Sunday, April 8, 2007
close call
WHEW! i read through my info packet and was super excited. i gave it to michelle to read through so she could better help me to write my support letter and she brought something to my attention. i didnt even check but they had put me in the second group, which would get me back after laurens wedding and after the team left for Guatemala. in other words, i had to change groups. i called amy, the contact person, and she realized it had been her mistake but she assured me that it could be fixed. the next day she emailed to let me know that i would be in the first group and everything had been fixed. needless to say there was a knot in my stomach for a day but God has everything figured out and if it is His will i will be there and if it isnt His will then i dont want to be there. ( i really want it to be His will (: )
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
info overload with questions remaining
YAY i got my info packet from invisible children. it had a lot of helpful info like i will be staying in a guarded compound with the other volunteers and i need dress clothes for the classroom, i think just skirts, and there will be Internet access while i am there.
i still have a lot of questions like what exactly i am going to be teaching and where. the options are awere secondary school, gulu high school and sir samuel baker high school. you can check them out at http://s4s.invisiblechildren.com/schools and what the exact details of my flights are. i have to schedule my own flights to and from nyc so that info is important to know.
one exciting thing is that i will be doing a 1/2 day safari in uganda's murchinson falls national park and a 1/2 day raft on the nile! amazing!
i would love questions about specifics (: so if you have any comment and i will post the details
much love!
i still have a lot of questions like what exactly i am going to be teaching and where. the options are awere secondary school, gulu high school and sir samuel baker high school. you can check them out at http://s4s.invisiblechildren.com/schools and what the exact details of my flights are. i have to schedule my own flights to and from nyc so that info is important to know.
one exciting thing is that i will be doing a 1/2 day safari in uganda's murchinson falls national park and a 1/2 day raft on the nile! amazing!
i would love questions about specifics (: so if you have any comment and i will post the details
much love!
Monday, April 2, 2007
more fun!
Invisible Children came up with an idea to raise awareness and unite with one voice to urge politicians and the such to do something about what is happening in Uganda, they call it displace me. The nearest city is Atlanta! I am going and I know that a few other people have said that they are interested. If you are around here and want to carpool just let me know! I would love to take a bunch of people down there, plus my mom doesnt want me to go alone (:
ps if you are reading this i am so encouraged that you are interested and if you comment you make my heart smile!
ps if you are reading this i am so encouraged that you are interested and if you comment you make my heart smile!
bio
I had to submitt a 100 word bio and pic to invisible children for them to use in different things. so here it is (:
My name is Danielle Davies. My heart is Jesus. My church and friends are my family. My passions are loving, serving, encouraging, and teaching. I graduated from Winthrop University and have been teaching seventh grade math for two years. I believe God put me in middle school because that is when kids decide what kind of person they will become. And math because, if I can show a middle schooler they can do math, they can do anything. I feel called to teach students who need a little extra love, support, and sass. I stress taking chances, respect, and working to your potential in my class. We sing, dance, create, and work hard. I found out about Invisible Children about a year and a half ago and have been burdened to do what I can ever since. I am blessed beyond measure and can't wait to help out in Uganda in any way I can.
My name is Danielle Davies. My heart is Jesus. My church and friends are my family. My passions are loving, serving, encouraging, and teaching. I graduated from Winthrop University and have been teaching seventh grade math for two years. I believe God put me in middle school because that is when kids decide what kind of person they will become. And math because, if I can show a middle schooler they can do math, they can do anything. I feel called to teach students who need a little extra love, support, and sass. I stress taking chances, respect, and working to your potential in my class. We sing, dance, create, and work hard. I found out about Invisible Children about a year and a half ago and have been burdened to do what I can ever since. I am blessed beyond measure and can't wait to help out in Uganda in any way I can.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
Support
Raising support for my trips this summer has been an amazing opportunity to see God working in those around me. It amazes me how many of my friends were not only willing to help out but jumping at the chance! For Guatemala I sent out a support letter. Michelle helped me out tremendously! If you did not receive a letter and would like one just send me a message and I will get one to you (:
She is going to help me with my support letter for Africa this week, so be checking your mailboxes. Ryan is going to make some way cool magnets to put in them to remind people to pray for me while i am away.
AND the Lord has surrounded me with incredibly talented musicians and they are getting together to do a show to help raise awareness for what is going on in Uganda!
God has really been teaching me a lot about provision and patience in this time.
O and my kids are raising money to buy a house in Guatemala (:
She is going to help me with my support letter for Africa this week, so be checking your mailboxes. Ryan is going to make some way cool magnets to put in them to remind people to pray for me while i am away.
AND the Lord has surrounded me with incredibly talented musicians and they are getting together to do a show to help raise awareness for what is going on in Uganda!
God has really been teaching me a lot about provision and patience in this time.
O and my kids are raising money to buy a house in Guatemala (:
Shots
So to go out of the country it is necessary to inoculate yourself with some viruses and serious diseases. I had to get 5 vaccinations: hepititus a, pollio, typhoid, yellow fever, and tetnus ( i got the booster so i dont give babies whooping cough). lets just say my left arm still hurts and i got them 5 days ago. and my checkbook is srill a little sore (:
First Step
The first step for both trips was to apply.
For Guatemala my application incorporated my testimony. Most of you know this but for those of you that dont the Lord has been working in my life and taking care of me since I was young. Our relationship really developed in college when He put 3 amazing girls (and by affiliation 8) in my life. They really showed and taught me what a relationship with Jesus was really like. I started to study the Word and grew a lot spiritually. He has continued to use the people He places in my life to show me His love. I am blessed beyond anything I can imagine. Currently He is teaching me about healing and forgiveness. I struggled with an eating disorder for a few years and then struggled with trying to "fix" myself for a few more years. Just recently He has shown me that by laying my burdens down I can truly be set free in Him and cant wait to see what He has in store for me now that I can walk without that on my shoulders! Praise Him!
