Frustrations

I have tried to make each entry in this blog be one of an upbeat and positive nature.  And truthfully, most every day is one that has so many positives that the negatives are not that important.....but today was one of frustration that was awful.....

Wednesdays we go to the school, at Kakudu.  This school has real uniforms, a higher socioeconomic group.  The classes are very large.....43 children today with one teacher.  These are also older children.  We were making masks......zebras...and these were of paper plates.  The goal is manual dexterity with the use of scissors and following directions.

The teacher of this class tends to yell at the kids and they in turn, ignore him some of the time.  I believe there is a wide age range in this class as some of the girls look to be 12 and some of the children look only 9 or 10.  There is one girl that is very aggressive and when she wants attention she will begin to tap you on your arm or back with the back of her hand and this increases in speed and strength until you turn around and meet her needs.  Some of the other children will also tap you but not as insistently.

Because all supplies are carried here from the USA, the crayons and scissors are cared for to make sure we have supplies to use in other classes.

Today right after the children began coloring we noted that 2 pair of scissors were gone from two groups.  When we asked where they were, the children said, we only had one pair in each box.  This was then given to our leader, MaryAnn, and she had one of the drivers translate that each box had the same contents and we needed the scissors to be returned.  The children insisted that they had received a shortened number.  Finally, the crayons and remaining scissors were taken from those two groups and were held until the missing supplies were returned.  Quietly two of the girls reached under their skirts and pulled out the scissors and slipped them onto their desks.  Then the crayons were returned and they continued their craft.

Here is my frustration......in some of the classes if we forget one small crayon that fell on the floor, the kids will run after you to return it......in those classes the children and polite and listen to directions and try their best to do the craft.  This particular class is so different.....rough, aggressive, grabbing things from one another, and now today taking of the supplies and then denying they did.

What do I need to learn from today?  I need to think about this.  I don't believe it is to ignore this behavior and just try to get more supplies......I do believe that MaryAnn who is a teacher did the right thing in stopping the craft with these children until they returned the supplies.  I know that I am very disappointed with this class and the teacher and yet I cannot imagine trying to teach this large of a class and I'm not sure how much teacher training he has had to learn the techniques to manage them.  So I need to think.....what is our purpose in going to the schools?  It is to teach these crafts to the children, to help with them thinking outside the box of education that is the rote style here and be creative.  And I'm sure it is to teach courtesy and kindness as well as respect of other people's property.....and mostly today, how to show appreciation of the efforts of others who add to our lives.

As I look at these masks on the children, I think of the masks that I wear.....to appear different from who I really am...to be more socially acceptable....to hide the ugliness that is inside of me ....and I guess that was my real frustration today....these children are not sophisticated enough to hide these parts of themselves.....and are just learning socially acceptable behaviors....so I need to learn more patience and kindness too.....and keep my focus on why we are doing the things we do.....and show grace to these little ones just as grace is shown to me by God and the others that interact with me on a daily basis.

A time to sow and a time to harvest!!!!

It is very exciting!!!!  Our garden is now ready to harvest some of the veggies!!!  We have found a total of 12 green beans from the seeds Mary Ann gave me.  Tonight we are having a guest for dinner and will share the beans.  Also, one of the wing beans is ready.....so I have that one and we will share it.  I need to look up on the internet on how to cook it so it is tasty.

Wing bean

The corn is ready to be harvested and we are sharing 1/2 with the gardener without whom we would not have a garden.  He seems to love working in the soil and is always saying how sad he is that the soil is so poor but you know, we are getting some vegetables and this is a first for me.  So I am just thankful that these are growing as much as they are.

The Spinach is also ready to harvest......a leaf at a time, he says.  So tomorrow we will have a spinach salad to enjoy the fresh wonderful healthy food.

We also have growing parsley, bell peppers, papaya, watermelon (6 small fruit right now), pumpkin, okra, two fig trees, one avocado tree that will produce fruit when we are long gone, lettuce was added today as well as basil and mint.  Quite a wonderful assortment.  Here are some photos.

Okra

Fig Tree

Watermelon

There is one thing growing in the garden and we don't know what it is.  Can anyone help me?

Squash?  Eggplant?  Looks like a mango to me but maybe the leaves will help someone who knows gardening.

One last thing about food....today.....and just to let you know....the main conversations when we get together are about two things......food and visas......the two main issues here.  Anyway, on the way to the school yesterday we went by a "meat shop"......this is not where we buy meat....but I thought it was so interesting and so typical of Soyo.....note the goat head on the table and the man was skinning the carcass as we drove by.....fresh meat for sure.

