Wow! Kids are Great!
(After reading my blog postings about my October trip to South Sudan, the Principal and 4 teachers from Merton Community School District invited me to present to their students. Over 2 days, I did 9 presentations to about 500 kids in 4th-8th grade. I thank Principal Jay Posick, Mrs. Kasprowicz, Mrs. Reuter, and Mr. and Mrs. Rheineck for the opportunity. The presentations were made to correlate with classroom topics, state standards, and the observance of Thanksgiving.)
********************************************************************************
I'd like to share some of the dialogue from the kids
"That's an airport?"
"How did you feel, coming back to all you have, after spending two weeks in these conditions?"
"Trauma is like getting in a car accident. It is also from seeing something really terrible, like seeing someone die."
"He's skinny, barefoot, old, poor - he also looks happy. Why is he happy?"
"What language do they speak?"
"4th Graders speak 2-3 languages?"
"Why no men carrying water from the community wells? Are they at work? Are they in the fields? After 30 years of civil war, many are dead."
"They are playing soccer - no, I mean futbol!"
"I have that futbol shirt at home!"
"What is 'the bush'?"
"Why are you going back?"
"When are you going back?"
"Hey, that's my doctor in the picture. He went with you?"
"You can tell Elizabeth is malnourished by her arms, hands, head, hair, and stomach."
"Were the kids singing Amazing Grace in that recording? I know that song!"
************************************************************
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
"Life Changing?" "So, you were there for 2 weeks. Needs persist. Now what?"
"Life Changing?" "So you were there for 2 weeks. Needs persist.
EVERYWHERE. Including here. So, Now what?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coHKdhAZ9hU
"I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul", by Toby Mac.
1. Life Changing?
- Not a day goes by that I do not think of the kids - Emmanuel, Isaiah, Sicly, Helen, etc.
I met a young woman from Crossway Church in Germantown who went to the South Sudan a year ago. She said it is still true for her.
- I look at my life, at my home, at what we have here, what is important to me and to my world, differently.
- I felt purposeful in my life there.
- I miss them terribly.
- I felt alive. I mean I was outside of my comfort zone - diet, amenities, sleeping, teaching, heat, illnesses, my size and color, doing inservice training, in home cells - and I was given the strength to be purposeful. I was alive.
- I have a new perspective. It is exciting.
A man who attended one of the "home cell" lessons.
2. What about the needs here?
I get a lot of that, and I understand it. I try to give and help with needs here, as I can, never enough but I know those needs are here.
It does not mean there are not needs, over there and everywhere. I feel compelled, I feel called, to help there also.
I think there are needs all over the world, including right in our back yard, as well as literally halfway around the world. I try to do what I can, and be open to what God would have me do.
Kids playing a game dug into the ground at recess. In Kampuala, Uganda, we bought a wooden version for our home.
3. So, now what, for us.
- Have I mentioned I would love to go back?
- We pray. Haiti, South Sudan, Milwaukee, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, etc. - all need our prayers.
- Also, be the hands and feet of Jesus. Go, help. Where we can.
- Give what we can, as we are called.
- Pray.
Kids gather in an assembly before the beginning of each school day.
Thank you for allowing me to share. (Doing this blog has kept me there, in a way.)
EVERYWHERE. Including here. So, Now what?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coHKdhAZ9hU
"I don't want to gain the whole world and lose my soul", by Toby Mac.
- Not a day goes by that I do not think of the kids - Emmanuel, Isaiah, Sicly, Helen, etc.
I met a young woman from Crossway Church in Germantown who went to the South Sudan a year ago. She said it is still true for her.
- I look at my life, at my home, at what we have here, what is important to me and to my world, differently.
- I felt purposeful in my life there.
- I miss them terribly.
- I felt alive. I mean I was outside of my comfort zone - diet, amenities, sleeping, teaching, heat, illnesses, my size and color, doing inservice training, in home cells - and I was given the strength to be purposeful. I was alive.
- I have a new perspective. It is exciting.
2. What about the needs here?
I get a lot of that, and I understand it. I try to give and help with needs here, as I can, never enough but I know those needs are here.
It does not mean there are not needs, over there and everywhere. I feel compelled, I feel called, to help there also.
I think there are needs all over the world, including right in our back yard, as well as literally halfway around the world. I try to do what I can, and be open to what God would have me do.
