June 15th, 2014 Father's Day (in America)

Hannah



Today in Zambia is not Father’s Day, but it was a lovely, fun Sunday. Team Mutomo started off our day by going to mass with the Sisters and the girls of Fatima School. I really enjoyed mass! The Fatima girls create fun during mass with joyous songs and lots of dancing! It was very different from mass in the United States, but it was so much fun to experience. Before we left the church, Sr. Christine asked us to sing. We were all very reluctant at first, because we think the Fatima girls sing WAY better than we do; but you just can’t say no to Sister. We ended up singing our school song and we weren’t half bad! After mass, we ate breakfast and just hung out until we trekked to the Barefoot School. We got to see the bookshelf Grace and Jacob built and put the books we brought into said bookshelf. I felt really happy knowing that our books will help further those kids’ knowledge. We also got to see some toys that the children had made, they were so cute! After our visit to the Barefoot School we went back to our rooms and started to pack up. We leave for Kafue tomorrow to go on a Safari which will be very interesting. Soon after, we decided to go back to St. Anthony’s Orphanage. Before we went there however we stopped at a school that will open in October to students. This school is a school for young adults after secondary school who cannot go to University. The instructors will teach skills like agriculture, carpentry, and tailoring so these kids won’t be disadvantaged for not being able to go college. That brief tour was fun, but I was very ancy to go back to St. Anthony’s. Going there is always heartbreaking but it makes my day to make those kids happy for a short few hours. We arrived and most of the kids were in these adorable red and white pajamas, at 4:00! I suppose they have to start getting the kids ready for bed early since there are 78 children to take care of. I got to hold adorable babies and finally use a Chitenge to carry a sweet little boy. He had to go eat eventually so then I got to play with the older kids (5 years old). They love taking selfies on my phone and getting piggybacks. It was such a bittersweet feeling when a little one would just come up and grab my hand. I felt really helpless to this child, but to them I was giving them attention that they really need. I was really sad to leave the kids for a final time, but I know St. Anthony’s is getting better every year so I just have to put my faith in the caretakers and God that those children turn out happy. The day isn’t over quite yet, now everyone is off to a farewell dinner with the sisters! Tomorrow will be a long day of driving, but I am so excited for Team Mutomo’s next adventure. (Happy Father’s Day, Daddy)