The Day Care's graduation ceremony was on Saturday November 24th. We have 14 children leaving us and going to school. The kids have been practicing songs, skits and poems for the graduation for months. Everything went very well and the children did a GREAT job on all of their items they were performing. There was only one part of the afternoon that worried me. In the middle of the play, the power went out! Since all of the songs were on CD, the graduation would have been a total disaster with no power. After 2 minutes of frantic prayer and hoping for a miracle, the power DID come back on and we were able to finish the graduation with no more hiccups. Thanks God for helping us. A typical blackout lasts HOURS. God is good.
The graduation began with all of the children on stage. They recited the Lord's Prayer and then sang several songs (Jesus Loves the Little Children, Jesus in the Morning, This Joy That I Have, and Clap Your Hands Halleluiah just to name a few.) After this, the Puppy class (2-3 year olds) showed off what they have learned by saying their colors, shapes, days of the week, months of the year and counting 1-10.
Next the Giraffe girls and boys (5-6 year olds) said nursery rhymes and sang a few songs. 5 of the giraffes performed a tambourine routine to "The Happy Song." This was such a hit, the parents called for an encore.
Then we started the play. The kids memorized lines and sang songs in this play. The worked so hard. Mary and Joseph were so cute pulling their 'donkey' behind them. The donkey was a plastic storage box with wheels and a horse head attached. The sheep, shepherds, wise men and miscellaneous other characters came in on cue, said their lines and looked cute as could be! The end of the play had the whole cast of the nativity on the stage as "Mary" said John 3:16.
After the play, the Elephant Class (4-5 year olds) sang 3 songs to give us time to dress the graduates in their caps and gowns. They marched in to "Above All" and looked so proud as they waited their turn to receive their certificates. Pastor Cheryl prayed for each child individually as they received their certificate. And each child also received a Beginner's Bible courteous of several churches in Virginia!
We finished the program with the song "He Reigns" which starts "It’s the song of the forgiven, rising from the African plains." During this song it was an amazing feeling to have all of the children singing at the top of their lungs "All God's children singing 'Glory, glory, halleluiah He reigns."
Finally, we passed out food and had some fellowship time. Everything went smoothly. The kids did a great job. The parents LOVED it. And Im glad its over!
Go to my pictures page to see some photos from graduation. www.flickr.com/photos/10765134@N03/
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Turkey Day
As you know, Thursday was America's Thanksgiving. South Africa does not have a Thanksgiving celebration, but my roommates and I HAD to celebrate. We invited 3 other Americans to join us Thursday night for a traditional Thanksgiving feast.
My roommate Carol and I cooked the turkey together. It was our first attempt at turkey cooking and I think it turned out well!! We cooked it in a roasting bag and cheated with a pop up timer. The turkey was moist and done early enough to get all of the other food cooked. Carol made WONDERFUL gravy. We also had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, stuffing and a fruit salad. I baked a chocolate cake for dessert.
The 6 of us had a great time talking and celebrating! Thanks to all of the people that emailed us recipes/ provided recipes via the BGBC cookbook that helped us with our first attempt at cooking a Thanksgiving Feast!
Despite all of the wonderful food and company, the best part of the day was the chance to call home!! It was so good to hear the voices of friends and family. All in all, it was a great day! I'll try to get some pictures posted soon.
My roommate Carol and I cooked the turkey together. It was our first attempt at turkey cooking and I think it turned out well!! We cooked it in a roasting bag and cheated with a pop up timer. The turkey was moist and done early enough to get all of the other food cooked. Carol made WONDERFUL gravy. We also had sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, stuffing and a fruit salad. I baked a chocolate cake for dessert.
The 6 of us had a great time talking and celebrating! Thanks to all of the people that emailed us recipes/ provided recipes via the BGBC cookbook that helped us with our first attempt at cooking a Thanksgiving Feast!
Despite all of the wonderful food and company, the best part of the day was the chance to call home!! It was so good to hear the voices of friends and family. All in all, it was a great day! I'll try to get some pictures posted soon.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Hurry Up and Wait
As a general rule, "Hurry Up and Wait" is a way of life here in South Africa. For the most part Ive been getting used to the 'wait' portion of this phrase. Waiting for the bank, waiting for people to arrive (15 minutes late is entirely acceptable). Ive waited for decisions and meetings and planes to arrive. Waiting has been a part of life.
But when the waiting is over, things happen rather quickly. Hurry up and make a decision. Hurry up and fill in for XY and Z who are sick today. Hurry up and move materials at the last minute. Hurry up and retrieve materials from another church.