3. So, now what, for us.
- Have I mentioned I would love to go back?
- We pray. Haiti, South Sudan, Milwaukee, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, etc. - all need our prayers.
- Also, be the hands and feet of Jesus. Go, help. Where we can.
- Give what we can, as we are called.
- Pray.
Kids playing futbol at recess. I got to ref a game! They always laugh at me.
(Angelo is one of the kids on the front page, far right!)
You can learn about Pastor Dennis and Mama Lilly, who founded the orphanage. You can learn about how Harvesters' has grown over 10 years, including starting a 2nd orphanage in Terekeka. You can learn how to get involved if you are so inclined. You can watch the growth.
Thank you for allowing me to share. (Doing this blog has kept me there, in a way.)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The best 2 weeks ... Vol.III "I had lots of Fun/Joy!"
Angelo, about 10 years old, and I were walking "home from school" one day, with rain clouds lurking over head. We are still in the rainy season, at the end of it. Mark: "School's over. What are you going to do when you get to the orphanage?"
Angelo: "I have about a minute to play. Then we have chores. Then I play."
Mark, looking up at the clouds with a frown: "But it looks like rain."
Angelo, stopping to smile: "But remember. Rain is God's blessings upon us to have all the plants grow!" He gestures, bringing his open hands up from the ground, as plants would rise.
**************************************************************************************
On separate occassions, I saw both Doug and Janet Smith each pushing a wheel barrow. If you know Dr. Doug, the pediatrician, and Janet, 'nuff said!
**************************************************************************************
Lunch at the PEOT. Joke: Maddie is in 3rd grade, studying mammals in Science class. The teacher explains that whales have a very narrow throat. Maddie raises her hand, "Teacher, teacher. I learned in Sunday School that Jonah was swallowed by a whale."
The teacher calmly responds, "Thank you Maddie. I know. But sometimes they exaggerate in Sunday School to make a point."
Maddie, raising her hand again, "But teacher! It says so in the Bible. Jonah was swallowed by a whale!"
The teacher, a little piqued, responds "Yes, Maddie, I know. But it didn't really happen. It is just a story."
Maddie, now pleading, raises her hand, "But teacher. I believe it. And when I get heaven, I am going to ask Jonah."
The teacher, now exasperated, quickly responds, "Well, Maddie. What if Jonah, didn't make it, and isn't in heaven?!!"
Maddie snaps back, "Then YOU can ask him!"
(Thanks Robert Brooks.)
**************************************************************************************
At a "home cell", Bible study, out in the community with Helen, a secondary (high school sophomore)student, and 2 middle school students. Helen and I know each other and are friendly.
Typically, I would share about myself and maybe lead a prayer. But Helen had other plans.
(A group poses for me, as we share a path to a home cell.)
We sat down, and as the community group of adults and children gathered, she told me, "I think you should do the reading and the lesson."
Startled, I said, "What?!"
She repeated her statement, adding, "Here are my notes. You can use them if you want."
And, so I did. Amazing.
"Yes, that was a compliment, Helen". I smiled. "Do you know what that means. a compliment?"
She looked at me. I added, "It is a very good thing."
**************************************************************************************
Teaching the various classes was a hoot, simply a great time. Class sizes ranged from the mid-30's to the mid-50's. Students sit on benches with thin tables, all facing the front. Students are respectful, well-behaved, and disciplined. That was consistent across all grades.
- Students stand and greet the teacher in unison as the teacher enters. They sit after the teacher directs.
- Students stay in the same room throughout the day. Teachers move from room-to-room.
- Students, even in the earliest grades, have different teachers for each subject.
- My students were not really curious about America, or American students.
- They loved being taught the finer points of the English language, and were very attentive.
- All of the students were preparing for "examinations", either the school-wide ones or the "state examinations". They are very important for getting into Secondary School, our high school.
- The teachers gave me the lesson scheduled for that day and time, giving me some time to prepare.
- Students have no textbooks. There is no electricity in the classrooms. Students have lined, journal-type books for writing down what is written on the board.
Of course, my highlight was teaching the older kids, the oldest of which was P7. (I love middle school kids and consider myself to be at their emotional/attention level.) I taught the 7th graders math, which included the Algebraic functions of grouping like terms, factoring, and solving Algebraic equations. I taught them using pair-share, working in groups, and meta-cognition.
