Update from the intern (gk)

Since Linders and CT decided they wanted to have a baby in the next day or so, I thought I would fill in with a blog update for them! I wish I had pictures to use for this blog, but I don't. So you'll just have to read my words. Lots and lots of words.

If you don't know who I am, I'm gk. I'm the intern this summer. I’ve officially been back in Kenya for 2 weeks. I’m over the jet lag, I’ve learned to drive, and I’ve started working with the Saint Boys again. Now I just need to slaughter a chicken, and I think I’ll be completely settled!

My main responsibilities this summer are with the Saint Boys. It seems like they’ve all grown up so much in the last year. Most of them are taller than me now (no real shock there) and are continuing to grow into Godly young men. I’m so excited that I get to be a part of it!

I spend every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the school with the boys. I’m teaching the oldest four and helping them prepare for their KPC exams in the fall. To place into a school, they need to do well on that exam! I cover mathematics, science, English, composition, and reading comprehension with them three days a week while Pastor Deo covers the other subjects on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For some reason, no one trusts me to teach Kiswahili…

While I work with the oldest four boys, Pastor Deo and Issa are freed up to work with the younger three who require more one-on-one attention. So far, so good! I want to give an update on each boy so you can know how to pray for them specifically as the summer continues:

Brian
Brian, in some ways, is exactly the same as last year- he works hard, he smiles often, and he can ALWAYS make me laugh. He’s very encouraging to his brothers and he is determined to teach me Kiswahili. Brian is a good math student, though he sometimes makes careless mistakes. He’s working on memorizing his multiplication facts but the six, seven and eight multiplication tables still trip him up sometimes. So far, he has done very well in science. I’m pretty sure he remembers every single thing we discuss, and he’s gotten full credit on all his science homework and quizzes. Brian’s spoken English is very good, but he struggles with reading and writing. I’ve seen some improvement in his writing skills since we began talking about what a good composition looks like but he still has quite a bit of ground to cover before he sits for the KPC exam. As you pray for Brian, pray that he will not get frustrated as we continue to work on reading and writing. Pray that he will not get discouraged or lose his love for learning!

Patrick
Patrick still has the best smile I have ever seen! He takes meticulous care of his possessions and is always clean and dressed nicely for school. Patrick enjoys coming to school and is always willing to help when one of his brothers does not understand something. Patrick’s biggest struggle is that he does not like to study outside of class. When homework or quizzes are assigned, they do not usually receive his full effort or attention. Because of this, he has not been as successful as he could be on some of his assignments. But Patrick is very good at writing! I love reading his compositions because I know he will throw in a lot of details and funny descriptions. Just like Brian, Patrick makes careless mistakes in his mathematics but overall does very well! He is also working on memorizing his multiplication tables. As you pray for Patrick, pray that he will continue to work hard. Homework and studying are just as important as the work done in class- that’s when you get to put what you’re learning into practice! Pray for discipline and a desire to learn to grow within him.

Julius
I didn't work with Julius much last summer, so I feel like I am still getting to know him. But I am convinced that he is capable of doing absolutely anything. He is usually very focused and he learns quickly. Julius’ English has improved greatly since last summer. I have yet to have an issue explaining things to him- initially, that was one of my biggest concerns! But he has definitely proved me wrong. We've been working on long division during math, and it finally clicked yesterday! It was awesome to see him grasp a difficult topic. Julius' English vocabulary is somewhat limited. I know it will continue to grow as he learns, but for now, it makes reading comprehension a little bit difficult for him. But he's getting good at using a dictionary and thesaurus! Julius does well in science, especially if there is something hands-on involved. We've been learning about plants and he LOVED having the opportunity to dissect flowers and point out different parts for me. He can also correctly identify the monocotyledons and dicotyledons in his lunch- just ask him! As you pray for Julius, pray that he will continue to be excited about learning. Pray that our friendship would continue to grow, and that he would never hesitate to ask me questions!

Johnny
Lindy and CT have posted a couple different updates about Johnny. Right now, Johnny is really struggling with choosing between the life of a street boy and the life of a Saint Boy. I have only had him in class with me once, and that was over a week ago. In class, Johnny is SO focused. I'm pretty sure a plane could crash into the school building and it wouldn't break his concentration. He seemed to like being at school and learning new things- he caught on quickly and worked diligently. Right now, Johnny needs to realize that his family loves him regardless of the decisions he has made, and we want him to choose to stay home! He should be back at school tomorrow. Pray that he will catch up in his studies quickly. Pray for his the decisions he is making, and that he will choose to live like a Saint Boy! Pray for his brothers as they encourage him and love him, and pray that Johnny will realize where he really belongs.

The above 4 boys are the ones I teach, so I know the most about them. But how could this blog EVER be complete without an update on the younger 3 boys as well?

Nicholas is starting to read much better than he did last year and is so polite! He is always smiling! He always offers me his chair when I come to sit with him. When we play soccer, he always passes me the ball gently, just in case. He's very considerate and loving!

Dan is still super ticklish and laughs easily. He is starting to really take-off in school, and I am excited to see the progress he will make over the next 2 months! He especially likes math and his English has come so far!

James is MUCH faster now and his soccer skills are crazy! He's easily keeping up with the bigger boys these days. Because his hearing is impaired, James struggles sometimes in the classroom. But with lots of patience from Deo, he's learning more everyday!

Alright. That's all from me for now! If you actually made it to the end of this, I will give you 5 of the brownie points I've earned as the intern. In reality, I don't think I have any brownie points at the moment. CT takes them back when things go wrong, even when it's not my fault. But once his son is born, I think he'll feel more generous. So how about a rain check?