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

Being Culturally Inept

So, now that I've been here for over a month (I can't believe it's been that long already!!), I'm beginning to feel a bit more comfortable around people here. The thing is, it takes me a while to warm up to people and be myself. I really am an introvert by nature, and when you throw in a whole new culture to the mix, I'm even more likely to draw inward and do a lot of observing first. Also, at first, I wasn't sure if anyone could understand what I was saying, so I adopted a very broken-sounding type of English (meaning I paused a lot) until I was more confident that others could understand me.

Well, now I'm beginning to feel more confident trying out Swahili. Although I HATE to make mistakes, I know enough vocabulary to make a few sentences and I'm trying to learn what I can while I have the opportunity. Also, I'm feeling more confident speaking English with quite a few people. It's funny though, how I've picked up on language nuances that they have here. Such as: instead of saying "my legs are sore from climbing this past weekend", they say "my legs are paining from climbing this past weekend"(that kind of cracks me up). Another thing, instead of saying "my sister is away at college", they say "my sister is in university". So going back to "cracks me up", they have NO idea what that means (*sigh). So, the problem now is that I've become more familiar and comfortable with people, I've begun to express myself as we do in America. But, of course, a lot of it doesn't make sense to people here, so I have to be careful and clear when I speak.

But, really that's just the beginning of the cultural differences. For instance, people here don't really say what they mean. They say what people want to hear and there seems to be an unwritten expectation that you will say what they want to hear. So every time you ask someone how they feel, the response is "fine" (which I guess is not so different from the United States). But, as I've learned, when people ask for favors, or something like that, they expect you to say yes and live in the hope that you will actually follow through. But, I don't know how I feel about that; about telling people "yes" and then just not following through. I've always been a person who values the truth and I've always been big on expressing how I really feel about situations. But, I'm beginning to question whether or not that is wise while I'm here. (and yet, here I am expressing exactly how I feel in a blog entry. *sigh)

As I am constantly experiencing new things, I'm beginning to feel more and more inept all the time. It's like, when I first got here, my body was here and it was experiencing everything and everything was so new and exciting. But, not my mind has begun to catch up and I'm forced to make sense of everything and decide how I really feel about what's happening. How do I feel about teachers who slap their students' hands with a long stick when they misbehave? How do I feel about being considered rich? How do I feel about lying to people because that's what they want to hear? It's tough trying to make sense of everything because not everything fits into my cultural scheme.

And, then going back to the whole Swahili and language difference issue. Sometimes I feel like I'm a disappointment because I don't know Swahili. There are so many people that I can't talk to because we don't know the other's language. So, some people seem frustrated that I can't learn Swahili fast enough. And then there's the whole issue (which of course has been brought to my attention) that I'm leaving in June, so why am I bothering to learn the language? (And of course, it's not in so many words, but that's the way it comes out to me.) Or, maybe what they really mean is: if you're taking so much time to learn the language, why don't you stay longer so you can use it? Everyone wants me to stay longer, everyone wants me to be involved in everything with the church and the school. Of course, it's that way in the States, too. Everyone wants your time, your money, and your resources. So, here I am, a missionary, dedicating a few months of my life to this work and furthering the cause of Christ, but I'm feeling more and more inept every day.

I don't know the language well enough. I don't know how to teach English that well (sometimes I really wonder if I'm really helping the students at all). I'm trying to be involved in the church because that's why I'm here. I have to do so many things the long way (like hand washing clothes). I'm trying to find time for myself so I can keep my sanity. It's like juggling all the balls that I'm used to, but then throw in a few more balls for all of cultural differences thrown at me. It's tough sometimes and sometimes I'd rather be home where things are "easier". And by that, I mean, at least I can communicate with everyone there and I can express myself and be fully understood. Like, for example, I tried to explain to someone the difference of an introvert and extrovert. But, they totally didn't get it.

So, for now I'm picking my way along. More and more people ask me all the time why I won't stay longer in Tanzania. I know it's not meant to, but it makes me very defensive. I'm planning to go back to the US to get my masters which is going to take another 3 years of my life. Someone asked if I'll come back after I finish my masters, but all I can say is "If it is God's will, I will come back." And, of course, that person said, "then you must pray for it to be God's will for you to come back." But, the truth is, it's not as easy as that. A lot can happen in 3 years and who knows what my situation will be then (in every sense: physically, emotionally, financially, etc.). We cannot know the mind of God and we cannot bend His ultimate will for our lives. We must accept that things might or might not happen and we must trust Him to help us deal with the issues that we face. Thus, I am torn: do I tell people the truth that "I don't know when or if I will be back.", or do I lie and say "Of course I'll be back when I graduate!" and give them a false hope? I hate lying...

