The Adventures within the Adventure

Well finally!! Here it is!!!

So, this past Saturday was my birthday and I was SUPER excited!! I had made a few plans and I did all of my work on Friday so that I wouldn't have to do anything on Saturday except relax and have fun!! The morning began at 6:40am. Yes, that's right, 6:40am. But, I didn't mind because I woke up naturally at that time, not because some alarm was complaining in my ear. So, I got up and got on fb and email. The first thing I saw was a video from the family. They had recorded themselves singing happy birthday and sent it to me. It was such a welcome start to my day. Then I proceeded to do my hour long weekend yoga routine which of course got me into a focused and relaxed mood. Then, I heard a knock on my door and when I opened it Nathan was there to sing me happy birthday and let me know that breakfast was ready. After breakfast, I packed up and headed out to Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) to join the other missionaries for a game of Ultimate Frisbee. I packed extra clothes and shower supplies so that I would be able to shower after the game and head out to lunch with the others. The game was great and even though my team lost, I didn't care because I was having so much fun!!
After the game, Kim and CP let me shower at their house. It was AMAZING!! The first warm shower I have had since I have arrived!! I just wanted to stand under the faucet all day, but we needed to get going to lunch. I put on my new dress which was dyed, printed, and sewn by ladies from the Wesley Sewing Center here. It is a GORGEOUS gift from my parents for my birthday!! I also got a chance to blow dry and straighten my hair for the first time since arriving and I even decided to wear makeup. I felt like myself again. Haha!! That's not to say that I don't normally feel like myself, but it was the first time since arriving that I've really taken any time to make myself up and of course it felt good!! Just about every girl likes to get a little bit fancy once in a while. It's funny to think that after going so long not wearing any makeup at all, I get super excited over a little bit of eyeliner and mascara. Haha!!

Anyways, we met Emily and Chris at Ricky's for lunch where I ordered a chicken sandwich and chips (which of course are like fries and not American style chips).  It was great!! I had decided that although I do like rice, I didn't want to have it on my birthday. After lunch, Chris and Emily drove me  home and I got a chance to sit around and relax during the afternoon. Around 6pm I began to prepare the dough for the pizza that I was going to make for dinner. I bought some rosemary to add to the crust and I was really excited to see how it would turn out! Then, I went to the rehearsal for the church's new English choir. Right now we have been practicing and singing hymns, but I hope that we will be able to learn and sing some praise and worship songs as well!!

After rehearsal, it was back to the house to make the pizza. I felt like I had a better handle on things this time around. In no time I had the toppings all prepared and the dough was beautiful! I whipped those pizzas out in no time. The only problem was that suddenly we gained two more people to our party and I only had 3 individual sized pizzas that we would all have to share! With 8 people present, that meant that we would only get 2 small pieces of pizza. I was a bit upset over the fact that there wasn't enough food for everyone, but there was no time to make anything else. I cut up the rest of the pineapple and prayed that it would be enough for everyone. I do have to say that the pizza came out fantastic! I was SUPER proud of myself and the rosemary crust was great! I definitely recommend it to anyone who makes their own crust (which is SUPER easy btw!). I hope that everyone else got enough. I didn't really, but I ate up the rest of the pineapple that no one else wanted, so I guess that made up for it. We also got a special treat: Emily had prepared cupcakes for me and luckily I had EXACTLY 8, so everyone got one. Overall, in spite of the sudden surprise, everything worked out fine.

Sunday was rather uneventful. I did get to preach at the youth service and I'm not really sure how well that went. I talked about how God has called us each for a special purpose and it's our job to seek God's will to discover what His purpose for our lives is. Although it's something that I feel every young person should know, now that it's over and I've learned more things, I'm not sure that it came across as completely culturally relevant here. Here, the people don't know how to make plans for the future. No one teaches them how to. It horrifies me, but at the same time I understand. Here, tomorrow is not a guarantee and there isn't always money to be able to attend school or even eat. I've learned recently that no one here knows how to save because, again, no one teaches them. And , for them, there is no point in saving. They must use their money to support others (family and friends) who are in a worse place than them. It's a wonderful was of life and community, but it seems self defeating. How can a group of people ever rise out of poverty if they don't save money and plan for the future?? I can see why the situation is the way it is, but does that make it OK? Should I just accept that people are "doing their best", or should I encourage others to do things that will help them in the long run? And, the next question would be: are my suggestions what is best for the people and the community way of life that they live?? It's SO complicated!! I'm not sure that I'll ever have an answer!!

