august 2023.

August typically marks the end of summer for many Canadians, but for me, here, it marks the end of the first month of school! What a busy and exciting first month it was. I am enjoying getting to know my new class. They have so much joy! I am loving their positivity and excitement for learning. As the month has progressed, I have had a few new students added to my class, putting our new total to 13. I have a girl-heavy class this year with only 4 boys!

This month we have been focusing on developing a growth mindset, expressing our emotions in healthy ways. learning about what devotions means, how, and why we do them, writing personal narrative stories, and multiplication for the first time! I also have a few students this year who do not come from households that believe in God. Please pray for their curious and eager hearts. That God would be planting seeds in their hearts that will grow deep roots this year. I am also praying for my interactions with these parents, that I might share, testify, and exude God’s love and kindness to them.

My new teaching partner is named Sarah and she moved here with her family from Korea. She is pure kindness and positivity! I am beyond grateful that God brought her here. She shines such a bright light on our campus. I am excited to partner with her this year and learn and grow together.

We had a new friend visit our campus (and even entered our classroom)! Never a dull moment in Kenya!

A taste of home!

Something I’ve been growing in this month is learning how to take time to prioritize rest. One of my favourite books is The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. I’ve been rereading snippets and this quote has stuck out to me,

“Ultimately, nothing in this life, apart from God, can satisfy our desires. Tragically, we continue to chase after our desires ad infinitum. The result? A chronic state of restlessness or, worse, angst, anger, anxiety, disillusionment, depression—all of which lead to a life of hurry, a life of busyness, overload, shopping, materialism, careerism, a life of more…which in turn makes us even more restless. And the cycle spirals out of control… Here’s my point: the solution to an over busy life is not more time. It’s to slow down and simplify our lives around what really matters.”

I’ve been reevaluating how I spend my time and trying to prioritize healthy practices that draw me closer in relationship to Christ. Corrie Ten Boom once said, “If the devil can’t make you sin, he’ll make you busy.” This rings so true for me! By putting my endless to-do list above my relationship with Christ, I suffer in every way. This class specifically has some big emotional needs and I am learning quickly that if I don’t start my day rooted in prayer and time with the Lord, putting on my armor in the spiritual realm, then I give the enemy a foothold. SO, this month, I have begun to work on reestablish my routines based on what will fill up my soul. For me, what that has looked like is: another rest day from the gym during the week to instead spend time with God in a longer devotional time, have fun cooking homemade meals during the week, spending more time in nature, reading, and spending time in community with other believers. I am excited to see how God will continue to work in these areas of my life and what I will have to reexamine in the future. It is a process of refining my time to God’s time and I am eager to see how my routines continue to shift throughout this fall.

Last week our church held a Friday night Afrobeats worship night and it was so fun to praise God with His nation here. I think Swahili praise music is SO beautiful. If you’d like to listen to some, here are some of my favourite songs:

One more thing before I close this month’s update. Our school’s theme verse this year is Matthew 5:14-16. I have been challenged alongside my students to memorize that passage this month and remember to shine my light bright for Jesus. Would you like to come alongside of us and memorize this passage as well?

If you would like to consider supporting God’s ministry here in Kenya, this is the link to provide you with more details:

https://gcfcanada.com/jocelyn-smart/

Thank you for following me along on this journey!

Blessings,

-j.