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

May the LORD bless you and keep you,
~Christine

Climbing Mountains, Changing the World

Well, the rest of this past week happened just like any other week. so far. Classes are going well except for Class 5 of course. But, I have discovered that I'm not the only teacher that they misbehave for. In fact, this class was known to be a bad class last year as well. This makes me feel so much better knowing that I'm not alone in this struggle. I've also learned a few tactics that I can use to punish the students. I can lock them in during break if they are bad. Also, I have discovered that they are terrified of the head teacher, and I'm DEFINITELY going to use that to my advantage.

Saturday, I climbed the Uluguru Mountains up to the Bondwa Peak with my Swahili Teacher, Baba Sesi. Pastor always feels good when Baba Sesi goes places with me because he is a police officer and if anything happens to me, I am in good hands. So, I guess in a way that make him my body guard? I guess that makes a first for me. Anyways, the best way that I can describe this adventure is through copying from my journal, so that's what I'm going to for the last part of this entry.

Today was church and it was a good service. I'm getting used to many of the songs now, so I was actually able to sing along pretty well. Also, my Swahili is getting better and I'm feeling more confident to try and speak it. The problem for me is I'm a perfectionist and I don't want to say or do something unless I know for sure I'm going to get it right. But, I'm trying to get over that and just put myself out there. The only way that I'm going to get better at this is by trying and making mistakes.
Today, I also went to Kim and CP's house where I made oatmeal cookies. We had to do some improvisation because there was no coconut and no walnuts. We completely left the walnuts out and used coconut milk powder in place of coconut. Also, there wasn't very much chocolate to put in them, but we managed fine. In the end, I was quite proud of the result. It's incredibly empowering to know that I can cook in a 3rd world country successfully!! After baking, we went to the prayer service with other missionaries and I got to sing familiar songs and speak to people freely in English without worrying whether or not the understood me (which is always a nice feeling).

Sunday, February 19, 2012, Morogoro, Tanzania, 7:30am

Dear Lord,

I have awoken this morning to soreness and exhaustion. But, it is totally worth it!

Yesterday, my Swahili teacher, Baba Sesi, and I climbed the mountain to one of its peaks. I woke up at 5am and we left the house at about 5:50pm. Although we arrived on time, our guide, Emmanuel did not come until almost 6:30am. So, we sat and waited until then. When our guide arrived, we learned there would not be a car to take us up to the starting point and I was OK with that at the time.

Our journey began in silence as we made our way up the beginnings of our ascent to and past the Rock Garden. The higher we climbed the more people began to pass. Women with baskets of fruits and vegetables balanced on their heads floated down the mountain in colorful clothes. They chatted gaily and smiled as they moved past us, flowing steadily towards the market. After an hour or so, we left the main road and took a steeper short cut that reconnected with the road later.

Soon, the mountains opened up before us and we could see down into a valley and up the next slope. It was peppered lightly with small houses of farmers who grow their goods on the mountain. I was amazed why anyone would want to grow crops on the steep slopes of the mountain. It seemed so dangerous, but I soon had my answer. The small rivers that flow down the mountain (their beginning point) can easily be redirected with hoses to help water the farms. The pressure of the downward moving water creates enough pressure to keep a sprinkler going and probably doesn't cost a thing. However, this makes the narrow, steep footpaths dangerous in places because there is a fear of slipping.

We continued our climb on for two hours through the maze of farms as the sun ascended into the sky. We passed Morning Side, another adventure waiting to happen on another slope of the mountain. We climbed all the way through brush, following the river for a time until we reached the forest line. There, there was a building built by the Germans to monitor who went up and down the mountain to its peak (apparently there used to be a real road that cars could take to the peak). We stopped there and rested and I shared some food with our guide because all he brought to eat was a small bag of popcorn.

From that point, we continued for two more hours through the dense forest. Vines hung down from the trees and shrubs grew densely in places, making it difficult to pass. We passed butterflies, frogs, lillies, and wild banana trees. The terrain continued, steep in some places and sloping up in others. We passed the old German road to the top, but it's heavily overgrown now.

Sometime around noon we reached the peak which was engulfed by a cloud. I didn't care, though. For me, the sense of challenge and accomplishment was bigger than any mild disappointment. (Plus, I had gotten many views on the way up.) At the peak there are two towers: one for TV broadcasting and one for radio broadcasting. We got a short tour of the place which consisted of some computers and large machines to transmit the signal. I think the man who lives there does so alone. I wonder if he ever gets any company?

