LAMB School - Bangladesh

New Year at LAMB

2012-01-20T19:35:00.001+06:00

We are thankful to God for a new year. With it we have received a new five-year approval for LAMB; hospital, development work, rehab, training centre and school.
We pray that we will be able to honour God with the permission and with the resources we have been given to do the work here.

At the school Ken Ford-Powell is back from England and Bani Sharmma is away on maternity leave. We give thanks for both Ken's presence and Aunti Bani's baby girl. It doesn't quite work to substitute a head of first school with an O Level teacher, but with some reshuffling of everybody here we are getting on with a new semester.

We have had farewells for three students who transferred out at the beginning of school year in government schools but have not taken in new students to fill the places. Please pray for the children who are now learning to learn in a very different system.

Thank you for your faithfulness in 2011. Please pray for us this year too.

We hope to get status as a registered school with the government of Bangladesh. The benefits include school books for the children, access to national exams and a lot of administrative work in reporting to the government. Pray with us that the children will be helped as they transition into other schools after LAMB because of this work.

Please also pray for on-going teacher development. We have four teachers who are still new, and all of us benefit from help in teaching well.

Pray for wisdom as we work with families on planning and delivering the best possible education for their children.

Pray that all the children who come through the school will leave with the knowledge that God loves them.

We are also praying for work permits and visas for all foreign staff.

From failures to stars

2011-12-15T20:18:00.000+06:00

It is Thursday after our Christmas celebration. The children have performed for their parents, and the certificates have been given out. Tomorrow we will celebrate the victory that saw Bangladesh become and independent country 40 years ago and then the school is out until January.
We have had a couple of hectic weeks with exam preparations, exams and then evaluating the children. One of the last tasks was to print the report cards with the children's results. We did have a few problems with the printer and quite a few report cards failed to print the first time.
My mother has said she wanted a star for Christmas and while she was helping me sort the report cards - my parents are volunteering here at LAMB for three months - we thought of trying to make one.

It isn't quite finished, but the card the reports for the children are printed on worked perfectly and with a few more failures on the printer we will be able to finish it.

My father took the pictures of the process and the (almost) finished star to prove to everyone that failures, even on a printer, can become stars.

(No children were hurt or failed in the process of making the star.)

Being in charge

2011-10-21T14:43:00.000+06:00

We are well over half way through our semester and it is time for an update about LAMB School. Busy seems to be a word we have used once too many, and I wonder if perhaps we should discontinue its use. I would like to describe a week at LAMB School from the perspective of managing the workload.

Every Tuesday, the following week's schedule is set, last Tuesday was no different. Sumita had asked for Sunday off to go to a Sunday School Leader's seminar in Nilphamari and April had made the necessary changes to the schedule for Sunday. (The work week is from Sunday through Thursday in Bangladesh.)

On Thursday afternoon we had snacks with Prodip, who's last day it was as Admin Co-ordinator at the school, by the time we were done talking, it was dark outside.Milon had not been at the farewell for Prodip because he had gone to attend his Master's classes scheduled for every Thursday afternoon. He called me shortly after six to tell me that his professor had informed the whole class that their exams were not going to be at the end of November as they had thought but would start on Sunday. When he explained the difficulty he, and others, would have in organising time off after offices had closed on the last day of the week, the professor apologised and said the order had come from the education authorities in Dhaka.

April and I met Saturday morning to talk about cover for Milon and while I went to interview teachers, April found a way of covering all Milon's classes, including the one he was scheduled to cover for Sumita. We jokingly talked about how it would now be another week before we would have to do the schedule again and were grateful for that being done.

On Monday, just before lunch, we had a call from our neighbouring school that it was necessary for me to go to Dinajpur in order to finalize registration for three of our Grade 9 students to sit a compulsory exam in English and yes; they really felt I had to go. Fortunately Monday afternoons are kept free for me on the schedule because it is a day I often have meetings so no changes were needed in the schedule, and Tarcisius agreed to lead the teachers meeting for me.

In Dinajpur, we submitted the children's registration forms and went to another office to talk about the 'English Version.' the gentleman there immediately called yet another office and sent us on our way to someone higher in the system. In this other office we were told in no uncertain terms that we were supposed to have submitted a letter months ago informing them about this, and that they knew nothing of our students' wish to answer questions in English. We had assumed that the registration form with the request which had been submitted earlier would be enough, but that was not the case. They were upset with us, and I was less than pleased with them, because we thought we had filled in all the necessary forms. We were then asked to submit a written request, first handwritten to be submitted immediately, and then to go home and write another on a computer and print it on the school letterhead that we should bring the next day.

I called home to let April know that we needed to find cover for me for Wednesday because I had to go back to Dinajpur. We returned to LAMB, got the necessary letter written in draft form and gave it to Tarcisius and Sumita who each typed a part and had it printed and ready just after seven. (I am not able to type Bangla.)

Wednesday morning I had ample time to think about the day because someone started cutting down a tree literally four feet from my bedroom window at 5:30 am. I was pondering possible reasons and the proper assignment of guilt for the stress we had been put under. When I got to my daily reading, it was Matthew 7 about helping people with splinters in their eyes, while missing the log in one’s own. When back in Dinajpur our application was received, I was able to apologise for not having submitted the proper application and was assured that our children will have the questions they need.

In the afternoon I was able to find the schedule for the exams our children will take, they are not, as we had thought, at the end of November, but will start on 1 November. Two weeks of preparation for this change to our plans seem like lots of time compared to a weekend.

We will change our plans again and trust that it is all in God’s hands.

Beginning the School Year 2011-12

2011-08-20T14:50:00.003+06:00

A new school year has started at LAMB School. We have never been as many at the school, and while that has been true for every year since we started, the increase of almost 20% is significant. We thank God for the new children, and pray that He will give us what it takes to teach them well.
There are 16 children in each of the first four grades including the preschoolers here. There are 64 children in the first four grades and 65 in the remaining eight.

We have hired two new teachers to replace some of those who have left or are leaving, we are hiring another person to help out with practical tasks; housekeeping and admin support, we have spent the summer trying to get books, stationary and furniture for all the new children and we have made some repairs. We have received a blueprint for two new rooms on top of our current science building.

We have set standards high at the school, perhaps too high? In July two teachers were given a week of training, one of them left right after that, the third teacher since last summer to leave before really beginning to carry a load at the school, there are various reasons given; I think the task of teaching the level we aim for, and that in a foreign language is daunting. Pray that we will be able to support the new staff (and the old) in growing and learning new skills.

For our students there is not doubt that high standards are what we want. Last week three students got their results from the final exams after Grade 10 (English O Levels). We are pleased to report that the results were very good. The results came out just in time for them to take their provisional mark sheets with them to their new schools, one student left for India that same evening.