This next couple of weeks has a lot of "hurry up" to deal with. The Graduation/Christmas Party for the Day Care is this coming Saturday (November 24th). The kids have been practicing for months and I think they are going to do a great job! But this week is a mad dash to get costumes ready, food organized, and details ironed out.
The following weekend (December 2nd) is the Sunday School Christmas Program. Since we only began practice 3 weeks ago and we only have 1 left before the program....Im not confidant about the way this is going to turn out.
And the week after that is my long awaited, much anticipated, desperately needed teacher training (December 3, 5, and 7). I know what changes need to be made. I can imagine what a great Day Care looks like. I can see the kids interacting in age appropriate ways. I can see the potential in the teachers. But Im having a very hard time finding the best way to get what is in MY head into THEIR heads. I think I could show them changes that need to be made by modeling lessons in their classrooms....but I dont think they will grasp the important concepts unless I teach them explicitly and very specifically point out what Im doing. But after 6 years of teaching and a life time of loving children, Im not sure of ALL of the different things Im doing. So Ive had to look at my teaching techniques and beliefs more closely. Ive had to analyze what I do, why I do it and how effective it can be in this setting. I am definitely growing and learning through this process. The task set before me is extremely challenging. There are days when it seems impossible. Im having to rely on God to fill in the gap when Im unable to perform miracles in this Day Care. And we need a few miracles! But I believe that God is still in the business of performing miracles.
Between helping with 2 Christmas programs and trying to figure out how to train teachers Im feeling a little overwhelmed. Ok, Im feeling a LOT overwhelmed.
But in true South African style, Im busy for the next few weeks and then I have a nice long break (December is Summer Vacation!). I get to "Hurry Up and Wait."
But when the waiting is over, things happen rather quickly. Hurry up and make a decision. Hurry up and fill in for XY and Z who are sick today. Hurry up and move materials at the last minute. Hurry up and retrieve materials from another church.
This next couple of weeks has a lot of "hurry up" to deal with. The Graduation/Christmas Party for the Day Care is this coming Saturday (November 24th). The kids have been practicing for months and I think they are going to do a great job! But this week is a mad dash to get costumes ready, food organized, and details ironed out.
The following weekend (December 2nd) is the Sunday School Christmas Program. Since we only began practice 3 weeks ago and we only have 1 left before the program....Im not confidant about the way this is going to turn out.
And the week after that is my long awaited, much anticipated, desperately needed teacher training (December 3, 5, and 7). I know what changes need to be made. I can imagine what a great Day Care looks like. I can see the kids interacting in age appropriate ways. I can see the potential in the teachers. But Im having a very hard time finding the best way to get what is in MY head into THEIR heads. I think I could show them changes that need to be made by modeling lessons in their classrooms....but I dont think they will grasp the important concepts unless I teach them explicitly and very specifically point out what Im doing. But after 6 years of teaching and a life time of loving children, Im not sure of ALL of the different things Im doing. So Ive had to look at my teaching techniques and beliefs more closely. Ive had to analyze what I do, why I do it and how effective it can be in this setting. I am definitely growing and learning through this process. The task set before me is extremely challenging. There are days when it seems impossible. Im having to rely on God to fill in the gap when Im unable to perform miracles in this Day Care. And we need a few miracles! But I believe that God is still in the business of performing miracles.
Between helping with 2 Christmas programs and trying to figure out how to train teachers Im feeling a little overwhelmed. Ok, Im feeling a LOT overwhelmed.
But in true South African style, Im busy for the next few weeks and then I have a nice long break (December is Summer Vacation!). I get to "Hurry Up and Wait."
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Stark Contrast
I think Jo'burg is like many cities around the world. There are areas of affluence and areas of poverty. Last night I had a chance to see the two worlds within moments of each other.
I work in an area of town that is run down. It used to be a white area during apartheid, but in the past 14 years it has been abandoned by its former white residents and is now a predominantly black area. You can see the beauty that once existed in the architecture and remaining landscaping, but the area of Troyeville has become very run down. Just driving to the church I see trash along the grounds, many buildings with graffiti and broken windows. As you look around there are people milling about everywhere. Although most of them try to remain clean, their clothes are often worn and often second-hand. The stores have bars at the windows and doors all day long and the cars look as if they could fall apart at any moment.
