Yesterday, Hannah and Dad convinced me to participate in this season’s sport, volleyball. Yesterday was also the first practice of the season. About eighteen boys showed up for tryouts although the tryouts may not even be tryouts after all. At this point we are not sure if we are going to have two teams or not. Coach wants to split up into two teams but at this point we do not have a coach for the second team. The season will be very short and due to various school activities we will be limited to only twelve practices the whole season. We have about the same number of matches to make up for it though.
Sterling (16)
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Back to School
Today is the first day back to school after an uneventful but nice spring break. For most of spring break none of my friends were in town so I spent a little time reading The Shack but most of my time was spent bonding with my Xbox. Wednesday through Friday we spent out at Miango along with my friend Jacob whom we brought with us. During the time we were there we played tennis, talked, ate, and slept so overall it was an enjoyable time. The last exciting thing that happened over break was me having Jacob and my Lebanese friend Jad over for the night. At some point during the conversation Jacob and I realized that these hangouts of ours are very numbered. We only have eight weeks left in the country. We are excited to come back home!
Sterling (16)
Sterling (16)
I before E except after C . . .
Remember that old elementary school chant? After continuing to see misspelled words like “receive” and “relieve”, I decided to teach this old rhyme to my students. I was afraid it would be a bit too juvenile. In class, I had them say it in unison over and over again. The students, who are in their 20s and up, were amazed that there was one simple spelling rule that solved this common spelling problem!
I was quite shocked though when one of my students immediately started ranting a little to the class and me in response; he is normally a quiet, respectful guy. With restrained anger, he expressed his feelings of frustration at the Nigerian school system. What I had just taught him was so helpful, so simple. He repeated what I had just told him, that every American child knows this rule by heart. Yet not one person in the classroom had heard this rule before!
These young men are working so hard to improve their English; it is the key to better jobs and the key to further education. Few materials are written in their native languages, and trained teachers who are native speakers are a rarity (I am the first Western teacher most of them have ever had.) I tried to encourage this student, reminding him that we Americans have had hundreds of years to observe the patterns of our language and pass them onto others. His country just needs more time! His country could also use a few more teachers from the West who would be willing to share their expertise.
The very next day, I was unexpectedly encouraged by a different student to continue doing my job. I passed George in the library and complimented him on the great job he had done in church last Sunday. He had sung an original song he had written in English. The student just smiled at me and said,” See Ma, what you give to us will come back to you!” I was quite pleased to think about what he was saying to me: by helping my students improve their English, I get to enjoy, along with the Nigerians, original worship music written by a local. Pretty cool thought!
Lisa
I was quite shocked though when one of my students immediately started ranting a little to the class and me in response; he is normally a quiet, respectful guy. With restrained anger, he expressed his feelings of frustration at the Nigerian school system. What I had just taught him was so helpful, so simple. He repeated what I had just told him, that every American child knows this rule by heart. Yet not one person in the classroom had heard this rule before!
These young men are working so hard to improve their English; it is the key to better jobs and the key to further education. Few materials are written in their native languages, and trained teachers who are native speakers are a rarity (I am the first Western teacher most of them have ever had.) I tried to encourage this student, reminding him that we Americans have had hundreds of years to observe the patterns of our language and pass them onto others. His country just needs more time! His country could also use a few more teachers from the West who would be willing to share their expertise.
The very next day, I was unexpectedly encouraged by a different student to continue doing my job. I passed George in the library and complimented him on the great job he had done in church last Sunday. He had sung an original song he had written in English. The student just smiled at me and said,” See Ma, what you give to us will come back to you!” I was quite pleased to think about what he was saying to me: by helping my students improve their English, I get to enjoy, along with the Nigerians, original worship music written by a local. Pretty cool thought!
