Back to the village, teaching teachers, VIDEO, and Damalie

I've been able to pay a couple of visits to my favorite little village lately.  Last Tuesday I went to Bunabuyoka to help teach a Nutrition and First Aid class.  I was so excited to go back up there because I hadn't been in over a month.  I've missed that place like crazy.

After our hour taxi ride, we take a boda ride of death up a super steep hill and then hike the rest of the way to the village.  But before our hike I ran into this little fella sipping water.  Can we talk about his sweet face for a sec?  I adore him.  He was super shy so we didn't really get to play much.  Just a few pics before our hike.  P.S.  His name is, in fact, Shadrach.  No joke, his brothers name is Meshach.  We asked where Abednago was.  Still unknown.

There he is again.  I don't know if I will ever get bored of the children in any way...ever.  Something foreign and completely consuming has happened to me.  I love every child I see and kind of hate that my babies are going to be pasty and look bald until they're five because of the blondness. haha

Check how awesome the Health Clinic looks!!  We have stuff that we need to finish in order to clear it with the Health Inspector but how awesome is it looking!?  It's so cool to remember that a few months ago it didn't exist at all and that my friends and I have put so much work and energy into the construction of that building.  So wonderful.

So Kelsey was teaching the Heimlich maneuver as a part of our class and a man raised his hand and volunteered to be demonstrated on.  Aaaaannnd he was pretending to choke as well...obviously. haha So funny.  We were dying.

And look who I found!!  I'm sorry that I flood you all with pictures of this little lady but I just adore her.  Here's little Damalie.  I don't know if I could adore her any more.  I love that she's such a snuggle bug.  She's the sweetest little girl.  She's 2 years old and usually has her one year old brother on her back as she treks up and down the mountain.  She's very shy and softspoken but she knows my name and always holds my hand when we walk or has me carry her or hold her while we're sitting during meetings.  I love her.  To bits.

This is Dennis.  He is pretty hilarious.  He is always trying to teach us the language...but they're usually words that we already know.  I don't even know how to explain him to you.  He's just funny.  Sometimes I have him say things because we're both amused by it.  Also, he cannot pronounce my name.  I had to get it on video.  Anytime anyone hears my name they always say, "Oh, Mangrid."  haha What is that?!  

So Saturday we held a teacher training program.  We've been working so hard writing curriculum and planning this huge event.  It was all day up at a school called St. Stephens.  The education system here is, well, not great. haha There aren't really textbooks and the students struggle to afford paper so their main method of teaching is lecture and having the students repeat what you said word for word.  So it was fun to help broaden the perspective of possible ways to teach in order to help keep the students engaged and learn better.  We each paired up with someone from the HELP team and prepared a one hour class.  I taught "Teaching Strategies" with Kara.  I love teaching.  It's so fun.

They have sell corn here quite a bit.  They gave each of us a some corn that they'd grilled.  Not bad. :)

Here's Kara and myself teaching our portion of the training.  We taught to a couple of different classes. We started with an object lesson...I don't just random gesture with a light bulb in hand. haha

We came back to the village on Monday (yesterday) and I went to Damalie's house but her mom wouldn't let me see her because she was sick.  I was so sad about it.  I went down to our house and her mom eventually brought her down the mountain and let me hold her.  It was so sad.  She had a bad fever and would cry if you put her on her feet to have her walk.  So I just snuggled with her for a while, rubbed her cute little head and sang her songs.

The next morning I was hiking up to the school to take pictures to thank all of our donors for the health clinic, and I heard a little voice say, "How are you?".  I looked over and saw little Damalie on her feet and running up the hill toward me.  I grabbed her and pretty much carried her all day long. haha Hiking up and down the hill was a bit more difficult...but I'd also run 6 miles the previous day so I'm sure that contributed to the tuckeredness.  Not a word.  I'm aware.  haha Here's the little lady:

And this is her darling brother Joseph.  I adore their family.  The kids are unnaturally beautiful and sweet.  I don't know how they manage it.