Hello and welcome to the March blog! Technically the drought continues as water is still being rationed on the Island but we had a little rain every day last week. The heat/humidity continues to be oppressive, even the locals find the days and nights hot and uncomfortable. On the other hand it has rained enough to turn grass from brown to green; to bring our wilted tomato and cucumber plants back to productive life; to allow the sheep and goats which are of a desert species to go and wallow in the muddy streams. How about us humans? We simply need relief but I, at least, am not sure how to picture that! I will know it when it arrives! One of the features of the back-yard is a bird of prey known as a Chicken Hawk to the folk who live here and that, to me, looks very much like a Kestrel. He rests on one of the trees that surround the yard. Life in the air and on the ground disappears when he's around! Yet he is simply magnificent as he uses the trade winds to hunt on. I didn't think a bird could dive or drop through the air so quickly. He certainly has not been as hungry as the sheep and goats in the drought.
We have just finished two weeks of Vacation Bible School at Belair PC. The first week we worked (and played) with 4-10 year old children. The second week we had 11-16 year olds. The younger group in particular coloured and painted endlessly. We have never encountered so many colouring fiends under one roof! We learned a new game, Duck, Duck, Goose; hung out at the beach; crafted with painstaking care; played rounders, soccer, cricket and dodge ball; fell in love with the stories of Robert Munsch, particularly as they were read by Sandra Smith. Was there a favourite? My vote was for More Pies though I wonder what the outcome would have been if we had a copy of Smelly Socks on hand. We also had Bible Stories, learned both how to pray and a new hymn or two. The older group did most of these things too. They also hiked up a mountain into the clouds; built kites that flew well above 500 feet and found that hormones flare up in the most unexpected places! The kids wanted more VBS. Us older people smiled and said "soon" before limping off to bed! In the middle of all this the Confirmation Class which we had been working with for the last couple of months took their vows and became part of the Communion Service on Easter Sunday. We also had a Baptismal Service for a babe named Sawyer from Huntsville, ON. What a lovely family and what a busy time! It was also an extremely happy one.
The CALS (see previous blogs) continues to surprise. All the children on the course now want to read. Belair Primary School has one of the better libraries on the Island and so they can. God is good! However, is there anyone out there with grade three to six readers? Please make sure they are not overwhelmingly North American or European in their content. Most of the reading texts on the Island have stories about pets that travel two thousand miles, cross mountain ranges with snow and ice, etc. to find their owners. Similarly they tell stories about children who do things that children here may never do nor will have much comprehension of because of the plot around the story. What we do have, however, is a love affair that is building beautifully between teachers and children. Thank you, Lord.
It was quiet at MacDonald College for a few days after the Inter-Collegiate Sports. We did not win the Cup this year; we did take third place in the competition. There were a few achievements of note though. One of the boys was awarded the Outstanding Athlete Award; another "jumped" off with the long jump trophy; the high jump was won after a jump of 1.98 meters. Great stuff! All in all, we were proud to sit there and shout encouragement. Our boys who took part in the Junior Events showed both courage and style. We will be back! Our girl's team have not done well for quite a few years; however, one of the juniors looked to have great potential! Now we are back to school after the Easter break and preparing for exams that will last for most of May and June. These are critical exams for those who are about to graduate and important exams for those moving up a form or grade. Remedial English lessons have jumped to the forefront for those in the first form; the challenge of the second year classes grows for me. What are those 12-16 year olds going to do without some solid reading and math skills in their lives? There are many repeals to the Education Act in progress. This will help as many of the repeals call for changes to teaching priorities in the classroom; all of this will take some time. The deadline for most of the changes is 2012, enough said! In Canada we take education as a matter of right. Good education within a system built around the brightest and the dullest pupil. One size does not fit all. Here it does. Canadians spend a lot of money on education. Here the Government looks to the World Bank for funding for it. I met a father of one of the girls I teach the other day. "Rev." He said "I hear you are teaching my daughter." "Which class is she in", I asked. He told me and I smiled remembering some of the girls in the class. "She tells me you are teaching her to think", I smiled some more. "I am going to hold you responsible" he said and he laughed with such force that he almost fell off the back of the small truck he was working on. Now he passes me and shakes his finger in solemn warning. His smile is as bright as his daughter's.
I used Romans 12 the other morning at the School Assembly to ask what God's will is for us. After all God can lead us all far beyond ourselves. What will you learn today? How will it help you, your family and your community to grow? Isn't each one of us responsible for the future? Doesn't God's world need all his children to live up to their potential? Why don't we pay more attention to life? Most importantly, please remember always that God can lead us, each one of us, way, way, way, beyond our capabilities. Trust him always.