After working in Troyeville all day yesterday, we had the opportunity to go out to dinner with Peter and Yvonne (the couple that took us to the mountains for the weekend). We went to an area called Sandton. Sandton is vastly different than Troyeville. There is no trash to be found. I don't think trash would dare touch the ground here. It would pick itself up and find a trash can before it would allow the landscape to be upset by litter. The landscaping is beautiful along the roads, homes and shopping areas. The people, clothing and cars are equally impressive. The stores have no bars (during the day) and the people seem to walk around with a sense of leisure. They aren't rushing to get somewhere, but enjoying their shopping experience. I feel that this area is so fancy that I don't quite fit in. (The South Africans use the term "Larney" when describing something extremely fancy and high class.)
It is always interesting to me to see the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots" so close together and yet so far apart. When I tell someone from the nicer areas where I am working, they instantly become shocked that I would dare go to Troyeville. They have judgements of the area when they have never been there. But I suppose I am the same way. I have judgements of the Soweto area because of its horrible reputation for violence. It is often easy to make judgements on what we've heard rather than risk seeing for ourselves.
Just to ease your minds....I am usually locked safe within the walls and gates of the church. I rarely walk outside of the church perimeter, and never by myself. I have met enough people in the community to get a wave from a parent or child as I am driving the short distance from the church to the highway. And all of the people that I have come in contact with in Troyeville have been friendly to me. Safety precautions are a necessary part of life and I observe them. So don't be a worry-wart (I'm speaking to a select few of you out there and you know who you are!) If you are still feeling worried, please turn your worries into prayer so it can do some good.
I work in an area of town that is run down. It used to be a white area during apartheid, but in the past 14 years it has been abandoned by its former white residents and is now a predominantly black area. You can see the beauty that once existed in the architecture and remaining landscaping, but the area of Troyeville has become very run down. Just driving to the church I see trash along the grounds, many buildings with graffiti and broken windows. As you look around there are people milling about everywhere. Although most of them try to remain clean, their clothes are often worn and often second-hand. The stores have bars at the windows and doors all day long and the cars look as if they could fall apart at any moment.
After working in Troyeville all day yesterday, we had the opportunity to go out to dinner with Peter and Yvonne (the couple that took us to the mountains for the weekend). We went to an area called Sandton. Sandton is vastly different than Troyeville. There is no trash to be found. I don't think trash would dare touch the ground here. It would pick itself up and find a trash can before it would allow the landscape to be upset by litter. The landscaping is beautiful along the roads, homes and shopping areas. The people, clothing and cars are equally impressive. The stores have no bars (during the day) and the people seem to walk around with a sense of leisure. They aren't rushing to get somewhere, but enjoying their shopping experience. I feel that this area is so fancy that I don't quite fit in. (The South Africans use the term "Larney" when describing something extremely fancy and high class.)
It is always interesting to me to see the "Haves" and the "Have-Nots" so close together and yet so far apart. When I tell someone from the nicer areas where I am working, they instantly become shocked that I would dare go to Troyeville. They have judgements of the area when they have never been there. But I suppose I am the same way. I have judgements of the Soweto area because of its horrible reputation for violence. It is often easy to make judgements on what we've heard rather than risk seeing for ourselves.
Just to ease your minds....I am usually locked safe within the walls and gates of the church. I rarely walk outside of the church perimeter, and never by myself. I have met enough people in the community to get a wave from a parent or child as I am driving the short distance from the church to the highway. And all of the people that I have come in contact with in Troyeville have been friendly to me. Safety precautions are a necessary part of life and I observe them. So don't be a worry-wart (I'm speaking to a select few of you out there and you know who you are!) If you are still feeling worried, please turn your worries into prayer so it can do some good.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Excitement
The weather has been beautiful the past week. Sunny, warm and breezy. Its very hard for my brain to wrap around the fact that it is November. The stores have Christmas decorations up and there are only 3 weeks until the Christmas program at church....but Im having a hard time accepting that. I guess cool weather and fall leaves are necessary for my brain to think its close to Christmas.
The church got a new washer and a new stove today! I send out a great big thanks to Gem and her church for their generous support. God is good. The washer was getting old and spent more time being repaired than washing. The oven didnt work and the cook eyes worked inconsistently. So having these two appliances replaced was such a blessing. The old washer and stove are being passed on to people who are in desperate need and are willing to get some more use out of them. So the blessings are trickling down throughout the community.
Two of the ladies on the team have helped us clean out our store room and there is FINALLY room to sort and organize the children's materials. Three cheers for Betty1 and Betty2! Now the books, craft supplies and toys will be easier to access and use. Im excited about the possibility of being organized and tidy. There is still a lot of sorting to do, but I finally have the space!! Im a excited!
