Missionary News

MISSIONARY NEWS

Katie Norkoski has returned to northern Iraq where she has spent the last several months teaching Iraqi children. Katie sends e-mails to update us on the happenings of her school and students. Below you will find Katie's most recent e-mail. If you would like to have Katie's e-mails forwarded to you directly, please contact Linda Taylor at ltaylor@techline.com

One day in your life

you'll remember a place

Someone's touching your face

You'll come back and you'll look around you

One day in your life

You'll remember the love you found here

You'll remember me somehow

Though you don't need me now

I will stay in your heart

And when things fall apart

You'll remember one day...

How many of you recognize that song?! Can you believe that Katie is starting off with a Michael Jackson song? Well, he's been front and center for me a few times this week. First of all I have a 2nd grader named Lazo, who, every time I ask him to write his name at the top of the paper, will write "Michael Jackson King of Pop". If I give him half a chance he will proudly arrange his hair and collar and proceed to show me his "signature" dance moves. It is so cute! I laugh and tell him to put the name that his mom and dad call him on his paper instead. Last time I was at the DVD store I saw Michael Jackson's latest "This is It". Knowing how much one of my teammates appreciates the musician, and knowing how much one of my other teammates doesn't appreciate the musician, I figured I couldn't loose! Whether it be true gift or prank, I knew it would come in handy. Now, as I listen to the celebration outside signalling the end of Iraqi elections, this song takes on a newer meaning for me. I sometimes wonder if our students are really getting the truths we are trying to convey. So many of them will be the future leaders of this area. Are they taking to heart the lessons we stress from history? Are they understanding logic concepts and their everyday applications? Are they seeing in us how to be humble authorities that are focused on helping others and not seeking its own gain? In the short term, I feel despair. But then I realize that we do not sow in vain. God will bring fruit from what we plant. At the right time, they will remember the love we showed them. They will remember the school and all that they experienced there. And even though they don't embrace it now, and think they don't need it, when things fall apart, they will remember...

Enough of Michael Jackson...there has been plenty of other things going on these last few weeks...

1. Katie has successfully lived through her first ever full-on basketball practice. In a quick series of events, our school has created a girls basketball team. Jeremiah and Paul oversee the "coaching" and Colleen and I usually play with the girls. We have a few girls that have played in local clubs, but the majority of our dozen girl roster is new to the game. Our first game is on Saturday and our girls have yet to have even one practice on a full size court! It won't be a pretty game, that's for sure, but our girls have shown amazingly good attitudes at practice and it is fun to challenge their bodies in addition to challenging their minds. Yet, as I sit here with random muscles aching, I'm reminded that I'm practically twice the age of these girls. Ouch, I'm getting old =)

2. "Are you ever bored in class and wish your teacher was more exciting? Well, thanks to this new invention, the "Teacher Remote" you can pause, fast forward, and replay your teacher, and even make your teacher dance! This product has proven to give 100% satisfaction and comes with a 30 day guarantee. Call today and if you buy one, you get one free!" That's actually a combination of 2 or 3 of the commercials that my 10th graders did for speech class! It was hysterical to see them try to sell a product and move through the need, solution, objection, and action stages. We had everything from teleporters to invisibility cloaks to genius potion to robots to clean your room and do homework. I love my job sometimes! They make me laugh til I cry =)

3. Are you familiar with the TOEFL test? It's an international standardized test to show English proficiency. It's extremely important for foreigners hoping to study in America, desiring certain jobs, and many different things. Well, there is now a pilot test for people until 18 and our school was one of the first groups to try out this "Junior TOEFL"! On Thursday all our 7-10th graders were given the test and us "native" speakers wound up being the supervisors. It actually went very well, despite initial misgivings, and its showed our students what Western standardized testing is really like. It also gave the teachers and school administration a good feel for the effectiveness of our curriculum and teaching methods. Scores aren't back yet, so all is not known, but I was encouraged by the students response to the test. We have come a long ways...

4. It's never easy to ask for money, but the time has come for Katie to do so! There is still money in my account...that's a good thing =) but I don't have enough funds to cover the rest of the year and to get home. I ran the figures, and I believe I will need about $3000 to make it through the school year in the black and return safely to Washington. Of course, the largest chunk is needed for airfare home. If only that teleporter commercial was for real! But since it's not, I'm praying that the Lord will provide the funds. If you would like to contribute to the "Get Katie Home in One Piece" campaign, please see the bottom of this email.

Blessings,

Katie