Little Ones

I wanted to introduce you to the WISE preparatory students today! If anyone did not know I not only teach the college students at WISE, but I also teach Monday through Friday to three and four-year-olds.  This preschool was started by WISE to serve the children and families in the community; and most of all to share Jesus to the little children. It is a half-day preschool from 8:30 to 11:30.  Amanda Wurdeman is a head teacher along with myself and we have an assistant, Mrs. Marshall, who is from  St. Vincent.

While God teaches us patience everyday with the kids, particularly those who like to climb and crawl on the tables...we are also filled with joy being able to watch them learn.  They love to sing and Amanda has taught them songs like "Jesus Loves Me" and "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands."  It's a blessing to hear them sing these songs throughout the day to themselves.  We say a prayer before snack time everyday and their favorite part is to shout "AMEN!" 

We are working on teaching them letters (ABCs), numbers, colors, shapes and more. Some of their favorite things are playing with play dough, stacking/sorting blocks, playing with toy trucks, and playing outside. As of now we have 7 boys and 3 girls.

We ask that you will be praying for the preschool, for the children and their families. In St. Vincent preschools have to be certified by the Ministry of Education.  One of my earlier posts discussed our first meeting with the Ministry.  At that time she did not certify us and gave us some suggestions on things to change in our preschool.  However, she said we could still open but we would need to contact her later for her to come by and finish the certification process. Last week we contacted the Ministry of Education to set up another appointment. They explained they will perform a "surprise" visit.  Therefore we do not know when the investigator will come.  We are ready to complete the certification process so we do not have to worry about it any longer.  We ask that you pray the investigator will treat us fairly even though we are an "American run" preschool.  That she will see we are teaching the children daily and providing them with appropriate learning and play materials.

Here are some pics of out little ones!

Having fun during craft time!

 Here is a video of some of the students at snack time.

 

We charge a minimal fee for the preschool (approximately $11/month) because many of their families do not have a lot of money and are living in homes without electricity or indoor plumbing.  If you would like to help sponsor one of our preschoolers please contact me at ekandmaddie@yahoo.com and I will be happy to answer any questions you may have! Your sponsorship would help go towards the daily cost of the preschool, children's uniforms, snacks, school supplies, etc. 

Beep Beep...

The current WISE van

If I have not mentioned it before St. Vincent is notably hilly. WISE has a school van that gets from point A to point B (but does squeak down the road and it is collecting problems), it sits 8 people comfortably, though we are not afraid to get uncomfortable an squeeze in more.  However, with a growing student population it is impossible to fit all of the students into to school van.  WISE is currently in the process of raising money to buy a used truck. 

A Used Truck in St. Vincent costs about $10,000.  This will help transport groups, the growing number of students, building materials, and help replace the van.  Check out our website for a current amount of funds raised at http://windwardislandsschoolofevangelism.org/support.html.  Any extra support raised will be used for repair on the existing van.

If you would like to donate to our truck fund please send your payment to
WISE
c/o Andrew and Jenna Stout
P.O. Box 1741
Pittsburg, KS 66762
*Please put "truck" in the memo line.

If your church would like to help you could simply put out a gas can as ask members to help "fill the tank!"  Thank you so much for everyone's support!

A Pirate's Life for Me!

EK and I had a great time this weekend. We went out on our first "date night" since we moved to St. Vincent. We went to a quaint restaurant that overlooked the ocean. It was very peaceful as we were able to watch the sunset over the water with reflections of vibrant orange and pink.  We felt rejuvenated getting to spend time alone together off of campus since most of our days are surrounded by the students.

We were also thankful that we made it to and from the restaurant safely because EK is still getting used to driving on the opposite side of the road! He does a great job, I don't think I could do it; I would probably have a panic attack.

On Saturday we went to Wallilabou Bay with all the students and staff, which is a beach here where parts of  Pirates of the Caribbean were filmed.  It was cool to see the buildings and the landscape that were in the film, it made me feel closer to Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley :).

The students had fun swimming and dressing up in pirate clothes and taking lots of pictures.  I think all of them were destined to be models because they LOVE getting their picture taken. Some of us went on a little boat ride through the cove which was gorgeous. The vibrant blue waters were crystal clear and match beautifully with the lush mountainous backdrop. We went out on a small motor boat with our guide, Speedy.  He was a very nice gentleman who provided a lot of information about the area.  He told us about himself as well.  He was a fisherman; he told us he fished every morning in his ore boat.  He said he paddles about 2-3 miles off the coast every morning.  Sometimes he said he will only catch one fish but other times he will catch numerous, which he will sell in his village.

On our way back into the cove the motor of the boat became flooded and stopped working.  Good thing we had two ores so we got back safe and sound. 

Later in the day I reflected on how far Speedy paddles out to sea knowing that he might only catch one fish or even none, but he still does it every morning.  I was encouraged by his dedication. 

I thought about the disciples who were fishermen just as dedicated as Speedy, and after meeting Jesus they became "fishers of men."

