This past week Dylan and I worked in aquaponics again (pictured on the left). We did a lot of painting and planting outside. The heat and bugs are definitely frustrating at times. On Thursday, we had hundreds of tiny little bugs in our clothes after working… Although this has been hard to handle at times, I've learned to become more patient with these kind of things and remain joyful in my opportunity to serve in the aquaponics system.
We conducted two more Self-Discovery Workshops on Wednesday and Friday with new automotive and electrical students this week. The students were a lot of fun and we shared so many laughs as they made up cheers and completed art projects together. Although some of the kids on my teams were somewhat shy, all of them became increasingly more open with each other throughout the day. I enjoyed watching them bond as new classmates and friends so much.
We also worked on a powerpoint presentation that we will present on Monday, June 23 to Father Rocky, the founder and president of the Tuloy Foundation, and the Management Committee. This powerpoint consists of all of our statistical analyses from the interview of OJT students and graduates that we conducted on June 1, 2014. Many of our findings were positive. We found that Tuloy's high school education system prepares its students for their job interviews, jobs, and relationships with their coworkers to a similar extent as other high school equivalents. We also found that Tuloy's living conditions were rated significantly more comfortable than living conditions outside of Tuloy. Based on concerns or suggestions made by our interviewees, we will formulate future workshops like the Self-Discovery Workshop to better prepare students for their lives after Tuloy. Currently, we are considering future workshops that will help with interview skills, professionalism in the workplace, interpersonal skills, money management, and sexual education/ethics. After our meeting on Monday, I'm sure we will have even more ideas for future workshops that could benefit these children. I'm excited to see Tuloy progressing in such a big way so that it can better prepare these kids for their future.
Dance was a lot of fun this week. Both Group 1 and Group 2 had their first contemporary classes this week. I introduced "lifts" in their classes where they worked together to lift one person into the air. This was somewhat difficult at first because they refused to cooperate and follow instruction. After discussing the importance of safety with them, however, they began to listen more. This activity turned into a great way to teach discipline and teamwork with the kids.
This week, I also ordered screen-printed T-shirts for the dance kids to wear for their performance on July 11. I am so excited to donate these shirts to these kids so that they can have something to remember their experience in this dance clinic. Some of these kids only have one or two shirts, so this shirt will provide them with another shirt to wear, too. I can't wait to see them all in these shirts!
This upcoming week I will begin teaching English to a few new Tuloy kids whose lives were affected by typhoon Yolanda. I am nervous and a bit insecure about my abilities to teach English to students whose language I do not speak, but I am beyond excited to be able to show compassion and love to these kids who have been through something so tragic. I know this will be a great experience, and God's definitely going to use this for His glory. Prayers for this new task ahead are greatly appreciated!
In other news:
We adopted an adorable Golden Retriever puppy named Mango.
My dad, brother, and I saw the amazing Broadway show "STOMP" at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
It's been another great week in the Philippines.
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