Well, we made it to Masaka finally a week ago Friday! The students did exams starting the Tuesday after we got here so we were only able to watch one day of teaching. I am teaching in the P5 classroom doing Math and maybe some other subjects. I have 96 students in my class! We did exams all last week and we have been marking them. I corrected the math exams by myself and it was a lot of work. It is amazing to see what these students are studying at such a young age. It gives me a good idea what to teach and what needs to be retaught before the end of the school year in the beginning of December. I am also on the academic committee so we get to check the exams for each level and subject. It is hard work and there are only 5 of us to check all of them and approve or give them back to the teacher to revise again.
Many of the students have left for holiday because we ran out of food to feed them although the holiday does not begin until the 8th of August. It is more quiet around the school now that many of the students have left for holiday. P7 and P6 students do not get a holiday and P5 will get only one week because there is so much material to get done before the end of the year. I will be going to Kampala for a week so I will write more when I can use free Internet instead of paying for it. I pray that things are well with all of you and thank you for your prayers! God bless each of you!!!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Going to immgration tomorrow!!!
Tomorrow we are going to immigration. They currently have our passports and our paperwork. We are praying that we do not have to pay the $900,000 shilling (about $600 in the US). Hopefully we will be able to go to Masaka on Thursday. Oh, if you want to send me letters, they said it would be better if you sent it to our office in Kampala and they would get it to me so the address is PO Box 4428, Kampala, Uganda.
We had a conference this week (Thursday to Sunday) with a speaker from the states. It was really good and God is working in my life because I experienced things that I never had in the states. I know that God is working because I would have walked out in the states, but I felt a peace in my spirit about what was happening.
On Thursday, we walked into town to buy some things that we will need in Masaka. We bought our food and supplies and then walked to buy a dresser. We could not get the dresser that day so we ordered one that they had ready in 3 days for us. We were going to get a boda boda (a motorcycle) to take home, but none of them passed us so we ended up walking home with all of our stuff. I think we ended up walked about 10 miles that day. We were really tired when we got home, but it also felt really good to walk.
On Sunday, we came back to St. Mbuga to watch basketball. The school is divided into 4 different houses and they have different events. They finished soccer last week and basketball and netball on Sunday. It was fun to watch and I ended up staying later to hang out with the students and play soccer and basketball. I had 4 escorts on the way home so I felt really protected and they bought me some really good food.
The food here is awesome and so filling. It is nice to have food that has not been processed at all. I currently have not gotten sick so I thank all of you for praying for me health and protection. I pray that things are well with all of you!!! God's blessing to each of you!
We had a conference this week (Thursday to Sunday) with a speaker from the states. It was really good and God is working in my life because I experienced things that I never had in the states. I know that God is working because I would have walked out in the states, but I felt a peace in my spirit about what was happening.
On Thursday, we walked into town to buy some things that we will need in Masaka. We bought our food and supplies and then walked to buy a dresser. We could not get the dresser that day so we ordered one that they had ready in 3 days for us. We were going to get a boda boda (a motorcycle) to take home, but none of them passed us so we ended up walking home with all of our stuff. I think we ended up walked about 10 miles that day. We were really tired when we got home, but it also felt really good to walk.
On Sunday, we came back to St. Mbuga to watch basketball. The school is divided into 4 different houses and they have different events. They finished soccer last week and basketball and netball on Sunday. It was fun to watch and I ended up staying later to hang out with the students and play soccer and basketball. I had 4 escorts on the way home so I felt really protected and they bought me some really good food.
The food here is awesome and so filling. It is nice to have food that has not been processed at all. I currently have not gotten sick so I thank all of you for praying for me health and protection. I pray that things are well with all of you!!! God's blessing to each of you!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Still in Kampala
We get to go back to immigration again today. I realized that we have been there about 7 times in the last week. We are starting to feel like it is a new home. We went yesterday and got signed off in one department but when we went to the NGO office they said that we have to do some things again. We had to go back to the US Embassy and we have to go there today too. Hopefully we can get everything worked out so we can go with the group that is heading out there on Monday. It is supposed to cost us 900,000 shilling to get everything processed which is about $560 in the US. I'll let you know what is going later how everything goes. Please keep us in prayer while dealing with immigration and the US Embassy.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Got a phone!!!
I got a phone today! The number is 011256756831346 which includes the international code and country code. Please remember that I am 10 hrs ahead of you in the states so I'm writing this at noon and it is 2 AM for you.
I have more time so I'll give you more information on what is happening in my life since I left all of you.
The time in Masaka last week was a great experience but it was also hard. When we arrived on Sunday the students were lined up on the road and driveway to welcome us in song. It was a little overwhelming but a true blessing too.
On Monday, we were able to go to Nambirizii to do some construction and do
some crafts with the students. I felt out of place since I had not been at any of the meetings for the crafts and as many of you know that I do not do well with construction. I wandered around taking pictures of the different groups working until on of the Ugandans doing construction saw me watching him so he gave me a job. I was to pound the cement even after the guys had dumped into piles in the room that we were working on. It was a lot of hard work but it was also a lot of fun too.
