Mangoes, Motos, and Birthdays

It's only been 20 days since I've last written, but it seems like it's been 6 months. The days are just slow here. If I think about how long I am here for total, my insides start freaking out because I can't handle it. I literally have to take life here day by day. When I tell people I live in Africa, they tell me, "Wow! That must be so cool!" Yeah, sure. I wake up in a basket of mangoes everyday while giraffes gently fan me with banana leaves. Living in the third poorest country in the world is "cool?" Well sure, if you don't count crazy traffic, electricity and water outages, 90 degree temperatures without AC, roosters that don't know day from night, finding lizard droppings in the corners of your room, the constant shouting of "Muzungu! Muzungu!" anytime you leave the house (Yes, I actually had one man block my path by laying on the ground and doing push-ups to impress me once), the scarce internet, Somali terrorist threats, the daily language barriers, the rocks in my rice, and the constant dust in my lungs, Burundi is alright. I do enjoy the incredible sunsets, meeting ex-pats from all over the world, Burundians' amazing hospitality and willingness to help you when you need it, mango season, learning African worship songs, Coca-Cola in a bottle, being surrounded gorgeous Burundian mountains on one side of me and Congolese mountains on the over, and the view of Lake Tanganyka (sans crocs and hippos).

Eeeee!!!

Ahhh . . . .

My list of things I like may not be as long as the hard things yet, but they definitely weigh heavier. The best thing is still my kids--Oh how glorious to actually like my job. So enough griping already. I have way more stuff than most Burundians--three meals a day, a roof over my head (that doesn't leak when it rains), a bed to sleep in, more than two outfits. . . . Overall, I'm in pretty good shape.

Speaking of having things...another luxury item is in the works, help of Jake and Jan. I take taximotos everywhere which is fun, but it's also quite fatalistic as the roads here are a videogame with only one life. So as motos are fun in the States, where there's lanes, stop lights, um, and laws, the only law in Burundi is don't get killed. It makes my heart race sometimes, and not like the way it does when viewing a film with Matthew McConaheyyyy. It's quite treacherous. I get nervous. I know I don't have to remind God to keep me alive or anything, but it's a good thing He doesn't hold it against me when I do. Because I do. a lot.

So the luxury item. . .[insert Michael Scott drumroll here please]...a car! It's fastantically and fabulously ghetto. (I told you me being black is debatable.) No rims (they don't have those here), but I am decked out in silver stickers, including one that goes across the windshield that says "No God, no life." Nice. The seat erupts dust whenever I sit down or move, the handbrake is broken (hopefully soon to be fixed), and the driver's seat no longer has a back (hopefully that will be fixed too). So it's basically a piece of metal set on top of wheels--all I need for dese screets! I'm learning to drive it. I know how to drive an automatic, but Chobani (a friend of the family) is teaching me to drive a stick shift. This feat is interesting because not only do I have to learn stick, I'm learning to drive in Burundi. Did I mention my teacher, Chobani,

only speaks Kirundi and Kishahili? Please donate all prayers daily, thanks.

My new wheels . . .ohhh yeah.

In other news, it was Jan's birthday this past week. Whoohoo! I get way more excited about birthdays here because like I said, this is a country where death is a part of daily life. If you make it another year, that's to be celebrated! The Burundians often start their morning prayers with "Imana yacu, turagushimiye kuko watuzigamiye kugez'uyu musi" which means "Our God, we thank you for protecting us until today." Each day of life is another miracle from the Lord. Nice to remember, eh?

So back to the birthday: As I said earlier, one of my daily adventures here is figuring out how to get from place to place. I knew exactly the gift I wanted to get Jan, but I had no idea where the place was when I visited last, nor how I was going to get there. I could take my chances, and tell the taxi moto in my broken Kirundi, "There's a shop. . . somewhere. . . with green gates. . . near another building that's blue. . . wanna take me?" Firstly, I'm sure the English would definitely fly (note sarcasm). Secondly, they'd probably charge me a "muzungu price" (the "I'm rich so I can afford anything" stigma that comes with having white skin here), and third of all, even if I did get on the bike, I wouldn't even know where to direct. So I just said, "Lord, I need to go to that shop by Friday so please just get me there." Well what happens Friday, but Jan goes into town to do some errands. I hop in the car just to see the whereabouts. Jan gets dropped off, and where do we end up but next to the shop I wanted to go to! It's the little things here, people, the little things. So I go in, negociate, and come out with a gift I'd seen Jan eyeing and talking about a few weeks earlier. . .placemats. You're welcome. I didn't want to keep you in such suspense any longer. Did I mention it's the little things that go a long way? The woman wanted some placemats so placemats it is. And on top of that (yes, I'm tooting my own horn), I did the whole negociating process in Kirundi:

Me: "Ndashaka ca." (I would like these.)

