Short Stories Part 2

Improving Tears

Every Friday is ‘Test day’. We will always have a spelling test and one or two others (either Math, or English Comprehension, or Biblical Studies). The children have a ‘Test File’ (which I would call a Test Binder… but they are unfamiliar with the word ‘binder’ out here) in which they keep all of their tests from the beginning of the year. Every Monday they receive back their corrected tests from the previous week, they put their corrected tests in their test file, and they bring their test file home and their tests must be signed by their parent. I like this… as it makes the parent aware of some academic standings of their child and sometimes they are more active in helping at home, furthermore it prepares them for the marks on report cards.

However… two weeks ago there was a bug in the routine (AHH!). We had had a Spelling and a Math Test, and I did not correct them over the weekend! Consequently, the children did not get them on the Monday like usual, and I decided to wait until the following Monday with their ‘new tests’… so not to disrupt the ‘routine’ so much : ) Nonetheless I wanted to congratulate some of the students on their marks, and send them into the weekend with a good feeling… This is also part of our ‘routine’; before I hand back the tests I congratulate any students who received 100%, and any students who made great improvement, then we all clap and cheer for each student.

WELL (this is the part of the story that actually matters) this Friday morning, I announced the results of the Spelling Tests (those who got 100%, there were no ‘great improvements’ this time in Spelling), and of the Math Tests; One of the students got 100% on his Math test, we all clapped and cheered for him, and he jumped up. And then I said there was somebody who made a wonderful improvement after all of his hard work, and we discussed what improvement meant so that everybody would understand, and I said I am so proud of this person and we needed to really encourage them. Then a student who I will call Micky (who would absolutely steal your heart if you got to hang out with him for a big) puts his head on his desk and cries out ‘OH its NEVER going to be me!’.. he is a student who receives about 10%-60% on tests & assignments. I continued and said ‘And the student who was most improved with 84% is MICKY!!” And seriously, the ENTIRE class jumped up, and Micky’s face was priceless, he first put his head down on the table, and people were on top of him hugging him, and when he got up I saw his face was wet with tears, he had so many ‘Good job Micky’s!’ and ‘Congratulations’. It brought tears to my eyes.

It’s moments like this when I am so happy and thank God I am able to see Him in life like this. It’s moments like this that I think I wouldn’t change a thing to be here, and see those tears of joy on Micky’s face.


I am not a veggie burger, but I should be.

Ever since that incident with the convulsing pig (read Short Stories Part 1), and seeing the way they treat their animals out here (no worse than at home, just more visible), and all the diseases that must be sitting on that blood in which the dead animals are sitting in with all the insects waiting for somebody to purchase it… well, ever since all that was sitting in my mind I stopped eating meat. I just couldn’t do it, I began having dreams and seriously felt convicted. If I am invited to somebody’s house for a meal they have prepared, and their main dish is meat, I will eat it, and try not to think of animals or diseases. I have done this once in the past couple of months – some mince meat in lasagna. And then again last night at Jaco and Ilca’s, he had prepared BBQ’d bits of steak and chicken on ‘shish-kabobs’ (what do you call them?), I ate some and it was delicious, but my stomach still feels bad the morning after… and the conversation around the table didn’t help either… Walking to their house two people had seen a dog’s paw (Just the paw, no dog!) lying on the road, but didn’t point it out, but talk about it was enough to make my stomach turn.

Moral of the Story: Next time you’re eating meat, think of that puppy’s paw chopped off lying in the middle of a road.I am not a veggieburger/tarian, but I should be, and so should you. Ah, there I go imposing my ‘personal beliefs’ on someone, oh no!

Ms Lisa & punishment

Some days I think ‘The only thing that this kid is going to understand is a beating!’, so then I calmly get packing tape, and I put it on his mouth, then I ask him to lock his fingers together and I tape his hands up, then I put packing tape around him and the back of his chair and he sits there unable to move, play with things, jump up, and talk… Keep him like this for 2 periods and he’s sure to behave, and if he forgets, all I need to do is put the packing tape around my arm as I am talking. Also he doesn’t leave the class, so he won’t miss any discussions or teachings, I strongly suggest this as a disciplinary method if it won’t compromise your job. I don’t think I’d get much joy out of beating a child, actually, I don’t think I could do it no matter how much he irritates me, but taping up a kid – yes, their eyes get bigger when they are unable to open their mouth, like a cool bug, it’s cute.

Soundtrack:
Michael Buble - Feelin Good & How Sweet it is
Modest Mouse - The World at Large & Float On
Nelly Furtado – Say It Right
? – My redeemer Lives
Nightwish - Bless The Child
Now It’s Overhead – Blackout Curtain & HI
Pennywise – Victim of Reality
*a whole bunch of stuff from Rilo Kiley

Thankful For:
My computer
Music
My kids
Opportunities to pray with my kids
Mosquito bed net
Jocelyn & her home with the people & things in it
Cynthia, my ‘South African mother’ who is here at Vision Valley sorting the library.