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| First Grade class in rural Ngaamba, Kenya |
When I went to Kenya for the first time in 2008 we spent some time at an elementary school in Ngaamba called Tumbelea. It was my first experience witnessing the conditions typical of a third world country classroom. I had so many thoughts and emotions running through my head.
I was teamed up to assist for two days in first grade with my friend Rita. We were helping the teacher draw pictures on the board and then the kids would have to name the picture in English. Most of them spoke their tribal language because we were so far removed from any major city. They didn't even speak their national language Kiswahili. (English is Kenya's official language)
Rita drew a horse on the board and no one could figure out the picture. We laughed thinking her picture was so bad, they just couldn't tell it was a horse. The teacher told us they don't know what a horse is-they have never seen one. Wow-did that put things in perspective.
Keep in mind, these little ones walk anywhere from 2-5+ miles ONE WAY to school five days a week, most of them with no shoes on their feet. Their mom's don't drive them to school or walk them to the end of the driveway to catch the bus-no matter how young they are.
Each morning we arrived, the kids from the entire school would come out singing to greet us as our bus pulled up. We could not even get off the bus without being bombarded with hands, smiles and hugs and lots of singing! They welcomed us with open hearts and big gracious smiles. It touched my heart profoundly. Most of them had massive dark green runny noses and you could tell many were really sick. Before I got to Ngaamba, after being briefed, I was scared that I was going to get menegitis from them or something else-but the second I saw them all running on the playground towards our team, all those fears fled from this first time mission-trip girl.
Something happened the next day that I still think about often. As we were wrapping up the second day and moving onto out into the field with the rest of our team to dig the ditches to lay pipe for water, the class had a little ceremony to thank Rita and I. They brought one egg for me and one for Rita and a pot of corn. Rita and I were so humbled it brought tears to our eyes.
It was confusing for us because we were not comfortable accepting it-knowing their mom, dad, brothers and sisters may go without food that evening because they gave to us-we were mere strangers, whom they may never see again, who don't even think twice about buying a dozen or two or more of eggs for our families, nor do we ever think how fortunate we are to cook corn anytime our heart desires.
They-so financially poor, so young, so rich in faith and spirit....so Christ-like.
He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."
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