Gearing Up...
After a slow spring season, things are gearing up for the
summer. I’m about 6 weeks away from the
first “music trip” to Haiti. On July 20th
I will head down with my father-in-law, Jim.
We will have 100 recorders donated by Doug Schmitt at Schmitt Music Co.,
some newly transcribed Haitian folk songs arranged by Dean Sorenson, music
stands and lesson plans.
With GlobalFingerprints, our goal is always to make whatever
we do sustainable for the Haitians; every program we help them set up, every
system we help them develop. This music program will be no different. Jim and I will spend time working with the
Haitian teachers and supervisors, teaching them how to teach the recorder. Then, we will have an opportunity to watch
them do it. We’re hopeful that by doing
things this way, they will be able to successfully teach the children recorder
without depending on us.
The goal is that after we leave, there will be one or two
classes worth of students learning to read music and play the recorder. When I go again in October, I’m hoping to
take more instruments (trumpets, trombones, clarinets) so that the students who
have been successful on recorder can upgrade to a more substantial
instrument.
Other Updates
Summer for
the Richter family means Buffalo Marching Band and a really messy
house! Our children finished school on
May 29th this year. I had a
realization on about May 27th, that this is the first summer that
I’m working two part time jobs, and not working with Buffalo High School. This realization quickly led to, “I’m going
to be one busy Mama!”.
In addition to my regular weekly routine, I’ve been
jockeying kids to baseball, softball, t-ball, summer band and daycare. While it’s busy, and sometimes overwhelming,
I have to say that this is honestly my favorite “season” with our family so
far. I love watching my kids learning to
love playing sports, learning to love music, reading and playing independently. I love watching them use their imaginations
and run around outside. I love that
they still need me, but in a less dependent way. I am one happy Mama, who is thoroughly
enjoying the bounty of God’s blessings in my life.
This is Andy’s 8th season with the Buffalo
Marching Band. I am sad to not be as involved
this year but thankful for the opportunity Andy has to work with them and the
fulfillment he gets from doing so. We
will both, however, get the opportunity to go to Boston, MA with the band over
the Fourth of July. A good friend (and
wife of a band director) once said, “Marry a band director, see the world.”
We’ve now been in our new house for one year. It feels like home. The basement is mostly finished. It still needs trim and some other small
details, but it’s livable and we are all enjoying our new space. Most of our boxes are unpacked
and we’re almost able to park our cars in the garage (that’s where we’ve been
storing all of our stuff for the last year).
There are a lot of other kids in the neighborhood and it’s been fun to
watch them become friends. We’re so
thankful to be here and are overwhelmed by God’s blessings!
Prayer Requests and Praises
Praises
- For one year in our home.
- For a successful completion of the school year.
- For the donations of the recorders and the transcribed music and for the people that donated them.
- For God’s blessings on our family.
Requests
- That God would go before us on this trip in July.
- That all of the equipment we’re taking to Haiti with us would make it through customs with no problems.
- Peace during this very busy but joyful season of life.
- Safety for all of our family travels this summer.
- For my team at ReachGlobal, for God’s protection as we work to serve Him in Haiti.
- For the children in the program. That they would come to know how much God loves them.
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