Well, Sunday afternoon, I baked cookies at Kim's (which came out quite wonderful if I do say so myself!! Then it was off to the prayer service and then back home to grade the tests I had given all my students the previous Thursday and Friday.

Well, folks, that's about all the time I've got to blog today!! Enjoy the pictures of Ultimate Frisbee, the foods that I made, and my new dress!! Have a blessed rest of your week!! I will blog about my trip to DAR and acquiring the keyboard when I have time tomorrow!! :D

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,
~Christine

Coming Soon: The Adventure Within the Adventure!!

Well, this past weekend was my birthday and I have many exciting things a pictures to share from that. Also, I've been in Dar es Salaam for the last two days picking up the keyboard. That is a whole other stressful story. Unfortunately, all these mini-adventures have been taking up so much time that I haven't been able to post here for you to see/hear. But, don't worry!! The exciting events will be coming soon to a computer screen near you, so stay tuned!! :D

Until then,
May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,
~Christine

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Inbetween

Dear Friends,

It's been a while since I've updated!! To be perfectly honest, I haven't been in a very good place personally lately. As we learned at my training, the first stage of culture shock (the honeymoon phase) is followed by the second stage of culture shock: the frustration phase. There are many obstacles one must face when thrust into a new culture: language changes, environmental changes, food changes, changes in the way people interact with one another, among others. Sometimes it is incredibly difficult to accept and deal with these changes. Sometimes it's lonely because I can't communicate very well with those around me. Sometimes little things that would not normally make me angry do. Oftentimes I feel let down because something culturally will take me by surprise or will get in the way of things I had planned or wanted to do. And sometimes I miss home, family, friends, my car, and familiar surroundings very much.

But, the truth of the matter is that this is where I'm supposed to be right now. I've spent a lot of time reading and journal-ing and searching for God through it all. I am convinced that this is where He wants me to be and that no matter what happens (good or bad), He is holding my hand the entire way. One thing that has been offering me a wealth of comfort and encouragement is the devotional book that I got for Christmas called "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young. I can't even begin to express how amazing this devotional is. I feel like sometimes, it was meant for me to have during this time. So many times, the daily entries, written from God's perspective, have spoken directly to issues that I am facing. For example, yesterday's devotional was:

"Make friends with the problems in your life. Though many things feel random and wrong, remember that I am sovereign over everything. I can fit everything into a pattern for good, but only to the extent that you trust Me. Every problem can teach you something, transforming you little by little into the masterpiece I created you to be. The very same problem can become a stumbling block over which you fall, if you react with distrust and defiance. The choice is up to you, and you will have to choose many times each day whether to trust me or defy Me.
"The best way to befriend your problems is to thank Me for them. This simple act opens your mind to the possibility of benefits flowing from your difficulties..." ~Sarah Young, Jesus Calling


The truth of the matter is that, at the end of the day, I love being here. Some days are frustrating and I want to throw in the towel, but other days are so incredibly perfect and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Most days (and I think most teachers would agree), I love my students, and many days we have a great time. As we've grown more used to each other, I've found that I can even joke with them. Such as yesterday in Class VI, I was erasing a high part on the blackboard with the chalk duster and I accidentally dropped the duster on me, covering me with white chalk. All the students started saying "Oh! Sorry madam!" "Sorry!" I just turned around and said "It's OK! I like it when the chalk makes me whiter than I already am!" Then we all just laughed and laughed. There are other things that I look forward to every week, such as volleyball and the Sunday night prayer meeting. These few opportunities allow me the chance to bond with other foreigners (mostly from the US and UK) who understand me (culturally and language-wise). Also, the Sunday night prayer meeting offers me a chance to worship and talk about God in my own language (and sometimes we get to eat American food!! :D )



Well, here's what I've been up to this weekend and week so far:

