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Hi all,
Sorry once again it’s been a long time since we added a blog.
We finally received our residency permits and came out to Vanuatu on the 12th March. We stayed for the first week with Tony’s sister Narelle until we could get the boat moved closer to town and ready to live in again. We were really blessed to find that everything was in good order when we got back, pretty much as we left it, only a bit dirty in the back cockpit area. The inside was great.
I started back to school on the 14th March and we were flat our preparing for Easter. We had lots of activities to complete because we had two weeks of holidays then back to school for just four days then the Easter break. Most of the children remembered me and some very excited to see me back. Amazing really as I had only had three weeks with them before I went back to Oz waiting for the paperwork.
The kids love doing the craft activities and they especially loved wearing their bunny ears home. The look on their faces as they walked out to the gate to meet their parents was priceless. They were so proud but also a little bit shy.
During our April school holidays we were blessed to have a visit from John, Melinda and Nina Gray. Unfortunately the weather was not the best and Tony and I were a bit sick with the flu when they arrived, however, we did go for a sail around to Havanah Harbour and spent a night. We did a little bit of snorkelling but didn’t manage to find “the best snorkelling” spot we had been told about. The next day we sailed back around to Mele Bay arriving just after it got dark. The anchorage was o.k. but it did get a bit swelly at high tide. We spent the morning at the Mele beach bar while John, Melinda and the girls went swimming in a small freshwater creek just along the beach. Then we headed back to the mooring because the wind was expected to get stronger during the next 24 hours. We also had the pleasure of helping Nina celebrate her 14th birthday while she was here. We arranged with the staff of the restaurant to come out with a small cake and candle singing happy birthday.
Second term came and was as full on as the first one, I now have approx 70 children on the roll Mon, Wed, and Fri and about 10 less on Tue and Thurs. We have been learning about sea creatures, insects, in the garden and more about our body including hygiene. I generally go to work by 7.00am and get home about 5.30p.m. Apart from the teaching I have been helping with the accounts for school fees , trying to keep a track of who have paid and who haven’t. It involved its own set of challenges (I won’t bore you with them now) but I am getting it more under control now.
Tony and Sarah completed their open water scuba diving certificate. Sarah took to it like a duck to water. I’m not sure how many dives they will get in before they head north, it will depend on the weather.
June school holidays came and we had a visit from Li and Paul. This time the weather was pretty good in fact we had the only fine weather we have had was while they were here. Tony was pretty busy with work so we couldn’t get away anywhere but Li, Paul and Sarah did go abseiling at the mele cascades which turned out to be a good value for money activity. Li and Paul also enjoyed a round island tour and a visit to the secret garden. Narelle took us all for a drive around Vila to see some of the sights. We all went out for dinner to celebrate Tony and my 25th Wedding anniversary which was very nice.
During all this work and play Another Angel with Brian and Jan and a couple of weeks later Shekinah with Mike and Chris arrived safely from Australia ready to do another season for PYM. They have headed off and almost finished the first team which went to Ambrym for the first time. Tony and Sarah are supposed to join them before the first week in August ready for the second team. Not sure yet if they will make it but they will try it just depends on how long Tony has to work.
Now I am back at school, Sarah has started some of her school work and Tony is back in Oz for a couple of weeks doing an audit for the NRC. Sarah is also about to complete a Red Cross first aid certificate.
Hope all is well back home.
Love from Carol and the crew.
- comments
Bob M Alll looks good Carol except the print is too small! ;-)