*I find this being the question that I asked myself everyday I spent in Myanmar. This is a blog I began to write two months ago and am finally being able to finish it.
“Am I really a teacher? Or am I the Student?”
Specially this month where I have actually been labeled a “Teacher” due to the fact that our ministry in Myanmar is teaching English. But who’s really teaching who? Yeah I may carry the title but I feel like my crazy rambunctious class of 6-12 year olds carry just as much weight when it comes to teaching. I may bring the dry erase marker and a notebook filled with our letters of the day, but they bring something that shapes our classroom to what it truly is. Let me just explain the background to my humble little classroom and how it started.
It’s 2008 and Myanmar gets drastically struck by a tsunami on the coast. To this day it has been the largest natural disaster to strike Myanmar leaving an estimated 138,000 dead and vastly more missing, homeless, and parent less. It was at this time that our host Davids ministry had begun. He told me he will never forget sitting down with his wife Nancy watching the news and hearing about the thousands of children who now have nothing including parents.. They made a decision that night that would greatly impact the lives of the children affected by this catastrophe. They had only a small home but decided it was time to open it up to those in need. They started taking in orphans one at a time, and before they knew it they needed to expand because the need was to large. 10 years later and they are now founders of their own ministry. They went from one small home to a property that consists of at least 10 buildings and houses over 50 children, and this is just 1 of their locations.. We have been truly blessed to partner with them this month living at the orphanage and teaching English. So here I am, sleeping under a bug net, using a bucket to shower with little to no electricity, no running water, and I’ve never felt more alive. We start every morning with a worship service and then it’s off to class. This is no classroom though, It’s actually the living room to one of the homes that the children stay in. I have no fancy teaching supplies, no smart board, no desks or even the classic yardstick. I come with a small notebook I purchased and a dry erase marker so I can write on the tiles on the walls.
I feel truly blessed walking into my little room and hearing the amazing sound of “Godmoning teacha Jon!” In their innocent accents as they run around playing with each other and eating mangos they freshly picked from the trees outside. A couple happy claps and a “Okay everyone class has begun! Let’s all sit down and take out or notebooks! Who can tell me the day today and what our two letters are?” Marks our official start and the day has begun. At noon our day ends in our happy little classroom with prayer, and the passing out of little candies. Something that brings me an incredible amount of joy each day is there is a little girl who walks up to me at the end of each class, shakes my hand and says “Thank you teacher jon, have a good day”. (She’s also one of my star students, and her names Faith, what are the odds) Now this is when our “class” ends but when you live with your students you never really “clock out”. We may spend some time in our little home away from the hustle and bustle of the kids but I always find myself ether playing soccer with them, or hunting mangos and lizards with their hand made bamboo bow and arrows, sometimes we just hoola hoop with the old bike tire and fake wrestle (usually 5 vs me) As they all yell “We are victory, you are Defeat” (I know its not correct grammar but their passion keeps me from correcting them). But what would seem like exhausting is really the exact opposite. They bring me life, joy, and a sense of childhood I’ve craved sense I became an “adult”.
I find myself wondering constantly “Who is teaching who?” And it’s a question that really just becomes a circle. I get the privilege to teach them English yes. But I also get the privilege to learn from them the joy in simplicity. Which is a lesson that takes much more than a notebook or a calculator. They show me everyday what’s truly important, Love and joy. And although teaching children of this age can be exhausting I find myself feeling younger each day I get to spend with them. They teach me how to be silly when needed and they teach me to be patient when they decided they are mentally checked out of the lesson. Half of the time I feel like the teacher and the other half I’m no more of a student then they are. My student NawNaw would even joke and say “I am teacher you are student”. And although i would correct him, to be honest he was right.. I taught them the alphabet and they showed me how to make a bamboo Bow and Arrow. With an incredible tutorial of how to use them to shoot mangos from the trees. I taught them Vowels, They taught me how to play soccer with no shoes in the pouring rain in a mud field. I taught them how to say what the weather was, They taught me materials should never be the determining factor of how much joy one can receive.
I have taught them letters A-R and words that start with all of them but this is what they have taught me in return.
A- Appreciation for what we have.
B- Beauty in the small things.
C- Cherish each day as it comes, the future isn’t promised.
D- Don’t give up when life knocks you down.
E- Energy Is created. Positive and Negative so choose wisely.
F- Forgive, the world will hurt you, don’t hold a grudge.
G- Gratitude for everyday of laughter.
H- Humble yourself, it’s not all about you.(being schooled by a 8yr old in soccer will do that real fast)
I- Inspiration comes from all ages.
J- Joy can not be tamed by hard times.
K- Kindness can change your heart.
L- Live for love, enough said.
M- Mercy when I’m not perfect.
N- Nourishment can be received even by those younger than you.
O- Optimism is never to be deserted.
P- Positive energy creates Peace in your hearts.
Q- Quiet the negative energy around you and it will become obsolete.
R- Relationship over Religion creates a body that cares not controls.
S- Smile, you rarely have a reason not to find at least one reason to.
T- Take the time to enjoy where your at, stop spending more time in the past or future. It’s ether gone or not here yet.
U- Unique stories are not to be taken lightly, they carry incredible weight.
V- Value even the smallest things you’ve been blessed with in life. (These kids were happy just to have a blanket let alone a bed.)
W- Worthy, everyone is worthy of love.. EVERYONE!
X- Xenial (Friendly relationship between host and guest) yes I had to look it up. But they welcomed us like family.
Y- Youthful lifestyle, They showed us what it means to maintain the heart of a child.
Z- Zeal for joy and love.
**I now sit back and write this blog two months later and I cant stop thinking about how much I miss those crazy kids.. I hope you don’t believe it takes a big inspirational speech or a well educated successful person to change your life or encourage you to be a better you. Because I can tell you from experience they did it with a living room we called our classroom, bamboo weapons, a completely flat soccer ball, imperfect smiles, poor English, dirty clothes, and laughter, laughter that I can still hear every time I think about them. Don’t be scared to go to the places that are hard or seem like they will break your heart. Because they will, In the very best way possible. Through that broken heart though they will show you how to put it back together. One “Teacha” at a time..**
Faith- My Star Student. This girl is going places!
Thomas- He’s incredibly smart, has all the answers (even when it’s nit his turn…) but he wants to be a Doctor. I believe he will be one day.
NawNaw- He loves mangos more then life itself… seriously. Lethal with a bow, even made me one. Did I mention he can climb a tree in about 2.0 seconds?
Movie Day! Watched the incredibles, they didn’t understand a single word and we’re still happier then ever.. like I said it’s the little things. (Notice NawNaw eating a mango… I told you, more then life itself..)
