A Few Firsts

I’m going to write this first so that I hold myself to it- I’m going to take a picture tour of our house and post it. (I’ve been waiting until the house looks ready and we situate rooms how they will be, but I’ve just gotta go ahead and do it.)

I wrote an email to some of my friends listing some “firsts” I’ve had since being in Rwanda…so I’m going to include a couple of them here:

-Its my first time to have my own office

-I taught teachers for the first time a few weeks ago. Definitely there were mistakes made-like the fact that I covered way too much in way too short of time using way too complicated terminology and talking way too fast for people who don't
know English that well. But in other aspects it was successful. The electricity went out right before we were about to start and I was SO upset, but then it came back on and I was able to use the powerpoint I had spent a week putting together. Bonus first: using a chalkboard!

-A few weeks ago was "Teacher's Week" so we had soda and cake as a faculty.
They requested that the teacher who had served the longest and the newest teacher be the ones to cut the cake. So, that meant me! I've never cut a cake for an event before. Also, there weren't any cameras or anything, so it felt like we were trying to "create a moment" or something when it really wasn't a big deal. It felt good though- I felt like a part of the team.

-Not last and not least, I have had official quote from the head of the school that he will "make it a point" to introduce me to the First Lady :) That's probably the highest "First" there could be right!(She's on our school board and a very influential person in thecountry!)

-Another incredibly entertaining first is that I was on TV! (Ok- once in elementary school my figure skating was on the public access channel, but that doesn’t count.) A Rwandan won Tusker Project Fame, which is like American Idol for East Africa…and my friend and I went to the welcoming at the airport and a short performance. We were interviewed on Rwanda TV and East Africa TV and Contact FM Radio! Plus, I ended up in a music video too. It is so hilarious. The students and teachers and all my friends keep talking about seeing us on TV...So embarrassing, but fun too!
I also bought a second hand tiny TV with rabbit ears for $100, but it doesn’t work. And all that for only one channel!

That’s my news for now! Please pray for the right reading teaching assistants to turn up and for patience too.