January 13

I love those few minutes after six when dinner is complete and the dishes are clean. The breeze is warm with just enough refreshment so you can enjoy the outdoors – taking a walk between 6:30 and 7:50 is the perfect time. Any earlier, the sun is very warm, and it gets dark in about two minutes time. I met some people along the way, they all say "Hello" amongst their Afrikaans chatter. I have successfully remembered my third phrase in two days ;) I walked down the main road and I happened upon some streets that I recognized: Quail St, Rail St, Sniper Close St and Roller St (where a good friend lives). I even saw the connecting road that goes into Josephs, the store in the center of town. Even though it's a tiny town, whenever I am actually trying to find these streets, I certainly cannot. I had a lovely visit with my friend and, she even let me borrow her extra guitar so I might have something to fill my time in the evenings and teach with, for now during music class on Thursdays.

Tuesday is the first day of school. My classroom should be all set to go. I had a chance to talk one on one with a few of my new students while I was preparing this week. They are all beautiful and intelligent; they have been honest and respectful - it will be a fun year. The home visits have been wonderful, giving us an opportunity to increase communication with parents and meet all the new families and additional children this year. Nan asked me to do an Adult English class for the teachers and parents. Since I regularly teach adults, I am VERY excited about this.

"Teacher, am I bothering you?" 

"Of course not, are you trying to bother me?"

"No!"

"Here, I have a friend from USA who wants to meet someone from Namibia. Will you write to her and tell her what it's like where you live, who you are and introduce her to your family?"

"You want ME to tell her?"

"Yes, well you live here, and she wants to know!"

"Ok!" She said with tremendous excitement.

 

This was a perfect writing sample for me and a good chance to find a new writing buddy for one of my new students, Sonya (we'll call her school name). Everybody is glad she is back in Arandis this year because she's such a sweet girl. Her English is still very limited. She was not educated at all before she was nine.

Looking over the class lists today, they told me that the enrollment has truly grown this year. There are still 11 children who do not have sponsors for their education.  The need is strong for solid, loving and strict caretakers for several children. Today I heard one child say, "I don't know why they keep leaving, what is wrong with us? We try to be good. I don't know what we are doing wrong," trying to adjust to the constantly changing mothers he has had over the years. It makes life difficult for them. A few children whom we expected to be back already from their visit to the farm they are from, are not back in Arandis. We are hoping they are here for the start of school. We have not even heard from them.

Over the past few days I have been here, I have been amazed and impressed with the amount of dedication Children of Promise, especially Talitha Kumi has for their education. It didn't take long for me to realize that, although there are many other needy children in Arandis, COPM certainly has their hands full with the current ministry children. They invest time and resources training the children and parents that education is their key to overcoming poverty and reversing negative behaviors in their lives and their community. We thought we found the fourth grade and the Math/Science teachers that were needed, but one day after Nan got a call that they were hired, she got an SMS that one was not coming. TIA!