First Grade

I have a first grader. Gwen has 17 students in her class, and I often marvel at how well her teacher handles all the students, how organized she is, how effective a communicator. She does her job really well.

Yesterday we visited a local public school here on Boracay, one of the 7000+ islands in the Philipines. We have returned for a second year with several other families to work with a mission called Boracay for Christ. This ministry is run by an American couple in cooperation with a local Filipino pastor and his church. They have been fostering a relationship with the principal of this local school, and he allows the ministry to come into the school a work in a few classrooms a day or two each week. Last year we didn't get the opportunity to participate in one of these days, but yesterday we did.

Madelyn, Gwen and I, and another mom and her teenage daughter were given a first grade classroom to work in, along with the Filipino pastor's wife to translate for us. The classroom was small, and contained 66 students. They were packed like sardines around long wooden tables, five of them filling the classroom with just an aisle at the front for the teacher to stand by the chalkboard. We started out with songs, including "He is the King of Kings, He is the Lord of Lords, His name is Jesus, Jesus, JESUS- Oh, HE IS THE KING!" We taught the children songs proclaiming the name of Jesus, in a public school, yes we did! We acted out the story of Daniel in the lion's den, making clear the point that Daniel worshipped the One True God. We had a picture for the kids to color of Daniel and the lions, and then we passed out beads and pipe cleaners and helped the children make bracelets. We gave each child a vitamin, and then served the students a meal before they left for the day at 4:30, sort of a rice congee with bits of meat in it.
It was amazing to be able to speak so freely about Jesus in a public school setting. It was amazing how many kids were packed in that little cement floor classroom. It was amazing that the principal welcomed us and welcomes this kind of ministry in his school. It was amazing how well behaved the students were, how bright eyed and eager. It was amazing to have my daughters sitting at the end of those wooden tables, coloring a page about Daniel in the lion's den with Filipino first graders. It was amazing to lead a prayer of thanks for the meager meal on behalf of 66 children to the God of Heaven. It was amazing to take photos of so many little beautiful black haired children and then see their happy faces when I turned the camera around and showed them their own pictures. It was amazing to thank that teacher of 66, with tears in my eyes, for doing her job so well. It was amazing.

So I am thankful for Gwen's spacious classroom, the many books, games, and the myriad of other resources that are available there. I am thankful for her wonderful, kind, organized teacher. Now though, I am also thankful for a woman who's name I don't know, but who's patient smile I saw as she shared her 66 students with us for part of the afternoon yesterday. My hat is off to her. She is amazing.