Peter Returns and Pre-Form Builds a Shelf . Not necessarily related, but both exciting on their own right…

Peter Returns

Peter returned from the U.S. on Tuesday night. He was raising funds for our student sponsorship for most of the month of October. He hit the ground running! He was at our house early Wednesday morning for breakfast and didn't really slow down until about Friday. We hadn't played squash for the entire time he was gone. Then, less than 48 hours after his return, there we were Thursday night swinging and running and sweating away! It was as if he never left.

Digging the Pit

For the second Saturday in a row we worked on the water catchment pit at school. Again, I was amazed at the number of students who turned up. We had around 20 students again. I was free to help a bit more this time so I set about swinging a pick-ax. I thought I was "hardened in" from working in the garden and other things around school. But, after only half an hour of swinging that tortuous tool, I found myself panting, sweating and well blistered. My students, on the other hand, had no problem with the work. One, in fact, kept referring to himself as a machine. Based on his abilities and apparent lack of blisters, I had to agree with him.

Pre-Form Woodworking

I began working with 12 pre-form woodworking students two weeks ago. Last week we built a shelf out of scrap wood. Wow they had a lot of enthusiasm! It had rained that afternoon, so we moved our operation to one of the school sidewalks, hopefully avoiding the mud. "OK guys, we need some shelves three feet long." "Whack, crash, bang!" "OK teacher – finished." Cramped on those narrow sidewalks we banged together a six foot tall shelf in 45 minutes. Was it the most beautiful masterpiece created by human hands? Well, not quite. A few of the pieces were a bit wider than others. Nails jutted akimbo from multiple sides. And, it's possible, that many of the pieces used were infested with termites ultimately spelling a really short life for that shelf. But those guys built with gusto. Or, like my mom likes to say 'like they were killing snakes.' We'll work on finesse later.

Girl's Football (Soccer)

Our girls soccer team played in a league called Future Stars on Saturday. Apparently they are pretty good. They tied Saturday to a team called the Black Mambas. Don't you think the other team deserves one goal just for the name alone? Anyway, it just reconfirms my belief that our girls are some tough mamma-jammas. If you want to get something done, you ask an Orkeeswa girl. They're tough, smart and apparently not to shabby at scoring goals.

Upper respiratory, please – for all!

Well, it's cold season. Or, it sure seemed it this past week. Cripes! It seemed as though everyone was hacking and coughing and sneezing and wheezing. I'm hoping everyone went home this weekend and was magically healed and will all be healthy next week. Please…

Big week coming up

This coming week is bound to be busy. The chairmen of the IEFT board is coming to visit along with our associate director. It's going to be good to have them here and share some of the good things that have been going on at the school. Personally, I'm hoping to introduce both of them to the business end of a pick-ax and see if they too are machines down in that water pit… only time will tell.

Just a Normal Week at Orkeeswa

I have been sitting here racking my brains trying to remember anything out of the ordinary this week. And really, there's not too much!

A girl broke her arm and is STILL waiting to have it put in a hard cast. Apparently it's too swollen. That's taken two trips in to Arusha to discover that.

I've been working on a goat house and water catchment pit with the students after school. About thirty came in yesterday to excavate the rock hard ground– voluntarily!

But, for the most part it was just a normal week. We taught classes. We were exhausted at night. We went in to Arusha and bought some groceries. We ate at a new restaurant that was local and had really good barbecue.

So, since it was just a normal week, I included a few pictures from the past few months. Enjoy!

Jeff, Kim and Laura in Tanzania!

I think a pause for reflection is necessary after the past two weeks. Lisa and I were so fortunate to have Lisa's family visit us here in Tanzania. In just ten days we visited the school, an airport, a student's boma, toured the Serengeti and Lake Manyara and a coffee farm. I think they probably slept well on the plane ride home. I know Lisa and Laura took a load of pictures so be sure to check them out on their Facebook pages.

Our guests picked a great time to visit. We had water and electricity for their entire stay. Plus, the weather was great right up until the final day when it rained a bit. Lisa and I had a one week break, so we were free to enjoy right along with our guests.

I think we're really lucky to have such good family. Not only are they great to have around…but obviously they were also willing to jump through all of the hurdles to get down here. So, even though it was too short, THANK YOU for coming to see us and this place we are calling home for right now.

A few quick highlights:

1. Jeff teaching the Form 3 Students about tractors – they laughed when he said he fed corn to the cattle (that's food for people here!)
   
2. Laura taking pictures of the stars in the dark…as well as a billion other great pics.
   
3. Seeing lions, cheetahs, a leopard, a rhino, crocodiles, water buffalo (thousands), wildebeest (thousands), zebras (thousands), elephants (eating thorny trees…wouldn't have believed it if we hadn't seen it!), giraffes, and lots more on our safari.
   
