Hey Everyone,

A lot has happened this month starting with July 1^st.  Not only was it Canada Day, it was also my first river duty.  Basically, you go down to the river and make sure they don’t get into any trouble or throw any rocks or sticks.  I get asked questions like, “Can I go in the river?” “Yes, if you take off your shoes and don’t get wet.”  “Can I climb the tree?”  “Yes.”  “Can we go fruit hunting?”  “Let me know when you get back.”  “Can I pick bubble gum from the bubble gum tree?”  “Uh, not today, someone said there are red ants in the tree.”  This Sunday was a little different.  Students from Amano Christian School were visiting so there were more kids, but there were also more adults to supervise.  The chaperones for the visit came down, too, and also, one other Sakeji teacher.  Not everyone stayed dry, but it was a good afternoon.  We then head up to the school to get ready for a supper of pancakes.

On Tuesday, July 3, we had Sport’s Day.  The students are set up in different “houses” and compete against each other in track and field events.  The teams are named after significant staffs that were once at Sakeji.  There is Molyneux, Poole, Fisher, and Hoyte.  I was placed on team Poole.  MaryAnn Hanna is the house mistress for our team.  All the students had a great time, and even the teachers participated in a couple events.  Moluneux got the most points at the end of the day, but they all did great in their events.  There was much practice to build up for the day and all the students were glad to have it behind them.  We ended the day with tug-o-war.  Ol’ Bertha the snake was brought out of the games cupboard to join the fight.  Bertha being the giant rope they bring out every year.  She wasn’t very nice to me and tripped me.  Thankfully only one person was there to see my not so graceful fall.  I got a nice sunburn, but I had fun watching the kids having fun. :)

After Hannah celebrated July 4^th we had cookouts with the kids.  I joined the Mrs Ronald with the junior boys.  There were four groups of boys. Each group built their own fire.  We had hot dogs in a blanket, sweet potatoes, crisps, and pizza.  After supper they got the special treat of oranges.  I saw orange peels along the way back to the school.  We had to cross the river to get to our cookout spot. On the way back, one of the boys was very certain that he saw a crocodile in the river.  Mrs. Ronald joined them to investigate.  They soon found out it was only a log.  I had a good laugh at how scared the boys were. 

Also this month, the gr. 7-9 had their camp outs.  The gr.5-6 had to take over the kitchen duties after supper.  The dishes took a little longer to get done, but they did well.  The best thing that happened was that our bathroom got fixed.  The pipes were clogged with roots from greenery growing in our yard.  The bathtub wouldn’t drain so we had to wash our hair into a bucket and then dump it outside.  Hannah and I were very pleased to say the least when it finally got fixed.  We also have a new housemate.  She is a former student who has come back to help until she goes to university in the fall. 

As the end of term nears we seem to be getting more and more visitors.  We had a few last week, some from the Congo and some from Chitokoloki.  This week we have some from Chingola and the UK.  The visitors this week are staying until the end of term this coming Wednesday.  Wow! It’s so close! The kids and teachers are ready for it.

Thank you all for your prayers. I pray that God is blessing your summer!

Your sister in Christ,

Yolanda