Friday, the students were let out of school early so the teachers could start grading the monthly tests. It was a LONG and tedious process that dragged out for 4 1/2 hours (11am-3:30pm). All the teachers were required to help grade all tests, so I graded just about every Class in Math, Science, and English. Thank goodness they didn't ask me to grade Kiswahili!! LOL!! At one point, I was so hungry that I had to sneak out and run to the house so that I could raid my snack stash. But, we got most of it done and finally I was able to return to the house where I pretty much wanted to crash. I had had lunch plans in town with some friends from the Sunday night Bible Study, but we had to re-schedule for dinner because of the grading. We went to a place they call "Street Chicken". There, you are served half a BBQ'ed chicken that has been marinated for 24 hours (I think that's right) and chips (which are sort of like french fries). It was DELICIOUS!! And, I was still so hungry from not eating much for lunch that I felt like ordering a whole second plate, but I didn't. Haha!! The whole meal, including the drink was less than $4!! After dinner, we went to Chris and Emily's house to watch the movie Hugo which I thought was a pretty interesting movie (and apparently just won a ton of awards?).

Saturday, I woke up around 7am, ate breakfast, did a longer yoga routine, and washed clothes. I had a few hours to hang out around the house before I was to meet up with Chris and Emily for lunch. We continued our tour of Morogoro restaurants Saturday for lunch at Ricky's, which is a huge hang out for white folks and serves all kinds of foods from America and some Chinese/Indian dishes. I got the chicken curry which was pretty good, but not spicy like I was expecting. My favorite part, though, was the dessert: ICE CREAM!!! All together my meal (drink, entree, and dessert) were about $6!!! (fyi for those who are sponsoring me: the money for eating out is coming out of my own personal funds and not my missionary funds because I consider this a luxury and not a necessity to my trip) Anyways, Saturday afternoon was laid back and Nathan and I watched the movie Pirates of the Caribbean! (such a good movie!!)

Sunday morning, it was raining and I didn't want to get out of bed, but I did. (haha! I love early morning thunderstorms!) Church was held in the pre-school building because of the rain and the fact that the church building does not actually have a roof (they usually hang up tarps). There were actually a few songs that were sung in English which was really nice. A small group of us (the new English choir) was supposed to perform, but apparently nobody told anyone we were supposed to perform, so we didn't get to. Oh well, we'll try again for next week!! Sunday night was the prayer service and afterwards we had a cook out. It was AMAZING!! I had salad for the first time since I've arrived! Also, there was delicious macaroni and cheese, chips, hotdogs, and for dessert we had chocolate mousse. I ate 2 huge plates full of food (don't worry I didn't take everything. Haha! There were plenty of leftovers).

Monday, was school. I found out on Saturday, much to my frustration, that now that it is March, the school is extending it's hours. I was told that instead of getting out at 1:30pm, we would all have to stay until 4:30pm. Needless to say, I was incredibly stressed out about how I was going to handle this sudden change. It would have been nice if someone had given me a bit more warning and I could have been a bit more prepared. But, unfortunately, the people here are not always the best at communicating these important kinds of details to me. It can be very frustrating to find out about everything at the last minute (and we're talking, sometimes right before it happens). It's definitely getting some taking used to because I'm used to having a plan and a routine and sticking to it.

Well, on Monday, I found out that the school was actually going to be getting out at 2:30pm and that some teachers would be required to stay for "tuition" (which is really tutoring. I have positively NO idea why they call it tuition seeing as tuition is money that you pay for something like school, or maybe tutoring). Anyways, this month there is no extra tutoring in English, so I am not required to stay until 4:30pm. I was so relieved to hear this and know that I would still have time in the afternoons to wash my clothes and get things done that I need to get done (such as practicing Kiswahili and washing my laundry) and still have time to be involved in church activities and such. Also, this gives me some time to figure out how I will be able to re-vamp my schedule and make the necessary adjustments for when I will have to stay later in April. All in all, I learned a big lesson that I shouldn't stress out, and all I need to do is to trust God and "In all things God works for the good of His people" Romans 8:28

Today was an average day at school. Nothing exciting happened except for the fact that the monthly tests were returned. I was horrified to find out that every single test (minus one which was a 100%) for the Class V students was graded incorrectly. I found out because so many students came up to me to ask why certain questions were marked wrong. I had to re-grade every test this afternoon. Just an example of how bad it was: one student who should have gotten a 92% was given a 40%!! Some tests were just about right, but many of them were completely wrong. I've decided that from now on, I am the only teacher who is allowed to grade the English tests for classes V-VII. I know for a fact that all of Class VII's tests were graded correctly because I graded them all while the other teachers were grading Kiswahili. However, there seems to be some debate over whether or not the Class VI tests were graded correctly, but I didn't have enough time today to figure it out. I have requested that the students return with their exercise books tomorrow so that I can take a look and see.

