The Holiday Season

Boy has it been an eventful holiday season up here on the mountain! We had another huge group of missionaries up here for December, which was just awesome for the kids! It was really a great break because between the mission and Rachel (my roommate) and I, we came up with some really great stuff for them to do. Like with the group that came in October, each kid got to be partnered with their very own missionary. It worked out so well in making sure each kid got special attention and even the shyest of them did not get left out. I asked the mission group to really focus on education (especially English and reading) and gave them a proposed teaching schedule, and boy did they step up! Not only were the kids occupied and learning over their summer holiday (southern hemisphere- summer holiday coincides with Christmas), but the holiday season was by far the best these kids have ever had! First there were the “shoe box” gifts from the primary school where I teach swimming. The school did a little fund-raising project where kids and families signed up to make Christmas shoeboxes for the kids at our orphanage. So each kid got a big box full of soap, wash rag, school supplies, toys, treats, and a piece of clothing. Oh, they were SO excited for that! Then there were the missionaries. Each person bought a special present for the child with whom they were partnered, and on top of that, one gal got over $2,000 USD donated to buy gifts for the kids! Each kid got two new outfits, a pair of shoes, sweatshirt, and Vasaline, AND we had a HUGE cookie baking party where the kids made SO many cookies (Rachel was in the kitchen for two days just baking them -one sheet after another), it was awesome. And to top it all off, another gal had a friend come down and visit (he lives in Zimbabwe - big, bearded American fellow) who played Santa and handed out all of the gifts to all of the kids! It was the best watching everyone- so excited and so happy!

Then on the 27th another gal got a big donation to take kids on a field trip, so we hired khumbis to come pick up the gang and took the kids to Malalotja reserve to hike and have a special lunch. Man, it was the best Christmas ever for these kids (and this kid sure had a good time too)! 

After hiking around Malalotja, I headed south to meet up with friends and load up to go to Mozambique!

A group of 15 of us went to Tofo, Mozambique for a whole week over New Years. It was such a necessary break, and entirely relaxing. The perfect reset. Days laying on the beach and swimming in the ocean - the clearest water I have ever seen! Then on the 30th a few of us went snorkeling with whale sharks! We took a little raft out into the sea and jumped overboard whenever we saw fins - what a rush! I wish I’d had a camera because seeing those things swimming, face out of the water, mouth opening, strait at the boat was the craziest scene! Then jumping in to get a closer look - wow! At one point I was beside the shark, examining his beautiful bright spots, and it turned, nearly tearing my mask off with its tail as it whooshed by my face! (Don’t worry, while whale sharks are the largest sharks/fish on Earth, they are completely harmless to humans as they only eat plankton - hence “whale” shark).

So, now it’s back to the grindstone. This week is GLOW training camp for the counselors who will be leaders at the GLOW camp in April. From Monday to Friday we will have women’s empowerment workshops and all sorts of trainings. Then next week school begins! I am implementing a whole new preschool system where I was teaching swimming last year, so it will be a lot of work ironing out kinks and getting things going this year.

I hope this finds everyone in good health and happiness in the new year. And I hope everyone had a great holiday season! 

It’s 2014!!! I’ll see you all THIS year!!!