There started to be an unusual amount of illnesses, so the principal asked who could fill in for a sick home ec teacher. Nancy volunteered me, which for some mysterious reason received enormous laughter throughout the meeting. The principal sent out an email that night entitled “Save the Children,” which made the sad case of the horrors that the children would be exposed to if I taught the home ec class.

It turned out that what they had been exposed to was the H1N1 flu (aka Swine Flu), and there were so many people out that he was forced to call upon my skills in home ec. I am glad to report that there were no serious injuries, except to my pride when he sent out an email that night saying that there were three cases of food poisoning and would SOMEONE ELSE PLEASE teach home ec.

I had to do chapel this week, and so I realized that it was time for me to take a stand. I asked every student to go see the principal and ask him:  “Do you think you are being sensitive to Mr. Peifer’s feelings?” The killing blow was next; they were to wave their finger and say, “I don’t think you have been.”

And he thought I was just going to take it.

We have had over 100 cases of Swine Flu reported on a campus which holds 500 people. People are tired beyond tired. No one has had to be hospitalized, but people are pretty sick for a few days. We have tried to stay on campus because what would make many westerners sick might kill an African who has a weak immune system. Fortunately, the worst seems to have passed and things are settling down.

Before the illness hit, I was visiting a school and talking to the children. It was right after Christmas, and they were telling me about their holiday. I had RVA kids telling me about their feasts and new toys. In the same boasting spirit, a little boy came up to me and told me, “I have not been hungry in a whole week.”

That chills me. And we are only at 60% of what we need to feed all of the children for this term.  And I began to panic and try to think of the solutions to this. But He directed me to this scripture in Habakkuk:

I will stand at my watch
And station myself on the ramparts;
I will look to see what he will say to me,
And what answer I am to give to this complaint.

We’re still standing.

Your pal,
Steve