Monday, July 9, 2018

Learning in Many Ways


One of the families at our church are gifted in music and singing.  This year they wanted to get instruments so I encouraged them to learn local instruments (which are beautiful, unique, cost less and don't need speakers!).  Thankfully they were motivated by the idea and got teachers for anyone in the church to learn to play local instruments.  I was excited and proud of them!  So Lydia, Grace and Luka joined in learning.  The fist couple weeks we went everyday after school for a couple hours.  Now we go a couple or few times a week to learn.  I am very proud of my kids and the people here are too.
Lydia and Grace are learning the thumb piano (acango) - my favorite!  Their teacher is Benya. 

Luka is learning the local harp called a dungoo.  Music doesn't come easy to our family but Luka is trying hard.  I love to watch him concentrate so hard.  His teacher is patient and encouraging.


Lydia and Grace learn so fast.  There are not really note but just playing by hearing it and memory.
This is the biggest thumb piano in the set.  I think they are a work of art and their sound is beautiful.  This one is so old and well used it has large indents where the hands rest.

Malai mostly goes to practice to hold baby Aaron - he is so cute!
Then those learning practiced with a local band to do a choir in church.  I loved listening to them!

Then they had their first performance in church.  One of the leaders asked for prayer from the church as they prepared all week.  They did a great job - dancers and all.  It was frustrating for me that they changed songs from what they had practiced but my kids seem to handle it well.  Good thing it is a band and not a solo! 

Obule Band - oh, Luka is missing (playing soccer I believe).

This is our Africa Adventure Christian Academy's Spirit Week.
Grace and Luka put together a special week for school - I think it was great fun as we anticipate the end of our school year.
Our first day was Mexican Monday.  We dressed up and had a quesadilla cook off. 

We got to be the judges.  Grace won for presentation, Luka for taste and Lydia for creativity.
The kids did it all by themselves and really got into it.


Then we had Cheese it Tuesday.
 We dressed in orange, had to guess the flavor Cheese it (thanks Grandma for bringing them), and had orange punch.

Then we had orange races.  (Yes, our oranges are green.)


And we did art with oranges.  Always good to be creative.

And Renaissance Wednesday.
We have been learning about the Renaissance and Reformation in History class so we had what I call "active learning" (that's how I explain to our neighbors all the strange things we do).

Luka is a artist and Emalai is a queen.

Grace is an explorer and Lydia was our Reformer

The kids were in pairs to go on an exploration together.  They had to build a "ship", make their flag, find something new, gold and come back for their reward.

Here they are sailing their queen.

I didn't take pictures but we also had Fun Friday with games and sweet prizes.
Thanks Grace and Luka for a fun week of learning!
I am thankful for the flexibility and creativity in homeschooling.  We are one week from finishing our school year!
It is harvest time in Obule!  We praise God for consistent rains and a harvest!
We were able to help our neighbor who has a lot of pain harvest her millet.
We are learning new things.


Sorghum growing - beautiful blessings

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Calvin Chr. High School Team 2018

Each year we look forward to the visit from Calvin Christian High School from Grandville, MI.
It is a quick two and a half days together but we love being a part of it and seeing how God uses it in peoples lives.
We are thankful to be able to share our lives, friends and partners and the ministries here with them.
We appreciate the Calvin Team comes to learn.  God always teaches and shows us all He is doing.

Climbing Soroti Rock
Visiting, listening and learning at TECDEFO street boys ministry.
I really appreciated this year hearing testimonies from former street boys now graduated and in Secondary School.  We could compare it to the boys now on the streets and see where they began.  It gives hope for the boys now on the streets and is a testimony of God's grace and power.


They also got to all play a game of soccer together.

Sunday the group was able to worship at our church with us

After church the youth from our church joined the Calvin youth at our house for lunch.



Then the youth from Obule and the Calvin team all split up and went to four homes of youth in our village.
They were able to learn a little bit about life as a young person here.

They went to the gardens and some learned how to harvest g-nuts (peanuts)

Roast g-nuts - and eat them!

How to pound to make paste

Going to the well and carrying water home

Winnowing and much more...
Then we had a wonderful worship service at our home all together!

Josh shared a message on who we are comes from Christ, what He did for us and who He says we are.

Monday the girls visited Amecet baby shelter while the boys went to the prison with Josh for Bible study.
One of the babies was left in a field to die.  God rescued her and gave her new Ugandan parents. 
We are thankful to hear that God has opened Ugandan's heart's hearts to adopt!

They also joined in a class at Eastern College (the High School in Obule).
It was great to see all the High Schoolers learning together and for Calvin to see they learn some of the same things in a different setting.

And we once again visited the Blind School.

Our girls even got to play goal ball this year!



Lydia and Grace love having the team come.  Hard to believe Lydia is now a High Schooler with them.  She was only about 8 years old the first time they came!  Luka enjoyed the team too and told the leaders he wants to go to Calvin Christian High School his Junior year so he can go with the team to Uganda and ride on the bus everywhere. Cute!  I am thankful they include our kids and love them.  Every year they make new friends.
Thank you Larry and Linda Klien and Joel and Kelli Boender for taking the group to Uganda!  God is using you to show many youth Himself in a different part of the world.  We know these youth will never forget and pray never be the same again.  Till next time!

(Just so you know we are in the city and this blog took all of a half hour - wow, what a difference!)