Lisa
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Senior Trip in Ghana
So this past week I got back from my senior trip. Senior trip is a trip that the senior class takes together every year over spring break. In years past, the class would just go somewhere in Nigeria, but for the past ten years or so the classes have vacationed in places outside of the country. This year the class went to Ghana. Originally we were realistically looking to go somewhere like Gambia or Dubai (I don’t know if I spelled that right and I’m too tired to look it up, haha) but because of some bad decisions on the school’s part and the economy crash, we only made it as far as Ghana.
However, as disappointing as it was that we had to go to Ghana like all the classes before us, we still had a lot of fun on the trip. Most of the time was spent getting to where we wanted to go but it was fun. All the bus trips definitely gave the class time to bond with each other. We spend a night in Abuja so that we could catch our early flight in the morning. Then we spent a night in Accra, Ghana after coming in on an early afternoon flight. In Accra we got lots of time to shop and enjoy the slightly more developed society of Ghana. From what I saw, Ghana is still West Africa, but with a few more western influences. Anyways, from Accra we went on to some random little vacation spot called Big Milly’s. That was nice for the girls, but all the guys got crammed into one room so they didn’t enjoy it much. But since I only had 4 roommates, I liked it. Plus, the beach was amazing. I swam pretty much the whole two days that we were there. Then we went on to another fancier resort called Coconut Grove. On the way we went on a tree walk thing and saw an old slave castle called Elmina, both of which were pretty cool. But Coconut Grove itself was really nice. There was a nice pool and I got to eat Calamari for the first time in however many months. It was sweet. Then coming home we stayed in Accra and Abuja again.
But overall, the trip was definitely worth it. It was some free time to just cut loose and enjoy everyone in the class.
Hannah
Monday, March 23, 2009
One hundredth ENT Surgical Patient
I have been keeping a log of the patients that ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) department has been taking to the operating room. On Friday, we had our 100th patient since I have been here. I have been involved in most of the ENT surgeries, though not all.
John is a seven month old boy who was strapped to his mothers back while riding a motorcycle taxi. The motorcycle took a tumble and so did mom and baby. There is a very nasty wound under the bandage with exposed bone and tissue loss (much of the eyelid gone). I was able to do some plastic reconstruction to close the wound and graft the eyelid. We pray that it will heal well.
Michael Mitchell, MD
John is a seven month old boy who was strapped to his mothers back while riding a motorcycle taxi. The motorcycle took a tumble and so did mom and baby. There is a very nasty wound under the bandage with exposed bone and tissue loss (much of the eyelid gone). I was able to do some plastic reconstruction to close the wound and graft the eyelid. We pray that it will heal well.
Michael Mitchell, MD
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Missing Charlie Brown
My friend Jacob and his family are spending the weekend in Abuja. As a favor we (primarily me) are taking care of their dog named Rocky. Owning a dog is not such a walk in the park as in America. Along with Rocky the Naatz’s left us his “toys,” which are a plastic bottle and a toy fire truck. Rocky is a lot like Charlie besides the fact that he is a Rottweiler. He is smart and playful but not quite as trained as Charlie. Having him around has reminded us of our dog waiting for us at home. We are looking forward to getting back and seeing our missing family member.
Sterling (16)
Sterling (16)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Spring Break Begins
It’s March 21st and everyone is on spring break now - -Hillcrest and JETS, so the kids and I are all home. I for one am glad for the break; I always enjoy my students, but I am glad to have a reprieve from the grading!
I have felt especially tired and needy of rest lately. I was pondering why I felt so tired. After thinking about the week that is now behind me, I realized why I am feeling so tired. I thought I would share some of the things that have happened this week with you, just so you can know a little more about our daily lives and the stresses we are facing regularly. Michael has his own equally long list!
In the past week, I have:
-spent at least 20 hours grading and lesson planning.
-spent 6 hours in the classroom.
-taught trumpet lessons for a short time at Hillcrest.
-managed 4 household helpers and fed them lunch daily + our two Nigerian boys (for most of these, it will be the biggest and most nutritional meal they will eat all day.)
-managed a household of 6 and made sure they were fed daily.
