Adventures WorldRace SethBarnes Sponsorship Giving

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Attention Kindergarten Teachers!!!! First and foremost Thank You, Thank You, and Thank You!!!  Thank you for everything you do from teaching us how to read, to putting up with and channeling our energy, to never giving up on us!!  An even more specific Thank You to Mrs. Ferrell, my lovely kindergarten teacher at St. James Elementary School a very, very long time ago!

It all started on our first full day of ministry in Canaan.  A few of us were helping out in the school.  We were mostly answering questions and providing guidance as the children of Canaan are on the pace system accredited with the A.C.E. which is mostly self-taught.  There were two of us in the big classroom with the upper elementary/middle school kids when my dear friend Kristen came in.  She needed someone to go sit in the kindergarten class because she had to go in to Port-au-Prince with the team leaders to try and get money out of an ATM for the month.  I volunteered and on our walk up to the classroom she said these exact words, “The teacher disappeared about 30 minutes ago but said she would be right back; I’m guessing she’ll be back any minute.â€�  

 

 
Four and a half hours later the bell rang for lunch.  The teacher never made it back that day, and although Canaan kids are on the pace system and mostly teach their selves, I quickly found out that paces started post-kindergarten once the children could read.  

The first day was pretty humorous as I was in constant prayer for control and creativity over 9 bouncy, English learning six to nine year old.  However, it wasn’t until I learned who the actual kindergarten teacher was that the Lord provoked a desire within me to be a constant within that classroom this month.  

Her name is Clona.  She is eighteen years old.  She wakes up at 5 a.m. to start her day with chores which include helping prepare the meals for the missionaries.  After serving breakfast, she quickly changes in to her teacher uniform and teaches the kindergarteners all morning long.  Frequently during her time as teacher she is running back up to the kitchen to help out with lunch or any other pressing issues.  Once her job as teacher is over, she becomes the student as she is in Grade 10 on her own paces working through the afternoon and evening with the older kids.  Clona is pretty awesome and what may have started as my plan to bless her this month by helping in her classroom was quickly reversed as she served as such a blessing to me and my entire team in our time at Canaan.  

 

 
After a month full of re-learning the basics of phonetics and counting, singing songs about Bucky the Buffalo, Milton the Mule, and Ricky the Rabbit, and 15 minute prayers as kindergartners find it extremely important to bless everyone who lives in Canaan by name twice, I can definitely say it was a month full of blessing for me.  Working alongside Clona was inspiring and encouraging as I was able to learn parts of her story and hear her continual reassurance that the Lord will provide everything you need.  Clona, as well as everyone living in Canaan, plays a variety of extremely important roles within the community.  Her roles vary from mom to big sister to little sister, from teacher to student to cook, and from worship leader to soloist to translator, just to name a few.  She loves the Lord with all her heart and constantly testifies of the Lord’s provision within her own life by encouraging others that He can and will do the same in theirs.  She’s a dreamer with dreams of attending music school and college in the states, opening up her own restaurant, teaching forever, and having her own orphanage similar to Canaan.  

With all this being said, to Clona and to kindergarten teachers across the world I want to offer up a huge THANK YOU for the love, motivation, and dedication you pour in to your students every single day.  After one month I am exhausted and have a new found respect for each of you!

Canaan was extremely hard to leave, and Lord willing somewhere I deeply desire to return one day after the race.  However, we are now at debrief in Santo Domingo tying up the Caribbean as we get ready to head to Cambodia for March.  A special thanks to everyone who sent letters and birthday cards, I got them yesterday and it was a huge surprise and lots of fun!!! Thank you as well for the continued prayers, support, and comments of encouragement, YOU are an important part of this journey!!!