Well, I think that just about covers everything. I hope that you're having a fantastic week so far and that you are remembering that no matter what's happening in your life, God is always with you. All you have to do is to trust Him and He will lead you through it!!

"In all things God works for the good of His people!" Romans 8:28

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,

~Christine

Pictures!!

Well, things are going pretty well and I'm starting to have a bit more time to myself again. I'm really feeling like after the last 2 months, the students and I have figured each other out. I'm feeling much more comfortable with teaching English as well.
Class V has been better behaved as long as I keep them busy the entire class period. I haven't had to yell at them nearly as much as I have in the past. Bwana Asifiwe!!
With Classes VI and VII, I have a definite structured routine. We begin class with the Word of the Day. The students must copy the word, the definition, the part of speech, and a sentence that I write using the Word. Then the students must write their own sentence using the Word. At first, I was choosing random words, but I've decided that I want to be more purposeful with this daily activity. So, right now, the students are learning words that have to do with motion. I think that making "units" like this will help the students make more connections between the words and their lives. The great things about the Word of the Day are that it helps get class started in an organized and calm manner. Also, it exposes the students to words and helps them build their vocabulary. I make them write their own sentence using the Word because I want them to understand how the Word is used in proper context. I get mad when they try to copy my sentence and just change one word. I want them to really think about the word.
Here, there seems to be a lot of stress on memorizing things and spitting them back out on a test. But, I really want the students to think about what they are learning. I want them to question things and wrestle with what they are learning until they figure it out. I want them to see patterns and be able to apply them. Such as with tenses. One of the biggest problems I have with the simple perfect tense is the "he/she/it______". For example: "He sits". The students with invariably put "He sit." It drives me NUTS!!!! But, all I can do is give LOTS of practice work and constantly remind the students to be careful about who is doing the action. Is it "we", "you", "I", "he", "she", "they", etc. In the tutoring that I'm offering on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, I'm really trying to focus in on this. It helps when I am working with students one on one or in small groups because I can really stress things and give more practice if a particular student needs it. In the class it's hard sometimes to balance the strugglers with those who understand the concepts.

Well, I'm not quite sure what my plans are for this weekend. Tomorrow, I'm going to be meeting Kim and Emily (two missionaries from America) in town for lunch. We will be going to a local restaurant called Ricky's that sells American food. I'm SUPER excited to eat foods from back home!! On Saturday, the other teachers and I were supposed to climb the mountain to a different place than the one I went to a couple of weeks ago. This place is a LOT cheaper than the one than I went to previously. However, it has rained so much this week and there are some steep places on the climb, so Pastor Umba thinks it would be better AND safer to wait for another weekend when it hasn't been raining so much. So, I guess I check out if the gang is going to be playing Ultimate Frisbee on Saturday morning (I'm sure that will depend on the rain also). Sunday is church as usual and then the prayer meeting on Sunday night (and I think we're having a BBQ afterwards!! YAY!!). So, I've got a few things to do and even if that's it and I have time to rest, I will NOT complain. I could definitely stand to read for a few hours Saturday afternoon if that's all there is to do. Also, I can continue to work on my school plans.

I guess I shall conclude things here!! I will leave you with some pictures from this past week's adventures around Morogoro. (more to come!! I'm out of time now!!)

An attempt to take a picture of all the swarming bugs that attack me when it rains. (the same ones I mentioned earlier when I first got here)

One of the nasty suckers up close and personal.

There were so many kids around me I couldn't move, literally. Haha!!

Frisbee on the playground during sports at school.

Some students from Class VII

Mary (from Class VII) and myself.

Frank from Class VII.

