Gimme, Gimme

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By the time I went to bed last night, I was mostly feeling better. Eating was a big help. When I woke up this morning, my stomach felt much better, but I was exhausted, so I tried to sleep some more. If I said it once, I’ve said it a million times- community living is LOUD! As my dad always told me when I was young- it’s okay if you don’t sleep, just “rest your body.” My body was enjoying the rest.

I finally got going and joined the others at the school. We’re replacing the stoves in the cookhouse, and they arrived today. The old stoves are incredibly smoky and there is no ventilation in the cookhouse. The new ones have chimneys of sorts, so will be a good thing to have. We have to revamp the cookhouse to fit the new ones, and made sort of a temporary kitchen for cooking until the new ones are finished. The rest of us planted flowers and such. I was tilling the soil with a hoe and it took a lot more out of me than I had expected. I’m a little disappointed in my body right now.

Yesterday, though, I was doing my quiet time and read James 1. It is a chapter that I memorized years ago and reading it was a good reminder. “But consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds. Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work that you may become mature and complete, not lacking anything.” So right now, I’m not facing trials, but developing perseverance that I may become closer to God.

Some of the teachers and admin are here today, and again, they were super excited to see my computer and what can be done with it. I may get some time later in the week to show them more cool ways to use it. I cannot imagine making tests, 20 of them on a typewriter!

Like I said yesterday, the children here are much different than the ones in Uganda. This morning, as I was walking in, several small ones ran up to me to hold my hands, looking at and rubbing my fingers. Soon enough, they started asking for things. “Give me a biscuit.” “Give me water.” “Give me sweets.” Then they didn’t know what else I had and just started pointing at things- my headphones, my bracelet, my watch. Unfortunately, Westerners must have come in and taught them wrong and that they will be given things.

It’s hard to know what to do with children like that. Jesus told us to let the little children come, but at the same time, are we supposed to reinforce bad things? I’m not trying to deny them anything they need, but I don’t know how to respond.

There isn’t as much work here as we were anticipating, and it’s not really enough to keep all of us busy, so there’s unfortunately a lot of idle time.

Highlight of the day: I found my deodorant, which as been missing since Nairobi!

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Comments

[dave]

kids
Jami, Would you give your own children things they don't need just to please them? Food, water if you have it to spare, sure you would give those things as needed. "No" is a word we use in love as well as for discipline. How do you handle those situations with your teens? Hey, we miss you come home soon Dave