Of course, some of the best times are when you get off-topic. First, after doing 3 examples in groups, I asked them to rate the work as "hard", "easy", or "so-so". They looked at me quizzically. They enjoyed being taught the concept of "so-cso", and we used it the rest of the class.
They knew it was our team's last day there. As I was leaving, a couple of them said something that sounded like "say johnny". After numerous attempts to understand, one of the girls wrote on the board "safe journey". We shared a good laugh. I looked outside and, seeing the next teacher not coming, ducked back into the room. We then had a delightful time clarifying "circle/cycle" and "drank/drunk", which included me demonstrating riding on a cycle.
I found them also laughing at the sight of a large white man sneezing and having a loud belly laugh!
**************************************************************************************
"Adolescence is not a Crime" - Emmanuel, a P7 student moved up in the middle of the school year, made this sign in his class. I asked him about it as we went on a "home cell" that Friday. (I had told him in class that I liked it.)
"What did you mean to say in making that sign, Emmanuel?" I asked.
He smiled. "Just that it is natural, part of what we go through. It should be accepted."
I miss him greatly and believe in great things for him. He was a blessing to my visit.
*************************************************************************************
Lunch at the PEOT. True story -
"There's a woman having a baby in the clinic," we were told. A couple of people looked out, stayed looking out from our lunchroom. I got up to see.
There, about 30 feet away, on the cement pad outside the medical clinic for the compound and community, was a woman on her hands and knees, facing us. We watched. Mom had walked 5-6 miles to the clinic.
"The baby's coming! The baby's coming!" exclaimed people outside the clinic. Sure enough, Kim Klepp came out from behind the woman on her hands and knees, holding a newborn girl! Wow! Praise God that Kim was there!
Long story short, the last we heard mom and baby were fine. I got to see the mom and baby laying on a cot about 45 minutes later. The mom, having baby #6, heard it was my wife Chris's birthday and decided to name that new baby "Christine".
Why did she come to the clinic after having all of her previous childbirths at home? We don't know. Both mom and Grandma did not speak English.
*************************************************************************************
Saturday Art Event - My wife planned a wonderful Saturday event for the orphanage, and it went great! It started with the kids drawing - a free drawing and a Christmas drawing. Then, we were to have story reading time. She allowed me to add a "relay race" at the end, followed by candy brought by Doug and Janet Smith.
Well, this was an absolute riot! First we setup 4 classrooms for the art. And we just started doing it.
I gave the directions in my room, looked up and quickly realized I had about 30 kids ages 2-5!
"Mock!" "Mock!", was all I heard.
"Mock, I need paper!" "Mock, I need blue!" "Mock, I need yellow! No, other yellow!"
And they just kept coming.
"Mock, PAPER!"
I realized there was no way I was going to get to read the story, as assigned, because they just kept coming - more kids and NO comprehension of doing only 2 drawings! Total chaos!
Suddenly, Mrs. Elizabeth Perry appeared, calmly asking me if she could help. She helped me "manage" the art projects. She then started the reading in the back of the classroom, and most of the kids began to finish. What a great time! And great art work!
And then, the relay race! Setting up relay teams in the schoolyard was one huge task, and lining them up on the starting line. Then, rescued again, Mrs. Perry took two members of each team down to the other. I gave each team's 1st runner a stick, explained what they needed to do, and started them off. We had about 12 teams, from age 3-12 all running at the same time.
Wow! Dropped sticks and runners colliding started right away! Then, they forgot to stop! After the four runners of a team ran, they just started up again.
AGAIN, TOTAL CHAOS! AGAIN, GREAT FUN!
**************************************************************************************
Isaiah and I playing frisbee catch - Isaiah and I were playing frisbee catch with the plastic top of some kitchen product. What fun! Isaiah, about 5 years old, stood about 25 feet away and refused to throw the frisbee.
"Hey, buddy, throw it here! Come on!" I pleaded, throwing my arms wide open.
He responded, "Hey, buddy, throw it here! Come on!", also mimicing my gestures.
We both howled with laughter, this back and forth continuing until I chased him and gave him the "tickles" What fun!
