Parkview Chapel Botesdale
Welcome to the Zambia updates page
Andrew & Amanda Kirk are currently in Zambia with their two boys Samuel & Joseph
They are teaching at the Amano School in Chingola
On this page you will find links to the latest newsletters.
There will also be a section for prayer requests
As they are received pictures will be added to a slideshow
More details about the school can be found on their website and news on their blog
NEWS
The Kirks Blog can be read here
Update 06/02/10
Hello to you all
Here is just a little update since we left at Christmas and another BIG thank you for supporting us last month.
The new term has started well. Amanda is enjoying teaching Year 4/5 but of course it’s been a long time since she did this age group and the ideas/resources don’t come easy. She continues to teach grade 8 maths too so that’s a nice distraction. However as with most things on the teaching front here, the planning takes time but the teaching experience is so much nicer than in England.
She has also started helping with Awana at Bethel which is similar to Junior Friday Club at PVC. Children range from 5 to 15 years. The boys went this week and enjoyed it so we think this will be something they will go to most Thursdays after school too. Amanda certainly enjoys the chance to lead groups of young locals in singing, stories and activities.
The boys have made a good start to the term. Samuel will hopefully be involved in football again soon, Joseph still goes along as a willing supporter, but he too continues to enjoy sports club. They watched the primary school do a swimming gala for the first time and we did remarkably well for such a small school. Samuel isn’t quite good enough yet but maybe next time? Mummy had the difficult job of not picking him for the team! Friends are constantly around or they are out at theirs.
For Andrew it’s quite new on 2 fronts – teaching biology at KS4 and then the Headteacher stuff. Both take time and he’s just about getting a routine sorted out so that nothing gets left out. The admin and procedures of the school take the most getting used to; the admissions procedures are different as pupils can be taken at any point over the year and parents are constantly asking for places for their children at secondary level. Unfortunately we can’t take anymore until our dining room is finished (December?) and then we need to extend the boys dormitory¸ another year after that probably? So our waiting list grows and parents get disappointed. But we are going as fast as we can and that money allows.
The weather is great at the moment, wet and warm, but Zesco struggles to keep the power on through the storms so that’s frustrating and of course the atmospherics affect the internet. We are sorry we can’t use skype so much because of our poor internet connections and restriction in school.
Our house in Suffolk is let again and the tenant seems to be finding her feet. We pray that she will enjoy living in the village.
So please keep praying especially about staff needs at Amano (lower primary and upper secondary) and we really need a building site manager as ours is going on furlough for 5 months. Check out the website for further details.
Once again thank you so much for your continued support, financial and prayer, it is never underestimated or taken for granted.
Every blessing
Andrew, Amanda, Samuel & Joseph
Special collections for The Kirks in our Sunday service will be on the following dates :
4th April 2010
6th June 2010
Update 06/02/10
Hello to you all
Here is just a little update since we left at Christmas and another BIG thank you for supporting us last month.
The new term has started well. Amanda is enjoying teaching Year 4/5 but of course it’s been a long time since she did this age group and the ideas/resources don’t come easy. She continues to teach grade 8 maths too so that’s a nice distraction. However as with most things on the teaching front here, the planning takes time but the teaching experience is so much nicer than in England.
She has also started helping with Awana at Bethel which is similar to Junior Friday Club at PVC. Children range from 5 to 15 years. The boys went this week and enjoyed it so we think this will be something they will go to most Thursdays after school too. Amanda certainly enjoys the chance to lead groups of young locals in singing, stories and activities.
The boys have made a good start to the term. Samuel will hopefully be involved in football again soon, Joseph still goes along as a willing supporter, but he too continues to enjoy sports club. They watched the primary school do a swimming gala for the first time and we did remarkably well for such a small school. Samuel isn’t quite good enough yet but maybe next time? Mummy had the difficult job of not picking him for the team! Friends are constantly around or they are out at theirs.
For Andrew it’s quite new on 2 fronts – teaching biology at KS4 and then the Headteacher stuff. Both take time and he’s just about getting a routine sorted out so that nothing gets left out. The admin and procedures of the school take the most getting used to; the admissions procedures are different as pupils can be taken at any point over the year and parents are constantly asking for places for their children at secondary level. Unfortunately we can’t take anymore until our dining room is finished (December?) and then we need to extend the boys dormitory¸ another year after that probably? So our waiting list grows and parents get disappointed. But we are going as fast as we can and that money allows.
The weather is great at the moment, wet and warm, but Zesco struggles to keep the power on through the storms so that’s frustrating and of course the atmospherics affect the internet. We are sorry we can’t use skype so much because of our poor internet connections and restriction in school.
Our house in Suffolk is let again and the tenant seems to be finding her feet. We pray that she will enjoy living in the village.
So please keep praying especially about staff needs at Amano (lower primary and upper secondary) and we really need a building site manager as ours is going on furlough for 5 months. Check out the website for further details.
Once again thank you so much for your continued support, financial and prayer, it is never underestimated or taken for granted.
Every blessing
Andrew, Amanda, Samuel & Joseph
Special collections for The Kirks in our Sunday service will be on the following dates :
4th April 2010
6th June 2010
PRAYER REQUESTS
Things to praise God for are:
- Praise God that we have all been well since we've been here and not had the bugs/illnesses that others seem to have had despite the many bites
Things to pray about for the coming few weeks;
NEWSLETTER LINKS
Zambia Presentation (click to advance slides)
December 2009 Presentation
Latest Newsletter (Boldly 4) here
Birthdays
Samuel - 27th April
Amanda - 9th July
Joseph - 3rd August
Andrew - 21st November
Zambia Presentation (click to advance slides)
December 2009 Presentation
Latest Newsletter (Boldly 4) here
Birthdays
Samuel - 27th April
Amanda - 9th July
Joseph - 3rd August
Andrew - 21st November