Reading is her favorite!

"Reading is her favorite!" she said.

How exciting to hear that. This from a girl who has struggled with reading immensely. And now, she loves it. I feel so blessed to have been given these glimpses into knowing how my work (tutoring in this case) is making a difference in people's lives.

Update on the spelling-memory game: her spelling tests are better than normal.

So a student I (Cory) work with while volunteering at the school....I am amazed at how far he has come in his math. He has improved like night-and-day in his cognitive ability in math. Just the other day, he came early for our time together. He told me that they were finished Bible early and just playing some games, but he wanted to come and do math. "I used to hate math; but now I like it". How encouraging to hear!

A typical week for Cory:
Monday -- all day at the school volunteering (first one-on-one Math with a grade 5 student; then helping out in the grade 2 classroom as an extra set of hands; then after lunch working one-on-one with two dyslexic students from grade 3; then reading with 4 grade 1 students who need some extra practice; then as needed working a small group from grade 4 in whatever area needs to be covered that day; tutoring after school for 1-2 hours)

Tuesday -- Math with a grade 5 student; then going home and making lunch, only to bring it back at lunch time for 6 six teachers; doing one-on-one with grade 3 students; then tutoring for 1-2 hours; then a second tutoring job for 1 hour.

Wednesday -- Math with a grade 5 student; after lunch doing one-on-one with grade 3 students; reading with 4 grade 1 students; working with a small group of kids from grade 4 who need some extra help; tutoring after school for 1-2 hours.

Thursday -- Math with a grade 5 student; working as an extra set of hands in the grade 2 classroom; after lunch working one-on-one with 2 grade 3 studnets; tutoring for 1-2 hours; then another tutoring job for 1 hour.

Friday -- Math with a grade 5 student; going home and making lunch for 15 people (to be brought to the school for teachers and students who need it); after lunch reading with 4 grade 1 students; tutoring for 1-2 hours. I do like it that when I am done for the day, then I am done. As\na full-time teacher I found that I was taking the work home with me --\nmarking and planning...etc. And was up till late at night trying\nto get everything ready. As a volunteer and tutor, there is\npractically no prep work. However, since I work with 3 dyslexic\nstudents (2 at school and one I tutor after school), I am reading some\nbooks that will help me best meet their needs...and boy am I learning a\nlot about dyslexia! Oh my, it is amazing what I didn\'t\nknow. Check out "The Gift of Dyslexia" and the "Gift of Learning"\nby Ron Davis. A dyslexic himself, he has actually discovered a\ntermendous method of helping dyslexics overcome all that which holds\nthem back. When I mentioned above that "reading is now her\nfavorite subject" -- that is state only weeks after using Davis\' method\nas outline in his books with her. He has some wonderful methods\non helping students with ADD, Math, and handwritting problems...not to\nmention getting beyond the normal hurdles of dyslexia (e.g., making the\nletters that float around stop floating).

I do like it that when I am done for the day, then I am done. As a full-time teacher I found that I was taking the work home with me -- marking and planning...etc. And was up till late at night trying to get everything ready. As a volunteer and tutor, there is practically no prep work. However, since I work with 3 dyslexic students (2 at school and one I tutor after school), I am reading some books that will help me best meet their needs...and boy am I learning a lot about dyslexia! Oh my, it is amazing what I didn't know. Check out "The Gift of Dyslexia" and the "Gift of Learning" by Ron Davis. A dyslexic himself, he has actually discovered a termendous method of helping dyslexics overcome all that which holds them back. When I mentioned above that "reading is now her favorite subject" -- that is state only weeks after using Davis' method as outline in his books with her. He has some wonderful methods on helping students with ADD, Math, and handwritting problems...not to mention getting beyond the normal hurdles of dyslexia (e.g., making the letters that float around stop floating).

