The Week of Wackiness: February 23-27

There wasn't that much time left at BanglaHope, so some of the student missionaries and I decided to do something special for the kids. It was going to be like a spirit week, ending with a fun day off of school.


Day 1: Mask Day
The week before, Katie, Caleb and I, traced and cut out little paper masked for all the student. On Friday, for art and craft class,, the kids got to decorate them. The teachers kept them in the classroom for safe keeping. When Monday rolled around the kids were excited and proudly displayed their mask. A lot of the kids participated. The younger ones were so cute and some wore their disguise the entire day. Some kids got creative and made their own masks.


Day 2: Mis Match Day
For this day we expected the kids to mix up their clothes to form the most crazy patterns and color combinations. However, here most patterns and color combinations are considered beautiful. I dressed myself in the most ridiculous way I thought with my wardrobe but throughout the day both kids and staff kept asking me how I was mis matched. I looked at them like they were crazy but then let it slide. Not a lot of kids participated this day and a majority of the ones who did were creative and mis matched their shoes. Even if nobody got it and the kids didn't really participate, this was my favorite day.


Day 3: Crazy Hair Day
The kids enjoyed this day more. All the boys used Caleb's styling gel to spike their hair. A lot of the girls had several pig tails. I painted Caleb's hair to look like a little kids spinner hat. Katie put pipe cleaners in her hair to make it stand up. The kids kept calling her the tree. It looked pretty awesome. Today Sharmi informed me that this wasn't fun. I simply replied to her, “It must be because you aren't participating. I am having tons of fun.” She didn't like that response. For a couple of kids this was out of their comfort zone and they were not enjoying it but for the most part the kids were having fun.


Day 4: Team Day
A big question asked at BanglaHope is what team do you support. During the last world cup the campus took sides and rooted for there favorite teams as they advanced or dropped out. The most supported teams are Argentina and Brazil, and secondarily Germany. Whenever the kids would ask me which team I supported I would say Australia just to mess with them. I honestly didn't watch the world cup. So for this day I drew out the Australian flag and pinned it to me dress. I also wore my green outfit because their uniform is green and yellow. When I walked into class they all tried to guess who I supported. No one remembered what I had been saying. There were some wild guesses; America, India, and Africa were just a couple. I finally had to tell them. I got out the globe to show them where Australia was. Except for the boys who had Jerseys on, you couldn't tell which team they supported but they knew. At recess Katie, Caleb and I painted flags on the kids faces. They loved it. Nathan had to play crowd control. They were getting a little too excited. We couldn't get through them all; so after lunch Katie, Caleb and Nathan continued painting faces while ran around getting thing ready for Friday.


Day 5: Game Day

Team Sea Horse

We intended this day to be like a school picnic, minus the food, full of games and races. The kids got out of school right after pathfinders and we had them till lunch. The plan was to split class 1-3 into two groups and class 4-6 into two group. Then we would rotate the groups to play four games, an obstacle course, a scooter race, and two sets of group games. I got up early Friday morning to set up the obstacle course and it was raining. Oh, no! Nathan, Caleb and I made team signs and then ran off to breakfast. It was still raining. All throughout breakfast my mind was racing thinking of what we would do. We had to entertain these kids from 9:15 till noon. Luckily, by the time we finished eating the rain had stopped and it looked like the sun was coming out. All that worrying for nothing.


I quickly set up the obstacle course, grabbed the team signs and met the others and the kids in the receiving center's field. There we split the kids up into the four group. I led the sea horses, full of girls from classes 1-3. They were a good group. We started at the obstacle course so I could tell teacher Joya how to run it. Those kids had the hardest time running around the cones. It was kind of funny. They were all having fun so I let it slide. Then we moved to teacher Lichil's game. She had the kids hope while holding their ears through their legs. That was hilarious. I joined in and the kids loved it. Then we went to teacher Shuborna's game. I still don't quit understand it. There were two teams. One team linked together by holding hands and the other ran around free. They both tried to tag each other. Lastly we did the scooter race run by teacher Happy.


After the rotational games we all gathered in the receiving center to explain the paint game. This game was for everyone to play at the same time. Hidden on campus were five color stations. The kids had to collect all five colors of paint on their hand, return to base to get a point for their team, get it washed off and start over again. Running around on campus were other staff members with wet rags. If they caught/tagged a child they got to wipe off one of the colors on their hand and they would have to go back and get it again. Nathan had played this game at camp this summer and loved it so much he wanted to try it with the BanglaHope kids. While he was explaining the game to them. I ran around making sure the color stations were set up. I started out as the color blue but throughout the game Katie and I switched off because tagging got tiresome. The kids were running around like wild hooligans, they loved it. We played for about 45 minutes then gave them all otter-pops Mimi had left.


