North Africa Trip Report
O ur recent WCF mobile team returned from North Africa where we brought an English and Computer training team to serve with a local community in preparation of launching a Vocational Training Center here.
Computer Class
It was very hot - around 115 degrees every day and it didn't help that the AC in one of the rooms was broken until I had to pay to get it fixed. Our partners are very under-resourced so I had to buy the chairs, the laptops, all the food and water for students, for the hotel and meals for people that came from other parts of the country and other ancillary costs.
We ultimately had around 30 people total that came and they were so eager to learn. It was very encouraging.
English as a Second Language (ESL) class
We were surprised that most of the students' English were higher level than we expected. We had to pivot from our mix of beginner and intermediate, but it allowed us to go much deeper. We were able to hear their testimonies, struggles and experiences.
English as a Second Language (ESL) class
The computer classes were also very impactful and surprising as well. They said that there was great interest in AI and web development so we did classes that mixed an Intro to AI as well as HTML, CSS and Javascript. The students said they gained much more confidence in working with these technologies now.
Computer Class
I facilitated 9 lessons from our Character/Leadership curriculum which covered topics such as Forgiveness, Showing Integrity and Mentorship, all from a biblical standpoint but with practical examples such as in the workplace. Many expressed their appreciation for this practical approach. It's a group discussion so we learned a lot about various situations and challenges in the country.
Life Center Start
We originally thought that we could use our local partner's existing Association (their version of a non-profit) to start our Life Center under, but found out that we had to start a training company in order to do this properly. We are now waiting to transfer the existing Association to another person and then we can start that process.
We have local teacher candidates for English and Computer that were part of our classes and we feel are great fits. There are some unknowns, challenges and some steps that we need to take to get this running, but we're trusting the Lord to allow us to overcome each challenge.
But we need your support and prayer to take this to the starting line and beyond. Please consider our Life Center projects in your giving. Even $50/month will go a long way to launch and sustain these to give the underprivileged a chance to succeed in a difficult place.
God bless,
Pastor Jerry