Creative Spelling

So today I went to one of my tutoree's houses
to work with her for an hour or so. In preparation,
I made small cards containing two lists of her
current spelling words. Then we played "memory"
with them. The trick? Everytime her or I flipped
over a card we had to say the word and spell it, then
flip over another card to find its match, saying and
spelling that word too. If we came across vocabulary
words, then we had to say, spell, and read the
vocabulary words. She enjoyed it so much that we
played three times! And still she was not tired of it!
in essence, we went through her spelling words
about 6 times verbally. Verbal is good for her since
she has a learning disability and learns better verbally.

Soon, I want to try practicing spelling words with
pudding...the kid has to spell the word with their
finger in pudding! I'll see if I can't take some pictures.

Cory

Amazing! Her reading is the best it has been all year!

I have been having a wonderful past couple of weeks. Where does this joy stem from? From being able to help the students at Linda Vista School, particular students that is. As a volunteer special needs teacher, I come along side their regular teacher and help as needed. I have a few dyslexic students that I work with one-on-one and I decided that I needed to learn more about dyslexia so that I could better help these students. It is as if God knew this over a year ago, because when I worked for the bookstore I bought some learning books but had not read them, yet I took them along to Belize. Now, I zipped through the one book in just a week (and it was a complicated book) and am starting on the second one, eager to read it. I am a novel girl...books that are just information are not that interesting for me, and yet I am so drawn to these books that I have not read the novels I have sitting on the shelf.

Anyways...what has happened? I have been trying different methods (methods geared toward helping students with learning disabilities) and have found that grades are going up. One method of reading that works better for dyslexic kids is that instead of using phonics to sound out words, to use the spell-read system. That is where if they have trouble with a word, to spell the word, then I say the word and they repeat it. I have tried this method and found that they are better able to pick up on that same word in the future. Why? Probably because they have such good memories that they remember the spelling of the word and how it is pronounced...as opposed to sounding it out.

Another process I have been trying is doing clay-spelling with spelling words. One student, after doing this for 20 minutes the day before his spelling test (and only working on about 6-8 words of 30 (actually, he only did 3-4 and I did the other 3-4 words, to which I made him check my spelling and then spell the word after that without looking)), he got the best on his spelling test all term (the term is almost over)!

Another student, we spent 2 hours on Saturday afternoon creating the alphabet out of playdoe, then saying it forwards and backwards many times. Then I would ask her, "find the letter N" and she would locate it. Then I would say "what are the letters around P?" And she would tell me that. Forwards and backwards, the capitals and the smaller case. In the end, her teacher told me today (Monday) that her reading has been the best it has been all year. "What did you do?" She asked. "We just went over the alphabet for 2 hours". Praise God that the little girl really enjoyed it (since we were playing with playdoe). I think what happened is that dyslexic kids are known for having really good memories, and just as the spell-read system works by them memorizing the spelling of a word and linking that with it's pronounciation, so too when they get really good with knowing the letters of the alphabet, then their reading is effected in a positive way too.

I can't take all the credit, because I have found that God has given me a unique ability to understand these books on dyslexia (which is where I am learning all these different methods of teaching). "The Gift of Dyslexia" by Ron Davis and "The Gift of Learning" by Ron Davis. Excellent, phenomenal books on how to help students with not only dyslexia, but also math problems, hand writting problems, ADD, and ADHD. Read them if your child or student is in need of some help. It is amazing the suggestions they give. I have seen 3 cases (students) of dramatic improvement in just 5 days! And I only started reading the books just over a week ago!

Wow! I hope God can use me to help more kids!

Cory

Recruiting New Teachers

I got the update from the board last weekend. Here is what next year is looking like.

• Kindergarten: Pending response from current teacher
• Grade 1: Filled
• Grade 2: Has an applicant
• Grade 3: Pending response from current teacher
• Grade 4: Open
• Grade 5: Open
• Grade 6: Open
• Grade 7: Open
• Grade 8: Open
• Highschool: Filled
• Highschool: Pending response from current teacher
• Highschool: Open

So I posted an add on goabroad.com and updated our web page with the latest data.

