This week the next eMwinika Literacy course started, despite the setback of another malaria attach (Nadia) and tummy bug (Rasu) the week before. Although at one stage it seemed that the course will have to be postponed, God is faithful in giving us the grace and energy to start the course in time.
This time, we are teaching in the area where the most faithful group of Mwinika believers resides. They asked used us to come, since they want to be able to read the Word of God!
This area is quite a distance from where we live, and unfortunately also far from where any of the trained Mwinika teachers live. Even so, the Lord opened a way via a young believer, Abar living closer to this area, he offered his services. (Abar is sitting in the back on the chair on this photo). It is gratifying to see a young man from this culture offering his time and effort, despite the fact that he will not receive a salary or any other material benefits from this voluntary job. He was in the first group of Mwinika people that did the Literacy course back in 2010 and became a believer through the 1st cycle Chronological Teaching the year after.
In order to ease Abar into the teaching, one of the trained teachers, Rasu who are finishing his 12th grade at school this year, has offered to help during his school holiday. We were therefore under a bit of pressure to start right away, even though I had malaria the week before and Rasu himself had a tummy bug that set our preparations behind. Even so, the Lord is faithful and we were able to finish the pre-literacy classes this week. 
This will be the first time that I (or any other member of our team) will not be doing the teaching. I am coordinating it this time and although I will be there each day in the beginning, and thereafter visiting several times a week, I am mainly watching, encouraging and training between classes and catching where things “fall” :). 
Our group of students are small for the sake of Abar who is still on a steep learning curve. We have men, women and a young boy who are participating in the teaching this time. Although the group is small, they are enthusiastic and eager to learn. It is great to work with this group who are so eager to learn to read and write eMwinika, since they want to be able to read God’s Word! Photo: the group of students, the two teachers as well as the three men from the group of believers who is forming the “school committee”. This committee is taking the responsibility for the teaching, making sure that the students come, and easing any problems that may arise. 
The first day started culturally appropriate with each of the leaders saying a “few words” before the teaching started with Francois saying his “few words” representing NTM. 🙂 Although they did not have their “school” under the mango tree finished quite yet that first day, the group had no problem to sit on mats on the ground. By the third day, the “tables and chairs” were finished, making it easier for the students to write on these tables than on their laps (see the first picture above). On this photo you can see the canvas they used as temporary partitions and I couldn’t help to think (wink-wink) how thankful we are to the America People who also made this make-shift class room possible! 🙂