Mitihani - Exams!

This week is the week of exams for students across Kenya. Two groups of children are taking their exams: Std 8 (8th grade) and Form 4 (Seniors in High School)

The Form 4 students are finishing up three weeks of testing on all their subjects this week. The combined and subject scores will determine whether they can 1) get to go to the university and 2) which subject they can study - too low or too high can disqualify you for your subject of choice. If you are over-qualified, the Joint Application Board for the Kenyan universities will suggest a different line of study for you. Unless you have money to pay extra (which the children we are supporting don't), you have to take the course you are invited to. We have six students taking their KCSE.

Please remember them and send your best wishes for their future our way:
Benson
Collins
Mirriam
Mwanzara
Dennis
Victor

Standard 8 students are taking the KCPE exam Tues to Fri this week. The overall score they get will determine if they can continue on to secondary school (high school) and which school they can attend. Thus, this is a time of great stress and importance for them. We have thirteen children taking the exam this week. Please pray for them:
Ali
Boniface
Bonaventure
Caren
Emmanuel
Gift
Joseph
Joyce
Lucas
Mwangangi
Neema
Stephen
Valentine

Next week I am meeting with the board of my project. We will be looking at finances, governance of the project, and selecting which new students we will support next year. We have had over 40 requests for assistance. Based on our finances, I am hoping we might be able to help half of them, but it might be more like one third. I realized this past week I need to not take myself so seriously, as I've been stressed about trying to get the most information for us to make the best decisions.

It seems as though each day I'm working out a puzzle. Sometimes new pieces appear, others become more clear, and sometimes I realize I've been putting them in the wrong places and that the puzzle is much more complicated than I thought.

The solution seems that it might not be solving the puzzle. What I keep running into is the word compassion. Dorothy Day said "The only solution is Love." Sr. Joyce Rupp wrote in the daily reflections I've been reading that her life goal is to be a compassionate presence in the world.

May we all be more compassionate.