A family full of Gifts

I've been in Lesotho for ninety days! At first moving to village after a pampered week at the lodge was tough. But adjusting to a new way of life I guess is never easy. I'm happy to be back in a village again, and couldn't have a more beautiful site. But no one in my village speaks english! I'm able to get across all my needs, but I need to learn a lot more Sesotho before I can have a meaningful conversation with any of my neighbors. I thought I had learned a lot of Sesotho in the two weeks that I've been here, but yesterday I realized I'm just getting more fluent in hand gestures.

I absolutely love my host mom, she's very understanding and helpful, and always smiling. She makes me smile even when I have no idea what she's saying. I think she's going to be one of my best friends out here. I like my host brother and sister too, but they don't understand personal space. In Lesotho mothers get renamed after their oldest son or sometimes daughter. So my host mom's name is 'me mampho, my host brother's name is Impho and mine is Limpho. All diffrerent variations on the word gift, we are a family full of gifts. My host sister's name is Matsiliso, and I have no idea what that means.

I'm slowling adapting to village life and its slow pace. I spent an entire day watchign a roof get rebuilt with some bo-'me. It was really interesting. Their traditional houses are so much better insulated and sustainable than the modern concrete ones, I realy hope they don't lose hat knowledge and tradition. I alos spent one day walkign to the shop and back and then mending some clothes. I've already started to dress like a Mosotho, flannel shirts with skirts. My host mom told me it looks very nice, I think I'll bring it back to the states. They often wear blankets and towels over pants, instead of skirts, and are always tryign to get me to put on my towel, but I haven't gone that far yet. I've also been having fun building things for my little hut, and making it feel like home.

I'm excited for next week when I actually start working! I've never been very good at not havign anything to do. Next week I start working at three of the closest schools, two are still an hours walk away. I'll be teaching lifeskills four times a week, leading a teachers workshope once a week (so they'll be able to teach lifeskills themselves once I've left) and an environment club twice a week. The club is supposed to teach environmental conservation and sustainable farming, its also so I can manage the tree and garden projects sponsored by the lodge at the schools. I hope to lead a monthly workshop for the lodge employees and their families also. I'll be doing consulting and workshops in my village too, but I need a translator to help me talk with the village chief before I can set that up. I'm excited to be busy, and hopefully productive.

I've been able to visit the closest volunteer about once a week (and speak english!) which has been amazing. Peace Corps purposefully places volunteers close to eachother for support, and I got really lucky with the married couple I'm close to. I can only come to the lodge every 14 days and have internet access, ad that is a little less than how long it takes to get mail here. I now have a PO Box (the address is posted on facebook), so pelase write me letters! They're so precious out here. I want to end with a happy picture - how I spend most mornings, sitting on my family's stoop reading in the sun and looking out at the mountains covered in peach blossoms (hopefully my brother won't come and sit right next to me, watching me read and ruining my happy little picture).