I believe it is clear how thankful I am for the blessing of a garden that is actually producing food. The children's song....."Count your blessings name them one by one....Count your blessings see what God has done"....is so real as I look daily at the changes in the garden.  The gardener plants and waters but God is the one that makes things grow in this sandy soil.  Altho none are producing large amounts except the corn, we still can share with the others here and brighten their day too.

Making Memories

Wednesday and Friday are the days we teach English to the drivers.  Some days we have one student and today by the end of the class we had 5.  It was also the birthday of one of the students, Manuel.  So I made banana muffins and we sang Happy Birthday in English and the students sang it in Portuguese.  There are no birthday candles so we just put a match in the muffin and sang quickly before the light went out.  I think this will be a memory for not just this one driver but for all.  It shows that we enjoy our time with them and they are important.  What fun we had.

While on R&R I bought clocks to teach telling time.  Time is counted here in Angola in the military way. Many foreigners do not know this way of telling time and it is also very difficult for the drivers to think in the AM/PM way.  So for the past few sessions we have studied different ways we will talk about time.  It was quite educational for all.  I believe that the drivers were surprised that the plans for English classes were in my mind while I was on vacation.  Just always trying to find a way to make things easier for them.


After class, I went to the market with a Danish friend and looked for fabric to make quilts for my kids.  My daughter wants a quilt for her bed and one of my daughters in law would like an oversized lap quilt for their sofa.  Neither asked me to do this, but are gracious and willing for me to make these to keep me busy.  Now you remember that everything here is so crazy expensive and if I am looking at fabric from Holland then it is.......but I want to make these from African fabric and that is really quite reasonable.  It ranged from $14-$20 for 6 meters so a fabulous find.  The issue.....and there is usually some glitch in the plans.....is that the colors and prints are not necessarily easily put into a quilt......but then that is the challenge, isn't it?  So, I am washing the fabrics today, will iron them and then start with a pattern that will show the beauty of these and will also look good in the kids homes.  I'm actually really looking forward to this......

Currently there is quite a bit of food in the market......so with veggies plentiful we are gathering and storing for the winter......actually, since we are south of the equator it is summer when the rains make the roads impassable and food scarce.....storing anyway.....the prices are still crazy....oil, sugar, flour, paper napkins....$60.00....and we are not talking about fancy napkins or large bags of staples....but it is available and I'm thankful.

One of the gentlemen likened living in Soyo to awakening one day and finding you are in the middle of the ocean on a small raft.  You protect everything you have on the raft and waste nothing and you pick up anything that floats by and find some way to use it as you live here.  I think it is a good analogy.

So I'm really enjoying my life here.....it is much easier right now without rain, mud, and heat.....each evening we sit outside and look at our garden grow and enjoy the cool breezes.....and I'm trying to find ways to make memories each day.....I wonder if I'll ever get to do the hospice???????

snake danger?????

I had said that I was going to have more information about the snakes here.  Each time I go to the base I try to meet with the wildlife people and see what is new in their quest to protect and relocate any snakes that are found either on the base or in the living areas.  Warren, one of the wildlife managers loves to educate on these snakes.  He truly likes finding them, protecting them and moving them to a safe environment.  Therefore, he is a great asset here to educate us about them.....I learned that the python has infrared openings to find prey at night....and he is pointing this out to me as we held the snake.  I must say, the only other pythons I have ever seen were accustomed to being around humans and therefore not as anxious.  This one is very wild and so he had to catch it's head and it hissed really loudly when touched. This is a smaller python of only 5 1/2 feet. He also said he needed to keep hold of the tail or it would pee on him and leave a terrible smell.....Glad he knows all this and that his desire is to help us gain an awareness about these creatures so he doesn't do anything to frighten either the snake or us.

This time I saw and held both a python and a small common brown house snake.  Warren did say that it is likely that at some time we may find this smaller snake in our homes.....I think 'common' has to do with the finding it commonly in houses...not just that it is everywhere but who knows....This was a very small snake....perhaps only 12-18 inches long but when Warren was teaching me about it, this little snake bit his fingers many times.....and it has such small teeth that it didn't break the skin.....I was surprised that Warren was unconcerned about this behavior and I suppose this is because he knew that it would not harm him.

Because we are growing a garden and want it to be organic, I spoke to Warren about composting.....he recommended that we don't because this will draw rodents and that will draw snakes....and mostly the puff adder that he finds frequently in the area.  Remember, this is the fastest striking snake....and does not let you know it is there.....and is easily camouflaged so quite dangerous.  I am going to follow his advice and not compost.

So I have had one more reminder that danger is all around.  I would like it if all snakes would stand up like a cobra to let me know it is there.....just as I would like it if all danger was so obvious....but, in fact, most danger is hidden and I must pay close attention to what is around me.   I have a real fear of snakes but have decided that it is important to overcome my fears and educate myself on the things that frighten me.  I know that just because I have held these snakes, I still must have a healthy respect for all snakes.  I will not pretend that I might actually be able to identify the non poisonous ones from the ones that are dangerous.

