I know its a little late for this but better late than never right? I wanted to give you the names and some information on the wonderful people I'm working with here. So, lets meet the team:
- Winnie Muvunyi: This is my Rwandan Mother. I've known her since I was 8 and she has been so good to me since I've been here. I go over to her house, which is just on the other side of the school, every night for dinner and to chat. She has really taken me into the family and made me feel so at home.
- Louis Muvunyi: This is my Rwandan Father, Winnie's husband and a truly great man. He has recently become a Bishop of Kigali and really takes it seriously and with pride.
- Chaka Immaculate: Chaka is the General Administrator of Alpha Community Academy (ACA) and takes care of the office. She also is a journalist for the local paper, The News Times. She is a really great writer and a great friend. She has a 2-year-old daughter, Peggy, who is very sweet but a handful. I live in the same house as Chaka and it's great to chat with her and the other ladies during the day and at night.
- Byaruhanga Joshua: Joshua is the Headmaster of ACA and a great guy. He really loves and cares for the kids and the staff, always ready to greet and chat with you.
- Asiimwe Emmanuel: Asiimwe is the Director of Studies at ACA and teaches P3 and P4 Science and Maths respectively. He has been very kind and helpful as I settled in here.
- Eunice Alberts: My fellow newbie and English teacher. Eunice came to ACA a week before me from Kenya. She is so sweet but rather quiet. It's been great learning from her and spending time with her as we both settled into our new surroundings.
- Mbarushimana Jean Baptiste: Baptiste (as we call him) is quite a character! He has been at ACA for a long time, almost since the beginning, and teaches languages. He has been really fun and friendly, making it so much easier to get used to teaching and to the school.
- Martin Agaba: The school IT man and a good friend. I have gotten to know Martin a lot since I got here as I have been the tester of the new WiFi system. Most of the other staff and people don't understand or have never used WiFi before so I've been helping them and him with getting them used to it. He also works in the office, doing tests and other things. Since he is still in school, it can get rather busy going back and forth between both commitments.
- Wambuzi Swaib: Swaib teaches mainly mathematics and has quite a commanding presence. Once you get to know him though, he really is very ready to smile and laugh with you.
- Tushabe Aurelia: Aurelia teaches P1 and is such a wonderfully sweet woman. She has been very kind to both me and Eunice as we learn the ropes here.
- Mama Peace: I just LOVE her name. Mama Peace works in Babay Class (Nursery) and is so friendly and warm. She has a continual smile and is genuinely pleased to see you.
- Teacher Muqenyi: Another Baby Class teacher. Very friendly and always wanting me to help out in BC.
- Justine: One of the Middle Class (the year above nursery) teachers. She and I instantly hit it off and she has been taking me around Remera. She was also the one to introduce me to the Bible Study, which I am very grateful for.
- Claire: One of my housemates. She has rather limited English but loves to shout "Love you Nina!" whenever she see me :) It's so great and I rather love her too. She works as a cleaner in the school.
- Maria: The main cook in the school and a wonderful person. Her food is delicious and she always has a great smile to share. All the kids know her and you hear a chant of "Maria! Maria!" wherever she goes. Maria also goes to Mango Tree Church so is my buddy at the services.
- Barny Mukunzi: Winnie and Louis's youngest. He is in my P4 class and is quite a riot. He's a smart kid but likes to chat and play rather than work. He's my TV buddy in the evening and he loves to ask questions about EVERYTHING that he doesn't know. I pretty much just explain things the whole time :P
So, that's most of the group that I've met here and have worked with. There are, of course, many more outside the school who I will write about at a later date. But for now, you know some of the wonderful people currently in my life.
Saturday, 24 September 2011
Back and Forth
This week has been one of on and offs. The internet, my health, storms, they keep coming and going. As you can see from last time, I was feeling pretty great on Friday. Posting, posting, etc. However, things took a rather dramatic turn on Saturday.
I had made plans with one of the volunteer teachers here, a woman from England named Cathy, to go swimming with her family. Of course, becoming rather ill on Thursday made me think twice about this. However, as I felt so great on Friday I was all for it. My actual plan was to go and meet the family and spend the morning with them, but most likely not swim as it probably wouldn’t have been the smartest move considering. So, Saturday I woke up feeling… AWFUL. Like I said, backwards and forwards. So I told Cathy I wasn’t going to make it, and went back to bed. One good thing about not going, I got to talk to my twinny, Stefan. Huzzah! It was great to catch up.
I made it out of the room feeling slightly better around 10:30 and said hi to the ladies living in the building. Chaka, the General Administrator of the school and the one who has been looking out for me here, told me that she and Claire (another worker at the school) were going to an “introduction” down the road. They wanted me to go along. I thought that that would be fine and wouldn’t take too long. Of course I had no idea what an “introduction” was but I would go with it. So I got changed and got ready to leave. Claire and Chaka were rather smartly dressed so I asked Chaka again what this thing was. She explained it was a wedding. Umm… Ok. So when she said introduction, it’s like the introduction of the two families, the Traditional official marriage in this culture. Right. So I got changed into fancier clothing and we set off down the road. Luckily it was literally 3 houses down so we got there, sat down and I observed. It was very interesting to watch a traditional wedding and I’m glad I went. However, it did go on for a while and it was all in Kinyarwandan. After the ceremony we headed back. Needless to say, I was exhausted, and not feeling too great.
