Embarking on Our "Voyage of Discovery"

This is a quote from my principal's opening letter to parents this week. He wrote a unique sentence about each teacher. Mine says, "Grade 3 is still Miss Deal's class. She will be taking them on a really imaginative voyage of discovery through their curriculum this year." So off we go! 

The first three days were really fun; it's so nice to feel like I know what I'm doing. And, my new class is very sweet and exuberant. They cheered when we went to art, and when they got to take their first timed math tests. They shivered in anticipation as we began to investigate The Mystery of Christ. They listed all manner of transportation, from camels to golf carts, as we began our topic studies. Almost everyone turned in their first homework. One student came up and thanked me for our first math lesson. Another requested that the class pray aloud all together at the same time. And a student from last year brought me a gecko made out of a soda can. A good first week.

I pray Christ will love and build up these lovely children through me (in part!) this year.

Posted!

Here are some Kilimanjaro Photos! 

(Some photos are from before or after the hike, in Moshi or on the way with my parents.)

Tulipanda Kilimanjaro! (We climbed Kilimanjaro!)

5895 meters... 19,341 feet above sea level. My mom, dad, and I climbed Kilimanjaro last week with the help of our guide, Saumu, and multiple porters including Joseph and Daudi, pictured here. (We used Ahsante Tours, a great company.) The summit day began at midnight with a moonlit climb. The night was austere in beauty, from falling stars to gleaming snow. Each step required deep breathes due to decreasing oxygen. We reached the summit as the moon set and the sun rose, surrounded by 360 degrees resplendent with light, colors, and the textures of glaciers and wind-sculpted snow. Ascending and descending we enjoyed passing through five different vegetation zones. I think I'll add more photos later. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the simplicity of hiking and enjoying God's artistry for seven days. I was also very thankful for the opportunity to spend time with our guide and porters, Tanzanians who I learned from, laughed with, and got to practice speaking Swahili with each day.

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Mom and Dad are here now! They are a couple of my favorite people. They are enjoying the sights of Dar for the first time... Sights like two goats in a box on the back of a bicycle. Bicycles also carry stacks of eggs, hundreds of bread loaves, cages of chickens, et cetra. Dad likes to see the geckos, birds, and cows grazing along the road. Mom likes the women with tubs of bananas on their heads wearing pretty kangas (sarongs).

One of my favorite sites ever was when I was sitting in traffic, where vendors walk up and down with their wares. I was impressed with the bananas and machetes (pangas), but what really gave me joy was the guy with an aquarium full of tropical fish on top of his head. It is hard to take photos in traffic, so I drew a picture from memory too:)

Eye Contact

Hello All. Since school's been out, I've been a bit relaxed in blogging. I am in Kenya at an SIL retreat right now. It's been refreshing on many grounds: a deeper realization of God's grace, social time with people in SIL that I can identify with, enjoyment of God's creation (including a a mermaid's enjoyment of playing in seaweed laden waves!), and luxuries like lots of vegetables cut up for me at the buffet every lunch and dinner!

Before I came here I stopped with friends in Mombasa at an orphanage for babies. I realized that I've never really held an infant for a long period of time, nor fed one. There were older babies, but I really liked the infants, because they seemed hungry for eye contact, along with the milk. Eye contact is something I can give, so I felt happy to do so:) I was hoping that the eye contact communicated to them a little of Jesus' love for them, even though they don't have a mother to love them.

The Baby Life Rescue center is an amazing place; Selpher and Peter, a Kenyan couple who met during their service with YWAM, take care of up to 10 babies at a time in their home. They have two ladies who come help with the feeding, hand washing, cleaning, holding, changing, etc. Their prayer and aim is to have the kids adopted. Some go into foster care. When I was there I got to go with them to pick up Night and Philemon from the child agency of the government. Night, 11 days old, and Philemon, 1 year, were orphaned days earlier when their mother died in prison. Selpher and Peter have very sweet countenances and humbly love the kids. They would like to move to a larger place, where the kids could have outdoor play areas and they could take in more babies in need.

Summertime, and the livin' is easy...

The fish aren't jumpin' necessarily, but there was a crab crawlin' in our campsite Tuesday night. Rose and I are the last two in the house. Emily and Ali flew home for the summer. So, Rose and I took two of our 6th grade friends for a camp out on Mbudya Island. It was lovely, playing in the warm waves and laying on the sand, gazing up at baobab branches. We roasted potatoes and smores in the fire, hiked across the island, and slept under the stars, enjoying God's beauty. The crab was a coconut crab, and he didn't just crawl into camp; this worker brought him over to entertain us. Big fellow.

I'm enjoying the freedom of an open schedule, and feel blessed by opportunities to visit with people, swim, take more time in the Word... and reply to emails! This week we'll head to Kenya for the SIL conference. It will be good to see people I've met on my travels to Mbeya and Musoma, and hear more about Bible translation.

Basi!

 "Basi" means done.

The year is done!

We finished with a Bible Celebration. See the beautiful banners that highlighted some of the clues to the Mystery of Christ.

Then we finished with food... The kids did cupcake art at our class party. This group of girls had an animal theme.

The teachers had gelatto at our favorite spot: Fairy Delights. It was actually Emily's and my 11 month anniversary of arriving in Tanzania (and almost Rose's too).

I think the year ended well, and I'm excited for the break and for next year. However, now my brain is a bit fuzzy and I feel like resting...