Life is all perspective, right? There is an old song that goes `One man’s ceiling is another man’s floor.’ I have discovered the ultimate example of this.
Assuming that you are an adult who is reading this, I would also assume that if a large rat made its way into your bedroom, your response would probably not be `Sweet!’ However, this was the reaction of my oldest son when he discovered the rat. The rest of the dorm quickly...
Continue ReadingMy corporate philosophy in America was “Always follow a schmuck.” I figured if I followed a loser, I could be mediocre and still look good by comparison. I didn’t do that in my last job, and it was embarrassing. My boss was a genius tech who by some amazing accident was also cool, and I was a dwarf by comparison.
The same thing has happened to me here. The director of finance is a force of nature, and he...
Continue ReadingSaturday, 23 December, we went into Nairobi to the New Life Home and brought back Katie and Ben. Yes, I know we told you he was going to be called Casey, but he’s a Ben! The home had named him Ben and all of us kept calling him Ben. We had no problem switching Betsy over to Katie, but Ben is Ben and so he shall be!
I was concerned that I might be ambivalent towards the babies. Actually...
Continue ReadingWe had an unusual opportunity. We would spend 11 days in northern Kenya, and go to some of the most remote areas on the planet. This wouldn’t be a tourist trip, but a chance to see some different cultures that rarely get observed.
We rented a game tracker, a huge truck that can go over anything, and is accustomed to the non-roads of Kenya. In addition to that truck, eight other cars joined us. We camped the whole time,...
Continue ReadingWith all due respect, Nancy doesn’t understand males. At the end of the term, we have our dorm clean up, and we write down the things they will need to do. On the list that she was going to actually GIVE to the boys, she had written: “Wash walls if necessary.”
Sadly, it came to me to inform her that I was 46 years old, and had NEVER felt like it was necessary to wash a wall. If the...
Continue ReadingWhen you have a dorm of seventh grade boys, you get many requests for pets. We’ve inherited a rather stupid dog for the term that enjoys moaning and sewer water, but she is never quite enough for 15 boys. So tonight, after a meeting, all our guys came home with mice they had found in the field. Nan hates mice with all her heart, so they thought by showing her the mice individually, they would win her over. By the...
Continue ReadingHow did I come to listen to Korean Rap? Well, aren’t you supposed to get involved with the interests of your children? One of my dorm kids LOVES Korean rap, so it came to me to ask him, “Hey, can I groove on your jam?” Or something to that effect. So, I listened to a CD of Korean rap. I actually love American rap, especially when I can’t make out the words. I love the energy. It’s just when I...
Continue ReadingMake no mistake about it: the person who will get the largest crown in heaven is the woman who teaches the combined first and second grade class. I get them for 45 minutes a week, and in the computer class they range from “I’m afraid of mice” to “Can’t we upgrade the operating system?” I don’t know how she does it, and I am so glad I am not her I don’t quite have words. It is the longest 45...
Continue Reading