I went for a lie down but I couldn’t sleep. I was feeling rather hungry and I smelt fresh popcorn so I got up to scavenge. The Director of Studies, Asiimwe Emmanuel was talking with Chaka and eating popcorn, so I joined them and chatted. Next thing I knew, I was out in the rain walking up the hill with Chaka and Asiimwe to take Peggy, Chaka’s 2-year-old daughter, for her first haircut. We got to the saloon (a salon, they spell it different) and waited for our turn. So, something about Rwanda. When it rains these really weird huge winged insects fly into any buildings with the light on. They then promptly flutter all over your face and legs, fall to the floor and their wings fall off, they struggle helplessly for a while before ants come and eat them. Mmm. The saloon was FILLLED with these things! They’re harmless and very common so the people who were waiting just ignored them as they gracelessly flew all over them. I on the other hand, was far from comfortable with them touching any part of me so was swatting and ducking madly. The others found it rather amusing. Come see the cowardly white girl! She’s hilarious! I killed like 5 in 10 minutes. I got a closer look too, they’re like tiny grasshopper pupa with wings 5 times they're body. So strange. They call them ants here and they eat them. Not raw. But still.
So Peggy seemed fine with being in a strange place with no idea what was going on. But the second that razor turned on, she started to SCREAM and struggled and kicked and fight. She was sitting on Chaka’s lap and I was trying to help hold her down but she instead grabbed on to me so I sat down with her on my lap. She calmed down a little because I started singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” but not for long. Oh it was hard work. And her little hair was all messed up, some shaved some not, bits shorter than others. So anyways. It was done at least and we headed home in the rain.
Sunday I went to Mango Tree Church for the second time. I went by myself this time, walked there alone and all. I really like the Mango Tree services, they’re so fun and happy. I had brought a present from Scotland: a Scottish tea-towel and a Linlithgow Palace plate. I was planning on giving it after the service to Pastor Anastase. During the service when they asked the visitors to stand, they called me up front to give a little word about myself. They asked me to do this the first time I went but I was far too nervous and unsure of the culture so I said like 3 words. This time I understood the situation a little better and was far more comfortable. I introduced myself, that I came from Scotland and that I was working in Alpha Community Academy, then I explained that I had come from St John’s Church. The impact of those words was phenomenal, they all started clapping and cheering and looked so pleased. They really love you all St John’s. I said that St John’s sent their love and blessings etc., which led to more cheering, and then I thanked them and sat back down. After the service, I gave my present to Pastor Anastase. He was so grateful and wanted me to take pictures etc. I thought to myself that I should’ve presented it during the service as that’s the way they do it, but I forgot. Oh well.
After the service, I headed back to the school. I was feeling a bit ill again so I headed to Winnie’s house to get some food. I thought it might help. It did and I spent most of the rest of my time watching the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon with Barny. I think I needed to just chill though. I got to talk to the family in the evening, including my uncle and cousins which was great
Monday I got to school around 8:30, marked the P4 English tests from Friday and taught my two lessons for the day. They actually went really well despite my lack of commanding voice and coughing/sneezing fits. After lunch, I was going to the Kigali Genocide Memorial with Louis. I was really looking forward to it and was so grateful to Louis that he was taking me. Wow. It is a great place. Very powerful and moving, difficult to grasp but so well done. It really needs to be remembered so that it NEVER happens again. I spent a good 3 hours walking around. It was meant to take like an hour but I think it’s better to really get a proper feel for the place.
I continued to improve health wise the rest of the week PTL so I got my voice back and was able to sleep better. On Wednesday I went to Bible Study in Gishushu again. It was really good and I’m really enjoying myself there. On Thursday there was a bit of a panic in the office as the Friday Weekly Tests were not ready yet. So I offered to stay and help type/print/photocopy them. I worked from 4:30 till 8:30. That’s right. I'm committed. Martin, the IT guy who is in charge of getting the tests ready was rather grateful. And quite surprised that I finished them :P I finally made it back to my room after dinner and a shower at Winnie’s and there was a nice little surprise in my mosquito net. Hi Cockroach. Smush. Fun times.
In the office on Thursday, Martin was telling me off for not doing enough Rwandan stuff since I’ve only got less than two weeks left here. So I decided to head to Kigali on Friday to do some exploring. Eunice wanted to come along as she’d never been before. I was very happy to not go alone. We caught a bus and headed to town. When we hit the centre of town I started recognizing everything but then, we turned down a different road and ended up somewhere else. Oops. So I asked the conductor where “Nakumatt” was (the shopping mall we were trying to get to) and he looked at me like “Oh, crap.” and pointed up a hill. So we started walking, just taking in our surroundings. We passed a tree FULL of stork and crane nests. It was pretty cool. I took pictures and people pointed and laughed at me :P We continued up the hill, all the way to the top, and then started down the other side. We made it eventually and got to look around and do some shopping. I was going to go look for this street with all these restaurants but by the time we walked out, it was getting dark so we headed home. Had to wait by the side of the road for a good 20 minutes as mosquitoes started coming out and attacking us. There were also tons of bats though so they helped.
So. That’s been my week. I was meant to meet up with these two girls from America who are here on a college program today but they had to cancel as one was feeling unwell. So I just spent the day trying to find a computer, and then internet, and then a computer with internet. And just chilling. I talked to the parents and Stefan so it was a rather good day all in all The wet season is really starting in full force. Last night there was an awful storm and I thought my roof was going to collapse. It didn’t There was more storming today which is why the internet wasn’t working, but it seems to be functioning all right now.
Prayer:
- For this country as they continue to heal and progress after the 1994 Genocide.
- For all those who are feeling unwell
- For the staff at ACA as they prepare for Midterms for the kids which starts next week
- That I would really be able to do some more cultural stuff before I head back
Ok. This is the longest one yet! Hope you don’t get too bored reading it.
Blessings.
I had made plans with one of the volunteer teachers here, a woman from England named Cathy, to go swimming with her family. Of course, becoming rather ill on Thursday made me think twice about this. However, as I felt so great on Friday I was all for it. My actual plan was to go and meet the family and spend the morning with them, but most likely not swim as it probably wouldn’t have been the smartest move considering. So, Saturday I woke up feeling… AWFUL. Like I said, backwards and forwards. So I told Cathy I wasn’t going to make it, and went back to bed. One good thing about not going, I got to talk to my twinny, Stefan. Huzzah! It was great to catch up.
