Task vs. Time Orientation

Yesterday the majority of my day [and today] ended up educating my children. I enjoy learning with my kids these days but in the past 'enjoy' would not of described school for us.

Breadfruit trees-planted August 27.

Our school day generally starts shortly after 7 a.m. Around 10 a.m. I read out loud while they break and fix a snack if needed. Lunch is at noon. And finish time......well that varies. Some days we set specific goals, other days we aim for a time, roughly between 3-4 p.m. Occasionally a bit of school work will be tackled later in the day after a break outside.

When I thought about our approach to the length of our school day it occurred to me. Never in my life have I worked a job that started or ended at a set time. No 9-5. Not really-the closest I came would of been during residency when I lived under set times that I needed to be in clinic or the hospital between the hours 'x to y'. But because the nature of residency included learning and study...no end point existed.

Star Fruit-knee high. Planted in February 2011.

My younger days I worked on the farm, I weekly cleaned our church and I mowed cemeteries. All jobs with set requirements but not set time tables. Each task could be influenced by outside factors-which could change the date, time and lenght of time needed to complete it. Practice I guess for the need of flexibility in my future life.

Today in my roles as missionary, teacher, mom, wife, communicator, and sometimes doctor once again no set time frame exists. Nothing allows me to 'check out' at quiting time because no quiting time exists. Outside factors that influence my life and 'job' include: interruptions, energy levels, expectations-both mine and others, weather, resources, priorities, and how well I decide to do the job.

I would say that being raised with a working until the job is done, or studying until the test comes attitude vs. aiming for an end point on a clock helped. It made the transition to a relationship based culture not a time based culture easier. [Agricultural work means a lot of tasks and waiting too, especially when dealing with trees.]

Now do not get me wrong, I still watch the clock. Thankfully many of the meetings or events that we get invited to occur on the campus so we can watch from the house for the gathering of people as an indication of the event starting. Or someone can kindly call us when the event really starts rather than us be the first folks to arrive shortly after the arranged start time and waiting until enough people arrive to start.

After years of living in Haiti one does learn to bring a book or something to do to reduce the tension caused by waiting and therefore 'wasting time'. Another activity I have found that redeems waiting in a wonderful way - praying.

Thankful: Mme. Fanny, who cooks for us twice a week, feeling better and worked for the first time today since our return.    Prayer: Pastor Rigo's pregnant wife. 5 hospitalized cholera patients.