Beyond our Imagination

We've been waking up at 5:30 every morning to roosters crowing -- never would have imagined we would feel rested after waking up so early. Yesterday was a big day. We started training teachers, and we had no idea what to expect. We were hopeful and unable to imagine what the day would look like.

Yesterday was the first day we crossed the streets in Nepal by ourselves! You may be thinking that is not a big deal, but  it is. Motorcycles, buses, cars, chickens, dogs... No one stops. So we said a prayer. We felt like Moses parting the Red Sea for the Israelites. The only difference is we ran like heck for our safety. Our walk to the ICRI office is ten minutes away, and we were thankful to have made it without a scratch.

We took off our shoes as we entered the office and began our day - a day that we traveled so very long for.  We were greeted with the traditional "Namaste" by teachers dressed in their saris and younger teachers dressed like westerners. We sat in a circle on cushions, and began the training.

The day was filled with positive feedback from teachers as Melanie unfolded Speak to Children's program.  While we couldn't always understand what they were saying, there was a sense of connectedness and common purpose - children. We started it with an interpreter, but the teachers requested Melanie speak slowly in English, which at times was a challenge for her due to her enthusiasm. Listening to the teachers utter speak to children's name in their native tongue and observe the training materials in Nepalese was something Melanie could have never imagined. In fact, being in Nepal training teachers was beyond either of our imaginations. Throughout the day we had moments of reality hitting us, reminding us that we are truly in Nepal, training teachers and discussing the Nepali social and educational dilemmas of not only children, but parents as well. We also listened to confessions of being teachers being too militant with their children. It was truly a powerful experience.

We ended with an evaluation of the day where we got to hear what all 21 teachers truly thought of the experience, and the consistent answer was that they loved it! Melanie's favorite comment about the program was when one teacher said the program is about enlightenment. That was the one comment that Melanie had always hoped to hear and for teachers to understand. The understanding of this program was uttered in Nepali by a young teacher - truly amazing and magical. 

Today is day 2 of our training where we will facilitate group practice sessions of the content. We are excited to see how the day unfolds!