^"18 Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ And He *said to them, “^[h]Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” ²⁰ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. ²¹ Going on from there He saw two other brothers, ^[i]James the son of Zebedee, and ^[j]John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. ²² Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." ~Matthew 4:18-22

Our prayer is that we can become more and more dedicated to be like Christ and to show other's Christ's love.

Below are some pictures of our time with the students!

All of the students arriving at Wallilabou Bay

Behind me is the pole that Jack Black swung from while he was trying to escape!

EK was being a pirate...Arrrr

The students playing dress up



This was on our boat ride, here is the rock from the beginning of the first film where there were 3 pirates hanging...

First Week, Complete!

Well we made it through our first week of classes! EK is teaching Old Testament History and Personal Evangelism I and II. I am working in the preschool Monday through Friday in the mornings and teaching English I.  During the week there were several times I thought... I don't think I would have believed it if someone told me a year ago that I would be living in another country and teaching an English class to all Haitian students, (some which are not completely fluent) and working with 3-year-olds in a preschool.  My thoughts were I would graduate with my Master's of Social Work and get a "social work" job somewhere in Columbia, MO or maybe in another state.  EK was working at State Farm and planned to continue working there and advance in his career.  However, God had different plans for us.


I am reminded of the verses "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6.  While we may not always know what God's plans are for us or understand everything, we are thankful we have leaned on His understandings and not our own.  We do know that God is using our gifts here and that He is allowing us daily opportunities to grow closer to Him and  build relationships.  We have really enjoyed spending time with the students and getting to know them.  Here are some pictures of the staff and students below.



Here is all of the WISE staff

Here are the students at orientation
 

We continue to ask for prayers for our transition to a new country and culture. Please pray for both of us to make an impact on the students and community.  Please pray for EK and myself and that we can continue to support one another and confide in each other.

Getting to Know You

Wow, it has been a great couple of weeks as we have transitions to SVG! We feel so blessed to have everyone praying for us, we have definitely felt all of them so thank you.

We are still adjusting to a new culture and getting into a routine. We are learning as missionaries you have to be very flexible and whatever we may have had planned for that day may not get done.  The school needed all of its electrical wiring updated so over the past week there have been several times when we did not have electricity, which puts a damper on your plans when you are preparing for classes and need a computer. However, we are thankful the school is getting what it needs and that we wont have electrical problems in the future.

We have nine new students coming on Thursday, eight are from Haiti and one is from SVG. We are excited that our student population will double this term and to have new faces on campus. Please be praying that they have safe travels and pray as they adjust to a new culture and new chapter of their life.

We have had a wonderful time getting to know the 2nd year students that are already on campus. EK and I are considered the "campus coordinators" since we live on campus and we are more or less in charge of student life. We enjoying eating lunch with them everyday, which almost always consists of rice. The students were shocked when we told them we are not use to eating rice everyday and that back at home we might only eat it once a month :).  They are pros at cooking rice though and it always tastes delicious.

I (Maddie) have been preparing for the preschool that opens on September 3rd, which is the same day classes start at the college. I am very excited to be working with Amanda Wurdeman, she has awesome ideas for all the kids and really has a heart to make sure they are learning about Jesus and also getting prepared for school. I think I will enjoy working with the students at the college and also working with the 3 and 4-year-olds at the preschool, I will have a great variety! 

 

I will also start teaching dance classes to girls in the community on September 6th.  I am so excited to do this because I love teaching dance!  I think God is so Great to allow us to use our gifts everywhere to serve Him and others. It seems like the girls are very excited about the dance classes because they don't offer anything like that here so hopefully it will be a hit!

I would like to end by saying EK and I continue to be blown away by God's goodness and grace He continues to show to us, we are so thankful for His provision.  We are thankful for all the relationships we are building with the students and faculty.  We are thankful for the Wurdeman family, they have been so helpful with our transition and we are thankful to have friends in a new place. We continue to be thankful for all of our supporters who made all of this possible.

 

This neighborhood is where a lot of the preschool kids will be coming from.

We were able to meet a lot of people in this area with great hearts and loving smiles.

Here are all the 2nd year students. We were celebrating one of their birthdays, Sis Alertha.

They had lots of fun and loved having cake!

We ask for prayers again for the current and incoming students and that they are successful this school year and that we will be able to continue to build relationships with them.  Pray as we continue to adjust to a new culture. We ask for prayers for WISE and all the staff that God will continue to provide for the school and to give all of us discernment when making decisions. Please pray for the preschool children and their families.  Many of the preschoolers will be coming from extreme poverty, please pray that we can be a light in their life. Please pray as we prepare for classes. EK and three classes he is teaching this semester which demands a lot of preparation.  Thanks everyone, we love you!

