Kokoriko koo kokoriko

Well, you may be wondering what the heck Kokoriko koo kokoriko is....it is the Swahili way to do a rooster call, it was also the title of the work song I taught the girls in my class. We performed this in our assembly Friday and the girls did a great job! It wasn't easy and at times I think I wanted to pull all my hair out trying to motivate them to sing loud with enthusiasm and do the actions together but when the performance came it all pulled together nicely. I was proud of them! The boys did a lip sync to "Workin for the Man" with actions and then all together we did our own rendition of "Working in the Coal Mine" with actions as well. It was probably the best assembly of the whole term...but I could be biased...maybe :)

This past week at school was a little crazy because we were not only trying to organize this assembly, but we also were planning our trip that we leave for on Monday. Our class of P5/6 kids and the Arusha campus P5/6 class are going on a trip to Magara. Now don't ask me what to expect at Magara because as of now I have no idea really. All I know is that there are going to be about 70 kids and 10 adults and we'll be visiting three different tribes and interviewing them about their perpectives on work and play. We've been focusing on the work and play unit now for a few weeks so the students have created questions, tranlated them into Kiswahili, and interviewed people here with the same questions. When they return from the trip our goal is for them to see how the three tribes vary in their answers and then compare those answers to what we found in our own community. I think it will be very interesting. I'm so excited to learn more about some of the tribes in Africa and this will be just as educational for me as it will be for the students. Apparently the place we are going is BEAUTIFUL too. I've seen pictures from previous years and where we camp there is a big waterfall that we can swim in and we'll have an amazing view of the African land. I'll definitely tell you more when I get back.

This weekend I enjoyed spending time with some friends I've made here. Friday I was at Glacier with a lot of ISM people and we listened to a band that plays there every weekend. They aren't very good, but we put up with it because its some of the best entertainment you can get in small town Moshi. Then on Saturday I went to town with a friend and we got a few things done. I needed to get money out while I was in town and that turned out to be a nightmare. The one thing that I REALLY MISS and the thing I could say I actually don't like about being here is the fact that money is a pain to deal with. Even at a bank its not always a guarantee you'll be able to get money out at the ATM and it tends to be a pain. Eventually I was able to get what I needed for the most part...so no worries I guess :) When I got back from town I just sat on my terrace and soaked up some sun and read a book. Then I went over to Marlaina's house (our part time teacher in our class) for supper and then we watched TV!!! They have one channel that gets American programs so we sat and watched America's Got Talent for 2 hours. The programs are really far behind from the US and what they do is just show a whole season of a show, then another etc. It was nice to have that small comfort of home for a night. It seems a bit silly but it was great!
Then today I went to church in the morning and packed for my trip. Later today a few of us are going on a walk and I'm going to try to get some good sunset pictures of Mt. Kili. One of the best things about being here is that the moment I walk out the gate from my house I look out to see a beautiful sight of Kili. It's great!

I'll try to post as soon as I get back so you can hear about the trip to Magara. I'll need to stay caught up these next few weeks because the following Monday I'm going on a 4 day safari and I'm sure I'll have a lot to tell about that as well.

I'm so thankful for all the great opportunities God has blessed me with while I've been here. This trip has been a wonderful experience and I've learned so much about the world and myself by being here. I still think that God has a bigger purpose for me while I'm here though. I'm not sure what it is yet and I might not figure it out until I'm back home but I'll keep praying that he guides me to where he wants me to be.

I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe and healthy!
I love you all and I'll be back soon :)
Alissa