Hello!
Happy Thanksgiving! Okay, I know I am a bit early, but I celebrated Thanksgiving last night with some wonderful friends. I was the only American present, but we all entered into the spirit of Thanksgiving. I celebrated with people from Kenya, England, and the Netherlands. It was a great evening of fun and food. We had many of the traditional trimmings - green bean casserole, potatoes, apple salad, pasta salad, pumpkin pie and cherry pie. Our main course was beef kabobs and barbecue chicken. It was all very yummy! Our barbecue grill was made out of a semi-truck (called a lorry here) wheel rim. It worked very well.
We spent the evening under the stars chatting about the meaning of Thanksgiving and then on to many other topics. We talked a lot about history. My old brain was working overtime trying to remember my history lessons about several events from by-gone years. Thankfully, the mosquitoes were not bad and we were able to sit out in a newly designed sitting area at Theo and Kaby's house (some fellow missionaries).
I hope you are all enjoying a great week and are full of thanksgiving to our Lord for who He is and what He has done for us! blessings to you all!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
buggy computers?
Hello!
Well, I thought my computer had a virus or a glitch in its system since it is an Apple and they are not supposed to get viruses very easily. It started having problems on Monday of this week. So, I got creative and figured out how to get it to Nairobi without me having to fly down with it. I had a visitor coming on Friday and an English class next week, so I didn't really have time to fly to Nairobi to get it fixed. A very kind and trusted person agreed to take it on the flight to Kitale and then she drove it the rest of the way to Nairobi on Wednesday. I had someone pick it up from her Thursday morning and take it to the only Apple shop in Kenya that is licensed to work on them. I thought it was just a glitch in a downloaded update that was making my operating system have problems. It wasn't!
I was told that it is a mechanical problem with my hard drive. I need to replace it and not used the computer until it is replaced or I could loose everything on it. This computer was new to me in 2008, but it was refurbished so I don't know how old it really was or what the problems might have been to made it need to be refurbished. So, I have decided to wait and look at something new when I go back to the States for Christmas. I will also probably get the hard drive replaced and then have an extra computer to use in my ESL class for my students. It will help to be able to divide them up into groups with this Movie software program we just started. So, that is the current plan.
I am currently borrowing a computer from a friend to write this blog. I will be trying to stay as connected as possible by borrowing when I can. God is good and has provided various people for me to visit and borrow some time on their computers this week. My teammates who are on furlough, may have a computer here that their son used. I am going to try to find it today and use that if I can. So, I do have a few options.
I am having to re-do the work that I had done for my English class next week. It was just a few worksheets, but it is discouraging since I already had them done. I am hoping to finish that up today and tomorrow if I have access to my teammates' computer. I am going searching shortly. I have to return this borrowed computer in about 15 minutes.
I hope all is well with you!
Well, I thought my computer had a virus or a glitch in its system since it is an Apple and they are not supposed to get viruses very easily. It started having problems on Monday of this week. So, I got creative and figured out how to get it to Nairobi without me having to fly down with it. I had a visitor coming on Friday and an English class next week, so I didn't really have time to fly to Nairobi to get it fixed. A very kind and trusted person agreed to take it on the flight to Kitale and then she drove it the rest of the way to Nairobi on Wednesday. I had someone pick it up from her Thursday morning and take it to the only Apple shop in Kenya that is licensed to work on them. I thought it was just a glitch in a downloaded update that was making my operating system have problems. It wasn't!
I was told that it is a mechanical problem with my hard drive. I need to replace it and not used the computer until it is replaced or I could loose everything on it. This computer was new to me in 2008, but it was refurbished so I don't know how old it really was or what the problems might have been to made it need to be refurbished. So, I have decided to wait and look at something new when I go back to the States for Christmas. I will also probably get the hard drive replaced and then have an extra computer to use in my ESL class for my students. It will help to be able to divide them up into groups with this Movie software program we just started. So, that is the current plan.
I am currently borrowing a computer from a friend to write this blog. I will be trying to stay as connected as possible by borrowing when I can. God is good and has provided various people for me to visit and borrow some time on their computers this week. My teammates who are on furlough, may have a computer here that their son used. I am going to try to find it today and use that if I can. So, I do have a few options.