Rhoider is a character!! She's in Class VII and she cracks me up SOOO much!! :D

The feast that we ate at Peter's. He lives in one small room with a concrete floor. In this room, he eats, sleeps, studies, and everything else.

Peter in front of the small complex where he rents his one room.

Writings on the wall of a prison cell where South African Freedom Writers stayed.

A memorial to the South African Freedom Fighters who made refuge at this site which is now a University. There are many who are buried here along with their children.

The railroad that runs through Morogoro.

My set up for making French Toast!!

The finished product!!

Me singing with the women at the Women's Service at church!

A picture of me as a guard in the drama. Thank goodness I didn't have any lines!! LOL!!

More singing and dancing!

"This is a STAFF!!" - me teaching music

Class VII clapping a musical rhythm. They're getting really good at it!! :D

Nathan and Rhoider playing their recorders.

Carolina and her recorder!

Well, I guess this is it for this entry. Sorry it took so long to get all of the pictures up. The internet has been SUPER slow lately. Hope you have a great weekend!! :D

"The LORD your God is with you; He is mighty to save! He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing!" Zephaniah 3:17

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,

~Christine

Restful Tuesday

Bwana Asifiwe!! (Praise the LORD!!) I have made it through the chaos and I am still in one piece. It's kind of refreshing to realize that I'm learning to let go of things. Here, there doesn't seem to be a huge weight put on completing things by a certain deadline, or arriving on time, or really doing anything in a timely manner. And, although some of personal pressure I put on myself still exists, I'm realizing (once again) that I'm human and I have limitations. And, although I felt terrible that I didn't do my Kiswahili homework for last night, I knew there was no way I could've gotten it done and we did the work during the lesson.

Today, I had an interesting new experience. Teaching in a classroom with a metal roof and windows with no glass in the pouring rain. I'm not sure if you've ever been in a building with a metal roof during a bad rainstorm (we're talking thunder and everything else), but it is LOUD. Also, I'm sure you can imagine this, but the rain was coming in through the open windows. Thus, in the middle of class, we had to rearrange the furniture and room set up so that the students and their stuff wouldn't get wet. Well, once  we situated ourselves once more, it became quite apparent that there was little hope for me completing any form of a lesson. I had to yell just to talk to a student that I was standing next to, and I felt utterly hopeless to try and yell loud enough for the whole class to hear. In addition, my throat was still not feeling top notch (though each day I am feeling much better!!), and yelling made that whole situation much worse. I attempted to write the directions on the board, but without being able to fully explain them using words, I still found that I had to go up to each student and yell the directions to them. It was really quite a comical situation!!

Well, I survived first period with Class VII, and I had second period off to grade, and then I was off to Class V. But, unfortunately all the yelling in Class VII had done a lot to agitate my poor throat and by the end of Class V I was coughing up a storm. Thankfully, I had some time off after Class V to rest my voice and grade before Class VI which went quite well.

One of the teachers from school has asked me to tutor her daughter who is in Class VI. I agreed and decided that I could spare 1 hour after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I feel like my personal time keeps getting crunched more and more. Although I'm honored that so many people are happy I'm here and want me to be involved in so many activities and do so many things, I have to constantly remind myself that I'm human and I can only do so much. I have to remind myself that while my job here is to help, I cannot do a good job if I'm constantly stressed out or if I don't have enough time to myself to just relax. It's hard to admit it, but as much as I want to, I can't always help everyone. I'm thinking about asking a few other students (particular ones who are struggling) if they want to come to the tutoring sessions, but I want to limit the number to about 5-6.

I really wish I could tutor every student, but unfortunately I know that's completely impossible. Each student is unique and needs help in different areas. Some students learn fast and others learn slow. It's hard to make sure there's enough work to keep the students who are good in English busy and occupied, but not so much work that the slow learners fall behind. And, right now, I feel like (especially in the larger classes V and VI), there are about 2-3 students in each that are falling slowly behind. *sigh* I know it's the age old problem of every teacher, and I hope that I'm doing a good job of balancing the lessons so that everyone gets something out of them. I do have to say, though, I'm very much looking forward to going into speech pathology because I enjoy working with students in small groups and one-on-one so very much. I feel that by being here I've also gained new insights into language development and the development of the pronunciation of words. There is so much to learn about placement and vowel shape when learning a new language and when teaching a new language. It's really very fascinating!! :D

