Why Mosquitoes Buzz

Have you ever wondered why mosquitoes buzz? You may be familiar with the award-winning children's book based on a West African folk tale called "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears". (Or you may not be... no matter.) Grades 1, 2, and 3 were up to put on a play this year. Julie and I perused the books in the school office and found a musical written for children. Its title? "Why Mosquitoes Buzz"

The story is cute and short: a mosquito came to an iguana and told a largely exaggerated story about a farmer growing yams almost as big as the mosquito. The iguana, annoyed, put sticks in his ear and stomped off, grumbling. He passed by a python who thought he was planning mischief, so the python goes into a rabbit hole to hide. The rabbit is scared off and races out, startles a crow who sounds an alarm, frightening a monkey who carelessly leaps through trees and accidently breaks a branch, killing a baby owl. The mother owl is heartbroken and does not wake up the sun. A large council of animals convenes a trial, step-by-step discovering the chain of events leading back to the mosquito.

Face painting was huge! Children who
didn't get their faces painted were a
little sad...

Gr 1 boy, sporting his insect

Gr 2 boy, showing off his
bird face painting

This play is just narration and song - something Julie and I saw as a big bonus. We didn't want all the chaos and confusion that seem to come with big programs. There were 9 "characters" so each grade had 3 children pantomime the story during the narration. Gr 3 and 2 each had a class song, and the other 3 songs were sung by all the children. We purchased a CD that had tracks with children's voices to help us learn the songs as well as performance tracks with just the accompaniment. The teacher's book even had suggestions for actions for each song. Julie choreographed a dance for girls belonging to the dance class offered on Saturdays to our students.

The play went very well, though not without its, ah, bumps. 3 school moms were amazingly wonderful in making and setting up the decorations. One tricky part of getting the church ready to be a jungle was finding some way to hang a backdrop we borrowed from a dance center. A school dad came in and put it up for us. Costumes were interesting to figure out. We asked students to wear jeans, and plain t-shirt (different classes had different colors), and a mask (different animals per class). 3rd graders were elephants, 2nd graders were birds, and 1st graders were insects. As an alternative to making/purchasing a mask, we contacted someone to come and do face-painting. Over 40 children signed up! Two ladies began painting just before 3 and didn't finish until 5:15. The play was supposed to start at 5... It was a small blessing that the face painting went long because one of the main characters didn't show until 5:17. All of the kids looked really cool. Some had simple  masks, others went all out! Another hitch we ran into was our narrator. I had asked Kenny Phoenix, a youth from church, to narrate. He is habitually late to most things, so I knew I was taking a risk. Unfortunately, his phone went on the fritz this week, so I had no contact with him until it was too late. So guess who got to be the narrator? You have one guess...

A few birds and insects, milling about after the play

The teachers who put the play together - Julie Boggs,
Veronica Abraham, Nicole Rosenbaum

Highlights from Valentine's Week

Happy Valentine's, All! Hope your week was a splendid one. Mine was quite unusual; not at all what I would have imagined my first Valentine teaching experience to be.

Tuesday: Kindergarten through Gr 4 took an outing to see a movie at the theater in town. We squished 150 children plus teachers and chaperones on 4 buses and nearly filled the theater on our own. We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks (the most recent one, for those of you wondering). My biggest frustration while we were there was the fact that, though my 30 kids had used the batheroom minutes before we got on the bus, 4 children were asking to go 10 minutes into the movie. An hour in I finally cracked and said whoever needed to go could, and at least 20 of my 30 stood up to use the 3 stalls at the theater. Ah!!! Then when we returned to the school compound, my door was jammed, and I could not for the life of me get the door open. Had children sobbing because they were hungry... but there was nothing I could do! After 10 minutes, Pastor Johnston came to the rescue and got us in the classroom.

Wednesday: I met with a parent regarding one of my students. I have been frustrated with this student for some time now because of a blatant lack of respect and obedience. The parent was very understanding and is very willing to work with me to help the student work on giving respect at school. It is such a blessing to have Christian parents who work with me to bring up their children in the way of the Lord!

