Hi everyone! I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's Day with your friends and families. I wanted to do a quick (and hopefully short) update for you all, so here it goes :)
In November, Jenn and I finished our Kenyan diet and figured out that we had only spent about $25 for both of us to eat for the entire month! It was amazing to see how little we were able to live on! On Thanksgiving day we went to a coworker's house to have Thanksgiving lunch/dinner. It tasted so good after the Kenyan diet!! We had a pretty traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. It was even more amazing that we were able to eat on time because the power was out the entire evening and night before Thanksgiving, so no one was able to prep anything. The last week of November or first few days of December we had a high school and middle school concert for band, orchestra, and chorus. I was asked to play drum kit for the chorus show. Even though I was a little out of practice I think I did alright, and I had a lot of fun.
In December we finally moved to the new house! It is beautiful here and feels like a resort to escape to after a long day at school. The landlord ended up putting in an additional bathroom, so we ended up with 4.5 baths! A few days before school ended, the school hired a new high school science teacher and we found out that she would be living with us in the new house. It will be a full house with 5 women, but I think we will be able to handle it :) December 12th was our last day of school and we had an Elementary Christmas concert as well as a class party. I got to play snare drum for a band piece that was being played. Evidently I am the only drummer at the school or something ;) At our class party I planned some minute to win it games for my students to play. Having never saw the show before, it took them a while to learn what to do, but they eventually got it. The parents that were there to celebrate with us really enjoyed watching the games. They were quite amused! That same evening, I caught a flight back to the US to spend time with my family and friends for the holidays. I was able to surprise most of my co-workers, even though some(...cough...Paul...) guessed I was coming home. It was great to be able to see everyone again. Being home was an interesting experience. I had some funny experiences like turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal while driving (our turn signal and wind shield wipers are on opposite sides here). My mom had to keep reminding me that in the US we drive on the right. I was so happy to get to see so many people while I was home, and I hope to see the rest of you when I come home in the summer.
Since arriving back in Kenya a little over a week ago, my roommates and I have gotten a puppy. We adopted her from the KSPCA and named her Ginger Snap. She is a mix of "kenyan dog" and maybe a boxer or german shepherd. We think she will be a medium sized dog. She is very well behaved and we have been working with her daily to get her socialized. While I was home over break I bought a zebra shaped dog toy for the dog I knew we would eventually get. She has been playing with it like crazy! She also loves the puppy treats that I brought back. We were hoping to train her to be a guard dog, but she seems to already have the natural instinct of one. The second night she was here she growled at our night guard because he put his hood on his coat up. I think we will keep her :)
I am so thankful for all of you and I can't wait to see you all this summer while I am home. One thing that will be changing for me next year is that I will not be teaching 4th grade anymore, but instead I will be teaching life skills special ed. I am so excited about this opportunity, and can't wait to get started! Please be praying for that in addition to these other requests:
- For my new roommates and I to figure out the best ways to live together. We not only have to learn each other's habits, likes, and dislikes, but also learn how to spend our finances wisely.
- For my students, and for myself for patience with them.
- For my supporters. I am so thankful that people are willing to help me to be used by God.
Verse of Encouragement:
"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9