This summer we have also made progress in getting government registration for the school. There are three different sets needed; Two with the Ministries of Education (One each for primary and secondary education) and one from the NGO Affairs Bureau which allows foreign supported and staffed organisations to exist in Bangladesh. Please pray for perseverance and integrity as we pursue all the necessary permissions.

God has been good to us, we are sufficiently funded for the coming school year, we will have enough teachers once they return from home assignments, and we have been given good support by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education as well as extensions for from the NGO Bureau.
We have wonderful staff at LAMB who help out by taking classes and giving us other support throughout these months while four foreign teachers are away on home assignments. It is a blessing to be a part of LAMB, a big organization, but also in many ways a big family.

Students and Staff at LAMB School

2011-07-06T09:04:00.004+06:00

On the last day of school we had the opportunity to take a group photo of (almost) all students and staff at the school. I hope you enjoy the photo.

Over the summer holidays we are working on the usual; lesson plans, purchases, repairs and training of all staff. This year we will also put in a little extra effort towards getting government registration for the school.

Some children are making the difficult adjustment to other schools, we are thankful for the time we got to teach them, and pray that they will do well wherever they go.

Thank you for your prayers.

Luis Mardi, father of two, almost forty

2011-02-02T22:07:00.002+06:00

Today has been a sad day at LAMB.
His family lives near LAMB and is part of our community.
Luis died at the hospital in the early hours of today after a brief illness.
Luis taught at LAMB School for a short while from 2004 to 2005. He is remembered by many of our oldest students, most of whom are also friends of his oldest daughter. His youngest daughter is in a playgroup that also meets at LAMB School.
Please pray for Luis' family in their loss.

Another teacher bloggs

2010-10-06T02:19:00.003+06:00

Hannah Zellmer, a fellow missionary from The Prayer League has been teaching at LAMB School for almost a year. You can read more about her experiences on her blog Adventures Along the Way.

LAMB School Facts

2010-09-27T21:10:00.004+06:00

If you are interested in knowing how many nationalities have been represented at LAMB School or how many books are in our library, you can now click on the link on the right called LAMB School Facts.
In the future there will be more numbers and information. We hope you will find it informative and fun.

Laughter with Ovi and Rupom

2010-09-09T01:56:00.000+06:00

Is it too hard?
Do you feel well-prepared?
How big are your classes?
Do you miss us?
Do you have classes together?
Are you making new friends?
These are some of the questions we excitedly asked Ovi and Rupom, LAMB English Medium School’s first O-Level graduates, when they returned after their first month at school in Dhaka. We welcomed our former students to a party with all of the LAMB teachers and Gr. 9 & 10 students to celebrate their graduation and test results.
Both Ovi and Rupom are studying A-Level’s in Dhaka. They assured us that they feel challenged, but also well-prepared for their classes. Favourite things about going to a new school are having AC in the library, and having a few days when classes start late in the afternoon!
At the party we spent time reminiscing and laughing over old memories and asked God’s blessing on Ovi and Rupom as they continue their education.

Last day and then some

2010-06-28T18:38:00.004+06:00

Once again we have come to the end of a school year, once again we have celebrated and said our goodbyes; but this year is different for a couple of reasons.

Our first two O Level students (O Levels are the old English tenth grade exams.) did not get any certificates from LAMB School, their exams were held at another school and their results will be published in August and certificates issued a couple of months after that.
They are now on their way to further education, it looks like they will be in the capital, Dhaka.
Another difference is that the headmaster is not going to be here the next six months.
We have shared the responsibilities amongst the people who remain and it is good to see new people take on - and do well with - added responsibilities.

Give thanks to God for His faithfulness and lift us up before him in prayer; pray for the children we teach, for the staff who labour to ensure the best education we can give and for all the families who are part of the school.

Glory to God

Sports Day 2010

2010-06-15T16:49:00.003+06:00

Three teachers were away today so we rearranged the schedule to say Sports Day for the four youngest grades. We had great fun and it almost felt like we could have won the World Cup.

We have only one week to go after this, exams are done, report cards are being finalized and we are working hard to get ready for the celebration of the last day of school.

Registration

2010-06-02T21:50:00.002+06:00

One of the requirements for registration of LAMB School is that we take a photo of the school building with the children and teachers standing in front.
We have been asked to separate the primary from the secondary section. In this photo the children in preschool, kindergarten and grades 1 to 5 are standing with their teachers in front of the main school building.

Registration

2010-05-25T10:57:00.004+06:00

Thank you to all who prayed for our visit to Rajshahi on Monday, 24 May 2010.
We felt God has prepared the way for us. Not only were we able to stay at one of our teachers' home; Jayanti's mother and sister provided excellent hospitality (and are excellent cooks.)
At the Primary Education Office we were able to meet with both our Assignment Officer and the Deputy Director who were very helpful in encouraging us and pointing out the areas we need to work on in our application. It was encouraging to see the professional level of work of both.
Please pray that it will work out for the Deputy Director to visit before we close for the summer on June 24th, and that we will be able to get all the corrections to our application made before then.
Please also pray for wisdom to plan for how to maintain appropriate standards for both national and foreign students while complying with Government of Bangladesh regulations.

First First Grade Reunion

2010-05-22T09:13:00.003+06:00

On Thursday, 20 May 2010 the entire first grade from 1997-98 were gathered at LAMB for a reunion party. It was a unique opportunity for the six friends to get together. In the evening we had a good time of remembering. During the day the six former classmates spent their time revisiting LAMB and the school and the past.
One of the best photos from then, probably taken in 1998, was a pyramid they made in one of the classrooms at the guesthouse.
We recreated the formation in front of the school. See for yourself how they have changed.

The big test

2010-05-11T06:25:00.003+06:00

Rupom, Ovi, their parents and teachers wish to use this occasion to thank all who have prayed for LAMB School and for the first batch of O Level (Grade 10) students.

The first of their final exams will be held today, 11 May 2010, 30 kilometers (17 miles) away in Dinajpur. The last exam is scheduled for 10 June. Please continue to pray for Ovi and Rupom as they take their test.

Easter Break

2010-04-01T08:59:00.005+06:00

This week the children there are no classes at the school. We celebrate the Kingdom of Peace and the gift of Life through Christ's death on the cross for us.
Please pray for the Kingdom of God to come and live in and amongst us here in Bangladesh.
Please pray for the government inspection of the school on 6 April 2010; that the government officials will actually come, that they will like what they see, and that we will be able to show them sufficient and good respect. This inspection is a part of the process to get government registration for grades six, seven and eight. This registration will allow us to have students take compulsory exams which the government is introducing this year for all students in grade eight.
Please also continue to pray for our work permits and visas for 2010. We are still waiting for one work permit (the headmaster's) and visas for various foreign staff at LAMB.

