Week 1

This city is amazing! There are so many people crammed into a such a small area. This country is the size of South Dakota that contains a 1/3 of the United States Population. The people are beautiful. They have a sense of character about them that draws you into their world. The think lines of hard labor etched into there skin invites you to walk in there shoes. I find that I know nothing of the work that these people put into their daily lives to make life even meager. Despite the poverty the people are generous and want to please each other. They strive to make you feel at home and welcomed into their country.
Transportation on the other hand has a life of its own. I was told that modern vehicles were only recently in abundance (last three years). The government decided to give loans to people so that they could buy a car. This shows status and wealth in this country as well as a fat belly. This has made traffic unbearable during the busy hours of the day. It has also created a lot of smog to the once green and luscious land. There are no lines on the street to keep the cars in line so people make of their own lanes and or there is no order at all and it is a free for all... may the best nuddger win. They dont have any street lights either. They do have one that I saw the other day but NO ONE pays attention to it. They dont even pay attention to the traffic controller guy. To say the least, driving is an adventure in of itself. I swear we have been in almost 100 accidents in one week! The tiny side streets are not made for cars let a lone as a two way street. When there are two cares people who are walking just lean against the wall curling their toes so that they dont get run over. Regular people take one of two main transportation, baby taxi or a rickshaw. A baby taxi is kinda like a long golf cart on a motorcycle. There are no doors on these things. I have yet to ride one but as soon as I do, Ill report! The other transportation is on a rickshaw. A rickshaw is a bicycle that has a carriage attached behind it. These carriages are very colorful with tons of sequence on them. The wood canopy over the seat is panted usually blue, yellow or red. Two people can fit on one while a man peddles the bike. The bike peddlers wear skirt looking bottoms with a top on. Can you imagine hauling two people up a hill on a bike and you barely have any meat on your body? I am not sure I want to subject a human being to bike me around to places that I need to go.
On to other business, I absolutely love the school. I have spent a week observing the teachers and I love it. My to be students are super sweet. Several of the girls have already given me notes and asking me when I am teaching. I feel so loved by them that I cant hardly wait to teach them. Most of the elementary teachers are natives. However due to the lack to native teachers, the school has hired Americans to teach while they train a native to take over for the next year. You can be praying that they find a teacher for next year in my class that I will be teaching. They also need a native to shadow the new teacher next year so that they can have to position and be effective. The whole staff at the school are very supportive. They have welcomed me and encouraged me to learn the culture and to experience this wonderful country. I am so thankful to be under my teacher because, her efficiency and organization in the classroom allows her to teach 11 classes a day. She has to do this because they are short so many teachers. I am privileged to take over Class 4 so that she can take a break and focus on her English and reading classes in the other grades.
The school is full of native children. When they come to KG 1 (Preschool) they know no English whatsoever. But by the time they get to class 4 they are fluent in English. All the grades are taught in full English. It is interesting when we are using a North American curriculum because we have to adapt some of the lessons to fit the culture and cut out some idioms that they wont understand. We focus on pronunciation more than we do on silent reading so that they dont have as big as an accent. The school teaches Moral Education. The curriculum uses principles/virtues such as encouragement, flexibility and other principles to teach morality. I was encouraged to hear from my teacher that the lower grades are seed planters for the children. By the time they are in high school, the students are asking questions and searching for answers. I have a real opportunity to show the Love to them so that when they are older they remember from when they were younger and ask questions. It is very difficult for a native to understand why a person from the states would come and teacher their children with out being paid. They cant understand why someone would pay to live her and teach for free. It is amazing at the provision He has provided for these teachers to be here, live and teach these wonderful students who need to be planted and watered so that they too can come to know Him! Most of the long termers has paid for everything in their classroom, including the desks. Donors of the teachers have given money to the teachers so that the teacher can provide a classroom that is suitable for learning.
Well it is getting late and I am afraid I must retire and sleep. For tomorrow is Sunday for me. The work week is different Sunday through Thursday is work week and then church is on Friday and Saturday is chilax day.

Love Rachel