Classof 2011

There are 800+ students in my class... with the view of making it feel less dauting and more of a small class feel, once a week we are split into groups of 65 and then again into groups of 4. The groups also regularly meet up for bbqs/rollerskating parties etc. It is amazing how quickly you can to know people when we are all motivated to - I feel like I have acquired a large number of very varied new family members in a very short space of time.  My group leader is hilarious and has been known to do little English translations especially for me (- one of his daughters is into Jane Austen :) ). A few girls from my house went to the cinema last night (75 cents to see a film - what a bargain) and there were about 50 other students from school all watching the same film so even that felt like a family event.

It is only November but already we have been described as 'the class of financial breakthrough'. In the first couple of weeks some third year students took a collection for one of the group leader's 50th birthday. He is from Hawaii but hadn't been back to see his family for a long time (due to financial reaons) so they wanted to see if we  could send him there and asked us all to give a dollar if we could. The following week it was amazing to see him on the stage  in tears as his interns gave him wads and wads of cash (it looked like a lot more than $800) that had been given to him by people he hardly knew (i.e our class) and at the same time telling him how great he was (I imagine half the class was in tears too).

A few days after that a lady stood up to say she was a single Mum with children at college, she had come to school but didn't have the finances to pay the next installment of her tuition fees or even for enough food. She wanted to put a dollar in for the leader but only had a $20 note so she put that in believing that if she gave away to others, God would reward her with more finances (i.e. sowing and reaping). She then got a phonecall from a family friend who said they wanted to pay all her school costs- tuition, food, rent and hair cuts (essential for any female!). Then there was another girl in my group who put all her money in a collection to be given to 'the poor' (at the time she had $28 dollars to her name) and someone came up to her afterwards (without knowing any of this) and gave her $1000 dollars. There have been so many stories like that since, too many to re-tell on here but it is exciting stuff! Please note that this is not a hint for money - I have paid all my fees up front and have the necessary money for food and hair cuts :).

An impromptu 'offering', I have made it large so you can spot me (t's a bit like Where's Wally/Waldo isnt it).

Now to report on some 

No ambiguity there.

mishaps... We went to a pumpkin patch (a bit like a p.y.o. strawberry field but with a key difference) and the lady  working there was intrigued by the range of accents (Dutch, American, English and Swedish on this occasion) so we were telling here why we were in Redding. As we arrived, she made a point of telling us not to stand on the scales (to weigh the pumpkins) as they are 'certified' ( I guess this means they are worth some money...), of course in my enthusiasm for chatting and telling stories I forgot this and 1 minute later rested my foot on them - she  immediately reminded me of the rule and that was the end of that conversation! 

Also, In my enthusiasm to show my Niece what I was eating for breakfast (these things are interesting to 1 year olds I promise) I managed to tip milk over my laptop (the unaccounted for perils of Skype). You will be pleased to know that my laptop is working fine however and is free from that gone-off milk smell.

Our chosen pumpkin...      

I am sure there are many more Katieisms I could share with you but I will leave it there for today...