We Don't Complain!

There’s no debate that Covid-19 is altering our life experience - the debate is what we should do about it.  In our quest to make decisions about what we should do, and how to best operate within the constraints of the powers-that-be, complaints seem to arise.  I hear them.  I am even guilty of my own complaints.  On Thursday, I had grown weary of listening to complaints, I suppose, which caused me to make the following Facebook post. ​

Some would call it a coincidence that on that same afternoon, I had an encounter with two teachers who poignantly told me they have no complaints!  I don’t think it was a coincidence, I think it was the Lord’s way of giving me the message to share with you today.  A few years ago, as we experienced a bit of a teacher shortage, we began to seek out teachers in other countries who wanted to teach in the USA.  I’ve had many conversations with two of our Filipino teachers in the past three years, but usually it’s about Science curriculum.  Recently, I’ve wondered why we have not made their presence more of a cultural experience - I guess it’s because we are so focussed on the academics, that we/I don’t take the time to ask.  When we/I don’t ask, we don’t learn.  On Thursday, I asked.  “So, how is the pandemic being handled in the Philippines as compared to the USA or Rock Hill?”

One of the teachers actually traveled to her home land in August, so she had firsthand, recent knowledge.  She hung her head and said, “Oh, Mrs. Massey, it is really sad.  The quarantines, they’re mandatory, and harsh, they lock you down and you think you are doing to die, and it’s in a hotel room at your expense!  Not like here where you quarantine and get bored so you go outside or go for a ride in your car for a while.”  She laughed, “We don’t even have a car there!”  

I asked how they got around, “We walk!  We walk to work and everywhere else.  I walk to work now sometimes if it’s not raining.  I live 1.2 miles away, at home I live 2 miles away from my school, so this is nothing.”  They remarked on the weather here.  They said they love the bright sunny weather without all the rain.  In comparison, I learned that while here it might rain for a few hours, there it rains for weeks at a time.  They said that at home, they would arrive at work at 6am and sometimes they did not leave to go home until 10pm.  They cooked lunch for the students and served it to them.  They were required to keep track of each student’s height and weight.  If a student was overweight, they would put them on an obesity plan, and for those underweight, they had to feed them more and take more frequent measurements.   As teachers, they purchased their own laptop, they enrolled new students, taught three grade-levels in the same room and they did it for what would translate to less than $500 per month.  “So, what we are doing now, we don’t complain!”  They laughed, “Mrs. Massey, we are glad to be here and you’ll never hear us complain.  Disrespectful student, please!  Zoom not working, so what!   We don’t complain!”  

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Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

1 Peter 5:7  Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  16Rejoice always, 17pray continually, 18give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.


AMEN - Have a wonderful week of praise!
​Kim