The Rest of My Week

A couple weeks ago I shared what the beginning of my week looks like.  Here is what the rest of my week looks like.

On Thursdays the staff and interns have a Bible study/prayer time in the morning.  Afterwards the house mamas, preschoolers, and Kaci and I go to Moms and Tots at Welkom Baptist Church.  I’m not completely certain that I understand the purpose for Moms and Tots correctly.  My understanding is that the pastor’s wife, Esther, wants to help the mamas learn how to spend time and be involved with their little ones.  In the African culture the young children that are not in school often entertain themselves while the mamas cook or talk or clean.  Esther would like to help the mamas learn to interact and spend more time with their children.  Not that the children should always have their attention, but to encourage them to read stories, sing songs, or maybe just be silly with the kids.  So at Moms and Tots the children will play while the mamas do a craft or puzzles, then we have story time.  The stories are often read in three different languages, English, Afrikaans, and Sesotho.  South Africa has eleven official languages and the younger children usually speak whatever their parents speak.  English is a second language, most everyone can speak it, but their first language is probably the dialect from whatever region they were raised in.  A favorite book around here for young children is Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? After stories we all sing songs together, then there is usually a small snack and everyone goes home. In the afternoon we help with homework.  We interns also like to make a big meal and eat together on Thursday evenings.

            On Fridays usually only some of the older students have homework.  Throughout the week if the children have come to the bus on time and behaved they receive a tick (a check mark).  If they get a certain number of ticks by Friday they receive an award, like a juice box, a candy bar, nail polish, etc.  When they get off the bus Fridays they all come to the office and we hand out their ticks.  They also have to earn a movie.  Whoever has behaved throughout the week gets to watch a movie on Friday evenings. 

            This Saturday Grandma Becky, Kaci, and I cleaned the room where all the extra clothes are kept then organized some totes of clothes that had been donated.  In about a month, when the children have a school holiday, they will have a change from summer clothes to winter clothes.  There are several totes organized by size, season, pants, shirts, boys and girls.  It sounds like the system has improved a lot over the years, but it’s still quite an ordeal to get everyone’s clothes tried on, handed out, and the old ones put away.  The older girls also have a movie on Saturday since most of them are gone on Friday evenings at youth group.

            Sundays we have church service in the morning.  At nine there is a Sunday school service for all the kids.  After singing and the lesson, they break off into small groups and discuss the lesson and recite their memory verse.  From ten to about noon is the church service.  In the evenings the staff and interns meet usually at Brian and Lois’ house for fellowship, snacks, and games for a couple hours.  

          That pretty much sums up my week, although, of course, every week is different because something always pops up and plans change! But since I'm more of a spontaneous person instead of an organized person that's fine for me!