Ready or not...

Reception 2, one week ago when I first found out I was allowed to get in my room and do some work! Turns out, I could have been in there a week earlier. I guess I would have known that, if I had asked earlier :)
My classroom as of yesterday. Ready or not, the children will come tomorrow!
Another view of my classroom. It took forever to get the cubbies/lockers in my room!!! They are so heavy!

Well, school starts tomorrow. There have been tons of kids around campus the past two days. All the Chinchens arrived on Thursday, so that put the number of kids living on campus up to at least 31! Needless to say, there are a lot of people around. I have mostly been at the school all week, preparing my classroom (which was a total bomb when I arrived) and trying to teach myself how to be a teacher! There is a container that was supposed to arrive already, but won't be here until late September. It is carrying supplies for the school (text books, curriculum, art supplies, etc.) and so many of us have to figure out how to teach without these supplies for the first month of school. It has been very challenging preparing for school, and I still don't feel ready. Both Dan and I are really worn out, usually starting the day around 7am and not getting home until 5pm. I think that once things get started, we will get more comfortable with our new jobs. For the most part, it has been discouraging trying to do it all on our own (in that, there really isn't a point person to help) but we know that the Lord has called us here, and He is our strength. He gives us all that we need to do the work that He has called us to. It will be wonderful to meet the kids finally. Most of my students are Malawian and have the most interesting names. I need to practice pronunciations tonight!


On a lighter note, Dan and I have room mates! Well, let me explain. Last Saturday night, Dan and I work up around 4am, which isn't unusual, as there are many weird noises that usually wake us up around that time of the night. This time though, it was a noise we hadn't heard before, and it was coming from inside our house! I, of course woke up first. Thinking it was just craziness from the Larium (malaria medication), I tried to be quiet and not make a big deal of it. Then Dan asked me if I heard the noise, and I knew it was reality. It seriously sounded like a monkey was on our kitchen table dropping scrabble pieces onto the floor. There were a few shuffles here and there, and then more clicking. I of course imagined all sorts of different scenarios, but decided we should just find out what it was. Dan got up, slowly went out to the main room (while the clicking continued) and turned on a light. We were confused when nothing scurried away! That is when we both took hold of a fire place tool and poked every bag and cushion in the room. Still, nothing moved. We then turned the lights off, sat and waited for a good twenty minutes.
Dan and I waiting for the animal to show his face.

I got bored, and eventually gave up. That was when we heard the clicking again, coming from the ceiling. We concluded that there must be some sort of animal living between the roof and our ceiling. Most likely, the animal was trying to open a hole in our ceiling right above our kitchen table, which is rotting out, and looks like it will fall at any moment. I don't mind if it is living in our ceiling, as long as it doesn't come down to visit me in the middle of the night! Since it was going on 6:30am, we stayed up and had breakfast before we went to 7am service with the Stoms. We haven't really done anything about it, yet. I just hope it doesn't come down here anytime soon!!! It is another night sound that I will have to get used to.
Our ceiling!

A couple of days ago, I invited a few of the missionary kids living on campus to help me make banana bread. I figured, if they are going to eat it all, they should help me in making it! (the little red hen). They did a great job and enjoyed squishing the bananas for me. It has been really fun getting to know the kids around here.

Dan has been sick for the past week. Following our animal adventure, the next night, we spent 3 hours in the bathroom at 2am. Dan must have eaten something that didn't want to stay in his stomach. He was feverish, too which is not so good. I went next door to our helpful neighbors, and got a thermometer to take Dan's temperature while Jay went out to turn on the water. Dan didn't have a fever which was good, so we got through the night and went to the clinic in the morning for a Malaria test. Turns out, he just has 'Welcome to Malawiitis". Actually, he has had it all week, so please be praying for his health. It's really hard to find a substitute teacher around these parts of town, so it is no good if one of us is really sick.

Yesterday, there was a wedding on campus. It began around 11am, and went until the power went out lastnight around 6:30. I'm not sure if there was ever a ceremony, because all I heard was this amazing music all day long. It sounded like a real celebration. I have missed the music and African singing. It got me excited to go to the villages and be with the children. Our first school break is in October, and Dan and I are already planning time away with Ministry of Hope.

Please be praying for Dan's health and for rest for both of us. We really are worn out. Also, pray that we will continue to trust in the Lord, knowing that He will work through us as teachers here at ABCCA and through other ministries. We are still looking for a car, and are in need of a phone. We have the funds, but not the time or resources to get these things right now, so please pray that the Lord will provide.

Thank you so much!