Today was our first visit to Joytown and the first day to start setting up and collecting data for our research. We had breakfast at the SACDEP ("hotel" where we are staying) dining hall then loaded up the van a little after 8:00am for the 5-minute ride over to Joytown Primary School.
We arrived at Joytown and joined the Bethany Kids therapy staff in their morning devo. As soon as we stepped in the door there was a flurry of greetings and handshakes and smiles. The handshakes and waves of jambo continued as we toured around the school campus and met with the headmaster. The staff expressed their excitement in our presence and work at the school and invited us fully into their space. Looking around, I'd catch the eyes of different kids staring at me and would watch as my smile turned a stern or blank face into an explosion of light and joy contained in their shy, excited returning smile.
Joytown is quite different than what I expected. It's that feeling that comes when you visit a place you've only heard stories about or seen pictures of. It becomes a real place, a tangible connection to make with why I am a part of the Wheels project. I guess It's not exactly different from my expectations, but I'm finally starting to understand this really special place.
Today's work seemed to go slowly as we set up locations for different "skills tests" with the kids and unproductive as we only ended up gathering one piece of data, but I'm thinking of it as a good cultivating day. I'm praying that our work today will have laid good groundwork to take off running tomorrow (or rolling...). A big blessing from today was the relationships I got to build already with two of the BK (Bethany Kids) volunteers that are helping these next three weeks: Ruth and Mercy. I've been so concerned about tiptoeing around cultural differences, my mind dwelling on a certain list of cultural do's and don'ts given by a missionary friend that took us out to lunch this past Sunday and gave us a mini orientation. But working and talking with Ruth and Mercy has come so easily! We've been able to genuinely laugh and joke around together.
We had a really good team meeting after dinner today although I'm sure everyone was really tired. We shared some praises and prayer requests and prayed for each other around a circle (as is our tride and true Wheels meeting tradition). We then discussed a bit about things that worried us about events of the day and problems we ran into during our research set up. For the prayer warriors out there: Matt was feeling feverish on and off today and Momma T (mother of our 11-year-old buddy Connor Tinsley who is a wheelchair user from Longview on the trip with us) was feeling a tad overwhelmed with emotions today at Joytown. Her heart was pretty heavy for the kids and their conditions and the fact that one of their only chances for care and education is so far away from their families and at such a cost.
In other fun news: I woke up to monkeys outside my window! Three of them. And I may have just discovered how to turn on the hot water for our shower. This would give waking up on time much more of a fighting chance if I could ditch the ice-cold showers... That or if they started serving chapati bread at breakfast. I love that stuff.
Just one photo today, I'm expecting to have more time at random spots through out the week, but It gives you a brief glimpse of Joytown. However, you really can't experience it till you visit. I'll volunteer to meet you at an airport in a matatu! ;)
We arrived at Joytown and joined the Bethany Kids therapy staff in their morning devo. As soon as we stepped in the door there was a flurry of greetings and handshakes and smiles. The handshakes and waves of jambo continued as we toured around the school campus and met with the headmaster. The staff expressed their excitement in our presence and work at the school and invited us fully into their space. Looking around, I'd catch the eyes of different kids staring at me and would watch as my smile turned a stern or blank face into an explosion of light and joy contained in their shy, excited returning smile.
Joytown is quite different than what I expected. It's that feeling that comes when you visit a place you've only heard stories about or seen pictures of. It becomes a real place, a tangible connection to make with why I am a part of the Wheels project. I guess It's not exactly different from my expectations, but I'm finally starting to understand this really special place.
Today's work seemed to go slowly as we set up locations for different "skills tests" with the kids and unproductive as we only ended up gathering one piece of data, but I'm thinking of it as a good cultivating day. I'm praying that our work today will have laid good groundwork to take off running tomorrow (or rolling...). A big blessing from today was the relationships I got to build already with two of the BK (Bethany Kids) volunteers that are helping these next three weeks: Ruth and Mercy. I've been so concerned about tiptoeing around cultural differences, my mind dwelling on a certain list of cultural do's and don'ts given by a missionary friend that took us out to lunch this past Sunday and gave us a mini orientation. But working and talking with Ruth and Mercy has come so easily! We've been able to genuinely laugh and joke around together.
We had a really good team meeting after dinner today although I'm sure everyone was really tired. We shared some praises and prayer requests and prayed for each other around a circle (as is our tride and true Wheels meeting tradition). We then discussed a bit about things that worried us about events of the day and problems we ran into during our research set up. For the prayer warriors out there: Matt was feeling feverish on and off today and Momma T (mother of our 11-year-old buddy Connor Tinsley who is a wheelchair user from Longview on the trip with us) was feeling a tad overwhelmed with emotions today at Joytown. Her heart was pretty heavy for the kids and their conditions and the fact that one of their only chances for care and education is so far away from their families and at such a cost.
In other fun news: I woke up to monkeys outside my window! Three of them. And I may have just discovered how to turn on the hot water for our shower. This would give waking up on time much more of a fighting chance if I could ditch the ice-cold showers... That or if they started serving chapati bread at breakfast. I love that stuff.
Just one photo today, I'm expecting to have more time at random spots through out the week, but It gives you a brief glimpse of Joytown. However, you really can't experience it till you visit. I'll volunteer to meet you at an airport in a matatu! ;)
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| Things are cruising at Joytown |
Just a quick note to say we are following your blog and praying for you daily. Your life is never going to be the same. Love you Emy! ~Leslie
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