Feb.11-12 Things are beginning to settle down. I observed all three classes this week. On Thursday, Jessie Stitt and I stayed after school and arranged a classroom full of learning centers for her class. The maintenance man is also an assistant director of the school and luckily he does speak English. So I had him to come in on Friday, to interpret my instructions to the children as to how the room was to be used. That helped a lot for many of them know so few English words. I am really beginning to feel I am in Africa because yesterday there were 3 over 2 feet tall monkeys in our yard. One was swinging in a tree and two were running in the yard. At four o’clock on Friday, Jessie and I were invited to a birthday party for James, 11 years old, at his home. Many mission working families came. There was an abundance of pastries, puddings, cakes, coffee, tea and juice. They say that’s normal. Tomorrow, Saturday, there will be a morning meeting of the Ebenezer School Committee. I was asked to come.

Feb.13-17 Saturday at 8 am I met with the Board of Directors of the Ebenezer Institute of Learning. They requested that I become the Principal of the School. My response was that I would, if I could have a lot of guidance and help not only from God, but also the Board. Language is a bit of a problem for in depth conversation and instructions. Later in the day we had missionary workers to drop in for tea and entertained a missionary nurse for dinner, after which we went to a Doctor’s home for dessert to say goodbye to a wonderful surgeon, Dr. Warren DeCray, who returned to Iowa on Sunday.
Sunday 8 to 9:40am we attended the English service. The Chichewa service followed immediately. Their African Choir sang an amazingly beautiful song for our service.
Elspeth and Henni, a South African missionary couple, invited Rhona and me for tea. Jessie spent the weekend at the lake with all the young mission workers. Sunday night we helped the Guesthouse crowd cook dinner. We enjoyed their fellowship. The people of the Guesthouse are always coming and going. So we constantly meet new mission workers, doctors, nurses, teachers, maintenance people, students etc.
Monday morning we’re back to Ebenezer School in the Reception Class. Jessie and I greatly lacking in ability to give much needed detail instructions, are constantly trying more effective ways of communicating. We’re determined we’ll get there SOMEDAY. New learning centers help because they speak to the children. The i-pod music that the deacons sent helps and the many items from PWS are often LIFE SAVERS. Tuesday was our first rainy day that caused us to miss our outdoor play time.
Being with 4 and 5 years old for 41/2 hours in a classroom with teachers who lack communication skills CAN BE A PROBLEM. Thanks for all the self-communicating materials you have sent!! A Malawian carpenter has made a set of 20 wooden blocks like the wooden blocks in PWS. He has done a lovely job. He is making 3 sets for each of our 3 classes. Thanks for the money sent for supplies. Tues. night is ladies Bible Study night. We meet in the homes. We are studying the book of Proverbs and are getting to know people through Bible study.
Wednesday was a good day until the rain started at play time and the 1st grade teacher left due to illness. I was there to finish the day working with manipulatives and puzzles and reading to the first graders books in English. We got through the day with the help of Lawrence our assistant and his guitar.