tour of [A]Marikaban

Today was a very busy day! It began with two chapel hours this morning. At 8:30 the students in grades 1-3 have chapel and at 10:00 the students in grades 4-6 have their chapel hour. Pastor Nestor spoke to the younger kids, but we were the guest speakers for the second chapel hour. We shared with them the idea of choosing Christ as your leader and setting a good example, especially in the words we use, so that others can see that we are Christians.

After the two chapels we were able to have some time to relax and make lunch. Right after lunch we met with all the sponsor students and parents (families and classes at Zeeland Christian School pay the tuition fee for some of the students who are not able to afford private education on their own, the children who are being supported are sponsor students and build a relationship with the family/class that is sponsoring them). We introduced ourselves and were introduced to everyone there, then we got our pictures taken with all the sponsor kids and parents and had a chance to talk to a few of them.

Then we began our tour of some of the homes of the sponsor families. We began by walking to a few of the houses that are very near to the school. Instead of walking to some of the farther away houses, we took petty-cabs (a person riding a bike with a sidecar on the side). We were able to see a lot of the neighborhood and the conditions that many of the students that go to this school live in. We were blessed by their hospitality and willingness to let us visit them in their homes.

After getting back to the school we ventured out to do some shopping at one of the malls, had dinner there, and made it back just in time for the prayer meeting.

Although it has been a busy day and we are looking forward to going to sleep, it has been a day filled with experiences that we will remember for a long time.

The special number for the first chapel hour was a dance by the grade 1 class.

Grade 4 performed the special number for the second chapel hour.

All the sponsor students.

The sponsor students' parents who were able to attend the meeting.

At one of our first house visits.

Maria riding in a petty cab.

Heather in a petty cab.

On our ride to one of the houses.

Another picture along the way.

Kids playing in the street near some of the houses we visited.

Maria and one of the sponsor students in her house.

At our last stop of the tour.

The best view of the school from the outside that we could find (everything is very crowded so there are buildings in the way of the view). We are staying in the guest room on the roof, so the two windows on the upper left hand corner are our bedroom windows.

The school gate from the street, the large roof covers the playground area to create shade when the sun is out and to keep the playground dry when it rains.

Back inside the gate with some of the girls we usually talk to after school.