I’m just the one who can go.

There was a time in my life that I thought I had to fix everything.  That was my job, and purpose.  It is what gave me self worth–or took it away.  Being a classroom teacher beat this out of me a bit.  Every night I’d go to bed exhausted and thinking of all the things I didn’t get done or I didn’t do well.  I’d anguish over the way I spoke to a student or colleague.  I’d be overwhelmed at the magnitude of the need before me.

Slowly, I learned to release this perfectionism that would never be reality.  It was that or have a mental breakdown.

Contemplating the need of orphans in Africa, even just focusing on the educational need, is mind boggling.  You could start anywhere and find a cause worthy of your life’s energy: literacy, STEM, mindfulness, religious formation.  And education feels like the easy part when you are raising 200+ kids.

There is a pretty good chance that I’ll be administering a preschool here before too long.  If you know me well, you might need to pick yourself up off the floor, because you know I’m not a huge fan of educational interactions with little people.  Yet, this is the most pressing need I identified during my June trip.

I don’t know how to administer a preschool…yet.  I’m trained in secondary education and am getting a masters in educational technology and design (super helpful in KENYA).  But God has sent me partners who are educated, experienced, and passionate about early childhood education and literacy.  They’ve spent hours with me discussing philosophy and implementation.  They are excited and empowered to continue supporting our combined efforts as I return.

I don’t have all the answers, I won’t do it perfectly, but I’m not doing it alone. I’m just the one who can go.