Hanging with the kids

Let there be Light!!!

Living in the dark has taken on new meaning in our Rafiki Village. Our electricity comes and goes here in our village. Normally, everything gets pitch black outside around 7pm. With electricity out, we maneuver inside our house with flashlights and headlights we brought from the States. We go to bed earlier those nights.

On mornings when electricity is out, everyone in our village proceeds with their day in the dark. My children got ready for school today by flashlight. Try to imagine what it must be like for the Rafiki mamma's when there is no electricity. They get their babies and children up early around 5 am for chores, dressing in their school uniforms and gathering the day's school lessons and supplies. The kitchen staff still continues to prepare breakfast for our 79 children plus others. I walked by the dining hall the other day and everyone was eating in the dark. School begins as usual and we teach class by the dawning daylight.

I hear no one complaining here. At all ages, we all must go on with our days. We do pray for light and God eventually brings it. The other day the children cheered in their classes when the lights came on. Just yesterday, I prayed for light around 7 am so my girls would have light to finish getting ready for their first day at their new school. You know what??? It came on just in time. God is so good. He is giving us all patience and appreciation for light in new ways. We often are surrounded by darkness but God is very present. He gives us His love for each other and His light to live in each day... We send our Rafiki love to you

..............Melody

I thought you would enjoy the light of 2 increadable smiles!

Kids will play!

Clair and John loving their new friends


Boys at play

Anna with adorable twins

In the Classroom

I wish you could be here to see the children as they run from their cottages to school. They have smiles on their faces and are so eager to learn. They gather at the flagpole and start each day with salutations and singing. Then they walk in ordered lines to their classroom.

I have had the priviledge of teaching in Primary 1 and Primary 2 classes. For Science we went on a nature walk in our village and came home with a great variety of seeds to disssect and explore. We were surprised when I examined my skirt that was full of seeds. The diversity of plant life in our village is amazing!

In another class I taught about germs and immunizations. I showed them chickenpox by putting spots with maker on my body and mumps with my puffy cheeks.I showed them a picture of a microscope in a textbook. They had never seen one. We talked about germs being transmitted by our sneezes and how important it is to use a tissue. They warmed my hearts as they began quietly taking out their own handkerchiefs and cleaning their noses as we continued discussing germ prevention. They thanked me profusely when I gave them each a squirt of Germ X to clean their hands without washing in water. They are such grateful students.

I will soon teach Language Arts in the Primary 3 class. We will be reading Charlotte's Web and other national readers. We will begin writing soon. I hope to share some of their works with you. They are very bright children.

Teaching here is very much a thrill to my soul. Those who know me well know how much I love to teach. These students are so well behaved and eager to learn. I invite anyone who enjoys working with children to consider coming on a short term minimissions trip. You will fall in love with these precious children.

I must go for now... Love to you all... Melody

Clair will not be caught doing this! - because she didn't

but....

We buy a bed

I stopped to meet a roadside vendor this week. We were advised not to. They are not to be trusted! It is too dangerous there! I had to stop. I looked a young man in the eye and made a deal with him. My whole family was invited into his shop. We walked thru the dark alley, into the dimly lit workshop where he proudly showed us his work. He agreed to make a wooden bed frame for us. We shook on it and left. Daily I stopped by to check his progress. He needed more time, began to make excuses for delays. Deadline of 3 days became 6. I decided to trust him, give him the benefit of the doubt. Today he finished the "best work of my life". He had taken extra time, used his best materials, to make the finest bed he could make. I insisted that he deliver it into our village. My whole family gathered around as it was moved into our home. He was beaming when I handed him 8,000 shillings ($123.00) Something else was in his eyes when I put my hand on his shoulder and asked if he would make another one for us. We made a new friend today.

Lewis

Melody observes her new surroundings

Today I observed the primary school classes. I wish I could send a photo of the boys in their shorts, knee socks, tie and sweater and the girls in their jumpers. I really enjoyed reading to the children today. Expanding their knowledge of things they have never seen is so satisfying. Today I explained about a snail, snow and construction machinery. I can't wait to follow up with photos from our home of our kids and the snowman they built in our yard.

The sights and sounds here are full of life. We have banana trees in our yard. I look out my window to see children in their school uniforms skipping to school. I hear their voices laughing during the day as they play at recess and after school. I see and hear a variety of birds among the flourishing trees and plants. This was our second day to see monkeys. This monkey family had a newborn monkey carried close to its mother's chest. What is even more amazing is seeing how the Rafiki mama's take care of their little ones.