We had spent the last two days building desks, taking pictures, interviewing, giving out goats and chickens to families, and spreading good news with our mercy bag visits at Top Hills School; so we should be pros at all of the above to do it again at Bulubandi School.
The men got right to work on the desks, while the women visited our friend, Irene, (who heads up the Womens' Ministry at Tree of Life) and her very talented troupe of bead-makers, basket weavers, and purse-crafters. These ladies meet with Irene every week and learn how to sew, study the Bible, minister to the community, and create lovely items to sell. We couldn't resist buying a few things to bring back home. (Our first market experience).
We decided to walk back to the school (about ½ mile or so) and thought we would walk facing the traffic like we do at home, which is on the right side. That would be fine, if the road was smooth and we could walk without watching our every step. Eyes on the ground mean no eyes on the traffic, so Liz had to pull me off to the side every once in a while when a truck came by. There is no sidewalk, and there is no mercy by the drivers. Thank you Liz!
We played a little bit of Keystone Kops trying to get organized enough to start on the pictures (who has the lists of the kids?, where are the forms for the unsponsored kids?, where are we going to shoot the pictures? where are we going to interview the sponsorship kids?), but we did get rolling on both and ended up with a very productive day.
After lunch, Sue went into the P5 classroom and talk to the kids there. She opened it up for questions to her and after the usual "What is the weather like in the US?, "What do you eat in the US," she got the question, "Tell us about the Pentagon." The teacher explained that they are really asking about 9/11. We were blown away by the level of knowledge and interest a fifth grader had about a bombing that took place when he was an infant (or maybe not even born – grades and ages are not quite the same as in the US) in another part of the world.
I (Judy H) got to get into my element today reading to a group of kids. I like to get pretty dramatic when I read, and I was reading a story about Franklin the turtle getting reprimanded by his mother because he went into the woods by himself, when he was clearly told not to. I was just reading "I TOLD YOU NEVER TO GO INTO THE WOODS BY YOURSELF!" when Sue approached me and thought I was talking to the four sweet, precious kids next to me. She thought I had lost it and needed to be sent to the bus for good.
We had our second market experience today when we left Bulubandi. Irene's husband is a tailor and has offered to make us all skirts if we get the material, so we all went into town to shop for material. Stall after stall, alley after alley of anything you can imagine. We looked at shoes (some wanted to get shoes for their sponsored kids) and discovered they are all black. There are about five different styles for men and two for women and all black. "Would you like black, …or maybe you would like black?"
After the market, some of us went to the Hope Africa house and spent time with our kids again. I was able to see the dormitory where my child lives and talk to her and my two new friends, Samuel and Joseph. It's always fun to talk to those joyful little people!
So ends another day of fun halfway across the world!
Love to all!
Judy Howitt
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