Now, have you heard about the acid bugs?????

Keeping it simple......

Sunday was Fathers day in Americ and that is such a special day for me.  A friend suggested changing my picture on Facebook to my father's and even though my father died many years ago, it was a wonderful way of celebrating his life and what he meant to me.  Without the kids here, Bryan and I still celebrated that special day together.....and the notes from the children brightened his day!!!  It was so encouraging for him.

Monday we went to the Mphinda school and made hats with the children.  This school is much more poor than the other we attend  and the children are more focused and actually listen better than the other.  The dear teacher is 9 months pregnant and exhausted.  Thankfully it is cooler now so she is more comfortable but she just looked so tired.  Her class is well behaved.  The kids and the drivers thoroughly enjoyed the craft.  Because there was time left at the end of class, we played Bingo.  It is interesting that when this was started in February, the kids were having trouble recognizing the numbers but now most of them love the game and need very little assistance to find the correct number.

  I have to say that helping at the school is such a high point of my life here.  These children are learning in incredibly basic and difficult surroundings, the teachers are poorly supported and doing an incredible job in their desire to provide education to the children.  Each week I feel such respect for the teacher and children in their desire to learn and grow.  And, lets face it.....these kids are too cute too!!!!!   And the simple things in life are so appreciated!!  Good lesson for me.....

On the way home we stopped at the local market that was closed during the rainy season due to the mud.  We were so happy to find beautiful Bak Choi.....so spent the next few hours cleaning, drying and preparing it for freezing so we will have green veggies during the rainy season when the road is closed and vegetables are scarce and not fresh.  Hoping to find tomatoes.....soon....but maybe this isn't the season.....I don't know.  Just enjoying what is available now......

Orchids. God's latest lesson on growth....

Finally!!!  Took me almost a week to figure out how to get back into my blog......somehow I was locked out but now am back and good to go.

Over this past week we went to the schools to help again with the crafts.  It is such a pleasure to work with these kids as they enjoy being creative.  Even the teachers get involved sometimes and create and take their crafts home.

Now that it is winter here and much cooler the times at the schools are even more enjoyable.....We will continue going for the next two weeks and then we will break because there are not enough of the women here to be able to help at the schools.  Most of the classes have 35 to 45 students so we need a minimum of 4 women and 4 drivers to be able to help the kids and be finished within the hour time we have.  I will miss these outings.

Still no word about the possibility of hospice or working in the hospital.  I tell you this because I want you to know that the dream stays alive and hope continues.  In preparation for the hope to become a reality, I have begun language study again.  I am doing a lesson a day and this program that I now have is really user friendly.....and I must say I'm enjoying it.  I do not like living in a country and not being able to communicate easily to people I meet and it is an imperative to speak Portuguese to do any serious work here.  I find even the school interactions are frustrating since I cannot really communicate with the children or teachers.

Our garden is actually becoming amazing!!!  We have beans that we harvested today....our first crop!!!!  So exciting!  The corn is almost ready to harvest.  The squash and watermelon are growing and the spinach and gimboa are both growing as well.  Soon we will be able to actually eat out of the garden and that is the goal.  This is the first time I have had a garden.....and I have to admit that most of the reason it is growing so well is the wonderful gardener we have.

Today Bryan and I spent several hours working on the orchids.  We took the remaining baby ones from the bottle in which we transported them from Thailand.  This means we needed the husks from coconuts and then took each little plant and secured it inside a part of the husk and then tied them to our ladder to grow.  We will be looking for some sort of tree stump to attach them to when they are more mature......which might be difficult since there aren't many trees near our home.....hmmmmm

Living here is helping me focus my understanding of what is actual need in my life rather than all the wants......I believe it is helping me grow as a person and be much more thankful for what we have.....and I am amazed at how exciting it is to watch the garden and orchids grow.....God is revealing simple truths to me such as finding joy in seeing how He produces growth in everything......in plants, vegetables, and fruit as well as in my life.

Now if we could just get Ms Kitty to potty train.........

Settling in

As I told you, our dear friend, Nu, gave me orchids to bring to Soyo....this is how I received them from her. I packed them carefully in my bag and when we arrived in Luanda, I took them out and put them in my hand carry.  Because the charter flight to Soyo is so small, it is probable that most of our bags will not make any flights with us.  Therefore, I carried them.  Upon arrival in Soyo we go through another 'customs' baggage examination.  When the customs agent saw the plants he said they would have to be confiscated. This could not happen since they were a gift from Nu and because they will be so wonderful at our home and as we pass new ones around the community.  There was both a male and female customs agents examining the bags.  She saw the packages of panty liners that Nu had also given me and she asked what these were.  When the Angolan woman helping Bryan explained to her the use, she requested one packet.  Bryan gave this to her.  The man said that the plants would still need to be confiscated.....and Bryan gave him a packet of panty liners too.  He then let the plants go through.  I'm not sure what he thought when he took the packet home but I'm thankful that the orchids have arrived at their final destination.....our back yard.

