Thursday, March 23, 2006
Random School Stuff
So, I've recently lost 50% of my class at school. That's right. Two of my four students are gone for the remainder of this school year. Kiho Sato went back to Japan for a 6 month furlough with her family and Eric Choi moved to Kampala with his family.
But before they left, we did some pretty cool stuff, and I just posted some pictures in a new folder called, "Some School Stuff."
For science, we were talking about mixtures and the students had to "seperate" the mixtures. Well, the rocks and sand wasn't too hard. For the flour and rice, Eric tried to blow the flour away. Then Curt got a strainer to help. It was actually quite funny. Then we even attempted to boil away salt water to separate sand and salt.
Another group of the pictures are of a lunch that Eric's mom brought for all of us to eat.
One set is of us writing on each others' backs. This was an activity we did before everyone moved away, just to shower each other with kind words. The kids really got into it!
Then there are a couple of pictures of the kids leaning up on a wall trying to get information from a map.
It's been fun, and I know it will continue to be, teaching them. The dynamics have just changed and will take a little getting used to.
But before they left, we did some pretty cool stuff, and I just posted some pictures in a new folder called, "Some School Stuff."
For science, we were talking about mixtures and the students had to "seperate" the mixtures. Well, the rocks and sand wasn't too hard. For the flour and rice, Eric tried to blow the flour away. Then Curt got a strainer to help. It was actually quite funny. Then we even attempted to boil away salt water to separate sand and salt.
Another group of the pictures are of a lunch that Eric's mom brought for all of us to eat.
One set is of us writing on each others' backs. This was an activity we did before everyone moved away, just to shower each other with kind words. The kids really got into it!
Then there are a couple of pictures of the kids leaning up on a wall trying to get information from a map.
It's been fun, and I know it will continue to be, teaching them. The dynamics have just changed and will take a little getting used to.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Baptism Sunday!
On Sunday, March 12, Mbarara Church of Christ welcomed 2 new Christians into God's family. Just wanted you to share with us as we celebrate new life in Christ!
Our new brother, being born again!
Saula (the lady in black and red) was also baptized. She is a former Muslim.
Richard prays for the two new Christians.
Our new brother, being born again!
Saula (the lady in black and red) was also baptized. She is a former Muslim.
Richard prays for the two new Christians.Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Japanese Culture Week
For Social Studies, we studied the culture of Japan for a couple of weeks. Luckily, we had some first-hand experts--one of my students is Japanese and her parents came to teach us! They brought us a delicious sushi lunch and then taught us some typical games and fun activities that Japanese children play. They also taught us a little about the history and culture of Japan. In our studies about Japan, we also made Japanese Flying Carps for art, learned a few of songs--"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" and "Happy Birthday"-- in Japanese, and even played a little trivia game about Japan. Overall, we had a great time learning about Japan!
Monday, March 20, 2006
feeling a little artsy...and africa
Just wanted to post a few random pictures that I've taken and JUST LOVE!
First is John, one of our workers. Clearly this was on a day where there wasn't much to do.
Another day, John and Livingstone taking bottles back to town (and probably buying more sodas)!
Thirdly, I just like the fruit stand. It was on my way home from Kampala after getting Debbie to the airport. (So it was actually taken way back on Christmas Eve!)
Finally, aren't Davis and Savannah just adorable? He was walking her home after a day of playing. Luckily, there was NO VASOLINE around that day!
First is John, one of our workers. Clearly this was on a day where there wasn't much to do.
Another day, John and Livingstone taking bottles back to town (and probably buying more sodas)!
Thirdly, I just like the fruit stand. It was on my way home from Kampala after getting Debbie to the airport. (So it was actually taken way back on Christmas Eve!)
Finally, aren't Davis and Savannah just adorable? He was walking her home after a day of playing. Luckily, there was NO VASOLINE around that day!
A Tea Party!
How did I celebrate the elections? Well, because we were unsure of how things would turn out and wanted to keep close to our homes the day the news of the new president was announced, school was closed. And Hannah Baker decided to have a little tea party, since we were all just hanging out!
Once everyone was there, her mom asked, "Well, Hannah, what do you want your guests to do now?"
"Color!" she said emphatically. So we did. And we enjoyed tea and muffins and lovely conversation all the while.
Plus Hannah even sent us home with a home-made gift bag and a beautiful piece of stationary.
What a great way to spend a holiday from school!
50%
Well, I'm sure you all know that we only have power about 50% of the time. (I think I've told almost everyone by now!) We lose power from about 6 pm until about 6 pm the following day. It has posed some problems, mainly with things like keeping the food in the fridge cold, not to mention cooking. I guess that in the past 2 1/2 months of this, I've gotten into a little routine.
