Sights and Sounds of the Last Few Weeks

These past few weeks have been a bit crazy. I always have a goal of doing a blog weekly, but it doesn't seem to happen that way.  So here is what I have been doing.

Every Thursday a bunch of football (soccer) teams come
to play at HOPAC.  It has been alot of work to organize this
every week, but worth it to see the fun that the kids have
each and every week.  It is especially fun to have the
sala sala kids club have a team this year. 

On Mondays after school I help with kids club.  The
last few weeks I have been teaching the girls some
basic basketball skills.  The hope is to some day have
organize some of the girls enough to have a team that
plays against other teams, like the boys started this year with
football.  We have a ways to go, but I am excited about the possibility.

This is my 7th grade P.E. class performing there mile run.
In class I try to test them on different aspects of physical fitness three times a year. 
They usually dread the mile, but I think it has been fun for them to see
how they have improved since last year. 

I go out running a few nights a week, and I usually find kids
that I know from kids club.  Some times they give me a high five,
run along with me, or encourage me in words.  This particular night they were
out collecting firewood, so they could cook their dinner.  I stopped and took
some fun pictures with them and they enjoyed seeing them on my phone.
I then spent some time collecting firewood with them. The rest of my
run I contemplated why it is that I have so much in this life and
they have so little.  One thing I have learned is that even though they
don't have much they still always have a smile across their face.

Safari with Steph the views were amazing.  It was so good to
be able to enjoy God's creation in Tanzania and have a few
days to just sit back and relax.

Enjoying some time with Steph Allen.  The electricity was
actually out during this time, so I think I blinded her with my flash.
We had fun playing games with my housemates on this night.
I love the game of blokus and have enjoyed seeing the competive side of
my housemate Sarah come out when we play. 

Love these kids.  I had fun teaching them about King David during
the story time of kids club on this day.  After the story the girls
had fun coloring and cutting out these crowns they are proudly displaying.
They are so much fun !

Yesterday we had a blast with our annual Fall Festival.
Always interesting to celebrate this in 90 degree weather,
but still lots of fun.  Just like last year we were without power
for most of the day also, but that didn't stop us from having a ton of
fun.  Here two of the kids are enjoying apple bobbing. 

Two of the youngest kids at our party had fun playing in
water after we were done bobbing for apples.  They also had fun
playing with bubbles. 

The last actvity of the day was pin the tail on the giraffe.
It was a fun day to hang out with some great friends.

This past week I had great fun introducing the game of
scooter hockey to the 7th and 8th graders.  I even joined in
with one class as the primary principal pushed me around on the scooter. 

To end this post here is one of my favorite songs right now :)

Traveling in Tanzania

 

A week ago I had mid-term break and my friend Steph Allen was here for the week visiting. We had the chance to do a safari to the Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. It was amazing ! I think pictures will show you much more than I can tell you about it. I will say one of my favorite parts was being cold enough to wear a sweatshirt and a jacket. I think it is the coldest I have been since traveling back to the States last December for a wedding. 

 

View of the crater

Sunrise picture from our hotel

 

Baboon with her baby

Ready to play :)



More pictures in my Facebook album