Secondary School English Teacher Wanted

The school has been really blessed and we have (almost) a full compliment of teaching staff for the school in September.

HOWEVER, we still need someone to join the English Department in the Secondary School to bring experience of teaching English at GCSE and A-level; as well as first language fluency of English as examined by the UK examination boards.

Could this be anyone you know?

Could this be you?

Please share and encourage potential candidates to drop me a quick email (jez.wisdom@gmail.com)

September is not that far away which might be too short notice for some, but I'd prefer someone late rather than not at all, so start dates could be flexible.

Jeremy

P.S. Hope you've got some nice weather waiting for us!

Harvest

This is now the 2nd blog where I've started by talking about previous blog's that didn't get published.

Maybe I was making them too complicated.

So I'm giving myself 30mins and then I'm pressing 'Send' regardless!

HARVEST:

Our new church, Christian Life Ministries, has been performing the drama 'Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames'. It's a series of short stories about the lives of different individuals and what happens to them on judgement day. Some go to heaven...some to hell. Powerful stuff!

Boarding the buses for the play

Today we took the entire Secondary School and perhaps more than 50 gave their lives to Christ...to the sound of much whooping and cheering from their supportive class mates.

Giving their lives to Christ!

What a day!

Give thanks for God's grace!

THE FUTURE:

Although I'm giving my accountant ulcers by rampantly reinvesting...we're so excited about next academic year. The teachers and students are getting ready for 28th June - the end of term. My management and admin teams and I are gearing up for the 9th September - the beginning of next year. We really want to start next year well.

The highlights include:

- new Primary classes

- new, experienced teachers from the UK

- all teachers are expected to return in September

- the secondary school will have a full-time pastoral team (led by Allie). We're going to start team teaching RE as a timetabled youth group and the team will be available throughout the week as school counsellors

- there will be a special needs team (again led by Allie). Allie and an experienced Learning Support Assistant from the UK, supported by some great classroom assistants, will help the students who are struggling academically and developmentally

- we will have a new Director of Studies in place to help the new Secondary Management team implement improvements to teaching standards and curriculum changes

- we hope to have enough teaching supplies

- we hope to raise the money for our new sports field

- we hope to raise money to complete our half built Secondary School admin block

- we will have a consistent salary and benefits policy in place across the whole school

- and I am praying for more UK teachers and gap students to fill up our staff room

As well as these day to day changes, there are some new strategic ideas that are floating around in my head.

I'd like to see we if we can offer some trade training to a few students next year...a great career opportunity.

There is also a new need becoming apparent for Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). I'd like to explore raising financing for a TEFL team to:

- offer high quality, low cost English language tuition in the evenings. There is a huge demand and I have an empty school in the evenings. Such an easy outreach opportunity

- help implement English in the Primary School that ARM runs in the very poor Jabe area of the city

- support The King's School students who are struggling with English

- develop an accelerated English programme to enable bright non-English speaking children to enrol in our school

- fulfil the consultancy requests from the Ministry of Education regarding the implementation of English in the Burundian curriculum

Exciting times ahead. Please do connect us with people who maybe interested in supporting the school and these initiatives both financially and practically.

Give thanks for the work God is doing at His school and pray that we may keep it centred on Him.

FAMILY:

Let's be clear...we have been and are very blessed.

Life here has some real positives:

- better weather

- very tight and supportive communities

- more family time

- less material and media clutter in our lives

There have been challenges...but with God's support they have been over come.

But there is a big period of change (again) for us this summer.

We're moving house...which is a source of anxiety...though it shouldn't have been and needn't be. God has provided us with a very large, cheap house. It needs a lot of the work and we had no furniture....until yesterday when we visited the house of a German missionary family who are moving back home. There was a lot going cheap...so hopefully we're nearly sorted with that.

Please pray as we visit the house tomorrow to asses the extent of the work needed on the house.

We're very excited about spending the summer in the UK....although it is with some sadness that we leave our expat friends for two months. And we have been warned that it can be a mixed experience...seeing friends and family vs culture shock vs rest from work vs living out of bags vs speaking engagements.

Our countdown chart

But we need a break. We're tired...happy, but tired. The guns, poverty, cholera, power cuts, malaria etc...grind you down.

Please pray for a restful and joyful summer.

Please also pray that we might find a car (with tow bar) to borrow over the summer.

And, as always, we're still trying to raise funds...we're nearly out! Please remember us in your giving.

