Settling in

So, it’s been awhile since our last update and that reflects that our lives have become a little more routine. The “newness” of life for us here is wearing away and things are settling. We typically wake up, eat, clean up around the house and yard and then visit, work at grounds (although this is happening less because this time of year there isn’t a lot to do) and read. We go to Moengo once or twice a week on our bicycles – about a 30 – 45 minute ride – to buy food, go to lunch, hang out, etc. It’s a pretty laid back lifestyle. Some domestic activities still provide the chance to thrill and excite. After months of practice, Christine can now carry a full, large bucket on her head (see photo) all the way to the river without using her hands! The learning process has given the local women no end of amusement but this hasn’t daunted her enthusiasm.

As for the development work, it has also slowed down. Early on, there was a big pulse of activity in helping to organize the village, discussing wants and needs, collecting baseline information, finding potential sponsors, writing up proposals, etc. The proposals are mostly in and we are in “wait for money” mode.

Some new stuff is still going on. We’ve started giving English lessons which has been a lot of fun. We each give 2 – 4 lessons a week. We’ve split into two classes. Christine teaches those with virtually no exposure to English while David has people who have learned some English in school or at work. It’s very interesting to see how the more advanced group has been taught English. Many actually know a lot of words and phrases but because it has all be book learning and they’ve had very little chance to talk in English, they can’t actually speak a lick! It’s taken several classes to figure this out so David has just recently shifted his focus away from memorization and towards more conversation in class. Christine focuses most on inspiring confidence, increasing self esteem and having fun. Many of her class members are women who, for a variety of reasons, did not attend school at all. It’s a real thrill to see their excitement when someone responds correctly in class. Christine is also working privately with two young women who approached her for assistance in learning to read. Using materials from one of the local missionaries, she is teaching them in the local language. It’s going really well as they are both fast learners.