Family Love

Most people in America would be frustrated to go to work on a Saturday after working incredibly hard all week.  At LOAMO the teachers were more than happy to come back for a team-building seminar.  Miss Gutmann, Krissy, and Lisa Marie were asked to join the seminar while the students from CGA cleaned the school. 

We took out every chair from the classrooms and mopped the floor with old sweaters.  We cleaned the windows, blackboards, and floors.  We even cleaned all of the dirt and pencil off every wall.  They went from a brownish color to almost the white they were meant to be.  Through the six-hour day, nobody ever wanted to quit.  Each of us have seen how hard everyone works at that school, and thought it would be right to pay back their work with a cleaner school.  It always feels wonderful to give back to deserving people and this was proven true. 

At the end of the day, every teacher went in to their room to see what had been done in their classrooms.  When they walked out each had a smile on their face and thanked us for our hard work.  Loserian, one of the founders of the school, approached the group with a smile, a mile wide.  He told us he did not expect us to be able to clean so well and overwhelmed us with gratitude.

On Sunday, we got the pleasure of visiting Save Africa, an orphanage in Arusha.  At this orphanage their were thirty kids who share a total of twelve beds and it was heartbreaking.  Our spirits were lifted as we saw how happy every kid was; their happiness made it appear like they each had more that what they needed rather than just enough. 

Before we said goodbye, we laughed, played and danced together.  We met a puppy named Ziggy, who lacked water, nutrition and care.  He was covered in ticks and had scabs behind his ears.  We cared for him as much as we could in the four hours we were there.  Two kids I bonded with the most were Freddy and Rose.  They were both six and I wish I could take them home with me.  When they first met us, they were scared to talk to us.  Before we left, they were scared to say goodbye. 

Today at the school, we switched classes.  I was moved from kinder to Class Three.  The teacher, Madam Juliet, calls me her daughter, already on the second day. 

After lunch today, the kids from Kinder tried to pull me back into their classroom.  “Come back and teach us,” they insisted.  I told them I had to go to my new class.  Even after telling them this they still pulled me toward the class.  When I finally was able to get to my class, I almost broke down in tears.  After just a week in their classroom I already meant so much to them, even Ms. Mariom and Ms. Suzy asked me to come to their class.  I fought the tears and happily walked into Class Three. 

At the end of the day I was ecstatic.  I had such an incredible time with such welcoming people.  The kids understood what I was saying, made jokes with me, and laughed with me.  They were confident when they spoke to me and made me feel welcome.  Although I miss the kids in Kinder, I can’t wait to see what awaits me this week in Class Three.