Work Permits

2010-03-22T12:59:00.002+06:00

Every year all foreign staff at LAMB, including at the school, apply for work permits from the Government of Bangladesh to work here. This year the work permits have been delayed as the government is looking into why we are all here.
The officials who have visited us from the local police station have been very helpful and have helped us as we seek to answer the queries from the government. Over the last couple of weeks we have received some of our work permits and give thanks for those.
Please pray for the remaining work permits.

Government liaison

2010-03-04T22:28:00.002+06:00

It's been a hectic day...
Today started early, an application needed to be ready for departure at nine. I won't bore you with details about government registration details but this one has to do with the ministry of education - or at least the regional offices thereof knowing about the school.
We left right at nine and made it to Dinajpur where a friendly government official told us that it didn't make sense to start the process now since the matter would be moved to a different district from July.
During our talk we also asked for advice about the new standardised tests which the government administer and with getting books which the government distributes. He told us that Sunday was the deadline for requests for these. A little calculation of time - deducting the next two days because they are our weekend, left us with today for getting all the papers ready.
We went back to LAMB and except for a stop to pick up three people injured in an accident and getting them to the hospital went straight to our local education office. When we arrived there at about one the new municipality education officer gave us until two to submit lists of all students in each grade, their parents' names and their religion. A kind lady in the same office pointed out that this was about an hour away.
Back at the school we cancelled lunch break for all teachers who can type in Bangla and got to work. I left LAMB at three fifteen and was able to submit the papers - they kindly pointed out we had made a mistake, which I was able to correct on the spot. They then proceeded to offer us some of the school books we need for this year and asked me to come get them on Sunday.
I arrived back at LAMB at exactly four for almost three hours of parent teacher conferences.
I am grateful for the staff who all pitched in to help type the names in Bangla, to those who couldn't and so were asked to cover classes, to one who brought me hamburgers in the afternoon, to the finance people who got the banking information late yesterday afternoon so we could make the trip to Dinajpur, to the driver and our PR coordinator who came along on the trip. I am also thankful to the government officials who were so forthcoming with help and information today.
Most of all I am thankful to God who planned it so that we made the trip; had we not gone we would not have known about the deadline and missed it once again.
(In previous years we have been able to purchase books legally. The government has made it illegal to print and sell these particular school books because the free books weren't making it to the students.)
I am thankful to God for protecting us on the way.
Please pray especially for one of the injured people we brought to the hospital; she is stable but in a critical condition with possible internal injuries.

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-02T22:07:00.003+06:00

Tomorrow a new semester starts at LAMB School. We look forward to having the children - and teachers - back to fill the otherwise empty buildings. We look forward to learning and to the blessing it is to see our students grow.
Last semester was a busy and challenging time, we started out short on staff, but by the end of the year; we interviewed teachers on 31 December; our staff numbers were up to what we feel is the need.
We praise God for the visas that allow us to bring in foreign staff, and for all the national staff who are at the school.
Today it looks as if the first day of school will be a little chaotic, four staff members will be late or possibly absent because a train was derailed near Joypurat on the line between Dhaka and Parbatipur; two teachers are away because of weddings and one is on a boat trip.
Fortunately we have been able to cover the schedule with former teachers and students who are back at LAMB on holidays.
Please continue to pray for work permits for foreign staff and for national science teachers.

Aunty Popy and Uncle Josh

2009-08-02T20:10:00.001+07:00

Photos from the engagement ceremony on Sunday, 2 August 2009.

From More photos

A hundred and then some

2009-07-29T20:23:00.004+07:00

We are just a few days away from the beginning of a new school year at LAMB School. There are many new things to report. One being a new mid level management with a Head of First School and a Head of Upper School.

The changes have already made a positive impact on the school with better division of responsibilities.
When the doors open to a new year on Sunday we expect one hundred and nine children in twelve grades. This is the first time we have more than one hundred children, and the first time we have grade ten at the school.
There is no doubt the challenges are great, and in order to help you know what to pray I have included the list below;
* The challenges of preparing all the children for continued education after LAMB
* Children with special needs
* Teaching to the standards needed for O Level Exams next summer
* Living up to the values of serving God by serving the poor while meeting the specific needs of LAMB
* Government approvals (renewal of existing approval to run the school)
* Visas for foreign teachers
I could continue with more, but will give thanks for all that God has given us in stead;
* Many supporters who pray for the children and the school
* Good national and foreign teachers
* Great office staff working with the government offices to secure needed permits
* Good results from a Grade 8 test (externally validated)
* Sufficient funding for the school year 2008-09
* An unexpected visa in stead of an exit permit in June
* Former students getting excellent results in their Grade 12 exams
It is a privilege to be serving God here - thank you for joining us.

Hope

2009-06-07T20:42:00.005+06:00

It honestly doesn't really have anything to do with this photo, but we are trying to create a little shade in front of the school for our Sunday Assemblies when it gets hot on a Sunday morning just before nine.
I have asked our gardener, Johon, whether he thinks it will take, he is confident it will, and I have hope that he is right.

This week the children are sitting their final exams, like the tree they might need support, but there is a lot more hope for them than what meets the eye. Please pray for the children, and for the teachers this week.

Cyclone Aila

2009-05-26T22:36:00.003+06:00

Bangladesh and India have again been hit by a cyclone. This time she was named Aila. So far 130 people have been reported killed; I don't know whether this is in Bangladesh alone, or it includes the ones in India.
We had a bad storm, but the cyclonic weather never reaches this far north in the country. Here trees were uprooted and houses broken. Sonkar, the older brother of one of our students, reported that Omika couldn't come in because she had had to help recover bits of the house and work on rebuilding it again after the storm.
For the children the blessings come in the tradition that any fruit that has fallen on the ground may be collected by anybody regardless of where it fell. In this picture two of our students are using the time before the first class to gather mangos.
Like the students in this photo I had to use a towel in stead of an umbrella. A towel is hands-free and doesn't get broken like my umbrella did when the storm blew it inside out.

Infirmities, ailments and bugs

2009-05-17T20:30:00.006+06:00

With a total of just over a hundred people, it is quite unusual that twenty people are absent due to illnesses, but that was the case at the school by the end of today. Mumps, fever, diarrhoea and runny noses have laid claim to a lot of us.
Will you pray for us today?
We have a centrally located whiteboard for messages to teachers, this is also where we write the names of children and teacher when they are absent. It started as a game that we chose different words meaning 'ill' for each person. I don't think that was the challenge that made me sick, but I do need to get to bed early tonight.

