CHAD

It feels good to be back in the classroom at Wellspring Academy! I have a lovely bunch of grade 4/5 students who enjoy each other and engage well with the varied learning activities. They are fun, full of energy, and well-behaved. What more could a teacher want?!

I arrived in Chad on July 15 and had a sweet reunion with Debbie and Hannah, my teaching colleagues. Returning to Wellspring Academy a full month before classes started was a wise move. It gave me the time and space to settle into my home, mentally adjust, adapt to the heat and humidity (if that’s possible!), re-engage with my teaching colleagues, and gradually begin preparing for the start of school.

One and a half months into the academic year, and it’s back to the routine of teaching, marking, and prepping. I appreciate stimulating my mind as I prepare social studies lessons for my students. Our focus this year is the continent of Africa.

I’m also back to teaching music class for the whole school during the last period on Fridays. The kids have fun learning about the elements of music and singing silly songs. It’s a great way to end off the week.

On a different note, I thought I’d share about one of the struggles that comes with living in Chad. In general, the people of Chad are extremely poor. Being faced with poverty is nothing new for me, yet there are times when I am particularly confronted by it. My colleagues and I visited one of our house cleaners shortly after I arrived in Chad, and the contrast between my comfortable flat and her primitive dwelling was stark. The disparity of wealth that I face when my colleagues and I go out to enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant and are approached by beggars on the street is unsettling. What do I do with this bitter reality, especially as a follower of Jesus Christ?

I don’t have a definitive answer, but I believe that first and foremost, I need to see and honour the poor by acknowledging them and valuing them as persons whom God loves immensely. I’m ashamed to admit that this is not normally my first response. More commonly, I try to avoid beggars on the street and scramble into the car and close the door as quickly as possible. Jesus wouldn’t do that.

Whether or not I choose to give a handout of money or food to a needy person, I know that what is most important is engaging with the individual. I need to acknowledge his/her presence and be gracious in spirit. That may be more needed than a handout, but it is much harder to do. Lord, give me a generous love for my neighbour, whether rich or poor. Give me wisdom to know what to do when faced with need, because it is not always clear what is most helpful. Keep reminding me that whatever I do to the least of these, I do to You.