I made it out of the room feeling slightly better around 10:30 and said hi to the ladies living in the building. Chaka, the General Administrator of the school and the one who has been looking out for me here, told me that she and Claire (another worker at the school) were going to an “introduction” down the road. They wanted me to go along. I thought that that would be fine and wouldn’t take too long. Of course I had no idea what an “introduction” was but I would go with it. So I got changed and got ready to leave. Claire and Chaka were rather smartly dressed so I asked Chaka again what this thing was. She explained it was a wedding. Umm… Ok. So when she said introduction, it’s like the introduction of the two families, the Traditional official marriage in this culture. Right. So I got changed into fancier clothing and we set off down the road. Luckily it was literally 3 houses down so we got there, sat down and I observed. It was very interesting to watch a traditional wedding and I’m glad I went. However, it did go on for a while and it was all in Kinyarwandan. After the ceremony we headed back. Needless to say, I was exhausted, and not feeling too great.
I went for a lie down but I couldn’t sleep. I was feeling rather hungry and I smelt fresh popcorn so I got up to scavenge. The Director of Studies, Asiimwe Emmanuel was talking with Chaka and eating popcorn, so I joined them and chatted. Next thing I knew, I was out in the rain walking up the hill with Chaka and Asiimwe to take Peggy, Chaka’s 2-year-old daughter, for her first haircut. We got to the saloon (a salon, they spell it different) and waited for our turn. So, something about Rwanda. When it rains these really weird huge winged insects fly into any buildings with the light on. They then promptly flutter all over your face and legs, fall to the floor and their wings fall off, they struggle helplessly for a while before ants come and eat them. Mmm. The saloon was FILLLED with these things! They’re harmless and very common so the people who were waiting just ignored them as they gracelessly flew all over them. I on the other hand, was far from comfortable with them touching any part of me so was swatting and ducking madly. The others found it rather amusing. Come see the cowardly white girl! She’s hilarious! I killed like 5 in 10 minutes. I got a closer look too, they’re like tiny grasshopper pupa with wings 5 times they're body. So strange. They call them ants here and they eat them. Not raw. But still.
So Peggy seemed fine with being in a strange place with no idea what was going on. But the second that razor turned on, she started to SCREAM and struggled and kicked and fight. She was sitting on Chaka’s lap and I was trying to help hold her down but she instead grabbed on to me so I sat down with her on my lap. She calmed down a little because I started singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” but not for long. Oh it was hard work. And her little hair was all messed up, some shaved some not, bits shorter than others. So anyways. It was done at least and we headed home in the rain.
Sunday I went to Mango Tree Church for the second time. I went by myself this time, walked there alone and all. I really like the Mango Tree services, they’re so fun and happy. I had brought a present from Scotland: a Scottish tea-towel and a Linlithgow Palace plate. I was planning on giving it after the service to Pastor Anastase. During the service when they asked the visitors to stand, they called me up front to give a little word about myself. They asked me to do this the first time I went but I was far too nervous and unsure of the culture so I said like 3 words. This time I understood the situation a little better and was far more comfortable. I introduced myself, that I came from Scotland and that I was working in Alpha Community Academy, then I explained that I had come from St John’s Church. The impact of those words was phenomenal, they all started clapping and cheering and looked so pleased. They really love you all St John’s. I said that St John’s sent their love and blessings etc., which led to more cheering, and then I thanked them and sat back down. After the service, I gave my present to Pastor Anastase. He was so grateful and wanted me to take pictures etc. I thought to myself that I should’ve presented it during the service as that’s the way they do it, but I forgot. Oh well.
After the service, I headed back to the school. I was feeling a bit ill again so I headed to Winnie’s house to get some food. I thought it might help. It did and I spent most of the rest of my time watching the Disney Channel and Nickelodeon with Barny. I think I needed to just chill though. I got to talk to the family in the evening, including my uncle and cousins which was great
Monday I got to school around 8:30, marked the P4 English tests from Friday and taught my two lessons for the day. They actually went really well despite my lack of commanding voice and coughing/sneezing fits. After lunch, I was going to the Kigali Genocide Memorial with Louis. I was really looking forward to it and was so grateful to Louis that he was taking me. Wow. It is a great place. Very powerful and moving, difficult to grasp but so well done. It really needs to be remembered so that it NEVER happens again. I spent a good 3 hours walking around. It was meant to take like an hour but I think it’s better to really get a proper feel for the place.
I continued to improve health wise the rest of the week PTL so I got my voice back and was able to sleep better. On Wednesday I went to Bible Study in Gishushu again. It was really good and I’m really enjoying myself there. On Thursday there was a bit of a panic in the office as the Friday Weekly Tests were not ready yet. So I offered to stay and help type/print/photocopy them. I worked from 4:30 till 8:30. That’s right. I'm committed. Martin, the IT guy who is in charge of getting the tests ready was rather grateful. And quite surprised that I finished them :P I finally made it back to my room after dinner and a shower at Winnie’s and there was a nice little surprise in my mosquito net. Hi Cockroach. Smush. Fun times.
In the office on Thursday, Martin was telling me off for not doing enough Rwandan stuff since I’ve only got less than two weeks left here. So I decided to head to Kigali on Friday to do some exploring. Eunice wanted to come along as she’d never been before. I was very happy to not go alone. We caught a bus and headed to town. When we hit the centre of town I started recognizing everything but then, we turned down a different road and ended up somewhere else. Oops. So I asked the conductor where “Nakumatt” was (the shopping mall we were trying to get to) and he looked at me like “Oh, crap.” and pointed up a hill. So we started walking, just taking in our surroundings. We passed a tree FULL of stork and crane nests. It was pretty cool. I took pictures and people pointed and laughed at me :P We continued up the hill, all the way to the top, and then started down the other side. We made it eventually and got to look around and do some shopping. I was going to go look for this street with all these restaurants but by the time we walked out, it was getting dark so we headed home. Had to wait by the side of the road for a good 20 minutes as mosquitoes started coming out and attacking us. There were also tons of bats though so they helped.