14 more

2009-05-17T19:54:00.003+06:00

We have invited fourteen children to start in preschool in August. There were as many more on the waiting list, and that is without counting the ones who were too young, and the ones who were too old.
We have full grades up through grade four next year and I think it is fair to say that the school has entered a more established phase, a time with focus on how to improve quality and consolidate rather than build, but that is jumping ahead.
Next year our first two pupils are due to take their O Level exams from Cambridge International Examinations in England. There are still many challenges for us as we seek to develop our capacity to teach the higher grades.
The focus for the next couple of weeks are the exams in the second week of June. The children are studying harder than they have been; at least some are. We are looking forward to seeing evidence of our efforts this year. We see that all the time in children who read and write and get their numbers right, but there seems to be extra magic attached to the results of the timed work that some call exams.

April Updates

2009-04-25T16:38:00.003+06:00

I had the privilege of a holiday in Greece over Easter. It meant skipping school for a week before Easter and it meant missing out on Easter and Bangla New Year at LAMB - two of my favourite events.
At the school two students have left to a new school opened just outside LAMB by a former teacher. It is sad to see children go, but we pray that another school will mean more children get a good education here.
On Thursday, 23 April, we interviewed potential teacher candidates. We need more teachers, mainly in the upper grades but find it very difficult to find qualified Christians who can master the subjects, teach them in English and are willing to work for what we can pay.
We need to work on developing our own staff, please pray for opportunities for training, and wisdom to know how to use all the wonderful resources we have.
If this seems like a list of prayer requests to you, pray!

Blessings

2009-04-02T21:57:00.001+06:00

For the past month I have had the privilege to again teach some of the younger children. It has been such great fun to have both grade 1 and grade 2 for one lesson every week doing a ‘Writing English’ class.
I enjoy it much, probably because the children are so eager to learn and so open to any idea I present. Their learning targets have been set by Bani, their English teacher. I get to make up stories together with them, talk about things they did or describe life as it looks from the perspective of someone who is seven or eight years old.
The children seem to like it, I love it and they might get a little closer to remembering capital letters, full stops and how to spell lizard, but not always.

God's provisions

2009-03-15T17:27:00.007+06:00

Today we got the final signature that means LAMB again can bring funds into the country. After more than four months of hard work and prayers the relevant authorities finally signed the final piece of paper that clears the way for LAMB to access our funds.
Please praise God with us for his provisions.
We are also thankful to the Government of Bangladesh and to the many diligent workers, at LAMB, in our office in Dhaka, and in various parts of the government system who have worked with us to ensure that LAMB can continue 'to serve God by serving the poor, especially women and children in Bangladesh.'
Please continue to pray that the government will grant us the same permission for the school.
Please pray that God will be glorified for His provisions.

And two hours later...
During prayers at the Sunday evening service loud 'Amens' (something I haven't heard before) echoed at the request to praise God for His provisions. The prayer leader prayed that the funds we now can bring into the country will bring further glory to God through more people knowing Him. Amen.

Science Equipment

2009-03-11T21:44:00.003+06:00

Thanks to a gift from Hudsonville Christian Middle School we have been able to purchase quite a bit of equipment for the science lab. The only thing missing from the photo is a triangular file that got left in one of the boxes. Triangular files are used when cutting glass rods.
It was great to be able to tell Ovi (Grade 9) that we probably could look into a kidney, when he asked yesterday, because we now have three dissection sets with which to do just that.
We thank all those who helped contribute towards this wonderful gift. We thank God for friends in so many places who help make LAMB School possible.

But Jesus loves me, doesn't he

2009-02-22T21:24:00.002+06:00

As I was walking away from the school during the lunch break, Rick* ran up to me and shouted, "Uncle, Uncle, do you know what Sara* did?" There usually follows a story about some misdeed committed by a fellow classmate and today was no different. "She scared me."
Rick is a lively boy in Kindergarten so I picked him up and said, "But if you have been a good boy, it doesn't matter so much what others do."
"But it hurt me in my heart." he replied taking his hand to his chest.
I went on talking about him being a good boy when he interrupted saying, "But Jesus loves me, doesn't he?"
"Yes."
"Yeah!" was his only reply as he danced back towards his friends and the swing.
There is nothing like children to cheer you up and remind you of the most important thing in life. God must have sent Rick to me today.

*The children are real, the dialogue is my translation from Bangla but I changed the names.

Pray a little longer

2009-02-19T20:36:00.001+06:00

Thank you to all of those who prayed for the fund release for LAMB. We don't have the paper yet, but the promise we got was that it would be signed early next week.
Please continue to pray that we will get the fund release for both LAMB Hospital and for the school.

FD-2

2009-02-18T22:51:00.004+06:00

After the auditors have scrutinised our budgets and found that we have accounted accurately for the money we have been given, and that we spent our funds during the last fiscal year (July - June) in accordance to the mandate given us by the government we apply for permission to bring in funds for the new year, a so called FD-2.
For some reason or other this process has been delayed this year and we have run out of funds in country.
Tomorrow, Thursday, our ED is hoping to speak to the authorities in Dhaka so that we can access the funds already given to LAMB.
Please pray for fund release - we need two; one for the school, and one for the rest of LAMB Project so that we can continue to pay salaries and provide the services to the people we have been sent here to serve.
Please also pray that we will see God's hand in this, and learn from it not to make the same mistakes again, and more about God's faithfulness in providing for our needs.

Microscope

2009-02-18T20:23:00.008+06:00

It is a while since we were given this microscope by friends from Minneapolis in the US. Thanks to people at Nativity Lutheran Church we can now say we have done scientific research on pollen.
You won't be able to see what the students in grade 5 and 6 saw, but the photos show you some of their reactions to it.

Picnics

2009-02-05T18:35:00.004+06:00

Thank you for your prayers. All the beautiful children

are back from Rangpur Zoo after seeing wild and dangerous animals

safely caged

and well fed

You can see more photos and, if you read Danish, read about what grades 2, 3 and 4 did on their picnic here.

Study Tours & Visitors

2009-02-03T22:03:00.009+06:00

Tomorrow is the day when all the students and teachers at LAMB School head out into the big world on our annual picnic. Apart from two teachers who would be throwing up all over the children if they came on the buses, we will all pile into vehicles that will take us to new and interesting sites.

It's not like browsing the web, the world we see will be real enough and the traffic will be full of big trucks and buses; cars and rickshaws and cycles; pedestrians and cows and goats; children and motorcycles weaving in and out of the mesh.

I'll admit to being a little apprehensive of the whole thing but it helps knowing that God has protected us every year so far. Do pray with me, please.

We have four different trips for three grades each heading south. Grades five and six, however, are spending three days with two school classes from Grace International School in Dhaka and will join them on a trip north to
Kantaji Mondir - a famous Hindu temple and a castle ruin near Dinajpur.

I'll put pictures on the blog soon after we get back.
Rusho has taken pictures of the things they saw on a walk with the children from Dhaka, the ones you see in this post are his;
Papaya fruit,
irrigation pump,
calf,
painted mud floor and wall,
fire place,
girl grinding henna.

