We leave for Zambia March 2. We are taking with us the spirit of Upping Our Game.
In the current email class we were asked to choose something we want to focus on for the year. Our second assignment was to consider what we will have to let go in order to accomplish that. To me it seems, at base, each of us must let go the unconscious beliefs about who we are/what we are/what is possible for us. Outside of the limited, pre-determined perspective of how we have been conditioned to see ourselves ANYTHING is possible.
It struck me what a direct parallel there is to bringing English, and therefore opportunity, to the children of Kantolomba. I have realized, over time, that the actual language learning is important, but addressing the unseen beliefs the children have about what is possible for them is paramount. Perhaps you remember in our last blog seeing a photo of 13 year old Regina, whom we have known since she was 7, with her new-born baby. This is not a problem, of course, IF that is what a young girl truly wants (and how one would know that at 13 years old!).
In exactly that way practice simply holds out another option for each of us who wishes to choose it (and never demands or even implies that one should), Living Compassion in Kantolomba is holding out possibilities for these young people—possibilities most of us reading this take absolutely for granted.
Watch for the blogs on the very exciting, new ways we have in the works for making English come to life!
In Gassho,
Jen