My application for Invisible Children had 5 questions I had to answer. Here they are:
1.What do you think you should expect when traveling to another country?
Traveling to a developing nation means expecting to be surprised, expecting to learn about a different people group, and expecting to be changed for the rest of my life. I expect uncertainty. There will probably be disorganization in many things and so patience will be a necessity.
2.What draws you to Uganda?
The children draw me to Uganda. Since the first time I read about what was going on over there they have been on my heart. I desire nothing more than to help them as much as I possibly can. God has given me the gift of teaching and the patience and desire to work with children and I want to use those gifts to help the children in Uganda.
3.Please discuss an experience or encounter that did not have the expected outcome and expound on it as a learning experience.
My first year teaching there was a student that I just new I would be able to reach. He tested my patience and boundaries every day. I invited him to come in early to do work with me, I offered to fix him breakfast so he would be able to use that time to work in my room, I offered him help with other classes besides mine, and I gave him chance after chance. He was going to be the one that changed because of me. He did not change his behavior and did not accept my help. He got into a lot of trouble outside of my class and was sent to an alternative school. I learned that sometimes everything I know to do is not enough, that I do not control everything. I also learned the satisfaction of knowing that I did not give up and that at the end of the day I know that I did everything I knew to do.
4.How do you expect to deal with the issues of western privilege?
The culture I live in right now is very different than the culture I plan to visit. I understand that I take for granted the things that people there only dream about. I in no way plan to downplay the fact that there are many things that are easier for me because of where I live. However, especially with the students, I want to communicate what things in which they are rich and privileged. They have worth outside of material things. They have dreams and aspirations just like me. The strength and courage that they have are so amazing and valuable. The issues of western privilege are issues that I know I can not explain or defend, I can only humbly come to learn from them and give what knowledge about teaching I have.
5.What are your expectations regarding a teaching/learning opportunity of this nature?
I expect to learn much more that I teach. I plan to give what I know about teaching to the teachers there to help them use what resources they have to the fullest. I expect to use what I know about pedagogy and management and adjust and modify it to benefit the teachers and students there. I expect to be blown away by the teachers and students there. I plan to take this experience back to my classroom and school and community and use it to inform others and better my teaching.
The crazy thing about my application for Invisible Children was that I completed it and sent it off through over night mail the day before it was due. I did not even know about the program. I had gone to the website a lot but never searched around more that the bracelet, news release, displace me, and merchandise sites. The website really has a lot on it.
For Guatemala my application incorporated my testimony. Most of you know this but for those of you that dont the Lord has been working in my life and taking care of me since I was young. Our relationship really developed in college when He put 3 amazing girls (and by affiliation 8) in my life. They really showed and taught me what a relationship with Jesus was really like. I started to study the Word and grew a lot spiritually. He has continued to use the people He places in my life to show me His love. I am blessed beyond anything I can imagine. Currently He is teaching me about healing and forgiveness. I struggled with an eating disorder for a few years and then struggled with trying to "fix" myself for a few more years. Just recently He has shown me that by laying my burdens down I can truly be set free in Him and cant wait to see what He has in store for me now that I can walk without that on my shoulders! Praise Him!
My application for Invisible Children had 5 questions I had to answer. Here they are:
1.What do you think you should expect when traveling to another country?
Traveling to a developing nation means expecting to be surprised, expecting to learn about a different people group, and expecting to be changed for the rest of my life. I expect uncertainty. There will probably be disorganization in many things and so patience will be a necessity.
2.What draws you to Uganda?
The children draw me to Uganda. Since the first time I read about what was going on over there they have been on my heart. I desire nothing more than to help them as much as I possibly can. God has given me the gift of teaching and the patience and desire to work with children and I want to use those gifts to help the children in Uganda.
3.Please discuss an experience or encounter that did not have the expected outcome and expound on it as a learning experience.
My first year teaching there was a student that I just new I would be able to reach. He tested my patience and boundaries every day. I invited him to come in early to do work with me, I offered to fix him breakfast so he would be able to use that time to work in my room, I offered him help with other classes besides mine, and I gave him chance after chance. He was going to be the one that changed because of me. He did not change his behavior and did not accept my help. He got into a lot of trouble outside of my class and was sent to an alternative school. I learned that sometimes everything I know to do is not enough, that I do not control everything. I also learned the satisfaction of knowing that I did not give up and that at the end of the day I know that I did everything I knew to do.
4.How do you expect to deal with the issues of western privilege?
The culture I live in right now is very different than the culture I plan to visit. I understand that I take for granted the things that people there only dream about. I in no way plan to downplay the fact that there are many things that are easier for me because of where I live. However, especially with the students, I want to communicate what things in which they are rich and privileged. They have worth outside of material things. They have dreams and aspirations just like me. The strength and courage that they have are so amazing and valuable. The issues of western privilege are issues that I know I can not explain or defend, I can only humbly come to learn from them and give what knowledge about teaching I have.
5.What are your expectations regarding a teaching/learning opportunity of this nature?
I expect to learn much more that I teach. I plan to give what I know about teaching to the teachers there to help them use what resources they have to the fullest. I expect to use what I know about pedagogy and management and adjust and modify it to benefit the teachers and students there. I expect to be blown away by the teachers and students there. I plan to take this experience back to my classroom and school and community and use it to inform others and better my teaching.
The crazy thing about my application for Invisible Children was that I completed it and sent it off through over night mail the day before it was due. I did not even know about the program. I had gone to the website a lot but never searched around more that the bracelet, news release, displace me, and merchandise sites. The website really has a lot on it.
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