From Wisconsin…
Friday, July 18, 2008
Okay, I know I’m a horrible, miserable, lousy blog-writer. But I am alive, and well! And in Wisconsin. Crazy.
One of the missionaries said they wondered if Africa would just be a dream to me. I said, “I hope not!” But, in some ways, it is like a dream. I cannot believe that I was there, teaching, by myself, as a 22 (now 23) year old girl, for a whole year.
And now I’m in Wisconsin.
It’s absolutely amazing seeing family and friends again. Can’t believe I hadn’t seen them in a year! The past week and a half have been super busy (my excuse for not writing). Family reunion, seeing a few wonderful friends, playing with my sister’s new puppy. Plus finding a car, and beginning to move into my apartment at Prep. I haven’t had a day yet just to sit and relax, and I don’t see one in the near future. I have to be living at Prep on August 1st, so that means I get only a 3 ½ week summer vacation. I’m quite jealous of all my other teacher friends who get 3 months!
The last week in Africa really did fly by. Tuesday we took a field trip to the farm. We got to learn all about tobacco and how it is grown, then dried, then divided according to it’s quality, then packed in sacks, and how it SMELLS disgusting the WHOLE way through. YUCK. It was really interesting though, and wonderful how it employs 100 Malawians and helps them and their family. We also saw how the shells are taken off sunflower seeds with this really amazing machine, and how soybeans are used to make cakes (for the animals to eat) and pressed to make soybean oil. And we got to see lots of animals. The kids had a great time.
Wednesday was hard. Last day at Grace. I rode my bike out there one last time. I only cried for the last five minutes of it. The bike ride, I mean. Then I got there and started talking with Ernest and Jonny. Then I started crying again. Yeah. I had my sunglasses on so I tried to play it cool and pretend there weren’t tears coming out of my eyes. The whole blowing my nose thing kind of blew my cover though.
The kids put together a little program for me, with songs, Bible verses, and traditional African dances. Then Ernest wanted a picture of all of the kids and me, then some individual pictures with me. I have never had so many pictures taken of myself. Kinda creepy. I got a group shot with the Level 8 kids I taught. Oh man. Right now I’m looking at the pictures for the first time since getting home. Having a hard time looking at them. Too fresh, I think.
In some ways it was harder saying goodbye to my Grace kids than my class at school. The kids at school will be fine- they have parents and resources. The kids at Grace, though… you just don’t know what will happen to them. Without parents and/or resources, life is a lot more challenging.
Before we left, Ernest had me say a few words to the kids, and he translated into Chichewa. Ben and Jonny said all they heard was high pitched squeaks so they have no idea how Ernest translated for me. (That’s how I sound when I try to talk while completely crying.) I told them how thankful I was that I was able to meet them, teach them, talk with them, get to know them. I told them that I will never forget them and will always be praying for them. I told them to always know, no matter what happens, that God will always love them and be with them. And to know that I will always love them.
Okay, now I’m crying just writing this… So hard leaving them. I feel so bad that I left them. I pray I see them again.
Stopping here for now, will write again soon, I promise! I have so much more to say…
Okay, I know I’m a horrible, miserable, lousy blog-writer. But I am alive, and well! And in Wisconsin. Crazy.
One of the missionaries said they wondered if Africa would just be a dream to me. I said, “I hope not!” But, in some ways, it is like a dream. I cannot believe that I was there, teaching, by myself, as a 22 (now 23) year old girl, for a whole year.
And now I’m in Wisconsin.
It’s absolutely amazing seeing family and friends again. Can’t believe I hadn’t seen them in a year! The past week and a half have been super busy (my excuse for not writing). Family reunion, seeing a few wonderful friends, playing with my sister’s new puppy. Plus finding a car, and beginning to move into my apartment at Prep. I haven’t had a day yet just to sit and relax, and I don’t see one in the near future. I have to be living at Prep on August 1st, so that means I get only a 3 ½ week summer vacation. I’m quite jealous of all my other teacher friends who get 3 months! The last week in Africa really did fly by. Tuesday we took a field trip to the farm. We got to learn all about tobacco and how it is grown, then dried, then divided according to it’s quality, then packed in sacks, and how it SMELLS disgusting the WHOLE way through. YUCK.
It was really interesting though, and wonderful how it employs 100 Malawians and helps them and their family. We also saw how the shells are taken off sunflower seeds with this really amazing machine, and how soybeans are used to make cakes (for the animals to eat) and pressed to make soybean oil. And we got to see lots of animals. The kids had a great time.Wednesday was hard. Last day at Grace. I rode my bike out there one last time. I only cried for the last five minutes of it. The bike ride, I mean. Then I got there and started talking with Ernest and Jonny. Then I started crying again. Yeah. I had my sunglasses on so I tried to play it cool and pretend there weren’t tears coming out of my eyes. The whole blowing my nose thing kind of blew my cover though.
The kids put together a little program for me, with songs, Bible verses, and traditional African dances. Then Ernest wanted a picture of all of the kids and me, then some individual pictures with me. I have never had so many pictures taken of myself. Kinda creepy. I got a group shot with the Level 8 kids I taught. Oh man. Right now I’m looking at the pictures for the first time since getting home. Having a hard time looking at them. Too fresh, I think.
In some ways it was harder saying goodbye to my Grace kids than my class at school. The kids at school will be fine- they have parents and resources. The kids at Grace, though… you just don’t know what will happen to them. Without parents and/or resources, life is a lot more challenging.
Before we left, Ernest had me say a few words to the kids, and he translated into Chichewa. Ben and Jonny said all they heard was high pitched squeaks so they have no idea how Ernest translated for me.
(That’s how I sound when I try to talk while completely crying.) I told them how thankful I was that I was able to meet them, teach them, talk with them, get to know them. I told them that I will never forget them and will always be praying for them. I told them to always know, no matter what happens, that God will always love them and be with them. And to know that I will always love them.Okay, now I’m crying just writing this… So hard leaving them. I feel so bad that I left them. I pray I see them again.
Stopping here for now, will write again soon, I promise! I have so much more to say…
Posted by
at
00:30:32
