all sorts of everything...

Hello everyone! I am sitting writing this tonight after experiencing one of the coolest and wettest weeks yet since I arrived in Malawi. This picture shows one of the rare sunny spells of the week and although rain never stops play with the children it did rather limit our outdoor time this week!
So, apart from the weather what else has been happening over the past fortnight?

I am very excited that I have managed to complete a first draft of the database of the Synod's pre-schools. This has been a long job but now with the information all logged I can begin to collate the information and work with it. This task has been a real learning curve as I have had to learn how to use new computer programmes and also learn patience as I have made a few spectacular mistakes such as overwriting a whole presbytery's information. That was not one of my better days in the office!

I stopped to chat to my neighbour one lunchtime about 2 weeks agoand she was very hard at work in her garden. I was not sure what she was doing so she explained that she was sifting the dried maize kernels ready to pack it into the sacks for storage. The family will use this maize through the rest of the year until next harvest time. It is a really tough job as she had already beaten the kernels off the cobs with a large stick. Ladies work very hard here and this job is just one of many they have to do.

I wonder if you can guess what this is? It is one of the plants in my garden and it's getting ready to fruit.

It's a banana tree! I am looking forward to eating fruit from my own garden. Tropical fruit was not readily available in the garden in Coleraine... Watch this space for a picture of the bananas when they are ripe and ready to eat.

I have also been working with the Toddler class this past week and thought I'd share a selection of some of the activities we have been enjoying despite the cold, wet weather. It's great that children don't seem to mind the weather when they are playing.

Blowing and chasing bubbles or 'boobles'as one of the children calls them was great fun and kept us all warm. Learning how to blow bubbles is very difficult when you are 1 but again it is great fun to try!!

Water 'painting' on the verandah step whilst dodging the showers was also enjoyed by all. Needless to say a few faces were also painted! Isn't it lovely that the simplest of equipment - water, a margarine tub and a paintbrush can bring so much fun to the littlest of children.

Mmm, did teacher say paintbrush or toothbrush...?!

Hope that you have a great week.

Blessings

Fiona