Sad event for Daniel

Our students are back on the En Ged campus and have faced several trials already that they weren't prepared for: lack of water in their part of campus, power outages (again), difficulties making their money stretch far enough (which has led to a couple of extra meetings, one with Isack from Imara coming out to talk with them), and anxiety over their new schools in January (and a visit from one of their new headmasters). We mentors have become quite the group of problem solvers, especally in the absence of Joanna and Lynda, both of whom are home in New Zealand for a couple of months! We've had the students bring buckets and bottles to our house for water, loaned them money or given them their allowance early, and helped however we could. Last night at 10, my cell phone rang, and one of the young men said there was a big problem, and could they come see me. I said yes, and went out to our steps to wait for whoever it was. Joseph, Elijah, and Daniel came a few minutes later, and I asked them in. Turns out, Daniel had just gotten news that his mother "might be dead." (I know how bizarre that sounds, but what I found out later is that this is their way of subtly breaking tragic news to someone, not beng definite about it!) Daniel is the "first born," so he had a big responsibility to his family and needed to go, but he was worried about not finishing his exams. I had told Joelle about them coming, so we quickly said he neded to go, and we would sort out the exams later. I prayed for him, thanked his friends for being there for him, hugged him, asked if he had bus fare for this morning's bus, etc. (Oh, and I also said don't feel bad about calling me this late for something this important, as they kept apologizing for disturbing me, so...)

This morning my phone rang while it was still dark, and one of the students said, "Miriam, we have the same problem as yesterday; may we approach your house to discuss it?" (They can be very formal, at times.) I asked, "What time is it?" "5:30," I was told. I was barely conscious so I told him no one was awake in my house, and yes, they could come, but to be very quiet. Again, I went out on the steps to wait so I could catch them before they got close enough to wake everyone else up.

This part was like a scene from a movie. There is a hedge that blocks the road in the direction the students would be coming from, so I could hear them before I could see them. They turned in my driveway, and they just kept coming: Paul, Abraham, Haruni, Elizabeth, Lucy, Noel - all of them! It was before 5:30 in the morning, and they were all there for Daniel! I get tears n my eyes just writing about it. Paul, the oldest and a pastor, said, "Miriam, in our culture, it is not right for Daniel to go home alone." I asked who would go with him, and they said, "Elijah." They had shared a room in Karanse, have loaned each other money, prayed for each other, helped each other with studies, and now Elijah was the one going on an 8 hour bus ride so Daniel wouldn't be alone. I was so incredbly moved. I did have to be a mentor, too, though, so I reminded him he'd have to make up his exams, too, and he said, no problem.

The students had been up most of the night and since 4:30 ironing Daniel's clothes and getting him and Elijah ready, and they were up to see them off. They had arranged with the husband of one of the teachers at our primary school to drive them into town to catch the bus, but something was wrong with Enoch's car, so I volunteered to do that. Agaba and Noel rode with me so I wouldn't have to come back alone. They walked Daniel and Elijah to the bus to make sure everything went OK, then we headed back home. I told them I'd make tea and something for everyone to eat as it was hours till morning tea, and they had an 8:00 exam! However, when I got home, I found Sarah and Shelley up and they had already decided to postpone the first exam and give them all the morning off, hopefully, to get some sleep before their afternoon exam. I took them tea and corn muffins, anyway, as they deserved at least that!

These are the same students that we complain about, wonder if we're making a difference in their lives, wonder if anything is really sinking in, etc. So, even though there have been tragic moments in this, it has truly been gratifying to see them come together and support one of their own like this.

Standard 7 Graduation

Last Thursday in Karanse was a very special day - the third graduation of our class
7. This marks the end of their primary education and the beginning of their secondary (our high school) education. This is a very big deal in a village that, before our school, had graduated something like 7 students EVER! This, our third class, makes about 80 from our school alone! These students took a national exam in August or September (I forget which), the results of which help determine where they will go to secondary school. There are far too many students for the available schools, and especially teachers, so there is a weeding out process with this exam. Our students took an entrance exam just recently at a secondary school in Moshi, a large town about an hour away, that we have heard good things about. It would be a boarding school, which is very customary here in TZ. Some of these students are the first in their families to graduate from primary school, so there were some very proud families there! Mostly, I wanted to put up pictures of this event. Some of them aren't very clear, but I wanted to give you the flavor of this whole thing.

Supposedly to start at 8:30, really began about 12, lasted almost three hours, followed by lunch! The other classes presented a traditional dance (those are the pictures with painted faces!)and songs; there were lots of speeches, a drama, several dignitaries introduced (including me, but I don't have a picture of that!) - a very full day!

Saying good-bye (temporarily) to Karanse

Yesterday, Friday, marked the end of our student teachers' time in Kranse (except for Abraham who is based there). It was a bittersweet time. Probably more bitter for me, sweet for the student teachers! I always HATE saying good-bye to Karanse and those precious teachers and children, but our students are SO excited to be coming back to En Gedi and getting together with their fellow students. So, that is understandable. We stayed pretty busy during the morning, gathering up materials, packing up some of their stuff in my car to bring back, as they will all take the bus, and that's hard to do with all their stuff! We also had had them plan a good-bye lunch for the teachers, and I went to the lower classes giving out stickers to say good-bye to them.

One of my sweet student teachers, Daniel, called me off to a private room so he could personally thank me, on behalf of both Joelle and me, for all the work we have done for him as his mentors. He even had gifts for both of us and letters telling exactly how we have enriched his life!

(I have to add that we have been studying Love Languages, and we have discussed both gifts and words of affirmation, and he used them both!)

Later in the day, after I was already back in Arusha, I got a text message from Abraham, thanking me for what I have done for him as his mentor. These are the things I wil treasure as we end this part of their training.

At the lunch, there were speeches by our students, then the Karanse teachers started in on their thank you's to us for all we had done to bless them. My nickname is Mama Karanse, and very sweet Issagya spoke about how true that is: that my heart really is full of Karanse! When I finally had to speak, I told them how very glad I was that this is only "baadaye" (later in Swahili), not "kwaherini" (good bye to you all) because I would be crying and crying! I won't be back properly till the beginning of February, though I may pop in before that. I will go back to check on Abraham's progress through the first three months of next year. It seems like a long time till then!