Our first day in Africa! We are all excited about what the day would bring. It began with our 5:00 wake up call from the rooster in the back yard. Not sure we are going to get use to that loud noise! After breakfast which consists of toast, fruit, juice, coffee, and tea, we were headed to the New Life Band School for introductions.

We had our first real excitement on the way to the school. We were driving through town, I wish I could explain what it is like going through town. There are thousands of people everywhere walking on the streets, in the streets, through the streets.....everywhere!  Cars, motorcycles, bikes driving all over the road with no rules applying to them. Cars don't stop, don't make correct turns, it seems they do whatever they want. To top that off, motorcycles and bikes are dodging in between all the cars. it is the scariest thing ever. As we were stopped on the street waiting for a car, a man ran by our van reached his arm in the window and grabbed Jane's camera bag right off her neck. It happened so fast. She screamed and by the time we figured out what happened the man was long gone. Other than being scared to death, Jane lost nothing of value because she holding her camera in her hand. From that moment on, we drove with the windows up. You see everywhere we go the people associate us with money and that we have a lot of it. As I watch the lives here, it is very true. Anyone who is reading this blog....you need to know that you are rich.....actually very rich. 

After our heart rates retuned to normal from the theft scare, We arrived at the school and noticed right away the changes that were made since the trip 6 years ago. The school was now two stories, a hostel was built, and they changed the shed into a girls dorm. They also had a better system for water. Instead of the big deep well, they had a big tank with a spout. That made it a lot easier for the students to get water.

We pull up and all the students are watching us. I am sure they were wondering who we are and what we are doing there. Big James takes us into the office to meet the Headmaster. He welcomed us to the school and asked if we were ready to teach today. That made us laugh. Big James told him we were here just for introductions. The funniest part of our time in the office was when the Headmaster saw the overhead projector. He kept looking at because he could not figure out what that was going to. He kept asking when we would show them how to use it. 

The Headmaster then introduced us to the teachers and we talked about what I would be teaching tomorrow. Oh my! So soon! We headed down to his English class to observe his lesson. He was teaching on the ways we study literature. He taught about authors purpose, setting, characters, conflict, main body, conclusion, basically everything we teach. Then he told the class, this is the one teacher we have been waiting for, she will finally teach us tomorrow on the book. -pause- you are not going to believe this....but Leah came before me and kept telling them a great teacher is coming. So after she left the students kept asking when the great teacher was coming. So when we get here, he tells the students the day has come....the great teacher is here. It is like when they were waiting for Jesus. Really? Can that be a real comparison? The funny thing is I don't feel great, I feel very nervous and incompetent. I hope they are not seriously disappointed!

Rick has begun making whiteboards in the two new classrooms. There were some visitors from California who painted and finished drywalling the ceilings so the classrooms can be used soon. They need the room to teach all their students.

After we left the school around 2:30, we went to lunch. We ate a good lunch in town where a lot of safari people eat. It was really good! We had to make some stops in town to get work supplies, money, and phone cards. You have no idea how long that takes and what an adventure it is to move through the traffic. I will try to post pictures later but not sure they will do justice for what it is actually like.


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