By noon the sun was beaming and it was hot. This was perfect for the surprise we had in store, a water fight. While the kids were eating, Nathan and I and some of the staff kids filled all the buckets we could find with water. Katie, Caleb and Nicole finished filling the water balloons. Some kids noticed what we were doing and got ready. Some changed into swimming clothes, some brought out towels and some put shampoo in their hair. They knew what was happening but they didn't know when. We paraded them by teams to the grassy area in front of the Waid's balcony. There, King Caleb announced the winners of the games. Once he was finished Katie bombarded them with balloons from above and Nathan, Nicole, and I doused them with buckets of water from below. They loved it and kept demanding more. Then they turned on us. We all got soaked but thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. The fight had to be put to an end when muddy rivers started to form on the lawn. Now shower time.



It was the perfect way to end the week of wackiness and to end the last full week at BanglaHope.  

Crazy love

Washing the girls hair

Sorry I haven't written in awhile. Life has been crazy these last few weeks. So much has happened and so much has changed. Overall life is still good here at Banglahope. Some of the student missionaries and I planned a week of wackiness (spirit week) for the kids this week, with a fun game day to end of the wackiness. I will write more later to tell you how it went.

For this post I tried modifying an article I wrote for the Collegian, the Walla Walla University newspaper, but can't seem to get it right. So I am just going to copy and paste it. Here it is:

Johnny

“Johnny, we are not leaving this classroom until you finish your math” I said authoritatively. This child had been goofing off during study time, wandering around the classroom, bothering others, and bothering me. Every time I tried to get him to do his work, he would whine like a baby, then get angry, then smile and laugh. He’s sweet, he blesses me, he’s distracted, then back to crying. This happens multiple times each day. At first this behavior drove me nuts. I wanted to storm out of the room leaving him on his own to figure out how to complete his assignments. All I wanted was to get him out of the classroom, homework complete or not. Slowly though, I began to recognize that he was just like any other student, but required attention and discipline differently than others. We started working together after class on math, staying until each worksheet was completed. Eventually he grew on me and I realized how much I appreciated his antics, and he my attention and guidance.

Jewel

There was something about how helpless she was; we had just taken her from her mother and I had to care for her while we traveled. Jewel has always been special to me, ever sine I traveled to pick her up and bring her back to the orphanage. Part of that connection I think came from the interaction I had with her mother, and the responsibility I feel in taking her child from her. I had taken this child away from the one person that loved her, but in the process found my own deep love for her too. In the months that I've spent here our bond has grown stronger. Every time I see her her face lights up as she runs to me beaming with excitement she can't contain. I love making her laugh. That giggle is the cutest thing I have ever heard. She can also be horribly bossy and pout-y. Just like me when I was a little girl. This girl and all her moods has stolen my heart.

Me, Joni and Tammy

This last week a previous student missionary came to visit with some friends. Early in our conversation he asked me who my favorite child was and instinctively I said Jewel. But then I thought about it.  I don't love Jewel more than Johnny or Brooke or Marc. All of the children here have a little corner of my heart; I love Nathan's spastic nature, Bart's intuitive mind, Tammy's awkwardness, Crissy's brutal honesty, and Kakoli's caring heart. Each of these children are vastly different yet I love them all so much. It reminds me of  God's love for humanity, however my love is an imperfect replica of His love. I struggle, and fail, to love everyone I come into contact with, while God does not. His love is openly given to all of humanity regardless, perhaps because of, our immense differences. We are all different, none the same, but He loves each His strange little children anyway.  “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God.” 1 John 3:1

Life is not fair

Katie and I with the babies

Life is not fair. I say this in a grouchy tone sprung from the massive headache that developed from a week of the worst cold of my life. It’s probably more than a cold. Why is it that I always get the most sick away from home? As Katie, a fellow student missionary, said, “I have been more sick during the four months here than the past ten years.”

Life is not fair. Ever since I was little I tended to keep an eye out for what was fair. If someone was not fair to me I would say something. More like, “Mommy! Janelle is not sharing!” or “Mommy! Jonathon ate all the cookies!” I guess it is the middle child syndrome or something but I thought I had an idea of what was right and what was wrong and I wanted to enforce it. That sense of fairness has stuck with me through the years. Splitting bills at restaurants, sharing a bowl of snack food or candy, and scheduling shower times with roommates are some small things that bother me if not done fairly.