On power out school mornings, I eat cereal and get use the Bakers' boiled water to make my coffee in a french press. (THANK YOU STARBUCKS AND MOM AND DAD FOR THE GIFT LAST CHRISTMAS...and I suppose Aaron Pishalski for introducing it to me!) Lunch on these days is usally cold leftovers or a sandwich or salad. Mornings where I'm NOT rushed off to school, I will usually heat water over the fire out back for coffee and sometimes I'll even cook eggs (or one time French toast) out there...but then I have to fight Quesa, our dog, for the food I'm cooking!
The biggest change I've had to make is being even MORE of an advanced planner (which is hard for me to begin with!). For example, copies, printing things in town, laundry, even rationing our hot water from the hot water tank! But I guess there are always adjustments to be made....right?
About a week ago, for a way to spend the day (since there was no power), my roommates and I went to the Tea Plantation after church just to get some solitude and quiet time--away from our house. It was great! I took a blanket and some pillows and listened to music and read (and even did some school work!). Overall, it was such a great time to rest and "get away"!
On power out school mornings, I eat cereal and get use the Bakers' boiled water to make my coffee in a french press. (THANK YOU STARBUCKS AND MOM AND DAD FOR THE GIFT LAST CHRISTMAS...and I suppose Aaron Pishalski for introducing it to me!) Lunch on these days is usally cold leftovers or a sandwich or salad. Mornings where I'm NOT rushed off to school, I will usually heat water over the fire out back for coffee and sometimes I'll even cook eggs (or one time French toast) out there...but then I have to fight Quesa, our dog, for the food I'm cooking!The biggest change I've had to make is being even MORE of an advanced planner (which is hard for me to begin with!). For example, copies, printing things in town, laundry, even rationing our hot water from the hot water tank! But I guess there are always adjustments to be made....right?
About a week ago, for a way to spend the day (since there was no power), my roommates and I went to the Tea Plantation after church just to get some solitude and quiet time--away from our house. It was great! I took a blanket and some pillows and listened to music and read (and even did some school work!). Overall, it was such a great time to rest and "get away"!
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Some Re-caps of Debbie's visit (more detail about the 40 new pictures I just posted)
So I just posted lots of pictures from Debbie's visit way back in December. (BE SURE TO CHECK THEM OUT AT: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/bethellent/my_photos )
The first one is really blurry, but it's the only one I have of her arriving at the Entebbe airport. I made Lori guess which person arriving was my sister. I don't know if I waited long enough for Lori to make a guess, because when I was saw her come out, I was so excited that I just got a huge grin on my face and started walking around the other people to get to her.
The next few are in Jinja, from right after we went rafting. It was so pretty there. After we went rafting, Spencer took us to the source of the Nile River, and it was just beautiful. The sun was setting, and it suddenly started pouring. The next morning we had a few minutes to look around the Source Cafe (also where they hold church) in Jinja. The woodcarvings and decor was beautiful!
Some of the other random pictures are of Debbie riding a piki piki (pronounced "peachy-peachy"). Of course, I was taking the picture while I was either rideing in front of or behind her on my own piki piki. There are a couple of pictures of some dancers that we were trying to see at Lakeview when we went there for lunch, but they were SO late, we ended up having to leave as they were coming out so that we could make it to Lake Mburu and back before dark.
We spent a LOT of time with the Bakers. We took the kids to the pool one day and even played the "Big Red Challenge" with them....you know, you lick the back of the Big Red wrapper and then stick it to your forehead. It sure does burn, but that's the challenge--to see who can stand hte heat the longest. I think Hannah won! We also tasted grasshoppers at the Bakers. One of their workers, Kama Kama, fried them up for us. They weren't so bad--tasted somehow like bacon. Thinking about what we were eating too much was not good though.
Sword and Soccer is another fun thing that Debbie got to participate in here. Every Saturday, team and neighborhood kids show up at our compound to play soccer. Then Terri teaches them a little Bible lesson.
For Christmas (and I'll probably do another post about Christmas in general, along with some more Christmas pictures), our team has SO MANY visitors. We had a team Christmas party with a White Elephant gift exchange and a cookie exchange. Debbie was able to be here for all of this. She even helped to make all sorts of fancy Christmas cookies to contribute to it!
Okay, I think that about covers the 40 pictures I just posted about Debbie's visit. I do have several other posts/photo albums in mind that I will try to post in the next week or two. . . or not, since I'm heading out to Mbale next week for quarterly meeting.
So, stay tuned for stuff about Mweya, the ladies' ministries, the aggies interns, and more!
