Saturday, not Thursday: Receiving Awards with Quality and Class

October 5, 2010 by Steve Peifer

You would think a wife who is aging well would be a GOOD thing for the husband, and mostly it is, except when she is standing next to you and you are seeing friends you haven’t seen in three years.
Old Friend:  Nancy, you look so great!
Same Old Friend:  Steve, how ARE you?
Comparisons can be CRUEL.
We have gotten to see JT, dropped off Matthew at University of Richmond, and I have had eye surgery which resulted in my eye going from...

The Final Game

July 18, 2010 by Steve Peifer

It is hard to sum up the last five years, but a couple of thoughts come to mind.

If you are like me, once you went digital, you hadn’t printed out many pictures lately. I recently went through three years of pictures, and printed out the highlights. When we looked through the pictures, the kids that you are helping to feed LOOKED better. Years of good nutrition began to have an effect; they look younger and more alive. Being hungry...

It’s Complicated

June 21, 2010 by Steve Peifer

My all time favorite commercial is from the 60’s. In it, an earnest looking middle aged woman boards a bookmobile and asks a question to an equally earnest looking librarian:
Earnest Middle Aged Woman:  Do you have any books on … biology?
Librarian:  Why, are you constipated?
The earnest middle aged woman agrees that she is, and the librarian gives her advice of her favorite choice of laxative. What I loved was the leap:  if you wanted a book on biology, what other...

Dude: The Joy of Being a Cultural Ambassador

May 16, 2010 by Steve Peifer

I have twelve students who require obtaining educational visa’s in order to study in the United States. It involves compiling a packet of eleven different documents and then making an appointment at the US Embassy for an interview. The US Embassy interestingly schedules all appointments at 7am. So, you arrive at 7am and stand outside for hours with hundreds of others before they let you in, and then you sit inside for several hours waiting for your student’s turn. Often,...

The Wonder of Hope

April 4, 2010 by Steve Peifer

Matthew has been in a sentimental mood lately. My guess is because he has been at RVA since second grade, and graduation is in July. So much to my surprise, he put on the newest Neil Diamond CD, Hot August Night/NYC. As we listened to the first song, I started to ponder how impossible it would be to pick his greatest song, or even the best recording of his biggest hits. But while the opening version of Holly Holy might suggest...

The Joy of Major Problems

March 14, 2010 by Steve Peifer

Being in Kenya has taught me a new way to pray.
I walk across our campus and am surrounded by wonderful young people. Some are encouraged to pray for their safety. Some pray for their futures.
I pray that Jesus will give me a water balloon that I can throw at their heads.
And I pray it loudly.
I’ve found that nothing brings people together as when an old guy prays, “Lord Jesus, please give me a full water balloon that I can throw...

When They Call ME to Teach Home Ec, You Know It’s Code RED

January 29, 2010 by Steve Peifer

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...

Christmas 2009

December 23, 2009 by Steve Peifer

We know your secret identity.
You go around disguised as doctors and teachers and salespersons and stay at home moms, but we know who you really are.
You are the people who feed almost 20,000 students a lunch every school day.
You are the people who have built 17 solar computer centers with another 3 scheduled for completion in 2010.
You are the people who have heard the cry of the children of Africa, and you have not made peace with it.
We are so...