So. That’s been my week. I was meant to meet up with these two girls from America who are here on a college program today but they had to cancel as one was feeling unwell. So I just spent the day trying to find a computer, and then internet, and then a computer with internet. And just chilling. I talked to the parents and Stefan so it was a rather good day all in all The wet season is really starting in full force. Last night there was an awful storm and I thought my roof was going to collapse. It didn’t There was more storming today which is why the internet wasn’t working, but it seems to be functioning all right now.
Prayer:
- For this country as they continue to heal and progress after the 1994 Genocide.
- For all those who are feeling unwell
- For the staff at ACA as they prepare for Midterms for the kids which starts next week
- That I would really be able to do some more cultural stuff before I head back
Ok. This is the longest one yet! Hope you don’t get too bored reading it.
Blessings.
Friday, 16 September 2011
[cont.]
So. Another week has passed. It has gone by insanely quickly! I actually didn't exactly have a weekend to take a break. I had a wonderful weekend, but it just wasn't restful. Let’s surmise.
On Saturday I woke up pretty early (for a Saturday) to get to Winnie and Louis' as they were going out to the East of the country to do some church touring as part of Louis' "Bishop Duties". They very kindly offered for me to come and I was very happy to go along. So we headed off around 9 am and drove off into the beautiful landscape and terrain of Eastern Rwanda. I got to see some true villages and some real poverty, but the people were all so beautiful and excited as well. We picked up the Head Pastor (I don’t know his official title)of the Eastern Province, whose name is Marcel at one of the village churches and then we kept going to a small church called Rubona. OK, actually it’s not small, it’s HUGE. The congregation is massive, especially for a village church, but they have had some really big problems recently. They were in the process of constructing a church building last year, which was really great. They had almost completed it when, unfortunately, while they were putting on the roof, it collapsed, with some workers still on the roof. Some of the men died and others were badly injured. Their church building was destroyed. It is such a tragic situation for them and they are too poor to rebuild it at the moment.
It really was heartbreaking as they were such a wonderfully warm, welcoming and lively church! They gave us seats as the guests of honour and danced and sang their hearts out. I have some great pictures and videos which I will post when I get back to Scotland. Really pray for them though. I want to help them so much. They stood, yes STOOD, there was no where to sit, out in the blazing hot sun for a good hour and a bit as we shared with them and their choirs performed. And then it started to rain. HARD. And the rain here is torrential! Their makeshift shelters of wood poles and tarp sheets were very quickly ruined. People were running for shelter as rivers of mud formed. There is a small tin roof outside the pastor’s door and tons of people piled into there. And there is a small community building which was quickly filled up and then overflowed, with people not water. The pastor took us into his home which was so kind. His house has just been finished but it has no running water or electricity. It is very very basic. So I’m hoping that I can raise some awareness for them and some finances. Prayer would be great but once I’m back I’ll let you know what else you can do :)
So that was a great though rather exhausting day. Then on Sunday I had to wake up early again, as I was going to church for 9 at St Etienne’s. Its Louis and Winnie’s church and it was in English! But I have to say, here, I actually prefer the African services. They're more enjoyable. I joined the main service first and then went with Chaka (the General Administrator of ACA) to the kids Sunday School. It was pretty fun but I didn’t stay long as I wanted to go hear the message. So I went back to church and sat down to listen. We sang a few songs and then… left. I had missed the service :P it was so short! I was not expecting that. I met some nice people, mainly ‘murikans working in schools and Universities around here. So that was pretty cool :) Then Chaka and I went back to Remera to see her sister, Donnita, who was in the hospital. I met her and her mum, who were both very sweet. I’m pleased to say Donnita was discharged the next day and is doing fine now. I did some basic shopping and then came back home. Needless to say, I was exhausted. But I had some things to do for school. I started doing art again! :D It has been too long. It isn’t hard-core art or anything, just kid drawings for classes. But it’s been fun! I was very proud of my cow. Took me forever but it turned out SO nice :) Lessons this week were fine etc. nothing much to report on that front.
So, on Wednesday, I went to a Bible Study in Gishushu with Justine and Eunice. Justine is the lady who took me to Remera last Friday :) She’s a sweetie. I invited Eunice and I’m glad she came along. So this bible study was at the house of the pastor of St Etienne’s. They have a NICE place. The wife, Lizette, is from Holland and is very kind. I met a bunch of new people, mainly muzungu (foreigner, yabanci etc.). it was a great evening but by the time I left, I had a rather sore throat. I was sure that wasn’t good and I was right. I had a rather disturbed sleep and took quite a bit of medicine (some Chinese pills and paracetamol) but in the morning I was definitely not well. I had a weird flu stomach bug type thing. Not nice. So I told Eunice and the headmaster that I would not be able to teach my classes that day. They were so good and took my classes for me. I worked in the office, photocopying and correcting tests for the next day. On Fridays the kids take their weekly exams so I was helping prepare for those. I was exhausted by lunch so I went back to my room for 2pm. My loverly family called and it was great to talk to them. Then I slept. From 2:30pm to 5pm. It was wonderful. I definitely felt better after that but still not great.
So now its Friday. I woke up feeling a lot better (Praise the Lord!) and I went in to monitor my P4’s for their English tests. They were rowdy! It was slightly annoying but it was expected. I mean 8 to 12 year olds sitting quietly for 2 and a half hours? Unheard of. I was able to get down to the office after the day (it’s a half day on Fridays) and use a computer. So I posted. And posted. And posted :) So now I hope you're all up to date and satisfied with my efforts.
Prayer Requests!
- Rubona Church: I really hope that they will be provided for and that they will prosper and thrive even in difficult times. God Bless them!
