It started off as an afternoon of handing out tracts to a
bunch of students at a local school.
That quickly turned into our guide turning to me and saying, “You will
talk to the principal?� Before I knew
it, I was in front of a classroom of 14- and 15-year-olds with veritably no
instruction aside from, “Evangelize.
Then Amanda will teach science.
Because she’s a nurse.�
bunch of students at a local school.
That quickly turned into our guide turning to me and saying, “You will
talk to the principal?� Before I knew
it, I was in front of a classroom of 14- and 15-year-olds with veritably no
instruction aside from, “Evangelize.
Then Amanda will teach science.
Because she’s a nurse.�
And so there I was, the girl who always said she would never
teach suddenly standing before a semi-rapt classroom of Nepalese students. Many of them wear the Hindu tika on their
foreheads, a small red dot signifying that they have worshiped their gods that
morning. I’m a head taller than
everyone, pale white in comparison to their beautiful dark complexions, and a
Christian. Where do you even start in
that situation? I’m clutching tracts,
but throwing those little blue papers at the students and running out of the
room is clearly not an option…so I speak.
I tell them who I am and that I’m from America and that I came to Nepal
because Jesus loves me and He loves these kids just as much. I’m allowed to pray over the students (the
differences between American education systems versus ANYWHERE ELSE continue to
baffle me) and then I pulled Nurse Amanda out of a riveting basketball game to
come inside and teach the science.
teach suddenly standing before a semi-rapt classroom of Nepalese students. Many of them wear the Hindu tika on their
foreheads, a small red dot signifying that they have worshiped their gods that
morning. I’m a head taller than
everyone, pale white in comparison to their beautiful dark complexions, and a
Christian. Where do you even start in
that situation? I’m clutching tracts,
but throwing those little blue papers at the students and running out of the
room is clearly not an option…so I speak.
I tell them who I am and that I’m from America and that I came to Nepal
because Jesus loves me and He loves these kids just as much. I’m allowed to pray over the students (the
differences between American education systems versus ANYWHERE ELSE continue to
baffle me) and then I pulled Nurse Amanda out of a riveting basketball game to
come inside and teach the science.
It didn’t end there, though.
The next morning, we went back to the same school, but this time we were
instructed to teach. Nothing else — just
walk into the classroom and teach.
Sure. We spent the whole day
being shuttled around different classrooms — I went from grade 8 to grade 6 to
grade 4 in a matter of three hours. Then
we got up this morning and did it all over again.
The next morning, we went back to the same school, but this time we were
instructed to teach. Nothing else — just
walk into the classroom and teach.
Sure. We spent the whole day
being shuttled around different classrooms — I went from grade 8 to grade 6 to
grade 4 in a matter of three hours. Then
we got up this morning and did it all over again.
It’s a good thing I don’t embarrass easily, because in the
last three days, I have:
last three days, I have:
-
Sang the National Anthem — twice…plus one rousing, Carol
Healy- rendition of God Bless America
-
Sang Mrs. Blum’s President song from the fourth grade
-
Tried to do traditional Nepalese dances while the seventh
graders sang the appropriate music
-
Chanted “It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine!!� to a
classroom of students who didn’t understand American football…it was the only way
I knew how to explain the sport and the teacher in the room was wearing a Michigan hat.
-
Drew Jesus on the board, at the request of the students
-
Fixed a little girl’s hair and redressed her after she
pulled off her skirt
-
Ate a part of a foreign fruit the size of my head that some
eighth-grader randomly pulled out of his bag and peeled.
-
Taught ninth-graders how to play Rock, Paper, Scissors
-
Started a health class by saying, “WHO WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT
SEX?!� (I was going for shock value to
shut them up…in retrospect, bad, bad choice)
-
Lectured on the past simple and present perfect tenses in
English…kind of
-
Nearly flashed the school while trying to play volleyball in
a skirt
-
Explained American history — both Squanto and Paul Revere
have made cameos, naturally
-
Learned about acids and bases, curtousy of Nurse Amanda, aka
the only qualified person to talk about any scientific discovery in the last
300 years
While in some regards, the whole shindig is chaos and a
comedy of errors (especially when the grammar textbooks are incorrect in their
instruction on colon usage), it has been one of the most incredible experiences
yet on this Race. We are ushered into
classrooms full of kids who are hungry for Jesus each morning and given
complete freedom to tell them whatever we want.
I have never had the opportunity to speak so plainly about the Good News — that God created the world to be perfect and whole, but then sin came into
the picture and everything got messed up.
God hated the idea of us not being with Him, though, so He sent His one
and only Son Jesus to die so that we could be together. No matter what you’ve done in the past, no
matter what you’ve said or how people have defined you, you can be with Jesus
right now.
comedy of errors (especially when the grammar textbooks are incorrect in their
instruction on colon usage), it has been one of the most incredible experiences
yet on this Race. We are ushered into
classrooms full of kids who are hungry for Jesus each morning and given
complete freedom to tell them whatever we want.
I have never had the opportunity to speak so plainly about the Good News — that God created the world to be perfect and whole, but then sin came into
the picture and everything got messed up.
God hated the idea of us not being with Him, though, so He sent His one
and only Son Jesus to die so that we could be together. No matter what you’ve done in the past, no
matter what you’ve said or how people have defined you, you can be with Jesus
right now.
He loves these kids deeply and since He lives in me, I get
to tell them that I love them too. We
sing in these rooms and pray over the kids and they are soaking it in like
sponges. One girl who wore a tika on the
first day we were there came to school this morning without it. Another girl had a heart drawn on her
notebook and by the end of the class period, she had added a cross to the
middle of it. Kelsey and I sang and
clapped and jumped around the classroom like idiots to the song “Undignified� by David
Crowder this morning, and not only was the entire classroom on their feet with
us, but more students were literally running to our classroom to join in
too. The joy of the Lord was tangible in
that school this morning and whether the kids made any type of salvation
decision in their hearts today or not, Jesus touched them in a new way.
to tell them that I love them too. We
sing in these rooms and pray over the kids and they are soaking it in like
sponges. One girl who wore a tika on the
first day we were there came to school this morning without it. Another girl had a heart drawn on her
notebook and by the end of the class period, she had added a cross to the
middle of it. Kelsey and I sang and
clapped and jumped around the classroom like idiots to the song “Undignified� by David
Crowder this morning, and not only was the entire classroom on their feet with
us, but more students were literally running to our classroom to join in
too. The joy of the Lord was tangible in
that school this morning and whether the kids made any type of salvation
decision in their hearts today or not, Jesus touched them in a new way.
I always said that I would never teach, but Jesus gripped my
heart for these kids in a way that I didn’t expect. I loved being with them in their classrooms —
granted, I never stayed on one topic for too long and I had veritably no
academic responsibility for their education…but there is a ripe harvest in that
field and I got to be a part of it.
Looting has never looked so good as it does in Nepal.
heart for these kids in a way that I didn’t expect. I loved being with them in their classrooms —
granted, I never stayed on one topic for too long and I had veritably no
academic responsibility for their education…but there is a ripe harvest in that
field and I got to be a part of it.
Looting has never looked so good as it does in Nepal.
