5 Nov...Friday Afternoon Delight!

As I sat in the staff preparation room reading the informative and, at times, emotional letters each of the girls had written to tell me about their lives,

 The Staff Prep room and the view out to the kitchen/dining hut.

I was distracted by the beautiful singing I could hear. I wondered which teacher was taking the class as all 3 available teachers (the 3 included me!) were in the prep room. I couldn’t sit still as the singing was luring me to its source. As I entered the room I stopped, not sure whether I should disrupt, as the girls were in the middle of a beautiful Gospel song. They were swaying, many with closed eyes, some clapping their hand to the beat but all of them were singing strongly and passionately. Those who caught my eye understood my reticence and beckoned me in. I later learned that this was their Religion lesson and it was self directed. I can’t remember a final lesson on Friday afternoon ever being so moving, energetic and so unique!!
The girls were seated around the walls in the U-shape formation I had created earlier in the week. Girl after girl, sometimes in pairs, came to stand at the front and took the lead in each song. They sang in Kiswahili, some words I recognised, and their passion was evident as they harmonised; allowed solo parts; then joined in to raise the roof with their perfectly pitched and timbered voices!
A duet was offered to me and sung with such emotion it brought me to tears....
It was equal to or even better than the performance of the Soweto Gospel Choir we were fortunate to experience back home in Cairns!

I am so lucky!