Issue #27

September 5, 1999

Dear Friends and Family,
Another week is finished here at ICA. Everything seems to be getting off to a good start. The weather has been really nice. We are all dreading the hot, dry season that is coming. We would like to keep the weather we have now.

My class is starting to get into the swing of things. The kids are starting to get used to the schedule, and I am, too. It is hard at the beginning of the year because I was used to the kids knowing how to do everything last year, but these are new kids and I need to train them to how I do things so they can do everything too. I do have several in this class that getting work finished is difficult task for them so getting them to a point where they are not taking a whole days work home would be great. There is also, William, who doesn't speak English. He is doing a fairly well, but still has a lot to learn.

The music classes are going well. We are starting on the musical this week. We won't do it until February. I have a few more kids than last year. We are adding two more this week.

Two funny stories from this week:
Every morning I read from the book, You Can Change the World. It tells about different unreached people, groups and countries around the world. The other day I was reading, and it was talking about how they like to eat fried termites in the country. (I don't remember what country it was.) I thought if I was reading this in the States, the kids would be saying, "Gross," Yuck," "That's disgusting," etc. The kids in my class were saying, "Yum!" "I love those," "They're good raw, too. Just pull of the wings and pop them in your mouth." "Taste like popcorn," etc. It is easy to tell which kids have grown up in Africa.
Today after church I was outside talking to some people. There were a couple of elementary boys over tormenting some frogs. Alexandra came to tell me what they were doing. (English is not Alexandra's first language.) She said, "They were killing the frogs with......uh.......those things they killed Stephen with.......stones, yeah, stones."

Another Alexandra story that I can't remember if I have told you is from last year. One afternoon I was walking back up to the classrooms from music which is in the chapel with Alexandra and Emily. Alexandra was telling this story that Emily and I couldn't quite follow. Alexandra would say something, and Emily would say, "What?" So Alexandra would repeat herself, just to Emily say "What?" a few seconds later. Finally, Alexandra looks over at Emily and says, "Are you blind?" Emily and I both looked at each other and said, "Deaf." I think Alexandra just continued on with her story.

The kids are great here. They are always coming up with something new. Some of you should come out here visit sometime and get to meet them for yourselves.

Prayer and Praise Items:
*Janna Greenfield arrived back on campus on Friday. Please continue to pray as she deals with the death of her mother.
*Larry Charter is still in Canada with health problems. He should be arriving here in a week or so. Pray for his health and his return to ICA. Also, remember his wife, Pixie, and dorm assitant, Kelly, as they are running the dorm without him.
*Chris and Dianne Marine will be returning to ICA next weekend. Pray for safety of travel. Also, pray for the Evans as they are covering in the dorm while the Marines are gone. -Another funny story, the Evans keep saying, "When the Marines get here...." *That gives the new guys a somewhat scarey idea of whats to come. They kind of get a different idea what "Marine" means.
*The container still hasn't arrived. Please pray that it will get here soon.
*Grace Lee, a fifth grader, broke her leg again. She broke it last year, too. This break is in the same place. She has to wear a cast for 6 weeks, and there is a lot of walking to do around this campus.

Hope you all have a great week. If some of you feel like it send me some email. My email box has a few cobwebs at this point.
In Christ,
Traci