The first one is really blurry, but it's the only one I have of her arriving at the Entebbe airport. I made Lori guess which person arriving was my sister. I don't know if I waited long enough for Lori to make a guess, because when I was saw her come out, I was so excited that I just got a huge grin on my face and started walking around the other people to get to her.
The next few are in Jinja, from right after we went rafting. It was so pretty there. After we went rafting, Spencer took us to the source of the Nile River, and it was just beautiful. The sun was setting, and it suddenly started pouring. The next morning we had a few minutes to look around the Source Cafe (also where they hold church) in Jinja. The woodcarvings and decor was beautiful!
Some of the other random pictures are of Debbie riding a piki piki (pronounced "peachy-peachy"). Of course, I was taking the picture while I was either rideing in front of or behind her on my own piki piki. There are a couple of pictures of some dancers that we were trying to see at Lakeview when we went there for lunch, but they were SO late, we ended up having to leave as they were coming out so that we could make it to Lake Mburu and back before dark.
We spent a LOT of time with the Bakers. We took the kids to the pool one day and even played the "Big Red Challenge" with them....you know, you lick the back of the Big Red wrapper and then stick it to your forehead. It sure does burn, but that's the challenge--to see who can stand hte heat the longest. I think Hannah won! We also tasted grasshoppers at the Bakers. One of their workers, Kama Kama, fried them up for us. They weren't so bad--tasted somehow like bacon. Thinking about what we were eating too much was not good though.
Sword and Soccer is another fun thing that Debbie got to participate in here. Every Saturday, team and neighborhood kids show up at our compound to play soccer. Then Terri teaches them a little Bible lesson.
For Christmas (and I'll probably do another post about Christmas in general, along with some more Christmas pictures), our team has SO MANY visitors. We had a team Christmas party with a White Elephant gift exchange and a cookie exchange. Debbie was able to be here for all of this. She even helped to make all sorts of fancy Christmas cookies to contribute to it!
Okay, I think that about covers the 40 pictures I just posted about Debbie's visit. I do have several other posts/photo albums in mind that I will try to post in the next week or two. . . or not, since I'm heading out to Mbale next week for quarterly meeting.
So, stay tuned for stuff about Mweya, the ladies' ministries, the aggies interns, and more!
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Today I feel....blech.
Do you ever feel like you've got so much to do, you just don't even know where to start? well, i do, and i can't even tell you why or what it is i have to do....
I was just looking through my pictures and trying to organize them. THAT is a chore. I'm sure I have more than 3000 pictures--and I really wish I could post more of them to share. I know I'm really far behind in doing that, so sorry...but I'm taking baby steps.
Today, I did add a couple of pictures to the Tea Plantation.
I also added a "Bat Cave" folder. This is from November. When Kati, Andrea, Lori and I went to the game park (and we stopped on the way at the Tea Plantation) at Jacana Lodge. Andrea and I went on a walk with Robinson, a guide from Queen Elizabeth Park, to a bat cave in hopes of seeing a python!! We didn't get to see the python, but the bats were freaky enough for me! Afterwards, we had lunch together and swam (relaxed by the pool) for a little bit. This is where we saw a beautiful, but poisonous, blue lizard. We also saw several monkeys in the trees. It was pretty cool.
Well, I'm hoping to post the pictures of my sister's visit (way back in December) soon--at least some of them! I also have quite a bit of stuff to write about....soon I hope.
For now, I need to go find something for dinner. Man, it's times like this when I wish I could run to Taco Bell or order a pizza or even chinese food!!!
I was just looking through my pictures and trying to organize them. THAT is a chore. I'm sure I have more than 3000 pictures--and I really wish I could post more of them to share. I know I'm really far behind in doing that, so sorry...but I'm taking baby steps.
Today, I did add a couple of pictures to the Tea Plantation.
I also added a "Bat Cave" folder. This is from November. When Kati, Andrea, Lori and I went to the game park (and we stopped on the way at the Tea Plantation) at Jacana Lodge. Andrea and I went on a walk with Robinson, a guide from Queen Elizabeth Park, to a bat cave in hopes of seeing a python!! We didn't get to see the python, but the bats were freaky enough for me! Afterwards, we had lunch together and swam (relaxed by the pool) for a little bit. This is where we saw a beautiful, but poisonous, blue lizard. We also saw several monkeys in the trees. It was pretty cool.
Well, I'm hoping to post the pictures of my sister's visit (way back in December) soon--at least some of them! I also have quite a bit of stuff to write about....soon I hope.
For now, I need to go find something for dinner. Man, it's times like this when I wish I could run to Taco Bell or order a pizza or even chinese food!!!
