day 369: bribery, storying & pics that speak a 1,000 words

recently, we've really noticed a struggle with 2 of the 4 schools we are in - the primary schools. it seems as though our grade 6 classes are really struggling with english comprehension, which makes our time all the more challenging. behavior has become a problem, but i can't say i blame them. if i had to sit in a room for an hour each week listening to a language i didn't understand, i'd likely struggle, too. since we no longer have a national teaching with us - helping with translating & crowd control (there's something to be said for a xhosa woman who can lay down the law in a way we simply can't), what have we found to be most effective?

1. bribery.

one "sweet" to the girl & boy in each class who, by the end of the period, have proven to be respectful students who participate, listen well & do not argue. it's amazing what one hershey's kiss will do.

2. storying WITH pictures.

play a game in a xhosa classroom & a fight will inevitably break out. but tell a story there & you can hear a pin drop. tell a story with pictures & you can expect that the next week nearly every single learner can retell the story better than we did to begin with. so, today's topic according to the school's curriculum: bullying. we covered our bases & then jumped right into the story of joseph - how he was treated by his brothers & how the Lord used what was planned for evil for good. taught the kids jeremiah 29:11 thru song, reminding them of God's good plan regardless of the circumstances in which they find themselves.

overall - such a great day with the kids at xolani, today. schedules changed AGAIN (hard to believe, huh?) but it's RE-opened the door for us to be with MORE teachers - one we've missed dearly! BOTH teachers remained in the classroom today, "overhearing" the Word as we shared. & praise the Lord that 16 of 20 after-school club kids showed up today for a good time & a short time of Truth for their Daddy!

continue in PRAYer with us for open eyes each monday at xolani primary school!