Me and some kids from my old class

Life is not fair. In the classroom as a student I always wanted the teachers to treat every student the same. If they didn’t it wasn’t fair. They need to give each student the same opportunities, the same help. To some extent I still believe that but I noticed in the classroom as a teacher I don’t treat ever student the same. I praise the students differently, I punish the students differently, and I help the students differently. I don’t show favoritism, however, I use different methods to get the same point across. Methods tailored to each student’s character.

Me and some kids from my new class

Life is not fair. God doesn’t treat us all the same. He doesn’t talk to us all the same. God uniquely and personally interacts with each of us. I just read the other day in the bible about spiritual gifts and this passage struck me. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.” To me this struck me saying it is ok to be different we all are and it is good. All these differences make the big picture greater. Sometimes unfairness is necessary to achieve the best out of each individual. This world is full of a variety of characters, each offering something unique. We should embrace these differences and grow them through reasonable unfairness. I believe our world is healthier and stronger when we embrace individual uniqueness.

The now class 5 girls over for a sleepover

So now, I say this with less whining (still a little because my headache as not gone away), and a smirk on my face: Life is not fair.

The New Year

With the New Year comes a new class. Due to trouble with the bus we didn’t get back from Nepal till late Sunday night and school started the next day. No preparation. Ahh! Oh well, how bad could it be? In the morning I went to class at 8:45am expecting to teach math, however the schedule was changed. Now I teach English from 10:30 to 11:15 everyday, Math from 8:30 to 9:15 Wednesday-Thursday, and Science/Health from 11:15 to 12:00 Thursday-Friday. This means I only have one class Monday and Tuesday. What am I going to do with all this free time?! Don’t worry, I’ll find something. Oh, I could play with the babies!

This new class has 17 kids, 4 more than the last class, and those 4 more make a difference. They are a lot noisier, whinier, naughtier and more stubborn. The first week was a struggle. Friday, teacher Joya came up to me exhausted saying she missed the old class. I agreed. They are testing both of us to see what they can get away with.

During the second week they started to get better but then Thursday hit, the worst day of teaching so far. For math class everyone was chattering, reading other books, and complaining that they didn’t understand because they weren’t listening. I was so relived to escape to breakfast. English class went okay but I finished early and started reading a book to them. As soon as they sat on the mat chaos ensued. There was hitting, pinching, calling names, talking, and getting up to wander around. I started science class and nothing changed. I sent two girls, Annemarie and Suzanna, to two opposite corners. If I was the architect of building that classroom I would have made a corner for each of the kids. With those girls in the corners the class was a little better and more attentive. However, those girls did not stay in the corners for long. Annemarie moseyed over to the door and managed to lock us in the classroom from the outside while being on the inside. A couple of the kids tried to unlock the door with no luck. We had to get the attention of someone outside to open the door.

After class I had Annemarie and Suzanna stay to talk to them about their behavior. After talking I looked them each in the eyes and asked them if they were going to work on being good girls in class. They both responded with a confident NO. Okay, we know are going to talk to Papri (the principle). I took them each by the hand and led them down to Papri’s office. She wasn’t there. So we wandered around some trying to find her. We found mommy instead. Mommy informed me that I have to punish them and that I needed to spank Annemarie. If Papri punishes her she will learn to listen to Papri but not me. I understand that but I really didn’t want to spank anyone, so I sent them to their rooms without lunch. I found Papri in the café and let her know they will not be joining them for lunch. On my way back to my room Annemarie was walking outside laughing and smiling at me as if to say I can do what I want and you can’t stop me. Why did she have to do that? Now I have to spank her or she will never learn. I walked straight over to her, took her back into her room, set her over my knee and spanked her good. She was shocked. I left her with some strong yet encouraging words and headed to my room. As soon as I left her room tears started welling up in my eyes. That was my first time spanking a child and it was awful. I bypassed my room and went straight to the roof where I cried out all the emotions I had been bottling up since I got here. I hadn’t felt that helpless in a long time.

Life in the classroom is still hard and chaotic at times but overall they are doing a lot better. Each child has its moments of defiance but I think that is natural. Annemarie is always nervous I am going to wallop her again. I guess this fear is good. At least she listens to me now. I love teaching, I just don’t like the classroom management. I‘m not good at it. I hate being the bad guy; I just want to be their friend. Bless those who find enjoyment in managing the little ones. You are saints.

