The Best of Days!

Monday was one of the best days that I have had. I took 5 of my students into Monrovia to get ice cream! These students made straight A’s for the first marking period. I was so proud of them, and told them I wanted to do something special to celebrate their hard work. So, on Monday after school we got in the van, along with Mr. Jayran and Rev. Kilby, and went to Monrovia. Even the van ride into town was a big deal to them. A few of them don’t ever get to go into Monrovia, so they were soaking it up. They moved from window to window, observing and commenting on all that was happening. They asked so many questions, and were so interested in all that they were seeing for the first time. Rev. Kilbry drove us by the University of Liberia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (where the president works), and Capital Hill. The students were so intrigued by these places.

Our final destination was the Mona Lisa, where we got ice cream. Their faces were priceless when they walked through the door of the restaurant. They were most excited about the big screen TV. We stood at the ice cream counter for about 10 minutes, observing all of the flavors. They each came up with some interesting combinations of flavors, but not one bite went uneaten. They LOVED it, and I loved watching them. We had a great time sitting and talking together. It was so nice to spend time with them outside of school. We talked about what they want to be when they grow up, and a little bit about where they are from. Most of the time they just looked around the room and commented on things that they saw. There was not a moment when we were not smiling. Several times during the conversation, one of them would say, “Thank you so much Ms. McInvale.” My heart kind of skipped a beat, and it made all of the challenging moments in class worth it.

The drive back was just as much fun. We stopped a couple of time so that Rev. Kilby or Mr. Jayran could run an errand. During one of those stops we bought some plantain chips and bagged water from a street vendor. It is so amazing to me how much the children know about buying things on the street. It is one thing that I am continuing to learn how to do.

I wish that I had the money to take all of my students out and do things like this more often. I realize that I cannot, but I think that will make the few times that I can more special.