Just Cute

I can’t believe how fast time here in Michigan is flying by. Some of the highlights have been spending time with family and friends, reconnecting with mission team members, and celebrating all the Lord has done through Ignite with personal and ministry partners. It’s been super-busy, but great fun as well!

Another highlight was visiting Brandon’s first grade and Paige’s third grade classes. The kids were excited to hear about living in South Africa. We found South Africa on the world map, and talked about differences in things like sports, money, and climate. We looked at pictures of animals and the kids loved the story of how an elephant actually stuck his trunk inside our safari vehicle to what-seemed-like sniff my friend’s head. (Scary at the time, hilarious after the fact).

We also learned about all the different people in South Africa including the Basothos. The kids enjoyed learning a few Sesotho words and then practicing the handshake with each other. At the end, they got to see some souvenirs with the drum being the biggest hit. (Get it? Hit?)

And the questions were great as well. Do they have ice cream in South Africa? Mc Donalds? Toilets? Cars? What are schools like? Are the animals endangered? Is everyone black? Is there enough water? Are there pirates? Is there buried treasure? Is it safe to live there? Do they have dogs and cats? Pigs? Is there tall grass? Is it always hot?...

The teacher asked about the greatest challenge to living there and one is that there are so many languages. We get by with English and have interpreters when needed, but most people who live there can speak multiple languages – Afrikaans, English, Sesotho, and other African languages and dialects. So I asked the kids in the class how many speak other languages in their homes, and many did. We went around the room sharing, and the kids thought it was a pretty cool thing to learn about their friends. I love that they appreciated the differences and thought they were cool!

The day was a total treat for me, topped off with these awesome thank you cards!