I could really use your help. Do you know of anyone who might be interested in coming down here to teach next year? If so send them to our web site at http://www.authenticwalk.com/belize/index.php

Things in Perspective

In Bible class today we were studying about the start of the American Missionary Movement with Judson's trip to Burma. Man that guy suffered a lot. He was imprisoned at one point for 3 years in terrible conditions chained with only his beaten and whipped shoulders touching the ground, no light and the stench. For 6 years he never saw one person become a Christian. Yet in the end he led a movement that God used to lead thousands to Christ.

As I read this from our textbook I could feel the cracking sensation of the sunburn on my back. Last Saturday I was out a bit too long working on the trees and burnt myself. Monday it was almost unbearable trying to get through class. My students were quite compassionate. As I read this story I thought my sufferings are small. My pain is from my own silliness and will pass in a few days (it is not that bad), his went on year after year.

Anyhow after reading this I was really impressed by how easy I got it.

PS Some time soon I need to send you pictures of our trees...

Wall of Prayer

During staff meeting last Tuesday I shared some
of the struggles I have been having.  It seems
some of the other staff are feeling the same.  In
response we took some time and prayed about
this.  In addition the teachers are getting together
after school and praying in the middle of the field
and many of you on my prayer team have expressed
your support and prayers.

In response I sense God's presence like a wall
around the school.  It is not easy for many of us
but I sense hope rising.  Please continue to pray
for us all.

Discouraged

I am hesitant to write about things like this but what is the point of
having a support team like yourself and not sharing with you the
lows instead of just the highs.

I find teaching really hard.  I think everyone is getting tired.  We are
now almost 3/4 the way through the year and both the students and
myself wish we were done.  .

Sometimes I wonder what I am doing here,  why did I leave so much?
I came to make a difference and to help those who really wanted to
grow.  At times I do not feel wanted.  My students argue with me in
class, they get angry about how I mark, they tell me I am doing it
wrong, and the class gets out of hand.  I wish I had taken some courses
in classroom management.  They are still really good kids and to the most
part stay out of trouble, I just feel worn down inside and need prayer for the
strength to press on.  I also need help knowing which things to call for the
students, which to let go, and to embrace opportunties for life-change.

Sorry for ranting and I hope I have not dishonored my students.  Maybe
the biggest prayer I need is that I will love these students with the same
love God has for them.

100 Words Per Minute

In Keyboarding class today one of my students broke 100
WPM.  That is so incredible!  I felt inspired and since I had
not tested myself for a while I did their speed test along
with them.  That one student and I raced to beat each other
and almost tied.   For the first time in my life I got 101
WPM (less 5 WPM for errors).  I never knew I was so fast...
it was only a little while ago I thought I was doing 55 WPM,
I should have figured that after typing every day for 7 years
after that test I might have gotten a little bit better :)

Now I have to figure out what I can get my student for such
a big accomplishment.  Any ideas?

The Adventures of Cory and Chris

The Adventures of Cory and Chris
January is now over. We have been to 4 countries since the new year has begun...starting in Canada, traveling through the US and Mexico on our way to Belize. And then, just the other Sunday, Chris and I took a leisurely walk through La Union, Mexico. In Blue Creek, we live literally a 1 minute drive from the Mexican border. After paying a boatman $1 Bz to travel across the river, you arrive in Mexico.

With the change in schedules for us (whereas, we used to both go to school for 7:30am [or earlier] and both leave around 5:30 or 6pm) now, since, I am not teaching full time, we have different transportation needs and so we decided to get a bike. Gas in Belize is very expensive (about $5 a gallon) and the bike only costs $4 US to fill. We think we can ride it for about 5 days or so on a full tank (which is only about 1 gallon). It is perfect for our needs. And we can resell it in the end, probably for the same amount that we bought this used bike for. Although not common in Belize, we believe in wearing helmets!

