Thursday, June 17th - Stay Busy

Today I woke up, showered as quickly as possible, and had a banana and melon for breakfast. At the school, I took many pictures that will be used to revamp the current website for “Father Tom’s Kids” (the foundations for all of the students at Our Lady of Grace School and Orphanage). This morning, I met the matrons who live at the school to care for the children overnight. I also met the precious infants of some of the girls. These infants were absolutely adorable. I was so saddened though to know that they are very prone to illness because of the conditions they are in. Today happened to be a very buggy day out, and there were flies swarming some of the infants. Our Lady of Grace is such a comforting, amazing place where the children are so blessed by the many people who care for them. I really hope that I can help specifically the infant babies while I am here.

There are some language barriers between British English which the students are taught and American English. Two of the girls, Loreen and Iddah, who have found me every day I’ve been at the school walk around with the biggest smiles on their faces that I have ever seen. They asked me if I was married today because I had a ring on my finger. I laughed and then proceeded to explain that I had a claddagh ring on and not an engagement ring. I told them the meaning of a claddagh ring is broken down into three main parts of a crown, a heart, and two hands representing loyalty, love, and friendship. They really liked hearing about this Irish tradition. Some of the children were also mesmerized by my hair! Some of them have never seen blonde hair that has a much softer texture then theirs. They were all begging to braid it.

At 11:20 am, I taught the Business Studies class to Form 1 (9th grade). The topic for today was the different components and levels that comprise the office staff along with their duties. Rather than having them memorize the definitions in the book, I tried my best to logically explain the lesson and keep them interested. I compared an office staff to a football (soccer) team by explaining that every member from the goalies to the left forward to the substitutes on the bench have a vital role. In a similar way, a manager, secretary, and accountant are all important even though certain positions may be paid more or perceived higher than others. We also talked about business ethics and certain jobs they would like to earn one day. Overall, I think that it went well!

After lunch, I changed into my running shorts, a t-shirt, and sneakers to work in the shamba (field) where crops are grown to get rid of some of the weeds. After school, I went to one of the open fields down the street for “sports and games.” Julia and I taught everyone how to play PIG with the basketball and kickball. They, in turn, taught us how to play their favorite game called net ball by using a worn out soccer ball. We played these games with the older girls who are natural athletes. We all got some energy out after the long day. On the walk back to the compound, I walked by Margaret who cleans at the school. She was so surprised and appreciative that I remembered her name that she looked like she was about to cry. It struck me that something so simple can mean so much.

Just as I was about to shower, the light bulb went out! My shower in the dark with cold water was very quick. If this happened, I would usually be very annoyed and frustrated but the little, petty things that happen are not such a big deal. Now there is a big storm brewing outside with thunder, lightning, and what looks like is about to be a monsoon of rain! Today was really productive and busy which makes me feel like the presence of Julia and me here is meaningful.