Counting Our Blessings - 2008

2009-01-22T19:39:00.003+06:00

Today I was reminded of all the things to be thankful for at LAMB School. God has been good to us and deserves our praise and honour. You can follow read the list on the right and take a moment to thank God for what he has done, then add your own.
There are many more blessings than these; look at the list of staff and visitors further down the page. Then there are also all the wonderful students we have the privilege to teach and the many moments of 'enlightenment' when a student conquers a new area of learning.
God is good.

thank you alan

2009-01-16T19:24:00.004+06:00

dave armstrong came to be with alan for his last week at lamb school. while here dave set up a school bell and a sound system for us. it will be much abhorred by our neighbours but only until we get the volume adjusted down. it is good to have friends and as alan's friend you instantly became ours.

it is a mark of everybody's appreciation for the friendship and appreciation for alan that so many of us, i think it was pretty much all the staff, showed up for the farewell at alan's house. alan will be remembered at lamb school for his friendship towards everyone and for his willingness to try his hands at any task, to work hard at them, and for the ability to come out shining regardless of whether the task was hard or silly or both.
alan will also be remembered for his deep thoughts and keen interest in the difficult issues that face people at lamb and in bangladesh. he will be remembered for asking difficult and engaging questions that never allowed any kind of superficiality.

you were another of God's good gifts to us at lamb school. we will remember you and be sad for a while, but then our memories will hold only the blessing that you were.

A new semester

2009-01-09T00:09:00.002+06:00

A new semester has started at LAMB School. We have never been as blessed as we are now. We have enough teachers, yet again. We have a new teacher from England who is starting to work with us all on the quality of our education. We have two school buildings that have been painted all over (well, almost all over) and the children are learning.
We all have valid visas for the time being. I just got mine for 2009. We have funding for this year and have the promises of a faithful God.
We have all had a break from the work at the school and life is settling into its routines and it is good. Praise God.
Pray for us as we continue the work God has given us here.

Farewell

2008-12-08T19:36:00.004+06:00

Please pray for Prodip as he pursues another career. Yesterday he told me he had received a better opportunity and wanted to leave LAMB. Today he submitted his resignation letter and left.

It seems that opportunities are small windows in time that close as suddenly as they open. We live on the look-out, ready to jump through to the hope of a better tomorrow.

Pray that Prodip will find what he is looking for.

Christmas celebration 2008

2008-12-06T22:46:00.004+06:00

If you want to see photos from the Christmas celebration at LAMB School. Just click here.

The real world and cheap grace

2008-12-05T19:23:00.000+06:00

I liked the blog particle board and cheap grace by Alan Kaiser, a shorttermer who has been at LAMB School for almost a year by now. I could comment on how well it addresses two of the issues that face people from the more affluent world who come to Bangladesh and are relevant for all but would rather you read it for yourself.

Christmas celebration 2008

2008-12-03T22:17:00.004+06:00

Tomorrow is the last day of school. We are celebrating Christmas and the achievements of the past semester with various performances. The children have been working hard, thou I think some of the teachers have been working harder. The teachers have been working hard, but not all of them as hard as the one in the picture here. The one in the picture here isn't really a donkey, but we all feel pretty heavy laden as we keep up our teaching, correct exam papers and prepare for the celebration tomorrow. Thank you for your prayers.

As these photos indicate the show isn't entirely traditional - I don't know if you can spot the difference. It is fun watching the children grow in their ability to plan and perform in many ways. It is a challenge to ensure that the variety of cultural standards are adhered to, and that important norms aren't broken. Fortunately God has given us good gifts of quality staff at the school. As the year draws to an end at the school we give thanks for all God's gifts.

Class photos

2008-11-29T14:46:00.001+06:00

We have taken class photos of all the grades at LAMB School. They are available at the end of a click on the photo on the right.

The things we do to our children...

2008-11-23T10:21:00.000+06:00

The tests are on and the clock is ticking. Please pray that the children
will learn to take tests, do well and know that they are loved all the same.

An early end

2008-11-20T22:33:00.008+06:00

It is the last day before exam week and it seems like we are ready for it. In this photo some of us are at the local 'doughnut' shop. We finish early this year - there is a government 'request' to do so, but for us it is the realities of children not being likely to return after Eid on 9 December; and the need to finish classes before the elections that are scheduled for 18 December.

Every winter someone will set up shop outside the gate to serve these local cakes called pithas. There are two varieties here; steam cooked rice with molasses melts and dry fried plain. There is also a choice of toppings; molasses and spices. Later there will be another variety, deep fried with coconut. The steam fried one is 'healthy' because it doesn't have oil and the deep fried because it doesn't have sugar. I will probably try to get one of each for a balanced diet.

One benefit of a long Christmas holidays is that there will be more time for the painters to work through both school buildings. They are due to start this Saturday morning and we hope they will be able to finish before we start back up again in January. The challenges will be to juggle Eid holidays for the painters, Christmas holidays for the teachers and elections for all. Many will have to travel to their ancestral village for their vote to count.

Nativity Lutheran Church

2008-11-17T19:14:00.004+06:00

We have just had a group of eight visitors of whom about half were from Nativity Lutheran Church in Minnapolis. It is always encouraging linking up with people all over the world and to know that people are praying for us.
In the photo grades five and six are handing over a thank you poster from all the teachers and students at the school to the visitors.

Pollination

2008-11-10T17:43:00.003+06:00

Alan Kaiser was preparing to teach about pollination when he found this moth in a flower.
It was so busy with its probing that it let him bring it to my office where I spent a good half hour watching it probing all over the flower to suck up all the nectar that its long proboscis could find.
You could see the pollen on its head and wonder at the beauty of how God has planned for flowers to spring from the need of a moth to eat.

Cultural Show

2008-11-07T21:37:00.001+06:00

The afternoon - and the celebration ended with a cultural show in which all areas of the project, and then some, entertained with deep and not-so-deep creative reflections on what LAMB is and does. It was great fund, embarrassing, long-winded, hilarious but never boring - just the way it usually is.
(Credit goes to Rusho, G5, for this photo.)

Speeches

2008-11-07T14:37:00.001+06:00

Many of the people in this picture gave speeches to honour God and the
people of LAMB.

Anniversary rally after morning prayers

2008-11-07T10:10:00.000+06:00

Every good celebration starts with prayer and then a rally...

Anniversary Celebrations Begin

2008-11-06T19:08:00.002+06:00

LAMB Hospital is celebrating its 25th Anniversary tomorrow. Preparations are under way. All possible combinations of people at LAMB are getting ready for the day. These photos were taken at about 6:30 pm today, Thursday; Food is being cooked; outside the gate there are more people than usual and groups arrive all the time; what you can't see is the music from all the groups of people who are practising songs, dances and dramas for tomorrow.

