June 8.  South Africa has turned into Oklahoma. Winds whip us about like leaves in fall while the dust kicks up a storm, blowing into our faces and learning centers with no concern for our comfort. My hands feel gritty, and my eyes have mummified in their sockets. The students and staff have been walking around squinting and hiding beneath jacket collars all day.

Fortunately, the school day has now ended.  I am sitting at my desk in the LC waiting for Cecilia, my monitor, to return from her after-school gate duty so I can lock up. Brendon and Nicole are sitting across the room finishing up with scoring tests and recording results. The fans are blowing overhead in a desperate attempt to dissipate the dust from the air, but judging by the continuing state of my sore eyes, I don’t know how much the fans are helping.

Following the conclusion of today, we now have a mere two weeks of school left in Term 2. Conversational English will hold its final class of the term next week, and one lucky class will have a party. (Each class earns stickers for good behaviour throughout the term. The class with the most wins a party on the last day.)  The party makes for an easy day, but it does require that I bake two-dozen chocolate muffins prior to Tuesday. (Yes, I cook and bake now!)

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June 25. I blame Nicole for the lapse in time between the written portion above and what is about to be recorded. I intended to finish the post and post it that evening, but Nicole came over and we started chatting. Our chat turned into a full evening of discussion and movie viewing, resulting in the long wait between it and today’s post. Sometimes, our best intentions become lost in daily activities.

As such, I have much to catch everyone up on. Where do I even begin? Feels as if a lifetime has passed since I last wrote here. Well, Term 2 has now ended and the three-week holiday officially begun. As most terms do, we concluded with two major events: Inter-house Athletics Day and Read-a-thon.

Athletics Day sped by like a racehorse. The entire school gathered on the field and lapa, which is like an outdoor pavilion, and watched as students competed in various events from long jump to 800m races. The sun hid from us all day, but the clouds gifted us with rain in both light showers and downpours. Most of us were situated beneath canopies or umbrellas, so the rain wasn’t much of a deterrent.

I felt like the proudest mother that day. Every time one of my students won a race, I beamed with pride and cheered louder than anyone. Being the sort who has said I don’t necessarily want children of my own, I was quite surprised at my reaction. Funny how God changes people. I’ve really grown to love these kids like they are my own. I’m protective of them like a mother hen with her chicks. I’m sure most people back home would find the sight incredibly hilarious.

Unlike Athletics Day, Read-a-thon passes at a steady gait. For the entire morning, the students break into groups of two or three and read through specific portions of the Bible. Pre-School through Grade 1 watched videos for the book of Matthew, but the remainder of the school read straight from the Bible. By the end of the morning, Shayandima School of Tomorrow had read the entire Bible all the way through. I enjoyed watching my students reading together. Knowing that in that very moment the whole school was lost in Scripture was quite a unique experience.

On a sad note, two of my students have left the school. Both have been with me since last year, so I hated to see them go. Seems like I’m always having to say good-bye to students around here. I just hope I left some sort of impact on their lives. They have promised to come back and visit, but I cannot count on it. Still, I have photographs and memories to keep with me.

Both students were on my newspaper team, which just released its first printing for 2012. We put a lot of effort into that newspaper over the last two terms. I loved seeing their expressions as all nine of the students pored over it, pointing out the pages they had done to friends with a proud smile and gleam in their eyes. No matter the stress in trying to get the newspaper published, it is all worth it to see the end result. I love those nine students dearly. All were in my learning center last year, so I know them better than any of the other students in the school. I have them twice a week for newspaper and Conversation English, and I always look forward to those classes. With such a small group, we manage to have quite a bit of fun in class.

In other news, Mr. Palmer’s book has made progress over the last month. I’m nearing the final quarter of the book, so I’ll be throwing myself into it in the upcoming weeks trying to get it finished. Once it’s written, I have to edit it, pass it on to the Palmers for their input, edit it again, send it off to some friends to read and edit (just to get an outsider’s opinion), edit it for a third time, and then focus on finding a publisher. Whew! Looking at it listed like that makes it all appear daunting, but I know this book is for God’s glory, so it will be done. As always, lots of prayer is needed.

As you pray for the book, I also ask if you would pray for me personally over the next two weeks as I head into Mozambique. A group of us from the base are heading up there tomorrow for a 12 day mission trip. To reach our final destination in Mozambique we must travel three whole days by vehicle, and we will be driving on dirt, gravel, and sandy roads the whole way. We will spend most evenings in the wild bush with only a tent between the nearest animal and us, so we definitely need Godly protection. The area is also known for malaria, so protection over our health is also needed.

Showers will be hit or miss the entire time since running water is a luxury most of the rural population does not have. We’ve been told to pack plenty of wet wipes because of this. Bushes will serve as our bathrooms as well. Electricity will be mostly nonexistent too. Clearly, this trip is going to be an eye-opening experience for me. Watch out, Mozambique! American city-girl coming through!

Still, I am excited for this trip. I’ve never been on a trip like this where God will be testing my stamina and ability to adapt in such a big way. Two years ago, I would have laughed if someone had told me I would willingly choose to put myself in this situation, yet here I am telling you that very thing. My belongings are packed into a small suitcase with my books and snacks in a backpack for inside the car, and good friends are traveling with me too.

Above all, I know God wants me there. I may think He’s crazy for sending me into the middle of nowhere, but clearly, He knows something I don’t. The Bible tells us that God will never give us more than we can handle. Knowing this, I can walk into this trip ready to face any challenges. I may struggle, get frustrated or irritated with the world, but I know what I have been called to do. Worldly concerns are not to be bothered with on this trip. I have to put those aside and focus on God’s plan. I pray I’m ready for the challenge.