Monday, August 5, 2013

Nolan in Sri Lanka - Week 3

Week 3
This week, about twenty-five new volunteers came to Sri Lanka through the IVHQ program. Their countries range from Australia, the United States, Germany, China, England and Singapore. It seems like it was just yesterday when I first came to Sri Lanka and did not know anything about the country. Now after two weeks of experience, I am showing and telling the new volunteers about my adventures so far. I am really happy that I am meeting so many great people.

First Friend PreschoolStarting my second week at First Friend Preschool, I am quickly gaining more responsibilities. On Wednesday, I taught the entire student body how to properly brush their teeth. I am also starting to actually help lead classroom instructions and I am noticing more and more the children that need extra help. Some children are struggling to properly identify the alphabets and its pronunciations. In all honesty, I get a little frustrated sometimes but then I remember to take a step back and take another approach. I also keep in mind that I am not the brightest student myself at school and relay on some great professors to take the time to offer extra help. I also rely on the amazing teachers at First Friends Preschool to give me advice on the different approaches to take with the students. The children are getting used to seeing my face and usually ask me to help them with their lunches and getting their book bags. They are also becoming more playful around me as well. I look forward to spending more time with the children and teachers at First Friends Preschool. I am really humble to have this amazing opportunity. Originally, I had plans on volunteering at this project for two weeks before moving on to another project, but I will continue working at the preschool for another week.
St. Francis Boys’ HomeI am gradually learning most of the boys at the orphanage. Every day I see a new face that I have not seen before. On Wednesday, another volunteer and I participated in evening worship with the boys. I was completely blown away by the passion and maturity the boys showed during worship. I am use to seeing the boys playing and joking, so I was absolutely amazed to see them take something serious. The boys participated in the service by singing, reading scriptures and serving as ushers. They did not simple go through the motion but it seemed that they enjoy their time in fellowship with one another. This was a truly amazing experience. Furthermore, on the first time on Thursday, I visited the Boys’ orphanage and it did not rain. As a result of the dry weather conditions, I was able to engage them in more physical activities. We ran around, played on the monkey bars and did a couple of pull-ups. On one occasion, I fell from one of the monkey bars and slightly scraped my right knee. After I stood back up, the children kept asking me am I okay or do I need a Band-Aid. However I was totally fine and did not need any medical treatment. I am really enjoying my time at St. Francis Boys Home.

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