Monday, February 09, 2009

I went to St Mulambo, the school for the handicap, today. I was observing the student that is doing her practicum there. I am watching her teach and all of a sudden two boys jump up, grab the yardstick, and start charging around the room. The student teacher was very calm and I thought “Oh good, some bad behaviors, let’s see what she does.” Instead she explains to me that a mouse just entered the room. After about two or three good swings of the yardstick the mouse was dead. Now this boy has cerebral palsy and can barely write, but he was dead on with that yardstick. The student teacher said in an enthusiastic voice, “Thank you I will take it from here.” She proceeded to grab a handful of tissue and pick up the dead mouse and put it in the trash. She did not bat an eye. This must have happened before. She is getting more than a life time of experience.

Brad will be preaching at his church on Sunday, so as I was walking home from the school he was walking to town, so I joined him. He wanted to buy a pair of dress pants for Sunday. Since clothing is a luxury here there are two stores in town that sell pants and they are much like a Big Lots for clothing. I should not say “pants” I should say “trousers”. Pants means underwear here. You do not ask anyone if you can wear pants to the worksite because they get big eyed and real quiet. You have just asked them for permission to wear underwear.

One store did not have his size. Most of the men here are a size 30, everyone is so thin. The second store had a pair that might fit so he asked to use the fitting room. The man said it was broken which meant that they did not have the key to unlock the padlock on the door. It looked like someone had tried to pry the lock off unsuccessfully, so we left.

It seems everyone is becoming more active at their churches. Some are ushers, some work with the children, giving testimonies, etc. They are so eager to plug us in. The churches take a love offering once a month for the pastors. They get paid, but not much. One of our students was an usher at her church and was collecting a love offering when a woman walked up the aisle and placed a cabbage in the bucket. Our student said she almost cried. We are all being humbled.

Now comes the real challenge, trying to post this. We usually make a word document then try to slip it on, if the internet is working. Many times right as you push the send button, it disappears and you start all over. We have learned to save everything. I am not in the habit of saving an email as a draft, but after rewriting one three times the other day; I am learning.

Talk to you soon.