The family I stay with, the Lubangas, run a ministry called ICODEI. They have volunteers come in from all around the world to help in the areas of education, medical, and micro finance. Usually when student teachers come here there are other volunteers staying on the farm as well, but lucky lucky me I am the only volunteer on the farm right now (which I really couldn't be happier about!). Another volunteer is signed up to come in April, but they haven't confirmed for sure yet. For now I am treasuring the time I get the Lubangas all to myself :)
I am going to try and make this kind of short because I know people hate it when blogs get too long and then nobody ends up actually reading them, but rather just skimming them. So we are desperately in need of rain! They usually start planting in February but they still haven't begun because there has been no rain! We pray every night for God to open up the floodgates on Kenya and yesterday we saw Him be faithful. Even now as I am typing this I hear thunder roaring in the distance and it make me very excited and in the mood of praising God. If it continues to rain through the rest of the week, Mama Betty said we will begin planting this weekend. I am excited to learn how to farm as a Kenyan (although it is not my intent, I was informed the if I want a Kenyan husband I will need to learn how to farm.)
The school, the school, I have forgotten to write about the school. It is so different than my school I was teaching at in Bloomington, but it is really great! They are both great in different ways. The students love being at school. The structure is very different. There isn't one teacher for one class, but all the teachers teach the different classes and different subjects in the different grades. Like me, I am teaching English in class 1. (similar to 1st grade), math and creative arts in class 3, and English in class 4. It is kind of hard for the students in class 1 to understand me because they are still just learning English, but I think it is good for me as a teacher to figure out how to communicate and teach in a way that will help them grow. All the kids are wonderful and have captured my heart (despite the fact that they are still warming up to me). Relationships between students and teachers are a bit more formal than I am used to (especially being a kindergarten teacher in the states). I am adjusting and learning though and that is always a good thing.
The last thing I will talk about is the teachers- they are fantastic and hysterical. They love cracking jokes and have been so friendly to me. I always have a good laugh every day so that is definitely a positive thing. The school environment is good and they make it a very happy place for me to be. They are also very willing to teach me about Kenyan culture and ask me questions about America. These discussions are full of laughter, surprise, and learning. I feel very blessed to be able to have them.
So really I have only scratched the very surface of my time here so far. So much has happened and I have learned so much that I feel like I have been here for a life time. God is doing good things in my heart and mind as well. I am witnessing His faithfulness and goodness daily as well as continually be refined more and more into His image for the sake of His kingdom. The Lubangas have been such an encouragement to me and I could sit and talk with them for hours about God. Really it is a gift from God to have such wonderful fellowship while I am so far from where I come from. The kingdom is here and now and is all around us and I am learning that more and more each day.
Grace, Peace, and Love,
Anna