4. Rushing through a walking tour of a coffee plantation in the mud right before everyone had to get on the airplane.
   
5. Kim's sandwich being snatched right out of her hand by a "black kite" bird during a picnic lunch.
   
6. Watching lions, um, mate.
   
7. Helping a mother cheetah be reunited with her lost cub (at least we like to think we played an instrumental role).
   
8. Watching episodes of "Lost" right before going on a four day camping excursion…whose great idea was that?
   
9. No one getting sick!
   
10. Jeff, Kim and Laura getting home safely.
    

THANK YOU for a wonderful 10 days!

Teaching Tractors with Boxes and Blocks

ISM Track and Field

Yesterday we competed in the International School Moshi (ISM) track and field events. We took nearly 150 people which was quite an accomplishment. Efforts towards effective transport were made much more difficult due to the rain we had had the night before! I went on a small bus called a dalla-dalla until the mud made the road impassible. The driver kept saying "I have no four wheel." I thought he was saying "I have no oil." I was less than sympathetic! You idiot…why didn't you put oil in the darn thing! Ah, language… Anyway, with some pushing, some walking in the mud, some laughing and some cursing, we were able to get everyone loaded and off to the event. One boy was nearly left! He came running up, dripping with sweat, just as we were about to load the busses. "Good morning, sir!" he chimed! I love this kid!

We arrived about ½ an hour late (not bad considering the mud bogging bus event) and competed well all day. Our kids, who walk a long way to and from school, have no problems in the distance competitions. They easily win the 1500, 800, 400 and any race that requires some endurance. Shot and discuss and some of the short distance races are more difficult, though, given the size of some of our kids. I can remember sitting in Mr. Parsons' biology class learning about fast twitch and slow twitch muscles. Turns out, our kids have great slow twitch muscles! We were 4^th for the day which was a little disappointing. But, I think the kids enjoyed the event and we were able to bring home two trophies for winning some divisions. Not bad for a Saturday in Arusha.

On the dalla-dalla ride in, I sat next to some boys who were singing. Sometimes our kids, just like kids everywhere sing loud obnoxious songs. These guys were just singing some Maasai songs…not trying to draw attention at all. Pretty soon, a few more students joined in, then more, then the parents. Soon, the whole bus was singing. But, not trying to draw attention to themselves…just singing! I can't tell you how cool it was. After the stresses of the morning and the general stresses of the week, I felt like I was being blessed with an incredible gift. I don't know where these songs came from, or even what they were saying. I just knew this was one of those moments where I have to say to myself "stop and pay attention to this bud because this is a good one." And it was.

Phone Calls that Never Quite Work Out    

I get so excited when someone calls me or I get to call someone from home! Yesterday my sister Sara called. We talked for about 10 minutes. Then, just as I was hearing the final dramatic conclusion to what happened to Alice the cat, click…the phone lost connection. ARGH! Communication is tough enough (see the dalla-dalla story above for example!) even with the best of devices! Sometime over the next year I am hoping to discover a really great way to stay in touch with family and friends! I don't know…maybe message in a bottle…anyone tried that one in a while?

Teaching Tractors with Boxes and Blocks

Form 3 agriculture has been learning about tractor parts and operations. It's been fun! I do wish for a real tractor. Since we don't have one, I've had to improvise. So, on Friday we quickly built the "Maasai Furgeson 8880" in their classroom using a box as the engine block, a pencil as the dip stick, a cup as the radiator cap, a surge protector as the battery and wooden blocks as the pedals. We did have a real tire too. I thought the students would just groan over how ridiculous it was (because it was pretty ridiculous!) But instead they asked great questions and acted really interested! We even did a driving lesson with a couple of them…using a stick as the gear shifter!

Goodbye to Robert for a While

On Monday this past week we said goodbye to our principal Robert. He is leaving for a few months to get his Masters degree in international development. We had a ceremony and gave him some gifts. Robert has been a really important piece in community relations. It will be difficult without him here…but he'll be a stronger leader when he returns!

Goodbye to Francis

We also said goodbye to a student worker named Francis on Friday. He's been with us for over a month helping teach math and chemistry. He's studying to be a medical doctor. When we asked him if he had anything to say to the students he said "I hope when I come back you will tell me that you are now in Form 3 and Form 4… not 'Here is my husband or here is my wife'." I was really impressed by this young man and he'll be sorely missed!

Goodbye to Peter for a While

We will also be losing Peter for a while as he is back in the US raising funds for the school. Peter brings a lot of energy and vitality to the school. Thankfully he'll be back in a short time!

