little video too, which also demonstrates the best my voice has been all week.

learning to say thank you

one of the things we are desperately trying to teach our kids at lifesong is a spirit of thankfulness.  let me make one thing very clear... with most of them this is an extremely difficult task.  


and understandably so when i stop to remind myself where these kids come from.  


since i was little i've been taught the importance of saying thank you, the value of being genuinely grateful for what i've been given.  but for my kids... when those closest to them don't give, but take... don't nurture but neglect... don't love but tolerate... how can they even begin to understand thankfulness?


i've been given much.  i understand that i don't deserve it.  i know i should be thankful.  even when i don't necessarily feel it i still get these simple truths.


they have been given little.  they think they deserve more.  they have never (until now) been taught how to be thankful.

recently i heard a sermon on how we have a tendency in ministry to get weighed down with the need around us and forget to just kneel before God in thanksgiving.

to be thankful that He is a personal God who really truly cares and sincerely loves everyone intimately (wow.  i mean seriously.  have you thought about how cool that is?)


thankful that He has instilled His own heart for others in each of His followers


thankful that He even wants me to be a part of His ministry


thankful that i have the opportunity to work with beautifully broken children who daily draw me closer to Him


thankful that i have family and friends who cheer for me when i succeed, weep with me when i fail, and miss me when i'm in africa


thankful that i get to live in an exoticly different country with the coolest team of people around (seriously, guys.  they're kind of awesome.)


thankful that people will still read my blog even when i leave it dreadfully neglected (right?)

soon after that i was getting ready for bed and was struck with a somewhat sudden urge to fall to my knees and thank my Jesus for... oh lots of things.  i am confident God desires to hear our requests, desires, and lengthy tales of sorrow.  i also know that on that night He only required my joy.  my stories of blessing.  my thanks.


since then i've tried to make a habit of only praying prayers of thanks before bed.  and i've realized that as much as i thought i had to teach on the subject of thanksgiving, i also have a whole lot to learn.  


so now, though my days may be filled with requests for wisdom in how to teach children and patience when they don't always understand, i will look forward to falling asleep each night with a newly thankful heart.