September 2013 School Visit

I am pretty glad that I can be reporting to you that our September 24-26th trip to the town of Tan Dian went reasonably well.  

My team of 5-left the big city on Tuesday around 6pm. On the way to the town we discussed the plans for Wednesday.  This was stretching for all five of us, because we already had a plan, but the government official had different ones for us.  So the bartering began. We finally bargained down to 150 students to attend an assembly on Wednesday, then the five of us would be spilt into three groups and each given five sets of 50 students at 45 minute intervals, then we would get the same 150 students from the assembly back for our original English Corner program. During this English Corner program we would separate the 150 students into three groups of 50.  

This altered plan was not ideal and not in any way what we thought we would be doing but it would work.  

Thursday morning we went to a new school and spoke in an assembly to an additional 300 students. 

I really struggled with all the last minute changes. But when we tried to explain to the school officials and teachers why our original plan would have been the best plan we were told that since it was only our second time visiting the Tan Dian school, once we had been there a couple more times we would have some say in the program details. 

Had to really talk to my Father and finally be willing to have another four or five crazy visits to Tan Dian before we are allowed to run the program the way it is intended to work. 

Please keep the program and my sanity in your thoughts to Father.