Hello Jeff, Kim and Laura

And of course THE NELSONS ARRIVE ON TUESDAY! This is really exciting to have Lisa's family coming for a 10 day visit! We have a break the week after next. So, Jeff, Kim and Laura will visit the school, students and Monduli for the first few days. Then, I think we'll head to Lake Manyara and the Serengetti for a few days. They are in for an adventure!

Sweet, Glorious Rain

Last night I woke up to the sound of pounding rain. It was one of those noises that was really out of place. The rains have been all out of sorts lately. It's really dry right now. But, I didn't expect it to start raining for another month. Peter has been predicting the rains to come in the first part of October for a long time. When something is truly needed (i.e. water) the sound the that thing becomes really sweet!

Lisa – Possible Rockstar

Reasons Why Lisa Rocks

We all know Lisa is a rock star for multiple reasons. But, for those of you out there with some lingering skepticism, look at the evidence produced in these past two weeks. Lisa is not only teaching a subject that she has no background in (English) 18 time per week, but she is also organizing all of our activities. She puts together the sports list. She puts together the after school activities. She puts up with me. So, anything on top of that should kill a lesser soul! Please read on to discover why Lisa is a rock star.

Basketball Scrimmage with St. Judes

Saturday of last week we had a basketball scrimmage against St. Judes. We had nearly 200 students, teachers and staff attend. We played on the new basketball court. Lisa was a main contributor in organizing and executing this event. St. Judes is a school about 10 times our size in Arusha. Their mission is similar in that they sponsor really poor kids to get a great education. We are trying to develop a strong relationship with them because we have a lot in common. So, it was fun to get their boys and girls (and even teacher's) teams out there to play.

Arusha ½ Marathon

Hot on the tail of the St. Jude's basketball scrimmage, we had 22 of our students compete in the Arusha Safari ½ Marathon and 5K fun run. Since the event started at 6:45 AM (Yeah right…more like 7:30!) we had to find a place for all of our students to sleep. So, we kept them here! Yes, last week at about this time we had 18 snoring students on our living room floor and extra beds with the remaining ones down at Peter's house. It was a kick feeding them the night before….popcorn, pasta (brought from Peter's house in two big pots), tea (with loads of milk and sugar…in fact we ran out of sugar!), cookies, bananas… Needless to say that next morning our house looked like a hurricane had blown through! We finally got to bed around 10:30 only to hear our kids laughing and talking. Lisa had put on a movie for the girls to watch…I think it was Little Rascals. I finally went in after about an hour and said it was time to go to bed. At 4:00 the next morning, what do you think they did first? Yes, those girls finished watching Little Rascals! Anyway, we got everyone fed, washed, put to bed, woken up and down the road by 5 AM last Sunday morning. All of our efforts paid off too because we had the top two runners in the boys and girls 5K as well as the top two boys in their age division for the ½ marathon. And, here's the kicker….LISA RAN THE ½ MARATHON TOO! After no sleep, working her buns off all week and at the basketball game, she ran the ½. In case you were wondering, I was way too busy drinking coffee and talking to be bothered.

The Fear of Haircuts

It's not that I am afraid of cutting my hair. I do it regularly. It's more the fear that the electricity will go out in the middle of it and I'll be left looking a bit like Mr. T. Yesterday, for example, the electricity came on. I rushed in and grabbed my stuff and was buzzing away. No sooner had I cleaned up and clicked the clippers off than, sure enough, the electricity went off. I dodged that bullet. But, rest assured, one day it's going to happen. And, you're going to be looking at pictures on Lisa's Facebook page and ask "Why does Seth look so bedgraggled? Does he have mange?" And, while I may have mange too, it will likely also be because of a nasty run in with clippers, power cuts and poor timing.

Maasai Eyes

There is an interesting phenomenon I have encountered here that I would like to refer to as Maasai Eyes. We use white boards in our classrooms. All of our classrooms also have many large windows which allow sunlight to come streaming in. Great for mood enhancement, terrible for glare on the whiteboards. Several students have complained of eye problems, headaches, etc… So, we try to remedy the situation by putting up curtains. Pretty soon all of that wonderful natural light is blocked and the rooms are dark. Still not good enough. Still have kids complaining of eye problems. Now, last night we dropped a kid off after dark to walk home. And I began to put things together. I'm fairly convinced that our kids have a much higher amount of rods (or cones…can't remember which ones are responsible for night vision) than the average person. I think this helps them see at night like no other, but makes that white board like staring at the sun. Just a theory. Not going to get my PhD in that study just yet. And of course, it is a far cry better than Man Eyes which is the syndrome where you can't find anything even if it's right in front of your face. I might blog about that some other time.

