Exciting

This week I decided that I need to get the older kids writing more than just “I set the books on the table.  I will set the books on the table.  The books are on the table.”  (That’s not a real example.) I want them to write something meaningful, especially in light of a recent event which I’ll let Theary tell you.  

Writing prompts are a good idea, right?  I remember my elementary school teachers making me write in a journal every day, so this should be good. 
It is a very difficult concept. 
On Monday, the most I could get the kids to say about Sunday was ‘I go to the church.’  It took a lot of prodding and poking and encouragement to get them to verbally expound, forget writing about it. 
I remember working with the oldest group of kids when we first got here.  McKae and I had them write down questions to help them think about what they were going to write.  We provided 6 question words and had them write down 2 questions about their topic.  When they were done, they were able to write an impressive amount by answering the questions they’d written down. 

It’s not that easy for this group.  On Monday we ended up just coming up with questions that would help us talk about the prompt.  On Tuesday we answered those questions.  Finally, today we turned those questions and answers into a paragraph....well we tried.  A few of the kids wrote all the answers in succession and that doesn’t make very much sense because the question wasn’t stated in their answer.  I’ll have to go over that again; we’ll practice it.

 
Theary:

I go to church to study about God. I went to the church with my mom.  I ride a bicycle by myself.  I went to the church because I want to see a baptism.  Sreymove, Panith, and Nana got baptized.  The people wearing yellow orange read…but who got a baptized they were wearing a white clothes.  I went to the church because I’m a child of God.  I went to the church at 1:00pm.  All the people they went to the church to study of God and to follow him.  Panith, Sreymove, and Nana they want choose the right way and all the people they got to see a baptized.  I went I go to church, I am very happy and I feel good.  I’m strong.

Theary is 14 years old.  She has two sisters in CICFO: Theara and Channy.  I adore her.  She is sweet and almost always understands what I’m trying to have the class do, which is so great.  When she grows up, she wants to be a teacher.
  

Yes, we had a baptism!  It was rather exciting (understatement of the year).   I’m going to fill in some gaps in the story.  Pattica got to baptize his sister, Nana.  This was his first baptism and it took a few times, but he got it.  It was incredible for him to have that opportunity since, he informs me, he has decided to serve a mission.  He wasn’t as sure before. Panith and Sreymove were baptized by one of the Khmer Elders that they’ve been studying with.  Chanthy and Chakrya gave talks on the Baptism and the Holy Ghost before the ordinances were performed.  Actually I’m assuming on that one because I don’t understand Khmer, but these are typically the talks before an LDS baptism. 

In the in-between time before the baptized come back all dry, Kanah played We Thank Thee oh God for a Prophet and High on a Mountain Top.  She and I have worked on that with the piano at cicfo, which is broken; so I sing whatever she is playing and she…plays it.  I’m always impressed.  It’s like learning to play the piano when you’re deaf.  By listening to her play, you wouldn’t know that she can’t hear when she practices.  When Nana, Panith, and Sreymove came back the Young Women of the branch got up and sang We Thank thee oh God for a Prophet while Kanah played.  I almost felt bad because Kanna asked me to play instead, but she did so well and it was so cute.  I think she was glad afterwards.  After the musical number, all three of them got up and bore their testimonies. 

I love being LDS.  It’s so cool.

I’ve decided to do writing prompts from now on.  It’s painstaking, but I think it’s a good thing.  Next time we’ll write on something easier.  It may also help to write about something that I wasn’t there for so they feel like they have to actually explain it to me.  Only time will tell.