Today brought special reminders to me of why I am serving here. I spent my morning visiting a village preschool and found myself following around 14 little busy bodies that remained on the go for 4 hours nonstop. I was so impressed with the way the children played together. I saw signs of motherly love as the little girls held and fed their baby dolls with care. I saw boys sharing tools in the car and truck center and mischievously chase each other with plastic elephants and rhinos. During circle time, I attentively listened as the children introduced themselves, one by one, using full sentences in English and proudly announcing to me if they were a girl or a boy. I even saw a new teacher emerge, and an assistant equally capable as they took over their new roles after the holiday break (the head teacher has since gone out on maternity leave).

At first glance, one could think that this preschool might be found anywhere in the U.S. But after a closer observation and as the time went by, there were noticeable differences that clearly separated the two environments:

The clothes being worn by the children did not match;

Little feet were colored orange from the dusty roads that brought them to preschool this morning;

Coughs and skin sores that would warrant an immediate trip to the pediatrician were common sounds and sights;

There were no fancy backpacks…in fact, there were no backpacks at all!

The teacher assistant went to fetch water for the day with her container;

Washing hands before snack was done with a tub of water and a bar of soap;

Some children had mothers come to pick them up from school, other children waited for another family relative to fetch them because their mother is no longer alive, and they all arrived on foot.

Do these differences really matter? Depending on where you are, for some, yes they do matter. But the greater question should maybe be, should they matter? Do they make a person any less important in the eyes of God? Not at all. We do what we can, with what we have, where we are.

The best reminder of all for me today came when I told the young teacher that she was doing a great job as a teacher. Her reply was “No- it is only by the Holy Spirit that I can do this. I have to pray to God everyday that He will tell me what to teach”. So for the days that I worry if the preschool curriculum that I am writing is appropriate for these precious young children, once again God spoke to me through another person that I thought I was to help! God continues to bless us all, teaching one another how important we are to each other, no matter what side of the ocean that we call our home.

One year ago to date there was no preschool for the orphans and vulnerable children in this village. We are blessed to be a part of a ministry that has created the opportunity for these young ones to have a place to play in a safe environment, be given a beneficial education, and most importantly be loved and accepted just like any other child. You can see in the children’s faces that even though they have experienced life for only a short three, four, or five years, they value the gift of education.

The mother or guardian of the children at this preschool does not have to pay any fees for them to attend our school. The only form of “payment” that is required is their involvement in the child’s education. They have to attend at least one meeting a month, at which time they are taught parenting skills as well as given an understanding of the importance of pre-school education.

We want to see the parents and other family members value this gift for their children, too. Please pray with us in the months ahead as we focus on ministering to the parents and the rest of the village community that they may get involved and see the importance of these educational opportunities.