On Tuesday, I was able to sit in the primary classrooms and watch the teachers to learn more about their system here. I was surprised at how much their teaching methods are like ours but also very different as the classes range from 50-110 students. On Wednesday, I sat in on the secondary classes and got to watch a debate between Senior 1 and Senior 2 on whether girls should have the same education as boys. It was really entertaining and a great English lesson.
On Thursday, I went with the group to Nambirizii again to do medical work on the students. It was an emotional day, but I know that God was in the middle of the whole things. I was mom that day as I held the students who were having to have cuts deep cleaned. It was hard to see the condition of the students' bodies but it was good to be able to hold the students as others dug into the wounds and did what we could for them. That afternoon was a huge contrast to the morning. The students at Masaka put on a talent show for us. It was great and we had a wonderful time.
On Friday, we did the medical work at Masaka. Again I was mom helping with the students who were really bad off. I also got the privilege of working on the hands and feet of the cooks as they have really bad fungus. We left Masaka that afternoon and came back to Kampala.
On Saturday, we went shopping and spend time with the team. We took them to the airport in early evening. It was weird to be still with the Ugandans after sending off the rest of the team. On Sunday, we went to church and then went to St. Mbuga Secondary School for visitation day. It was interesting to see the contrast between since a rich school as that one and the one that I will be working at in Masaka.
This week has been a challenge for me as we have been doing a lot of sitting around waiting for people and things. I was feeling like we were driving around in circles the other day as we were going to immigration and the US Embassy. Yesterday was a good day because we went to St. Mbuga again to spend lunch with the students. We have been walking around town, learning to cook, learning Luganda, and just getting used to Uganda. Goodbye for now and I hope to hear from some of you. I am able to check my email so feel free to write me at teacher.michelle@gmail.com but I"ll only get to it as often as I check this. God's blessing to each and every one of you. I love you and I'm praying for you!
I have more time so I'll give you more information on what is happening in my life since I left all of you.
The time in Masaka last week was a great experience but it was also hard. When we arrived on Sunday the students were lined up on the road and driveway to welcome us in song. It was a little overwhelming but a true blessing too.
On Monday, we were able to go to Nambirizii to do some construction and do
some crafts with the students. I felt out of place since I had not been at any of the meetings for the crafts and as many of you know that I do not do well with construction. I wandered around taking pictures of the different groups working until on of the Ugandans doing construction saw me watching him so he gave me a job. I was to pound the cement even after the guys had dumped into piles in the room that we were working on. It was a lot of hard work but it was also a lot of fun too.On Tuesday, I was able to sit in the primary classrooms and watch the teachers to learn more about their system here. I was surprised at how much their teaching methods are like ours but also very different as the classes range from 50-110 students. On Wednesday, I sat in on the secondary classes and got to watch a debate between Senior 1 and Senior 2 on whether girls should have the same education as boys. It was really entertaining and a great English lesson.
On Thursday, I went with the group to Nambirizii again to do medical work on the students. It was an emotional day, but I know that God was in the middle of the whole things. I was mom that day as I held the students who were having to have cuts deep cleaned. It was hard to see the condition of the students' bodies but it was good to be able to hold the students as others dug into the wounds and did what we could for them. That afternoon was a huge contrast to the morning. The students at Masaka put on a talent show for us. It was great and we had a wonderful time.
On Friday, we did the medical work at Masaka. Again I was mom helping with the students who were really bad off. I also got the privilege of working on the hands and feet of the cooks as they have really bad fungus. We left Masaka that afternoon and came back to Kampala.
On Saturday, we went shopping and spend time with the team. We took them to the airport in early evening. It was weird to be still with the Ugandans after sending off the rest of the team. On Sunday, we went to church and then went to St. Mbuga Secondary School for visitation day. It was interesting to see the contrast between since a rich school as that one and the one that I will be working at in Masaka.
This week has been a challenge for me as we have been doing a lot of sitting around waiting for people and things. I was feeling like we were driving around in circles the other day as we were going to immigration and the US Embassy. Yesterday was a good day because we went to St. Mbuga again to spend lunch with the students. We have been walking around town, learning to cook, learning Luganda, and just getting used to Uganda. Goodbye for now and I hope to hear from some of you. I am able to check my email so feel free to write me at teacher.michelle@gmail.com but I"ll only get to it as often as I check this. God's blessing to each and every one of you. I love you and I'm praying for you!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Finally in Uganda!
So I made it to Uganda a day late but we got here on the 21st of June. We had a great time in Masaka with the team that I was working with. We took them to the airport last Saturday night. I am staying in Kampala this week to rest and work on things with immigration and the U.S. Embassy. It has been an adjustment time, but I am doing well and enjoying my time so far. I do not have much time left on my credit right now so I am going to keep it short, but I hope to write more before we head to Masaka sometime next week.
It has been a blessing that I have not thought of home much until this week when things have begun to get hard with dealing with immigration and not being able to move around without someone to escort us and not having transportation. That is all for now, but I'll write again soon I hope.
It has been a blessing that I have not thought of home much until this week when things have begun to get hard with dealing with immigration and not being able to move around without someone to escort us and not having transportation. That is all for now, but I'll write again soon I hope.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
