A short-ish summation of the week

Hello my friends!

Today has been an utterly amazing week. I am feeling that if I were to bring you up to speed, it would take a good deal of verbiage. I'll try to keep it concise as I listen to some uplifting music and muse over the week thus far…

Saturday was quite crazy. Dad and I went with Rachel to the market and walked around town. The market was…not something I really want to re live. It was crowded, people simply push and shove. The avenues are very narrow and twisting. The market is an enclosed space, and it's also dark. And it doesn't smell so great. People yell at you, at each other, and maybe just for the sake of yelling. …I don't even know.

We also went to the lake again. It was lovely.

I know it is sounding like I'm just chilling all the day long! One big vacation, right? haha…just wait, I have been doing things.

Sunday was great. We went to a French-English church, and the speaker was spot on in his message. He hit on points that I will blog about soon…what great things God has been trying to get in my noggin!

Monday:
Melli drove me out to the mission.
Now, the mission was started in Bujumbura by Mr. Ken's parents. It does so many wonderful things for the people in the area. One of the things it has is a primary school, called The Discovery School (for ages 3-10)
I have been looking for a niche. I've been praying that the right opportunity would come along.
I like it there very much. I was given a tour, and the students all clamored to give me hugs! What sweetness. 
They made a structured schedule for the next day for me (teaching grammar and singing with various grades) Yay schedule!

It is definitely different from schools in the USA.
The class size is about 50 to a teacher. Holy moly.

 Many of the teachers there are University students, so they are close to my age.They are incredibly friendly and they speak English (and they're teaching me Kirundi, the local language)
In the afternoon, we went to the park. It's beautiful.
I was able to run! Joy!

The Burundian drummers were there practicing. (Burundi is famous for their drummers) They gave us a full performance and told my Dad that they would give him a lesson if he came on Saturday. So, I'll go on Saturday in his place, haha.

Tuesday my schedule was like this:
6:00- up
6:45-off to the school
7:30- at school, singing warm up songs with the kids
8:00- Worked with two preschool classes (120 kids total!) There were four adults to all of these kids. Whew. I was going to do duck duck goose… We pretty much played "corral the children"
9:30- The preschoolers took tea, I talked to teachers and the kids
10:30- taught English 50 students
11:30- sang with another class
12:15-came home on the bus
1:30-lunch!
After that morning, I was rather wiped out. I took a little nap.
At 3:30, Dad and I went down to a cafe that has internet and coffee around Dad's borrowed phone wouldn't work, so we got to walk back! What an adventure. It was a good walk. For some reason, I thought Dad was going back on Thursday, but, it turned out to be WEDNESDAY! Shock.

Wednesday:
It was very similar to yesterday, aside from the fact that dad was leaving. He left after lunch. I hadn't felt too terribly homesick up until this point, but after he said goodbye, I felt like I was definitely quite a ways from home. The Johnsons are really lovely people.
This afternoon we went to the park, and I was able to run a few more kilometers and play with some kids there. It's a very community-like atmosphere, everyone plays together. 

Here is a major praise! Ken and Melli have the official adoptions for the kids here in Burundi, but they want to make their kids US Citizens. They were going to send the papers off with my dad. There were many roadblocks and delays, and many many prayers lifted up. Everything came together sooo perfectly at just the right time!

Thursday:
Up at six, off to the school, planned out the next week with the teachers. I worked on straightening the school's resource room…it's a wee bit crazy in there. Then more singing! I am starting to feel like I'm in a musical! haha! I love singing and teaching.

Today is Friday, and I have the day off of teaching. I bought some fabric at a shop, and ran errands with Melli and Carly. It's fun to see how you have to travel to five different stores to get the shopping done. It makes you appreciate Walmart….as much as I hate to say it.

Well, God is so in control, He is working on me, and I am thrilled to have this opportunity. I have just a moment to write all of this… so do excuse the run-on sentences and such.

Much love!

Makenzie