Day #6

Thursday

Well the week is slowly coming to an end here in Africa. For breakfast we had bread, bananas and hot dogs. Today we went to the upper primary and senior secondary schools. I observed Language Arts in the fourth and sixth grades. It was a difficult morning at the school because one of the CRC children got flauged and was really upset. It is part of the African culture as an act of punishment in the schools. I was hoping we wouldn't have to experience that but unfortunately we did.

On our way home from the schools we had to do a little party shopping in downtown Bo for our farewell party on Saturday. Running errands in Bo is definitely a little different than “running to the grocery store at home.” We did however run into some Americans today, from Louisiana.  When we got back the men decided they didn’t want to join us for lunch until they completed painting the girls dorm…men! For lunch we had some sort of stew and rice? I stuck with gram crackers and peanut butter.

All afternoon Laura, Mary, and I gave reading assessments to about 40 of the children so when the summer school team comes down in May they are able to place them in reading groups. What a long afternoon that was. It was really hard listening to those children struggle through basic reading that they should be able to read at their grade level. Hopefully this will truly benefit them this summer.
For dinner we had some potato stew I think? I don’t know anymore. We had the usual routine, vespers, then went to the girl’s dorm and read a chapter of Charlotte’s Web to them. I enjoy vespers every night because they end the night by singing several songs that they just sing beautifully.

It has been another super, super hot and humid day. Unfortunately I got my first mosquito bite of the week. I can’t believe tomorrow is already Friday; the second part of this week has really flown by. Goodnight from half a world away.