Beyond expectations

  What a fantastic week we had in the training.  36 people came to training.  They sat cross-legged on the floor and soaked up everything from 8 a.m. to 3.30 to 4 p.m.  Some as young as 15 who want to be teachers, some who have already had training, and others.  There were 2 hindu women there who had been invited by the pastor and for the whole week they heard the gospel several times a day, in a different form.  The course covered 10 chapters from New Hope Book 1, dealing with basis of setting up a Christian School emphasising  Christ as the centre, Bible Based and the the all important community(his people)  They sat in the heat, writing furiously, participating fully and at the end of the week, when we were re-inforcing the whole week, we were amazed at the full grasp they had on everything that had been taught.  Agnes is amazing.  She teaches in such a creative way.  The young people loved the stories,using them to teach points.  They loved this interesting and sometimes funny way of teaching instead of the rote learning they are used to.   After classes we were surrounded by them, lots of kisses and hugs.  By the end of the week, we were a very loving, tight-knit community.  The young people from the hostel are fantastic,  At about daybreak, they are all at the new hostel sight, collecting water, helping prepare food for the lunch time meal.  The food was cooked on an open fire as there are no cooking facilities there yet,and the hostel kids helped in the preparation, then they ran back to the old building to clean up; then they would sit there all day learning, writing, full of questions.  Lunch time they would run and get us a plate of food, see if we needed bottled water, would we like a cup of tea etc.  Then in the afternoon and evening, they hang around, always wanting to serve in some way.  The level of maturity is amazing.  They have to grow up quickly here.  We shed lots of tears as we left.  When we sat in the certificate ceremony, and looked out at these precious people, praising and worshipping God, their hearts so full of love and gratitude, it is impossible not to be changed by them, impossible not to love them.

Robyn