I (Cory) am volunteering these days and enjoying it. I find that I do indeed fill a need in the school for someone to come along side the teachers and provide an extra set of hands, eyes, and help in the classroom. I have spoken with the teachers from grades 1 to 5, asking their needs and have arranged to come in during certain times of the days. For example, the grade 5 class needs some help from 8:30-9:15; the grade 4 class needs help from 9:15-9:45; the grade 2 class needs help from 10-11:30; the grade 3 class needs help from 12:30-1:30; and the grade 1 class needs help from 1:30-3. It is so amazing how God has designed it so that, I can help out in so many different classes throughout the day...what a difference I feel that I am making.

Some classes just need someone to come in and read with the kids in their reading circles, freeing up the teacher to help the other kids one-on-one with their seat work (or I can do the seatwork and the teacher can do the reading circle). Some classes, need someone to take a child or two aside, providing them with some extra practice reading time. Some classes need an extra person to come along and help the students with their math work.

Today's schedule was: 8:30-9:45 with grade 4's doing math; 12:30-1 with a grade 5 student working one-on-one with his math; 1-1:30 fifteen minutes each with 2 grade 3 students who needed some one-on-one extra reading time; 1:30-2 with six or seven grade 1's helping them to understand how to count money; 2:15-3 with three grade 1 students who needed some extra reading time. This last bunch I had a lot of fun with as we read a small story a few times, then we tried to see who could read it the fastest. We will keep record and give a prize at the end of the week. (And extra points were given if you followed along while the others were doing their verbal readings). I don't know if I have ever seen kids so excited about reading...and these are the kids who are struggling!

I am also providing lunch (for a small fee to help cover the cost of the food) on Tuesdays and Fridays. This is a big venture for me as I don't really cook that well...and yet it is an opportunity to learn a new skill. So far, I am doing well with the meals and breaking even on the money collected compared with the expenses incurred. I know what is was like as a teacher, trying to figure out what to eat for lunch everyday while living in a foreign country where food is not quite the same as you are used to in your country of origin. (E.g., in Canada I would have a sandwich for lunch practically everyday. Here, it is difficult to find good sandwich meat).

That's it for now.
Cory

2000 trees planted

Last weekend Cory and I got together and planted a few thousand trees. At first we were putting them in plastic bags (to transplant later) but that was taking far too long. So we just made a garden and threw all the seeds in it and buried them. In about 4-6 weeks when they come out of the ground we can put them in bags.

The plan is the following

- 2000 mahogany
- 2000 spanish cedar
- 500 teak
- 500 maligna

We are just about finished buying 10 acres of land. I found out yesterday the guy we are buying off also moonlights as a logger so I booked him to log it with me in a couple weeks. That will be fun!

So what is the point? Well if we plant trees now then when we retire we can sell them for about $2000 each. I'll let you do the math but if it works out it should really be a great way to free us up for ministry.

God of Second Chances

I am preaching in chapel tomorrow. I have been
working on this sermon entitled "The God of Second
Chances." I want to start off with New Years and ask
what is there Christian about it? Then I want to ask
the same about Christmas which was originally a pagan
holiday. And then the cross of Easter which was an
instrument of torture.

The key is conversion. God is the one who loves to
convert things.

He took an old rugged cross that was used for torture
and used it as the symbol of love.

He took the pagan ritual of the darkest day of the year
and turned into the festival of the coming of light.

And He took the New Year and gave us all a fresh
start.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
the old has gone, the new has come" - 2 Cor 5:17

For me, when I was younger I used to have a temper.
Last Christmas my dad asked, "When did you finally
settle down so that I no longer had to sit on you?"

A young gangster named Nicki Cruz stood face to
face with a preacher of the gospel but then God
changed him and turned him into a preacher of the
gospel.

And then I want to turn to the students and ask,
"And what about you?" What are you now?
What do you want God to change you into?

After letting them think on that I am hoping I can
have them turn to their friends beside them and
share what they really want God to change in them
and then have them pray in circles.

It is a good question though, "If God really is the
God of second chances, what do I want a second
chance in?"

Home Safe

After three days of travel we are home safe. Thanks for all your
prayers today went much better. We made it through customs
okay and had to pay some money in duty but they were quite
understanding that most of it was donations to the school.

