Ahhhh Hello everyone! We’re back in action. Sorry it’s been so long since the last blog update. There are new pictures posted on the Picasa page so check those out.
Since you last heard from us we’ve had celebration after celebration. Including a genuine Thanksgiving dinner thanks to the sisters’ hard work in gather and preparing all that they could to make Katie, myself, and Sister Veronica feel like we were at home in the States. We have turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, pumpkin and apple pie, and even pilgrim and Indian decorations, compliments of Katie and Comfort’s artistic abilities. From the bottom of our hearts, Katie and I want you all to know how thankful we are for each and every one of you who supports us!
We’ve had the past two Fridays off of school due to national holidays. December 4th is national Farmer’s Day. It is a day honoring the farmers who saved the people of Ghana during a drought and famine in the 80’s. Without their hard work the country would not have survived.
Katie made it back safely to Ghana after returning home to be with her family as they buried her grandfather. She was so happy to see everyone and had a fabulous time in Florida (she’s got the battle wounds to prove it: during an intense game of kickball on the beach she wiped out when rounding third base). Plus, she got to drive, eat a big Mac, and spend time with the girls from Saint Mary’s who surprised her at the airport (Ash, Jen, Bender, Lindsay). The kids were so cute when I told them why Katie wasn’t going to be at school for the week. We said a little prayer together and a few of them even cried. They are such little “Love Bugs.”
Needless to say, I simply “survived” 10 days alone in Ghana. Definitely missed Katie a lot and was worn out by the time she returned. Handling the classroom alone was a big task. It’s not like handling a classroom at home in the US alone. At home, when it’s time to take the kids to art, music, gym, computers, library, there’s a teacher waiting there to take them off the classroom teachers’ hands for a short time. This gives the teachers time to plan and get ready for the next lesson. NOT the case here. We have them from 7am-4pm straight with a 30 minutes break for lunch. We teach art, music, computers, library, PE… EVERYTHING. So it’s go, go, go all the time without any prep. breaks.
We’ve recently been having a lot of electricity shortages. We’ve been whole days without power and then there’s some days when the power goes on and off continually throughout the day. So this has made communication tough the past few weeks. I’ve ben talking to my mom, dad, Michael, Adam, and Jess quite a bit though to get them ready to come to Ghana. Only 19 more days!!! Woo hoo! I CANNOT WAIT for them to be here.
Oh, just a side note, I did contract ringworm, but it’s pretty much cleared up now. So that’s good. I’ve still been running a few days a week and actually starting to enjoy it (for those of you who know me, you know that I hate running, and I only ever did it b/c I felt guilty if I didn’t exercise, amazing!)
Sister Theresa returned from the rehabilitation hospital last week with her new prosthetic leg. She is doing well and making good progress every day as she learns to walk again.
Some funny things that have happened in the classroom recently:
1. Well, one of our little dears, Samuel A., came to school with new sandels. He’s so proud of them. They are actually girls sandals but who cares. They are little red rubber sandals with a blue buckle. Adorable.
2. This past week, while the kids were working in groups on animals, we were telling them, “okay, 10 more minutes. Okay, 5 more minutes.” Etc. Then Nathaniel comes up to us and, very seriously, asks… “Please Madame, can we have 10 more hours? Just 10? (he meant 10 minutes but it made Katie and I laugh pretty much for about 5 minutes)
3. Nicolina shouted “shit” in the middle of class this week. It’s a pretty loosely used word around here and it doesn’t mean the same thing as it does at home. I don’t even think the kids really know what it means other than they hear it from other people. So we had a good laugh over that too.
4. The kids also decided (very logically) that since I am approximately 1.5 months older than Madame Katie, I will be dying first. I tried to get them to explain their reasoning and they said it’s b/c I’m older. So lucky you, Katie! Anyways, one little girl, Elizabeth O. got really worked up about the whole thing while we were discussing it and stood up and shouted, “NO ONE IS DYING!” That put an end to that. I found it pretty amusing.
5. I was reading a chapter of “Charlotte’s Web” to the kids and all of the sudden I feel this little hand rubbing my calf. It’s Samuel A. I don’t really shave my legs in Ghana. So Samuel finds it really amazing that I have blonde hair on my legs. I don’t even know if he noticed he was doing it, but I just kept reading as if nothing was wrong and in the back on my mind I’m thinking, “oh, my God! This kids is fascinated with my leg hair” I almost lost it!
Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us here in Ghana. We need it!
Love, Katie and Meg
Since you last heard from us we’ve had celebration after celebration. Including a genuine Thanksgiving dinner thanks to the sisters’ hard work in gather and preparing all that they could to make Katie, myself, and Sister Veronica feel like we were at home in the States. We have turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, pumpkin and apple pie, and even pilgrim and Indian decorations, compliments of Katie and Comfort’s artistic abilities. From the bottom of our hearts, Katie and I want you all to know how thankful we are for each and every one of you who supports us!
