Teachers 2

Here are more teachers sharing their love for children, with a desire to expand their world. To share nature and the beauty that surrounds them. To provide opportunities for creativity within their natural environment. To teach children to use their five senses to SEE what is in their community and beyond.

Janet Lybarger ~~~ "I've been retired for 3 1/2 years and miss working with children. I do some volunteer tutoring but it just isn't the same as having my own class of 1st or 2nd grade children to love and teach. I taught preschool in my younger days and know the three and four year old kids are tactile learners and "human sponges," soaking up knowledge. The Rwandan children will love learning about frogs and turtles! Thinking about how to write lesson plans on amphibians and reptiles was fun. So much is online now, that much of the work was going through the information and culling what was mist appropriate to send. I pray that God will use this mission work for good: to educate children, to promote peace, and to help Rwandan's know that Christians help others as a response to God's love."


Lynn Saxton ~~~ "I did my undergrad at SUNY College at Buffalo, majoring in Exceptional Children Education and Elementary Education and received a Masters Equivalency from the state of Pennsylvania. I taught in NYS for 3 years and in PA for 33 years. I taught K, 1st, 4th, 6th, Special Education, and the last 16 years I taught Computer Zed in the elementary, pre K-6th grade. It was so much fun to work on projects for the children and teachers in Rwanda. I did much thinking about them as I worked, and I pray that the mission team will have a safe and successful trip." *Lynn's focus was on caterpillars/butterflies


*Janet preparing her lessons
*Lynn sharing some of what she has prepared

Magnets

Now begin reflections by many teachers supporting education in Rwanda. They are sharing their knowledge and gift for teaching. All are retired teachers that have embraced this ministry. They are writing lesson plans to be shared with the preschool and Grades 1&2 teachers to see how they might be implemented in their teaching.

Karen Eklund ~~~ "I feel privileged to have been asked to be a member of the educational team that is writing lesson plans for Rwandan teachers to use as they teach young children in the Urukundo School. I am a retired teacher of the gifted and talented and a former instructor at Penn State, where I taught a science methods course to first semester seniors in elementary education and worked with elementary and middle school teachers as they revised their science courses to be more inquiry-based.

Through the photos and stories Carol has shared in her blogs and conversation we've had about her experiences in Rwanda, my interest and desire to assist in enhancing the educational opportunities for the children and their teachers was piqued. The sweet smiles and the enthusiasm Carol says the children have for learning is all the encouragement the teacher in me needed to accept Carol's invitation to write lesson plans in science for the Rwandan teachers to use. Since magnets hold a "mysterious" attraction for all and Carol had many magnet themed materials, we decided to begin the science lessons with a unit on magnetism. I look forward to hearing how the children react to the experiences they have as they conduct investigations to demystify the concepts of magnetism."

Since Karen began working on this we have had two sets of magnets donated. Valtech donated a set of Magna-tiles and Guidecraft donated a set of Better Builders. Look for a future story about these sets and the companies that donated them once I have photos of them being used in Rwanda.

Also a story will be written about a fishing set with magnets that was MADE by Amy Frank's 1st Creative Kids Helping Kids event.

Karen Eklund
Magna-tiles
Better Builders
Magnet Fishing Game

Light

The ministry in Rwanda is being supported in so many personal ways. The next entries, before I leave, will be sharing those stories. Thank you B.J. For sharing your story!!!

My name is B.J. Rhodes. I was born in a little coal town in Pennsylvania. I married my husband Jim and we have two daughters, Debbie and Becky. Now I'm a grandma to Daniel, Grace and Tommy. I became a teacher and I taught first grade for 31 years in the State College School District. Now I am retired.

I am happy to be able to sponsor this book and to write a message to the children of Rwanda because I know I'll never be able to travel there. This is my opportunity to communicate with the children there in some small way.

I went to bed one night wondering which book to choose at the Books For Rwanda event at St. Paul's United Methodist Church---Carol had so many! As I was just about to fall asleep, God spoke to me. He said, "choose a book about my life and include the song, Jesus Loves Me."