Friday: Antigua's only living national hero came to the school compound! Sir Vivian Richards, a famous and accomplished cricket player, has a niece in Gr 4. Gr 4 was celebrating Black History montha and Sir Vivian Richards came to speak to the class. The poor man was mobbed by almost the entire school (260 children) at once. Ms. Abraham told me I should get my picture with him, but in the chaos, I opted out. I did take Julie's picture with her class, though. Pretty crazy!

Saturday: Gr 1-3 are putting on a play this next Friday, so we had a work day to make decorations and set pieces. We scheduled the work day to start at 10am. Julie and I showed up a minute before, Ms. Abraham arrived about 10:10, and the first parents didn't come until close to 10:30. After a bit, we had a good crew working. 2 third grade moms stayed past 3! Julie and I have decided that all the decorations are coming to our house after the play to decorate our walls. =)
That night, Julie and I mapped out the practice schedule for the week as well as typed up the programme. (Yes, programme - British spelling) Wish us luck come Friday!

Sunday: Gr 1-2 sang for church. At one point we had 50 children smooshed into 4 pews. We really like to pack things down here!

Hermitage Resort as seen from Yuptons Beach

Sternhagen kids in the water

Miss Boggs and Miss Rosenbaum

Yuptons Beach

Grill-out at the beach

This afternoon, the Johnstons, the Sternhagens, the Richards, the Landwehrs (Mr. Eric Landwehr is our school visitor from St. Lucia, this time he brought his family), Mrs. Cindy Holman (ECE director, visiting SJL for a few days), Julie, and I had a grillout on the beach. Yuptons Beach (Mom, this is for you) is on the western side of the island, south of Jolly Beach. Beautiful place! Pastor Sternhagen found a seastar and a sea urchin, and I found many brightly colored pieces of shells. Lots of nice sun and I don't think I got burned! Perfect...

Steel Pan



Kenny Phoenix on the drums

One of the highlights of my week is steel pan. Every Saturday from 3:00-4:30, Genesis Pan practices in the balcony of the church. We practice 2 songs a month to play for church. Some of the members show up late. (One member who will not be named often arrives nearly an hour late each Saturday, yesterday arriving at 4:15!) Yet, we always enjoy one another's company as we prepare our music for church. 

Kareem French goofing around with the pan sticks

Kareem on the 6-bass

There are several different kinds of pans: lead, double tenor, guitar, double second, cello, 4-bass, and 6-bass. I have played guitar, lead, cello, and 4-bass. This month I am learning how to play the double tenor. I have so much fun! The members of the group vary in skill and ability, but all share a love for the Savior and desire to serve him with music

Cindy Johnston playing cello

Tyara Update

Praise the Lord!
We got the results on the biopsy of the lump in Tyara's back. It is not cancerous! The surgery still needs to happen, but it is not as urgent as originally thought. She will probably stay with us the rest of the year.
God be praised!

If a tree falls in a forest, and there's no one to hear it...

Not that it has anything to do with anything, but it popped into my head. Silly girl, I know.

This week was hard for me. I'm not sure if I have become accustomed to a better level of behavior from my kids, but this week they just were not good. I let the stress get to me way too much. My wonderful roommate and companion, Julie Boggs, encouraged me with God's Word, paying it forward from her own mother's encouragement.

⁸ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  (2 Corinthians 4:8-9)

² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  (Hebrews 12:2-3)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.  (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

God is good! All the time! He does not give us more than we can handle, for in Him, we can do all things. (Really, He's doing it all, so why worry? I tend to, but that's beside the point.)

Fun update: dental work is expensive, no matter where you go.
Aida turned 5 today! Had a little party at school for her. Lots of cake, sugary juice, and small children. Tomorrow Julie and I will be at the Johnstons for a new member dinner, followed by the Super Bowl. Too bad the Pack isn't in it. Julie is excited because her hometown of Indianapolis is hosting and she is getting daily updates from family on the goings on in the city. Fun stuff!