*************************************************************************************
Home cell (Bible study) in a Tukul with 51 community kids - Kids were hanging from the "window" frames, made of long, thin logs. They were all over.An S3 (3rd year of secondary school), Alex, captivated this group with the lesson, first reviewing in a discussion format what he had done the previous week. Emmanuel, the P7 student-in-training, rounded up the kids and then swooped in from outside onto one of the window frames. (Below is one of tukuls at a home cell.)
(Alex apologized for being late, saying he was not feeling well and had gone home from school earlier that day. It was later confirmed he had malaria, and began the medicine regimen from the clinic. I saw him the day he left and he was feeling much better.)
************************************************************************************
Tutoring - Rebecca, also from Crossway Church in Germantown and on a long-term mission service, is truly a blessing to the children, and is the hands and feet of God in our world. In addition to nursing 2 year old Elizabeth back to life with feedings at midnight and 4:00 a.m., she runs a tutoring program for kids in P3 (or so) - P7 who need it. Early the first week, she got me involved. What great joy! From 7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, she and I worked with about 12 kids each in a dimly lit kitchen area. I was able to connect with kids on a deeper, whole new level. It was a raucous time frequently. Pastor Pooshani, supervising the seconday students in the adjoining lunchroom, yelled at me to quiet down! See, I told you about her.
***********************************************************************************
Angelo: "I have about a minute to play. Then we have chores. Then I play."
Mark, looking up at the clouds with a frown: "But it looks like rain."
Angelo, stopping to smile: "But remember. Rain is God's blessings upon us to have all the plants grow!" He gestures, bringing his open hands up from the ground, as plants would rise.
**************************************************************************************
On separate occassions, I saw both Doug and Janet Smith each pushing a wheel barrow. If you know Dr. Doug, the pediatrician, and Janet, 'nuff said!
Lunch at the PEOT. Joke: Maddie is in 3rd grade, studying mammals in Science class. The teacher explains that whales have a very narrow throat. Maddie raises her hand, "Teacher, teacher. I learned in Sunday School that Jonah was swallowed by a whale."
The teacher calmly responds, "Thank you Maddie. I know. But sometimes they exaggerate in Sunday School to make a point."
Maddie, raising her hand again, "But teacher! It says so in the Bible. Jonah was swallowed by a whale!"
The teacher, a little piqued, responds "Yes, Maddie, I know. But it didn't really happen. It is just a story."
Maddie, now pleading, raises her hand, "But teacher. I believe it. And when I get heaven, I am going to ask Jonah."
The teacher, now exasperated, quickly responds, "Well, Maddie. What if Jonah, didn't make it, and isn't in heaven?!!"
Maddie snaps back, "Then YOU can ask him!"
(Thanks Robert Brooks.)
**************************************************************************************
At a "home cell", Bible study, out in the community with Helen, a secondary (high school sophomore)student, and 2 middle school students. Helen and I know each other and are friendly.
Typically, I would share about myself and maybe lead a prayer. But Helen had other plans.
We sat down, and as the community group of adults and children gathered, she told me, "I think you should do the reading and the lesson."
Startled, I said, "What?!"
She repeated her statement, adding, "Here are my notes. You can use them if you want."
And, so I did. Amazing.
(With a group of Secondary students. Helen is on the right.)
As we walked through the bush back to the orphanage, we laughed. I told Helen she reminded me of Pastor Pooshani with how strong and "assertive" she was becoming.
She smiled, "Pooshani has raised me since I was a very little girl," gesturing with her hand to show she was about knee-high when Pastor began her training."Yes, that was a compliment, Helen". I smiled. "Do you know what that means. a compliment?"
She looked at me. I added, "It is a very good thing."
**************************************************************************************
Teaching the various classes was a hoot, simply a great time. Class sizes ranged from the mid-30's to the mid-50's. Students sit on benches with thin tables, all facing the front. Students are respectful, well-behaved, and disciplined. That was consistent across all grades.
- Students stand and greet the teacher in unison as the teacher enters. They sit after the teacher directs.
- Students stay in the same room throughout the day. Teachers move from room-to-room.
- Students, even in the earliest grades, have different teachers for each subject.
- My students were not really curious about America, or American students.
- They loved being taught the finer points of the English language, and were very attentive.
- All of the students were preparing for "examinations", either the school-wide ones or the "state examinations". They are very important for getting into Secondary School, our high school.
