snippets...

Greetings from a beautiful sunny day in Mzuzu... (apologies for those of you in the snow and ice!!).

Just a few snippets from this week. I forgot to mention that at the end of the year the Synod had an emergency meeting in which they wanted to present a petition to the Government. They had intended to march to the regional office here in Mzuzu. It was a colourful morning with all the ministers in their robes! However, as you can see by the newspaper headline, the march was stopped by the police. In fact, truth be told, it wasn't stopped at all - as soon as the ministers heard they couldn't march, they gave a press release instead. However, imagine my surprise as I had been out in town and when I came back home I couldn't get in because of armed police surrounding the Synod offices! It was drama!

Today in Church the petition was read out - it is dealing with the quota system for education which the Government have just put in place again, and which people from the north believe is excluding them.

This week I have been at school all week, and in the evenings trying to write my assignments where were due on Friday and which I had to ask for an extension until Monday. The good news is that one is completely finished and the other is close to completion.

Here you can see some of our lovely children. These two are in the queue waiting for a nappy change - don't they look happy!

and this one is on the mat about to have her nappy changed!!

This poor child fell at school and was in floods of tears. Although it was a minor cut we made a bit deal and put a plaster on it. She would not play after that but just sat on this bench and showed off her plaster to any who wanted to look at it!

I had the unfortunate task of dismissing one of our staff members on Friday - not an easy job and I felt really sorry as she will have no income for herself and her family, but I had to follow the procedures.

The earthquake is still much talked about and in church today there was an announcement that Karonga Girl's Secondary School (where Claire McIntyre once worked), is going to re-open tomorrow and the girls will stay in tents (like the one in the picture) until the hostels are rebuilt. Its rainy season now and some of the classrooms are badly damaged so classes will also be held in tents. The tents at the school have been donated by the Red Cross, unlike the outpatients department at Kasoba which you see below which was donated from UNICEF. Many thanks to some donations which have been received for the disaster area.

and...just so you know I am fine, here is a picture of me with a book, not a study book but just some reading about the Montessori child. I am looking forward to having no study to do this week!

Blessings, have a good week and for those of you in the UK, I hope it heats up a bit for you.

With love from Diane

PS look forward to a comment or two.......maybe nobody reads this!!