Hello everyone

Iºm going to appologise now for the odd punctionation, this keyboard is very odd.

Summary: This week has been much better than last week. The retreat was wonderful- a beautiful place with a deserted (literally, we were the only people on it!) beach and lots and lots of stars to look at! The team ahve been doing well and weºre getting to know people at church better and better, so it makes work so much more fun.

Best bit of the week: The retreat or (although i use the term "best" bit very loosely, Sunday, after Church. There was a baby that had died that morning, so the whole of the church went to the house to sing and pray and be with the family. It was really moving and a real priviledge to be part of. It showed me what church is meant to be like!

Worst bit: This week has been good! But English lessons were a little frustrating - we get different people every week so itºs very very difficult to plan for. We donºt know who will turn up or how many or what level theyºll be!

Bit long bit:

Savane was fantastis (the retreat, that is) and came at just the right time. We were all getting tired and ill (youºll be pleased to hear my cold has gone now!) and it was nice just to have a little break! The place itself was so beautiful - you canºt imagine a nicer beach, particularly when thereºs only you on it! There were literally hundreds of crabs, it was nice to walk along to beach and look at them all, and watch them all run away from you! The electricity went off after 9.30, so me and rachel went and sat outside and just looked at the stars, listening to music for 40 mins or so! It was SO beautiful. We also enjoyed toasting marshmellows on a bonfire on the beach beforehand! It was a really good time for us to get some space, as well as doing some teambuilding things and being able to process the last month!

Itºs getting really hot. Today, apparently it will go up to 38 degrees.

Haha, weºre getting recognised the cafe in town under the Oasis Offices. We like to do our lesson preparation and teamtime there, as well as going there whenever we have free time! They ask us how we are and so on, and were surprised yday when we only stayed for about 15 mins to get a drink! So thatºs quite nice. I guess everythings beginning to feela little more familiar now, it makes it a bit more homely when you get recognised out and things like that (although itºs not as if the three white girls donºt stand out!!)

Enlglish lessons, as i said, are a bit of a challenge. The kids club on saturday was fun - we took some dot-to-dots that weºd made and some colouring in stuff - they spent about an hour on it and loved it! And they were rather excited when we said they could take theirs home!

Church on sunday was good! Everything is more fun now weºre getting to know people better. We joined in some of the dancing, which was fun, and they loved us for it! As i said, it was really moving to be part of the visit that went on after church. That also made the visits that we do on a monday seem more worthwhile (when we go into a house, sing, pray and leave!) because we could see that doing that is normal and it what is done here!

The team are doing well. Weºre getting on well together, as well as with our family. Savane was really helpful for team relationships. We are still very tired a lot of the time - which isnºt helped by the heat!! But my cold is better, which iºm pleased about! This week has been much better than last week!

Thank you again for your e-mails, they make me very happy to recieve!

Lots of love, Sar xxx