Asante Sana

Here’s my list of things to be thankful for this year:

My Bible

Above all, this is what is getting me through this year. Without a community of believers to join in worship, to share reflections, or to encourage one another, my Bible has been my sole source of comfort everyday.  While it is difficult to feel so alone at times and I often wonder if I am doing enough here, I am reminded that it is in the quiet simplicity of everyday life that we must rest in God’s presence. Living for God is not in large, heroic acts, but in living each and every moment with Him in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts.

My students

I love teaching them, and although it can be very challenging at times, this is clearly the reason why I’m here. I always look forward to my classes, and I can’t help but admire their work ethic, respect, and enthusiasm.  They have the ability to brighten my day, with their exuberant “Good morning Madam!!!” greetings and the look in their eyes when they finally understand. Now, these students, especially Form 1, will answer “yes” to any question, regardless. For example,

“Is negative two squared positive or negative four?”

“YES!”

“No, I asked, positive OR negative.”

“negapositive…posinegative…”

Normally I get a split answer for this question, but then I reassure them that the answer is positive 4. And then without fail, the whole class laughs because of the way I say positive. Haha

But the point of this story is, that there are times when they answer “yes” and it’s different than all the other times. I can’t really explain it, and perhaps it’s the teacher in me that just knows, but this “yes” affirms that they finally understand. It’s usually accompanied by an aggressive head nod, and it’s usually louder and more assertive than the other yeses I get, and this is when I know the light bulb is turned on.

I love this “yes!”

My health

With the exception of my recent weird toe infection, a fever during training, and an intense sore throat the first week of school, I can safely say that I have not been sick yet. I am crossing my fingers that this trend continues!

Music

The ability for a great song to turn around a rough day is mind-boggling, but so awesome and refreshing. Top picks in Muyenzi: Fight for You (Jason Derulo), Some Nights (Fun), Everybody Talks (Neon Trees), What Makes You Beautiful (One Direction), Don’t Stop Believin (Journey). Although, I must admit now that I miss my French horn SO much! Shout out to Cielo Brass Quintet: one of our pieces came on my shuffle the other day, and I thought to myself, “dang! We sound so good!” And then I actually missed all of you…yes, even your random antics during rehearsals when I thought I was going to lose my mind…So when I come home, I’m calling for a reunion asap! (That is, after I have a few weeks to get myself in shape again.) Please and thank you!

My roommate

She’s great, and without her this would not be nearly as positive of an experience. The fact that we can laugh off the worst of situations has definitely helped both of us retain our sanity. But for real, I doubt that I would still be here if it weren’t for her! And in case you haven’t checked out her blog yet, I promise it’s worth your time! Tanzania365.com

My phone

While most days I want to just throw it out the window because my service is so terrible, it is the most reliable means of communication with people at home. So although frustrating, I am still grateful for the sporadic conversations I am able to have with everyone I miss in America. I also really enjoy the random text messages from Marisa about the crazy times she’s having in Muyenzi; they definitely bring a smile to my face (and sometimes I actually laugh out loud). LOL

My education

I have a new appreciation for my diplomas. For one, I never realized how blessed I was to have graduated from a high school with nearly a 100% graduation rate until I began teaching Bukiriro Secondary School, where only one student has passed Form 4 in the past two years. Also, having a college degree at 23 years old might not have seemed like a big accomplishment in back home, but here, it’s a huge deal. It’s rare to even have the opportunity to attend the university, and if you are lucky enough, the age range for students who graduate is late twenties.

Weekly email updates

I seriously love updates from all of you! Whether by email or facebook message, it is the highlight of my week to finally feel connected to the real world again. I look forward to every Saturday when I can go online again, and I love reading stories from people back home, checking in to see what’s happening, and the responding with my own crazy stories from the bush. I’m so thankful for all of your encouraging words, so please keep them coming! It’s wonderful!

The opportunity to follow my dream

I am so incredibly thankful for this opportunity. For all of you who have supported me throughout the years, thank you. For all of you who supported me financially, thank you. For all of you who support me daily with encouraging words and silent prayers, thank you. Without all of you, my dream of teaching in Africa would not have become the amazing, beautiful, life-changing reality that it is. Thank you.

The ability to help and inspire others achieve their dreams

While I have been so blessed for the opportunity to make my dream a reality, I hope that I have inspired others to make their dreams happen as well. With a little hard work, a lot of perseverance, and the courage to listen to God’s word that is truly alive in you, you too can make a difference.

As we have been here for three months now, Marisa and I have been thinking about ways to help support our students and our schools. We would like to establish a scholarship fund to raise money for school fees, because we have unfortunately experienced drastic dropout rates in our classes due to their inability to pay the annual fee of $25. While the need is widespread, we would like to focus our efforts on sponsoring a few exceptional students beginning in Form 1, promising to cover their school fees for as far as they can go in their education. For many of our students, even if they are able to pass Form 4, they do not have the means to go onto Forms 5 and 6, nevertheless the university level. But we certainly have students who are bright enough and driven enough, that if given the promise that their fees will be covered, they will be encouraged to work hard, study well, and ultimately be successful. As the holiday season is approaching, please keep in mind all that you have to be thankful for, and consider the possibility of sponsoring one of my students! There will certainly be more updates and details to come regarding this, so in the meantime, simply consider this and know that your support will have a profound impact on the lives of our students.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING