“It is you who is the loser” – a missionary moment

I was talking to an elder of the village about how the teachers are disappointed that the kids are not going to school.  I mentioned that the teachers are sacrificing a lot to come teach the village kids, and they’ve traveled far and given up their lives in the city.  It was a shame that the community was not taking advantage of the opportunity for an education, indicating that it’s a loss to them as the host community. The elder reacted to that by saying it’s a loss to the teachers because it’s them who have come far to teach and have no pupils to teach.  Too bad for the teachers.  I was so surprised!

-a missionary in Tana River, Kenya