- Health issues: Quite a few are sick at the moment. Hopefully I will be completely healed soon, Chaka is also ill (I think I got it from her) and Justine has the flu. Protection over everyone else that they will stay healthy!
- Winnie and Louis and the family: They have been so busy lately! Pray for strength for them as they continue to serve.
- The staff at ACA: This 3rd term has been hectic! Strength for the team as they continue to give their all to these kids and this school.
Yup. Thus is all :) Thanks for all the positive feedback and encouragement from last time! You are all wonderful.
On Saturday I woke up pretty early (for a Saturday) to get to Winnie and Louis' as they were going out to the East of the country to do some church touring as part of Louis' "Bishop Duties". They very kindly offered for me to come and I was very happy to go along. So we headed off around 9 am and drove off into the beautiful landscape and terrain of Eastern Rwanda. I got to see some true villages and some real poverty, but the people were all so beautiful and excited as well. We picked up the Head Pastor (I don’t know his official title)of the Eastern Province, whose name is Marcel at one of the village churches and then we kept going to a small church called Rubona. OK, actually it’s not small, it’s HUGE. The congregation is massive, especially for a village church, but they have had some really big problems recently. They were in the process of constructing a church building last year, which was really great. They had almost completed it when, unfortunately, while they were putting on the roof, it collapsed, with some workers still on the roof. Some of the men died and others were badly injured. Their church building was destroyed. It is such a tragic situation for them and they are too poor to rebuild it at the moment.
It really was heartbreaking as they were such a wonderfully warm, welcoming and lively church! They gave us seats as the guests of honour and danced and sang their hearts out. I have some great pictures and videos which I will post when I get back to Scotland. Really pray for them though. I want to help them so much. They stood, yes STOOD, there was no where to sit, out in the blazing hot sun for a good hour and a bit as we shared with them and their choirs performed. And then it started to rain. HARD. And the rain here is torrential! Their makeshift shelters of wood poles and tarp sheets were very quickly ruined. People were running for shelter as rivers of mud formed. There is a small tin roof outside the pastor’s door and tons of people piled into there. And there is a small community building which was quickly filled up and then overflowed, with people not water. The pastor took us into his home which was so kind. His house has just been finished but it has no running water or electricity. It is very very basic. So I’m hoping that I can raise some awareness for them and some finances. Prayer would be great but once I’m back I’ll let you know what else you can do :)
So that was a great though rather exhausting day. Then on Sunday I had to wake up early again, as I was going to church for 9 at St Etienne’s. Its Louis and Winnie’s church and it was in English! But I have to say, here, I actually prefer the African services. They're more enjoyable. I joined the main service first and then went with Chaka (the General Administrator of ACA) to the kids Sunday School. It was pretty fun but I didn’t stay long as I wanted to go hear the message. So I went back to church and sat down to listen. We sang a few songs and then… left. I had missed the service :P it was so short! I was not expecting that. I met some nice people, mainly ‘murikans working in schools and Universities around here. So that was pretty cool :) Then Chaka and I went back to Remera to see her sister, Donnita, who was in the hospital. I met her and her mum, who were both very sweet. I’m pleased to say Donnita was discharged the next day and is doing fine now. I did some basic shopping and then came back home. Needless to say, I was exhausted. But I had some things to do for school. I started doing art again! :D It has been too long. It isn’t hard-core art or anything, just kid drawings for classes. But it’s been fun! I was very proud of my cow. Took me forever but it turned out SO nice :) Lessons this week were fine etc. nothing much to report on that front.
So, on Wednesday, I went to a Bible Study in Gishushu with Justine and Eunice. Justine is the lady who took me to Remera last Friday :) She’s a sweetie. I invited Eunice and I’m glad she came along. So this bible study was at the house of the pastor of St Etienne’s. They have a NICE place. The wife, Lizette, is from Holland and is very kind. I met a bunch of new people, mainly muzungu (foreigner, yabanci etc.). it was a great evening but by the time I left, I had a rather sore throat. I was sure that wasn’t good and I was right. I had a rather disturbed sleep and took quite a bit of medicine (some Chinese pills and paracetamol) but in the morning I was definitely not well. I had a weird flu stomach bug type thing. Not nice. So I told Eunice and the headmaster that I would not be able to teach my classes that day. They were so good and took my classes for me. I worked in the office, photocopying and correcting tests for the next day. On Fridays the kids take their weekly exams so I was helping prepare for those. I was exhausted by lunch so I went back to my room for 2pm. My loverly family called and it was great to talk to them. Then I slept. From 2:30pm to 5pm. It was wonderful. I definitely felt better after that but still not great.
So now its Friday. I woke up feeling a lot better (Praise the Lord!) and I went in to monitor my P4’s for their English tests. They were rowdy! It was slightly annoying but it was expected. I mean 8 to 12 year olds sitting quietly for 2 and a half hours? Unheard of. I was able to get down to the office after the day (it’s a half day on Fridays) and use a computer. So I posted. And posted. And posted :) So now I hope you're all up to date and satisfied with my efforts.
Prayer Requests!
- Rubona Church: I really hope that they will be provided for and that they will prosper and thrive even in difficult times. God Bless them!
- Health issues: Quite a few are sick at the moment. Hopefully I will be completely healed soon, Chaka is also ill (I think I got it from her) and Justine has the flu. Protection over everyone else that they will stay healthy!
- Winnie and Louis and the family: They have been so busy lately! Pray for strength for them as they continue to serve.
- The staff at ACA: This 3rd term has been hectic! Strength for the team as they continue to give their all to these kids and this school.
Yup. Thus is all :) Thanks for all the positive feedback and encouragement from last time! You are all wonderful.
It never fails...