Also we got a ride from some people from Blue Creek which
we were very thankful for since they had to wait for us b/c
our bus was full and we had to take a later one.

We went and saw Noelle and Rebekah. The are both in a
sling but one has the right arm and the other the left so I
guess they can work together. I saw the x-rays, Rebekah
has 7 screws in her arm cause the bone was broken right
through. Boy does it look weird.

Cory will be helping Noelle this week with her class. Oh ya, and
Rodney (from Blue Creek) will be taking over Cory's class for the
rest of the semester.

So tomorrow I start teaching again. I am looking forward to it.
Hoping and praying that things will go smoother with the classroom
management.

Thanks for being on our team!

Please pray for us as we travel

Cory and I are enroute back to Belize. We made it through to Mexico
today and are staying the night. So far it has been really tough. In
Seattle they found out the person in Cancun took all my tickets away
and I had to put up money to buy a ticket till they research to find
the ones the guy took. Good news though I found the guy who did it in
Cancun and he remembers he did it wrong.

Also in Cancun we had a terrible time getting through customs as we
have lots of old computer parts and they were afraid we were going to
sell it. Finally they let us through at no cost but it was scary for
a bit with looking at over 200 in tax

Pray for our border crossing in Belize tomorrow which likely will have
similiar problems. And safety.

God's peace be with you

Chris

A Change in Focus

After a lot of praying, discussion and waiting the board and us have decided it is best for Cory's health for her to step down from full-time teaching for this next semester and focus on substitute teaching. Of course this was not an easy decision to for a number of reasons:

1. The school is so short of teachers already and, like the grade eight class, this class may be left with one teacher after another filling in for the remainder of the year.
2. Stepping down half-ways through a project is not Cory's style. She desires to see a project through to the end, no matter how difficult. And yet, this situation is beyond her ability. We have seen her struggle with her health and in many other ways, knowing that something needs to change.
3. There are kids who do not deserve to lose their teacher. We hope that their studies will not suffer because of their classmates actions.

Yet, we know that this is God's will for Cory at this time.

Over the last years, this particular class has been challenging to many teachers. Mix that "energy" with the changes and challenges that come with puberty, and you've got one wild class. The community has been really supportive: the board has come in and spoken to the class and parents have regularly sat in during the day to help with discipline. Although there have been some improvements there reaches a point where you are not certain if you are the one that will lead the kids through the steps they have to take in order to turn around. As we shared these struggles with the board they opened the door for us and said they would rather have Cory step down, get some rest and support Chris in his teaching than potentially have everything blow up part way through the next semester and lose both of us. As to a new teacher, the board says, "God will provide." We truly feel they love and care for us.

So as of this January Cory will be focusing on substitute teaching and looking for other opportunities to do ministry that God will give her. Chris will continue to teach Bible and Computers for the high-school students.

Please pray for the following:

1. A teacher for the grade 7 class that can lead them back to focus on their studies, and provide the right amount of discipline.
2. God's help to the students (esp. to those who do not deserve this and yet will suffer along side their classmates) that they can still pass this year and those who are struggling with their classroom behaviour will have a change of heart
3. For Cory to get well rested and not be discouraged.

Please pray for Noelle, Rebekah and others

I recently recieved news about some of my fellow teachers back in Blue Creek and request your prayers for them. Noelle (whom we went with from our care group) - grade 4 teacher, Rebekah - highschool engligh and history teacher and 3 others were out for a walk a couple days ago. It was dark and a motorbike came around the corner and without seeing slammed right into the group. Noelle has a broken arm and a slipped disk in her back, Rebekah has a broken arm and head injuries and another girl took some serious hits to her head. I heard yesterday that Rebekah was released from the hospital and Noelle is supposed to be released today. I haven't heard much about the driver or the third girl.

I can only imagine this is really shaking up the community and definetly those young lives and their families. Thank-you for your prayers.

