Day and Night

My student tried calling me at 3 am, but I was still asleep. I noticed the missed call, but figured I'd catch up with her later.

She tried again at 10 am, and I answered. It was 8 pm for her, and she was done with her day, wanting to practice her English, so she just gave me a call to see if I was free.

My time in the US looks a bit different these days than it did when I came home for my first leave in 2016. Back then, very few people had smart phones. Now my 12 year old student has access to her mom's smart phone, and WhatsApp allows her to give me a call at any time of the day or night.

So I answered the phone and greeted her in English. She talked a bit, asking me about "life in America." I answered her question in part by explaining the time difference. It was a helpful illustration for me to take the phone outside and show her how it was bright and sunny for me, while on Clove Island for her it was dark and the end of the day.

Then her mom wandered past and wanted to say hi. So I switched to the island language, with my student giggling in the background. She's used to me only speaking in English in class, so to hear me conversing with her mom in "Clovish" was quite the entertainment. 

Sometimes I struggle to know how much time and energy to spend on Clove Island relationships while I'm away. I need time and space to focus on my people in North America, but technology is a real blessing in allowing me to maintain relationships in Africa that used to be on hold when I was away.

But perhaps that's just part of the struggle many people experience, dealing with local and long-distance connections. May we all have wisdom as we walk alongside both those near and far away.