- The teachers gave me the lesson scheduled for that day and time, giving me some time to prepare.
- Students have no textbooks. There is no electricity in the classrooms. Students have lined, journal-type books for writing down what is written on the board.
Of course, my highlight was teaching the older kids, the oldest of which was P7. (I love middle school kids and consider myself to be at their emotional/attention level.) I taught the 7th graders math, which included the Algebraic functions of grouping like terms, factoring, and solving Algebraic equations. I taught them using pair-share, working in groups, and meta-cognition.
Of course, some of the best times are when you get off-topic. First, after doing 3 examples in groups, I asked them to rate the work as "hard", "easy", or "so-so". They looked at me quizzically. They enjoyed being taught the concept of "so-cso", and we used it the rest of the class.
They knew it was our team's last day there. As I was leaving, a couple of them said something that sounded like "say johnny". After numerous attempts to understand, one of the girls wrote on the board "safe journey". We shared a good laugh. I looked outside and, seeing the next teacher not coming, ducked back into the room. We then had a delightful time clarifying "circle/cycle" and "drank/drunk", which included me demonstrating riding on a cycle.
I found them also laughing at the sight of a large white man sneezing and having a loud belly laugh!
**************************************************************************************
"Adolescence is not a Crime" - Emmanuel, a P7 student moved up in the middle of the school year, made this sign in his class. I asked him about it as we went on a "home cell" that Friday. (I had told him in class that I liked it.)
"What did you mean to say in making that sign, Emmanuel?" I asked.
He smiled. "Just that it is natural, part of what we go through. It should be accepted."
I miss him greatly and believe in great things for him. He was a blessing to my visit.
*************************************************************************************
Lunch at the PEOT. True story -
"There's a woman having a baby in the clinic," we were told. A couple of people looked out, stayed looking out from our lunchroom. I got up to see.
There, about 30 feet away, on the cement pad outside the medical clinic for the compound and community, was a woman on her hands and knees, facing us. We watched. Mom had walked 5-6 miles to the clinic.
"The baby's coming! The baby's coming!" exclaimed people outside the clinic. Sure enough, Kim Klepp came out from behind the woman on her hands and knees, holding a newborn girl! Wow! Praise God that Kim was there!
Long story short, the last we heard mom and baby were fine. I got to see the mom and baby laying on a cot about 45 minutes later. The mom, having baby #6, heard it was my wife Chris's birthday and decided to name that new baby "Christine".
Why did she come to the clinic after having all of her previous childbirths at home? We don't know. Both mom and Grandma did not speak English.
*************************************************************************************
Saturday Art Event - My wife planned a wonderful Saturday event for the orphanage, and it went great! It started with the kids drawing - a free drawing and a Christmas drawing. Then, we were to have story reading time. She allowed me to add a "relay race" at the end, followed by candy brought by Doug and Janet Smith.
Well, this was an absolute riot! First we setup 4 classrooms for the art. And we just started doing it.
I gave the directions in my room, looked up and quickly realized I had about 30 kids ages 2-5!
"Mock!" "Mock!", was all I heard.
"Mock, I need paper!" "Mock, I need blue!" "Mock, I need yellow! No, other yellow!"
And they just kept coming.
"Mock, PAPER!"
I realized there was no way I was going to get to read the story, as assigned, because they just kept coming - more kids and NO comprehension of doing only 2 drawings! Total chaos!
Suddenly, Mrs. Elizabeth Perry appeared, calmly asking me if she could help. She helped me "manage" the art projects. She then started the reading in the back of the classroom, and most of the kids began to finish. What a great time! And great art work!
And then, the relay race! Setting up relay teams in the schoolyard was one huge task, and lining them up on the starting line. Then, rescued again, Mrs. Perry took two members of each team down to the other. I gave each team's 1st runner a stick, explained what they needed to do, and started them off. We had about 12 teams, from age 3-12 all running at the same time.
Wow! Dropped sticks and runners colliding started right away! Then, they forgot to stop! After the four runners of a team ran, they just started up again.
AGAIN, TOTAL CHAOS! AGAIN, GREAT FUN!
**************************************************************************************
Isaiah and I playing frisbee catch - Isaiah and I were playing frisbee catch with the plastic top of some kitchen product. What fun! Isaiah, about 5 years old, stood about 25 feet away and refused to throw the frisbee.
