Well, there has been a lot that has went on, and no chances until now to write about them.  Things are getting busier and busier as school winds down to a close, and it is hard to believe that we have already been here for two and a half months.  Wow!

As far as recent developments are concerned, we have some new things that both Lorraine and I have been getting ourselves into.  The exciting part about these new things is that they are much more active, and they are outside of school hours.  About a month back I started swimming a little bit in the ocean on the weekends with another one of the teachers.  The water is beautiful and pristine, except for the pieces of trash floating in it, and it just feels superb.  Then Thom (the other teacher)  invited his sixth-grade class to swim, and invited me to help him teach them how to swim.  So I was able to help them for about two Saturdays in a row, which was quite nice.  Now, we didn’t end up doing more than two Saturdays, because some of the kids brought friends that were a little rowdy the second time, and we were more like lifeguards than swim instructors.  Whatever the case, it was still a great time and I was able to meet and bond with some of the younger students, which is good since I mostly only deal with High School and older.

Lorraine did some fun things this weekend with her class, but I think that she wants to write a post about that in the near future.

The other thing that I have gotten myself into is basketball.  Now, I haven’t played basketball for real in a long time, but I still have some skills.  Granted not many skills, but some skills.  Ok I at least have fundamentals, which go along way with people who have none.  Anyways, the High School boys have been trying to get me out for a while now, but they always invite during the week in the afternoon, but I have Bible College, so I always have to turn them down.  Finally, though, they invited last Saturday and I agreed to go play with them.

This is a big deal, because there are not many basketball courts in PDP, and the ones that PDP does have are always crowded.  I become somewhat of a spectacle then being the only light skinned person playing basketball.  I will say this, though: I held my own, and they soon realized I was trained in Indiana and I got fundamentals.  Anyways, I gained some respect in the eyes of my students, and was able to form a bond with them outside of just being their Bible teacher.  As their Bible teacher they expect me to say certain things, but now I have another avenue to speak truth into them, which I find an answer to prayer.  The basketball fun then blossomed, and our school got invited into a city-wide tournament.  Consequently, the boys asked me to help coach them.  I said that I would be honored to help out, and we had our first practice yesterday.  Now, they have a main coach, whom is a student who recently graduated.  He plays basketball but doesn’t know that much about coaching.  This allows me to not be fully stretched, but to help out provisionally without all of the responsibility.  Not that I would mind the responsibility, but I do not speak good Creole, and in order to communicate with the other coaches, referees, and other officials that would be necessary.  So I can help, but not be inextricably bound to it.  The students are excited, Gepson (the graduated student coach) is excited, and I am very excited to help whip these boys into shape, and give them fundamentals.  And trust me they need those fundamentals.  Like I said, I truly feel that this is an answer to prayer, because it is an avenue I have to form relationships with all of these students.  Praise God for this answered prayer!

Alright this is all I have for now, but I promise there will be more soon.  Maybe some more pictures too.  Oh .. and maybe a guest appearance by my lovely wife.  Blessings!