Gloves & Mitten Tree Supplies Go to Lesotho
Below is the letter we received from Bonnie L (daughter of Joyce B) who is currently serving in Lesotho with the Peace Corp. Zion members and friends collected Gloves, Hats, Socks and Sweat Shirt "Hoodies" during our traditional Glove and Mitten tree gathering at Christmas. They were boxed up in March and mailed in time for Bonnie to receive them as winter began in central southern Africa. The pictures are from Bonnie.
Thank you to all who helped make this mission effort a wonderful success. You helped so many children and young people stay warm during their winter.
Dear Rev. Noffke and Zion Church Members,
I know that you all spent several months collecting hats, socks, gloves, and even sweat shirts for the students that attend Mavuka Primary School in Lesotho. My mom, Joyce B mailed 6 boxes on April 7. Like everything else in this country, they did not all arrive at the same time. Do not even ask me why, it's just one of those strange things that tends to happen a lot over here.
Four boxes arrived the last week of April, I was so excited, I thought the other two would probably come the next week. Plus I didn't want to pass the gifts out a few at a time, I wanted to do it all at once. A week later I made the 40 minute walk to the post office. No boxes. I went back the following week, no boxes. Finally the third week, another box. So now the weather is getting colder and school would be ending soon for winter break.
This week on Tuesday, I was spending the day across the road from the school at the resource center. I was grading papers for a class I'm teaching through the college. I saw the postal truck driving down the road and thought. Wow! I'll have to walk over to the post office tomorrow to see if I received any mail.
Another teacher was also in the same building doing some work, she happened to look over towards the school and saw the mail truck! Then someone was calling for me. She came and told me what was going on, I ran outside and meet the truck. To my great surprise I had 2 boxes and a large envelope. I thanked the driver (I was so glad I didn't have to pick these boxes up and carry them back home. Remember I live in the mountains and it's not like walking in downtown Baroda, it's more like the big sand dune at Warren Dunes State Park, only rocky.)
I immediately looked at the dates and who sent the boxes. Hurrah! One of them was the last box from the church!
I took them inside the resource center and told my teacher friend. I had already taken the other boxes there, but was waiting to open all the boxes on the same day. So it was like Christmas and she helped me put the items on the tables.
The next day I told the students during the daily assembly that I had a surprise for each of them.
We started with the reception class first (kindergarten), then grade 1 all the way through grade 7. I'm happy to report that each child received 2 items. Some it was a hat and gloves, others socks and sweatshirts. We even had a enough gloves to give all the teachers a pair.
So thank-you, thank-you, thank-you from the bottom of my heart. All the children in my school were very appreciative. It was so wonderful to see everyone wearing their new clothes the next day at school.
I have attached some photos. It got very cold last night and even a little snow, and today was the last day before winter break, so the gifts arrived exactly at the right time!
Bonnie L, Peace Corps Volunteer, Lesotho
Thank you to all who helped make this mission effort a wonderful success. You helped so many children and young people stay warm during their winter.
Dear Rev. Noffke and Zion Church Members,
I know that you all spent several months collecting hats, socks, gloves, and even sweat shirts for the students that attend Mavuka Primary School in Lesotho. My mom, Joyce B mailed 6 boxes on April 7. Like everything else in this country, they did not all arrive at the same time. Do not even ask me why, it's just one of those strange things that tends to happen a lot over here.
Four boxes arrived the last week of April, I was so excited, I thought the other two would probably come the next week. Plus I didn't want to pass the gifts out a few at a time, I wanted to do it all at once. A week later I made the 40 minute walk to the post office. No boxes. I went back the following week, no boxes. Finally the third week, another box. So now the weather is getting colder and school would be ending soon for winter break.
This week on Tuesday, I was spending the day across the road from the school at the resource center. I was grading papers for a class I'm teaching through the college. I saw the postal truck driving down the road and thought. Wow! I'll have to walk over to the post office tomorrow to see if I received any mail.
Another teacher was also in the same building doing some work, she happened to look over towards the school and saw the mail truck! Then someone was calling for me. She came and told me what was going on, I ran outside and meet the truck. To my great surprise I had 2 boxes and a large envelope. I thanked the driver (I was so glad I didn't have to pick these boxes up and carry them back home. Remember I live in the mountains and it's not like walking in downtown Baroda, it's more like the big sand dune at Warren Dunes State Park, only rocky.)
I immediately looked at the dates and who sent the boxes. Hurrah! One of them was the last box from the church!
I took them inside the resource center and told my teacher friend. I had already taken the other boxes there, but was waiting to open all the boxes on the same day. So it was like Christmas and she helped me put the items on the tables.
The next day I told the students during the daily assembly that I had a surprise for each of them.
We started with the reception class first (kindergarten), then grade 1 all the way through grade 7. I'm happy to report that each child received 2 items. Some it was a hat and gloves, others socks and sweatshirts. We even had a enough gloves to give all the teachers a pair.
So thank-you, thank-you, thank-you from the bottom of my heart. All the children in my school were very appreciative. It was so wonderful to see everyone wearing their new clothes the next day at school.
I have attached some photos. It got very cold last night and even a little snow, and today was the last day before winter break, so the gifts arrived exactly at the right time!
Bonnie L, Peace Corps Volunteer, Lesotho