Meeting with the Ministry

Yesterday morning we were able to see the preschool that I (Maddie) will be working at with Amanda Wurdeman and a local woman named Ms. Matthews. The preschool will be available for children in the community ages 3 to 5, Monday through Friday, from 8:30a to 11:30a.  The goal of the preschool is to be able to help children in the community get a head start on their education and to teach them about Jesus. The preschool looks great, sorry I forgot to take my camera yesterday but I will post some pictures later. There are lots of toys and books for the children and we have curriculum books as well so they will be able to do art, math and science activities daily. The preschool plans to open on September 3rd and there are 19 children "enrolled."  I say "enrolled" because Amanda Wurdeman ran an open house a couple weeks ago and only 3 of there parents were able to fill out registration forms because many of the parents did not know how to read or write very well. Many of these children are coming from a very poor area of the island and the parents are poorly educated.

The main reason I went to the preschool yesterday was because the Minister of Education was visiting to do an inspection of the preschool so it can be certified to open. Lets just say it was an interesting experience. She did not really have anything positive to say about the preschool. She did not complete the inspection because she felt there were many more things we needed to complete such as: getting more blocks, making a math area, creating a schedule board, creating a parent information board, and more. She ended the visit by instructing us to call her after September 10th because she would be out of the office until then. However, she said we could open as planned on September 3rd.  She said when she is back in her office and we call her she will come again to complete the inspection and to observe us with the children to see how we interact with them. You could tell she took her job seriously and she was very formal and professional.  After she left I think we all felt somewhat surprised and overwhelmed by her responses. To us it seemed like the preschool was very well set up for the children and easily allowed for a variety of activities and learning to take place. It was an interesting day to observe two different cultures interacting.  We feel that we can get the things accomplished that she asked and look forward to her second visit so we can be officially certified! We feel that God will bless the preschool because it will be a great service to the community.

We Made It!

Sorry we have not posted anything for several weeks we have been traveling and preparing for our move so this will be a lengthy post to catch everyone up. We said goodbye to my family (Maddie's) in Columbia, MO on August 6th and then went to Chicago to visit EK's family for a week before we flew to St. Vincent (SVG). It was difficult saying goodbye to our families and to our dog Rufio who will be staying with my mom. We had a great time with EK's family. His sister, brother-in-law and their daughter came to visit that week as well so we were able to see the whole family. EK's younger brother also left for college that week so there were a lot of big changes going on in the Keller's house.


Here is our dog, Rufio, we found him on the kitchen table pouting
as we pack all of our stuff

EK's Family

EK and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary while we were in Chicago which was a lot of fun. We rode the train into downtown Chicago and ate at a nice restaurant and took some Bollywood (Indian) dance lessons in Grant Park...but it started lightning and pouring down rain so we headed back to Union Station, luckily EK brought an umbrella so we werent totally soaked.



Here is the view from our bedroom and balcony! You can see
the ocean and the island Bequia, the largest of the Grenadines
islands

We flew out of Chicago to SVG on Monday the 13th at 5:30am! It was really early but we were able to stay awake on excitement! We had to check 7 bags and we had 2 carry-on bags, a laptop case and backpack. Lets say it was interesting wheeling all our stuff through the line. We flew to Barbados and had to pick up all of our checked bags there, go through customs and then re-check them with the airline LIAT, which is the only airline that flies to SVG. There was a Bajan (a Barbados native) who assisted us with our luggage which was very helpful, however we felt bad because we couldn't understand him at all...we will have to get use to the different accents. However, we noticed Bajans speak differently than the people from SVG. Locals have told us you can tell which island someone is from based on their accent, we will have to see if we can acquire that skill before we leave :).

Here is a picture of WISE. Our apartment is on the right on the
2nd floor, you can see our balcony above the van.

The grocery store, there is another one close by as well.

After we checked our bags in Barbados we had a 5 hour layover. Our flight was delayed for about an hour, which I guess is fairly common for LIAT flights. When we got on the last plane for the day it was a surreal feeling. The flight from Barbados to SVG was only 30 minutes. When we arrived in SVG the airport was very small and we had no problems getting through customs. We were so pleased we received all of our luggage and none of it was delayed. We went to our apartment after leaving the airport which is less than a minute away, we can actually see the airport runway from our bedroom window and hear the planes too! Our apartment is on campus which is nice and convenient. Oh, and we can see the ocean from our window!
Our first full day in SVG we were able to get a tour of the school and meet some of the students. Brice Wurdeman, the Director of WISE, showed us around the island which is breathtaking everywhere you look. The roads are extremely hilly, curvy and narrow which makes driving interesting/very different from the U.S. They drive on the left-hand side of the road. EK will most likely get a SVG drivers license. I don't know if I will because I may be too chicken to drive, its intense :). We went to the grocery store, which looks very similar to a grocery store in the USA just smaller, but it was comforting to see familiar foods! We are excited to see all the fruit trees around us and there is an avocado tree right outside our apartment and we LOVE avocados! We had dinner at the Wurdeman's house and enjoyed fellowship with their family and some of their friends. We cannot express how excited we are to work with the students and staff this year at WISE. We feel blessed to be able to partner with WISE and help in many ways. We are thankful that the Wurdeman family is here so we have familiar faces, and thankful for their hearts of service. We can see God working everyday and how He has orchestrated everything for us to be here.