The first storm

2008-10-26T20:03:00.000+06:00

The weather has taken a turn for the worse. This morning one of the students complained that she was cold. It must have been too long since we gave her new clothes; what she was wearing wasn’t sufficient – especially if she also hadn’t had enough breakfast to fuel the fire.

It is time we buy clothes for those of our students who will need them this winter. Last year we didn’t get the clothes until after winter, and then they had already suffered. Perhaps we can get the clothes to the poor before the cold gets to them this winter.

25 Years Anniversary LAMB Hospital

2008-10-26T19:30:00.002+06:00

LAMB Hospital will celebrate its 25th anniversary on 7 November 2008. Please visit our website today, tomorrow and the day after to see the special pages dedicated to the event.
The hospital was officially opened on 3 October 1983 but since that was a government holiday in Bangladesh the celebration was rescheduled for 7 November.

Picture Quiz

2008-10-09T16:35:00.002+06:00

Try taking a picture quiz about LAMB and Bangladesh. Click on the map of Bangladesh in the right column. You can enter your answer by commenting under each picture.

Back in school

2008-10-09T16:17:00.002+06:00

We are ready to start school again after two weeks of holidays for the Muslim holiday, Eid and the Hindu holiday, Durga Puja. They are both the most important holidays each in their own religion so it has been a little like double Christmas.

On Sunday the children come back. We start by celebrating the October Birthdays - there are many of them. We have the tradition at the school, that we celebrate all the students and teachers whose birthday are in a month on the first Sunday of that month. This Sunday is the first school Sunday in October so we are getting ready by preparing birthday cards, snacks, a devotion that both four and sixteen year old children will understand and perhaps a couple of games with all the kids. With 96 children in the school there are always lots to celebrate.

During the coming weeks our two new teachers; Prodip and Cornelius will start teaching. It will be a steep learning curve for them, and hard work for several of the rest of us.
We will also prepare for exams in the last week of November and our Christmas celebration in the first week of December.
Other tasks and challenges are work on promoting teachers into leadership of our Primary and Upper sections and into specialising in various subject areas.
One teacher is in need of a new visa - urgently; we praise God for our Personnel department and the staff at our Dhaka office who do the hard work of getting the paperwork done.
We also welcome Ken Ford-Powell and his family to Bangladesh. We hope Ken will get a work permit and visa so that he can start working at LAMB School next year after language training in Dhaka.

Over the holidays some of us went on a trip to Dhaka. One of the places we went was the Martyrs' Memorial at Savar. That is where the picture is from. It was good to remember the people who suffered and died for the independence of Bangladesh. Pray that the people here will be free indeed.

Home visit

2008-09-29T23:45:00.004+06:00

Today I had the privilege of visiting Setara, one of the children in Grade 4. I couldn’t find her house at first, and could hardly believe my eyes when I saw their new house. What a joy to see that they now have four rooms – well prepared for when Setara’s older brother brings home a wife – he is almost fourteen so there is plenty of time before that happens, there was a proper toilet and the courtyard has plenty of room for their two cows and the calf which Setara told me had been born just this Friday.

It was very encouraging to know that Setara now lives in a good house. Setara’s father, Motaleb, had the flue but her mother, Jahanara, got the ‘tea-pot’ boiling and soon had a snack ready for me.

Investigating Water

2008-09-26T00:38:00.004+06:00

Aunty Popy and Pre-school are learning about floating and splashing water - I think the context was Noah.

Eliel Murmu

2008-09-10T19:19:00.003+06:00

Just a quick note to inform you that our teacher, Eliel Murmu, has passed his HSC exams (Grade 12). We praise God for this and for the opportunities it opens up for Eliel. It does mean we will lose Eliel when he goes to university and it is always with mixed feelings we say goodbye.
Eliel started at LAMB School in 1997 in Grade 3. After Grade 5 he went to a local school to finish his primary education. Last year Eliel worked at the school during the fall semester until he took time off to study for his exams. While waiting for his results Eliel has been helping out at the school, teaching Science and other subjects.
Please pray with us for Eliel as he pursues God's will for his future.

Teacher interviews

2008-08-26T22:36:00.002+06:00

More than 100 people applied for the vacancies at LAMB school. This is the first time we have had this many applications and it is an answer to prayer. We have invited eight of these for interviews on Thursday, 4 September 2008. Please pray for wisdom to choose the right teacher for the job.
Our needs at the moment are for someone to teach Biology, Chemistry, Physics and possibly History and English. Thank you for praying with us.

Answer to prayer

2008-08-05T21:12:00.000+06:00

This school year started Sunday, but our first teacher’s meeting was, for me, a good beginning to a new year. This is because a teacher suggested that we sing before our traditional Bible reading.

I say this is a good beginning, because it shows that the teacher’s are taking initiative and helping shape what the school is like and this in a way that brings us closer to God. That is answer to prayer.

First day of exams, first day in the new building

2008-06-08T17:43:00.001+06:00

Mollika doesn't seem to be sweating over her exam, perhaps it is because she enjoys the new facilities we have.
We are very thankful to both God, and all the people He used to make this building possible. While we start using the facilities, the workers weed out the little flaws and oversights that inevitably show up once you start using such a big building.
Thank you for your prayers.

Concert

2008-06-01T16:34:00.001+06:00

Dhaka Children's Chorus and Gemma Snowdon School of Dance performed at the American International School in Dhaka to raise funds for a music hall at LAMB School.
LAMB School wishes to thank all the children, musicians and especially Gemma Snowdon and Dawne Warkentin for a fantastic performance and for considering us when designating proceeds from the concert.

Answered prayers

2008-05-24T22:07:00.000+06:00

Thank you God, thank you all who prayed.

Today God showed us more of the picture of who will be teaching at LAMB School next year. As I wrote a few days ago, I felt we had a crisis. Now I feel God has shown us how He has met our needs for teachers for three out of six subjects. Praise God for His faithfulness and continue to pray about the need for someone to teach sciences in grade nine.

Also see the picture of a nearly completed new science building. We can not paint until after the rainy season because the plaster won’t be dry before then so there are only two more things to be done in the picture here. There are a couple of more things on the ground and the top floors too, but it is getting very close to being finished.

God provides

2008-05-22T12:11:00.000+06:00

In the past God has been faithful in providing for our needs at the school. Please pray with us about the need for teachers to teach grades nine from August this year.

We have just had one teacher resign. Before that it felt like a challenge to fill the teacher needs for our O Level classes; now, to be honest, it feels like a crisis.

Please pray for the children who are going into grade nine, that their needs will be met; then pray that He will send us the teachers we need.

Give thanks for the teachers we have, and for those preparing to come; one from England and one from the US we interview potential teachers on 29 May 2008 here at LAMB.

In the past God has always provided for the needs of our students and I am confident He will continue to do so in the future.