"Hey, buddy, throw it here! Come on!" I pleaded, throwing my arms wide open.
He responded, "Hey, buddy, throw it here! Come on!", also mimicing my gestures.
We both howled with laughter, this back and forth continuing until I chased him and gave him the "tickles" What fun!
*************************************************************************************
Home cell (Bible study) in a Tukul with 51 community kids - Kids were hanging from the "window" frames, made of long, thin logs. They were all over.An S3 (3rd year of secondary school), Alex, captivated this group with the lesson, first reviewing in a discussion format what he had done the previous week. Emmanuel, the P7 student-in-training, rounded up the kids and then swooped in from outside onto one of the window frames. (Below is one of tukuls at a home cell.)
************************************************************************************
Tutoring - Rebecca, also from Crossway Church in Germantown and on a long-term mission service, is truly a blessing to the children, and is the hands and feet of God in our world. In addition to nursing 2 year old Elizabeth back to life with feedings at midnight and 4:00 a.m., she runs a tutoring program for kids in P3 (or so) - P7 who need it. Early the first week, she got me involved. What great joy! From 7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, she and I worked with about 12 kids each in a dimly lit kitchen area. I was able to connect with kids on a deeper, whole new level. It was a raucous time frequently. Pastor Pooshani, supervising the seconday students in the adjoining lunchroom, yelled at me to quiet down! See, I told you about her.
***********************************************************************************
Kwadja - At a home cell one day, adults kids are talking and laughing as they gather, and I see the kids I am with from the orphanage also snickering. I looked at the Secondary student.
"What?" I asked.
He replied, smiling, "They are saying there is a 'kwadja' here. That means 'white man'!"
Chris shopping with members of the team and some girls from the orphanage in Yei. The Secondary girls took care of us safety-wise, and making sure we didn't overpay.
"What?" I asked.
He replied, smiling, "They are saying there is a 'kwadja' here. That means 'white man'!"
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Best 2 Weeks ... Vol.II Pictures
Isaiah, my buddy and friend. I had fun with a lot of the kids there, whose fingerprints are on my heart. Angelo, Victoria, Aaron, Helen, Charity, Ruth, John, James, ...
Walking to a "home cell" for a community Bible study. In the picture is Pastor Pooshani, who is an inspiration and difference-maker to these kids. The fence to the left marks the border of a Bible College that we are just outside of in our walk. Where are the kids? In back of me. Remember my strategy - keep in the middle! I heard stuff moving on both sides of me in the dense bush!
***********************************************************************************
I could put more in, but it gives you a great idea. Vol. III- I had LOTS of Fun!!!!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
The Best 2 Weeks of My Life - Vol. I: FAQ
Future Volumes to follow include but are not limited to:
- "Oh man, did I have fun!!"
- Pictures Galllery
- "So, explain how it was life-changing!"
- Now what? The needs still exist there. What comes next?
********************************************************************************
Introduction
So, now what? Here we go! How do you put, in a posting, ADEQUATELY, an experience that was literally THE BEST 2 WEEKS OF MY LIFE!
Now wait - before I get in trouble - the birth of my 3 children and 5 grandchildren, and my marriage (up!) to my wonderful wife Christine, are the best events of my life.
But this was for 2 weeks - an experience. So, I am going to meet the challenge by sharing the 2 weeks in a series of postings. Pictures will come in future postings.
********************************************************************************
Vol. I: FAQ
Q: "Mark, what surprised you most in the South Sudan?"
A. Two things. First, the poverty. I expected to see poverty from one of the most impoverished nations in the world. But, wow!
Second, the character of the people - children and adults - is one of strength, hope and resolve. They are excited to be free, to be Christian, and to be their own nation. Their hope is very high!
Q: "What was the biggest adjustment for you?
A: Easy - no Diet Coke. Thus, I kicked caffeine. I do not drink coffee. And, so far (8 days later), I have stayed soda-free. For those who know me, this is huge!
Q: "So what did you do?"
A: Each week day:
6:00 a.m. Devotions with the orphans (approximately 155 live at this orphanage, established by Harvestors Reaching the Nations (hrtn.org).
7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:25 a.m. Devotions with the teaching staff at the school on the orphanage compound.
8:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The first week I observed all classes for the school, grades preschool - P7. (Secondary-age students go to Nehemiah High School just down the "road".) The school consists of the children living at the orphanage and children in the surrounding area, and has an enrollment of approximately 550 students.
The second week, I was given the opportunity to teach lessons provided by the teachers for all classes except preschool. Wow.
5:00 p.m. Go on "home cells" with secondary and older primary students. These were out in the surrounding community, and were Bible studies led most of the time by the secondary students. (I say "most of the time", because I got roped in to doing some of them. Again, wow!
6:30 p.m. Supper (By myself - it was served at 5:00 p.m., and they saved me some.)
7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Tutor Primary and Secondary students living in the Orphanage in the lunchroom.
Bedtime. Exhausted.
Q: "So when are you going back?"
A: If it is God's will, I will go back. I loved it.
Q: "How was the food?"
A: It was an adjustment. Beans and rice every lunch and supper. A kind of meat once a week. Pineapple, cute little bananas, avocados. Oatmeal for breakfast.
Q: "Were you safe? Really, were you safe?"
A: We stayed on a large gated compoun, patrolled by armed guards. I could hear monkeys running and bobcats fighting outside my "window" at night, so I did not go outside then. I stuck with the kids and felt safe on the walks in the bush for the "home cells". So, yes, I always felt safe.
Q: "Did you get sick?"
A: No. We were on anti-malaria drugs, and I took "cipro". Cipro? Google it - I prefer not to talk about it. Temps were 65-70 at night, 85-95 during the day. Fahrenheit.
If you have questions, just ask, and I will include them in future volumes. Let me know if you like the format and plans. THIS WAS THE BLESSING OF A LIFETIME AND I GIVE GOD THE GLORY!
- "Oh man, did I have fun!!"
- Pictures Galllery
- "So, explain how it was life-changing!"
- Now what? The needs still exist there. What comes next?
********************************************************************************
Introduction
So, now what? Here we go! How do you put, in a posting, ADEQUATELY, an experience that was literally THE BEST 2 WEEKS OF MY LIFE!
Now wait - before I get in trouble - the birth of my 3 children and 5 grandchildren, and my marriage (up!) to my wonderful wife Christine, are the best events of my life.
But this was for 2 weeks - an experience. So, I am going to meet the challenge by sharing the 2 weeks in a series of postings. Pictures will come in future postings.
********************************************************************************
Vol. I: FAQ
Q: "Mark, what surprised you most in the South Sudan?"
A. Two things. First, the poverty. I expected to see poverty from one of the most impoverished nations in the world. But, wow!
Second, the character of the people - children and adults - is one of strength, hope and resolve. They are excited to be free, to be Christian, and to be their own nation. Their hope is very high!
Q: "What was the biggest adjustment for you?
A: Easy - no Diet Coke. Thus, I kicked caffeine. I do not drink coffee. And, so far (8 days later), I have stayed soda-free. For those who know me, this is huge!
Q: "So what did you do?"
A: Each week day:
6:00 a.m. Devotions with the orphans (approximately 155 live at this orphanage, established by Harvestors Reaching the Nations (hrtn.org).
7:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:25 a.m. Devotions with the teaching staff at the school on the orphanage compound.
8:45 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. The first week I observed all classes for the school, grades preschool - P7. (Secondary-age students go to Nehemiah High School just down the "road".) The school consists of the children living at the orphanage and children in the surrounding area, and has an enrollment of approximately 550 students.
The second week, I was given the opportunity to teach lessons provided by the teachers for all classes except preschool. Wow.
5:00 p.m. Go on "home cells" with secondary and older primary students. These were out in the surrounding community, and were Bible studies led most of the time by the secondary students. (I say "most of the time", because I got roped in to doing some of them. Again, wow!
6:30 p.m. Supper (By myself - it was served at 5:00 p.m., and they saved me some.)
7:15 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Tutor Primary and Secondary students living in the Orphanage in the lunchroom.
Bedtime. Exhausted.
Q: "So when are you going back?"
A: If it is God's will, I will go back. I loved it.
Q: "How was the food?"
A: It was an adjustment. Beans and rice every lunch and supper. A kind of meat once a week. Pineapple, cute little bananas, avocados. Oatmeal for breakfast.
Q: "Were you safe? Really, were you safe?"
