I’d like to offer you a better grasp and better understanding of the English classes I teach. I’m not going to use names, because I haven’t asked the students if I could, but know each and every student has a name and a special place in my heart. So, please, allow me to introduce you to some of my students!

The first class of the week is the beginner class. This is my most challenging class, because they have been so nervous to speak. They even whisper to each other in Kirundi. I must admit sometimes I don’t even want to go, because I get blank stares so often. This semester has been better I think because I spent a lot of time in December just “being with them”. I made them cookies for Christmas, none of my students had ever had a chocolate chip cookie or even knew what it was. We also played a lot of games that didn’t require a lot of conversation so it helped them relax and get more comfortable I think.

The beginner class is a range of ages. My youngest student is 6 and my oldest student is probably around 40. Some of these students walk straight from school to English class. Some of these students don’t have money to attend school so they are what we would call street kids or neighborhood kids because essentially they play and roam the streets all day. Some of these students take care of animals. Most have holes in their clothes and some lack shoes. Even though they have been so nervous to talk to me, they are warming up a lot this semester. Their quiet, timid spoken English and smiles warm my heart. A little boy who is 10 years old, but looks 7 or 8 due to malnutrition shows up nearly every single week rain or shine. Always in the same clothes and at first never with a smile. Just this week he smiled so much in class I thought my heart was going to burst. His smile is precious, he’s still timid and nervous to talk, but I speak to him in my broken Kirundi and tell him every week Yesu aragakunda-Jesus loves you.

Another student in this class is our house girl. Poor girl is with our family 8 hours 6 days a week and she still likes us! She is 19 years old. When we first arrived her only English was, “thank you”. It was honestly hilarious, because Josh being Josh would greet her with all sorts of English sayings like, “Happy Birthday!” or “Merry Christmas” or even something in Spanish and her response was always…”Thank you!” with a big smile. I have spent some time tutoring her and she is in the beginner class and excelling. The other day she came to me and asked me to sit down with her. She had worked so hard to translate something and was nervous to tell me. Essentially she said Josh and I are like parents to her and she is so thankful for us. She would like me to know how much she loves learning English.

You can literally feel like you’re doing nothing here, like all your doing is being here and so often I don’t even feel like I’m being here well…your kids argue, Josh and I battle discouragement, you feel overwhelmed and completely underwhelmed at the same time, you battle loneliness and isolation, you’re pretty sure you’re not making a difference or you’re making so many mistakes you wonder what in the world do these people think? And then someone says, “your like parents to me.” And that’s how God keeps you going.

My other class I have 2-3 times a week is my advanced class. I have to admit this is my absolute favorite class! There are only 6 students that regularly attend and we have become very close. I’m able to simply sit among them and just talk. I learn about Burundi and each of them. We have spiritual conversations, political conversations and have so many amazing discussions. There was one student in this class when we first arrived I knew he had so much potential and he knew English better than he realized. He had no confidence in his English speaking ability, after just a few months his confidence grew and now he will be attending a training this month where the teachings for 3 days are solely in English. I know he will excel, but more importantly he knows he can go and he will excel.

My last class is in the city, they are intermediate level. I try to hold this class every other week, but with the fuel shortage the ability to travel can be iffy. I have such a deep connection with these students. Some of them I have known for 15 years. They are protective of me and I am humbled at how they have cared for me for so many years. This class is a blast because we are more familiar with each other. This class has the most laughter. Sometimes I wonder if it is a Kirundi or English class because they naturally have so much fun they begin speaking in Kirundi without noticing it. This class has a running joke that no matter what game we play there is 1 student that wins. He always wins! Whether it is a game of chance or of strategy. It’s amazing!

This same student was our driver many, many years ago when I came to Burundi in 2009. I was a young single at the time and he is like a protective father with me. I know if he is around I am being watched over. In 2009 a few members of the team, including me, went into a store. I get easily overwhelmed with the people following or the tight spaces in the stores so I stepped out on the porch of the store. The store guard began to talk to me in Kirundi and I just gave him blank stares because I had no clue what he was saying, but some things cross language and I got the gist. He was probably asking me if I was married. Well, our driver (my current student) slowly walked behind me and simply stood there and crossed his arms on his chest. The guard turned in his chair uncomfortably and didn’t speak to me again or even make eye contact with me.

Burundians are very relational, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to grow in relationship with them through teaching English. For the first time in my life I am okay and actually enjoy making mistakes because it lightens the mood in class and it shows them…I’m just another human. In a culture that has been taught the skin color separates us too much. Because history has told them my skin color makes me the elite, the privileged therefore their skin color makes them the not worthy, the lower caste, the ones not worth investing in or even noticing. Possibly my greatest joy in being here is every opportunity I have to break that mold. I love shocking them. I love doing things the muzungus before me haven’t dared to do. We don’t do anything perfect and I’m quite sure most of these Burundians have seen that! But when we leave this country, I don’t think any of them will have any doubt that this family loved them. Pray for us to love them well. Pray that we would have discernment and wisdom in what that even means and what that looks like daily. Pray that we would be humble in service, never prideful and when we stumble that we would be repentant, not discouraged but get back up to serve again and serve well.