Students are "students" everywhere.

My turn to post. I will warn you now that it will not have the creative genius or wit that Joel writes with, but I will provide you with the facts, and hopefully keep you interested in the mean time.
This week I have been able to start visitng and working with the teachers at Haven of Peace Academy. For those who don't know yet, one of my main roles while I am at the school is to help with their first ever musical production. The school had just purchased a playground for their students (with a merry-go-round, havn't seen one of those in ages... and pretty sure there are some sort of laws against them in Canada?) and the musical is an attempt to raise funds to pay off their playground. When I sent the school my resume months ago, I guess the school was in the process of deciding whether or not they were able to do the performance.The teacher leading the production explained to me this week that there were a few things that were making it seem impossible to do so, and a lack of any sort of costumes was a major dilemma. Organizing costumes for a school production is something that I had on my resume (though I in no way claim to be expert at it!) Needless to say, they took it as a sign from God that the play should go ahead, and the few months leading up to our trip was a lot of fun in finding costumes (thanks to the schools who lent them), sewing some costumes (thanks mom) and even glue gunning hand made goat masks (of which i am kind of proud..) For Joel and I it has really been our prayer that God uses our time here for his purposes, and to do His work, whatever that may be. It is just funny how such a silly seeming thing, like costumes,  is so appreciated over here and the way that the Lord has used me so far. The other day I went to watch their first rehersal and they were praying before hand, and giving thanks over and over for me being able to come wtih the costumes. It was overwhelming to say the least. I am so excited to be here, and the teachers and staff at the school are inspiring. I am already cherishing the connections that I have made.

Another part of what I will be doing at the school is working with students who are currently completing community service projects. Today I was able to sit in on grade 12 presentations about their year long service projects, in which students helped to advocate for women and children in poverty, help women with Aids generate income by starting up small buisnesses (whether that be fixing their refridgerator so that they can sell water and other drinks out of their home, or teaching them to roll paper beads to sell both locally and abroad), bring toilets to local schools that do not have any (only recently has a law been passed that every school must have a "washroom".. I say that term very loosely). It was inspiring to see the dedication and work of their senior students. Throughout the presentations I had to laugh as I began to see that students are students everywhere around the world. There was the dynmaic, class clown who delivered an amazing presentation on dynamite fishing, but had the class in stitches, and on the edge of their seats, there were the strong leaders of the class, who took on the leadership roles, and there were the students who just could not stop talking during the presentations of others. Yes, students are students everywhere. It is a universal thing.

In the afternoon I was able to tag along on the middle school community service projects, in which the Middle school has started a program called "Mobile Library", where they take books to a local rural school, and teach the young children how to read in English.

The rural school was something of an inspiring moment for me. I felt pretty secure in my classroom management, until I pulled up in the school "bus" (another adventure initself, inwhich the bumper was half way detached by the time we arrived). Outside the school building (of about 3 classrooms) I saw one of the schools 4 teachers, with her class of 100 students (that's NOT an exaggeration) all sitting criss-cross apple sauce in the dirt, about 50 hands politely raised, in hopes of answering a question. The teacher had her hand on her hips and a look that intimiated even me, yet you could tell that she was warm and loved what she was doing. I do not know if I could EVER manage a class of 100 students with the grace that she seemed to have. The school has 500 students, about 3 classrooms, and a handful of teachers. We are learning and reading that in Tanzania teaching is not a respected occupation. Teachers are paid 300,000 TSH a year, which looks amazing, but is only about $200.00 U.S. The cost of living, food, gas out here is NOT lower than we we have at home.. so that 300,000 does NOT go far at all. I am excited to learn more about the education system both in the international schools (in the case of HOPAC) as well as the local schools such as the one we visited today, and will continue to visit.