Day 10 - Back At Home (ANU)

After arriving home Sunday evening we all headed our own ways to prepare for Mondays classes and then off to bed we went. After a night of much needed sleep, the group met for breakfast and then off to chapel we went. Each day before class our group has been attending the University’s morning chapel. These sessions are inspiring! They begin with worship which is always so alive and full of energy. Each morning by the time worship is over the chapel is so full, there are always students standing. It is amazing to see the love the students here have for God. Attending chapel is not mandatory, and it means getting up earlier. Yet every morning the building is overflowing with students and faculty praising the Lord. After a stimulating message and announcements we were dismissed to class. Classes were pretty routine for everyone. Coming back to ANU and jumping into classes felt like a normal thing for the entire group. We have that feeling that this is home. In Diane’s children’s literature class, the students are always conversing and interacting with her and each other to further their knowledge. On this particular day she had them playing a game that had been so much fun, their laughter was heard by her husband, Art, across campus! Art’s U.S. History class is finishing up WWII. The student’s are always so interested to learn about our history. Yet each day there is always a tough question that they have for Art. Today’s question was about the prison system in America. The student’s were wondering if people are paid to go to prison, and if they get to watch T.V. while in prison? Like I said they always have very challenging questions but Art handles them brilliantly, the differences in our cultures are always discussed in his course so it is educational both for him and his student’s. Let’s just say there is never a dull moment in history! On a side note of WWII, we learned on our trip through the gorgeous Rift Valley, that the road we took was built during that particular war. And there was a small church that we passed that had been built by the Germans and Italians. This church was built specifically during the war for them to pray in before they went off to battle. In Cliff’s computer class, again the student’s always want to know more. He had one student stay a half hour late in his class to have some one on one time with him. It is so encouraging to know that there are over 100 students taking this basic computer course. (Cliff teaches 1/3 of them) Once they gain computer skills, they will have the ability to go out and share their knowledge with their own students. Think of the impact this will have over time! Cliff unfortunately continues to struggle with power outages. The power goes out frequently here and when it goes out so do the computers. This poses a struggle especially when they are in the middle of an assignment. But with the guidance of Cliff, and Brett and James Joslin the students are learning skills that will help them progress along with the rest of the students in our technology based world. In Dave’s math class he is enjoying his two students. He is currently working on teaching them vectors, and ironically the one student is a High School math teacher who teaches his students vectors in Form 9 (grade 9). Dave found it funny that he was teaching a student about vectors, when this student already knows more than he does on this topic. It works well though because the other student has not learned them yet so they help each other. Ken is enjoying his class as well. The marketing skills the students are learning are going to allow them to have the knowledge to become successful in many things. In Mel’s class she continues to build strong relationships with her students. They are learning so much from her experiences throughout her career and when you walk in the room you can sense the deep respect they have for her as a person and an educator. I know that she hopes that everything she is sharing with them they will use to impact the lives of their special needs children, and I know deep down they truly will. I am also enjoying being her assistant. My relationship with the students grows each day as well. I promised them I would have their names memorized and I finally do! The students here at ANU are truly some of the most intelligent and sweetest people we have ever met, and you can see their love for God is so important to them. Many of them ask questions about coming to the U.S. They want to know what the people are like, and what our culture is like in general. My biggest fear is that as Kenya becomes more and more modernized and materialistic like our country has become, that they will lose the wonderful love of God they have now. Tonight in our devotional, Daphni shared the verse James 2:5. This verse talked about being monetarily rich, but poor in spirit and in faith. Unfortunately our country seems to be focusing on material wealth instead of finding riches in the word and in God. I have not met a single person here in Kenya who was not smiling and verbally thankful for everything that they have, even when what they have is so little. Even Chief John, who sleeps two hours a DAY is no doubt about it thankful for everything he has. And they all believe that their blessings are from God. How amazing would it be if our country could be like that again, that no matter how much or how little we have, we are undoubtedly grateful for everything, and we knew that we owed all of our thanks and praises to the Lord. As we all know, nothing is possible without the Lord, and we owe all of our successes to him!