Going home for Christmas

Tomorrow morning we leave for Cancun. After 3 hours of driving then 6 hours of bus we will be there and start looking for a hotel. I wonder how much is rebuilt now after the hurricane? On Thursday we fly out at 5pm and arrive in Seattle around mid-night. Then off to Abbotsford for Christmas and then on to Kamloops later next week.

Thanks for all your prayers duing this travel time. Pray for:

- Safety
- Opportunity to share Jesus

Pray for Exams

The students are starting up Semester Exams today and will continue that all the way till next Tuesday. Please pray that they will be able to remember what they studied and put it to good use. Thanks!

Praise God for my Bursery

I got news a little while ago that my bursery has been approved. That means I get another free course from ACTS seminary as a benefit of working for TWU. That is very gracious of them since I am only 5 hours a week right now and the course is worth about $1000. But praise God because I really want to finish next summer. Only three more courses to go. So this one will be my master's paper (kind of like a thesis but only 50 pages long). I have been thinking about writing something about online ministry. Any ideas?

Our Christmas Program

This is our Christmas program that level3 and the highschool put on. Level3 was about "The Cost of Christmas" and was a retelling of the manger scene. The High School did "Mary Did you know" which walked through the life of Jesus leading to the death and resurrection through Mary's eyes. Phil DeHart put it together.

Hallelujah Church!

There is actually more than one Church in Blue Creek where we live. There is the EMMC (Evangelical Mennonite Mission Church) where we go, the Gleindemeihn (sp?) which is the old German service on the other side of town and there is the "Hallelujah" Church. Today we decided to visit this last group.

The chairs were in a circle around the Lord's table and the service started off with people reading from the Hymn book. Sometimes in unison and sometimes individually. People were free to put lots of emphasis on the key words and to give a good old "Hallelujah" when they really agree. Then after reading/ praying the Hymn we would then sing it a few times and then go back and read the good parts again.

Then someone would pick the next hymn. There was no designated "leader" as far as I could tell and the worship time just carried itself along as people felt lead. Communion came in the middle with the passign around of the bread and the wine (juice). Once the singing was done we read from a devotional book and people shared their words of encouragement and the messages God has been giving them on it.

The hymn book, Bible translation (Recovery Version), and study plan was written by Witness Lee and published by Living Stream Ministries out of California. Has anyone heard of this group?

My observations.... it was different. It had a sense of spontinuity and freedom where people could go as they felt led but in all this there was a clear rythme and tradition had formed even in the spontinuity. Every line read ended with some form of shouting emphasis on the word that made it sound somewhat "prayer spiritual". There was a very strong emphasis on the unity in the Church and how we are not individual Christians but need to minister together which is much needed in today's day. There was also a lot of emphasis on how this unity comes through "eating Jesus" which is the Lord's table, I don't think they are Catholic in their view but retain that communion is a simple... I even think they connect "Eating Jesus" with reading the Bible regularily.

One thing Cory and I had struggles with is when they sang and talked about becoming divine. One person shared how there is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and they are all one and so three in one. And how there is Father, Son, Spirit and Body and so four are now one. And how Jesus was God-man and now we are man-God b/c partake of the divine nature. Cory and I had a long talk to help clarify this. We explained how we saw it more that where when we are saved we recieve the Holy Spirit and so we are "filled" with God and partake in Him that way. Our nature, we said, never changes to God and the two are seperate. When we are born again we are not becoming God's begotten children as they suggest by the term "Jesus is the firstfruits [thus we are the secondfruits]" but rather born again spiritually to a new life. I was thankful however that when they talk about divine they at least claim that we do not become part of the Trinity but I am not sure how they are distinguishing it. I warned them of J.W. and Mormon teaching which minimizes the unique Sonship of Christ and puts us all on part with Jesus and of using such a strong phrase as "becoming divine". I also exhorted them to read more books than just Witness Lee and Cory exhorted them not to use words like "become divine" so as not to confuse others; but I am not sure how much progress we made or if we truely understood them.

Thanks again for all your prayers.