Why, you
may ask, would I relay this ridiculous sampling of an American Proverb? Because I was teaching my literacy class last
week and just frustrated. I was
frustrated with the students, frustrated with the Engikaret base for not having
a place for us to regularly meet in class, always shifting around, which leads
the students not to take things seriously and therefore not showing up to class
at all, let alone on time. I was
frustrated with myself, feeling like there was more I should be doing to entice
and entertain my students so they would be more willing and invested in coming
to class. I started making those I wish
statements again. “I wish…I wish…I just
wish…” when I saw a little bald, dusty Maasai girl’s head pop to the class for
a peak. There were only three students
that showed up that day and they were busy with their work so I went out to see
where she came from and what she wanted.
I found her out the door with one of her friends and both of them were
so proud of themselves. So I asked,
“what are you two doing here this morning?”
Out of a little old pouch around their necks, they both pulled out their
own beat up, batteryless, cracked and worn cell phones someone must have thrown
out. They held on to them like they were
state of the art cell phones. I asked
one of I could see it to look at it. And
she ran off. I didn’t think much about
it until I was back in class and that little bald head popped back in to sneak
a peak. Again, my students were hard at
work, so I went out to see what she wanted and this time she had what I thought
was the cell phone concealed in both hands so I could look at it. She placed it in my hand, removed her hands
from the top of it, and then took off running as fast as her little legs could
carry her. When I looked down to see the
present she brought me, right away I remembered my older brother. She placed in my hand a huge cow tird! She thought she was so funny! Both of the girls rolled around laughing and
laughing and I was left with my wishes in one hand and poop in the other. And I assure you, the wishing hand was not
nearly as full as its neighbor.
I have
been thinking about this for a several days now and thinking about a whole slew
of verses that are laced through the Bible about being dissatisfied and not one
of them is about wishing.
“Let us hold unswervingly to the HOPE that we profess, for
he who promised is faithful…the widow who is really in need and left alone puts
her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for
help…That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the
living God, who is the Savior of all people…For what is our hope? Our Joy? Or
the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he
comes? Is it not YOU?...Therefore since
we have such a hope, we are very bold…
And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produes perseverance, perseverance
produces proven character, proven character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint.”
Wishing
is a silly, whiny kind of thing to do, but hoping is entirely different. I wish for the things that I don’t have but
that I think that I should. I hope for
the things that I know I will have because, in finishing that verse, “God’s love
has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given
to us.” Wishing in one hand will never
fill up as fast as pooping. But with
hope in my hands, hope in the Living God who is savior of all people, well that
will never disappoint.
This
month I have had over 11 students coming to class, mostly men. Some of them even show up on time!!! We began a new literacy class in a village an
hour and a half northwest of Engikaret called Kaseriani where I now have 22
students!!! In both classes there are old men and young warriors, old grandmas
and young mothers, and all are learning to read and write for the first
time.
Hope in
one hand and poop in the other. See
which one fills up faster…
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