First Week at Marangu Hills

We officially finished our first full week at Marangu Hills. It is absolutely exhausting. We are, for the most part, teaching a class every period (8am. – 4pm.). Sometimes teachers will ask us to help with their class, and apparently help means for us to teach while they get some shut-eye in the back of the classroom. But we are happy to relieve the teachers once in a while. The students are fascinated with us, mostly the color of my hands and the texture of my hair (probably the only place where my hair is considered beautiful).

As Emily and I are getting used to this style of teaching, I think we are starting to really make a difference. At first students thought they could spend the entire class period asking us questions about America or singing for us, but now they are viewing us more as teachers. We are writing our own lesson plans and finding ways to teach them things so that they will remember it. The teachers are impressed with what we can do with the children. They say that the “phobia” of Westerners makes them listen and absorb the lessons we are teaching them. It may be that or they know that we aren’t going to hit them if they ask a question…

On Friday, we went to the funeral of a local pastor. There were about one thousand locals (not an exaggeration) crowded around this church. Lining the hills were people, dressed in their most colorful cloth, standing among the gigantic greenery you find in rainforests. If it was at all socially acceptable, I would have taken a picture. We unfortunately drew a lot of attention, but it was an amazing experience to be there.