motion

I have been teaching my three beautiful African babies, I mean students, for three days now. They are Enoch, Micah, and Kelvin. They are boys and really good at being boys, eight and nine years old, and very intelligent- each in his own way! We are learning more about English and Math together. It is exactly as challenging, enlightening, encouraging, energy-requiring, creative and fun as teaching in America. These boys are going to be a delight to work with and so I am really looking forward to the next three months. I wont go into details of what we do in the classroom because I love love love you and think it might bore you. All you need to know is that little minds are expanding while lips are smiling.
After class is the fun part... today we played soccer. It was just six of us- five of them, one of me. These boys can play... they rock and roll and dribble and kick and boy, are they sneaky, which only makes them better. It is super hard to play against someone so much littler than you, who is fast too. A big person cannot see the ball under a little person. Anyway, enough excuses right.......................I still won! Sorry, we still won! My goalie, Micah was amazing. As Emmanuel and I ran the ball all all all over the field, in heavy combat against Enoch, Toma, and Michael, Micah was doing sommersaults near the goal! Seriously... but I tell you, he stopped every ball but one from going in to that goal. He made some amazing saves... like stuff sports writers write about... diving and rolling and dodging feet kicks. Looking back and seeing his face was amazing... round, chub, and always smiling! The sommersaults totally add to his charm! It was a super cool game!
It is hot hot hot hot hot here.... everyday, alllllll day-- so excersize is either not happening (for big people) or it is but with consequences. To move alot here is extremely sweaty and messy and requires all clothing worn to need washing. The clothes are washed by the mamas of each house. These women are beautiful. They clean, cook lunches, do laundry, and lots lots more. It is a blessing to have them, but things take time... Africa time. So to drop an item into the wash bucket on Tuesday, means getting it back Friday or maybe even later. Washing clothes here involves using the washing machine, then hanging the clothes to dry in the sun, then because of bugs that get into the clothes, everything needs to be ironed- killing the bugs. So if you love what you are wearing and cannot part with it for many days, dont play soccer... or move at all! It is also super uncomfortable- active action- in that you are sweating out all your body fluids and so you feel dehydrated, but cannot stop for water because, come on, we're playing a very serious game here and also, Im not into the boiled tap water readily available at the center, and water in bottles means a trip to the market, so there is no soothing your drying, cracking, aching inner need for water. Lastly, there's the sun... this huge ball of molten lava hottness beating down on you... seriously, like abusively beating you!
"So why play- why move, Caitlin, if you feel so negatively about it, why?!"
I have a few responses to that.... First, sorry for being negative. Second, if Im not moving at all, I feel less good about me and how I am caring for this body of mine. How silly to pray, "Lord bless me and keep me, let me stay healthy and be strong, protect me from sickness.... on and on and on" if Im not doing my part.... so movement is necessary and feels so great, even while sweating profusely in hot hot heat. Most importantly, I play because the boys love it and I want them to know that I am all in. The communicating- yelling, small talk, snide comments (none from me, of couse, but when Michael points at me and then rants in Swahili to the other boys, I get the feeling something of a snide nature is being said)- the high fives, low tens, "whoooo hoooo" and "yeah baby"-- come on, it's all in the name of bonding! Besides, it's only a ten minute ride to the comforts of my guest home... shower, change, chill.