Vendor: "20,0000 FBU."

Me: "Oyaaa! Urubiramzimvye!" (Nooo, too expensive)

Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth again.

Vendor: "Ok, Uri Murundian. 14,000 FBU." (Ok, fine. You are Murundian (a mix of Muzungu and Burundian). 14,000 = good price).

Me: "Ego." (Yes.) (By the way, "ego" is pronounced just like the commercial that says "Leggo my Ego." It's true. For the first two weeks I'd learned that word, all of could think was that when people asked me if I was well, I was just telling them "Waffle.")

The Voice In My Head: "It's about time learning this crazy language pays off! No more white people prices!!!!"

Obstacles overcome! Thank you Lord (totally by His providence we even drove by that hole-in-the-wall anyway), and mission accomplished!

So that's life lately--beautiful ups-and-downs and crazy spin-arounds.

God Is Big.

A new month brings new season...again. Change is consistent here in terms of growing and learning how to live here...it's almost like you never quite get there unless you grew up here. There's always something you can get better at...the language, bargaining for taxi moto rides, figuring out cultural differences and how to respect those boundaries....

Anyway, a lot happened this week. We had our first full week where it felt like a routine had actually settled which was really nice. Some kind of normalcy. A bit o' comfort. I really enjoyed my students this week. Alvin, my student teacher for the month, has come so far since the beginning as well. I like that he thinks for himself and tries to come up with new ideas for future lessons.

We started doing phonics lessons this week. The kids were seriously SO good at it. They were able to figure out most letters and the sounds they make which is HUGE. It's crazy how quick childrens' minds mold and shape. Double-edged sword. But in my case, I LOVE IT. I also got to teach them about the solar system--planets, the sun, the moon. They were CRAZY about it! And a funny thing was at first, I didn't even have any real photographs of the planets--I just drew some out on a large piece of paper. Then turns out, someone had left Zeke a video of computer graphic/real satellite images of planets that I was able to show my students. What my students said: YOOOOO!!!! (Yo = anything that should end with an exclamation mark: e.g. "Yooo, that smell is rank!", "Yooo, that motobike is cool!", "Yooo, that girl just slipped on the mud and smashed her face in a puddle!") They had never even seen or heard of outer space before. Totally new concept. And how cool is it that they not only get to see (kinda) how big our universe is, but also how big our Creator is who made it all! God spoke to me through it all as well. I heard a podcast this week that was brought from the States a thought about Job challenging the Lord and the Lord's response to what Job had to say:

"Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell me, if you know so much. Who determined its dimensions and stretched out the surveying line? What supports its foundations, and who laid its cornerstone as the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?" Job 38:4-7 NLT

I know I'm white (debatable) but, YO! Job just got served. The pastor said God's part like this:

"These stars I've created...you have a picture of them from a satellite. Me, I've been holding these things together since the beginning of time, and you think I'm gonna let YOU go?"

I'm thinking a response to that takes care of itself. No more to be said.

A fun story to end with:

Something else funny also happened this week. I have a few students, mainly boys, who I like to call "umuguruguru" (say that five times fast) which translates as cheeky monkey, mischieveous, that kind of thing. One day, when our classes were switching this week, the children were giving me high fives before they left. One kid decided to be an umuguruguru and jet his hand away as I went to slap it. So the next time he put his hand up, I grabbed it, pulled him close and made kissy noises next to his cheek. Intent: fun for me and humiliating to him. (What a good teacher I am.) All the other kids thought I was seriously kissing this child and got all excited that the muzungu lady thinks it's okay to kiss her students. Before I know it, Queen G. Love (yes, that's her real name) has walked right over and planted one on the side of my face. Thanks to Queen, they just kept coming. Kiss Kiss Kiss, and asking for one in return. Welcome to the world of Snow White and her dwarves, right? It was all quite sweet, and I believe they actually meant it. What a change from the political correctness of teaching in the oh-so-litigious States! I now have one student, Gabin, God bless his little ADHD self, who insists on getting kisses coming to and from class. He's the only one who still kept it up the next day. I'm okay with it. God just bless those germy little mouths (not in the Southern way--I mean it!) that like to stick everything in them including things found on the ground and keep all sickness away!

These are some of my umugurugurus. Pretty cute, huh?

Bok-bok!

Just for some humor . . . recess time. Never be surprised at what happens here.

H20 = LIFE

Ahhh...the sound of sweet rain. So long-awaited.

In three days I will have officially been here for one month. I'm thinking the adjustment time is coming to a close. Things are starting to be figured out, and a routine is forming which I kind of like. Sometimes. It's a completely different world than the one from which I came. One of the greatest differences I've noticed so far. . .WATER.

