A Lesson in Lunda

    One of the four year olds at the orphanage has decided to make it his job to teach "Mama Hannah" to speak Lunda. As I was sitting with him yesterday he kept pointing to different body parts and then saying them to me in Lunda, and when I repeated them back to him he would say rather seriously "eŋa" (yes). About every ten seconds or so he'd decide that it was time for me to learn another word (or sometimes to review one already taught), and so it went, until it was time for me to get up and leave. These children are so precious...how hard it will be to leave them behind when the time comes. 

Heaven - from a grade 2/3 perspective

     Lately we've been learning in Scripture class about Jesus' second coming and what heaven will be like. This subject is intriguing to the grade 2's and 3's, and I've been having trouble making it through my lesson plans with the amount of questions I am having to answer. Their comments about heaven range from how wonderful it will be to not have school there, to thoughts about there being no car accidents anymore. 

     My favorite question was asked today though by a grade three boy: "Who will cook all the meals?" Which was promptly answered by a grade two girl with: "The women."

Medieval Birthday Party!

This week was birthday party with a medieval theme. It was a little intimidating at first, trying to think of a costume, but in the end things worked out pretty well. We had a great evening, lots of skits and songs from the students, and an actual boar's head on the dinner menu! I think Sarah enjoyed it...and she went all out on her costume!

A part of me was pretty sad at the end of the party, as it was my very last one at Sakeji. Each birthday party brings its own fun memories, and I'm thankful for all the ones I've been able to share here. 

Sarah's cake - a tower

My cake - a court jester's hat

The boar's head!!!

God made me this way!

Grade two student: "Miss Garcia, why do you have brown spots on your face?" (Referring to my freckles)

Me: "Why is your skin brown?"

Grade two student: "Because God made me this way."

Me: "God made me this way too!"

     I'm pretty sure that the world would be a simpler place if we all realized and accepted this simple concept that even a second grader can grasp.

Little miracles

     Since coming to Zambia and living through the dry season here, my hands (and especially my right hand) have struggled seriously with dry skin, cracking, and eczema. Things like coconut oil, vitamin e lotion, and petroleum jelly have kept them functioning, but the dry air, chalk dust, and Africa germs have kept them cracked, cut up, and sometimes even infected. 

      Going home for a visit during the month of August did wonders, and finally got my hands past a point of healing that has made a huge difference, even back in Zambia. As one of my grade threes put it bluntly yesterday, "Miss Garcia, your hand looks much better. It is almost beautiful!" Although a semi backhanded compliment (children are great at speaking their minds!), I agree 100%, and I'm so thankful and happy to have almost normal looking, and even almost beautiful hands again! 

This is God's will....

     A sticky note on my desk top has the verse 2 Thess. 5:18 on it, talking about giving thanks no matter the circumstance, because it is God's will for us to be in that circumstance. 

     It's a favorite verse of mine, but a new thought in it just hit me today. So often we are pining to know "God's will for our lives"....so rarely do we like to think that those everyday sticky, uncomfortable situations are actually His will. "God's will" is not always this big huge calling that saves the world...often times it's getting out of bed every morning, working through homesickness, or just being there for that crying student. 

     Right now for me God's will is pretty simple. Stay in Zambia until December, have a good attitude, and put in your best effort (no matter how you feel). Ok...I think I can do that. :)

First Week Finished

     Well, today finishes the first week of school, and to be perfectly honest, it's been a rough week.

     Apart from having very hot weather (which drains everyone), I've been struggling health-wise since coming back to Zambia, just going from one thing to the next. It's left me with little energy and therefore, a lot of last minute preparations. The most obvious sign of my procrastination was the fact that I had to tell the bell ringer on two occasions to please not ring the bell for assembly until I was actually there to lead the songs!

      For Sarah it's been a bit overwhelming trying to figure out the crazy schedule, the long list of school rules and expectations, all the kids' names, how she fits into everything. I realized that I was attempting to teach her in one week what has taken me nearly two years to learn....not exactly realistic, and definitely not happening. 

     In spite of the roughness of the week, I'm still seeing great things, getting way more grace and miracles handed my way than I deserve, and Sarah is loving being here. God is still getting me out of bed every morning (even with a night of practically no sleep!) with a desire to do my job, and have a love for my kids as I finish out the last two and a half months with them! God's strength is surely great!

In my classroom, teaching my grade twos.

Sarah leading a grade two reading group.

Not the best shot, I admit, but I was trying to be discreet!