BALTIMORE

There’s so, so much to say about Baltimore, but before I just jump right in, I will try to give you a background here.

So, you may have noticed that I have been absent from this blog for a few months. Props to my amazing friends for stepping up to the plate and allowing me to have a break while I was serving in Baltimore! I have missed writing here, tho, so now I am back for the foreseeable future, although, the older I get, I realize that life doesn’t always go exactly to our plans, and sometimes God will surprise us with something much better! Now that I am back from Baltimore I am anxious to see what God has next for me.

I lived in Baltimore and worked at Hampden Christian School as the elementary assistant for 3 months. Their elementary assistant had gone to Bible School for 3 months, so I was basically a substitute, although 3 months is certainly long enough to get into the rhythm of things and make it feel like home!

Hampden Christian Shcool is a mission school in Baltimore. It is a Mennonite-run school, but most of the students are non-Mennonite. The school has a daycare that offers care for infants-pre K and a school that educates K-8 children. It is a beautiful mission. The children get a 100% Christian education and are loved and cared for each day.

In an average day I would get up at 4:30 to do my own school (I am currently working online to get my bachelor’s degree in elementary education) before walking to school to teach several 2nd and several 3rd grade classes, spend some time taking care of the kindergarteners, help with all 3 recesses, and do aftercare, which lasted from 3:15-5:30. In the evenings I would either work on more of my assignments or hang out with other staff girls.

It was not exactly easy to move to Baltimore. In some ways I felt that I didn’t fit in. Some days I felt so lonely. I could not have lived with out my friends and family at home who supported me every day. I felt that support through calls, texts, cards and packages in the mail, and even a few visits from very special people! There are also many amazing people in Baltimore who really welcomed me and helped me so much during my time there.

Another teacher and I were teaching the K-2nd graders how to jump rope. Very few of them had ever jumped rope before, so it was a real learning experience. We were also trying to instill in them how to be good sports, gracious winners and losers, and how to encourage their friends. One day after we had been working on jump rope for some time already, we were jumping rope and one of the 2nd-grade boys did 282 jumps! When he finished all the children clapped and cheered; they were so happy for him! Right after him, one of the kindergarten boys got up to jump. This was a boy who has coordination problems and getting even one jump was difficult for him to do. However, he got up and did 8 jumps. When he sat down all the children again went wild clapping and cheering. It was a beautiful scene. To the children, the number of jumps really didn’t matter, all they cared about was that their friends were breaking their own records, and improving their skills. That makes me think, how many times do I rush to judge others and compare the people around me to each other and myself when in reality, it doesn’t matter where each of us is, what really matters is what direction we’re going!

Baltimore has somewhat of a bad reputation, but it also has beautiful places to visit and many amazing people!

I also can’t forget to mention all the amazing food that Baltimore has to offer!

I can clearly see God’s leading hand in directing me to Baltimore, and even though sometimes I just wanted to scream and cry, I really loved it and I’m so happy to say that I am going back in August! Those three months changed me. It’s an experience that I’ll always think of with fond memories. Mostly thanks to all the incredible people down there! Please pray for me as I seek God’s will for my life. -Kinza