"Aphiwe in his Nativity play costume"
"An attempted Christmas caroling session"
Happy New Years! I apologize for the one month delay in a Lily new years update, but things are finally starting to return to normal here.
I survived my first holiday season away from home! It was a little sad at times being so far away from home on Christmas but we did the best we could to recreate some festive spirit. I got to cook Christmas dinner for all the volunteers, which was excellent practice for my future domestic endeavors! New Years eve at Lily was actually one of my best holidays to date. Although, we didn’t attend a posh party or even get to see the ball drop, we did get to spend time with our entire “Lily family.” We all met in the yard for a midnight braii (bar-b-que), followed up by a firework show put on by some of our male volunteers. Looking around the braii, I was struck for the first time by what an integral part of the children’s lives we, volunteers, have become. When I look back on my childhood memories I see my family, but when they look back on theirs, they will think about spending those major milestone events with us and that just seems like such an amazing blessing that we get to be their family, at least for a little bit.
Now that summer holiday is finally over here in Mophela, our children are beginning a new school year. I am now once again teaching my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders English and Math everyday after school to reinforce what they are learning at school. The community school that many of our children attend is extremely overcrowded, averaging 75 students per teacher, not to mention that many of their teachers have only graduated from high school. These facts coupled with their poor health and subsequent poor school attendance makes our supplemental programming vital to their education. Although I am only teaching basic reading and mathematics, having never taught before, I often feel slightly overwhelmed and unprepared when I walk into our classroom. However, recent news reports on the state of the education system in South Africa has renewed my commitment to teach this year. In our province of KwaZulu Natal alone, 36 high schools had no students graduate for the 2008 school year, meaning that literally thousands and thousands of students across the province failed their senior year in 2008, and this is despite the government lowering graduation requirements last year. When I think of how devastating such a trend will be to this country, I am inspired to impart as much as I can to my students, even though I am positive I will never win any awards for eloquent teaching. Anyone reading this who has any knowledge of English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching, please email me!
KwaZulu Natal has been experiencing some unusual severe weather in recent weeks that has caused some damage to Lily’s property and the electric and water systems in the area. Known for its moderate climate, KZN is not prepared for high winds or flooding conditions, making cleanup after a storm slow at best. At Lily, we have had minor structural and physical damage, but more notably are having trouble with our water supply. We haven’t had hot water in weeks, and the water that does come out of the tap does so at a slow trickle. I am learning the ropes of water conservation, and will never again take for granted a hot shower when I return home!
African Antidote of the Week: This week I encountered a spitting cobra stalking its prey (a flock of birds) at sunset about 10 ft in front of where I stood which was consequently very close to my house. It moved so fast and when it got to the birds it stood up, spraying its venom everywhere. I would have found it much more fascinating had I not been standing so close to it without any means of protecting myself. Not to mention that the snake was pretty big. Upon hearing my shrieks for help a team of boys from Lily came running with giant rocks in hand, which sent the snake slithering to its hole. Following the incident the boys geared up in our gum boots and sunglasses (claiming it would protect them from the spitting venom) and set out to “snake-proof” our house, which consisted of throwing some smelly toxic chemical at our door and telling us we needed to eat raw snake in order to show the snakes we were not afraid of it. We declined on both offers.
Finally, in my last blog post you may have noticed a hint of stress and frustration in my tone. Both being understaffed and the hectic nature of the holiday season left me feeling drained. However, during this stressful period a friend of mine pointed me to the Sara Groves’ song “When the Saints.” The song is a catalog of the sufferings and persecutions of past Christian saints. It humbled me to be reminded of my standing amongst the many Christian servants who have come before us, encouraging me to stay the course and endure the comparatively small struggles I face in daily life here. I have written the lyrics of the song at the end of this blog and encourage you to listen to the song if you get the chance.
Through the trivial struggles I have faced here so far, I have learned so much about God, humility, servanthood, and myself. I have three more months of service left at Lily, and I am excited to see what God has in store for me. I would appreciate your continued prayers for our children and our volunteer staff.
Feeling Very Blessed,
Palmer
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in my weaknesses, in insults, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, than I am strong.” II Corinthians 12: 9-10
Prayer Requests:
• Child N is undergoing intensive radiotherapy for tumors. Please pray that her body can be healed. She has also endured severe abuse in recent months before coming to Lily. Please pray that her spirit will be healed as well.
• Lily is in desperate need of a nurse, a doctor, and a social worker. Please pray that the right people will be brought here swiftly and that we come up with the funds to pay them
• Pray for our teaching and the education of each of our children. Pray that we will stay the course and continue to put our all into our lessons.
• Pray for the health of the volunteer staff. Our immune systems have been failing us as of late, and a round of flu has been circulating.
“When the Saints”- Sara Groves
Lord I have a heavy burden, of all I’ve seen and know,
It’s more than I can handle.
But your word is burning like a fire, shut up in my bones,
And I can’t let it go.
And when I’m weary and overwrought, with so many battles left unfought…
I think of Paul and Syllus in the prison yard,
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars.
And when the saints go marching in…
I want to be one of them.
Lord, it’s all that I can carry, I can not leave behind,
It all can overwhelm me.
But when I think of all who’ve gone before, and lived the faithful life,
Their courage compels me.
And when I’m weary and overwrought, with so many battles left unfought…
I think of Paul and Syllus in the prison yard,
I hear their song of freedom rising to the stars.
I see the shepherd Moses in the Pharaoh’s Court.
I hear his calls for freedom for the people of the Lord.
And when the saints go marching in…
I want to be one of them.
I see a long quiet walk along the underground railroad,
I see a slave awakening to the value of his soul.
I see the young missionary and the angry spear,
I see his family returning with no trace of fear.
I see the long hard shadows of Calcutta nights,
I see the sisters standing by the dying inside.
I see the young girl huddled on the brothel floor,
I see the man with a passion coming kicking down that door.
I see the man of sorrow and his long troubled road,
I see the world on his shoulders, and my easy load.
And when the saints go marching in…
I want to be one of them.
