Ms Seger's 4th Grade Class

My cousin, Ms. Seger (soon-to-be Mrs. Hill-- hurray!) is a 4th grade teacher at a Christian school near Chicago and to teach proper letter-writing she's having her whole class write letters to me as their missionary penpal! How cool is that?!

I've spent the morning responding to their adorable questions like:

- Do you miss Ms Seger?
- What do you eat in Sweden?
- Do you go to school?
- Have you ever visited Chicago?
- Do you like swimming just like Ms. Seger?
- What do you do for fun?
- Do you have any children?
- Can you teach me your language?
- Can your Sunday school children draw us pictures?
- How is it being a missionary—did you want to or did God lead you to it? [pretty cool question coming from a 9 year old!] Do you like your job as a missionary? What kind of things do you do as a missionary? Is it fun?
- Do you speak Swedish? Is it hard learning?
- Do you wear American clothes or Swedish clothes?
-What is your culture like?
- What kind of sports do you have there?
- What high school did you go to?
- How much money do you have?
- How old are you?
- What is the biggest tree where you live?
- Do you like Ms. Seger as your cousin?
- What is your favourite colour?
- What is your favourite book?
- What do you teach your children in Sunday School?
- What is your favourite food?
- What is your favourite song?
- Did you have a house before you went to Sweeten or you just lived in Sweeten?
:)

Some of my favourite quotes from their letters were:

"Ms Seger is the best teacher in the school. When she teaches us its like whatever she is talking about, we’re really there." -- Amira

"My dad’s name is Timothy. You can call him Tim for short. I have lots of cousins, uncles & aunts on my dad’s side! But not my mom’s. Most of them died." -- Hannah

"I wanted to write you a letter because you seem nice. Ms. Seger talks about you all the time… Your cousin Ms. Seger is beautiful and a great teacher. I love her." -- Tajah

"I like spelling because it’s really hard and I like a good challenge." -- Vanessa

"Your cousin is a very nice teacher. She let’s us do art, do puzzles, and read our own chapter books. And also our lunch is delicious. Today we had chili." -- Myla

"Now I am going to tell you about the school. This school is ginormis. It is one of the most biggest schools I’ve ever seen. And my Mom sais that we have very good teachers… Well I guest this is my closing paragraph." -- Arien

"Ms Seger’s class is beautiful. The walls are painted sky blue. Also, there are posters all on the walls. Ms. Seger’s desk is a badge (?) color. The students desks are a wooden color. The school is a good place." -- Sky

"I’m a student in LWCA [the school where my cousin teaches]. Also some of my classmates are students too." --Jonathan (hehe!)

"I’m new at LWCA. It’s a cool school. My favourite subject is LUNCH…. P.s. I’m a boy." -- Jacob

"Leah, your cousin is the best teacher in the world… Leah, if you are nice to people in Sweeden let me just tell you that you are sweat, kind and loveable." -- Hannah Walker

Oh my!! God knew I needed a good ol' smile. I love children so much. Writing to them is so special because I remember so keenly being that age and finding that EVERYTHING was a new discovery. I LOVE being able to turn these kids on to world mission, if only in making them aware of the fact that there are places outside of our normal little lives where people don't grow up with an awareness of what Jesus has done-- "dying to make a way for us to be friends with God"... And also just turning them on to the fact that the world is sooo much bigger than we know in our safe little American neighborhoods, and that ordinary girls can grow up and follow after an extraordinary God and let Him take them further into Himself than they could ever dare to dream!