First week field trip!!!

I know that it is a bit unusual to plan a field trip for the first week of school, but we did. Since many of our students were new to the school, we wanted to plan an activity to help build relationships and unity and have some fun too! On the other side of Jinja there is a YWAM base with a low ropes course. One of our teachers, Cody Fox, has experience leading challenge courses and doing team building activities. In the photo below he is on the right giving the students some instructions.

Cody planned some great ways to encourage the students to work together in order to make it through the course. We were divided into 2 groups. The first challenge was working together to agree on a name. There were some interesting compromises.

Above is Group A: "The Infinitely Mighty Popcorn Warriors"

And here is Group B: "The Ponycorn Eagles"

The stated goal was to work together to get the younger students, a heavy backpack, and an adult who was functioning as a robot following only one step instructions through the entire course. It was great to see the older students helping the younger ones! Here is Emma doing a split in order to help Zeke reach the next tire. 

I also loved how the students had to work together to catch one another and get their team across the rope swing. 

They enjoyed problem solving together and helping each other as they completed all the obstacles. Sometimes our group had to wait a bit. Here I am, the "robot" for the Infinitely Mighty Popcorn Warriors, waiting for further instructions. 

In the end, after completing the course, we got to ride a long zip line! Zeke was pretty nervous, but in the end he decided to ride with Mama. He had so much fun! 

We wrapped up our first Friday of school with lunch in town along with all of our students. I am blessed to get to work with such a great group of kids! Ezra is definitely posing for the camera. 

As soon as lunch was over, the adventure continued as our family drove straight from Jinja to the east and then to the north for an introduction, but that is a story for another day....