Ever had one of those days?

Some of our students in computer training yesterday courtesy of East African Computer Recycling.

Today was not what I planned.  I was hoping for a day to do what I wanted, to be refreshed, ready for another week. 

Instead I received a phone call that donated food is to be distributed tomorrow morning and could I please (except here the word please is typically not used) contact all my guardians to come to the Changamwe Catholic Church at 9 am, bringing their national identity card and a gunny sack large enough for at least 15 kg of maize (corn).

10 hours later... success!  I have reached 72 families, in some form, with this news.  Most were by text message.  Most of the families now have a mobile phone.  The battery may not be charged and they most likely don't have credit on it to make a phone call, but there is no cost to receive phone calls or text messages. 

I don't have contact numbers for about 30 of the families who don't have phone numbers.  So... it then becomes an exercise in networking!  I am so grateful for the community volunteers I work with.  Eight of them have already started tracing down these families for me.  Others I contact through family members, neighbors who have a phone, the school secretary, class teacher, area social worker ... you get the idea.

Tonight I'm turning off my phone ringer, knowing I can call them back in the morning. One common practice is to "flash" someone ... where you call them quickly and hang up before they answer.  They'll see a missed call and (hopefully) call you back,  paying for the phone call instead of you!  Until we get the food distributed, I'll be calling back every single "flash" - just in case it's a good Samaritan trying to help someone reach me

I've been still catching up from the hectic schedule of August - forgetting who I meant to email back, books I was to buy, people awaiting feedback from me, etc.  I've been trying to be present in the moment, but today required letting go of my own plans and ideas of what I need.

All of these phone calls and text messages are already reaping new connections (besides a tired thumb!) and the blessings of being part of a chain of assistance.  The corn that will be given out tomorrow was donated by the Japanese government, produced in Malawi, announced with great fanfare about a month ago by a senior government official, released on Friday to the Catholic Archdiocese for distribution and tomorrow, needy families will be able to enjoy it.

I also hope to put together a guardian newsletter to hand out with updates on the library, career counseling and our hope to start a reading club during the December holiday.  It's rare that I will meet so many guardians in a two-day period so I hope to soak up every opportunity I can.  

Yesterday I had three event going on at once.  I should learn not to overbook!  Here's our make-up Career Counseling Session 1.   Stay tuned for Session 2 - next weekend.