The Lord blesses us in so many ways. Sometimes in ways we could not ever imagine. Our blessings definitely come from our families, friends, and those in our community and acquaintances. But, sometimes the Lord places blessings in your life that you had no way of knowing would be. When I was taking care of my husband when he was sick and choosing to be with him and not getting out much I could not see myself down the road with the opportunity to teach and provide computers to high school students who do not have them as a resource to learn. I remember a friend told me that I would get back out there and opportunities would come again. Thankfully she was right.
Today I am privileged again to be up and out and traveling to the Amazon school to teach computers to the students. When I go into the classrom, out of respect, they stand and say "Good morning, Ms Ginger." They have been taught respect at that school. In no time you begin to make connections withe the children while helping themt o learn. You find out that some of them walk 5 kilometers or 3.1 miles to get to the school. They aren't complaining they are glad to be there. They begin class at 8 but get there by 7 so you do the math and realize how early they get up and walk to school. That walking length is what our cross country high school team runs at their ccross country meets. it isn't a short distance. They want to be there to learn and all who helped provide the funds to buy the computers have wanted them to have the resources to learn. We accomplished that together and they are so grateful. I am grateful.
It made it easier for me to teach because they had installed a projector and screen when building the computer lab. Also the coputer keyboard and laptop was in English. Most of the students knew English because they teach it in the schools in Zimbabwe so they can know both languages and give them better chances for getting a job. I could tell there were a few who, at times, didn't understand what I said. I knew they wouldn't understand the word "y'all" that I use all the time so that's why I explained to them what it was. They loved saying it.
While I was teaching, the Amazon teacher that was assisting me said, "Ms Ginger, come to the window and look at the baboon." I didn't understand him at first. I thought that was what he said but I asked what did you say? He said come over here to the window and right outside the window was a very large baboon just sitting there. I am sure he smelled the food that was cooking for lunch (the kitchen is open and they cook in pots outside). They said they had been seeign him lately but would not feed him because they wanted him to move on. Definitely not something I would see outside my classroom at home.
The girls training class that I teach at home provided notebooks and candy for me to give to the students and I gave them out today. They love notebooks. The smiles and thank yous I heard while giving them out was numerous. I heard a lot of them say "Wow!". The girls had written a note to them in the first page of each notebook and they said so this is a student like me? Yes. Giving them candy was even more exciting.
I taught 6 different groups of students (4 one hour classes a day) and each class did so good. At the end of the classes they would express their gratitude many different ways. Some while we were working in Microsoft Word and typed sentences to format wrote sentences to me about thankful for coming and teaching or thankful for the computers or so happy Ms Ginger and the US brought us computers. They could have written any sentence but they wrote thankful sentences. When I went around the room to check their work I began to notice. One class at the end wanted to sing to me and to all the US people who helped them get computers. It took me by surprise. One of the girls sang sawsome and did the solo part of the song and the others joined in. It was amazing and so humbling. You go to help them and they end up helping you!!
Another class at the end wanted to have 6 or 7 of them stand up and say how they felf for the class to get computers and for the teaching. I videoed them talking to me and it was definitely an emotional time.
Again, I couldn't have imagined any of this unless I was here and it wouldn't have happend if so many of you had not helped. Thank you.
Each day we eat lunch from the outdoor kitchen. The students rinse out their own plates in a dishpan full of water and take them back to the ladies in the kitchen. There are around 134 or so students in what we would call 9th through 12th grade. There are 14 teachers and staff at the school. The students are so eager to learn more. I am collaborating with the computer teacher to provide teaching lessons and resources that can be taught. Their computer skills training has begun and you who collaborated with me has helped to make this happen for those Zimbabwe students who just want to learn and eventually get a job to support themselves. Before we left the school a student had requested the day before to be baptized so we witnessed her getting baptized. They had brought in some preachers from the area to baptize her since she wanted to be baptized.
After being at the school our team went to a rural village called Stanmore and to a church there. Rice, cooking oil, flour and other necessities were brought to distribute to the church members. They do not have water wells in that village and it is very poor. A couple of the boys stood beside one of the trucks that we had and got their picture made as if it was theirs...we take so much for granted for sure!
While traveling back and forth on those African roads that have so many potholes there are cattle and goats that just graze along the side of the road. They belong to someone around there. Sometimes we have to stop to let them go across, one day a monkey ran across in front of us.
It was a long day but a productive and rewarding day. As I said at the beginning, the Lord blesses us in so many ways and today was full of blessings and I am so thankful for the opportunities that have come my way with the mission trip and the personal mission I chose to do with providing educational resources to a rural high school in Zimbabwe.
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