I don’t know about you, but I looked forward to every holiday from school in all my years as a student and equally hated going back to school after the holiday ended. My best memory about the first day of school, from grade school to college, is that there was hardly ever any homework assigned that day! Yep, a typical young student was I! 😉
Monday, Sept 16th was Back to School day at HEAL sponsored BOMCA and MENPS. The Masters1 arrived at school, the boarders with their suitcases and the day students just with bookbags. For SS-II2 boarding student Blessing, returning to school was like returning home. “I miss the daily prayers and meal times with my friends and classmates and I also missed my favorite Biology and Computer practicum classes,” she said.
Indeed, the prayerful sense of community Blessing describes stems from the Self-Emptying Spirituality (Phil 2:6-11) of the MOJ Sisters. On back to school day, the MOJ’s were there assisting the Masters, helping them unpack their things and prepare for classes. They also led the students in prayer as the very first act of the 2019-2020 year.
Parents and teachers met to consult each other on the best ways to realize their common mission of forming Servant Leaders (Mt. 20:28). Mrs. Maria Ndulor, Principal of BOMCA, organized and set the agenda for the PTA meeting. “We agreed that the masters will learn practical skills such as making furniture and shoes to help balance the abstract learning in the classroom,” Maria said.
Every phase of learning is imbued with Self-Emptying service on behalf of the Masters. Are they benefiting from it? “I felt so happy during the holidays because I have become a valued and respected member of my village due to my formation at BOMCA,” said Blessing. This is how the New Nigeria will come about, one young soul at a time.
Perhaps you’ve been following HEAL for a while, but haven’t yet taken action to support our mission. Now is the perfect time. It’s a new school year!