The beginnings...

Jambo from Nairobi! I have been here a little over a week already. In some ways I feel like I have been here forever and in other ways I feel like I just arrived. I am excited and overwhelmed, sad and happy, and so much more, all at the same time. School starts a week from today, so it's been crazy trying to get everything ready for that. We started new teacher orientation on Monday. Talk about overload! But the information was all really good, especially the stuff on transition and working with third culture kids. For those of you who don't know, that means kids who have lived a significant amount of their lives in a country that is not their passport country, to put it simply. Most of my kids will be third culture kids. I can't even say half their names! But that will come. Right now I have 17 kids, which is the smallest class I have ever had! I am kinda excited about that. I have been busy trying to get bulletin boards set up, desks arranged, and all that kind of stuff. It's weird to be in a new classroom. I definitely am missing my kids and friends in the DR, but I also am excited to see what God will do in my life here.

Other than school, I was able to go back to the church I went to when I student taught. I loved being back there! I think I will just stay there since I have friends there and know it's a good church, but we will see. Two of the new teachers came with me to church and then after church we walked to the baby orphanage I also used to go to. When I left, they had 6 or 7 babies. Now they have more than 20! It was so great to go love on them for a little bit. I have already gone back two more times--Monday and Wednesday! Can you tell I love that part about being here? :)

Tomorrow we are going to a mountain to go hiking, and some of us are also camping there. I have never gone camping in Africa, so we will see how that goes! We will come back Saturday afternoon, and then it's back to getting ready for school! The new staff went to a tea farm last week, and that was a lot of fun. I am really enjoying getting to know the new staff here. I love hearing everyone's stories and what God is doing in their lives.

I am so glad God has brought me here, even though some days are difficult. I love that He has me in a place where I can spend time with both school aged kids and babies. I know there will be trying times ahead, but God is bigger and stronger and I am so excited to see what He will do in my life!