My program, SALT, stands for Serving
and Learning Together. I think that is a very appropriate name for the program…certainly
if I thought I was coming only to serve (i.e. improve things here) I would be
disappointed. Learning from my Rwandese coworkers and host family as I
work/live with them is a large part of what I do here. Often I still find
myself wishing I could “do more” – after all, I am American, and Americans are generally
much more task-focused than the relationship-driven culture found here in
Rwanda, not to mention I am naturally an ‘achiever’ and someone who likes to
help others… But luckily I also like being a student and learning and working
alongside others.
This is a year of
learning to share life with others. Sometimes this is
incredibly fun and other times it is very stretching. Things usually don’t go
how I expect, although I suppose that fact is something I should
expect, given that I’m living in a different country. Now I am realizing
that I can learn, grow and even serve others by the small daily interactions,
when I enter people’s worlds and let them enter mine (through asking questions,
doing tasks together, and being open to something new). That is sharing life
with others and maybe that is my true purpose here.
This year (in the 8 months that are
left!) I hope to learn to relax and to be confident in who I am and why I am
here (even if I don’t always understand). Maybe transferring and editing a colleague’s
photos or moving (more accurately: co-supervising the boys moving) huge boxes
of books is helpful…if nothing else I enjoy the change of pace from sitting in
the office and planning English lessons!
Ok now for some specifics…stories and
photos!
Teaching story: This week I (fairly) successfully introduced my
students to mad libs! (I’m hoping you know what those are; they were a
childhood favorite of mine!) We picked our words, wrote them in the story and I
had to be patient (and try to control my laughter) as they worked and were
confused. After we read the story aloud in English some students were laughing
and after my brilliant idea of having them translate it aloud into Kinyarwanda
they were all laughing really hard! Yay for elephants playing football, eating
to God, sewing animals and potatoes, and selling friends! I then asked them to
change all the verbs from the simple past to the present perfect (despite that
being incredibly illogical) because that was the other teacher’s grammar lesson
of the day J
Highlight of the week: visiting
my language tutor Joyce’s house for her birthday!
Joyce mentioned it was her birthday in an offhand way at the end of our lesson the day before, so I went over to Ruth and Krystan’s to bake a cake (gotta love ovens!) and hoped my host parents could give me directions to Joyce’s house. After several minutes of trying to understand my host mother’s directions, my host father produced a map that consisted of a single winding road and he said, “Follow the cobblestone road. When the road starts to bend back the other direction you will turn off and go the other way. The house isn’t far past that.” I quickly decided I wouldn’t be surprising Joyce, rather I would call her when I approached what I thought was the correct location. (It actually worked out fine.)
Joyce mentioned it was her birthday in an offhand way at the end of our lesson the day before, so I went over to Ruth and Krystan’s to bake a cake (gotta love ovens!) and hoped my host parents could give me directions to Joyce’s house. After several minutes of trying to understand my host mother’s directions, my host father produced a map that consisted of a single winding road and he said, “Follow the cobblestone road. When the road starts to bend back the other direction you will turn off and go the other way. The house isn’t far past that.” I quickly decided I wouldn’t be surprising Joyce, rather I would call her when I approached what I thought was the correct location. (It actually worked out fine.)
I didn’t think coming to visit and
bringing a homemade cake and birthday card was such a big deal, but from the
look on her face, I could tell it was for her! She gave me many hugs and seemed
so happy all evening!! Her friends came over later in the evening (just as I
was leaving to meet my 9pm “curfew”), so for awhile it was just me and Joyce,
and later her children and her neighbor’s children. I fully enjoyed seeing her
house and photos, playing Go Fish in Kinyarwanda with the children, and eating
birthday cake and the customary Fantas. Oh and I tried to sing Happy Birthday
in all 3 languages (English, French and Kinyarwanda) but Joyce needed to help
me and the kids out on the Kinyarwanda verse because I kind of forgot how it
went J Needless to say, it was a wonderful evening for all,
and I plan to visit again even if it’s not a special occasion!
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| Joyce is in the middle, with her children Jessica (L) and Bridget (R). They are adorable! |
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| Birthday cake and Fanta! (Thanks for the candles, mom!) |
This week's reflection: God knows best. I see this often in His timing, placing me at certain
places at certain times, how things don’t happen the way I expect (but the
difference is usually good) and the way I am doing new things that I wouldn’t
usually do, and seeing good results from that. At least someone always knows
what’s going on (and it certainly isn’t me!).
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