Hundreds in Colombia
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| October 2006 | ||||
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| Christ in the Classroom |
Clinic brings Life to Hundreds in Colombia |
President's Desk | ||
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| by Barrie McMaster | |||
| “Every morning, my class asks to sing the ABC song you taught us. And each day, I not only give each of the children a goodbye handshake, I hug them! Their parents want to meet this ‘Auntie Marion’ their children keep talking about.” Marion, a teacher in a CinA-Sierra Leone grade school, was reporting on how she had already put two items from the CinA teachers’ workshop into practice, with encouraging results. Jan McMaster from CinA Canada, herself a teacher, had spoken about utilizing songs or clapping games to help children memorize. She also talked about the importance of making daily personal eye-to-eye contact (including hand-shaking or a high-five) with each student to build teacher-student relationships. | |||
| The teachers’ summer workshop was a “first” for Christians in Action in Sierra Leone. It was designed to enhance CinA teachers’ skills, to encourage and refresh their spirits, and to remind them that they alone may be the only models of Christ’s love that some children will encounter. |
 National
Superintendent Christian Kallon (center) strategizes with Pastor Ndoiji
(left), a pastor in Bo, and Pastor Alfred Barnes who pastors a church,
teaches in the grade school and oversees the activities of CinA churches in
the Bo area. |
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| All three visiting workshop leaders were struck by the dedication and professionalism of the CinA teaching staff. | |||
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These teachers routinely must overcome significant shortages of resource
materials and deal with large classes. But it was clear from their attitudes
in the workshop that they know their young students are an important
ministry. The teachers enthusiastically participated in the workshop
sessions. They were excited by the visual aids, school supplies, Bibles, and
curriculums the leaders brought for CinA schools to share. Christians in Action Sierra Leone now has four schools, with a fifth in the planning stages. CinA Sierra Leone leaders agree with their National Superintendent, Christian Kallon, that educating the next generation of Sierra Leoneans is vital. More important, they are committed to the need to introduce these youngsters to Jesus’ love and salvation. That’s the reason for the four schools. That’s the reason a fifth is about to be built. The need to reach more children doesn’t end at just five schools! The literacy rate in Sierra Leone, especially after the devastating ten year war, is very low. More schools are needed urgently. And, while there are Christian churches in Sierra Leone, there are many thousands of young people who know nothing of the Gospel. For Christians, this is an equally urgent need. A good foundation has been laid in physical buildings and in Christian teachers, dedicated to the vision. Training and equipping these teachers has been given priority. There are thousands of children in Sierra Leone who need this schooling. There is so much more to be done! |
 Martyna Foday (left), a leader in the Freetown church, and Dyan Kirkland, on the short-term teaching team, discuss teaching techniques. Martyna is the coordinator of distant educational services for the whole of Sierra Leone and will be taking the materials that Dyan used to teach Bible ethics into the public school system. |
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 Some progress has been made on this church building in Bo since the picture was taken in July. Once the floor has been compacted and the roof and windows added, the church will be able to move in to their new building. Then the children will have full use of the schoolroom for their classes. |
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  The grade school teachers are intrigued and challenged by the teaching brought to them by our team from Canada, the US and England, as they learn how to integrate Christian principles into classroom lessons and activities. Dyan Kirkland teaches, joined by Barrie McMaster (left of first window) and Ken Wiebe (back row). |
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Sierra Leone is one of our "indigenous" fields, with a director and team
of missionaries and others working diligently to reach their own nation for
Christ. Christian Kallon, director, saw the need for a training program for teachers in the CinA grade schools. Of particular interest was the application of Christian ethics in their teaching, and encouraging children to live for Christ. He shared the need with Ken Wiebe, director of the Sierra Leone support ministry in England. This resulted in a team comprising Ken, Barrie & Jan McMaster, and Dyan Kirkland, teaching a four-day seminar to teachers. The four-day intensive sessions were divided into three parts: methodology, faith-building, and a teaching curriculum for teachers to help children to develop Christian ethics. Barrie, director for CinA-Canada and a member of our international board, shares the story. |
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| Christ in the Classroom |
Clinic brings Life to Hundreds in Colombia |
President's Desk | ||
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