~Building relationships~

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

We started off another day with a wonderful breakfast care of Koena. Off to another day of school where we finished up with the word search/unscramble. James stopped by Teta’s school for a few pictures.

During the morning recess several of the older girls had asked the teacher I’m assisting if they could talk to me ALONE, they were curious about American slang…couch potato, having a cow….they told me what they wanted to be when they grew up. There was a teacher, doctor, psychologist, actress. I have neurofibromatosis (NF) which causes bumps on my skin and they asked about it. The most frequently asked question of the ladies is “do you have a husband?” “Do you have children?” they are surprised when I say I have neither. It was really great…very smart girls. We went back to guest house for prepare to tutoring at the C. C.

I mostly played a form of Domino’s with several of the older boys and one game was really incredible… 4- ones, 4-twos, 6-threes, 5-fours, 5-fives, 5-sixes…what a game. I had the boys add the numbers together – 3, 6, 9, 12 etc.

Koena prepared another dinner. Olga had gone to East London personal business and it was an extremely HOT day…39 degree in East London and because Olga is still in mourning she has to stay completely covered (and wear green). On the way back to the compound she was kind enough to share the car back to Mthatha with an extremely over weight woman and her two small children and infant. Olga developed heat stroke/exhaustion. Teresa #1 and I became instant nurses and applied cold compresses, we made her lie down, put her feet up. We found ice packs in a couple of the 1st Aid kits and we took turns checking on her until her son Daniel could come over and take her home.

Dot’s on top – making headway with the children at her school. My on top was the Domino’s game. Teresa’s on top was a four year old little girl asking/telling her she wanted to write. James’ on top working on math problems at the Community Center and seeing the light go on over the heads of the children he was tutoring as they caught on to the multiples of 10, 100 etc. Good Night.

Thought of the day – Teresa

‘I don’t believe in just ordering people to do things. You sort of have to grab an oar and row with them’
-Harold Geneen.