Well, I'm going to leave things here for now. I've got more pictures that I took last week and this past weekend, but I'm sorry to say that I don't have time to upload them now. (or, well, that's a lie. I do have time now, but I would rather do something else like journal or read my book. sorry...I promise I'll get them up sometime) Well, I hope you're having a blessed week so far and that God is teaching you all kinds of new things. Remember, each day is an opportunity to learn something new. It's also an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life. So, don't let yourself become so busy that you miss out on everything God has in store for you. Sometimes, those deadlines are not nearly so important as we make them out to be.

"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations,  I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

May the Lord Bless you and Keep you,
~Christine

Busyness

So, honestly, I don't think I've stopped since Friday. It's terrible, especially since I have not been feeling well since about Thursday night (I've got some kind of head cold or allergy issue going on right now, but don't worry, I've got all types of medicines I brought from America. Although, I'm not 100% better yet). This was by far one of the busiest weekends I've had since I've been here and not in a good way. Events that I didn't think were going to take very long stretched out forever and things that I really NEEDED to get done didn't get done. Today I had to force myself to ignore work so I could take 30 minutes to write in my journal and reflect. So many of my recent experiences have left me drained. 

For instance, I was invited to a church member's house to celebrate Friday afternoon after school (which was a draining experience because I was trying to prevent the students from all but killing a poor, injured bat on the playground. I'd rather not re-tell that story...). Anyways, his place is one room, smaller than my room back home, that is part of a small, horse-shoe shaped complex with about 6 or 8 rooms. In this room, he sleeps on the floor on a blanket. There is a tiny table with two little stools, a couple buckets of water, and a couple of boxes. We're talking about having NOTHING here. And yet, he supplied so much food and multiple drinks for me and himself. I know that it cost him greatly to provide all of those bananas, mangoes, and chapati bread. Also, he refused to allow me to pay for any of the daladala rides there or back because that is how his parents raised him. If you invite someone to your house, you must provide everything so they will feel like they didn't have anything to lose by coming and they will want to come back again. What do you say or do when someone who has nothing gives you everything??

Also, this past Sunday was the Women's Sunday at the church, so the women did everything. They led the service, a woman preached, the women put on a drama of the story of Esther, and sang all the songs. It was awesome and I was invited to be a part of it. But, there were many rehearsals that were a part of the preparation. Granted, I couldn't make it to all of the rehearsals, but I tried to get to as many as possible. I missed the rehearsal on Friday because of the celebration, but I did make it to the hour and a half long rehearsal on Saturday after my adventures around Morogoro (which of course took longer than expected). And, by the time rehearsal ended, I had to dash off to town to go to the store because I didn't get to go on Friday (again because of the celebration). The stores usually close early on Saturday and I was worried I wouldn't get there in time. But, I managed it. The only problem is I COMPLETELY forgot to buy the main item that I needed: conditioner. So, I've been without conditioner for a few days and I'm at a loss as to when I'll be able to get back (because of course, the week days are so busy). As soon as I got back from the market I had to skype with the family and immediately after that was dinner time and then prayer time and then bed time (because I was EXHAUSTED and not feeling well).

Sunday morning, I made french toast and then I didn't even have time to do my yoga routine before I had to dash off to church. The service went longer because of the special Sunday and again I wasn't feeling well, but it was still very enjoyable. The music and the drama were lots of fun and I'm glad that I got a chance to be a part of the activities of the church (even if I don't know everything that was being spoken/sung). And then, we had a special luncheon after the service which was delicious. Then I had to work on stuff for school when I really just wanted to sleep. And then I went to the prayer service with the other missionaries in Morogoro. Although I wasn't done with the school stuff, I'm very grateful I went to the prayer service. It was so nice to have a chance to sing out my praises to my God in my native language and to understand the devotional and the words that were being spoken. It was a time of healing and letting go of a lot of personal frustration and anger for me. And afterward, I went to Emily and Chris' new house to celebrate and eat a dinner of home made pizza rolls which were delicious!! And, for dessert we had peanut M&M's!!!!! It was a fantastic time for me!! :D

Well, I don't have so much time left today, so I'm going to have to end this little blog post. I'm hoping that I'll have some time to myself tomorrow, but I'm not sure. I've been asked to tutor a student from school and I'm inviting a few of my strugglers to join us because if I'm going to be tutoring one, I might as well grab up a bunch who need to extra help. I told the girl's mother I'm only free on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I'm so grateful. I think I will seriously go crazy if I have to give away every last second of my free time. Contrary to popular belief, I am NOT super woman and I CANNOT do everything while attempting to learn a new language AND a new culture AND remain sane!!! ACK!!!

