Hope for MENA’s mission experiences gives you an unforgettable week of service AND discipleship. It’s a one-of-a-kind adventure where you can see God at work around you and through you. You’ll return home not just a changed person, but a truly transformed one.

Here is what Cynthia, a math teacher from USA, experienced in her recent trip:

“In the morning teaching sessions in the lower grades a science lesson on density and buoyancy using a Sink or Float activity was shared with the students at the Good Friends Refugee School. All of the students were eager to participate, and be the volunteer.

In grade 1,

All completed their recording sheets, quickly learning the words “sink” and “float” in English. The children made predictions about whether an object would sink or float in a tub of water, showing surprise and laughter when predictions were not correct.

In grade 2,

The students were also excited to participate, but some were more competitive and some more reserved (shy to share predictions). I was honored and blessed by how quickly the children accepted me as their teacher. This day the students learned to make predictions, think like a scientist, and record data in a data table. I was encouraged to see the joy they took in exploring science!

Teachers’ Training

After a fun and rewarding morning of teaching at the Good Friends school, I had the honor of leading some teacher training for the 5 teachers on staff. The director had requested instruction in lesson planning.

Some of the teachers had been professional teachers in the Sudan, and others are new to teaching, taking on this noble task with little training. While the language barrier was sometimes significant, the “backwards by design” model of lesson planning was shared with the teachers, including an example of  lesson plan for the Sink or Float lesson we led in grades 1 and 2 in the morning, and then giving time for the teachers to write a lesson plan for a familiar lesson that they have taught.

I also shared some teaching ideas and strategies for science and math that can be used at any grade level. The dedicated teachers took many notes and participated in the activities, hopefully gathering ideas for strategies to implement in their classes.

The children at the school already seem to love learning and being at school with their teachers, and I can only hope that this training will support the teachers as they plan for the future.

We ended with a science demonstration on air pressure, modeling how to make science accessible at all levels, using available resources. The teachers had great fun with this activity. Our group had the opportunity to help with several activities like leading lessons, teaching songs, and even painting some walls, but it was also especially uplifting to be able to share my particular skills, for which God prepared me in advance.”