What would you say if you were told you had to go to school on Saturdays?

On Wednesday last week the government announced that all pupils in coastal regions of the country would have to attend classes on Saturdays from that very week, until the end of January.  The mid-year break was also cut from 2 weeks to just one.  Suddenly families and teachers had to cancel any previous plans or commitments and get used to the idea of Saturday school for the next 4 months. 

The reason for this?  This year is expected to be a severe rainy season, causing flooding, crop failures and mud slides.  The government want the school year to finish a month early, before the worst of the rains, so that school closures are minimised.  Schools in the flood plains may also be needed as refuges for people whose homes may be flooded.

It is easy to be alarmed by such predictions - though the forward planning is somewhat reasurring.  The government has invested in flood prevention measures in the areas which are usually worst hit, and are running an extensive educational campaign, instructing citizens on the preventitive measures they should be taking.  On the other hand, the recent tragic mudslide in Guatemala is an example of the destuction rains can bring regardless of our best efforts.

Elsewhere in the world, there is so much suffering currently through wars and civil wars.  It is not just natural disasters that are to be feared, but also our own selfishness, greed and violence. 

Isaiah  45 v 8 reads: You heavens above, rain down righteousness; Let the clouds shower it down.  Let the earth open wide, let salvation spring up, let righteouness grow with it.

As we hope and pray there will not be loss of life in this year´s El Niño rains, as I see the terrible news from the other side of the world on the television night after night, I am making this my prayer.  May God flood our country and our world with His salvation and righteousness.  May this be a season of redemption.  
 

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Extract from the book.... 

Once upon a time Tamarita Rachel and little sister Emily climbed into the pick-up truck.  They were very excited because Mummy and Papi had announced they were going to go visiting.  They bounced up and down on the back seat, impatient to be on their way. 

   As Papi drove off towards the village, Tamarita Rachel and little sister Emily looked back at their nice clean white house standing tall amongst the banana plants, and waved, “Bye, bye house, we will be back soon.” 

   “Who are we going to visit?” asked Tamarita Rachel, wanting to know where they were going on this fine sunny afternoon. 

   “We are going to visit some children who need our help.”  Mummy replied. 

   “Oh.” Tamarita Rachel stopped to think.  “I wonder what we can help them with.” 

   In the village they drove past the shops and up a back lane, bumping over the stony track.  Tamarita Rachel could see that these houses were not like the clean white house she lived in.  These houses were made of bits of wood and plastic.  The flies and bugs buzzed in and out, and the rain could get in too.  Tamarita Rachel wondered who they had come to visit here. 

   Papi stopped the pick-up truck, and they all piled out.  Mummy held little sister Emily´s hand as they carefully walked along the dusty track to a tiny little house on stilts.  Tamarita Rachel thought it was a very strange looking house indeed.  It was so teeny, tiny small.  It only had one room.  There were no bedrooms, kitchen, lounge and bathroom like in her house.  There was just one room that had to be all those things at once.  There were some rickety wooden planks for steps leading up to the door, and the windows were just holes.  They did not have any glass in them. 

      There was a little boy hanging out of one of the windows, and he waved to them as they approached.

   “Hello,” called Mummy, “Good afternoon, is anyone in?”

   A lady came to the door and called back, “Thank you for coming.  Do come in.” ... 

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FINALIST IN CLIPP AWARDS 2014

Judgement Calls

Pedro is a total disaster as a patient.  He has diabetes.  He eats whatever he wants – the more sugar the better – and does not take his medicines, despite being given them for free.  Yet, he persists in attending the health centre complaining of ever increasing weakness, poor eye sight and recurrent infections. 

He is the father of 8 children.  His eldest daughter completed primary school, then moved away to find work.  His eldest son is happy to swing a machete in the fields during the week and to drink his earnings away at the weekend.  So, when his next son, Jorge, on finishing primary school asked me for a sponsor so that he could attend secondary school, I was not convinced he was going to stick at it.  I turned him down in favour of another child. 

Jorge, then aged 12, did not go to secondary school that year.  He worked in the fields, and helped to support his younger brothers and sisters.  The following year he came to ask me for a sponsor again.  He said he wanted to learn to be a mechanic.  This time I decided to give him the chance to prove himself.  Delighted, Jorge began studying again. 

Four years on, I am so pleased that I changed my mind.

Deciding which children to help is one of the most difficult parts of the sponsorship programme.  We try to look for the poorest, those least able to help themselves.  We also want them to be those who will make the most of the opportunity to study.  Often that is a difficult judgement call to make. 

Jorge completed his first three years of secondary school without having to do a resit, despite his father´s ever worsening health.  This year, as his father is now unable to work much, Jorge enrolled in a mechanic´s course.  He attends the course at weekends, which means he can work to help support his family during the week.  He also has several assignments to complete for his studies each week.  I admire his determination and hard work, and pray he will achieve his goal of having a profession to work in.

This year we have 130 students receiving help for their education through sponsors.  I continue to pray for wisdom to know which new students to take on, as more sponsors come forward.