an update

okay, well i am trying to upload pictures on the laptop as i type. bech and i are sitting in the teachers lounge at the academy, working on the computer in the room and then our laptop.

we have had a great first week. bech wants to put a post on here as well, so i may be repeating some of what he will say, but oh well! we are borrowing an academy car. bech has driven it around town a bunch and is doing great. in case you didn't know, in malawi, cars drive on the left side of the road...it is so confusing! plus the roads are not in good shape here and people drive like crazy men! i haven't been able to drive on the roads yet, because the car is stick shift. but bech and emily tried to teach me today how to drive on the roads...they said i did great for a first lesson, so hopefully i will be driving in malawi soon!

we are starting to get settled into the apartment. i don't know if i have said this yet, but we haven't been able to get into the carton. something messed up with customs. so hopefully next week we can get our boxes and furniture! i bought some fabric from the market, so bech and i made makeshift curtains out of this great, bright fabric. we both think it looks great! i will take pictures of that this week.

we have gone grocery shopping...what an experience! there are a few semi american ish grocery stores...we have shopped there. also, we have gone to the local markets and bought fresh fruit and vegetables. things at the grocery store send to be more expensive, but the fresh produce is sooo cheap. we also got some glass bottle cokes from the 7-11.

we have both been working on our curriculum. we have to have the first two weeks of lesson plans before school starts and always stay two weeks ahead of time. i am really excited about it all. i have 7th grades first 3 weeks done, and the first 2 weeks of 9th grade. so now i need to move onto 8th. i have been organising the classroom and am about to start hanging posters.

still no hot water, but people came and looked at it yesterday. they are supposed to come tomorrow and finish fixing it. lets hope that actually happens! also the internet people say they will come tuesday.

other missionaries will start arriving next week. right now, most of the long term people are here. but short term (by that i mean 1 to 2 years) people aren't here yet. we are excited to meet our friends for this year! we have really enjoyed getting to know the other short term couple here already...the ketchums. he is doing maintenance and she is teaching 3rd grade. they live in our apartment complex too, so that makes us feel safe.

tonight we had our first friday night potluck...so fun. there are so many young missionary kids here...it is great to get to know them...because as everyone knows, i love kids. the families here are great as well.

we miss everyone, but we love it here. please come visit! you will definately be changed!