Learning

February 24, 2013 by asurprisecalling | 4 Comments

This week has been another exciting and busy week.  We have learned so much this week about learning.  As a former teacher, I have always had a traditional belief about how school should “look”.  Homeschooling and living in a 3rd world country have been teaching me to consider another perspective.

One day, this is what PE looked like…

The girls swimming at the dam with Ariel and another neighbor, Rocielle.

This is Ariel.  We’re not sure whether WE have adopted HIM…or HE has adopted US, but we have all fallen in love with him.  He goes on bike rides with Mo and Lauren almost every day.  He has also been coming over to sit around the kitchen table and do homework with the girls.  He is precious and extremely well-mannered.

This was SERIOUS exercise for this old lady!  Who needs CrossFit? LOL!

Lexie working out at the neighbor’s gym!  This barbell idea is so creative.  I love that the people of this community don’t waste anything.  They can usually find a use for just about everything.

In Marine Biology, Lexie dissected a shark this week.  At first, she was little apprehensive about this activity.  Then, she got a little help from some our the neighborhood kids.  LOTS of giggling took place.  They were so intrigued and weren’t scared to “get their hands dirty”.

Sonja and Esmeralda

Sonja is the principal at the girls’ school…as well as the pastor’s wife…as well as the one that administers the vaccines for the dogs in the area…as well as many others things to this community.  Needless to say, she is one tough lady…and works very hard.  Beside her in the picture is a lady named Esmeralda.  She is 8 months pregnant with her 6th child.  She is a tough chick too!  We hiked mountains together the other day that caused me to get out of breath.  She never missed a beat and never complained.

Sonja found out that Lauren wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up.  She asked Lauren to go around the community with her.  Not only was Lauren invited to go, but she was trained to administer the vaccines also.

Lauren and the veterinarian student administering vaccines.

That is something that she would have never been taught in a traditional 8th grade classroom in the states.  She was on cloud nine…and it only fueled her desire to be a vet!  What a wonderful experience!

While making our rounds, we visited two farms that were next door to one another.  The owners of the farm are Chi Chi and Jose.  They were so kind and showed us all around their farms.  We saw peacocks, turkeys, fruit trees, ducks, geese, goats, chickens, bunnies, and numerous talapia farms.  All of us learned so much.  Jose pulled us over to a banana tree and showed us this (in the above picture).  It’s a hummingbird nest with 2 baby hummingbirds in it.  The nest and birds were so tiny.  The whole experience felt like the best field trip…EVER!  They told us that we were welcome to come back anytime…and even invited the mission teams to come visit as well.

Don’t these turkeys look like they have had a really bad day.  I had to post this because they just look tattered and worn out!

Needless to say, my children have been learning in ways that traditional education could not even begin to teach them.  God is such a wonderful teacher!  He has definitely opened my eyes AGAIN to the fact that my way and my way of thinking is not the only way to view things…and most definitely is never as good as His way of thinking.  My children are experiencing unique ways of learning…and being able to serve others in the process.  Gotta love that!!!

OH…one last thing…the verdict on the pig is a NO…

…..However…

….everyone meet Sandy….

…the newest member of our family!

We found her abandoned on a beach.  She immediately feel in love with Lexie…and vice versa.  My kind-hearted kids (and husband) couldn’t leave her there.  We now have our 3rd world dog!