It's crazy to think that I will be leaving Angola in 1 month! As I prepare to register for classes returning to Canada is becoming a reality!
My time here in Angola has been so enjoyable. One of the things I love doing is learning the language and making attempts to communicate with the hospital staff. There are some wonderful nurses at the hospital who's smiling faces I love to see everyday. Many of my attempts of Portuguese, Umbundu and Mhuila (the two tribal languages in the area) are received with confused looks, a small smile or a loud laugh as they realize this white girl kind of sounds like she's speaking my language! At the Rio de Huila clinic we do a pre-natal clinic for around 35 women each week, who will be between 3 and 8 1/2 months pregnant. Shelley, a Nurse Practitioner Midwife, has started the clinic as far as I understand. We take take their blood pressure, weigh them, ask if the babies moving (mopi keta- in mhuila), measure their bellies if they're over 5 months pregnant and listen to the fetal heart rate. Most of these ladies don't speak any Portugeuse so learning a little mhuila is such a blessing for me to have some connection to them!
English class has been going well. Some students pick up the language faster than others. Two of the students have been working on: "Hello, how are you?" for the last 2 months. It seems to be pretty difficult for them, which makes it a little frustrating to teach. However, there are lots of students who are eager to learn and pick things up a lot faster!! We've been singing some English songs these last few days and that seems to be a hit!! Kids songs like: My God is so Big and Jesus Loves Me have great messages and relatively easy vocabulary.
Last weekend we had an SIM Angola retreat. It was wonderful to get together with other missionaries- Esther, another short-termer and I did the music- it was great to be used by the Lord to bless others. We had a good time of prayer, some relaxing time to play Nosht and Rook, and we had a great hike up a nearby rocky hill. On July 1st we sang O Canada and waved a Canadian flag- I think I'm more patriotic when I'm overseas!
I have a roommate- she arrived last week from Belfast, Ireland- Gemma. We've been having a lot of fun as short-termers in our flat. Grocery shopping in a foreign land and in a foreign language have been an adventure.
Thank-you for all of your prayers. Please contintue to pray for language learning as I now translate a little bit at the hospital who know less Portugeuse than I do. Please also pray for patience with English class and creativity in teaching. As I go into my last month here pray that I would know how to best show the love of God to those around me both in words and actions.