Heaven is a place on earth

Unusually i am going to start at the end of my day and go backwards today!

This evening has been a taste of heaven.  Paige, a long term volunteer who was here in August when i came iwth my team, is goign to be leaving soon and so as a treat for her we had a get together tonight in one of my favoutie places on this earth - Lancers Gap!  I have visited here 5 times before - in 2007 when it had been very wet and we literally got out the car looked at the view, got wet and drove back agian; in 2007 when my team had had an amazing experience up there singing and praying; twice in 2012, once when RAy and i had gone up there and just sat and looked and marvelled and wondered and then when i took my team up there in August to watch a winter sunset! 

This time had to top them all really as i rode up the mountain zig zag road in the back of a bakkie!   Terps and I stood up all the way holding on for grim death round the bends and singing loudly - as i said to Terps - we blended in so well with local culture no one noticed us!   Yes right!

It was a glorious evening and there were 13 of us piled into two cars to go and watch a magnificent  sunset. We took food and drink with us - i had made hummous earlier in the day and i took some shortbread that i had brought from England too! I had also toasted some bread for the hummous and another slightly random dip i had made (biltong cheesy dip) by cutting some 'soldiers' and leaving them out in the sun - they were great!  sun dried bread! Could cost a lot in England!

Anyway the evening was amazing - we were joined by a small community of boys who wanted our biscuits and then sung to us!  It was relaxed, chilled, happy and so so beautiful!  To me, Lancers Gap is the most beautiful place on earth.  You overlook the whole of Maseru and you look over to see the Basotho mountains in the distance. You do feel on top of the world and I am sure I am closer to God there than anywhere else on this earth - i tjust makes you reflect on your smallness and gives you that ''wow' factor. We left there about 8 and travelled back (again in the back of the bakkie) to home. It made me laugh that by then the locals had their blankets round them and i was still in vest top and shorts despite being in the wind in the back of the truck!  So so special and the stars (including the southern cross) still shone down on us!

As an interruption to my blog i have to just hsare with you that i am sitting out at the outdoor table writing this and the security guard has just done his walk past!  Scared the life out of me!  I am sitting here by the light of the candle and it is pitch dark a few yards away from me!  Being dark skinned and wearing dark clothes i didnt see him till he was upon me and spoke to me saying he had been watching me out here every night!  spooky!  At least i know he is watching me and keepign me safe!

Anyway earlier this mornign i had gone to pre school which is for 3-6 year olds!  I went into my house to colleclt my children just before 8 and we headed off!  At first all the children gather together and play with toys and i found myself the centre of attention of 53 children because i could make exciting things out of Meccano and some click together stuff too!  I never knew I could till today but amazingly i have just  become a 'creator extraordinaire' and can make stunning things! 

At 8.15 it was tidy up time and the children got into disciplined lines and , just like school, they sung the national Anthem, recited the Lords prayer and sung a few Christian songs!

I was then asked to address them which i did, in simple English!

We then sung lots of songs including I'm a little teapot and Incy wincy Spider and then they asked me to teach them one!  I chose heads and shoulders knees and toes because that one came into my head first!

We then split into age groups and i went to the older group who had 21 children!  Imagine my surprise when the teacher handed me her notes and said, you teach them today!

Ok I thought!  I can do this, i am a resourceful music teacher and most importantly I am English and I am a mother and i can do anything!  so i did!

My notes told me to learn the letters of the alphabet and revise the a for apple, b for ball phonics!  that's fine in England but do the children of Africa know what I for igloo is?  no of course not! I is for ink! Y is for Yoghurt!  Can;t be for yacht as the children would not have a clue what a yacht was!

WE then had to talk about families and brothers and sisters and the roles of mum and dad!  that was fine but i was aware that 5 of my 21 children were from the orphanage and so did not know really what a mum and dad did!  Every question i asked teh children was responded to by 'Yes Teacher' or 'No teacher' so that was not the easiest!  My plan then said colours and shapes so i asked if there were any prepared and she gave me 4 small 2 d shapes in different colours!  I thought quickly and we had fun learning the names of the shapes and I played a colour game at which point he head teacher walked in to watch!  I felt i was in some Ofsted inspection but i think i passed when she said ; i loved the way you taught that, it was realy exciting!  How can you make teaching colours exciting really?

i was teaching from plans that had no times so i had no idea how long i had but i discovered by asking that break was at 10 so i continued improvising till 10 whereupon we had a whole hours break!  Wow!  55 children played outsdie with just 1 lady who was cleanign tablse. They have a very rough playground - just waste ground realy and they have some climbing frames but no one hurt themselves, got themsevles into trouble or came in whinign or crying!