A: We stayed on a large gated compoun, patrolled by armed guards. I could hear monkeys running and bobcats fighting outside my "window" at night, so I did not go outside then. I stuck with the kids and felt safe on the walks in the bush for the "home cells". So, yes, I always felt safe.
Q: "Did you get sick?"
A: No. We were on anti-malaria drugs, and I took "cipro". Cipro? Google it - I prefer not to talk about it. Temps were 65-70 at night, 85-95 during the day. Fahrenheit.
If you have questions, just ask, and I will include them in future volumes. Let me know if you like the format and plans. THIS WAS THE BLESSING OF A LIFETIME AND I GIVE GOD THE GLORY!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
You are going WHERE? WHY?
South Sudan.
Yes, South Sudan.
Africa. A new nation, birthed in the spirit of hope and promise, as of July, 2011. Google it.
WHY?
God has placed this opportunity at this time before my wife and I. I am going to an orphanage to housing 160 kids, a Christian School, and a new medical facility. I feel called, blessed, nervous, and excited. How fortunate am I to have this opportunity! The orphanage is part of Harvesters Reaching the Nation (HRTN). Google it.
I will do what I am told to do. I am going with a group through my church. I have been told I will be off the grid for the better part of the next 18 days. I will blog about it as I can.
Exciting, life-changing, giving, opportunity,
I will learn. I will have fun. I will be moved.
Yes, South Sudan.
Africa. A new nation, birthed in the spirit of hope and promise, as of July, 2011. Google it.
WHY?
God has placed this opportunity at this time before my wife and I. I am going to an orphanage to housing 160 kids, a Christian School, and a new medical facility. I feel called, blessed, nervous, and excited. How fortunate am I to have this opportunity! The orphanage is part of Harvesters Reaching the Nation (HRTN). Google it.
I will do what I am told to do. I am going with a group through my church. I have been told I will be off the grid for the better part of the next 18 days. I will blog about it as I can.
Exciting, life-changing, giving, opportunity,
I will learn. I will have fun. I will be moved.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Retirement - An opportunity!
(This is my maiden voyage in the blogosphere. It is my intention to use the blog to comment on educational issues, share personal information, and give readers glimpses of my strange sense of humor. I have been a Tweep for 2 years "m4flynn".)
"No", was essentially the message to the school board member in the e-mail. I picked up the phone, called IT, and said, "I am done. Shut down my e-mail account."
That was at 4:30 p.m. on June 10, 2011, my last day of work as a Superintendent/District Administrator. I shut everything down and, having packed 14 years of accumulation previously, turned off the lights and left.
Now what?
Well, it has been a 4G summer - grandchildren, golf, God, and grass (lawn). It has also been a summer of opportunity. I am working to grow into a larger position at an esteemed, small Milwaukee-area university. I have been spending more time babysitting our 18 month old grandson. I am going to the South Sudan next week on a short-term missions trip through our church. (The South Sudan was granted independence in early July, 2011 and my wife and I will be gone for 18 days.) In November, I will begin to volunteer in the classrooms of 4 of my grandchildren - 4K, 2nd, 2nd, and 4th grade.
I do not have enough time to do all I want to do. Cool.
Stand? Yes, stand.
"Stand,
n the end you will be you.
One that's done all the things you set out to do.
Stand."
-Sly and the Family Stone
"No", was essentially the message to the school board member in the e-mail. I picked up the phone, called IT, and said, "I am done. Shut down my e-mail account."
That was at 4:30 p.m. on June 10, 2011, my last day of work as a Superintendent/District Administrator. I shut everything down and, having packed 14 years of accumulation previously, turned off the lights and left.
Now what?
Well, it has been a 4G summer - grandchildren, golf, God, and grass (lawn). It has also been a summer of opportunity. I am working to grow into a larger position at an esteemed, small Milwaukee-area university. I have been spending more time babysitting our 18 month old grandson. I am going to the South Sudan next week on a short-term missions trip through our church. (The South Sudan was granted independence in early July, 2011 and my wife and I will be gone for 18 days.) In November, I will begin to volunteer in the classrooms of 4 of my grandchildren - 4K, 2nd, 2nd, and 4th grade.
I do not have enough time to do all I want to do. Cool.
Stand? Yes, stand.
"Stand,
n the end you will be you.
One that's done all the things you set out to do.
Stand."
-Sly and the Family Stone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)