Yembi School Party!

Lois Wilson writes: (Photos of party in Photo Album blog entry above)

Well, today the Yembi school children, about 124 of them, had a wonderful day,thanks to the Palmyra PA GBC. Saturnin, the teacher, usually has a well controlled class but today the excitement of the coming fete overcame them!

This morning when we got to the church where the school is held, 5 ladies, including the pastor’s wife, Adeline Pezza, were already well into preparations of the meal. The fires were going with big pots on them. The ladies were going through the rice, picking out the stones… well, most of them. If you had been here to see the children standing in line for their 3 course meal it would have brought tears to your eyes, as it did mine.

First course was porridge, of rice, sugar, peanuts (ground fine), lemon flavoring… yummy. Marg., Barb and I ate first….. That’s just how it’s done.

The kids ate their porridge, and then got in line again, all very orderly, led by their teachers calling them one by one.

Second course was not what we had expected. The children were given rice, then meat and sauce was added, and at the last stop they were handed a peeled orange. Well, when our class returned to the classroom to eat, they ate their oranges first, relishing every drop of yummy orange juice they could squeeze out. We thought that would be the dessert, but maybe an orange is a bigger treat than we had imagined. There are orange trees here and there, with oranges sold in the markets, but these kids had expressions of sheer joy on their faces enjoying their oranges.

Third course was the rice with meat and sauce. Each child received a chunk of meat and an ample serving of rice. We 3 ladies were served two bowls of meat and sauce. One, pork; the other, beef. As I said before…. Delicious.

I could go on and on, but I’ll let Marg do an email or so……….

Tomorrow I’ll visit another school, observe the teacher and make suggestions, and enjoy the kids. I’m hoping to also visit a widow tomorrow. She’s a friend from Bata days. Then on Thursday, I might stop in where the Seminary is meeting temporarily.

Thanks for your prayers. Even at the school today, at noon, it wasn’t too hot. Of course, I had a fan along!