Wow. Today was crazy. Sorry if this one’s a little long. If you want to skip the next 8 paragraphs and get to the lighter stuff, you’re more than welcome to.
The only thing on our schedule that we hadn’t began before this week was teaching at the Free School here (not to be confused with the school we’ve been at with the girls, which I’ll call the Center from now on.) Sunday, we met with the principal of another school who founded the free school and made plans for me to come today and meet the principal there and plan out when we’d teach and who we’d teach. She told us that we didn’t need to prepare anything and that the driver would pick us up at 8. This morning, I got ready to leave at 8 and thankfully, decided to grab the textbooks they’d sent us ahead of time so I could find out where they were in the books. The car was easy to identify, and after a 30 minute drive, I arrived at the free school.
I quickly found the principal who, unfortunately, spoke very little english. It did not bode well for the day, as for the first time since entering this continent, I was truly alone. The message he managed to get across to me was that class 3A was ready for me.
As the situation dawned on me, my heart began to race and my mind was completely upstairs with my Father. I was supposed to teach, right then, to a class of about 30 3rd graders with no translator and no lesson plans.
Those of you who know me at all can understand what this did to me. I’m a planner. An organization freak. I love to plan everything I do. I love to plan things for others to do. I even love planning things that never happen. I don’t, however, love doing something that requires as much planning as teaching without planning.
I had about 10 seconds to figure out what to do. We were half an hour away from anything I knew, and we’d gone through at least two slums to get there, so I knew there was no leaving the situation, even if there was a way that it would be socially ok. Which it’s not.
I couldn’t argue with him. I tried to tell him I didn’t have anything prepared, and that I’d been told we were just meeting, but he didn’t understand enough english for even that.
All I could do was walk in, pretend to know what I was doing, and yarp relentlessly that I could get through this morning. I pulled out the textbooks for class three and began flipping through, hoping to find something to teach.
Three and a half hours and six classes later, I got back in the car, trembling inside. I’d seen a miracle. I’d made it through without a tear (for those of you who don’t know, I’m a crier) or any horrible incidents. I’d been completely alone with our Father, and He took complete care of me. It’s hard to describe here in words how surreal it was. Now, half a day later, I’m so glad I went through it. I feel amazing. Protected. Loved.
On a lighter side…
After teaching at the free school, I ran by the grocery store to get change (and buy Tang :)) I made it back to the center. Today was a big day there, too. One of our teachers is getting married on Friday, so we had a lunch for her and her family today – mutton and fish and the fancy rice. It was a treat for the girls, too. We also had some of the best cake I’ve had in a long time.
We’re so lucky to be able to experience the wedding festivities, crazy as they may be. Tomorrow night we have their equivalent of a rehearsal dinner, but way more fun and Friday is the wedding. I’ll tell you more about them after. We did get to go sari shopping this past weekend and get the fancy, glittery ones, which was super fun – bangles and earrings, too.
Yarp for the wedding. Many of the guests coming are interested, as it is the first wedding of our Faith that they’ve ever been to. It could be a great opportunity to share.
Again, sorry that was so long. Told you it was a crazy day!
Hugs to all!
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