Circumvent oppression

Today was our first test day.  Being so, I don't have much to share.  We studied all morning and then finished the test and treated it like a big test day at home.  By this I mean the students spent the rest of the just hanging around with each other.  In the afternoon we had a short lesson about the history of Christianity in East Africa.  That was incredibly fascinating but too short.  It is hard to retain anything in that short of time.  It made me miss taking classes at home and turn my attention to the fact that the term after this is my last.  This is exciting and terrifying.  The good news is that right now I feel such a strong longing and calling to become a pastor.  I have gotten to spend a lot of encouragement from my new friends here in my possible vocation, and with all this time for reflection I feel that it is coming from inside as well.  So that is comforting.  But of course God is wild and does not play the way we would like often so I am preparing for anything. We also finally got to walk around and explore outside the seminary property with our free time today.  That was amazing. There are these beautiful mountains all around that are constantly keeping company with clouds.  I want to climb so much.  As the rains seem to be picking up a little (Bwana Asifiwe) the life all around is certainly in bloom.  There are flowers everywhere I turn.  Amazing smells.  Amazing spectacles of growth.  We stumbled upon an area surrounded by cacti that I think I will try to retreat to to meditate every now and again.  I can't even really describe this place.  My pictures will never capture it.  You will all just have to come and see for yourselves.  Ooh, we also walked past this huge tunnel of ants with giant heads and snipper things.  I though I successfully circumvented the gathering when we passed but I was sadly mistaken.  As we approached campus I felt this incredible sting on my foot. I quickly ripped of my shoe and felt something tear out of my left foot.  To my delightful surprise, attached to my flying shoe was a happy ant, embedded deep in the fabric of my sandal.  After nursing my tiny wound I tried to flick the creature off my shoe.  This was a futile attempt.  It bit deep.  So finally, big tough Sara took two keys and tweezed the poor thing out of my shoe.  Way fun.