Fun Sports day at Quisqueya

We had a fun sports day today at Quisqueya Christian School. First there was volleyball, but no one in our family played that, we were waiting for soccer. There was a father-son/father-daughter game and Richard and Ricky played in that. I played with the women faculty/staff against the girls' soccer team. No, I can't really play soccer, but it was fun and good exercise. I still don't understand the rules :) And, of course those girls ran circles around us! After that there was a game between the high school soccer team (well, we really haven't had a boys soccer season this year, but it was the guys who WOULD have been on it) against staff men and Dads. This game went on a LONG time because the score was 1-1 for a long time and they couldn't stand to leave it that way, they just HAD to play til they broke the tie. The "older" men won! Rich was a little sad because in other games like this he has scored, but he didn't today. It was still fun, though. And Ricky got to play a little bit to sub for high-schoolers.
After the games, we had a barbecue with salads and desserts brought by the families. We had a really good turnout and it was great seeing everyone so carefree and having fun after problems in the city last week.
Sadly, Joy couldn't come because of her homework load and the fact that we're going to be away for a CrossWorld retreat at the end of this week. I'm sure she'll get to play soccer and volleyball there.
Carol

Adult ESL Class

Some of the parents of students at QCS have requested an English class and I was asked to teach them. This could be a great opportunity for interaction/relationship building with the families of QCS and integration of Biblical principles and concepts. Please pray that God brings the people He wants to the class and for me that I will be used by Him in this new venture. There will not be a set curriculum, I am designing the course. I have done this before, but I hope to improve on what I have done in the past.

A challenge

It's been rainy since Katie died. Strange for Haiti. A high school student asked me if I thought it was because of her death. Another one said "Yeah, like God's crying." I said I thought maybe one reason it's raining is because God knows we need to cry, it's part of grieving. This weather does make this time seem sadder. We can't know all God's reasons, not now anyway.

I titled this "A challenge" because one of the reasons I am sad about losing Katie is that she seemed really good for Quisqueya Christian School and it's students. What I heard at the memorial service today made me realize even more how subtle, yet effective her testimony and influence were here. So, I'm wondering...is there anybody out there who thinks God may be calling them to come to Haiti? Would you like to continue the work and fill in the hole left by Katie?

Think about it. Pray about it.

A death in the QCS family

(Saturday) Today we lost a lovely friend and colleague, Katie Broecker. And our loss is heaven's gain...and Katie's, too. She's with Jesus now.

It was a terrible shock to hear that she was found in her bed this morning, having died in her sleep. She was only in her twenties. Some are guessing that it may have been an aneuryism. She had a good Christian life testimony and was loved by students as well as staff.

She gave a great chapel talk last year about the work of God in her life, encouraging the students to follow Jesus. Joy was close to Miss Broecker through her involvement in student council, soccer and volleyball, all of which Miss Broecker led.

Please pray for Katie's parents, sisters, grandmother and the many close friends she leaves behind in Ohio, Indiana and in Haiti. Also, pray for the students at QCS--some are wondering if something else may have happened to cause her death. Hopefully this will get cleared up. We will need to help the students grieve, too.

Today in Psalm 27 (because it's Oct. 27) I read :
The Lord is my light and my salvation--whom shall I fear?
...
One thing I ask of the Lord,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.

Girls Soccer Team Party

We hosted the QCS girls' soccer team party at our house yesterday. The girls had fun swimming, playing soccer, making up awards for each other (commemorating things like noses that attract soccer balls). Richard was the coach at the beginning of the season, then, Katie Broecker took over when Basketball was done. Joy's too modest to tell people that she was the captain, and that she scored several goals. I don't remember how many, but at least one in each of the last three games. They didn't win much, but they played some exciting games, improved their skills and mostly had fun.

Does being a Mears mean I have to play soccer?

QCS was planning a sports day and decided that the girls soccer team should play a women's team made up of staff members. They called it the Women's Allstar Team. People assumed I could play soccer since all the other Mears they know can play it well. At first I laughed, but when I realized that most of the women on the staff also knew little to nothing about the sport, I decided that the only chance we'd have would be to "psych them out" (as we used to say in the old days).

Looks like I'm about to head the ball....nah.

So, yes, I played. And, yes, we psyched them out, but didn't beat them. And I played soccer for the first time in my life. (Even though Richard considers my first soccer game to be one that happened in New York when we were dating and since there weren't many players, he asked me to stand in the goalie cage.) We did give them a run for their money, mostly because of a few girls who knew what they were doing and also because of my husband's great coaching, i.e. teaching us the whole game the day before. :)

It was fun and we had the most team spirit of all the teams at QCS. And, I must admit, I liked playing more than I thought I would. But I still prefer cheering in the stands.

Here is a Mother-Daughter picture from the game.

Bulletin Board by Grace

Before Grace left she did a bulletin board for my classroom. I loved hearing the students comments (before they knew it was my daughter who did it). "Wowwww....!" The Director of the school said that we're taking the bulletin board standards to a whole new level. I love it, because it's like a little part of Grace is still here with me.

We've been studying poetry, so she included excerpts from some poems that have been hanging around the room and some that she liked and she illustrated some of the concepts in an abstract, fantasy-like picture with an antique-y feel to it. Well, a picture is worth a thousands words....