I'm a Teacher in ZAMBIA!

This past week I had the privilege of teaching Bonnie’s class every day all day. I wish I could say that I was able to present Bonnie with the week off, but she, herself, was very busy. Allow me to explain.

This week and next week are the last two weeks of this term. Zambia’s schools run 3 terms a year with a 3-4 week break in between each term. Because it’s the end of the term, the students have to take exams on the material they’ve learned over the term. Other than these 6 exams, the students have no other quiz/test grades, just classwork completion. So basically, these exams are very important and fairly challenging for the students.

As a result, the last two weeks have been spent reviewing the term’s information with the students. This week, as Bonnie tested the students one-on-one, I continued to review with them. Bonnie has to test one-on-one for two reasons: one, the classroom is about 6’ x 10’ and fits a teacher’s desk, 5 tables and 25 student’s seats. You can imagine how crowded it would be and how tempting it would be for these little ones to glance over at their partner’s paper. Two, most of the students are not able to read, so Bonnie has to read and point to each question and answer to assure the answer they want is circled. Pray for Bonnie – she has been reading the same test 25 times a day. I cannot imagine how mentally draining this could be. Thankfully, we have completed 4 of the tests. Only 2 to go. ☺

As Bonnie tests, I have had the opportunity to teach. I have been challenged, as an educator, more than I could ever imagine. I have been trained with manipulatives, interactive whiteboards, textbooks, movie clips, clipart and even simple paper-and-pencil. I have never been trained in a classroom that forces me to teach 3rd grade material to students who are not able to read. Since they are not able to read and they don’t have their own textbooks, you think I could just verbally teach them the information. Well, I have also never been trained in a classroom of students who are not able to understand my accent, and barely even my language.

This week included a lot of writing the textbook on the board and having the students copy it into their workbook, a lot of “Orlando, stop talking.”, a lot of repetition, a lot of patience. I have found myself crying out to the Lord, wondering how Jesus would have handled a class like this without losing his patience. I wonder how Jesus would have sinlessly persevered even when his human body was exhausted, his voice hoarse and his head full of chalk dust. I know, without a doubt, that he was able to approach any situation without sin, but I found myself in an awesome wonder at the reality of Jesus’ daily life without sin. Every day. No son. I have found myself reflecting more and more on my Savior’s life this week. I am humbled by my Savior’s words: “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22: 27). “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

I serve an amazing God. Each day I remind myself that I have been given a mission that I cannot take lightly. I only have five short weeks here to share as much of Christ’s love as possible. Each moment is to be for Him. And even as my return home comes near, each day, each moment at home should be a testimony of the love I’ve received from my Savior.