I am having to re-do the work that I had done for my English class next week. It was just a few worksheets, but it is discouraging since I already had them done. I am hoping to finish that up today and tomorrow if I have access to my teammates' computer. I am going searching shortly. I have to return this borrowed computer in about 15 minutes.
I hope all is well with you!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Wind and Dust! Tis the season.
Hello!
It is that time of year again. It seems like it is a bit early, but it has definitely started. Dust storm season is upon us here in Turkana land. UGH! Today it has been very windy. When I look out my back window I can see a couple of houses and dust just hanging in the air. My floors and all surfaces are coated with it. I can wash the table and 15 minutes later need to do it again. The noise can be quite fierce as well.
It is early in the season, so hopefully this dusty wind will slow and stop before to much longer. Often we have the dust in the mornings but the afternoons clear up. That is what I am hoping for today. Why do we have these dusty days? It is a desert and there isn't much rain or vegetation to keep the dirt on the ground where it belongs. Usually from Nov to Feb or so, we have these storms. Some days I can't even see the houses across the road. Oct - Dec can be the months of the short rains, but we haven't gotten any yet this year. So, I think that is why it seems early. I am glad I didn't decide to do laundry today! I have to choose those days carefully during these months :).
While many of my readers are "enjoying" the winter months, I will be "enjoying" the dusty months. I have gotten used to them, but it can play havoc with electrical equipment. I have learned to keep things covered as much as possible. The creepy crawlies come out with the winds too. Scorpions, spiders and snakes all seem to thrive in these winds. So, I keep a lookout for them. This dust can be a nusance, but it has a certain beauty as well. I am reminded about Jesus' comments about the wind and the Holy Spirit during these dusty blasts. Sometimes I am amazed at the different colors of brown and red the sky can be in the midst of and at the end of these winds. God can use even nusance winds to create beauty in this world!
So, enjoy the season you are in. I will endeavor to enjoy mine as well. Stop and thank God for it and look for the blessings in the season!
It is that time of year again. It seems like it is a bit early, but it has definitely started. Dust storm season is upon us here in Turkana land. UGH! Today it has been very windy. When I look out my back window I can see a couple of houses and dust just hanging in the air. My floors and all surfaces are coated with it. I can wash the table and 15 minutes later need to do it again. The noise can be quite fierce as well.
It is early in the season, so hopefully this dusty wind will slow and stop before to much longer. Often we have the dust in the mornings but the afternoons clear up. That is what I am hoping for today. Why do we have these dusty days? It is a desert and there isn't much rain or vegetation to keep the dirt on the ground where it belongs. Usually from Nov to Feb or so, we have these storms. Some days I can't even see the houses across the road. Oct - Dec can be the months of the short rains, but we haven't gotten any yet this year. So, I think that is why it seems early. I am glad I didn't decide to do laundry today! I have to choose those days carefully during these months :).
While many of my readers are "enjoying" the winter months, I will be "enjoying" the dusty months. I have gotten used to them, but it can play havoc with electrical equipment. I have learned to keep things covered as much as possible. The creepy crawlies come out with the winds too. Scorpions, spiders and snakes all seem to thrive in these winds. So, I keep a lookout for them. This dust can be a nusance, but it has a certain beauty as well. I am reminded about Jesus' comments about the wind and the Holy Spirit during these dusty blasts. Sometimes I am amazed at the different colors of brown and red the sky can be in the midst of and at the end of these winds. God can use even nusance winds to create beauty in this world!
So, enjoy the season you are in. I will endeavor to enjoy mine as well. Stop and thank God for it and look for the blessings in the season!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Hope!
Hello!
My English class last week was all about "The Hope" movie. I found this program online. It uses a movie to teach english. It tells the story of the Bible and has three narrators with different english accents telling the story. It has a lot of "big" words in it, so I wasn't sure how my students would do. There are 15 lessons that correspond with 15 parts of the movie. So, I decided to try it and see how they would do.
They loved it! We did the introduction and the first part of the first chapter. The words are hard to understand, but there are several computer games and helps to help the student begin to understand the meanings of the words. I did have a Turkana help me translate it too, so that helped a lot. Try explaining the meaning of words like complexity, mystery, depth of human joy and pain, recorded, preserved, eternal proportions, amazingly and extraordinary in english let alone another language. Those were a few of the words in the introduction. They are concept words that are a bit hard to explain, but the students began to understand the ideas as we worked through the various parts of the lesson. I was very happy with their progress. After working through the lesson, they were happy to be able to understand the introduction during their second viewing.