Please pray for provision and trust in God's timing.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS:

- our Housegroup is planning an end of year party...possibly involving pirate costumes

- we had a lovely weekend away 'up country'...a very peaceful guest house with large vegetable gardens...though it was weird driving even deeper into the heart of Africa

The rooms

The Vegetable Gardens

- a UK charity has managed to get hold of a load of lab equipment for the science labs

- my lunch last week with Fliss was interrupted by a bright green snake which was either a Banana Snake (very harmless) or a Green Mamba (one of the most deadly)...Allie and Cass had angry hippos at theirs

- the Secondary School's library is now up and running....and is now my new office there. I prefer to work in there and hang out with the kids rather than shut myself away.

The new library

- the school took receipt of a gift of computers, desks and laptops from Samaritan's Feet allowing us to complete our second ICT lab...what a blessing!

 

Preparing for an interview about the new ICT suite

More soon.

God Bless,

Jeremy

Introducing Mary

I've got a blog on the way...but unless you get them out quickly they get stage fright...my current one just doesn't want to get finished.

But in the meantime I'd like to introduce Mary who is with us for a month to get some more teaching experience, help out and experience Burundi.

I asked Mary if she would blog out here as it would provide a fresh insight for our regular readers...we've been here long enough to stop seeing so many things...

...but also I thought it would be useful for anyone who might be considering a short-term or gap year placement with us.

So please read and enjoy her posts.

http://www.maryinburundi.blogspot.com

Recruiting For Sept '13

This advert will be running in Christianity and Youthwork magazines and their recruitment websites for the next three months. We are also advertising at the Oscar recruitment stands at The Big Church Day Out and New Wine.

 

(The website won't be finished for a few days)

 

Please share.

 

Jeremy



Cholera and Turtles

I've been sitting here wondering how to start this blog, reflecting on the fact that there have been more blessings than challenges...a good week generally.

I've then been thinking on what a good example this is of how we normalise the extraordinary in this part of the world. This week's involved cholera and cholera clinics...and it's a been a good week!?! It's amazing how God gives us the strength to cope with things that would have seemed terrifying a year ago.

RENSON

I visited Renson in the tented(!) cholera unit on Thursday, which was a little nerve-racking. My mask still hangs off the rear view mirror.


But he looked really well and it was a good opportunity to poke fun at him and leave him with a toilet roll in which I'd hidden a message telling to stop being lazy and get back to work.

We sent the car to collect him on Friday and hopefully he'll be back in a week or so. Apparently he's in really good cheer. Thank you for all your prayers.

There have been no illnesses at the school and we've started to taste chlorine in the water supply; a good sign that the government is trying to respond.

Please pray for continued health and protection over the school and our family.






STAFF TRAINING DAY

We had another great staff training day on Monday (albeit not realising that one of our number was literally dying quietly of cholera in the corner).

Dr Isaac, the best friend who kept Renson alive, did a great session on first aid. The staff really engaged with the topic and it's given us many ideas on how we can improve in this area.

Pastor Edmond, International Director of ARM, shared a word with us. I gave him 15 minutes. He took 40. But I kind of expected that and it was great to hear him share the history and vision of the school with the staff.

It was also a great opportunity to brief the staff on the new house system.

HOUSE SYSTEM

As of Tuesday the school has four 'houses' named after four rivers in/near Bujumbura. Kanyosha, Muha, Ntahangwa and Rusizi.

Although the houses were introduced to the Primary school at their Friday assembly this week, the main launch has been in the Secondary school.

House Masters, Mistresses, Captains and Vice Captains have been appointed and the first house meetings spontaneously held in anticipation of Monday morning's assembly.

From Monday students will form up in houses, rather than year groups, for assembly; with, this week, 100 house points being awarded for the best presented house.

Each house has come up with a set of values, a house prayer and house chant. They will meet for morning devotions every Wednesday morning, compete together in sports, music etc... and compete for an annual house point trophy.

So far, this initiative has been warmly welcomed by staff and pupils.

When the Secondary School moved from the main school site, took in many new students and had 70% new staff at the beginning of the academic year something changed culturally within the school.

We hope that the houses will foster healthy competition and create a culture where effort, respect, good behaviour, punctuality and a smart appearance become the norm. We want to teach the students that there are consequences for all actions (good and bad) and that these consequences can impact others...their houses. We hope that this will create a positive sense of community for all students within the school.