The next day at church I saw the book, The Light of the World by Katherine Patterson. This book is especially meaningful to me because it tells about the life of Jesus in a way that children can understand. It tells that he is a light that still shines in our world today. The story offers hope to everyone who hears it.

I included the music and lyrics to "Jesus Loves Me" because I thought it would be fun for the children to sing the song after they read the story. ~~ B.J.

Books for Rwanda

Each year we take many, many books for our library. We fill suitcases. These are new storybooks, board books for the little ones, spiritual, science, art, social studies and math. Many go with lessons that are taught at school and some go with lessons that teachers in the US are putting together for the classrooms. Some also go with the classroom to classroom partnership art and writing projects that we have with 5 preschools and 12 elementary school classes.

To help make this all possible we hold a "Books For Rwanda Sunday" at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. Books are beautifully displayed. Families, kids and adults select books to sponsor. $10 for a hardback and $5 for a paperback. Then they write a special message on the inside of the book.

Thank you to everyone that participated. There were many smiles and many hard decisions to find the right book. We also had support from Altrusa, book clubs and a special donation by a friend to honor her company's commitment to education. All these events and donations helped us raise over $1,300 for the cost of the books with $450 in extra funds available for textbooks for our Grade 1 & 2 textbooks.

How blessed we all are to make a difference!

Isoko

It's wonderful to bring the beauty of Rwandan culture to our community. Over two Sundays at St. Paul's United Methodist Church I held Isoko, a Rwandan Market, to sell baskets and carvings as well as aprons and bags made by our new sewing center.

The sale of these items, approximately $1,100 will go towards the $2,000 needed to purchase textbooks for Grades 1 & 2 at the Urukundo School.

These beautiful crafts sold so quickly that I will need to fill my suitcases and bring more home. Thank you to everyone that has a piece of Rwanda in their home.

I was just asked to display baskets a gospel program to be held at Grace Lutheran mid-April.

Rainbow 1

Having worked in the book business many ideas that come to me to connect kids to kids, revolve around a book. "God Smiles on a Rainbow" project with St. Paul's United Methodist Church's Sunday School classes presented itself early this past fall as I was reading the children's book God's Dream by Desmond Tutu. As I came to the end of the book I saw a beautiful rainbow made by many hands. Children's hands, baby hands.

Tori, the director of St. Paul's Sunday School, was on board to make banners in Sunday School that would go to Rwanda. The first banner will hang in the worship area where the Sunday service is led by UM Pastor Antoine. Worship is celebrated by those at the Children's Home and many from the community.

Tori agreed to schedule the dates and would only be a support person. She knows how important it is to grow leaders in the church. I am thrilled that children and youth are again taking leadership roles coordinating projects for Rwanda. Rachel a fourth grader at Houserville just completed a school project for Rwanda and said, "I love Kids in Mission and want to do more." Well, there was our first leader. Three teens, Brittany, Rachel and Sylvia said they were interested. The project was on it's way!

Many hands literally contributed. Those planning and coordinating AND those that were painted and lovingly pressed to the banner.

This banner will be blessed at the Feb 23rd Team Commissioning/Blessing of the Many Hands at the 10:45 service. Come see all who are serving so that missions in Rwanda is possible. The hands that prepare the way for those going.

Gen 9:13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.

Rainbow 2 story shows more hands and one of the finished banners.

Rainbow 2

Work progresses on a second banner that will hang in the boys dorm where evening devotions are held. It will definitely bring smiles and beauty to our place of worship. Evening devotions are led by the children and teens so it is a perfect place for giving between children of State College and Rwanda.

Our team will work with the kids in Rwanda to make a banner for St. Paul's children and youth. It will be blessed and presented when we return in April!

Thank you to Tori, Rachel F., Rachel J., Brittany and Sylvia for all your help coordinating this with all the Sunday School classes. You are shining a light in the world.

Celebrate this work of beauty!!!

Ezekiel 1:25 Like the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around.