The Many Sounds At Ricks...

If you came to Ricks, you would hear roosters crowing every morning before the sun rises. Our first week here, we were startled and somewhat agitated by this loud noise coming from right outside our window. Now it is a friendly reminder that a new day is beginning!

If you came to Ricks, you would hear thousands of crickets chirping when it gets dark outside. One of the things I like about not having air conditioning is that we leave our windows open at night. Unfortunately this leads to lots of little critters (lizards, wasp, spiders, mosquitoes, dragonflies, moths, gnats, and many more) that sneak in through our broken screens and windowpanes. Surprisingly, we have actually gotten used to it. It really is so peaceful to go to sleep with the sounds of nature right outside the windows.

If you came to Ricks, you would hear the sounds of bells during the day. A small hand bell during the school day indicates the ending of one period, and the beginning of a new one. There is a large bell, near the dining hall, that is pulled by a rope to let the boarding students know when the meals are ready.

If you came to Ricks, you would hear a chorus of frogs in the puddles after it rains. We are greeted by these sounds every morning on our way to school, and sometimes in the evening. They are so loud! Occasionally we will even see one jump from behind the tall grass into the puddle.

If you came to Ricks, you would hear the sounds of car horns echoing from the main road in front of the school. This was a sound that took some getting used to. Everyone seems to do it. It is common courtesy, and would be rude not to. When we ride into town with people, they honk to say hello, to let a car know we are passing, or to inform people to get out of the way. There may even be 10 horns honking at one time. If someone honks, someone else will more than likely honk back.

If you came to Ricks, you would hear lots of music. Every school day you would hear the singing of the school ode, the national anthem, hymns or praise and worship songs. On Sundays, you would hear hymns being sung at church, in the school building. You would hear members of the community singing as they walk across campus. You would hear the Ricks choir practicing. You might even hear the occasional song on the radio, someone’s ipod or walkman.

My favorite sound that I hear everyday at Ricks, is the sound of laughter, encouragement, and friendly conversations. The laughter is contagious! The encouragement is inspiring, and gives me renewal every day! The friendly conversations never cease to amaze me, and because of them, relationships are being formed!

I strongly believe that I hear God every day through these sounds. I have never experienced God in this way before. I wish you could come to Ricks and hear what I hear every day!