Day 2 and we have made lots of new friends!

Posted on October 18, 2011 by tlachaplain

Wow what a day! The sun shone the kids smiled we worked hard in the heat and we reflected tonight on the highs and lows of our time so far. We arrived at the school loaded down with the fine equipment for our activities. We watched the kids sing the national anthem and say a prayer and then run to the classes to welcome us in. After introductions it was straight on to lessons. With some language barriers we painted, we blew bubbles, we parachuted, read, we made bracelets, we all laughed and some of us cried. When we left at lunchtime it was clear we had made many new friends very fast. Our return after a great lunch, was a mass run from the classroom to us as they screamed with excitement that we had come back! We will never forget the difference, and memories, that 3 hours of teaching can create in an amazing community of children. At 3pm we rushed from our work with children, down the hill to the youth centre and our work with young peoples. At the start we had about 50 kids but by the end we had over 200 hanging out and having fun as we did our activities but to an older age group. We returned to the hostel tired but inspired that what we were doing was working. After dinner we reflected on the last 3 days and looked at highs and lows. The lows? Well many said the poverty and the injustice they were seeing made them sad and cross. The highs? Stories of smiles and thank you’s received from the kids and games working and seeing fellow team members doing so well. We shared of our own recognition of how grateful we are for what we have at home and indeed at the hostel. A roof over our heads, a meal ready, water on tap. It is already building into an amazing week.