I've been here for around 3 weeks now and I have been pleasantly surprised a number of times by the random Turkish things that have popped up around me. Firstly, on the my first proper day here I went into Kigali (Capital) to get some things done. This included a spot of shopping for essentials. In the supermarket, I spotted an Ulker Gofret bar. Rather shocked, and albeit excited, I rushed to tell Hazel. She was quite surprised herself. As we continued to walk around the place, I caught sight of a display selling: Ulker Choconuts, 9KatTat, more Gofret bars and DIDOs! :D Yes, I bought some. It was so random! But rather pleasant :)
Also, my evening routine now-a-days is to sit and watch cartoons with Barny. This includes the Disney Channel (of course). Now, here's the strange part: A couple nights ago I was sitting waiting for some show to start, when this random Turk Milli Takim Baasketbolcu (Turkish National Team Basketball Player) came on and started telling the kids too go to bed so they can grow big and strong. Say "WHAT?!" So random. But rather amusing :) The same thing happened last night but this time it was some Sanatci who ended up singing "Uyusun da buyusun, Niii Ni!" (If you don't know that song, go find the closest teyze and she will sing it for you.) So funny. Barny looked a bit confused so I explained it for him.
Yup, its nice how Turkey follows you around like that...
Also, my evening routine now-a-days is to sit and watch cartoons with Barny. This includes the Disney Channel (of course). Now, here's the strange part: A couple nights ago I was sitting waiting for some show to start, when this random Turk Milli Takim Baasketbolcu (Turkish National Team Basketball Player) came on and started telling the kids too go to bed so they can grow big and strong. Say "WHAT?!" So random. But rather amusing :) The same thing happened last night but this time it was some Sanatci who ended up singing "Uyusun da buyusun, Niii Ni!" (If you don't know that song, go find the closest teyze and she will sing it for you.) So funny. Barny looked a bit confused so I explained it for him.
Yup, its nice how Turkey follows you around like that...
Entomophobia
Definition: The crippling fear of insects.
So I don't exactly have a CRIPPLING fear of insects and I had geared myself up for encounters with some weird and wonderful creatures, but there have been a few times that, since coming here, have truly left me hyperventilating.
So, let me tell you about some of them!
The first experience was probably the one that scared me the most. It was the 6th of November, the Tuesday after I had gotten here. I was doing pretty well insect-wise, killing like 6 mosquitoes a day and a couple cockroaches. The wet season has begun early over here, which chases many a 6 legged beast inside. So, it was evening and I was getting ready for bed after a pretty hectic day. I opened my suitcase and was casually humming to myself when I looked up and saw, sitting in the lining of my suitcase flap, this HUGE, black, cockroach-spider thing. It was about the size of the big cockroaches, but it had a much more segmented body. It also had yellow striped legs. Help me out if you have any idea what it is. Anyways, it was just sitting there, unmoving so I summoned my courage, grabbed my slipper and smacked it. It moved slightly but was definitely not dead. So I hit it again. This time it reacted, in a way I would never have guessed. It leapt, yes LEAPT, out of my bag, like 10 inches into the air, and landed on my bedroom floor. And yes, I screamed. Loud. The adrenaline got to me and I just smacked it with my shoe with all I had in me. Green goo all over the floor. Still rather freaked, trying to calm myself down with a repetition of "OK. OK. Its OK.", heart racing, I got some toilet paper and scooped it up. Needless to say, I was searching my room for a good 30 minutes after that, and walking around the house spending time with other humans and still trying to decrease my heart rate. Going to sleep was a challenge. What with the sticking my feet under a cover that could possibly be hiding a bazillion more of these beasties. Even though I was checking with a flashlight every 5 minutes. So yes. That was freaky.
Number the second. This one happened on the 10th, a Saturday. I had had a really great day out with Louis and Winnie, visiting village churches (more on that later) and it had been raining again. I got to my room and saw something dark on my mosquito net, which was draped over my bed. It was sort of in the corner so I couldn’t see where it was/where it was located. I had to sloowwllly twist my net around so I wouldn’t disturb it, in case it flew at my FACE. I finally managed to get it to a side that was visible and I inspected it, realizing it was actually INSIDE the net. Ugh. One good thing, it was now easier to kill. I got two flip flop and smashed them together over where it was. It didn’t work. It just crawled up a bit higher. I tried again and finally managed to squish it. But now it was stuck to my net by its own entrails and if I wanted to get it out without it falling on my bed, I would have to catch it as it fell. Oh! Description. It was like a very large black cockroach with wings. So I opened the net, tissue paper on hand, to try and grab it without getting too messy. That didn’t work. It fell. Onto my bed. I screamed. Again. So I quickly scooped it up and flushed it. There was a nice smear on my net and some scales and legs left so I cleaned that up as best I could and got ready for bed. I was sitting writing down the day's events when I noticed something on my sheets. It was a leg. And it was all spiky and slightly see through and… Mmm.
The next morning (this is number three) I was woken up by one of the ladies in the house (Chaka) as I was going to church with her. As we were chatting I noticed something crawling along my wall. A centipede. She left and I grabbed my bug spray. I sprayed it (a little too enthusiastically) and it curled up and died, literally. So I had to dispose of it some how. Centipedes are the worst things to crush. Because they are all exoskeleton so they make this remarkable CRRUNCH which is so, so sickening. And yes, I used my hands. Flushed that and headed back to the room. Only to find Mr Centi #2 hanging onto my curtain. I had a bit of an “Oh, come ON!” session, then grabbed the spray and dealt with that too. In a flash of genius, I used a water bottle to crush this one. It didn’t really make it any better. CRRUUNCH.
So, there you go. A nice little account of the more major incidents I’ve had to deal with that pertain to insects. Fun stuff.
So I don't exactly have a CRIPPLING fear of insects and I had geared myself up for encounters with some weird and wonderful creatures, but there have been a few times that, since coming here, have truly left me hyperventilating.
So, let me tell you about some of them!
