67 Minutes

July 20, 2013

67 Minutes of Service

 

On his birthday, to celebrate Nelson Mandela and his 67 years of service to South Africa, my 7^th grade class decided to sacrifice their daily loaf of bread and to use it to spend 67 minutes making sandwiches to give to the “poor kids and the orphans in Finetown.” The irony is, THEY ARE the poor kids of Finetown, and they just don’t see themselves as that. They see themselves as young adults who, for most, are the ones raising those poor children and see the injustices around them and want to make a difference for their community. I’d say I’m one proud teacher.

Not only my class, but our whole school and many people throughout South Africa, spent July 18 participating in 67 minutes of service to their community. Their participation and service was to honor Mandela and what he did for this country. He saved the black people from any more oppression by ending the appartide. To the people of South Africa, Mandela represents freedom, future, hope, love and so much more. Most importantly, to me, he represents FORGIVENESS. Mandela was imprisoned for 20 years on Robin Island and was released only to forgive all of those who mistreated, disliked and imprisoned him for all those years. He was able to forgive his own people by the love he had. He had so much love for South Africa and such high hopes and dreams for this country, that he ran and become their president. I taught this lesson on forgiveness to my 7^th graders on this special day.

Not only did we serve the community that day by sacrificing and feeding the poor, we took time to reflect on the courage and love it took for Mandela to FORGIVE his oppressors. They think of Mandela as an idol because he ended the appartide and now the blacks are free. Yet the freedom he represents is not a freedom to be abused. Not a freedom that lets you do as you choose, when you choose. It’s a freedom to choose right from wrong. It’s a freedom to better you. It’s a freedom to take all of the graces God has given you and use them for the good of your country and yourself. This starts with forgiveness. Blacks are now free to begin accepting what has happened to their people and to FORGIVE those people and to move on! They are no longer holding you back. They are available, now, to work with you, in union as one country. They must be forgiven in order for this union and peace to succeed.

My lesson that day on freedom and forgiveness seemed to touch most of my students. I think they understood the message and the meaning behind my portrayal of Mandela and his life. They appreciated such a lesson coming from their white, American, volunteer, teacher. I think this because after that lesson, they gave me an African name: Rethabile. It means grateful. Giving me this new name was their way of showing their acceptance and gratitude for me. Instead of Rachel, now they call me “Teacha Rethabile.” Now im officially an African American! I feel that I am really a part of this country now!

I have a sense of pride living in and working in a country with such inspirational leaders who have done amazing things for this country.  I have accepted their life. It is now my life, my home and my people. I felt this connection the most when my students and I were walking the streets of Finetown that afternoon handing out the sandwiches to the children. Strangers and people on the street looked at me as if I was one of their own. They have seen me around with the children. They know that I am here for them, to help them and to love them through my work with their children. What was even more special was that all 12 of my students walked right beside me every step of the way. They weren’t embarrassed to be seen with their white teacher, they weren’t eager to ditch me for their other friends and they weren’t ready to go home until we had handed out all of the sandwiches AND until they had all walked me home safety. Each one of them knows the realities that are the dangers of their community. They refused to leave my side until I was at my doorstep. We walked miles that day. They walked even more as they had to take the long trek back home. Their protection for me and their dedication for the project that day was the most moving thing I have ever seen young people their age do before. I have found, yet another, new love in Africa and that is 7^th grade.

I spent 4 years of undergrad and 2 years of graduate studies purposely steering clear of middle school and high school education. A bachelor’s and master’s degree in EARLY childhood education says enough about my love and interest for younger children. However, Jennifer, Jill and Nicole, my teacher friends, have always told me how wonderful the upper elementary, middle school and high school age students are. I have just never believed them. Now I do. God sure does have a wonderful way of opening your eyes to new things. He just took me 9,000 miles away from home to do it. Either way, I am thankful and grateful. I am incredibly blessed and fortunate to be a teacher. Education fascinates me. It inspires me. I have found a profession that makes me want to move mountains. How many people can say that about their jobs? I thank the Lord for giving me this gift.

I heard a quote from Kerri Washington (a black actress, ironic enough) a few years ago and it has always stuck with me. If perfectly fits my feelings this week…

 “I never want to imagine myself at the top of any climb, because I want to be climbing for the rest of my career.”

For me this quote says it all. Being here in South Africa, teaching 7^th grade and working with the least of God’s people, is just another step in my climb. I am nowhere near the peak. I am just strenghtned and little further ahead on my amazing journey. Thank you Lord for this climb and this journey, may it continue as long as you allow.

** This post is dedicated to all of my teacher-friends (you know who you are) who I love and miss so much. Thank you for being the incredible, dedicated teachers that you are. Thank you for teaching me new things and for inspiring me to be better. Thank you for supporting me and loving me, even when you want to shut me off for the night after I’ve spent hours venting about my students, coworkers or the many other things that I can’t fix overnight (or that I can’t fix at all!)…you all know how hard it is to “leave work problems at work”. When you’re a teacher, it’s your life, it’s who you are. It’s not just a day job.

Thank you, God for blessing me with THE BEST teacher-friends.