Throw Back Thursday: Feeling Thankful

We have recently finished our basement and Samantha found a bag of photographs and of course, started tearing it open! She pulled out pictures from my childhood, our wedding and then she found a small album. It was full of pictures from my trip to Zambia in college. I did a summer term in Choma, Zambia through World Hope International.

It was a mission’s trip/class experience through Houghton College, where I attended. We were given a partner and a box of paper and markers and told our kids would be arriving the next day. It was a “literacy clinic” of sorts. There was a local village nearby and the World Hope Center would drive a truck out in the morning and afternoon to pick kids up and bring them in.

The experience was INCREDIBLE. Kids were lined up at the gate at 7:00, two hours before our start time each day mind you, it was summer break and it was at least a 30 minute walk to get there. We used our box of markers and paper and a few things we’d packed in our suitcase (like the shaving cream seen in the pictures below) to teach these babies the basis of the alphabet. It is amazingly convicting to me as I reflected on this experience on how frequently I find myself grumbling at school… “I can’t believe I only have 5 copies of this book.. I have 6 kids in my guided reading book now what I am supposed to do?!?!…” On top of it, I’m in the midst of a two year maternity leave and a classroom change at school I have packed up literally TWENTY - 20 gallon bins to move from one place to another... How blessed am I?! These kids don’t even

HAVE BOOKS. They literally have the clothes on their back, and that’s all. We are so incredibly fortunate for all we have. So today I am reminding myself of how fortunate I am to teach in an INCREDIBLE school district with endless resources. May I never take that for granted! I am also going to clean out some of the things I don’t use, and donate them to the district in our local city that perhaps doesn’t have as much at their disposal! What a good reality check this was today! Thank you Lord for ALL we are blessed with and take for granted each day!

What are you thankful for today???