Introducing... JESSICA!!!

Hello friends!  I'm excited to introduce you to another fabulous Missionary Kid whom I get to teach here in Musoma!  I'll let Jessica tell you more about herself, her family, and her life. :)

Me reading a Magic Tree House book after school in the school yard. 
That's Lake Victoria behind me!

I’m Jessica and I’m seven years old. My home country is New Zealand.  I’m a missionary kid in Musoma, Tanzania.  My big sister is named Mikayla, and my little sister is named Alexandra.  My mummy’s name is Keren, and my daddy’s name is David. 

Life is a bit harder here than in New Zealand and it’s hard to make new friends.  I have one Tanzanian friend named Ameida.  I lent her some dresses when her clothes got burnt in a fire. 

Me with two of my school friends at break. 
We were pretending that it was snowing,
but it doesn't really snow in Tanzania except for on Mt. Kilimanjaro.

As missionary kids, we have to help the parent who is at home when the other parent is somewhere else.  Sometimes my dad has to go Nairobi, Mwanza or Dar to do work.  He gets things that we need that aren’t in Musoma or that are very expensive, like cheese.

My favorite food is ugali and beans, because I get to stick my thumb in the ugali and then scoop the beans up with the ugali.  You eat these with your hands.  The ugali tastes a bit gluey, but I like it. 

Who DOESN'T like to eat with their hands??

It’s fun in Tanzania because there are parks where you can see lots of animals.  One time in the Serengeti I saw a leopard walking away from a tree.  It had just killed an impala which was down at the foot of the tree. 

The leopard

As a treat every Friday night, we have ice cream.  And on Sundays, if we’re good at church, we have fanta for afternoon tea.

Church is long and I don’t understand it much because it’s in Swahili.  I only know a little bit of Swahili.  Sometimes I try to sing along with the songs.  Sometimes Daddy and Mummy let us play outside when there’s preaching in the church.  The other kids go to Sunday School, but it’s in Swahili so we don’t understand.  It’s a bit scary going to a class when you don’t know the language!

We go to a school where two Americans and an Australian teach us.  I like school because there are some other missionary kids that speak the same language as me.  I like journal because we can draw pictures and write about it, and I really like writing!  My least favorite subject is grammar because it’s basically boring.  When we go outside we like to swing on the swings and play games.  My best friend is Luke Nicholls. I get to see him on school days and Sundays.  I enjoy playing lots of things with him.

My classmates and I eating morning chai (tea break) outside school
(Luke is in the orange striped shirt!)

We found a hedgehog on the school yard, and I got to hold it!!!

My sister Alex and I with our transportation graph.
She's younger than me but kindergarten and grade 2 kids are all in the same class.