Looking Out a New Window

As I look out my window on the school bus, I'm seeing something new. At home in Georgia its just looking, but here you’re seeing. Back in Georgia you look out and see big houses, every bush is sculpted, beautiful flowers, the sun is up before you even get out of bed, etc. How could anyone say that is not beautiful?

Looking out my window here is a little different. In the morning I leave and the stars are still out.  I get to see the start to a new day, everyday, seeing the beautiful sunrise over the hills. It looks like a painting or something you’d see in a movie. As we keep driving I start to see all of the people walking to work. Some with water on their heads and others just walking. The best is when you see the Gogos (grandmothers) singing, just singing as they’re walking. Singing because it is a new day and they are grateful.

Next you hit the highway and start to see the kids that are walking to school, ranging from pre-school students to high school students. Imagine. Walking on the side of the highway to get to school from when you’re 4 or 5 until you’re done with high school. How am I complaining about my hour and a half car ride to school…? *Guilty thoughts…*

Finally as I’m approaching the hill that my school is on, we turn off of the highway. To get to my school you must drive through somewhat of a little community. I'm now seeing homes made of mud with clotheslines and hanging laundry, kids in uniforms walking to the public school that is placed at the bottom of the hill, skinny dogs roaming, a couple of cows here and there, etc. The women are looking at me through the window as I look back at them, subtly smiling back and forth at each other. I've heard people say they see “hope in the eyes of a child.,” but around here you see hope in everyone’s eyes. Truly.  I've reached my destination.

What a great way to start every day, right? Someone asked me the other day if I liked what I saw out my window better here or at home in Georgia. After thinking about it, of course my response was, I love this view so much more. This is real, not some Utopia, and it reminds me every day how blessed I am. How is that I've been coming here, to Swaziland, for the past 8 years and I'm just now seeing this new perspective on life? His creation is beautiful. 

Where do I even begin???

Where do I even begin? It’s been three days since I last blogged, and it’s insane how much has happened since then. Well, I guess I'll just go day by day starting on Wednesday, my first day of school. 



Wednesday: 


Well, I woke up at 5:00 AM, and even though it was crazy early I did have that little bit of what ever feeling its called on the first day of school. I'm pretty sure it’s a universal feeling of a little bit of depression that you seriously have to go back to school, a couple of nerves, but definitely that “excited-sh” feeling of seeing friends, new teachers, etc etc etc. Anyway, of course we leave pretty much on time (6:15), because we Maxwells are planners/like to be on time. So mom and I pull out of The Lodge and are on our way down the mountain when we run into Spencer over by the baby home with the Condor (a car) that’s at the bottom of the little dip and has stalled or something (dead battery, needs to be pushed to start, which is impossible when you are facing up hill)... to sum it up,  10-20 minutes later we finally can get by him (Dad to the rescue on his ATV) and are back on our way to school. Then of course a little later we get a stuck behind the orange pickers “train” (tractor pulling huge orange crates with workers stuffed in the back) ... but anyway we were back on our way, picked up Bailey Klee and were good to go. Interesting way to start the first day of school, but we made it to the school on time, and I got my schedule and locker etc. 



The first day was kind of insane. I met about 1,000 new faces who all knew me, but I had yet to meet them.  We went from a general assembly to English, Physics, tutor period (which is like an advisement), compute science, and math. I ended at 1:00 PM because it was a half day (all Wednesdays are).  Overall, it was a pretty good day, but I felt like a kid at Disney world. The first time you ever walk into one of the parks your just mind blown. You don’t really know what to think or where to go or anything, and of course you don’t know anyone in the parks there either, just like my school. I knew it would quickly change and I’d make friends, understand my thick thick teachers accents, grow to understand the slang (like “sketchy in America would be “dodgy” here), etc. But it was just very different.

 

Other than the school part, we DID rescue our first baby!! (: His name is Spamandla (probably spelling that wrong), and he is theeee cutest little baby. Little did we know that we had also received a baby at PC (Project Canaan) as well! Two babies in one day. It was a good day. (:



Thursday:


Now this was a long day. Woke up at 5:00 again, school started at 8:00 and ended at 4:00. Here the classes are 40 minutes and there are 11 periods a day, but you have “doubles” through out the day which is when a class had double the time it normally is (so 80 minutes instead of 40). So my schedule was: Double math, English, French, double chemistry, lunch, business, biology, & double art. Everyone says Thursdays are the longest/hardest days.. lol woooo. So that wasn’t too bad, just a long day, but it was nice because I had made some friends and new a couple more names (some of which of which I can actually pronounce). When I got home the container with all our stuff from home had arrived!!! The house was well on it’s way and I got to set up my bed (: you have no idea how exciting that was. Sleeping in my bed for the first time since the beginning of April. So. Great. Also it was Spencer’s 18^th birthday! So it was a pretty good day (: 



Friday:

You know it’s funny, normally when I'm in Africa for the summer I totally lose track of time and days, but being in school I sure knew it was Friday and was so happy the weekend was right around the corner. After my alarm clock didn’t go off, we run out the door, sped down the mountain roads on to the highway and just made it to the bus on time (7:00).  By now I had a pretty okay idea of how to get to some of my classes, and I new some people from some different groups. My day included: double Biology, double French, life skills, English, math, lunch, a double Free (so 80 minutes of break or study hall – its great) where I learned chemistry because last period of the day I had a chemistry test that my teacher was making me take. Haha. 2 hours from lunch and break to learn chemistry, yep.  (: By the time I got home I was ready to crash.



It’s been a pretty long week, but we got through. My life kind of feels like it’s on the edge and I'm missing my friends more than anything, but I know it’s gonna get easier. Going to a new school is always a challenge and is always different, so why shouldn’t this one be. It’s going to take some getting used to. 



Today being Saturday AND I have internettttttt! A lazy day, maybe a ride on the 4wheeler (ATV)  with Bailey and Spencer to the top of the mountain (where the waterfall is), and of course, a play date with the babies. (:

                                                                  

 



I'll keep updating! Prayers would be greatly appreciated. <3 

yep. we're here

We did it. My family MOVED to Africa. 365 days of preparing, packing, shipping, stress, up and downs, and we’re finally here in Swaziland for good. The rest of my posts from here on out will be about the “up and downs” of that roller coaster I'm sure, so get ready.

So we arrived in Johannesburg on June 1^st (Friday) after a 15 hours plane ride and spent the night there. The next day we took a 5 hour car ride over the boarder and into Swaziland (where we now live). Why I expected to be sleeping in my home that night, I don’t know. We spent the night at the Lodge, otherwise known at the long term volunteer home, Saturday night as well as Sunday night and we’ll probably be there for a couple more nights or weeks. You see, our house isn’t quiet finished yet. 3^rd world time is a couple months slower than 1^st world time.

Yes, it’s kinda of a bummer we’re not in our “home,” BUT at the same time were finally here. We do have a place to stay, food, and a warm bed, so there’s no need to complain. And we can go to the Klee’s house for hot showers and Internet of course!

School. I start school on Wednesday. Today is Monday. I'm not gonna lie… I'm not looking forward to getting up at 5:30 a.m. to go to a new school half way through their school year and half way into 10^th grade (form 4). Summer break started on May 18^th and was supposed to go until August 15^th, but it got cut a little short. On the other hand, I only have to do half a year of sophomore year and will be a junior by Christmas. Definitely worth it. (:

The First team traveling here doesn’t come for a week or so, so it’ll be good to be all settled in and into school and what not. The next time I post I'll tell all about Waterford (my school) and any new news.