A serious necessity. It's just now turned to wet season. Before that, it was dry season for several months. I've been to Burundi twice before and spent entire summers here. Never have I seen a drop. Everything changes when there's no rain:

Change No. 1--Electricity

The electricity here is hydroelectric, hence, leaving you in a guessing game as to whether or not it will stay on as you try to take a shower (no fun in the dark), write emails, etc. Sometimes businesses are affected and can no longer be as efficient. (Except for that Chinese restaurant I ate at one time in the dark. They kept cooking by candlelight. Only took them two hours to bring me some sweet and sour chicken. Well, in Burundi, I say it's worth it.)

Change No. 2--Faucets

Sometimes you turn a knob on the faucet, and nothing comes out. Suddenly, little tasks--washing your hands, taking a pill, waiting to wash your clothes whilst hoping the water comes back within two days because there's only two more clean pair of panties in your drawer--all become much bigger. Hm. Maybe this is why Jesus compares salvation to water and says, "Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink!*" instead of comparing it with electricity: "Does anyone need a shock or the internet or televisions? Come and browse!" Yeah...just not quite the same thing. Life here puts a whole new meaning to the words "living water." Needless to say, everything takes more time and energy here. It's quite a provincial lifestyle sometimes.

Change No. 3--I think we call this one an epidemic.

Unfortunately, it gets worse. Since water provides sanitation, there has been a cholera outbreak in the country. Just in August, there were 245 cases of it and 7 deaths. Wow. I wonder what the news would say if this epidemic was happening in the States. I wonder how many days the newcasters would talk about it and if it would make world news. Today I went online to check the news and discovered that the most popular read headline on usatoday.com was "ESPN's Jaworski curses live on Monday Night Football." Whomp whomp whomp. Is this issue really what we care about America? I'm glad for the rawness of this place. It forces people to live urgently.

Change No. 4--Me

So there's not much I can do about water issues here, except grow those young minds in my classroom so that one day maybe they can do something about it. I've relented just to be thankful for the water when it is here and to go with the flow (still deciding if that pun was intended). Anyway, I'm going to go lie in my bed now and listen to the rain.

*Isaiah 55:1 in case you were wondering.

First Day!

Today was the day that I got to meet Jesus Mary Laurette, Saint Augustine, and Queen G. Love! All the students were such a delight to teach! They are trying their best to learn English and are excited to have a "muzungu" teacher! (muzungu=white person; It is not uncommon for people, especially children, to shout at you, "Muzungu, Muzungu!" on the street because they are excited to see a white person. For the most part, they know that if you are a rare white person in Burundi, you are probably here to help the country, and they welcome our help.) Anyway, these pictures tell it best:

The students are excited to have their picture taken as not many Burundians have cameras.

Lyse Bernice, the precious girl who led us in the Lord's Prayer at the end of the school day.

Happy to learn and be at school!

Livin' the Dream

I am sitting in my room right now, listening to John play the piano downstairs, three kids laughing and rub-a-dub-dubbing in a tub across the hall, and watching an African sunset go down outside my wIndow. I am soaking in how blessed am I that God has taken me to this place and to this season. I am no longer in a drought. The rain has come.

Dreams have been a recurrent thought in my mind this week. Big dreams, dreams unaccomplished, dreams unavailable....I have seen all three in the time that I have been here. For example, the director of the school and the wonderful lady I live with, Jan, has amazing dreams that inspire--already, a school for the deaf has been built on our compound. It is the only school for the deaf in the entire country. Jan and John help facilitate having teachers for the school. They have made that dream come true and are changing so many lives. Another dream Jan has is to train a Burundian in speech therapy. For that, she would need someone willing to come for about a year and pass on the knowledge to a local Burundian so that that Burundian can be self-sufficient once the trainer leaves. In a country where needs as obvious as starvation and AIDS exist, Jan desires to meet the needs of people who can not speak, and give them the gift of a voice. It hasn't happened yet. But I'm so inspired by her faith that it will...She loves the big and the small. She does it hard and well. It challenges me to contemplate how well I spend my days here on this earth loving God's people that He created. . . .

There are also dreams that may never come true due to the preexisting conditions of the country and circumstances beyond one's control. For example, I had a dear friend share with me his desire to go to a university in Canada and study political studies and sociology. He wants to learn about these subjects, as well as improve his English, and make a difference not only in Burundi but in the East African Community. The desire of his heart is good and desperately needed, but the means to get there seemingly impossible. It would cost him $8,000 a semester at the university, not to mention a plane ticket and housing costs. This is a dream that may or may not come true, but the odds aren't stacked pretty.

How I am in this place, I can only thank God. For me, it is a dream come true. It did not come easy, and many sacrifices were made, but I am here, living out the story that I believe God has written for me. My favorite response from my past entries said the following:

"You are definitely living a life that reflects the fact that you believe in the story of Christ. You're an example to follow. I know that I probably won't end up in Burundi as a 2nd grade teacher as I try to follow God's story for me, but being a part of your life as you are doing this does motivate/encourage me to pursue His story for me. Try not to let all that go to your head."

