Happy Wednesday!
<3
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
S.E.W: Supporting and Empowering Women
While I've been in Tanzania I've seen, and fallen in love with these bags. They are made by a non-profit called SEW: Supporting and Empowering Women. The bags are all over the place because people love them and the cause is pretty amazing. They are sold at retail from 20$-30$ and I just wanted to share them with you!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Puking and Poetry
So I realized I haven't given many updates lately, so I decided to let you all know what's been going on here in Tanzania. To be honest, it has been fairly uneventful. I finished my full time student teaching which feels good. It's strange but exciting that next time I'll be teaching full time, will be in classroom of my own! I have a few more lessons to teach as I phase out, but for the most part I'm done. Soon, I'll start to observe other classrooms in the primary school, and I'm officially done in 2 weeks!
This past weekend was really low key because Laura was sick. We have gotten by pretty good so far because neither of us have been terribly sick, but it was rough for her this weekend. I went out on Saturday and ventured to the Cultural Heritage Center and bought a tanzanite necklace (a graduation gift :) ), which I pick up tomorrow and can hardly wait. I picked out the stone, and this week they are setting it for me. Otherwise, on Saturday I picked up some sprite and crackers for Laura and then went to a concert that night which the school on.
Unfortunately, I must have caught what Laura had because on Monday night I started puking :(. Given, I know I'm dramatic and a big baby, but it was terrible. Like really, really terrible. 24 hours later, and at least 8 puking sessions, as well as a crying phone call home... I finally felt better, but I missed school on Tuesday, and probably shouldn't have gone today. I just feel weak, and tired. The worst part was having no one around to hold my hair back, bring me movies or rub my back. I know, I know, I'm a giant wuss...but being sick in Africa is on my list of Top 10 Least Favorite Things..for sure.
Being back at school today pooped me out. I left right at 2:30 when school got out and headed to AfriCafe(where I am now) to get some tea and use the internet. The good thing about school today was that we started a unit on poetry which was really great. It was awesome to see what some of those kids came up with. We read poetry from Shell Silverstein's books and it made my day for sure. We also read The Giving Tree which is one of my favorite books of all time.
Life is good in Tanzania, about 3 weeks left. Oh, and I extended my trip and am officially going to Zanzibar with my friend Erik. A friend from MSUM is from Zanzibar, and we're staying at her brother's resort which should be awesome. I'm stoked to finish student teaching, and have a relaxing vacation on the beach before I head back to the states to graduate, and figure out what the heck I'm gonna do with my life! Good things to come :)
I will leave you with one of my all time favorite Shell Silverstein poems!
<3 Happy Wednesday... (PS...If you are reading this and are in Fargo/Moorhead, Happy Snow Day!)
This past weekend was really low key because Laura was sick. We have gotten by pretty good so far because neither of us have been terribly sick, but it was rough for her this weekend. I went out on Saturday and ventured to the Cultural Heritage Center and bought a tanzanite necklace (a graduation gift :) ), which I pick up tomorrow and can hardly wait. I picked out the stone, and this week they are setting it for me. Otherwise, on Saturday I picked up some sprite and crackers for Laura and then went to a concert that night which the school on.
Unfortunately, I must have caught what Laura had because on Monday night I started puking :(. Given, I know I'm dramatic and a big baby, but it was terrible. Like really, really terrible. 24 hours later, and at least 8 puking sessions, as well as a crying phone call home... I finally felt better, but I missed school on Tuesday, and probably shouldn't have gone today. I just feel weak, and tired. The worst part was having no one around to hold my hair back, bring me movies or rub my back. I know, I know, I'm a giant wuss...but being sick in Africa is on my list of Top 10 Least Favorite Things..for sure.
Being back at school today pooped me out. I left right at 2:30 when school got out and headed to AfriCafe(where I am now) to get some tea and use the internet. The good thing about school today was that we started a unit on poetry which was really great. It was awesome to see what some of those kids came up with. We read poetry from Shell Silverstein's books and it made my day for sure. We also read The Giving Tree which is one of my favorite books of all time.
Life is good in Tanzania, about 3 weeks left. Oh, and I extended my trip and am officially going to Zanzibar with my friend Erik. A friend from MSUM is from Zanzibar, and we're staying at her brother's resort which should be awesome. I'm stoked to finish student teaching, and have a relaxing vacation on the beach before I head back to the states to graduate, and figure out what the heck I'm gonna do with my life! Good things to come :)
I will leave you with one of my all time favorite Shell Silverstein poems!
<3 Happy Wednesday... (PS...If you are reading this and are in Fargo/Moorhead, Happy Snow Day!)
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Happily Grateful...