 At the top we ate our lunch and again I shared with our guide because I don't think he gets paid very much and thus probably can't afford too much food. I had made peanut butter sandwiches, and brought bananas, cookies, and chips to eat. After lunch, we began our descent down the mountain....(sorry had the entry is sooo long and I didn't want to copy everything, so I'm editing some parts out)....

When we emerged from the forest, we did not stop, but continued straight down. In places it was so steep, I had to crab crawl down because my feet kept slipping out from under me. It was slow going. Whereas I had raced up the mountain, I was slow and deliberate about coming down it. We stopped to rest at a woman's house where we bought cheap bananas before continuing our descent. It felt like forever to come down...Finally, we reached the division in the road where Emmanuel continued to the starting point and Baba Sesi and I continued to town. When we finally got on the bus, I determined I would never move again. At that point, it was almost 6:30pm, nearly 12 hours after our starting time. When the bus stopped at the place I usually get off, I realized I still had a 10 minute walk home. *sigh* But, I made it and when I had rinsed myself off, I sat down in my chair and began checking email and Facebook before Skyping with the family.

And that is where I will leave off because from there I just talk about talking with my family and other boring, mundane things. Well, this is where I shall leave things off for today. I hope you have a wonderful, blessed week ahead!!

Here are some photos from the hike:

"But, one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,
~Christine

Who's Really In Control??

So, I was thinking the other day about how people in Tanzania are known to be very untimely. Oftentimes, events will have a starting time at "5pm", but won't really start until like 5:30pm or 6pm when everyone finally gets there. Which got me thinking about myself since I've gotten here. I'm usually a pretty on-time kind of person, but I find that it's difficult to be that way here. I am at the mercy of so many different factors. For example, the other day, I planned to meet Michael at 9:50am so that he could shuttle me over to the school where we were going to be play Ultimate Frisbee. Well, when I was planning what time I would leave, I completely forgot to factor in the 10 minutes it takes to walk to the bus stop from the house. And THEN, it took another 4-5 minutes to wait for a bus with enough space to stop before I could proceed to town. And then I was at the mercy of how many stops the bus would make and how long each stop would be. And, once you factor in all these elements, you find that something else will come up to disrupt the entire plan. *sigh*
It's an interesting transition, but a welcome one. In the States, everything is at our finger tips; everything is in our control (or at least that's what we like to think). All we have to do is flip a switch and the lights will come on. Here, there's about a 50-50 chance that it'll come on. We didn't have electricity at the house until sometime around 6pm (I'm not sure exactly what time because it wasn't on when I left to go run, but it was on when I got back). I opened my fridge at one point today and it was the same temperature as outside (even though the door had been shut all day). It is the same with the water. In the US, if you want water (hot or cold), all you have to do is turn whichever knob you want. You don't have to worry about filling your tub or various buckets with water to make sure you have enough to last the day in case it doesn't turn on. And don't get me started on how nasty it can be/smell if you aren't able to flush the toilet for an ENTIRE day if not longer. (sorry for the TMI moment, but I'm serious) In the US, we also have consistent, reliable transportation. Here, yes there is the public dala dala bus system, but you can't predict it. You must walk places and you must be prepared at any point to run into someone you know because then you must greet them. And, as I have been well instructed: you MUST greet your friends because not doing so means that you are not treating them as a human being. This in turn means that if you fall down or are in need of assistance, they are not required to help you and treat you as a human being.
I like this philosophy, though it is difficult for me. I'm so used to rushing around and I don't see the people around me, much less greet them, much less treat them like human beings. Even here, I find myself in those habits of focusing in on myself and what I need to get done (and let me tell you, I am VERY good at this). But, I want to begin to re-focus on what is really important. People and building relationships are more important, minor things that seem to press down on me can wait just a little bit longer.

This also has got me thinking more about God and His control in my life. He controls my destiny, not me which is not a new concept, but definitely something that I'm thinking more about. It's easy to get caught up in a routine of feeling in control, but here that is not the case. I think that in many ways, it's easier to put complete trust in God because you realize that you aren't in control. It really is a wonderful feeling and more freeing than frustrating. It's nice not have so much pressure to be perfect and to perform just right all the time. It's nice to have freedom to be late or make mistakes because no one cares or makes a big deal out of it. I wish we could be more like that in the US. I think we would all be happier people if we shifted our focus to the things that are more important such as building true and lasting relationships and not worrying about always rushing off because we're wondering "Am I going to get to work on time?" or "OH! I'm sorry, I have to check out early because I have this other engagement that is more important than you." People and building relationships are definitely more important than the other things that we give top priority in our lives.

