want to go into it in my last letter because it was late Friday night
and sabbath already and didn't want to get into a matter like this on
sabbath. It is something very upsetting to me and very political. Some
thing that boils my blood to talk of it. But, I feel it to be an
important enough subject that even affects the Americans and the money
they are giving. I just want to be honest. So here it is.
Last week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday my family all gathered
together for family worship like we do every morning. During our
worship I leaned back and looked out our back window and could see
something so disturbing to my American eye. My heart literally started
to throb faster as I witnessed the beatings that the children were
getting outside the school. These are children that are coming late to
school. This is their discipline, beatings. We have been here for 2 1/2
years now and never witnessed anything like this before. I told Jamie
and told him that I am going to have to do something about that and we
talked about how awful it was. I have heard that they do discipline
with hitting sometimes but I never saw it. Then again, Tuesday not
looking for it I got another view of the beatings. Wednesday it was
Jamie sitting on a totally different couch, at a totally different angle
and he saw it for the first time himself. He got so upset that he got
up from our worship and ran over there. I sent Cory behind him to help
translate. Jamie told them to stop! We do not want you hitting these
kids, its wrong. He said many things to them to tell them quickly why
we don't want this going on. The main Principal came over and got in on
the conversation. Many teachers laughed and one female teacher saw
another student coming late and demanded that he come over to her so she
could hit him, right in front of Jamie! He couldn't believe it and the
Principal stopped her. He said that it is true that even the government
does not want them hitting the children. He also said, and this is
important, if Tammy does not want us to hit these kids we had better
stop. She is over all of you and even over me. When Jamie told me that
I could not believe it. I didn't go over at the same time because I
wanted to handle it the way I know they respond and that is with a
meeting. But I guess Jamie's way introduced the problem and gave them
something to think about. He prepared my way. I began to study and get
quotes together on why we should not be doing this. I talked to Kim
Thompson the principle at Oaks school in Tennessee to find out what kind
of discipline system they are on. I wrote out the problem, why I don't
think we should be disciplining like this and what can be a solution.
Thursday night I had set up a time for one of the pastors from around
here, because Bere does not have a pastor, he came over and presented it
all to him. I did this first of all because he speaks English and I
needed him to be my voice. Second I wanted to see what his response
would be. Third I needed advice.
The meeting with Pastor David went really good but the next day I found
out he left already and would not be back for a couple weeks. Oh, no!
We can't have the school over there with no discipline and I didn't want
them to go back to hitting. I thought he was going to set up the school
board meeting for this next Sunday.
Friday morning I was on a hunt for the other pastor. Honestly I clash
with this guy. He is a politician and is always looking out for number
one and I don't mean God! The beginning of the conversation went ok but
then things started to steam up for me. I was patiently waiting my turn
to speak. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. What? It is a
cultural difference? He said that thing are just different in America
and Europe. Things are run different here and that is just how it is.
Nothing we can do about it as he is laughing in my face telling me how
he and a couple other board members talked about it. I couldn't believe
that he thought I was going to walk away with my tail between my legs.
No way! I have been praying about this and this will change! I firmly
told him that I needed him to take this seriously because if I take a
video of this happening to our Adventist children and sent it to America
all money will stop supporting this school. I promise! We are helping
with over 50% at this school and I will stop paying right now. I can
take this money and go start another school in Kalme (which I am going
to soon anyways) and run it the way the Lord instructs. I hated to play
the money card but sometimes that is the only way to get people to
listen here.
At this very moment Olen and Danae passed by since this conversation was
taking place at the hospital. I asked the pastor to excuse me and I ran
up to the two of them and asked them to pray right now for me for I was
getting ready to I think I said, "explode all over this pastor."
"Please pray!" Then I turned around and walked back the pastor. I
don't know if it was their prayer or the ten second rule but the pastor
changed his tune completely. He changed the conversation and said that
he thought that I was talking about another problem that I brought to
Pastor David. Which I knew he was back paddling because there is no way
this other problem would have anything to do with culture. I told him
that we are all children of God whether we are from Europe, America or
Chad and He does not want us to treat His children like this. Wouldn't
it be great to have a reputation as being a discipline school without
hitting and stand out more as a school that shows love for the
children?
The result was that he gave me permission to go straight to the staff
and change the way things are done. Many members of the school board
was getting ready to leave and go out of town for two weeks and so he
said just do it. I told him he was giving me a very big gift and I will
get a meeting together with them on Sunday. I called Valery, the vice
principle, and told him to set it up. I need prayers again that we can
come up with a different way of discipline that works and that everyone
will be receptive.
Pray for me too that the language will come faster. I feel so limited
to what I can do here. I really want to teach the teachers daily or
weekly what Mrs. White says in the Education book. I just want to put
the love for children in their hearts. Right now I have to rely on
other people.
The reason I thought that it was important what the principle said
about me being over everyone was not out of pride. I want to explain.
I believe that God held us back from seeing this abuse until the people
running the school would be receptive of what God wanted to change. I
already know that to change this problem in the school is like trying to
move a mountain. Everyone I have talked to says that this is how it was
for them in school. This is just how it is. But when I hear even from
the little boy Tony, that is staying with us, that he too has been hit
by the principle 50 times for not coming to school one day, that is
abuse! Fifty times made me cry for him and any other child that had to
be hit fifty times with a fan belt off a car. I think that over these
last 2 1/2 years I have been able to build up some trust. They see that
I am here to help the school and to make it better. Things have been
changing for the better and so now I believe I have a little more pull
with them. I do know this is going to be a very long process and will
take a lot of work but I am willing to be involved and get my hands
dirty if need be.
So this was something else that was causing me stress. I want to help
this next generation. If we can teach these kids that there is a better
way of life then hitting maybe they will grow up and change the way the
will respond to their own children or their wife. Abuse is really big
here. It is acceptable here to beat your wife. We need to be teaching
something else.
So please pray for our school, the teachers, the board and me as we all
will be making decisions that can change lives. God willing!
Tammy
--
We are 100% volunteers and your donations are deeply appreciated, as are
your prayers, both of which will contribute greatly to our mission.
PLEASE SPECIFY IN THE MEMO AREA OF YOUR CHECK
FOR "THE BERE PROJECT" AND SEND TO.
Harrison Seventh-Day Adventist Church
PO BOX 969 Harrison, Tn. 37341
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