We’ve had the past two Fridays off of school due to national holidays. December 4th is national Farmer’s Day. It is a day honoring the farmers who saved the people of Ghana during a drought and famine in the 80’s. Without their hard work the country would not have survived.
Katie made it back safely to Ghana after returning home to be with her family as they buried her grandfather. She was so happy to see everyone and had a fabulous time in Florida (she’s got the battle wounds to prove it: during an intense game of kickball on the beach she wiped out when rounding third base). Plus, she got to drive, eat a big Mac, and spend time with the girls from Saint Mary’s who surprised her at the airport (Ash, Jen, Bender, Lindsay). The kids were so cute when I told them why Katie wasn’t going to be at school for the week. We said a little prayer together and a few of them even cried. They are such little “Love Bugs.”
Needless to say, I simply “survived” 10 days alone in Ghana. Definitely missed Katie a lot and was worn out by the time she returned. Handling the classroom alone was a big task. It’s not like handling a classroom at home in the US alone. At home, when it’s time to take the kids to art, music, gym, computers, library, there’s a teacher waiting there to take them off the classroom teachers’ hands for a short time. This gives the teachers time to plan and get ready for the next lesson. NOT the case here. We have them from 7am-4pm straight with a 30 minutes break for lunch. We teach art, music, computers, library, PE… EVERYTHING. So it’s go, go, go all the time without any prep. breaks.
We’ve recently been having a lot of electricity shortages. We’ve been whole days without power and then there’s some days when the power goes on and off continually throughout the day. So this has made communication tough the past few weeks. I’ve ben talking to my mom, dad, Michael, Adam, and Jess quite a bit though to get them ready to come to Ghana. Only 19 more days!!! Woo hoo! I CANNOT WAIT for them to be here.
Oh, just a side note, I did contract ringworm, but it’s pretty much cleared up now. So that’s good. I’ve still been running a few days a week and actually starting to enjoy it (for those of you who know me, you know that I hate running, and I only ever did it b/c I felt guilty if I didn’t exercise, amazing!)
Sister Theresa returned from the rehabilitation hospital last week with her new prosthetic leg. She is doing well and making good progress every day as she learns to walk again.
Some funny things that have happened in the classroom recently:
1. Well, one of our little dears, Samuel A., came to school with new sandels. He’s so proud of them. They are actually girls sandals but who cares. They are little red rubber sandals with a blue buckle. Adorable.
2. This past week, while the kids were working in groups on animals, we were telling them, “okay, 10 more minutes. Okay, 5 more minutes.” Etc. Then Nathaniel comes up to us and, very seriously, asks… “Please Madame, can we have 10 more hours? Just 10? (he meant 10 minutes but it made Katie and I laugh pretty much for about 5 minutes)
3. Nicolina shouted “shit” in the middle of class this week. It’s a pretty loosely used word around here and it doesn’t mean the same thing as it does at home. I don’t even think the kids really know what it means other than they hear it from other people. So we had a good laugh over that too.
4. The kids also decided (very logically) that since I am approximately 1.5 months older than Madame Katie, I will be dying first. I tried to get them to explain their reasoning and they said it’s b/c I’m older. So lucky you, Katie! Anyways, one little girl, Elizabeth O. got really worked up about the whole thing while we were discussing it and stood up and shouted, “NO ONE IS DYING!” That put an end to that. I found it pretty amusing.
5. I was reading a chapter of “Charlotte’s Web” to the kids and all of the sudden I feel this little hand rubbing my calf. It’s Samuel A. I don’t really shave my legs in Ghana. So Samuel finds it really amazing that I have blonde hair on my legs. I don’t even know if he noticed he was doing it, but I just kept reading as if nothing was wrong and in the back on my mind I’m thinking, “oh, my God! This kids is fascinated with my leg hair” I almost lost it!
Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us here in Ghana. We need it!
Love, Katie and Meg
i love, love, love reading about all of your adventures....i'm so glad that thanksgiving was wonderful for you, i know we missed you alot! the little ones sound so adorable, i truly can just picture you in the classroom with them. i'm so glad you will be with adam and michael and your friend jess over christmas but you sure will be missed here. we sure could use some of your heat, it's gotten so cold here and we had our first snowfall too! i love you lots and lots! gonna go check out the new pics now!
ReplyDeleteHi Katie and Megan. I came to your blog from the SMC website. I'm a 2005 alum who had thought about going to Ghana when the program was first starting out. They didn't end up running the program the year I wanted to go. And I'm so happy to learn that the program made it off the ground. It's wonderful to see your blog. I wish you both many blessings as you continue this great work.
ReplyDelete~ Katie P, SMC '05