The church got a new washer and a new stove today! I send out a great big thanks to Gem and her church for their generous support. God is good. The washer was getting old and spent more time being repaired than washing. The oven didnt work and the cook eyes worked inconsistently. So having these two appliances replaced was such a blessing. The old washer and stove are being passed on to people who are in desperate need and are willing to get some more use out of them. So the blessings are trickling down throughout the community.
Two of the ladies on the team have helped us clean out our store room and there is FINALLY room to sort and organize the children's materials. Three cheers for Betty1 and Betty2! Now the books, craft supplies and toys will be easier to access and use. Im excited about the possibility of being organized and tidy. There is still a lot of sorting to do, but I finally have the space!! Im a excited!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
The VA Girls
Sara, Amber and CarolThis picture was taken during our weekend in the Drakensburg Mountains.
This is a picture of me and my two roommates. I thought everyone might want to see a picture of the ladies that I spend a lot of time with. God has been so good to put us together. I couldnt have asked for better girls to live with.
Sara (on the left) works at the Door of Hope. She is the youngest of the roomies. She is straight out of college and plans to be here for 2 years through the Venturer program. Sara is always very sweet and has the best outlook on everything. She came in and seems to be a natural at helping with the babies. She has the big job of helping wit adoptions, running babies to the doctors and MANY other things. But she takes it all in stride and seems to love it!
Carol (on the right) works at Troyeville Baptist Church as the Youth Pastor. Carol is the organized roomie. She remembers things, plans things and keeps Sara and I from being completely messy. Carol was the first to arrive here in South Africa and has paved the way for us in so many ways. She plans to be here for one year, but we are hoping to keep her a little longer than that if we can. I am very impressed with the youth that Carol works with and know they are learning ALOT from her.
Those are my roommates. They are great girls and we have a great time together. We have a "roommate" date every Friday. We go out to dinner. Sometimes we go shopping or go to the movies together. Its our chance to get out of the house and away from work and spend some time together. We also take turns cooking dinner. None of us claims to be a good cook, but we haven't killed each other yet with our food...so we are making progress.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Typical Day
I was trying to think about my typical day so I could share with you the things I usually do. But my typical day is not ever typical. Changes are frequent and being flexible is necessary. So here is what happened the past few days just to give you an idea of what I do.
Wednesday-- I went to work in the morning. I spent part of the morning practicing the Graduation programme with the children (Im the narrator). After practice, I spent some time writing curriculum and planning for the teacher training that is coming in early December. In the late afternoon I spent some time with the children during their free play. And finally went home. On the way home it was raining, so traffic was awful. Wednesday night my roommate Sara (who works for The Door Of Hope) went to fetch a new baby that was dropped at the baby bin. While she was gone I baked a cake and enjoyed a little quiet time. (Can I just say that I am SOO glad that I brought the church cook book with me.....my roommates said to thank Jane Madison for her wonderul Salisbury Steak recipe!)
Thursday-- On Thursday I spent some time in the morning planning for the team that was going to arrive. I went to the Day Care and spent some time with the kids while they were in Play Centers. I tried to model good child-teacher interactions....this is an uphill battle! I left from church and went to the mall to wait for my roommate Carol. We headed to the airport to pick up the team.
Friday-- Carol and I rode to a church up in the Northern area of the city to pick up some donations to our Day Care. After riding around in a cirlce for a while (we took a short cut that wasnt too short)....we finally got there...got the stuff and then went to pick up the team. We stopped for lunch and then we took the team and the stuff to the church. We gave the ladies the grand tour (they got mobbed by the kids of course) and finally got home around 5:00. Friday night is our roommate date night, but we were all too tired. So we went to a restaurant nearby called Yanky's. After a quick calzone we headed home and crashed in front of the TV.
Saturday-- Today I went to pick up the team and took them to an African Market. After 3 hours of shopping, we stopped for lunch at McDonald's and then went to church for the monthly ladies meeting. We had a program on AIDS and some lovely conversation. And now Im at home blogging.
So, as you can see, I have no typical day. I fill in when there are emergencies at the Day Care. I write lessons. I pick up teams. I run errands. I model things for the teachers. I hang out with my roommates and spend a lot of time at church. Some days are crazy busy...others are slow and drag by. Im used to very structured predictable days, so this changing schedule is a new experience for me. Life is definitely not boring!
