January 27. I had just finished eating breakfast this morning when Tomas came. He wanted to let me know that Phinehas would not be in school again today. He is not physically sick, but spiritually sick.
Please pray for Phinehas and for all the other young people, that they will fill their hearts with the word of God and be able to stand against the wiles of the devil and pull of the world.
School went okay. There was a lot of work to grade today. I was thankful that I got most of it done during school hours and only had their science lessons to grade after nap.
Sunny and Graham scrubbed the office floor nice and clean last night, and Daddy put a coat of undercoat paint on it early this morning, then a coat of enamel later. He plans to put one more coat of paint on tomorrow.
“And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” Luke 8:25
January 28. Early this morning, we heard Matthew hollering out a toksave (announcement) - the health center is closed. All the health workers are being removed from Owena, including Margaret, which means that her husband John will not be back as head teacher so there may be no school either. Poor Matthew seemed quite discouraged this morning - so many things happening at once. After phonics class this morning, he spent some time talking with Daddy; and Daddy tried to encourage him as well as give him some counsel on certain matters.
Amos preached in lotu from Acts 13:14-23, one of his main points being that it is best to start with the Old Testament when we go out and preach the Gospel. Several of the students used that point in their sermon notes as “One Thing I Learned” from the sermon. There were a good number here for lotu, but it was already 7:30 before lotu started.
Most of the students seem to be having a difficult time with time (the clock), even though we studied the clock quite a bit last year. Bonita came this afternoon so I could help her with her lesson. I was glad that she asked for help as I saw that others should have but did not. They started learning something new in English class today too - subjects and predicates. They are probably wondering, Why do I have to learn all that?
After school, Thania and Peninnah stayed and did a little work for me while we ate lunch - washed and cut up carrots and potatoes and cut up an onion for soup; shelled beans that Lois had sent me the other day by the hand of her mother; and husked corn which needs to go out in the sun tomorrow (if there is sun).
This afternoon, besides helping Bonita, I finished grading math lessons and looking over lessons for tomorrow. After supper, I put some exercises on the chalkboard, printed out some copies of songs for the students and printed their next math lessons, made peanut butter cookies, and started washing the dishes. Daddy is now finishing up the dish washing job for me. I’m thankful to have his help this evening.
“Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.” Luke 8:39