Here is one smiling face, that I have the privilege of seeing and working with several times a week, sharing her smile with a child in Uganda!
Victoria originally signed up for the Ethiopia service project with Black Forest Academy, but a week before their departure date the trip was changed due to terrorist activities. Within that short time the students and leaders of the trip saw God work in miraculous ways to allow them to go to Uganda. Here is a little of the story from Victoria: We couldn't apply for our visas online and we needed 17 U.S. fifty-dollar bills from 2009 or later to get them in person. The leaders went to ask the BFA finance office about what to do, and it just happened that someone had paid school fees earlier that day using 27 U.S. fifty-dollar bills. Exactly 17 were dated from 2009 or later. That was a miracle! Also, on our trip, we stayed in a place called SoHope that was booked every other week for the entire year and if even one of the rooms had already been booked for spring break they wouldn’t have been able to fit us in. It was a great trip. We visited orphanages, a school, and a daycare for mom’s in need. At each of these places, we did crafts with the kids and played games. It was so incredible to see how loving the people were. We went there to serve them but they also served us through their love and generosity.
Resource: Do you know how muscles contract?
Well, neither did I until last week. Victoria came to me in resource to work on an assignment from her Anatomy and Physiology class. Write an essay explaining how muscles contract, using the words: actin, myosin, ATP, z-lines, and sarcomeres. She had written her first essay with vague language and had not used all of the scientific terms. Her teacher asked her to rewrite the essay. We started by watching a short YouTube video, a quick way for me to understand the concept and her to review. Then she drew a diagram and explained back to me how muscles contract. Finally, she explained it again, making sure she used complete sentences and the scientific terms as I wrote down what she said on the board and helped her organize the paragraph. When she first jumped into explaining the structures, I asked her what the whole essay was about and she stopped and came up with a topic sentence. We worked from there and her final product met the requirements of the assignment. This coming week we will be practicing writing an essay about the brain!
Missionary Highlight: The Toews*
Jordan and Sharon (pictured below) are the proud parents of Victoria. They serve with Greater Europe Mission’s Euro Team, which leads strategic short-term missions teams throughout Europe. Jordan is currently leading a group in Ireland and will also be leading two groups to help with the refugee ministry on the Greek Island of Lesvos later this spring. Sharon works in the office and manages the EuroTeam website.
Please Pray...
For my students’ requests:
- Praise the Lord, the High School Retreat last month in Lynk, Switzerland was one of the best we have had. The speaker was an amazing man of God.
- Praise the Lord, I have caught up on my work and now just have the fourth quarter to finish.
- Please pray as I begin to say good bye to my senior friends
- Please pray that I will have the strength to make it through this last quarter
- Please pray that I will have the opportunity to get a summer job in California while my parents raise support
- Praise the Lord that several high school students committed their lives to the Lord at the high school retreat.
- Praise the Lord, my sister and her husband have been accepted for positions in resource at BFA, and will be taking a two-year leave of absence from their current jobs to come here.
- Please pray for a good finish in this last quarter for students and staff who are leaving
- Please continue to pray that my health. I had two severe colds over the past 6 weeks. This week I am having some hormone levels checked.
If you would like to make a monthly pledge or other financial contribution at this time please click on this link or enter the web address: give.teachbeyond.org/support/rebecca-swanson/ You can designate giving for Rebecca Swanson or account number 40335.
Go to the Gallery page to see more spring pictures!
*names and pictures used with permission