When I showed them Chapter one, they got really excited. It is about creation. They were excited to see all the different insects and animals - especially the african ones. Most of them have never seen these animals in person, so it was fun for them to see them and even hear some of the noises they make. This movie has a fairly decent job of visualizing God making the earth out of nothing. It also does well with him making Adam out of dust. It even showed it taking place in an area with lots of sand - so they could relate to that. :) We will do the bulk of the lesson activities in our November class. I am hoping we can finish chapter 1 and 2 for that class. It will be Nov 8-13.
I am glad to have found this resource. I am getting to the end of our current textbook and was wondering what to use next. So, this will last for a few months as we work through the whole movie. I am including some work with grammar for these lessons too, as they need help in using the correct forms when they speak. I am really excited that this gives them a lot of opportunities to discuss things in class. They already know the Bible pretty well, so it is something they can talk about and really get into it. It is also something they will need to be able to talk about and read about in the future too, as they use English Bible teaching aids. So, I am happy with the progress made this past week and am looking forward to using this for the next few months of class.
This program comes with computer activities as part of the lesson. I have access to two computers that I can use while teaching. I had an educated Turkana man come and help me for a couple of days and was able to divide the students into two groups so they could do some individual (with others looking on) work. When that man had to leave or when we were all one group, I used a projector connected to a computer to display the image on a wall and a large speaker for the sound. It worked pretty well since the class is only 12 students right now. As long as we have power, it will be a good class :). I am praying that we continue to have power for the weeks of my class! Thanks to my friends and fellow missionaries here in Lodwar (Keshule, Ali, Theo and Kaby) for helping me to get these things working correctly. I tried to connect my TV to my computer but we couldn't get it to work in color. It has something to do with my computer being NTSC and my TV being multi-system. We couldn't get it to work, so I had to switch to the projector and speakers which was a bit more complicated but worked well.
How about you? Have you tried any fun new things at work or home lately? I would love to hear about them. Thanks for reading my blog and for your prayers!
My English class last week was all about "The Hope" movie. I found this program online. It uses a movie to teach english. It tells the story of the Bible and has three narrators with different english accents telling the story. It has a lot of "big" words in it, so I wasn't sure how my students would do. There are 15 lessons that correspond with 15 parts of the movie. So, I decided to try it and see how they would do.
They loved it! We did the introduction and the first part of the first chapter. The words are hard to understand, but there are several computer games and helps to help the student begin to understand the meanings of the words. I did have a Turkana help me translate it too, so that helped a lot. Try explaining the meaning of words like complexity, mystery, depth of human joy and pain, recorded, preserved, eternal proportions, amazingly and extraordinary in english let alone another language. Those were a few of the words in the introduction. They are concept words that are a bit hard to explain, but the students began to understand the ideas as we worked through the various parts of the lesson. I was very happy with their progress. After working through the lesson, they were happy to be able to understand the introduction during their second viewing.
When I showed them Chapter one, they got really excited. It is about creation. They were excited to see all the different insects and animals - especially the african ones. Most of them have never seen these animals in person, so it was fun for them to see them and even hear some of the noises they make. This movie has a fairly decent job of visualizing God making the earth out of nothing. It also does well with him making Adam out of dust. It even showed it taking place in an area with lots of sand - so they could relate to that. :) We will do the bulk of the lesson activities in our November class. I am hoping we can finish chapter 1 and 2 for that class. It will be Nov 8-13.
I am glad to have found this resource. I am getting to the end of our current textbook and was wondering what to use next. So, this will last for a few months as we work through the whole movie. I am including some work with grammar for these lessons too, as they need help in using the correct forms when they speak. I am really excited that this gives them a lot of opportunities to discuss things in class. They already know the Bible pretty well, so it is something they can talk about and really get into it. It is also something they will need to be able to talk about and read about in the future too, as they use English Bible teaching aids. So, I am happy with the progress made this past week and am looking forward to using this for the next few months of class.