Nepal

taxi ride to the airport

Our adventure started December 26 with the night bus to Dhaka. Between 10:00pm and 5:30am I inhaled lots of cigarette smoke, witnessed several beatings, froze a little, and slept less. When we arrived in Dhaka everything was still asleep so we sat outside the dental clinic’s gate like homeless people eating the food Shuati had lovingly prepared for us. Around 6:30am Simpson came out and let us in to sleep in the guest rooms. We all zonked out till noon. Then took a taxi to the airport, and an hour and a half plane ride later we were in Nepal. It was cloudy landing. We could see the mountains above the clouds but then descended beneath them. I got through customs first and proceeded to find the hotel taxi that was supposed to pick us up. As I stepped outside waves of voices were hitting me demanding a taxi and signs were pushed in my face of the names of the people they were supposed to pick up. As soon as I saw my name on the white piece of paper it all stopped. I had found my ride. Once everyone got through customs we headed off to the hotel. That night we got the lowdown from the hotel supervisor and than went exploring on our own.

Flying into Kathmandu

The next day we wondered around with a detail-less map. We found Durbar square, got really hungry, played battleship, ate mint chocolate chip ice cream, and ended the day in an unstable kingdom where we all fought to be royalty (aka. playing Kings, Queens and Poppers). It was a good day of unplanned wandering around. I got a knockoff North Face jacket because I was not prepared for the cold weather. When packing for Bangladesh I completely forgot about going to Nepal and only had one sweatshirt. Oh well, thank goodness for cheap well made rip-offs.

The Buda eyes

The goal for Monday was to see some monkeys, specifically the Monkey temple. After reading up on it we figured out where it was and that we wanted to go around sundown when the ceremony of lighting candles occurs. So we wandered around the other side of Thamel in the morning and set out for the Monkey temple after noon. We needed to go through town, over a river, and then up a hill. Or so I thought. We made it to the river with no problems but the other side of the river was another town with lots of streets that weren’t on the map. Also the streets had no street signs. Needless to say, we were lost. Not lost in the sense that we didn’t know how to get anywhere, I could get us back to the hotel, but lost because we didn’t know how to get the where we wanted to go. At one point we saw the Monkey Temple sitting on a hill and headed in that direction. We eventually found it. So many monkeys! And they all stayed near the temple. I guess it was because that is where their food came from. The temple was pretty neat. So many stairs! It was cool to look down on Kathmandu from the top of the hill. By the time we left it was getting dark. That made it harder to navigate the nameless streets back to the bridge. We made it across the river but used a different bridge. Oh well, we’re smart cookies and figured out where we were.

Monkey Temple

Tuesday was the day we were heading for Nagarkot, but first a friend of Caleb’s mom showed us around the other side of Kathmandu. He is a bible worker for the SDA church, specifically a librarian that translates books into the local language. He took us to the main Hindu temple and burial sight. They cremate the bodies and pour the ashes into the holy river. When we were there they were burning one body and preparing another. It was nice wandering around with a local. He took to the non-touristy places. We got to see the real Kathmandu. After taking him out to lunch we took the hotel taxi to Nagarkot. Getting out of the smog filled city was wonderful. We took a windy road up through giant trees. It reminded me of California. And we could see the mountains!

In Nagarkot

In Nagarkot we wandered around gawking at the grand mountains. Other than a mishap with a thorny plant that numbed half of my right hand for several days, it was by far the best part of the trip. My soul belongs in the mountains. I would have been content just sitting in our hotel window basking in the awe. There is something about being high up in nature that feels holy and closer to God.

Mountains!

We brought in the New Year in Nagarkot. I celebrated with a Twix bar and soda from the airplane. January 1 I went rock climbing in Nepal. Well, it was actually bouldering, and super easy bouldering at that. We all wanted to stay in Nagarkot longer but I had already paid for the next hotel back in Kathmandu. So we stayed most of the day, went to the lookout tower and then road back into the smoggy city.

Momos

Finding our hotel took quite some time. The taxi driver didn’t know exactly where our hotel was so he dropped us off in the middle of Thamel. The map we had from the first hotel wasn’t very detailed. There were a lot more roads on the street than on the map. We had to stop for directions twice but eventually found the hotel. There they gave us a better map that actually had their location on it. Thank goodness, I didn’t want to wander down those dark allies again.

The next day we cooked like locals. Oh it was fun to be in the kitchen again! We got to make momos. Very tasty. Then we finished buying gifts for people and left the next day. Over all, this trip was filled with lots of walking, eating yummy food, witnessing different religions, and seeing God’s grandiose. I definitely want to come back, but next time I will get further into the mountains.