An Exclusive Sarah and Olivia Update!!!

This post was written October 3, 2010
Hello again, friends and family! Can hardly believe I’ve been living in Ethiopia for nearly 7 weeks already! The days are long, but time is flying. The first 4-5 weeks here were extremely tough for me, but God is faithful and I feel like I have stretched, grown, and changed a lot over the last 7 weeks. Am truly starting to fall in love with the kids, the country, and the pace. The more I get to know the kids here at Addis Tasfaa (the orphanage), the more amazed I am. They are some of the most genuine, fun kids I’ve ever met anywhere. The school kids are a slightly different story. I love them, too, but they are a little more challenging and require a little more prayer to work them into my heart.

Speaking of school, it finally started last week! We’d been waiting and waiting to start teaching English, but the beginning of school was delayed multiple times. We’d planned to only have 2-3 weeks to adjust before starting school, but alas did not start until the day that marked the end of our 6th week in Ethiopia. God’s timing is, as always, perfect, though. Sarah commented to me this morning that she was amazed at how God had worked everything out. “I was not half as nervous to start teaching on Tuesday as I was last Wednesday when we thought we were starting,” she added. I wholeheartedly agreed. We thought we knew what was best, but the truth is if we had started any earlier we would have felt much more nervous. It has taken a good 6-7 weeks in this country to deprogram my Type A, OCD, planning tendencies. By the time school actually started, we both felt pretty comfortable, at home in Ethiopia, and much more chill about having our own classrooms. God is so good!!!

More school specifics: I am teaching English to Grades 3-5, all separate classes, and Sarah has Grades 1 and 2. She will eventually be teaching PE, too, but we are still getting into the swing of things and waiting for an actual schedule. I adore Grades 4 and 5! The students are all super bright, eager to learn, and fairly obedient. The 4th graders are energetic, but respond pretty well to the rewards system we’re using and are super enthusiastic about learning. 3rd Grade is my toughest class, for several reasons. First, they are my last class of the morning and I’m usually pretty worn out by then. Even when I push my exhaustion away and force energy for them, though, they are still tough to inspire. Most of them are slow learners and the boys love talking way too much. Finally, the concepts I’m teaching them are much more abstract and difficult to teach. In Grades 4 and 5, I’m teaching things like months of the year, numbers, adjectives, etc. In Grade 3, however, most of the information is conversational and is difficult for me to present to students who have a difficult time staying on task. God is good, and with much prayer and perseverance things are getting better every day. Just think that class will take a bit more prodding and patience. Sarah, on the other hand, has classes that fit two extremes. Her 2nd Grade class is full of angels. Seriously. Sat in on that class one day and was blown away by how sweet and precious they are. Her 1st Graders, however, are wild! Walked in to borrow a pen one day and was literally all but mobbed. They are full of energy, don’t obey very well, and can’t understand much English to take instruction. One of the other teachers talked to them, which helped a little, but they are going to be rough stuff. Anyways, teaching is definitely going to push us both out of our comfort zones and force us to grow up, but should be fun overall.

This is getting super long. Since I last blogged, Sarah and I have experienced a terrible bought of homesickness and loneliness, recovered from that, Sarah has gotten and recovered from Mumps, I have survived a terrible cough and cold, and we have settled into life here at the orphanage. We truly feel like we are on the upward climb of the Culture Shock chart. We definitely felt the desire to come home, the unattachment to the place, etc., but have been amazed at how prayer, support from home, and time have helped us settle into life here. I am really beginning to fall in love with the place and will greatly miss the environment and pace of life here when I come home next summer. Home. That word makes me feel so strange. Some days I miss my US home more than words can express and would give anything to be in my parent’s house, eating “normal” food, and visiting with friends and family. But more and more, the thought of leaving these kids, this place, this way of life, makes me sad. Growing up is a strange thing. Have a long way to go, but am so grateful God is holding my hand and guiding me along this confusing, difficult, and yet wonderful journey. Thanks a billion to those of you who have sent snail mail! It makes my week! Hope all my responses are making their way to your mailboxes!

Mom comes on Tuesday (which is when I hope to post this) and Sarah and I are STOKED beyond words! Will try to blog more while she is here to send back with her and have her post. For now, hugs and smiles from across the ocean!

Added October 5, 2010: We're in Addis waiting to pick up Mom!!!! So stoked! Also, school update. God answered our prayers and Sarah is now teaching 2-3 English, and I have 4 and 5. God is so good!!!!