Christmas Around the World

I was just talking with a friend about our Christmases. I told her about the three-way Skype I had with my family: my older brother & his girlfriend in Seattle (top left), my parents and younger brother & his girlfriend in Portland (bottom right). I told her how it felt all warm and cozy to "all be in the same room together." Then I laughed because I don't think that's exactly how my mom felt about it; somehow over the years of being away, with loved ones all around the globe, now a Skype does feel like being together. Lovely friends in Australia & the USA emailed me, I WhatsApped with a dear ones in N. Ireland & the USA (bottom left). God's given me love around the world. And I was with one of my favorite families here in Musoma... but I guess we were having too much fun to take photos of anything but the cookies we made (top right)!

Literacy Impact

 Awhile back my friend who works in literacy asked me for ideas for the literacy workshops her team leads. (They teach people to read in their mother tongue, which is uncommon even if they're literate in Swahili. This paves the way for reading scripture.) I shared an idea that I saw and used when I helped at an English learning group years ago, during my teaching program.

The technique is to pick an area of high cultural relevance, like farming, weddings, family, etc. It depends on the culture. Then have groups draw detailed pictures, talking about the topic. Of course I would like techniques with drawing!

I recently learned that the literacy team has really enjoyed the technique, because it stimulates lots of use of the mother tongue. After the drawing, groups label the images. Later in the workshop they use those words to write sentences, then short stories, as their comfort writing in their mother tongue increases.

I Feel

Today we finished the semester. We invited friends and family. The kids read aloud writing projects, showed art, acted out a play about Archimedes, sang Australian Jingle Bells, etc. It was a good time. It's been a good semester.

Before the presentation one of my students said, "Are we going to toss around that ball with the sentences?" It's a beach ball I have. It has sentence starters like, "I feel," "I liked," "I learned," and "I wonder" It's a great way to sum up a time period with students. It's fun, and everyone can put their thoughts/ feelings to words.

I hadn't remembered the ball; it's been in a drawer all semester. I love it when students do the leading!

I said, "I feel happy that it's been a good semester, with the G family back, and I'm a bit sad that the N family will be gone next semester."

Are you going to set the sun?

"Unaenda kuzamisha jua?"
"Ndio."

"Are you going to set the sun?"
"Yes."

This is a common exchange between the guard here and me, as I leave the house to climb a giant boulder next door to watch the sun set. It's a favorite activity at this new location, a time to just be, to watch the birds fly in for the night, to pray, to lay on warm rock...

I love that he says it this way, instead of "Are you going to watch the sun set?"; no one else I've spoken to does.

If you want to see what I look like setting the sun, check out my Facebook timeline.

A Blog in a Blog

Have I shared our LVLC website here before? Not only is it a website about our learning center, but it includes a blog too! So click for stories of teaching.

Also, please share this link with anyone who might be interested in teaching here. The future, as far as staffing, is still rather unclear... Though I'm sure God has a plan.