The first experience was probably the one that scared me the most. It was the 6th of November, the Tuesday after I had gotten here. I was doing pretty well insect-wise, killing like 6 mosquitoes a day and a couple cockroaches. The wet season has begun early over here, which chases many a 6 legged beast inside. So, it was evening and I was getting ready for bed after a pretty hectic day. I opened my suitcase and was casually humming to myself when I looked up and saw, sitting in the lining of my suitcase flap, this HUGE, black, cockroach-spider thing. It was about the size of the big cockroaches, but it had a much more segmented body. It also had yellow striped legs. Help me out if you have any idea what it is. Anyways, it was just sitting there, unmoving so I summoned my courage, grabbed my slipper and smacked it. It moved slightly but was definitely not dead. So I hit it again. This time it reacted, in a way I would never have guessed. It leapt, yes LEAPT, out of my bag, like 10 inches into the air, and landed on my bedroom floor. And yes, I screamed. Loud. The adrenaline got to me and I just smacked it with my shoe with all I had in me. Green goo all over the floor. Still rather freaked, trying to calm myself down with a repetition of "OK. OK. Its OK.", heart racing, I got some toilet paper and scooped it up. Needless to say, I was searching my room for a good 30 minutes after that, and walking around the house spending time with other humans and still trying to decrease my heart rate. Going to sleep was a challenge. What with the sticking my feet under a cover that could possibly be hiding a bazillion more of these beasties. Even though I was checking with a flashlight every 5 minutes. So yes. That was freaky.
Number the second. This one happened on the 10th, a Saturday. I had had a really great day out with Louis and Winnie, visiting village churches (more on that later) and it had been raining again. I got to my room and saw something dark on my mosquito net, which was draped over my bed. It was sort of in the corner so I couldn’t see where it was/where it was located. I had to sloowwllly twist my net around so I wouldn’t disturb it, in case it flew at my FACE. I finally managed to get it to a side that was visible and I inspected it, realizing it was actually INSIDE the net. Ugh. One good thing, it was now easier to kill. I got two flip flop and smashed them together over where it was. It didn’t work. It just crawled up a bit higher. I tried again and finally managed to squish it. But now it was stuck to my net by its own entrails and if I wanted to get it out without it falling on my bed, I would have to catch it as it fell. Oh! Description. It was like a very large black cockroach with wings. So I opened the net, tissue paper on hand, to try and grab it without getting too messy. That didn’t work. It fell. Onto my bed. I screamed. Again. So I quickly scooped it up and flushed it. There was a nice smear on my net and some scales and legs left so I cleaned that up as best I could and got ready for bed. I was sitting writing down the day's events when I noticed something on my sheets. It was a leg. And it was all spiky and slightly see through and… Mmm.
The next morning (this is number three) I was woken up by one of the ladies in the house (Chaka) as I was going to church with her. As we were chatting I noticed something crawling along my wall. A centipede. She left and I grabbed my bug spray. I sprayed it (a little too enthusiastically) and it curled up and died, literally. So I had to dispose of it some how. Centipedes are the worst things to crush. Because they are all exoskeleton so they make this remarkable CRRUNCH which is so, so sickening. And yes, I used my hands. Flushed that and headed back to the room. Only to find Mr Centi #2 hanging onto my curtain. I had a bit of an “Oh, come ON!” session, then grabbed the spray and dealt with that too. In a flash of genius, I used a water bottle to crush this one. It didn’t really make it any better. CRRUUNCH.
So, there you go. A nice little account of the more major incidents I’ve had to deal with that pertain to insects. Fun stuff.
Friday, 9 September 2011
An Abundance of New Experiences
Good day to you! I am finally posting on this blog after spending a week in Rwanda. I was hoping to post something before I left to let you all know what I would be doing and prayer requests etc. However, I (being me) left everything to the last minute, so I was not able to write anything. And then when I got here, the Rwandan internet did not like blogger. Plus it was all in French which I am far from fluent in so I had a few problems getting started. BUT, here we are, and we can now begin.
So. What were my expectations coming out to Africa. Well, it is my first time on this continent I am sad to say, but I seem to be fitting in quite nicely. Not the looks side of course. I stand out like a very white thumb. But culturally, I am not having as many problems as I thought I would. Praise God! I think the parentals from the east and the west, and the growing up in Turkey has been greatly beneficial. To be quite honest, Kigali (capital city of Rwanda) reminds me of Istanbul 20 years ago. You know, before all the buildings took over the landscape and pollution set in. There are all these great little stores and shops and local family businesses, not to mention horrific driving as no traffic rules are obeyed. Its great! And the people are so wonderful! They all want to talk to you and find out who you are etc. I would say they are even friendlier than the Turks! Believe it or not... The young boys on the street also practice all their limited enlgish on you and there are quite a few people begging. I had my first public transport experience today and it was also a reminder of mini-buses and dolmuses of Istanbul in the 90s. One difference though, they have motorbike taxis. And I got to ride one home. It was, AWESOME.
I honestly did not know what I would be doing in the school here so it was a bit of a blind leap as I set out to start the lessons on Monday. Wait, back track. I got here on Thursday night and was completely shattered. Winnie (the Pastor and founder of this school and whose care I am under) told me to take Friday off and just chill. So I woke up late and then went into the town with Hazel. It was a really good way to kick things off as I was able to see the city and get a better feeling of this country. It really is a wonderful country :) So Friday I spent in town, getting money changed and getting a sim card, doing some basic shopping and seeing THE Hotel Rwanda. It was quite sobering to be honest. Hazel then took me to this craft store run by her good friend Elsie. All the crafts are made by the victims of 1994, the widows left behind. I bought WAY too much and used up my money :P But it was good to help out her business and they were great quality bags etc.