-hosted a dinner for our Nigerian pastor and his family of 6.
-hosted a dinner for some new missionaries, a family of 5.
-gathered food for a widow I know who is a supporting 4 children at home and who had little to no food in her home.
-helped set up a consult for physical therapy for a student who was left crippled from a medical injection; this same student desperately needs a new pair of crutches and cannot afford them, so I am pursuing that as well.
-met with another missionary who is also teaching English; we talked about materials and lesson ideas.
-went with my workers to investigate a noise just on the other side of our compound wall. Asibe, my cleaner who has had 6 children of her own, heard the sound of a newborn baby crying all morning. Emily heard the baby the night before. We drove around to the girls’ hostel behind us and met with the principal to search the grounds for an abandoned baby. To my great relief, we found no baby and no signs of foul play in the field behind us.
-dealt with numerous requests from students. Many of them are quite upset that I will not be returning to JETS in the fall and different ones stay behind class daily pleading with me to see if they can change my mind! Others are begging me for help so that they can continue improving their English after I’m gone and are asking me to direct them to materials.
-got signed up for summer classes for my masters at Concordia University.
-got Camille’s paperwork for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Columbia River High School sent in. Actually, I accidently missed the deadline by 2 months, and she is now on a waiting list. That is a prayer concern!
I feel very pulled in many different directions and the stress is definitely taking its toll. The needs are almost overwhelming at times. Please continue to pray for us over the next couple of months as we begin to prepare for our return home. We have one foot on each continent now. Emotionally, it is quite difficult. We will be leaving loved ones behind, especially our workers who may or may not be able to find work after we leave.
Lisa
I have felt especially tired and needy of rest lately. I was pondering why I felt so tired. After thinking about the week that is now behind me, I realized why I am feeling so tired. I thought I would share some of the things that have happened this week with you, just so you can know a little more about our daily lives and the stresses we are facing regularly. Michael has his own equally long list!
In the past week, I have:
-spent at least 20 hours grading and lesson planning.
-spent 6 hours in the classroom.
-taught trumpet lessons for a short time at Hillcrest.
-managed 4 household helpers and fed them lunch daily + our two Nigerian boys (for most of these, it will be the biggest and most nutritional meal they will eat all day.)
-managed a household of 6 and made sure they were fed daily.
-hosted a dinner for our Nigerian pastor and his family of 6.
-hosted a dinner for some new missionaries, a family of 5.
-gathered food for a widow I know who is a supporting 4 children at home and who had little to no food in her home.
-helped set up a consult for physical therapy for a student who was left crippled from a medical injection; this same student desperately needs a new pair of crutches and cannot afford them, so I am pursuing that as well.
-met with another missionary who is also teaching English; we talked about materials and lesson ideas.
-went with my workers to investigate a noise just on the other side of our compound wall. Asibe, my cleaner who has had 6 children of her own, heard the sound of a newborn baby crying all morning. Emily heard the baby the night before. We drove around to the girls’ hostel behind us and met with the principal to search the grounds for an abandoned baby. To my great relief, we found no baby and no signs of foul play in the field behind us.
-dealt with numerous requests from students. Many of them are quite upset that I will not be returning to JETS in the fall and different ones stay behind class daily pleading with me to see if they can change my mind! Others are begging me for help so that they can continue improving their English after I’m gone and are asking me to direct them to materials.
-got signed up for summer classes for my masters at Concordia University.
-got Camille’s paperwork for the International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Columbia River High School sent in. Actually, I accidently missed the deadline by 2 months, and she is now on a waiting list. That is a prayer concern!
I feel very pulled in many different directions and the stress is definitely taking its toll. The needs are almost overwhelming at times. Please continue to pray for us over the next couple of months as we begin to prepare for our return home. We have one foot on each continent now. Emotionally, it is quite difficult. We will be leaving loved ones behind, especially our workers who may or may not be able to find work after we leave.
Lisa
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