Story Time

I love math, grade school math! It so much fun going through the multiplication 

tables and doing it backwards makes it division.

So I want to share an experience that I had this week.

On Thursday I was at camp and it was homework time when I noticed one 

of my boys sitting at one of the desk. 

This particular child is very behind in his academics and was sitting looking at 

his math homework rather hopelessly. 

Approaching him I asked how it was going and I was returned with blank 

frustrated stare, so I took a seat beside him.

I tried to convince him how exciting math really is but again he 

responded with a blank stare.

Nick is a quiet guy normally but when he is upset or frustrated he very easily closes down.

My supervisor who was observing handed me a bag of skittles to reward him with for 

every correct answer but even this did not get him out of his silence or blank stares. 

Getting creative I pulled out 12 skittles and explained the question to him once

 again, 12 divided by 3 equals what?

I handed over  12 skittles to him and asked him to make 3 groups so that both of us as well 

as the one other kid in the room could all have a fair amount. 

I was in my glory at this point, its fun doing math but its even more fun to do it with candy!

It took awhile for him to catch on to the whole idea of using candy but by the 

time we finished his math page 20 minutes later we were both laughing and actually 

enjoying the math home work after all!

I was so encouraged to be able to help this little guy enjoy his math and to be able 

to figure out the correct answers.

Please pray for Nick as he is 12 years old and has no understanding of math and literally needs to divide candies into piles to be able to tell me that 12 divided by 3 is 4. 

A lot of the kids I work with are far under the level of education that they should 

be at and I just love being able to be a part in helping them over come 

these struggles that set them so far back in life.

I have been blessed in many ways this week just being a part of life in 

my apartment and at camp as God continues to use me in way I am very

ill equipped to be used in, but remembering that in my weakness He is strong and 

this has been so very evident.