Wednesday-- I went to work in the morning. I spent part of the morning practicing the Graduation programme with the children (Im the narrator). After practice, I spent some time writing curriculum and planning for the teacher training that is coming in early December. In the late afternoon I spent some time with the children during their free play. And finally went home. On the way home it was raining, so traffic was awful. Wednesday night my roommate Sara (who works for The Door Of Hope) went to fetch a new baby that was dropped at the baby bin. While she was gone I baked a cake and enjoyed a little quiet time. (Can I just say that I am SOO glad that I brought the church cook book with me.....my roommates said to thank Jane Madison for her wonderul Salisbury Steak recipe!)
Thursday-- On Thursday I spent some time in the morning planning for the team that was going to arrive. I went to the Day Care and spent some time with the kids while they were in Play Centers. I tried to model good child-teacher interactions....this is an uphill battle! I left from church and went to the mall to wait for my roommate Carol. We headed to the airport to pick up the team.
Friday-- Carol and I rode to a church up in the Northern area of the city to pick up some donations to our Day Care. After riding around in a cirlce for a while (we took a short cut that wasnt too short)....we finally got there...got the stuff and then went to pick up the team. We stopped for lunch and then we took the team and the stuff to the church. We gave the ladies the grand tour (they got mobbed by the kids of course) and finally got home around 5:00. Friday night is our roommate date night, but we were all too tired. So we went to a restaurant nearby called Yanky's. After a quick calzone we headed home and crashed in front of the TV.
Saturday-- Today I went to pick up the team and took them to an African Market. After 3 hours of shopping, we stopped for lunch at McDonald's and then went to church for the monthly ladies meeting. We had a program on AIDS and some lovely conversation. And now Im at home blogging.
So, as you can see, I have no typical day. I fill in when there are emergencies at the Day Care. I write lessons. I pick up teams. I run errands. I model things for the teachers. I hang out with my roommates and spend a lot of time at church. Some days are crazy busy...others are slow and drag by. Im used to very structured predictable days, so this changing schedule is a new experience for me. Life is definitely not boring!
Friday, November 2, 2007
Holidays
Halloween passed without a single jack-o-lantern, trick-or-treater or scary movie on TV. Other than seeing pumpkins in the grocery store, you'd have never guessed it was Halloween. Its very strange for me to not have those seasonal milestones. Its three days after Halloween and there are no turkey decorations to be found. The weather is warm and breezy. The trees are blooming. If I didnt have a calendar to help me keep track of time, Id never guess it was November.
It is also a little disconcerting to see Christmas decorations in the stores. On Christmas day, we will be in the middle of summer. Yet all of the Christmas decorations are very typical decorations. They have Christmas trees, snow flakes and Santa Claus on the wrapping paper. The Christmas cards even have winter scenes on them! And just in case you are wondering...the Christmas stuff started appearing in mid-October...just like in the US. So it seems universal to begin the season before necessary.
But I cant say I am sad about the early onset of Christmas. I LOVE Christmas Carols! So I love any excuse to listen to them. I cant wait until Thanksgiving like my Grandma does. I have to start listening to them the day after Halloween. Im interested to see the differences between a US Christmas and a South African Christmas.
It is also a little disconcerting to see Christmas decorations in the stores. On Christmas day, we will be in the middle of summer. Yet all of the Christmas decorations are very typical decorations. They have Christmas trees, snow flakes and Santa Claus on the wrapping paper. The Christmas cards even have winter scenes on them! And just in case you are wondering...the Christmas stuff started appearing in mid-October...just like in the US. So it seems universal to begin the season before necessary.
But I cant say I am sad about the early onset of Christmas. I LOVE Christmas Carols! So I love any excuse to listen to them. I cant wait until Thanksgiving like my Grandma does. I have to start listening to them the day after Halloween. Im interested to see the differences between a US Christmas and a South African Christmas.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Small World
A team of 4 ladies from VA arrived today. They will be working with me at the Day Care. They are very sweet and I look forward to a wonderful time with them. One of the ladies looked SOOO familiar when we picked them up from the airport. Come to find out, she and I have already done missions together. In 1997, Betty and I went to Panama together. I was 17 and she was a leader on my Acteens Activator trip. We spent 2 weeks in Panama teaching Clowning and Puppetry. I had a great trip and I am so excited that God has brought the 2 of us back together to do more missions work. Its amazing that God would put us together twice. The first time, she was my leader as we traveled to Panama. This time, I am her guide in South Africa. What an amazingly small world we live in! Or maybe its just that God is SO BIG!
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