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:3-5

Blessings, Love, and Peace,
~Christine

A Fantastic Weekend so Far!! :D

Well, this has turned out to be quite an eventful weekend so far!! And, that’s a good thing!! Bwana asifiwe!! (Praise God!!)

I guess I should start with Friday because that’s where I left off. School was good and Classes 6 and 7 took their second test for me. Class 5 has gotten better, but only because I have to be a drill sergeant in that class. Hey! Whatever works, right? As long as we’re getting work done and the whole class period is not wasted on me telling them to be quiet, I’m happy. I want them to get better at English and the only way this will happen is through LOTS of practice (and they need it). Friday is a half-day, so at noon everyone went out for sports. After the last students from class 6 finished their tests, I joined students from class 7 playing Frisbee. I was such a magical experience. I’m beginning to know the students’ names now, which is always a good thing in teaching and we’re becoming more comfortable around each other. It was a gorgeous day, the sun was shining and the sky was full of puffy white clouds. The mountains were in full view as a backdrop (I barely believed that it was real!) It was that moment, me playing Frisbee, surrounded by other kids playing football, Net Ball, chase, and whatever else that I felt fully that God had brought me here. It was a most wonderful moment of peace and joy.

Friday afternoon, I made my way to town because I had to run quite a few errands. I had to get a few groceries, red pens for grading (because apparently you aren’t allowed to grade in other colors here), a Swahili Bible, and make a quick run to the bank. I’m very excited to have a Swahili Bible and I’m hoping that by reading it along with my NRS Edition Bible (from which the Swahili Bible is directly translated), I will have another tool to help me learn Swahili.  Friday night, I practiced karate in my room and sparred with invisible opponents and used my hanging curtains to help work on my distance drills. (yes, I know that is pathetic, but you have to use what you have to work with, right??)

Saturday morning, I woke up early and made pancakes for the family once again. This time I put bananas in them and they came out quite well. I learned a few tricks from the last time I made pancakes, so these came out even better! I was SUPER excited!! I then made my way to town to meet up with Michael, another missionary in the area who drove me to the field where they are now meeting to play Ultimate Frisbee. There were about 10 of us (and two more joined us later, so 12 total) who played and it was so much fun!! It’s been YEARS since I’ve played Ultimate Frisbee, so I didn’t really remember what to do at first. But, thankfully, it’s a pretty simple game and as long as you remember to not run with the Frisbee, you’re good to go. The school where we were playing was in such a wonderful location. The mountains were so close and again the sun was shining. Which, of course, meant it was hot. But, I was OK with that (I’ve kind of gotten used to running in the heat now) Afterwards, they invited me to join them for a prayer service they will be having tonight. I am SOOO excited!! Not only are we going to be singing and praying and praising God, but we’re also going to be having pizza for dinner!!!! YAY!! Also, I found out that Michael also did Tae Kwon Do for a few years before coming to Tanzania. It was so great to talk to someone about something that means so much to me!! But, he and his wife are actually going to be returning to the states very soon. His wife is pregnant and they experienced some complications, but everything is OK now. But, they are thinking that it is better to return to the states (especially since it is their first child). So, if you could, please keep Michael and Megan in your prayers as they make their way back to the US. But, Michael did give me his Bo that he got during his stay here. He didn’t really like it so much as his Bo back home and I am ecstatic!! Now I can practice my Bo form in addition to all of my other forms!! :D

Also on Saturday, I hand washed my clothes for 2 hours (pictures just added. I figured that if all of Tanzania can see all my clothes hanging about, why not all of America too. LOL!!) and began working on my grading that I have to accomplish this weekend. In the evening, I went to the youth choir practice and will be singing with them this morning at church.

Today, I have church and then I need to finish grading papers. It’s very funny how some things don’t change no matter where in the world you are. One of my classes got mad that I wouldn’t take their exercise books home to grade over the weekend. And my response was “Well, I have to grade tests for Classes 6 AND 7, and in addition, I have to finish grading exercise books from Class 5.  What do you think I do all day? Grade?” to which they said “Yes!” Hahaha, students will be students everywhere and that means that they think their teachers live at school and don’t have any fun ever. *sigh I didn’t come all this way to grade all day (I HATE grading), I came here to experience the culture of Tanzania and to make a difference in the name of Christ. Now, yes, grading does come as a responsibility of the job because I am a teacher. But, no, dear students, I do NOT live at school and grading is NOT my life. Hahahaha!!! After I finish grading, I will be off to the prayer meeting and eating pizza and then it’s off to bed early so I can wake up at 6am!! WOOT!!

Well, I hope that you are having a wonderful weekend so far!! Bwana akubariki sana!! (God bless you abundantly!!)

“Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” Psalms 39:4-5

~Christine