This program comes with computer activities as part of the lesson. I have access to two computers that I can use while teaching. I had an educated Turkana man come and help me for a couple of days and was able to divide the students into two groups so they could do some individual (with others looking on) work. When that man had to leave or when we were all one group, I used a projector connected to a computer to display the image on a wall and a large speaker for the sound. It worked pretty well since the class is only 12 students right now. As long as we have power, it will be a good class :). I am praying that we continue to have power for the weeks of my class! Thanks to my friends and fellow missionaries here in Lodwar (Keshule, Ali, Theo and Kaby) for helping me to get these things working correctly. I tried to connect my TV to my computer but we couldn't get it to work in color. It has something to do with my computer being NTSC and my TV being multi-system. We couldn't get it to work, so I had to switch to the projector and speakers which was a bit more complicated but worked well.
How about you? Have you tried any fun new things at work or home lately? I would love to hear about them. Thanks for reading my blog and for your prayers!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Happy Homecoming Uncle Larry!
Hello!
Today in Indianapolis, my extended family is gathering to remember and say goodbye to my Great Uncle Larry Pottenger. He died on September 20th and was 93 years old. He was my Grandpa's brother (in case you don't remember what a "great uncle" is). I wish I was there with them. So, I will write this little blog to honor him.
Uncle Larry was a sweet and patient man with me as I was growing up. He worked at the family nursery - Pottneger Nursery and Landscape Co. He was a landscape architect who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright. I didn't know that as a child. I knew that he cared enough to find out what my favorite flower was. He gave me some Lilies of the Valley to plant in our yard and spent the time to tell me how to take care of them. (I didn't inherit the family green thumb - those flowers never did very well) I remember dancing on his shoes when I was really little :). He and Aunt Ellen had a beautiful house in the woods. They even fed the racoons that would come around. I thought that was really cool! When I was grown and went to visit them, I discovered their house was in a neighborhood, but it still looked like the woods to me. Maybe that was due to my uncle's landscaping artwork in his own back yard.
I found out that he designed and supervised the landscaping of the Indianapolis Zoo and the Monument Circle Tree Planting and Beautification in 1960. He also worked on beautifying several homes and gardens in the Indianapolis area. It is amazing the things you learn about someone after they are gone. Even so, that wasn't the important stuff. The important thing was that I knew he loved me. He cared about his family and friends. When it comes right down to it, if others can say that you loved, then that was a life well lived. Uncle Larry loved with all his heart.
And so, today with my family, I say goodbye for now. Have a very happy homecoming with our Lord, Uncle Larry. Have a great reunion with your parents and Grandpa & Grandma, Uncle Dick, Aunt Doris & Uncle Johnny, and Aunt Miriam & Uncle Bill. You all have a great big party with the Lord and when the rest of us come we will join in the celebration!
Uncle Larry was a sweet and patient man with me as I was growing up. He worked at the family nursery - Pottneger Nursery and Landscape Co. He was a landscape architect who studied with Frank Lloyd Wright. I didn't know that as a child. I knew that he cared enough to find out what my favorite flower was. He gave me some Lilies of the Valley to plant in our yard and spent the time to tell me how to take care of them. (I didn't inherit the family green thumb - those flowers never did very well) I remember dancing on his shoes when I was really little :). He and Aunt Ellen had a beautiful house in the woods. They even fed the racoons that would come around. I thought that was really cool! When I was grown and went to visit them, I discovered their house was in a neighborhood, but it still looked like the woods to me. Maybe that was due to my uncle's landscaping artwork in his own back yard.
I found out that he designed and supervised the landscaping of the Indianapolis Zoo and the Monument Circle Tree Planting and Beautification in 1960. He also worked on beautifying several homes and gardens in the Indianapolis area. It is amazing the things you learn about someone after they are gone. Even so, that wasn't the important stuff. The important thing was that I knew he loved me. He cared about his family and friends. When it comes right down to it, if others can say that you loved, then that was a life well lived. Uncle Larry loved with all his heart.
And so, today with my family, I say goodbye for now. Have a very happy homecoming with our Lord, Uncle Larry. Have a great reunion with your parents and Grandpa & Grandma, Uncle Dick, Aunt Doris & Uncle Johnny, and Aunt Miriam & Uncle Bill. You all have a great big party with the Lord and when the rest of us come we will join in the celebration!
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