This morning I'm overwhelmed by the abundantly amazing things in my life. Again, I'm here on my porch with a cup of tea, my journal and bible...listening to Joshua Radin and Tenth Ave North. It's crazy that I'm sitting in Africa, half a world away from the people I love and the places I know, yet I feel totally content. I am thankful that in my adventures and time away from what I call home, God has given me the opportunity to build a new place to call home and has allowed me to feel content. I think I figured out it's not about where you are, but who you're with and as long as God is in the center, it will be provided. The world isn't as big and scary as people make it out to be and how lucky am I to be able to explore it? I'm 23, and I've been to England, Haiti, all over the States and now Africa. The opportunities that have been put in front of me, and the experiences I've fought to make for myself, make me look at where I am and feel so grateful. I'm so fortunate, and blessed to be where I am. When I look ahead at what's to come, it makes me wonder what will happen, but more so, what country is next??? :)
<3
<3
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Some photo updates of my recent adventures
These pictures of from my last week or so in Tanzania. As a class field trip we went on an over-night trip to a Maasai village in West Kili. The trip was amazing, and here are some pictures of my students and of the trip.
The whole crew! Gotta love 4th and 5th graders :)
The four of us ladies before Jess and Brit took off, back to the states.
Rugby Game!
Henna tattoos from International Day
Maji Mojto or hot springs...most amazing place I've ever been...
Mike caught a turtle!!
I live a pretty blessed life out here :)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Sunshine, Chai and Sleeping In
It's Saturday morning and I'm sitting outside on my front porch. The sun is warm already, the birds are chirping and there is the occasional cow and goat noises in the background. It's my favorite place to be in the mornings when I have time. I typically come out here, read, write in my journal, spend time in the Word, and now that I have internet access at my house I can blog. I'm excited it's the weekend, it's been a long week.
This was my first week of full-time student teaching. That means I do it all! It's exciting because I loved it, and day by day, I could see little improvements of things that I was learning. Little things like transitions or timing, or dealing with chatty kids are coming easier. We also had a couple of discipline issues this week which were interesting to deal with/observe what to do. By no means will I become a pro while full time teaching for 3 weeks, but it's a pretty good start. It feels good to know this is what I want to be doing and what I want to put my heart into, to be as good as I can be.
After a week that was quite exhausting, last night a friend drove me to the Zain store after school to get my internet figured out. I'm quite excited I can now Skype and be online when I'm at home...hopefully it will make life a little easier! After that excursion, I went to go hang out with him and some other people at a Trivia night at a local restaurant. It was for an organization called Food Water Shelter helping Tanzanian orphans. Even though I really suck at trivia, it was fun and my team was pretty good! We actually ended up getting 2nd place, which means dinner for 4 and 2 bottles of wine :) I would say it was a successful night for sure!
Today, I am going to get ready here and head to school. ISM is hosting an International Day Festival which they hold every year. Supposedly it's a big deal and tons of people go, so it should be fun. We'll be there most of the afternoon, and then we're heading to TGT to watch the Arusha rubgy team play which will be awesome. Our friend is on the team, so it will be sweet to see him play, plus I've never seen a rugby game before!
Tomorrow my plan is to go to church, and lesson plan like crazy. Monday when I head to school I'm leaving for a camping trip right away in the morning. My P 5/6 students and I are going to a traditional Massai village ( the main group of tribal people still living in Tanzania) We'll sleep in bomas, or dung huts with no water, no electricity. There is a walking safari, a Massai ceremony and some other sweet stuff. It should be an awesome cultural experience, and a fun time with my students too.
Time to get going and start the day! Time journaling, reading my bible, drinking chai and writing a blog was the perfect way to start my Saturday. Have a wonderful day, Happy Saturday!!
<3
This was my first week of full-time student teaching. That means I do it all! It's exciting because I loved it, and day by day, I could see little improvements of things that I was learning. Little things like transitions or timing, or dealing with chatty kids are coming easier. We also had a couple of discipline issues this week which were interesting to deal with/observe what to do. By no means will I become a pro while full time teaching for 3 weeks, but it's a pretty good start. It feels good to know this is what I want to be doing and what I want to put my heart into, to be as good as I can be.
After a week that was quite exhausting, last night a friend drove me to the Zain store after school to get my internet figured out. I'm quite excited I can now Skype and be online when I'm at home...hopefully it will make life a little easier! After that excursion, I went to go hang out with him and some other people at a Trivia night at a local restaurant. It was for an organization called Food Water Shelter helping Tanzanian orphans. Even though I really suck at trivia, it was fun and my team was pretty good! We actually ended up getting 2nd place, which means dinner for 4 and 2 bottles of wine :) I would say it was a successful night for sure!
Today, I am going to get ready here and head to school. ISM is hosting an International Day Festival which they hold every year. Supposedly it's a big deal and tons of people go, so it should be fun. We'll be there most of the afternoon, and then we're heading to TGT to watch the Arusha rubgy team play which will be awesome. Our friend is on the team, so it will be sweet to see him play, plus I've never seen a rugby game before!
Tomorrow my plan is to go to church, and lesson plan like crazy. Monday when I head to school I'm leaving for a camping trip right away in the morning. My P 5/6 students and I are going to a traditional Massai village ( the main group of tribal people still living in Tanzania) We'll sleep in bomas, or dung huts with no water, no electricity. There is a walking safari, a Massai ceremony and some other sweet stuff. It should be an awesome cultural experience, and a fun time with my students too.
Time to get going and start the day! Time journaling, reading my bible, drinking chai and writing a blog was the perfect way to start my Saturday. Have a wonderful day, Happy Saturday!!
<3
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