The Girls' School in Quelimane

The girls are enrolled in a small private school around the corner from our house. Late last summer as the plan for our language study in Quelimane was unfolding, it was strongly suggested to Lee and I that we consider having the girls attend this school. Lee and I very much wanted then and still now for the girls to learn Portuguese and have friends here. The best way for that to happen is for them to be with other kids. I must admit, when this idea was put on the table I almost threw up thinking about dropping my girls off at a classroom where they would NOT be able to communicate with anyone. I prayed and prayed. God's said, "Trust Me". I did. However, when the day came to leave them there.....I almost threw up again! My heart hurt leaving them there!! That was almost 2 weeks ago. Those first days were so hard!


The plan from the very beginning was that the girls would not be expected to perform academically. They were to be at the school for culture and language learning. We have a full homeschool curriculum that we are doing when they are not in school for their academics. This is where our first big problem came into play. You see, there was no "open house". You meet your teacher as you show-up on the first day. AND, I did not get to talk to the teachers and make sure that their expectations matched our expectations.


The schedule for the school has Emma and Lilly going from 7am-12pm. Meghan goes 1pm-5:30. On the first day everyone got up and got ready because we were all going to take the younger girls. 


Here they are ready to go!

We got there and got everyone to their class. Sweet Wanne, the other IMB wife here, went with us to translate. The problem was that all the other parents were there too so it was next to impossible to communicate. 


Here is Emma in her room.

Not so sure about things!

Then, we took them to the "assembly". This is what they do everyday. They line up by height in the classes and hear announcements. (Problem is my kids can't understand anything that is said! And neither can I!!!)


Here is assembly.

Really not so sure of things!!

We walked with them back to their classrooms. And soon made ourselves leave.


Here is the school from the outside.

This the drive going out of the school. 

When we picked them up that first day. We praised them and gave all the glory to the Lord for giving them the strength! Then we went and got ice-cream ($15 for half-gallon).


At 1:00 it was time to take Meghan. Here she is with Sally. She was scared to death! They do the same assembly/announcement time and then off to their classes.

And we left her.....


The next several days were some of the most difficult of my life. All of them cried and cried....I stayed strong for a while, then I lost it! The girls really just wanted to be a fly-on-the-wall and figure out what to do by watching what other kids were doing. The teachers wanted to help them by talking in Portuguese to them and pointing and pointing and talking in Portuguese some more. All the while drawing more and more attention to the girls and making them feel extremely uncomfortable. 


Lilly teacher very much wanted her to participate in all academics. This usually entailed copying long passages of cursive Portuguese into her notebook. 


This was Thursday of that week and I had had enough. Wanne was able to get a meeting with the director on Friday morning. We sat down and explained to her that the girls need time to observe and that we did not expect the school to teach them academics, we are doing that at home. We let her know that they have a Portuguese tutor at home and that we are striving for them to learn the language as quickly as possible. Until then, they are only going to do what they can. We decided to move Lilly to 1st grade. They are just learning to write and read there. (We said that all the girls need to go there!) 


By the end of that first week both Meghan and Emma had made some friends and were adjusting well.


Because of the cyclone this past week there was no school until Thursday. Meghan and Emma were both ready to get back to school. They realized that sitting in the house with no friends while Mom and Dad have language class all day for a year would be terribly boring! We took Lilly to her new class and it was wonderful. She has the most precious soft-spoken, smiling teacher and there is a 7-year old girl that speak very good English that she now sits beside. She had a terrific Thursday and Friday! Praise God!!


Here is Lilly in her new class.

In her "Laura Ingles" desk

Our first 2 weeks of school are behind us. Lee has continued to remind all of us that God will never leave us nor forsake us. And the Lord has proven that. the girls have really dug into God's word and looked to Him for protection and guidance. Better yet, they already see how they can be a witness to the Muslim children they are around. 


As the Lord prompts you to pray, please do. This will be a year of tremendous growth for them, and for Lee and I, as we let them grow some wings and fly a little. We have no idea the trials ahead, but God does. Pray for us to hold fast to Him as we try to figure out how to serve Him in this place He has brought us to.


Praise God!!


Tracy