Grand Opening!

 Good things are happening with the school. Monday is our Grand Opening. It is nothing like what one would do in the States for such an event. There will be no mayor, city official, no ribbon that I know of. But there will be SEVENTY teenagers, SEVENTY cokes in bottles, cookies and cake, dancing and music and THAT makes a pretty grand opening to me. We will also do skits and will have speakers from the community come and share how an education and knowing English has opened doors for them. The plan for now is to have courses for the next 7 weeks. We will teach Business/Hospitality courses on Monday and Tuesday. These students will do their concentration class first and then have an hour of English. Then students who want to take Community Health will meet on Thursday and Friday for an hour and then they too will have English for an hour following their Health courses. We are using current missionary staff, our mission school students and visitors to help teach. We honestly thought it would be months before we could begin so we are rushing to get things in place to be able to do this coursework over the next 7 weeks.  I just got back from town where Tanya and I purchased the cokes and cookies, 70 pencils, pens, notebooks and a chalkboard. A group donated $500 for supplies and that took about half so we are waiting to see what is most essential. We will need chairs but they are $10 each. We will find a way. Considering wooden benches, but just need to find them and get a truck to go and get them...

The scooter is pure junk, but it is now my pure junk. I ran into the shop owner yesterday and he asked about it and I was quick to tell him that it was not even running. He has offered to send over a mechanic. But the shop closes in the afternoon and I am waiting on them to reopen at 2:30 before calling. I remember when shops in Hartwell would close on Wednesday afternoons. Or maybe that is just the bank. Entire cities in France shut down for months on holiday and whole towns across every continent take afternoon siesta’s, but I am still not used to it. Nor am I quite used to snot rockets or picking your nose in public, but some things are good to be left to ones own cultural beliefs and/or social norms. 

I am also not used to not having internet. I don’t know how I ever lived life or got a complete K-12 education without it, but I did. Here, it is slow to non-existent. There are certain “hotspots” on the base that still remain illusive. All this is to say, if you don’t hear from me, it is because I can’t get online. Even this message I will write in advance and simply cut and paste when the wind seems to be blowing just the right way. 

I said goodbye to Robin this week and it broke my heart. I loved having a mom here to just sit with me, offer advice, take a  good hard look around and encourage me in spite of it all. And sew curtains. And make me French Toast! Mom’s are great. Robin came just for me and endured the rough life here just for me. I will never forget the huge sacrifice she made. She and her husband, for giving her to me for three weeks. It was a priceless, selfless gift and I pray rich blessings over you both for what you did for me. This would have been a very hard three weeks without a familiar face. I really can’t even talk about it. (lump in throat). Let’s talk about something else.

To all my donors I want to again say thank you. I was able to come here and get what I need and still have money left over. I was able to buy the scooter for transportation and my driver’s license and license plate a good stock of overpriced groceries and a desk and storage bins for my things. I am anxious to get started and teach 70 children in Africa to say y’all. I could not get to live this dream without you. I am blown away by your generosity and faithful support. I wish you all could be here to see it unfold. I will do my best, internet permitting, to keep you up to date, informed and hopefully, entertained. 

From my heart, 

Grace