Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Events

I have been encouraged lately to make sure I am journaling through this process of living in a culture that is not my own... a language that is not my own... and a people group where I stick out like a sore thumb... (to the point where Hannington gave directions to find Nabisooto... drive to Busunju and ask the boda driver to take you to the village where the muzungu lives). 

I am not one to sugar coat what is going on... this journey is difficult... but it is also wonderful!  I have been in the village for two months with very few tears ... however the last week has been taxing emotional.  Coming to terms with I can't be savior of the village...  Jesus came to do that... but if I can give a hope and a future to one child... then I will do it.  My heart is so heavy with emotion as I want to share what all is going on but setting emotion aside at least temporarily,  I will go throught the event of the last two days... 

Monday...well I now have an official office that I spent Friday setting up... was in my office by a little after 7 to get the exams ready for the teachers to give... this week is set aside for exams to see what the children have learned this year... their school year goes February through the end of November... all the children  including the baby class (age 3 and 4) take pencil and paper exams...CRINGE...walked from class to class monitoring as the teachers gave the exams and to make sure that all the posters from that days exam were down or covered...  after exams the children all went out to help out on the property...the girls swept the dirt while the older boys slashed the grass behind the school with their pangas or machetes.... the children were sent home at 1 so the teachers had time to grade exams... one by one the teachers brought their graded exams up and itgave me a chance to chat with them... after 2 months they are starting to open up a bit... offer suggestions... and ask questions (which thrills me to no end)...  met with all the teachers on classroom discipline, making exam times as stress free for everyone (these teachers have the cultural fear that if their children do poorly that they will get beaten by the administrator).  They are begiinning to realize that I don't rule with a big stick but lead with willing hands.  As I flipped through the exams, I realized how biased the grading is and how not develpmentally appropriate these are for our little ones!  Stepping down off my soda box!

Tuesday... had to go to Kampala to get some supplies and check on what is needed for my visa...went to immigration and got the run around...every person I spoke with gave me a different response ....so I am going to Kenya over Christmas break to visit a friend...when I come back into the country I will pray they will give another 90 days...if not then I have 1 week to get my visa extended.  God has a plan and at this point I am not sure what it is but I will trust him.  By the the time John, Hannington and I had gotten back Kimberly had had a rough day with noticing that a couple of our children had jiggers.  This prompted her to be in action mode to figure out how to get shoes on their feet now.  With jiggers they come from the dirt ... they are little bugs that bore into the skin and suck blood... the females lay their eggs in the skin and then you have an infestation.  Not only do they need shoes and socks, they need to wash their feet, spray jigger killer all over there property and then using a needle and peroxide dig the jiggers out of the skin...like getting a deep splinter out.  Not a fun process.

Wednesday.... got up to the school and arranged to have the lady from Bata come to campus tomorrow to measure feet.  Proctored exams.  The teachers gave me a list of those children with jiggers so we took them to the clinic to start cleaning and to go on home visits.  Will blog more on this later.  Spent time sorting the graded exams and asking a lot of questions about how children eith special learning needs are handled.  Lots to be done.  Will add more info layer.

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