School’s Back In!

And what an exciting day it always is! Not all the kids could make it to this year’s school opening day (our school year starts in February), since the river’s water level was very high and it was simply too dangerous to cross. Hopefully the rain will begin to diminish this month and the water levels will fall and kids can make it across the river again to start school. In the meantime though, those who can come had a great day as everyone first sat through the formalities, then had photos taken.

Hmm, although her friend had the hang of what to do on photo-day, this little one on the left wasn't too sure about it all!

She looks a little more amused here (can you tell?), but we failed to coax a smile onto this cute little face! Maybe next year.
After photos were taken, new ID cards with last year’s photos were distributed. This is definitely the most fun part of the day. We all love to see pictures of ourselves and these kids are no different, especially since these are about the ONLY photos they’ll ever own of themselves. To see the responses to these ID cards is always a highlight for me. After the initial hand-out rush, the cards are studied closely with amused smiles and little comments to themselves and each other. Then kids congregate into small groups to look at each other’s photos. If per chance in the photo someone wore a funny smirk or expression, there is an outbreak of hilarious whooping and laughter. This goes on for quite some time since photos are SUCH a novelty. It truly is the best entertainment for at least a week, likely more. I can’t help but get warm feelings inside when I think of the difference the participation of many people has made in these young people’s lives! Each smile is priceless.

We also visited the kids who have now ‘graduated’ to grade 6 and are boarding at Chitundo school. Last year there were 10, now there are 22. So the Mucombeze bush presence is becoming one to reckon with! The icing on the cake is that 3 of the 22 are girls, and 1 is a new boy who struggles with a real physical challenge. He was caught inside a burning hut as a toddler and has extensive contractures of his arms now. He has a heart of gold though, and who knows, maybe he will even have corrective surgery one day! Oh, small item of interest to a select few people...pet bugs!

This week was a busy one rife with challenges. Yesterday while I was having some ‘fun’ of my own, Dwight was nearly involved in a head-on collision. Yesterday on our highway as he came up over a blind rise he was practically nose-to-nose with a vehicle passing a semi on double solid lines. The vehicle that was passing was so far into his lane (nearly on the shoulder on his side of the road) that he hit had to hit the brakes veer hard toward the ditch. Dwight said his life flashed before him in that instant. (Bear in mind that we drive on the left side of the road here.)



Thankfully he missed the last of a row of these cement erosion steps in the ditch, so slid to a stop on fairly flat ground. Had his tires hit this cement step, or had any pedestrians been in the way, things may have turned out much differently. We’re thankful that the Lord neither slumbers nor sleeps!

Until next time...