Off to a great start!

Day 1 and 2

We made it!

Yesterday we spent our time organizing the weeks ahead, visiting Rock of Ages (ROA) just to play with the students, and adjusting to Ugandan time (we are nine hours ahead here!).

Today we began working on sponsorship correspondence letters. The student’s love drawing pictures and writing messages to their sponsors. We find ourselves especially blessed, as we are able to read each letter as the students pass them back to us.

A student walked out of class with us to have her picture taken. Once she had left the classroom and saw Betty she began to sob. Betty talked with her to help calm her down. We found out that her mother had just abandoned their family and like any other 9-year-old girl would be, she was hurt, scared, confused and overall upset. Betty consoled her in the gentle and loving manner that she continuously displays towards all students at ROA. The girl put on a brave face, flashing a half smile for her sponsorship picture and finished the school day. Our hearts were breaking for her, imagining the sadness in her heart and the pressure that is now on her shoulders as the oldest sibling to her two younger brothers. Betty said things like this are common here- many of our students are in the exact same situation.

Despite these challenges, the things the students at Rock of Ages are accomplishing continuously amaze us. Every student works so hard to understand the given material. Their handwriting is impeccable- their English is so easily understood.

All students begin class at 7 a.m. reporting to school around 6:30 a.m.

The preschool and kindergarten classes finish at 12 p.m. with 1^st-3^rd grade finishing at 4 p.m. while 4^th-6^th are done at 5 p.m. The 7^th graders put in a longer school day than most American work days, ending at 8 p.m. Luckily they are given a lunch and a dinner break! These students are preparing for their Primary Living Examination (PLE) that will take place in November and allow them to continue on into high school. We were able to read through a test they were given yesterday and they are perfecting concepts I never covered until my sophomore year of high school! They are so smart, incredibly driven, and ultimately focused on the prize of a complete education and the opportunity to attend college, or as they call it, university.

Their dreams and aspirations are becoming more and more of a possible reality thanks to sponsors such as yourselves. Thank you for your continued support!