First Week of School Coming to a Close

Helping with Math

So the first week of school is done, I know who the wiggle worms, the quiet ones in the corner, the confused, and the talkers. I have placed them in reading groups, including a group of four who are just working on learning english. I also have decided that my classroom, as beautiful as it was before school started, needs some serious reorganization.
With a few more assessments I feel that I will know my students well enough to start teaching them at their level, not too high and not too low.
I'm excited to actually start teaching them and learning more about how they learn best. There is so much to do, letter sounds, number value, following directions, writing letters, problem solving, reading, and getting along with your neighbor. I've already started saving papers to look back over at the end of the year. It will be great to see the progress. I think we will all have a good laugh at the "good work" we have done these last few days compared to what work will look like in 10 months.
Please pray for my students as we take this journey down the path to the second grade.

Day 4 of Teaching...when is nap time

It is Day 4 of teaching and I need a nap! I'm so tired. Three of my students have limited english and one has none at all. Try reasoning with him to do the right thing...my goodness!
Power was on last night but water turned off at 5pm. We prayed that it would turn on for a morning shower. Praise the Lord it was on. But it was a very cold morning. Wore a sweater over my t-shirt.
The children are getting the hang of stations or centers. One group is doing an art project while another is playing with something to work on fine motor control, another group is playing a spacial awareness game and I'm working with another for vocabulary and following directions. Then after 20 minutes we switch.
I was so proud of them today because I only had to tell them to control their noise and standing. Yesterday they were out of hand. So proud of my little guys for following directions today!!!

Perhaps I'll reward myself by making pizza for dinner! :)

The first day reflection

My Students on their First Day

I have 17 students in my class, they were so quiet today. I'm used to teaching severe special needs and university students. Year 1 is completely different! They looked at me in anticipation, waiting for me to say something, do something. Eager would be the word I would choose for them. They are like sponges, eagerly awaiting something to fill their minds with. I'm so privileged to be trusted with this task. Whatever I give them this year will be carried throughout their lives. Lord give me strength for this enormous task.

Goals for the week:
1 figure out who knows english
2 figure out who knows how to read
3 figure out who knows any math skills
4 try not to have too much fun ;)

First Day of School

First Day of School

First day of school jitters this morning.
I have 18 little 5 and 6 year olds currently waiting outside the gate for their first day of Year 1.
Today we will be playing with cars, doing puzzles, memorizing poems, coloring and of course having lots of fun.
I'm excited yet nervous. Please send up a prayer for me.
Got to go, staff meeting starts in 3 minutes!

Back to Burundi Aug 2012

What a great time I had in the State visiting friends and family. But it is also great to be back in Burundi!!!

Flew into the DC airport with no trouble. Spent 24 hours with Sister Sarah and her Husband. It was great spending time with her. On the way out of DC the computer system was down and all flights were delayed, I stood in line for 3 hours with really nice people. Took the flight and rushed for the transfer in Brussels Belgium. Made it with time for a 10 min cat nap. The plane was all ready to go and the car to push the plane back from the terminal was broken, waited for a new machine and then we were off.
While on the plane I met a lady from Portland, Oregon area. Her name is Kate. She will be in Burundi for 18 months. Today I got to show her around the city. Please pray that the door will be open to sharing the gospel. She is very open about her lack of belief and "respecting" people with no belief (sounds very NorthWest of her).
Arriving in Burundi late plus making sure Kate was settled with her bags made our departure from the airport an hour or so later than planned. Isaac was there to greet me and my boss from The King's School were there to drive me home.
I was informed not to unpack because I was maybe moving the next day.
The night was full of "welcome back" realities.
No mosquito net meant I was chasing mosquitoes every 5 minutes. I would have been fine if I had only remained beneath my sheet and quit (thanks mom) but the heat was just too much after about 3 minutes. So I would uncover to let my body cool back down to a reasonable temperature. Then cover again when the dreadful whine of the mosquitoes came back out. After about 2 hours and 20 mosquito bites later I gave up and fell into a shallow sleep. Finally at around 5am I fell into a deep exhausted sleep.
It was a great drum beat when I think back to on it but at the time waking up to Burundian Drummers right outside my window was just too much of an alarm clock for me. The primary school has a troupe of Burundi traditional drummers (think of a little league team but with drums instead of bat and ball). Practice was at 10-11am. I knew sleep was over for me but continued in a sleepy closed eyes state trying to avoid the day. Then the phone rang. My boss informing I was moving and needed to be ready by 2.
I was ready by 2 but the transportation didn't come until 7pm! That evening I was just so excited to move into the new house with my new roommate that I had to unpack, even though it was pushing 10pm.
Liz is great! She is new to Burundi and will also be teaching at the primary school. I'm looking forward to learning more than just a British accent from her, being that she has been teaching for a while.
Today, as I said earlier, was a day to wonder the city with these two new residents of Burundi. I did my best not to overwhelm them with the sights, sounds, and smells of this crazy city I call home.
Church tomorrow and then staff meetings start Monday morning early.
Thanks for your prayers. Please lift up this next week as I set up my classroom, sit in staff meetings learning protocol for teaching in the British system, and as I lesson plan for the FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL! I'm just a little excited :)

Bridal Shower celebrated in the States

Thanks to all the wonderful ladies that made this Bridal Shower great. And thanks for all those wonderful ladies that came and helped me celebrate this wedding season.

