Family Reflections of Africa Adventure

It has been three weeks since we have returned from Burundi and we have had many people ask us about our experience. I think when you come back from a trip like this it takes some time to reflect before you can really express what we gained from the experience. Probably the first thing that comes to mind is that we are very glad that we did not let fear dictate our decision to go but used faith instead. Had we let our fears take over, we would have robbed ourselves of a great experience. Although you should not speak for others, I am a mom and I will do it anyway. I have asked my kids countless times what they thought of the trip or what they gained from it and they have not formed an answer, so I will form it for them

On our travels down to Burundi, which took about 3 days, Hanna turned to me at the Addis Ababa airport and said I am never doing this again. To put this into context we travelled overnight from Edmonton to England, waited 7 hours for our flight to Addis Ababa, arrived at the Addis Ababa airport,  got on a very crowded bus when we deplaned, it took us to the wrong terminal and we had to get on another crowded bus which took us to a very overcrowded local terminal that had seen better days. There was no place to sit, so we had to sit on the concrete floor for about 4 hours.

So I can understand her dismay, but if made my heart sink. I started to have doubts that we were doing the right thing. I waited about a week or so after we adjusted to being in Burundi, and then asked her if she was still never going to do this again and thankfully she answered she would. I loved watching Hanna teach the beginner class at the Burundi English School and have to say I was a very proud mama.

I also noticed that she actually was having fun with us. When she did not have the luxury of cell phones, Internet and TV, I think she discovered that she could in fact have fun with her family. We would all crowd in our bed under the mosquito net and just chat about the day we shared or commiserate about the mosquitoes or some of the challenging students.

As for Erin, the trip did not seem to bother her as much but she seems to enjoy adventure. The more activity the better for Erin. I really did not know how Erin would do at the school. She is 10 years old, so I was not sure if she would be a help or hindrance in the classroom. I have to say that she was great and I don't know what I would have done without her. She helped me plan, teach, and keep control of the classroom.

  

She even taught by herself one day when I was sick and many of the students were older than her.

She loved getting to know the younger Burundi teachers and had many engaging discussions with them. Erin is very inquisitive and loved to ask them questions about their lives.  

Erin thrived on the active social life we had in Burundi.

Jordan did very well in Burundi. Jordan is not a crowds guy and likes order and routine, so Burundi was likely not the best place for him. He probably struggled the most with Burundi but he found his way. He spent most of his time in my class and once we figured out that he should actually participate in the class rather than sit in the corner, it became much better for him. We played a trivia game with the class where we divided the class into 2 teams and they competed to see who got the most right answers. Jordan's team won with his help and it was great to see how the Burundi kids embraced him. At our house in Burundi, he played for hours with
 Megan outside, making their own toys and using their imaginations.
It was so fun to watch.



Megan could be a Burundian. She loved Burundi and she was in turn loved by Burundians! She loves to be crazy, tell stories, dance, be loud, all qualities that the folks or Burundi seemed to embrace.




I also loved to watch her with our cook Hilaire. I did not invest a lot of time getting to know Hilaire because he did not speak a word of English, and I did not speak a word of Kirundi or French. That did not stop Megan though, she talked to him, wrote him notes, and played the drum for him.. He would in turn show her pictures of his family and get her sticks to play her drum. It was really sweet to watch them together.


Greg had to take on the lion's share of the responsibility of running the Burundi English School. He took on the largest and most advanced class, help promote the school at assemblies, spoke to parents and board members, and helped me stay sane when I was not sure I could teach these classes.




 He really pushed the kids to try new things and challenged them to learn in ways in which they were not accustomed. I think his class probably benefited the most because he really wanted to make a difference. I am really proud of him, not only for his efforts at the school, but also for pursuing this opportunity for our family.

As for me, to be honest, I have been having a bit of an identity crisis. I am used to going a hundred miles an hour with a demanding career and busy home life. When I decided to quit my job, I had a big adjustment to make. Although we were free to go on this trip since I was not working, I was very undecided about it. Our friend Freddie at Youth for Christ Burundi  said that People don't go to Burundi, God sends them and I guess that is what He did.  Although we had some challenges on our trip and while we were in Burundi, they helped us to grow our faith and to become closer as a family.


I feel privileged that we were able to take advantage of an opportunity like this. I know not many families have an opportunity to travel and work in a foreign country, but I have to say if you are presented with this rare opportunity - seize it.