What a surprise when we arrived home.  We are blessed with a fabulous gardener.  He turned the barren red dirt into a garden of vegetables and fruit.
We have corn, watermelon, winged beans and green beans from one of the nurses I worked with before, coriander, spinach, gimboa (another leafy green veggie like spinach but much stronger tasting), bananas, chili pepper, cucumbers and cassava growing.  It is amazing!!!  The gardener is fascinated to watch me put the orchids tied inside of coconut husk to grow.....he is eagerly awaiting the blossoms to see what orchids are.

I will be sending pictures of the changes in the garden in the future.  This is so exciting for us.....to see red sandy dirt with a layer of black sandy soil on top (the Soyo version of topsoil) becoming a beautiful and purposeful garden.

Returning to Soyo is such a pleasure and I cannot believe how at home I feel.  Then knowing that I will grow as I watch the garden grow.....is such encouragement.  It isn't easy here......but how these beautiful flowers have made their way through and the vegetable and fruit garden begin to grow....we can be fruitful where we are planted here too.

Traveling to Thailand

 It is surprising to me to see that it has been more than a month since I wrote.  So many things have happened in my life since the last posting and I want to share some of them.

As you know Bryan and I went on R&R on May 5th.  He dropped me in Thailand and he went on for work to Indonesia.  Both of us thoroughly enjoyed the return to Asia where we had spent the majority of our adult lives.  Bryan was able to come to Thailand for R&R but it was complicated with getting medical care for health issues that were discovered while there.  I must say that I thank God for His timing in my life.

I believe I have mentioned that we lived in Thailand for 13 years during the 90's and left in 2004.  While we were there we developed relationships with several doctors that are world class.  Therefore, when I needed to see a doctor, I went to see the doctor that already knew me and I knew how competent, conservative and careful he is.  I do believe that had I not been in Thailand when this health problem manifested itself, it would have been much more difficult.  Now, please understand that had I been here in Soyo, the company would have flown me to Johannesburg where there is excellent health care but I would not have known any of the medical people personally.  So that is why I say, I thank God for the timing of this.....and lets face it, being in Thailand is so easy, so many things available to make your life pleasant.....friends, food, shopping, knowing the language and culture......I must say that when it was time to leave, I was surprised that I actually was ready and looking forward to coming home to Soyo.

Karen, Michelle and David Fitz with World Vision opened their home to me while Bryan was gone.  Karen and I took a trip to Chiang Mai to visit other friends, Paul and Judy Utley  with Campus Crusade for Christ.  And we had a few moments with Pete and Mary Queesenberry as they flew through Bangkok from Nepal.  What a delight to get together with these long time friends and refresh and renew relationship.  Another pleasure was to reconnect with the quilting ladies whom I had known for so many years.  Most of the present ladies attending the group are new to me but there were several from the past days and it was great to see what they are doing now and how they continue to provide quilts for babies in care homes.  Also, to got to meet several times with our dear friend, Nu, whom we had known for 16 years.


The food... well, most everyone enjoys eating fabulous Thai dishes wherever they live.  Just the aromas while walking down the streets was wonderful and I must say that after the difficulty of having variety here in Soyo, I savored each and every fruit and veggie I tasted...and to add to the delight, it was mango and sticky rice season.


What is there to say about shopping?  Going to the malls, Chatucak (the weekend market), the grocery stores.....I was almost overwhelmed at the variety available and the low cost.  It is amazing how quickly you forget when you are in a place that is so expensive and so limited.  We came with 2 suitcases and left with 5.....with dishes, quilts, spices, food, gifts, veggie seeds and Nu brought me a variety of orchids to grow in Soyo.

So what did I learn in my time in Thailand?  So many things.  First, that God is watching over me and my comings and goings.  What a sense of peace this brings to me.  Second, I must change my lifestyle to remain able to do the things that are in front of me....with care in eating, exercising, studying, and even at my age, growing into a more disciplined person.  Also, that the joys of life are made even more delightful when you have some hardship too.  And finally that I really do like living here in Soyo because with all that was available in Thailand, I was ready to come home and begin living here again.  That was wonderful....to learn that I am content here.

Ms Kitty?  Well, while we were gone we had one of the office staff, Marissa, come and stay with her.  The cat that we left was a bit standoffish and the one we came home to is more happy to have us here and much more friendly.  She is still not potty trained.....but there is always tomorrow.....I'm not giving up on that.