Update from L. in Turkey

Update from: L. April 25, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This week one of my seven year old students was suspended for the day for throwing a rock at another child’s forehead and sending him to the hospital. This same child tried to hit me with a chair and stab me with a pencil a few weeks ago. We have been concerned about his behavior and feel that he needs professional help, yet I am not allowed to talk to the parents about these issues or recommend him for testing. He displays signs of Emotional/Behavioral Disorder and would benefit from special education interventions. Pray that God would show our academic coordinator the need for these children.

I want to thank you all for your prayers and thoughts for what God is doing in Turkey. It is exciting to be in a country where special education is so new and the opportunities and possibilities are numerous. It is also a frustrating and difficult time to enter the field of special education here. Most Turks do not understand what is meant by special education or what it involves for children with special needs. Most Turks also do not see a need for special education or recognize that a child may be in need of special services. There are few specialists in the field and few schools for students to receive special education. However, more universities are beginning to specialize in teaching special education and encouraging teachers to enter the field.
In August I will finish classes in my doctoral program and in July I will be taking my comprehensive exams. The next step in the Fall will be to begin my dissertation and research.
I would like to ask you all to pray for me for several things. Please pray that

1. I am able to do well on these exams.
2. That God gives me the topic that He wants me to research and the correct method of research.
3. God would provide the finances I need to continue the program as I am having to take next year off work to complete the research part of my program.
4. That God would begin to show me the long term plans he has for me here in Turkey in the field of special education.
5. Please pray for my two teaching colleagues that I have been sharing with S and H and a parent that I am developing a relationship with named F.

Thank you all so much for your support and prayers. The children here in need of special education suffer and fall into the cracks of society and education. As part of God’s cultural mandate they must be helped and incorporated into society and be given opportunities to learn and grow like everyone else. I pray that God allows me to be a part of working on behalf of these children.

L.

Please join my Facebook group ASET: Advancing Special Education in Turkey: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=241526049239