Day One Part One

It was a long but really good day. Pastor and Hawa picked me up earlyand we went to the school. Paynesville, on the outskirts of Monrovia, is a fairly large city, the streets are jammed with cars, trucks, motor bikes and what I would call tut-tuts. The streets are lined with vendors of all kinds, selling fruit, kitchen supplies, furniture, baby strollers. It is very hot already at 10 am. I am given a tour of the school/church and meet all the adults involved. I visit the "restuarant" which is what they call the school "cafeteria" for lack of better word. Pastor is very funny and very engaging. He waves and says hello to every single person who crosses his path. He says to me, "Jaye, we are taking you to the very best school in all of Liberia." And then we laugh and laugh. He also told

me he was like Jonah in the Bible, running from God. He did not want to be a pastor but he says God gave him no choice. And he truly is a pastor though he is called General at school. That is because he likes everyone to be punctual- going against African culture. But it is kind of funny.
Champ is there teaching phoenics to the whole school. It is a little chaotic and there are lots of little ones who clearly have no idea what is going on. After, they break up by grades, and the 1/2 grade class does not have a teacher. It is suggested I go visit with them. Next thing I know, I am holding chalk and standing in front of 20 kids who are expecting a lesson. Sharpening those "winging it" skills! It was so much fun!
Recess and lunch time and no one wants to run around but all would rather sit and stare at the white visitor. I try to make conversation but mostly they just stare at me though a few offer shy answers to my questions. Finally, I ask them to teach me a game. And then it is races (who wants to do that in this heat?), and I taught them red light green light and an all time favorite - Simon Says.
After the kids go back to class, the

kindergarten teacher comes to tell me the students are asking for me. This was more of a challenge as the kids were about 2 years to 6 years old, I'd guess. But we made it work with lots of addition and subtraction. They just started when I tried to teach “You Are My Sunshine.”
The kids lined up at the end of the day to read their Bible passage aloud - many times. Psalm 27. And then I was called upon for a devotion. It is an exciting way to live - letting God speak through you when you have NO clue what to say and no time to prepare. They did a whole shouting thing I could not understand but it turns out they were repeating their verse that are the motto for the school. Deuteronomy 6:4-9:
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is

one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
I came back to the retreat house for a few hours. I felt guilty having only been out for a few hours but oh, I have never been so glad to eat scramble eggs and wash my feet. Heaven.