It was encouraging, on Friday, to get a sense from all houses that they want to do this right...do it properly. Chants were being practiced and house prayers learnt, with each house raising the bar a little higher.

I'm ordering a house points trophy which will get brought out next month and awarded at our end of year prize giving ceremony...hopefully by the Minister of Education or British Ambassador.

I've an idea to hold a house Christian music competition later in the term...just depends on whether this will disrupt GCSE's and A-levels.

Please pray that this initiative will bring in a Godly culture of high standards and effort.

FINANCES

I've been reviewing both personal and school finances recently. Both look more promising than they did at the end of last term, though both currently result in bankruptcy at the beginning of June.

We remain convinced of God's plans for both us and the school.

God's track record is one of provision and honoured promises, but yet we find it hard to trust.

I was chatting about this with a friend some months back. We were both admitting our inability to trust God 100% with our finances. She made this interesting comparison.

Imagine that I offered to take my children for an ice cream each week and that each week I do this without fail. Imagine then that, despite the fact that I always honoured my promises, my children doubted me and were anxious about whether or not I'd come good on my promise this week. I'd be upset. Hurt. I'd wonder why my children don't trust me when they have no reason not to.

See my point? (Or rather hers...mustn't lay claim to somebody else's wisdom)

June will be the month of abundant blessing and I look forward to sharing that with you!

Please continue to pray for financial provision and trust.

POWER

Regideso, that state owned utility company, have a new hydro electric turbine.

No power rationing this week.

Woo Hoo!

Praise God for the little things that make life a little easier.

CASPAR

Caspar, finally, had is Burundi birthday party.

Lot's of friends turned up to help and we hired one of the country's rare bouncy castles.

The first present? An 10", Congolese, African Mud Turtle! Requires a water feature.

A first for us!

Praise God for the unique experiences that we're all having here

I made the cake. Zan Alexander need not worry.

The staff where we held the party asked what it was. I said "R2D2". They looked confused. I said, "A robot". No change. I gave up.

CHURCH

We have a new church.

Up to now we'd struggled with the one church that was at least partly English. It just wasn't our 'flavour' of church.

In the last few weeks a new, charismatic, English-speaking church has just started. It's run by a team that have successfully planted churches elsewhere in Africa and is led by a Canadian pastor.

We love it! Very Thirsty / New Wine.

It wasn't easy to leave the other church. They are doing great work. But our mission is to the school and we need to have a church that can easily work for us as a family and support us...without cultural barriers.

Many of the school's staff now worship there and it's great for us to be able to meet outside school.

Please pray that we will continue to settle well in this church.

God Bless,

Jeremy

P.S. Have you got any decent weather yet?

Today's Update

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Yesterday Renson did not make it into the two hospitals with Cholera facilities. However a clinic near us has set up a temporary facility for Cholera patients and medical staff using tents.

Renson was put into the isolation tent with fellow patients yesterday and is reportedly in good cheer.

The clinic is now full.

Although he appears to be on the mend, it may take him some time to recover. On Tuesday they had to give 45 litres of fluids.

Throughout all of this he has been cared for by our friend Isaac. Isaac is one of Renson's best friends and only a newly qualified doctor. Yesterday, having delivered Renson to the clinic, Isaac had to wait to be fully disinfected before being allowed to return home. A very stressful couple of days for him.

Please pray mental and physical protection on Isaac.

Please pray for continued recovery for Renson.

Please pray for protection over the school. Encouragingly some parents have responded to my letter yesterday and are not sending in children with diarrhoea symptoms...so we have not issues at the school or at home.

I'll let you know how Renson is doing in my next blog.

Jeremy

Staff Prayer Update

Hello,

Renson has made some improvement....no surprise as so many people are praying.

We were grateful for the hospital he was initially in. In other hospitals there is a limit on the amount of fluid supplies that can be used on an individual patient; Renson needed a lot of fluid! In another hospital he would not have survived.

But he is still very, very ill. As I write, his friend and doctor is trying to get him admitted into one of the two hospitals that are equipped to deal with cholera. He was rejected from both yesterday because his symptoms were too severe. They have just been refused from one and are now retrying the second.

No one is sure of the options after this.

I sent a letter home today as we've been advised that the tap water is now causing a significant amount of diarrhoea in the city.

Some lifestyle changes needed for all of us.

Jeremy