God Blesses Dependence

Let me continue the story that was left from last blog entry about the workshop. Yes I texted Karlene saying that the workshop was going great and to keep praying. I partly did that so she would not worry, I was not sure the workshop was going that well. But i did have a confidence that God was truly going to do more without my dependence on the DVD series, instead total dependence on Him.

Karlene was able to get the bag to me for the second day of the workshop, but I ended up not using the DVD’s. I tried to start with it, but saw looks on the faces of the teachers that told me to switch it off, so after 2 minutes, I did. I now had a textbook and workbook to use as well. These served me well in some aspects, but the workshop did not flow as well, as I would pause and look through the material instead of speaking from what I remembered. I can now see that it is very important that a presenter had best memorize the topic well enough that you don’t even have to look at the notes. It makes it flow and has a better feel to it. I am sure I forgot things that may have been important or interesting, but in the end, I learned that it is better for the presenter to speak what he or she knows very well.

One topic that came up that I didn’t want to speak about much was corporal punishment, but a certain teacher did not want to let it go. Teachers don’t feel that they should let it go, but it is MCC policy that the stick or cane is not to be used if they want to embrace the Peace Clubs. It is also against government laws as well, unless the principal administers it. After a too lengthy discussion, we moved on, but I did not feel anything good came of it. I was proved wrong when a teacher later shared she had been challenged by my views and would refrain from using “beating” as part of her discipline plan.
I can now testify that the workshop was the best one that I have had so far. The teacher response at the end was very encouraging. We had a brief time of sharing and teachers said they had been revived, challenged and learned a lot. Their were a few with tears in their eyes. They wanted to know how to love the students when their are so many in a class that they hardly know their names (even Gr. 1 has up to 68 in one class). I was hard pressed to give an answer, but did say that what I think is required of us is to do our very best in all that we do, to show love to the students by preparing lessons with all their hearts, by treating students the way that Jesus would, and pray that the Holy Spirit would help them see opportunities to touch students’ lives.

I have another workshop tomorrow. I am recovering from Malaria that I was feeling the effects of at the end of the other workshop, so I pray that again, God will do more than I can ask or imagine in this workshop. Please keep me in your prayers.