Outside The American School of Abjua, Nigeria

Imagine that it is four days before a big holiday and you
want to feed your family a traditional meal of goat and beef.  You are the head of a large family; everyone
is counting on you.  It must be a big
feast, a celebration, and your income comes from a bead shop the size of a
master bathroom in the US.  Only four
days to the holiday.  Now imagine that
you will need seven goats and a cow to feed your family because you have three
wives and seventeen children.  Now,
imagine that out of the clouds stumble a pair of western women, an American and
a Canadian, giggling like school girls, and between them spend the equivalent
of almost $100 on beads and two table decorations (pictured below).  Imagine how big your smile would be and you
will begin to understand our friend in the picture. 

I will never sit down for a meal at my table without
thinking of our bead seller’s table and how we all benefited by the magic of our
encounter. For the second picture, he insisted on putting on his shades.  

 

Big love to Rita Moltzan, her husband (and upper school
principal) Lyle, who I met and worked with years ago in Sumatra, when their
sons Taylor and Jordan were smaller than the monkeys on the roof of their
home.  Thank you boys for bunking
together so we could camp our in one of the bedrooms.  Thanks to William for catching up the
laundry, the drivers and screen setter uppers and badge checkers.  So much goes into one of these visits.  And Director Amy, whose hands on leadership
touches all levels at the school.

Rita was the ring leader behind our entire African tour and
the words “thank you” are too puny to begin to describe my gratitude for her
enthusiasm, generosity, and friendship. 
But I will say them anyway.  Thank
you.