I am getting a lickening for powdered milk having been in hospitals and schools nwo and ahave even been known to drink a cup of rooibos tea if desperate but today i had taken my own coffee and also some biscuits, which was just as well!

A whole hours break was had from 10 - 11 during which time i ventured to askt he teacher what we were doing next!  She said cutting and sticking!! Great i thought!  They were doing parts of the body as it turned out which made my heads and shoulders knees and toes slong very appropriate!  She gave me the things she had prpared and then really left it to me!  the only glue we had for 22 children was some wood glue which worreid me a little!   so i took control of the glue - there were also not quite enoguh scissors to go round and we got in a right mess!

That work done, she sat them down in front of me and gave me a book to read!  Poor children are learning in their second language anyway but then having this English lady to read them the story of Barney Bear must have been so hard!  they were all attentive and at 12 o;clock i hurriedly finished the book and sent them on their way!


Two memorable things to share wiht you from today!  firstly Thaboho who had arrived at  BG last year whe i was there, totally underweight an dunable to even stand at the age of 5, was up in playschool. keeping up with the rest of them and running around!!  I was so proud of him!

The second was that these children are so keen to learn, to listen and to pay attention!  At 5 they were silen tbetween activities and at the end of the mornign when it was time to go home the carpet was covered in little tiny cut off bits of paper!  I asked if there was a hoover to which the anwer was no so 3 or 4 chidlren stayed behind and literally picked up the little bits of paper piece by piece!   I helped and it was a labourious job but do you know? before those children left that carpet was completely clean!  I was amazed!

One of the BG children was very possessive of me but learnt to share me in the end!  The headteacher came and joined us for coffee (and to watch me teach i think) and she told em that their partnership school had heard abotu me and wanted me to visit there too but she had said no ' I am there's' They are not sharing me !  that made me feel special!

I got back to BG from Preschool intime to help with a big of feeding in my house and was abotu to have my siesta when kristen asked me to go into town with her to buy flowers for tomorrows funerals so i  hurriedly ate some watermelon and yoghurt, had an indepth chat wiht Bryan about life the universe and everything and then headed itno town wiht Kristen.

On my reutrn about 45 minutes later i met up with Toby and Aukia who are basically in charge of Beautiful Gate international and  used to run BG Cape town but now keep their eye on the loose confederation between BG Cape Town, lesotho, Zambia and somewhere else!

it was great to meet them as i had heard so much about them especially from Ray and it was odd because they too had heard a lot about me!

Time with God followed in the afternoon as it was Wednesday again and it served to remind me that there would be no more WEdnesdays for me here!  Next WEdnesday i am catching an early flight back to Cape Town fro my last few days on AFrican soil but i cannot bear to even contemplate that!  I did shed a few tears tonight up on Lancers Gap knwoing that i only ahd a week left here in this paradise on earth but i am goign to take each day as i tcomes and live it too the full!

Tomorrow we are meeting at 8.30 for the funerals of 3 of our chidlren!  I saw the crosses being made today and one of the maintenance guys came and said they had dug the graves but the ground was so dry it was almost impossible!  The funerals will take place at 9 in the local cemetary and i knwo it will be an emotional time for all! My heart goes out to Bryan who has to lead the service and i know that one of the reasons i am here is to support those whose hearts are breaking at this time! It is so hard for the staff who are their mums and family and for Bryan and Anita who have to support the staff and care for their own children and somehow put away their own emotions!  I have been tryign my best to support them in as many ways as i can as i can be more emotionally withdrawn as i did not knwo these children who died before I arrived!  All i have to do is listen and care................

your thoughts and prayers for the morning, if you rad this tongiht will be most gratefully received, it will not be an easy day!

Till then my friends, Khotso (peace) and Lerata (love) from me in Lesotho

Jenny x