TYPICAL TUESDAY

Most of our blogs have dealt with our emotions and what we are learning about ourselves and those/life around us while in Africa.  We thought a peek into what we actually "do" here would be fun.  Here's a Typical Tuesday...

4:15 am jeff gets up because he's old and has to...5:20 jeff lifts weights with the neighbor which makes him want to take a nap at 6:20 when they are done...6:30 jane's alarm goes off (68 minutes later in retirement, woohoo!)...6:35 breakfast and caffeine; coffee for jane, coke zero for jeff...7:05 jane starts room checks w/coffee, robe and slippers...7:15 meds dispersed...7:30 shower jeff, hair jane...8:15 dorm parent meeting...9:00 jane heads to main office to work...9:25 jeff teaches period 3 grade 8 math...10:20 jane goes to titchie (elementary school) to tutor...10:30 jeff takes a walk outside the fence, enjoys andy stanley or golic and wingo podcast..11:00 jeff prepares lesson for the night's dorm meeting...11:40 jane heads home, does Bible study, prepares snack for dorm meeting, jeff monitors 5th period study hall...12:15 jane has something healthy for lunch, jeff has something good...12:50 jane heads to Bible study...1:20 jeff has a homeroom class...1:45 jeff teaches period 6 grade 8 math...2:40 jeff meets with guys for prayer...3:30 jane greets girls from school, jeff offers math help in library...4:00 jane forms mouth guard for rugby player, gets bandaid for matea, gives hugs to a girl with friendship troubles, etc. (you get the picture), jeff heads to basketball practice...5:10 we monitor supper in cafeteria, jane eats a tiny salad she calls supper... 6:00 we go for a walk...7:00 jane monitors dorm jobs...7:20 a couple students come to apartment for math help from jeff...7:45 jane finishes preparing snacks for dorm meeting...8:30 dorm meeting, devotions, prayer...10:00 lights out, a few girls ask for late lights to finish homework until 11:00...10:00 jeff goes to bed, jane stays up for late lights..11:00 jane to bed. This is retirement?

Long days but good days! Most of the things we get to do give energy instead of drain it. We see each other off and on all day long. Loads of connections, lots of hard working kids. Easy to take pride in being part of RVA.

Today!

Jeff has been coaching basketball since the beginning of the school year, first for girls and then for boys. It has been a great outlet for him and it fills a part of the day when he can be really annoying if he doesn't have something to do. There are some really cool things about sports at RVA. The school has one covered court and 2 outside courts. You can get a really good tan coaching basketball in Kenya. Take that Coach K. The kids here are not defined by the sports they play. It is hard to find someone strutting around because they think they are the best at their sport. If you are lucky, the Superintendent will drive your team to the away games in the school van.

The first road game for the girls was early on a Saturday morning. The Super loaded us up at somewhere around way too early and the team headed into Nairobi. On the trip down the mountain, each of the girls shared their story and where their family was ministering. It was really fascinating. It is not a stretch to say the families represented on the bus are changing the face of the entire continent of Africa. As a pregame speech, it was horrible. That game was easily the worst of the season. Maybe they should have shared on the way home?

RVA in Red, Eastleigh in Black 

Last month the boys team hosted a friendly game with a team from a tough part of Nairobi. Most of the boys on the Eastleigh team were refugees and don't think or worship the way the kids at RVA do. It was a wonderful morning, a decent game, a shared meal, and a time to relate and get to know each other. You wonder how seeds that may have been planted that day will grow. 


The boys season ended last Saturday. They played great, won the tournament, and were crowned KAISSO champions. They played their best of the season. A good day! All season long when the team would break the huddle they would say the word, "today"! At the team dinner, the Thursday before the tournament, Jeff shared that when they said "today" he wanted them to think of Luke 9:23. This is where Jesus asks his disciples to deny themselves and pick up their cross daily and follow Him. Jeff shared that, as old as he was, he should be better at this than he is. Selfishness creeps in and diverts him from his highest priority.

It is amazing and dismaying that the struggles we have in living for Jesus are exactly the same in Africa as they were in Michigan. The redemptive part is that each day we have a chance to break the cycle and live a life honoring of our Savior. Today is what we have to invest. We are looking for long term dividends.