We're not in Kansas Any More

We woke this morning to the sound of a rooster's cocka-doodle-doo, along with some singing, and maybe a little snoring in the room (although some here claim it is me snoring!)  I am pretty sure that some where along the way, I have lost a day.  I am still converting the 6 hour time difference to "NJ time" (despite being told I have to get with the reality).  Breakfast was served, followed by the beautiful singing of the staff here doing the morning devotional.  There is a juxtaposition of the barbed wire and cut glass along the top of the walls surrounding the House of  Moses with the joy that you will find inside.  The team was up, fed and folding laundry (why isn't this much fun at home) by 8am.  We were ready for our first visit outside the property.

The Free Baptist School

We were invited to join a team that is setting up a feeding program at the Free Baptist School.   The University of North Carolina and Stop Hunger Now have joined forces to feed the kids once a day in school and measure the effects on attendance, learning, etc. Many people have seen pictures of “starving Africans” but nothing really prepares you for witnessing the large scale poverty that we saw as we drove through the compound. The “road” a dirt road with lots of rocks (it was one of those hold-on-to-the-handle rides - much like 4 wheel bouldering through a ghetto). The road ended and we had to walk the rest of the way to the school.  We were met by some wide-eyed children who looked at us as we looked at them. When we got over to the school with the scale and measuring equipment, we just walked in and were swept into another world.  

The church building, which houses the school, was a “one room” classroom with two grades crowded on benches with some desk space available. One side of the room, had a lesson with smaller children on types of lines. The other side of the room was doing numbers (and each class had an objective on the board!). The other classes were in what used to be part of the storage area. They had literally broken through the wall and kids were crammed into the space. The only light in the room was from two 4 inch holes at the top of the wall. The second room was a little more open. Despite what we might consider conditions not conducive to learning, the teachers were all using blackboards, the students were involved and the director was proud of what they were able to offer these orphans.