View from the cottage in Mombasa

Hi all!  I just got back from vacation in Mombasa, Kenya, and let me tell you, it was awesome.  On the flight from Nairobi (where we met up with Sara, Hannah, and Caleb, Jr.) we flew right past Mt. Kilimanjaro, so I can now say I’ve seen the tallest mountain in the world – we’ll overlook the fact that it was from an airplane window.  The cottage where we stayed in Diani Beach (slightly south of Mombasa) was right on the ocean, so we had an incredible view of the beach.  The ocean itself was a little seaweed-y, but I think I’ve been spoiled by Pawleys.  However, we did go snorkeling in the barrier reef, and saw tons of fish, coral, and even a baby shark (from the safety of the boat, or I likely would’ve had a heart attack).  I got in some great reading time by the pool, and I like to think I got a little more tan.  My dad hit the nail on the head when he told me it sounded like I was not roughing it.  It was a great trip, but I’m glad to be back in Ruhengeri!

Unexpected visitors in Mombasa - there were monkeys everywhere!  These particular ones had just stolen our bread and were enjoying it out of our reach.

            As you all (hopefully) know, I’ve been teaching at Excel School in addition to homeschooling.  The schedule, now that we’ve finally nailed it down, has been: Lydia and I do homeschooling for an hour in the morning; she goes to school while I teach the kindergarten class, and then we do another couple of hours of homeschooling after lunch.  This plan has seemed to work pretty well, as the homeschooling doesn’t get too monotonous, but it can be tricky when the kids ask why I don’t stay with them the whole day.  It feels a bit like I’m cheating them by only coming for a few hours.  There are a few kids who need a lot of extra help with reading, so when the terms ends next week (so short!), I’m thinking the next term may be different.  I’d really like to work it out so that I can come in a few times a week to work with the children who need extra help – that way I can give them individual attention, which is a little difficult now.

Beautiful view of the volcanoes one morning

            My talking about the next school term has probably clued most people in that I’m thinking of staying longer.  I’m applying for my visa as soon as I get the necessary documents, but if it’s approved (fingers crossed), I’m not quite sure how long I’ll stay.  I only know that I love Ruhengeri and want to stay longer than the three months I’d originally planned.  Of course, I miss a lot about the US (Netflix comes to mind) and the people there, but Rwanda has been an amazing experience, and one that I’m not ready to cut short.

            I’m feeling like I’m starting to ramble, so I’ll end here.  Also, tomorrow is Lydia’s birthday, and something tells me I’ll need a lot of sleep to be in top form to chaperone a 9-year-old’s sleepover.  Wish me luck!