American Favorites

Gitengi Girls

My African Aunts (missionaries to East Africa)

Lived with these two in Burundi all of 2010

Grandma with Grandaughters

Back in Seattle

It is so unusual walking into a house I haven't been in 8 months and know where everything is. And again walk down the hall to "my" room and see things that I placed here and there eight months ago. Things that haven't been touched in that long. Getting into "my" bed and then waking up to the familiar color of light coming in through the window. The light here is filtered by a thick layer of clouds, not rain clouds, just clouds. The sky is a greyish color and somehow it makes me happy. I want to curl back up under the covers because of it's familiar shade.

Somehow deep within I know that this is home.

Packed, Moved, Visited, Flew, & Visiting Some More

Well, my room was packed up into boxes. I moved into a new house across the street.

Bus Ride Through Uganda (16 hours)

Took a bus to Uganda to visit Isaac's family.

Traditional Ugandan (Busoga) Dancers at a wedding I attended

Uncle D and Senga

Lots of family to see and things to experience.
I spent each of the 5 nights in Uganda with a different family and in a different city! Wow I sat on public transportation a lot!

Family

Traditional Ugandan Gomis (not sure the spelling on that one)

Got to teach at the local elementary school.

 Then got on a plane and flew to Washington DC to visit my sister.

So great to see these fine people!!! Mom and Sister

Name this building ;)

And now I'm ready for more visiting of people I haven't seen in a while. :)
Will return to Burundi in late August to start start teaching first grade on Sept 10th.

Rachel the American

Can you imagine, I'm in a place where even amongst 10 foreigners I'm still the only American!
So they gave me a name tag to rub it in. :)

Proof

What letter am I pointing to?

I really was doing vision testing :)

Eye Doctor & Translator For the Day

There are two Cibitokes in Burundi. One is a neighborhood in Bujumbura, which is about 10 minute walk from Hope Africa University. Then there is the Cibitoke province, which is like a state within Burundi. It happens to be a 2 hour drive from Bujumbura. The visitors I was with found out the difference between the two yesterday.

I was invited to travel with some short termers to an orphanage that was “not far” yesterday which was good because I had things to do in the afternoon. But once we past the airport and headed on the road out of town I started asking questions.

We traveled along the well paved road, wide and freshly lined seeing the country side. This is the first time I’ve been to the west side of the country. There were parts that reminded me of my time in Kenya; dry with scattered trees and bushes. Other parts were dense with foliage. We drove to the top of a hill and entered a walled compound. Inside were 5 houses and a large gathering room. There were also 15 beautiful little children to greet us. The children, who are orphans, live in family groups of 6 children per house with one mother, most were widows themselves.

The team that invited me to come was a group of doctors. So I turned into a doctor for the day. I helped with the eye exams. I gave the “What letter is this?” exam to all the children while others were checking their hearing, health and also the adults.

At the end of the day I was thinking about the time and I was pleased by my language skills. Most of the day I was able to communicate not only what I wanted to say but also translate for the doctors what they were trying to say. God is good to me. With no formal Kirundi training He has granted me vocabulary and a heart to learn this language. Thanks God.

Help Send Rachel to the States

I want to go home this summer!!!
The plan is to travel late July and return to Burundi as a first grade teacher late Aug.
The catch is that I have no money for this huge expense. Avocados here might cost only 50 cents (which is 500FBU) But the plane ticket I have to purchase is 2 million FBU, $1,600.
So I've begun to fund raise. I'm baking cakes, pizzas, bagels, banana bread, etc to help raise money. I'm also spending 6 hours a week tutoring children. This July I just signed up 2 more children to tutor. 

I'm working on money from this end but I could really use your help!!!

In Burundi
Does anyone want to buy some Bagels- 4,000FBU for 12 and 3,000FBU for 8.
I'm also selling Banana Bread and other fun breads.

From Washington
My mom is selling Banana Bread as well to help raise money.
 

Anywhere in the World
If you would like to just donate please send money to:
Living Hope Church
PO Box 1726
Westport, WA 98595
memo line: Bring Rachel Home

Still Alive

Sorry I've been so quiet lately. I've been very busy visiting churches up country, visiting hospitals up country, being a substitute teacher, tutoring some children, giving a final exam, and preparing for summer.
Please pray for me. The last few days I've been very homesick.

God is doing some amazing things here and I'm sorry I haven't kept you posted with them.

I will put pictures soon. I promise!!!

Gave the Potato a Bath

I was forced today to say, “I gave the potatoes a bath.” When my night guard ate some of the soup I prepared for him he asked me about the skins I left on the potatoes. I knew exactly how it would sound before I prepared my response. Yet with my limited Kirundi I was stuck. What could I do? I do have to say that the Burundi people are so very kind to put up with my limited vocabulary. Please pray that God would continue to open my mind to this difficult language.