Kids were back today! Lots of them! Since it's a drop in program, the number changes daily. I helped sort some donated text books. Since MyFarm has its own program, the books were split into 3 boxes & will be donated to 3 schools. After about 2 hours of sorting in the hot, dusty upstairs, I was relieved & excited to read aloud to some younger kids. Always a joy to me! By then the older kids group was in need of help as they were sandpainting, carving, making doll houses & making soap. I floated between the groups. When things seemed to be going smooth, I joined Rog in the number lab. He had spent most his day repairing a solar drying oven, fixing signs around the grounds & writing lesson plans for a garden lesson. Next day I was back in the learning lab & reading aloud to several groups. In the afternoon, an American author came to do talk to us about her book, One Plastic Bag. The Gambian hero of her book, Isatou joined her. Isatou has been gathering plastic trash bags and weaving them into purses and other items for many years now. She has recruited many of others and helped them start their own successful businesses teaching them to funnel some of their income into building their business. Now many of them have come up with products using other waste products. She eventually formed a Women Empowering group, then a Person with Disabilities group and an Enviromental group. Isatou gave a pep talk to the many youth that were there. Afternoon was more story reading and playing Doggie, Doggie where's your bone. A cold shower was needed. Rog spent most his day working with Karl's dad on various projects. In the evening, we were invited to where Karl's parent have been staying…which happens to be Lucas' parent's home. It was a beautiful large well decorated home with two pools! Lucas & Becky came as well. We were treated to a most delicious Mexican meal and they'd even bought me Diet Coke! After we ate every drop of food & the wine glasses, beers & my Diet Coke glass was filled again, we had a fascinating discussion. Here's Rog's take on it:
"We had an interesting evening…dinner and conversation with our Norwegian friends along with the managers of the farm, Lucas and Becky. Mostly centered around conservation, pollution and concern for the future of the earth. Hope for future solutions to the big problems along with current "band-aid" efforts predominated. Capturing carbon and storing it under the North Sea is a new procedure that Ovind has been working on n Norway. Lucas sees the next generation as the one that must solve the problem as there is little time left. It will happen!"
What a fulfilling evenings in more ways than one! It reminded me of something I read that MLK said:
The conversation around the table was as nourishing as the food that was served.