The last brick

2008-05-17T17:26:00.000+06:00

Mofizul laid the last brick today. He is the man behind Moni in the picture. Moni and her two colleagues, Mary and Bashonti are the ones who have carried the bricks, cement and sand for every part of the construction. On only a few occasions, such as when each floor and the roof were poured, have others helped out.

Hanna Torèn

2008-05-16T12:41:00.000+06:00

Another farewell Thursday. Hanna Torèn’s last day at LAMB School. We are grateful for the many shorttermers who come through LAMB and whose energy and enthusiasm make life colourful and rich. We wish Hanna blessings as she travels around Bangladesh for a while and as she returns to Sweden and to Bible school in the fall.

Poverty

2008-05-15T23:00:00.000+06:00

I was getting upset with the fact that he hadn’t come. Twice, I had sent a message to him about his daughter’s absence. She hasn’t been to school for over a month and we would like to know whether we can count on her being in the class. There is a long waiting list and no need to leave her place empty. In my letter I made it clear that we would take her name of our register from 1 June if he didn’t come.

Soon after New Year he had lost his job – something about not being trustworthy with money – I am sure he deserved it; loosing the job that is.

Now he looked sick and I am glad his clothes covered his ribs so I couldn’t see how thin he was. In a matter-of-fact manner he told me that he had had jaundice and there was nobody else to bring his five year old daughter to school. What he shared was only what I asked. He was getting treatment from the local ‘kobiraj’ (Homeopath if you are kind, quack if you not) and was getting better, he felt. His daughter didn’t want to come to school, because others had food and she had none. The family consists of the man in my office, his daughter – a student, her mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Now the family has no permanent income. They eat once a day and he doesn’t have money to go to Dinajpur to get insulin for his diabetes.

He did deserve loosing his job. I think he had hoped someone would intervene so that he would get it back, but he would have been tempted to take money again, and there are too many others who can do the work and need the job, perhaps as badly as he.

We talked about how he might pay school fees; he was very realistic about his lack of ability to do so. I gave him the form we use to apply for stipends. No land, no income, five mouths to feed, it looks bleak. He got justice when he was fired, what can we give him now. I would have been so much easier had I never met them; as it is his daughter is a student at my school and I can scarcely deny that I know she probably goes hungry again tonight.

God, have mercy on us.

Saber and Naser

2008-05-09T22:44:00.000+06:00

It is always difficult to say goodbye and not less so when you have spent several years together. Saber and Naser are moving to Dhaka and we will miss them at the school. In the picture grade 4 is behind them. We will pray for them as they settle in to a new apartment, a new school and with new friends in Dhaka.

Checkpoint tests

2008-04-20T21:37:00.002+06:00

While the pupils in grade eight are taking tests that will show how ready they are to begin studying for their O Levels (Grade Ten Exams) there is time for the pupils in grade seven to do other tasks during some of the lessons they otherwise share. For the most part they study towards the targets they have set, but today there was time to take photos for a presentation to be used at a fund-raising concert in Dhaka in May.
Please pray for the eight grades as they do their tests, for fund raising and for the seventh graders as they use they get a little more individual attention while grade eight is away.
Pray also for the two teachers, Lucky and Bani, who are taking their own exams during this week and the next.

Breakthrough in construction

2008-04-18T09:52:00.001+06:00

We are happy to announce a major breakthrough in the construction work at LAMB School.
This weekend, so as to not disturb classes, the workers have broken through the wall between the two school buildings and are putting in a door so that we can easily go from one building to the other.

Early to rise

2008-04-13T12:42:00.001+06:00

When the flag won't go up, we call maintenance and in a few minutes they rise to the occasion and up goes our flag.
I didn't even make it out to get a photo until they were on their way down again.

Helen Patuck and Protik Mondal in the Big Fight

2008-04-11T09:24:00.000+06:00

At the farewell for Helen Patuck there were several competitions. Here Protik and Helen are competing on who is the strongest…

Dear God

2008-04-09T09:06:00.000+06:00

When Helen Patuck, an English shorttermer, was asked to cover a writing class in grade 5 and 6 she asked them to write letters to God. It is not an uncommon topic but the letters are often profound. I will publish some on this blog and hope you take time to enjoy and ponder at the depth of thought the children reveal. I have changed names but those who know us might still recognise the people in the letters.

Dear God,

How are you? You know that I am fine. But a little stuffy.

I have a few questions. What are you doing in heaven? Why is grass green? Why did you put poisonous creatures on Earth? Why did you create animals that kill and eat other things? Why do we die? And why should we die if we are little? or in 8^th Grade? Like Gita died. Now my friend Atul has only two people in his family only Atul and his mother. Maybe because it is your will. When will I die? When will everyone die? When will there be no more BANGLADESH? Thank you for dieing for me and thank you for staying beside me. This I beg you please make me die when I’m old. And please keep my grandfather and grandmother safe. And please heal the man uncle Tom and his brother broke. They broke his bone when they were little. And now he can’t walk properly. And please keep everyone safe from any danger and please keep the people who died in the cyclone, plead keep their families safe.

Lots of love, Profullo

Finishing touch

2008-04-08T21:19:00.000+06:00

Fitting glass, tiles on work benches and a sunshade are some of the last
tasks when we don't count the floors that have to be poured and the doors
and frames that are still to be supplied. We had hoped to be ready by Bangla
New Year on Monday, 14 April, but it will probably be another few days.
Painting won't be done until after the rainy season. The specialists say we
need to wait.

25 Years at LAMB

2008-03-24T14:02:00.000+06:00

We celebrate Priyanka (G7) and Ashish (G5) Saha's mother who arrived in
Bangladesh on 25 March 1983.

He Lives

2008-03-21T09:32:00.000+06:00

Students and teachers at LAMB School wish you all a blessed Easter. May you
know freedom from sin, life everlasting and joy that lasts.
The artwork was done by a student in grade 6.

New LAMB Website

2008-03-16T08:04:00.001+06:00

LAMB Integrated Rural Health & Development Project is proud to present our new and improved webpage at www.lambproject.org. There are still patches to be made and errors to correct, but we are ready for everybody to have a look. Please take a tour of all that is LAMB.

On top of the school

2008-03-16T08:04:00.000+06:00

Some of the teachers on a tour of the new science building pose for a picture on the roof.

At the moment the workers are putting up the last few bricks and ready to start putting in window frames on the second floor. Then all there is left will be to plaster the walls, pour the floors and put in light fixtures. Some things will be late, but that is probably all right.

We don’t expect to be able to paint until the end of the rainy season as Berger paint experts tell us the cement has to cure for at least two months. The rainy season is due in June, but before then the humidity will go up in the nineties and stay there until September or October. It looks new now, and it will look new again once painted, so the only problem is for the electrician who doesn’t want to put in the fittings until everything has been painted.

