Happy Easter!

It's been good to spend some time this weekend reflecting on what Jesus has done for us. I am so thankful for the hope that I have in Christ, because of His death and resurrection. He is risen, indeed! I'm also thankful to be passing through this Easter season just before we leave for Uganda. I think it's a good reminder of the main reason we'll be going: to share this Good News and to be witnesses to the way God is already working through the believers there. I also need to be ready to share it with those I see everyday in my life here.

To celebrate, I went to a Good Friday service with some friends from town (not at our church), and, of course, Mark and I went to church this morning. I also decided to cook a big Easter dinner for us, which made it seem a bit more special. We had ham, mashed potatoes, fresh corn, and this homemade bread. Yum. There's also a yellow cake with chocolate icing waiting to be eaten later tonight. I know food isn't the main point of the weekend, but if we had been home, we would have shared a big meal with family. I wanted to do something to set this Sunday apart, and the big dinner seemed like a nice way to do it.

I also decided not to do any school work today, which required some planning to pull off. Last week I had my last classes with my writing students because they have to take a placement test this week. That means I collected all their final essays and portfolios, which I have to grade and pass on to the writing program by Wednesday. Despite my efforts, I didn't get very many graded on Thursday and Friday, which left me with lots of work to do yesterday. But I managed to finish one class, and I expect to get through the other class tomorrow, which means I can pass the portfolios on early. After that, I'll be left with teaching my last week in the speaking classes and grading all of their last assignments (presentations and the like). The best thing about all this grading is seeing the students who have worked so hard make big improvements. It's such a pleasure to look at a portfolio that shows real progress, and it makes me so proud of them!

After Wednesday or so, my teaching duties will really be winding down. It's a good thing, too, because I still have quite a bit to do in order to be ready for the Uganda trip. I know the next week and a half will fly by, and then the first school year here in BG will be over. Incredible!