First Week of School

Showing the children where to line up for their class

Challenging? Yes!

This last week we started our first week of classes and it has been sooo challenging. I have taught before, but never in a real school and never with so many kids on a non-biblical topic (as in not Sabbath school). Monday was our first day of school, but we didn’t do the normal school stuff. It was mainly an introduction day for the children. We went through the routine that would be followed each day, made sure the kids knew what was expected of them (the do’s and don’ts of school behavior), and did fun things for them to get to know each other and for us to get to know them.

Teaching about school behavior

It was a bit nerve wracking being told to go to a classroom and come up with things (on the spot) for the children to do to get to know each other. But once in the classroom things didn’t go so badly.  We did fun things like drawing pictures of the things each of us liked (a monkey was drawn twice) and had fun laughing at and with each other. We also had a contest to see who could name the most people in the room, I dreaded my turn, but when it came I didn’t do too poorly. School got out early and thus my first day at school was finished.

The next day was a bit more challenging as we dove into the real class material. I am teaching English and teach twenty hours a week, five times a day split between four classrooms, so one day a week (the school week is only four days Monday-Thursday) a class gets to have me twice.

Teaching is only part of my job. After school each day (on Friday’s too) we go out visiting the families of our students. I have visited four families so far, each one of them with their unique stories and needs. My third home to visit was probably the most touching so far. One of the other teachers and I followed the mother home from school when she came to pick up her son. When we got there she picked up her 45 day old baby from the neighbors before going up to her house. When we had finished climbing the last flight of stairs we were ushered into a small house (on the roof).  It was almost completely bare of furniture and really any thing at all. The mother went into a room and brought out a mattress for us to sit on and she sat on the floor in front of us while we talked. I didn’t do much talking (since my Arabic is still pretty limited), but my colleague talked and translated what she was saying.

Before we had entered the house he had told me that he hoped the lady’s husband was around. . .he wasn’t. . . and we soon found out why. This family has five sons. The father works 15 hours a day-leaving the house around 7:30am and returning at 11:00pm! For all his hard work as a tailor he is only paid an equivalent of $700 a month. Rent for the place they live is $450 a month leaving only $250 for food and other necessities for the family of seven. Toward the end of our time with the family I asked what the name of the baby was. The answer was “Peace” (in Arabic, but I can’t remember what the word was anymore maybe Salam(?))! My colleague was very surprised and told me that this was a very uncommon name in Arabic. Turning back to the lady he asked her why they had chosen such a strange name. Her answer has stuck with me.  She said that they chose it because they had had so much trouble and war that they called their son Peace in hope that he would not have to go through the wars and troubles that they have been through. They have been praying for peace, that they can live and not be afraid about what will happen next.

This answer made me think long and hard. It was so incredible for me to hear the hope this family has. They know what it meant to be strangers in a strange land. They have felt the terrible pains of war. They know what it means to be in need. Yet they still have hope. Hope in spite of the challenges. Hope that so many lack. In a world where so many people are dying for lack of hope these families are struggling for survival because they have hope. Hope that one day there will be peace–even though there aren't indications showing this will happen any time soon.

Do I have the same hope for the future?   Do I really believe there is a place where there is no more war, no more suffering, no more troubles? I pray I do, for it is only by having hope for the future that we can expect to live in the present. May GOD help all of us to hope and trust in HIM.