Dee's Days

 Teaching music at Hope of the Nations Primary School has been a joyful experience.  I truly love every minute of instruction and wish the classes were longer than 40 minutes each.  My schedule is 4th grade Bible class, 4th grade recorders, 5th grade choir, 6th grade choir, and 7th grade drums.  Every other day I train teachers to read music with recorders.   The choir had 1 after school rehearsal and a Saturday rehearsal as well.  Noah helps with drumming, Scarlet and Faith help with choir, and Faith and Sam help with the recorder class.  

Recorder class has been amazing to teach because they have progressed so quickly.  I am giving them a lot of information to grasp in each lesson.  We worked hard on learning the parts of the staff and rhythm last week.  This week we will work hard on knowing where B A G live on the staff.  They will play  Hot Cross Buns for their performance and sing the tune of the song with Different words.  They will sing God Made Me.  

The message of God’s grace is our theme every time in Bible class.  Because of the Muslim background of this country, it is the message that needs to be heard over and over again.  

We have read the stories of Jesus loves the Little Children, Zacchaeus, the Prodigal Son, and Jesus Washing Feet & Communion/Passover.  Before we teach the lessons, we play entertaining games that fill the classroom with laughter and fun, we sing a fun song to move to, and practice memorizing their Bible verse.  They have memorized Ephesians 2:8 & 9.

The Easter musical is progressing nicely.  They are truly excited to be able to celebrate Easter in this way.  The anticipation of sharing their gifts and talents with their families and community brings them joy.  They are passionate about these songs and sing them beautifully.  I will be choosing soloists to sing in 2 of the songs this coming week.  During Saturday practice I chose narrators and they practiced their speaking parts.  They are doing a great job with this.  On Tuesday I lost my voice, but it is slowly recovering.  I have been leading singing with my flute mostly and then adding the accompaniment CD.  
I have never taught 7th grade before and here is the best place to start.  They are a quiet group, but they are coming out of their shell.  As you can imagine, they have great rhythm and play tight together.  To watch them grow in knowledge of reading rhythms is so rewarding.  
Teacher training is going well.  I am training 5 teachers; the 4th through 7grade teachers and the Principal.  Pray they will have the confidence to teach what they have learned on recorders.  These teachers are amazing singers and I love to hear them sing their morning hymns in Swahili at teacher meetings.  The staff at the school are very welcoming and loving.  They know how to serve well.  It is an honor to serve along side such joyful and humble Christians.

- Dee