Going to town on a van-gari

2008-03-02T14:12:00.000+06:00

Preschool, Kindergarten, Grade 1 and Grade 2 went on a study. They saw life
in Parbatipur town and in a village near LAMB.

Town house

2008-03-02T14:10:00.001+06:00

Village house

2008-03-02T14:10:00.000+06:00

Village walk

2008-03-02T14:05:00.000+06:00

We finished by walking through beautiful green fields.

Experimenting

2008-02-09T08:19:00.000+06:00

Grade 2 is experimenting with different materials. How absorbent are they?

Masai Houses

2008-02-09T07:48:00.000+06:00

Prottoyee, Majba and Mouri are showing of the Masai house grade 1 built in Social Science.

Sharing with a patient

2008-02-09T07:34:00.000+06:00

Athena, Aumita, Suborna and Tithi visiting a burn patient to be friends.

Praise God for a Visa

2007-12-31T11:21:00.001+06:00

Thank you for praying for my visa situation.

I have frequently told people about how visas are difficult to get for Bangladesh and how we expect to stay in country while the application process drags out for months. To God, and to whoever heard me talk about this and prayed. THANK YOU. On 27 December 2007, three days before my last visa expired, Luke Sircar who takes care of all our visa applications in Dhaka, got my passport with a visa valid to the end of 2008. Praise God for Luke, too.

Christian

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2008

2007-12-28T12:35:00.000+06:00

All the staff at LAMB school wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2008. May you know God Immanuel.

Pictures of all grades

2007-12-06T14:11:00.000+06:00

This is just to let you know that I have uploaded group photos of all the children at the school. Follow the link on the right.

Exams

2007-12-05T11:14:00.000+06:00

The children in the picture are tasting or is it testing food. I am sure it is all very good.

During this week all the children at LAMB school are taking their semester exams. Exams are a big deal in this part of the world, and though we think of them as tools to help us tailor our teaching to the children, tools that help us see what the children have learned, many of the children and more noticeably their parents, think of them as tools to see how good the children are.

Please pray for the children that they will know they are valued and loved; for the teachers to be able to communicate to parents what the children have learned; for the parents and children, that they will have hope for their future regardless of whether some children have done better than their own; and for us all that we will be able to use what we learn to make the education even better.

Roof complete

2007-11-28T10:31:00.001+06:00

On Monday, 26 November, the roof was poured without major incidents. The day started customarily late, and after less than five minutes the concrete mixer fell of its stand – concrete mixers are quite heavy, not least when they are full of concrete. It was quite a miracle that nobody got hurt. It was soon restored to a better position and restarted. After about twenty minutes the bearings holding the ‘tub’ gave out and only after an hour of welding did the pouring get properly under way.

At about 8:00 pm the roof was complete, the Sardar and his women on their way back to Dinajpur and our masons ready to use the leftover concrete for making concrete slabs. Concrete slabs are always handy to have when there is a hole to cover.

The next big test

2007-11-19T08:45:00.001+06:00

As school children all over Bangladesh prepare to show what they have learned this year in their final exams we all have the opportunity to show that since January 2007 Bangladesh is no longer the most corrupt country in the world. As much needed aid pours in from rich friends all over the world, let’s make sure the money doesn’t again end up in marbled apartment buildings in the posh parts of Dhaka; let’s make history by ensuring that every Yen, Riyal, Euro and Dollar that is given to Bangladesh is converted into water, food and rehabilitation for those most effected by SIDR.

Pray for the victims of SIDR and for those involved in relief work.

Cyclone SIDR

2007-11-17T12:06:00.001+06:00

Super cyclone SIDR made landfall in Bangladesh Thursday night leaving a deadly trail as it worked its way north east towards the Himalayas. With almost a thousand casualties counted so by Saturday morning this has been a tragedy for many in Bangladesh.

When another cyclone hit Bangladesh in 1991 the death toll stood at about 140.000. SIDR is reported to have been at least as fierce as the cyclone in 1991. In the midst of tragedy we therefore also rejoice that Bangladesh this time was much better prepared and able to reduce the impact. Cyclones will pass over Bangladesh in the future again; Bangladesh is strong and prepared. I often get asked this question by visitors ‘Is the development work making any difference in Bangladesh?’ The preparedness for this storm, and the relatively low impact of SIDR, is a sign that yes in Bangladesh it is not just the same old story.

First wall

2007-11-01T10:51:00.001+06:00

Today another milestone in the building was reached when the first bit of wall was built.

Former LAMB Students have Worship Song Recorded

2007-10-28T17:25:00.000+06:00

The national praise and worship team, Sacrifice, have used a song by two former students at LAMB School.

Onishim Hasdak and Pia Mollick wrote the song, Amar Dak Sono or Hear My Call, during a seminar led by Sacrifice this spring. The head of Sacrifice was so impressed by the lyrics that he included it on their fourth CD released this October in Dhaka.

Pouring rain and concrete

2007-10-11T14:04:00.000+06:00

The roof over the 1^st floor was poured during a very rainy Tuesday. We praise God that he kept all the workers safe throughout the day. The bamboo stairs seemed dangerously slippery as the workers carried bowls of concrete the two stories up to the top. One worker slipped at the bottom of the stairs and hurt her back. It was only because we kept her from doing so, that she didn’t go back to work. She didn’t want to leave her colleagues who were still working in the rain.

Reading together

2007-10-08T19:03:00.000+06:00

Ovi (Grade 8) listens to Orgha (Grade 3) reading during a Reading class.

An unexpected shortage of teachers forced us to think of alternatives. This solution was great. Both the older and the younger children benefitted as they listen to each other and as they share the treasure that a book can be.

Pizza Party

2007-10-08T18:58:00.000+06:00

Grade 3 has conquered the time’s table and are celebrating with a pizza party at Uncle Bimal’s house. Congratulations

Durga Puja and Eid-ul-Fitre

2007-10-08T18:46:00.000+06:00

Please note that the school will be closed from 10 through 22 October on the occasions of Eid-ul-Fitre and Durga Puja. We wish all our students, and especially those from Hindu and Muslim families blessed holidays.

Gloria Mardi and Sunil Sylvester Murmu

2007-09-25T07:44:00.000+06:00

This Friday we celebrated the wedding of our newest female teacher, Gloria Mardi to Mr Sunil Sylvester Murmu.

The wedding was at Dhandjuri Church and the feast at Gloria’s home afterwards. There was music, traditional dancing, gifts and food.

The guests were invited to bless the couple by anointing their arms and faces with oil.

In the Santal culture the children will get the fathers last name, but the wife retains her family name even after marriage.

Building Progress

2007-09-23T12:56:00.000+06:00

The construction of a structure to carry the roof on the second level has just begun. It is exciting to see how things are progressing. We are about three weeks behind schedule because some materials didn’t arrive on time. The contractor expects to be able to pour the roof before Eid-Ul-Fitr on 14 October.