Swimming in the Bush

Yesterday we took four students to TGT to experience squash, lifting weights, eating some great food and, of course, swimming. There is no water where these kids come from. They walk for miles to get water and bring it back in buckets on their heads. So, I can't imagine what must have been going through their minds yesterday when they saw that ENORMOUS pool of crystal clear water, just for people to play in! After some encouragement they got in. It was a treat to watch them encounter such a foreign concept. Mostly they just walked back and forth in the shallow end. Then they would try the arm motions while walking. By the end a few were brave enough to put their heads under for some time. I would have loved to have been there later in the night when they tried to explain to their friends and family what they did that day. I'm sure it's a little like me trying to explain some of our experiences here. Sometimes, words just aren't enough.

Week of Celebration

Turning 30
Much like Peter, I had the "never ending birthday party" this week! Wednesday - Friday we had celebrations! But, easily the capstone was Friday. I had NO idea any ideas were in the works. Then, Peter called me down to the school library. There were ALL of our students with soda in their hands singing "Happy Birthday." It was the best. Then came the gifts... two Maasai blankets (put on by a Maasai man wearing jeans...ironic) and a load of cards made by the kids. Then came the dance! Out came some of our boys...dressed as girls! They danced and the whole group of kids watching were beside themselves laughing (myself included!). Then came the cake! Ahhhh, the cake. It was a chocolate cake. I ate one bite then shared the rest with the students. No surprise it was gone in no time flat. Between the sodas, the cake and the lollipops, the kids were pretty well sugared up. It was just a great celebration.

That afternoon we had soccer and netball games. We won the soccer game. The kids declared it was because of the party. They also allowed that perhaps we should have a party before EVERY game if we want to win. I told you they were clever kids!

That night we went in to Arusha and ate Chicken at a place called Nicks (AWESOME chicken!). I got another cake from Rapha. So, we are all well sugared!

6 Year Anniversary

Lisa and I celebrated 6 years of being hitched on Saturday. As a treat, Peter got us a room at the African Tulip. WOW! We drove the Land Rover in (covered in mud and dirt) and discovered one of the nicest hotels in Arusha. We walked in to be met by a man who served us fruit juice as we checked in. Not too shabby! Then, he walked us to our rooms, opened the door and turned on our television. Then he changed the channel. In fact, he kept changing it until he got to the Discovery Channel. Bear Grills was surviving the Arizona desert. I guess our man thought that was the right spot because he left the TV there and was out the door. Oh, glorious hot showers, hot food and comfortable bed.

New Kids Start Tomorrow!

In the midst of Form 2 Mock Exams, the new "pre-form" class will start TOMORROW! They'll be working on English immersion for the next three months. We saw them for a short time on Saturday. They are small! It's going to be fun getting to know them... and add them to the family.

New Stuff...

New Volunteers Arrive

This week we had the third pre-form English immersion teacher arrived. Michelle from Canada will join forces with Andrew from California and Amy from Ireland. I made a great first impression because she had read my blog...yes the one about peeing in the garden! Today they will all move to the other volunteer house (called Mzee Mboze) to stay together for the next three months.

New Student Selection

Peter and Rapha have been busy driving around in the bush interviewing potential students. They have to verify the financial status of the family and just get a feel for the student. They should be done soon and we'll see the fruits of their labor as the next group of students arrives in Mid-September!

New Science Laboratories

The science laboratories have been built, now we need to outfit them with equipment! This is fun for me to see the possibilities. The labs will have wood cabinets, sinks, gas and of course lots of equipment. I've been helping gather information on what sorts of things need to go in them (i.e. chemicals, beakers, etc...). Thanks to the folks at Pine Bluffs High School we have quite a bit of equipment already!

New Electricity

For some reason (knock on wood!) we have had electricity for the past five days! Solid! What the heck? Noone can figure it out, but we have been taking advantage of it...lights are on...music is blaring... Lisa made cookies! We watched a movie last night. Ah, the good life!

New Shoes for Lisa (and renewed energies for running!)

Andrew brought Lisa some running shoes that she had ordered and had shipped to him. Now she is back to running. In fact, she ran 10 miles yesterday! Just like that...woke up and said to herself "I'm going to run 10 miles" and she did! That's how Lisa rolls. I usually wake up and say "I'm going to make coffee." She is getting ready to run the Arusha 1/2 marathon coming up in a couple of weeks.

Form 2 Mock Exams Next Week

Form 2 will be taking national exams this week...you know the ones that determine whether you get to go on to Form 3. Well, this week the district will be administering a "mock exam" beginning Friday and continuing all next week. Our students are, of course, nervous. It is a little frustrating though because the exams are really poor quality - misspelled words, poorly worded questions and some for which there are just no proper answers. We will take the exam anyway because it's a good way for the students to get themselves prepared for the national test.