Ok, enough rambling and ranting. Good night everyone (or at least, it's night here) and I hope you have a blessed week!! :D

"...remembering the words of the Lord Jesus himself: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:35

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
~Christine

Monthly Tests and Seeking God's Will

Well, here's the update on school and all that good stuff:

Right now the students are taking their first monthly tests of this school year. This month, they only have to take tests in Science, Math, Kiswahili, and English. Each test is 25 questions and is meant to help prepare the students for their national exams that they will have to take. They are expected to get at least a 60% in order to be considered "passing". The grading scale here amazes me, honestly. Here an A+ is 91-100, an A is 81-90, a B is 61-80, a C is 41-60, a D is 21-40, and an F is 0-20. I remember in high school when an A was 92-100, a B was 83-91, a C was 74-82, a D was 65-73, and an F was 0-64. Yeah, it's totally different. But, in any case. The students took 3 tests today and they will take their last one tomorrow. During this time, the students only take tests and no classes are taught. I guess in a way, I get a sort of break, but it was stressful to write the tests. I started writing them the way I've done the previous tests, but then I learned that there is a particular format that must be followed so as to match up with the national exams. Well, I guess I got it figured out and we'll see tomorrow how well the students do on my English test. I personally think it's easy, but that's probably because I'm fluent in English. But, I tried to stick with questions that resembled classwork the students have done and I hope I made the answers obvious, but not too obvious. I want them to have to work and use their minds, but I don't want to stress them out over which answer is correct. I guess this will be a guiding point for how I will compose future monthly tests. Other than that, school is going well and Class 5 seems to be better (knock on wood). I've been speaking slower and we had a 3 day review before the test, so I hope that they will do well tomorrow!!

Well, here's the update about life:

So, here I am in Tanzania, and I’m being faced with so many new things. There have been many wonderful experiences so far and some that have been less than wonderful. Many people have brought up the fact that I will be leaving in June and how they wish I was not leaving so soon. Sometimes, I wish I wasn’t leaving so soon either. Six months seems like such a short period of time sometimes and other times it feels so long. Sometimes I can't wait to get back to friends, family, and the life I'm used to in America and sometimes I'm so content to be here that I'd be willing to stay for many years. 

But, for now, the decision is to stay until June. That means that I have just over 3 months before I leave!! I can't believe that's all the time I have left here!! And for now, the question is: God, what is your plan for me during those 3 months?? Have I accomplished anything thus far?? Will I accomplish anything before I leave?? Surely my job is to do more than just teach some students English? Not that teaching English is not important (because it is for their national exams), but I have to wonder what God's big plan is for me. Is there a big plan for my time here? Will God actually make a difference in someone's life through me? And then I must ask myself: who am I that God is using me to change the world? I can't even begin to explain how my mind is exploding with questions. 

I've prayed for and about this for so long and now here I am and I'm not even sure that I'm doing it right. Is there a right way to do missionary work?? I have unique gifts that I have brought, I have unique ideas and thoughts, and I don't even know where to begin. I'm still in the process of building relationships which of course must come first. It takes time to build relationships an to build up trust. Sometimes it feels like by the time I finally build a level of trust with the people, I will be heading home. 

Sometimes I wish I wasn't so shy and introverted. Sometimes I wish it didn't take me so long to get to know people. Sometimes I wish I could just get over myself and my fears and just throw myself in head first. But, I'm here, right?? I came all this way. So, now what?? There's got to be a reason that I'm here, right??

" 'Come, follow me,' Jesus said, 'and I will make you fishers of men.' At once the left their nets and followed Him." Mark 1:17

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

~Christine