Saturday was a lazy day as Winnie and Louis and Hazel were at a wedding, so I just stayed home with Winnie’s youngest, Barnabus (Barny). Sunday I went to the Mango Tree Church. It is such a beautiful church and I LOVED being there. The worship and the fellowship is so so alive and wonderful. I met some great people and really enjoyed myself :)
Monday was the beginning of classes. School here starts at 7. 7 AM. Killer. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten up so early except for flights etc. The impression Winnie gave me was that I would be helping the kids with their English composition, by practicing writing letters etc. But when I talked to the Director of Studies, Emmanuel Asiimwe, and my co-English teacher, Eunice, Eunice showed me the text book we would be using and so I already have lessons planned out, technically. At 10:30am the kids have their morning break and breakfast is provided for them. It is African porridge, which is this WONDERFUL concoction of a bunch of different grains and its sweet and yummy and filling, perfection. So at break, Eunice showed me the lessons in the book but she didn’t make it clear that we do one page a day, she pointed out like 6 different pages. So I went to start teaching and rushed through to finish off the 6 sections, only to find out after, that I had pretty much covered the lessons for the week. Oops. So that was a bit of a fail, but luckily we have managed to pull different sections together and kill time in various ways during class.
So, this week has been good! I have actually been quite enjoying teaching, which surprised me as I never thought that I would be a good teacher. I have close to no patience and conveying knowledge to others was never a strong point for me. However, the classes have been pretty fun and getting to know the staff has been great! I have been teaching Primary 3 and 4 English and helping out in the nursery (Baby Class. How sweet is that?! One of the teachers is called Mama Peace. She is awesome, just like her name.)
So yes. Lots of things have been happening and I have had some minor freak out sessions due to insects and tiredness, stress etc., but all in all, it has been great :)
Prayer requests:
- That the teaching continues to go well and that I would be able to handle the 6 am wake up call
- That the kids would be learning something and that I would be able to bless them in some way
- That the insects and such would LEAVE ME ALONE. And that I would stay healthy.
- For the teaching and admin and cleaning/cooking etc. staff here
- For the Mango tree church and their continued steady growth
Ok. There you go :) It got long. But it has been a week. And this isn’t even HALF of it.
Blessings.
So. What were my expectations coming out to Africa. Well, it is my first time on this continent I am sad to say, but I seem to be fitting in quite nicely. Not the looks side of course. I stand out like a very white thumb. But culturally, I am not having as many problems as I thought I would. Praise God! I think the parentals from the east and the west, and the growing up in Turkey has been greatly beneficial. To be quite honest, Kigali (capital city of Rwanda) reminds me of Istanbul 20 years ago. You know, before all the buildings took over the landscape and pollution set in. There are all these great little stores and shops and local family businesses, not to mention horrific driving as no traffic rules are obeyed. Its great! And the people are so wonderful! They all want to talk to you and find out who you are etc. I would say they are even friendlier than the Turks! Believe it or not... The young boys on the street also practice all their limited enlgish on you and there are quite a few people begging. I had my first public transport experience today and it was also a reminder of mini-buses and dolmuses of Istanbul in the 90s. One difference though, they have motorbike taxis. And I got to ride one home. It was, AWESOME.
I honestly did not know what I would be doing in the school here so it was a bit of a blind leap as I set out to start the lessons on Monday. Wait, back track. I got here on Thursday night and was completely shattered. Winnie (the Pastor and founder of this school and whose care I am under) told me to take Friday off and just chill. So I woke up late and then went into the town with Hazel. It was a really good way to kick things off as I was able to see the city and get a better feeling of this country. It really is a wonderful country :) So Friday I spent in town, getting money changed and getting a sim card, doing some basic shopping and seeing THE Hotel Rwanda. It was quite sobering to be honest. Hazel then took me to this craft store run by her good friend Elsie. All the crafts are made by the victims of 1994, the widows left behind. I bought WAY too much and used up my money :P But it was good to help out her business and they were great quality bags etc.
Saturday was a lazy day as Winnie and Louis and Hazel were at a wedding, so I just stayed home with Winnie’s youngest, Barnabus (Barny). Sunday I went to the Mango Tree Church. It is such a beautiful church and I LOVED being there. The worship and the fellowship is so so alive and wonderful. I met some great people and really enjoyed myself :)
Monday was the beginning of classes. School here starts at 7. 7 AM. Killer. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten up so early except for flights etc. The impression Winnie gave me was that I would be helping the kids with their English composition, by practicing writing letters etc. But when I talked to the Director of Studies, Emmanuel Asiimwe, and my co-English teacher, Eunice, Eunice showed me the text book we would be using and so I already have lessons planned out, technically. At 10:30am the kids have their morning break and breakfast is provided for them. It is African porridge, which is this WONDERFUL concoction of a bunch of different grains and its sweet and yummy and filling, perfection. So at break, Eunice showed me the lessons in the book but she didn’t make it clear that we do one page a day, she pointed out like 6 different pages. So I went to start teaching and rushed through to finish off the 6 sections, only to find out after, that I had pretty much covered the lessons for the week. Oops. So that was a bit of a fail, but luckily we have managed to pull different sections together and kill time in various ways during class.
So, this week has been good! I have actually been quite enjoying teaching, which surprised me as I never thought that I would be a good teacher. I have close to no patience and conveying knowledge to others was never a strong point for me. However, the classes have been pretty fun and getting to know the staff has been great! I have been teaching Primary 3 and 4 English and helping out in the nursery (Baby Class. How sweet is that?! One of the teachers is called Mama Peace. She is awesome, just like her name.)
So yes. Lots of things have been happening and I have had some minor freak out sessions due to insects and tiredness, stress etc., but all in all, it has been great :)
Prayer requests:
- That the teaching continues to go well and that I would be able to handle the 6 am wake up call
- That the kids would be learning something and that I would be able to bless them in some way
- That the insects and such would LEAVE ME ALONE. And that I would stay healthy.
- For the teaching and admin and cleaning/cooking etc. staff here
- For the Mango tree church and their continued steady growth
Ok. There you go :) It got long. But it has been a week. And this isn’t even HALF of it.
Blessings.
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