November 15th
So today was a long day. I went to bed early last night but that
didn’t do me much good, I woke up many times in the middle of
the night, then I had dream about something that happened in the
US, and it was about the time that it really happened, and it’s not
good, praying for a friend who is very special to me. Getting up I
got ready to go for a walk because I was feeling very down this
morning because I couldn’t be there for my friend. I think that will
be one of the hardest things here. Not being able to be there the
people I love, but I always want to know if something is going on
because then I can at least pray for you. Anyway, a walk always
helps me; it’s a little personal time with the Father. I feel I connect
better then than any other time on an individual basis.
Unfortunately just as I was leaving I was asked to track down
Abdul because one of the Africans had gifted the Ashers a chicken
and they needed him to kill it for them. I decided to watch, which
was probably not the best idea. I won’t go into detail but I didn’t
stay for the whole process. I only watched out of morbid curiosity.
I spent the rest of the morning helping Karen sort out the living
room because it was full of junk and she can’t really get around. I
helped sort all the baby clothes they have up here. The hospital
provides baby layettes for all new born babies and Karen makes
sure they are all assembled and ready up here. For example, one
church sent a bunch of them but didn’t include blankets in them,
which are important because the babies need to be kept warm.
We spent a few hours doing that, had lunch, and then I went off to
school. I have 5 periods today, all biology, which is good because
biology is so much easier to teach than chemistry. Classes went
well. I had a pleasant surprise when I had my SS1s today. I taught
two of them one day last week, but I figured I would just have to
go back over the same material with the rest of them today. I
began to teach and I was asking what is biology and what are some
fields of biology not really expecting to get much. However, I
started getting responses and I was like, ok whats going on. I asked
them how they knew the information and they told me they had
copied the notes from the other two kids. There were 12 kids in
class which means 10 kids took their own initiative to copy the
notes from the other kids. I was shocked, for a moment I didn’t
know what to do. Then I decided we would just move on to the
next information. It was a good day of classes which was good
after this morning. I promise I really do like being here, and I really
like a lot of the people I’ve met. It’s just very hard for me to stop
missing everyone at home. It’s getting better over time, but I feel
like by time I’m really settled here I’ll be on the plane home and
spend the next month missing everyone here. I don’t want to be here
grudgingly, I’m grateful for this opportunity, but I want to be serving
the Lord gladly. Pray that I can, not forget the people at home, but to
let them go for now realizing that I only have a little time here and
that I will have so much time once I leave here and I don’t want to
spend the whole time I’m here wishing I was home and then return
home regretting that I wasted such an awesome opportunity. Thanks
for all of your continued prayers, thoughts, and messages.

Blessings from Sella Limba Chiefdom
Ryan Brooks