Samuel's Adventures: The boys are back!

Note: Can I just congratulate myself for writing two posts...in one weeks time! Ok. Thank you, thank you. You may sit down now. Or get up from the floor if the surprise was that bad. :)

For the first time in a really long time, I have my whole class of locos back together again this week! It's been five weeks since I had all three of my students for a whole week.

Left to right: Jairo, me, Miguel, Joel

Miguel had been absent for the last five weeks, some of those weeks due to recovery from an operation he had. He came briefly two weeks ago, but only stayed three days, because he became sick again. And Joel stayed at home the whole last week, which is a rarity in itself. Joel is a very tough kid, and he hardly misses two days of school in a row.

But praise God for answered prayers and healthy bodies! I'm very thankful that I can have all my boys back again!

Of course, due to missing so much time, I figured I would have to back waaaaay up in schoolwork for Miguel, since he usually forgets pretty easily. However, I was very pleasantly surprised when he showed up ready and willing to learn! And I haven't had to review much. He is about where he was in math (he can count from 0 to 20 pretty much by himself) and he did much better learning his words this week. He remembered today how to spell a word I taught him yesterday without a prompt! I know that may not seem very earth-shaking, but sit with Miguel for a day in class and you'll understand why it's so amazing that he remembered. :) He still needs a bit more practice in paying attention, but still!

This week on Thursday I'm planning on having a fiesta day for my class. Just a random day I planned where we won't have school and we'll do all kinds of fun stuff all day. I told them that we'll have hotdogs and meat to make, that we'll eat ice-cream, and play games. Poor Miguel, who can really only pay attention at one thing at a time if that, can hardly think of anything else except "16 (July 16)!, fire!, meat!, play!, eat!". He signs it like that, too. :) I hope to let y'all know how that went.

Another thing that we can all praise God for is what seems to be a change for the better in Carlos, one of the oldest students, whom I had written about earlier. (If you didn't read that, you can if you click here.) He has always caused many headaches and prayers sent to the Father these last couple of years due to disrespecting authority, stealing, and other things. However some of us have noticed a better attitude toward authority and a will to try to do better. We're hoping and praying that Carlos is maybe at last allowing God to work in heart and lowering his natural defenses towards Him.

So praise God with us and pray that God could continue to work with him, 'cause we can't! Also, especially pray for Matthias, his teacher, and Elmer, his dorm dad, that God would give them lots of patience and wisdom as they relate to Carlos in the classroom and afternoons.

Thanks a lot for reading! I appreciate your support and prayers very much!

Additional prayer requests:

Nata's family (the director) and the board. They will be making quite a few weighty decisions in the next few weeks. Please pray that God could give them wisdom in making those decisions.
Also pray for safety for Nata's. They will be traveling to Mexico and staying for about three weeks at another deaf school there that needs help starting up.
Continue to pray for Silvia. We don't know how she is or what she is doing since being sent home, but pray that God would work in her heart.

Poor Elmer! Too much work in the afternoon, I guess.

Jairo is under the desk. I have been practicing
prepositions with my students recently. They had to
roll the dice with different ones and then illustrate
the preposition that was rolled. Abajo = under