I am realizing more each day, that I have the power to make people's dreams come true here.

It.

is.

absolutely.

cool.

I'm inspired, anxious, challenged, and excited all at the same

time. I know the pages God has written for me will reveal themselves in time. My story is about to get interesting.

Picture on top: Well, a pretty sweet Burundian sunset.

Picture on bottom: Some teachers at the school learning new strategies.

Not So Humble Beginnings

So here I am, in Burundi...never knowing what to expect. Will we have hot water? Sometimes. Will we have water? Sometimes. What about electricity? If the government feels like turning it on. Those are all typical situations in Burundi that I've dealt with before. What I've really been itching to know is what my school is like where I'm teaching. The only schools I've seen here in the past have had dirt floors, no windows (i.e. the holes are there, the glass is not), desks, chairs, and a giant chalkboard.

I'm lucky that the school I work at is right on my compound where I live. Just an overall safer feeling than walking in the streets of the city. Most everyone knows the family I'm staying with here because they have lived here for so long and built most of the buildings on the mission (aka the compound). I live with the director of the school, Jan*, her husband, John, and their three kiddos--Zeke (6), Mike (3), and Elijah (11 months). It's nice living with them because I get the inside scoop on most things that I wouldn't get otherwise (especially since John grew up here.) They started the school about six years ago. When it was first built, enrollment was 80 students. Now, they've added grades all the way up to Maternelle (Preschool) through Second, the grade I'll be teaching, and enrollment is at 500! It's one of the better schools in the country and probably the cheapest private school parents can send their children to. (Other schools

can be about $120/month while this school is only about $20/month). The school also gives job opportunity to grow and salaries to many Burundians who would otherwise maybe not have one (Burundi has an 80% unemployment rate). I like that it builds into the future, allowing these students to have real jobs one day, (i.e. a banker as opposed to standing in a field all day watching goats) and that these jobs that will build back into the country's economy and in turn impact the country as a whole. I really like the role Jan has given me because well, in her words, "it will have exponential impact." (YES.)

Here's a more specific jist of what I'm doing: I'll be teaching the languages arts in English for grade P3 (second grade) and tag teaming science/math with another teacher on my team. Whoa...and I'm the only teacher in school to get an assistant! (Thank God...I'll have 41 kids!...but mostly not all at one time.) The reason I get an assistant is because I will be training that person...so they come, observe, partake, and implement the strategies and techniques of an American teacher into their classrooms. I will get a new assistant every couple of weeks so that each teacher has a chance to learn some strategies to make his/her classroom better. We're not trying to Americanize the school, but simply take what's good from America, and combine it with what's good from Burundi. So some of the main strategies I'll be teaching is classroom management (It exists in a whipping stick here..or they'll tell the child they are going to be eaten by a wild animal if they don't behave), implementing things like read-alouds, more hands on activities, a word wall for vocabulary...things we simply take for granted in the US. Most schools in Burundi are simply lecture and notes, even in first grade. (I never would have made it as a Burundian child...I simply wrote way too slow and got distracted way too easily.) It is really exciting to me that even when I leave, these teachers that stay will have tremendously improved as professionals that will keep impacting class after class! Whoohoo!!

Teacher training starts next week, which I will help direct with Jan. In the meantime, I've just been setting up my classroom--making nametags for desks (Jan says they have probably never had those before), a reading corner, etc.

So a bit o' humor to close...I got my student roster yesterday with all my lovely children's names on it. A little background to know is that Burundians like to name their children a bit like Native Americans once did...except instead of naming them Walking Cloud or Warrior Lion, they name them things that have to do with God's love. Let me just fill you in on this cultural difference..some of my favorites (i.e. funniest) were "Queen G. Love," G standing for God, "J.M. Laurette," J and M standing for Jesus Mary...yes,her full name is "Jesus Mary Laurette," "Saint Augustin," (What if he's not a saint? Do I still have to refer to him as Saint Augustin or just Augustin?), and the grandest name of all "Mac Alysie Dan du Ciel" which literally translates as "Grand Alysie In Of the Sky." (Hmm, maybe her parents didn't know French as well as

they thought they did.) All these, contrasted with the most ordinary of names, Billy Bob. I think his parents and I will get along just fine....

Some prayer requests:

• continued health (allergies seem to love it here)
• safety on the roads
• the start of the school year, that teachers and students would take to this foreigner lady well, and that we would learn well from each other

*All names have been changed in case you're my stalker.

Pictures:

Far left: A sign for my school

Middle: My classroom is the one in the middle. It's not your typical building because these were bought for a cheaper price from the UN instead of building one.

Bottom: my room; note mosquito net tucked in :o)