Math Defeat

(2e-1)/(e^2+e-6) - 3/(e+3) = 2/(e-2)
solve for e

It was 6:00, I had just finished up my Grade 7 English class and I was ready to go home. I walked into the reception to put the keys away and Monde was sitting there slumped back in the chair with his hood up looking horribly defeated.
Now, you need to understand Monde: He constantly has a huge smile on his face. He is in love with life. His joy for life is contagious. He is one of the few honest hard workers. He had a lot of "bad choice, make a new one" moments when he was younger but those where his Before Christ days. He's let God do some awesome work on his heart and has cleaned up his act. He knows he messed up and has been spending the past couple years doing his best to make something of himself and to catch up to his peers in school. He is so smart and his smile warms my heart.
So obviously his defeated body language caught my attention.

"Monde, friend, what's wrong?"
"Ya! SisNora. I can't do this maths. I need your help."

Sitting down to work on this math problem got me kind of excited (I freely admit that I'm a nerd). We proceeded to take the next 25 minutes to solve the problem. There was a lot of blank stares and heavy sighs followed by "SisNora, I just don't get it." We'd go back to the beginning and I'd try another approach to explain the process.

Once we got to e = -1/3 Monde looked at me with the light back in his eyes and the smile back on his face.
"I understand! Wow, thank you!"

I've done tons of math problems since I've been here...everywhere from basic multiplication to this type of algebra. The fact that this particular 25 minutes made me so happy perplexed me. There was nothing extraordinary about it. I sat back to reflect on this and realize the reason why I loved doing math with Monde didn't matter. I am just thankful I was able to.

All I can think of is thank you Jesus for loving me and trusting me enough to bring me here! Thank you for giving me opportunities to do what I love! Thank you for putting people in my life who have stamped their footprints on my heart; people who show me how to dream, hope, love, fly and discover!



Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same

Some people come into our lives
and quickly go....Some stay for awhile
and embrace our silent dreams

They help us become aware
of the delicate winds of hope...
and we discover within every human spirit
there are wings yearning to fly

They help our hearts to see that
the only stairway to the stars
is woven with dreams...
and we find ourselves
unafraid to reach high

They celebrate the true essence
of who we are...
and have faith in all
that we may become

Some people awaken us
to new and deeper realizations...
for we gain insight
from the passing whisper of their wisdom

Throughout our lives we are sent
precious souls...
meant to share our journey
however brief or lasting their stay
they remind us why we are here

To learn...to teach...to nurture...to love

Some people come into our lives
to cast a steady light
upon our path and guide our every step
their shining belief in us
helps us to believe in ourselves

Some people come into our
lives to teach us about love...
The love that rests within ourselves

Let us reach out to others
and feel the bliss of giving
for love is far richer in action
than it ever is in words

Some people come into our lives
and they move our souls to sing
and make our spirits dance

They help us to see that everything on earth
is part of the incredibility of life...
and that it is always there
for us to take of its joy

Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same

~Anonymous

There are people I can name who have done every single one of these things for me. I had these grand plans of trying to make an impact in a short amount of time and have found that, the very things I wanted to do for these kids, they have done for me. I have been taught. I have been led to discover myself. I have been nurtured. I have been loved.