a wonderfully warm welcome at St Marks Lutheran School in the chilly Mt!

What a simply stunning morning for a drive to Mt Barker.

Freezing cold, mind you: icy-windscreen-see-your breath-in-the-car-despite-the heating-on-full-blast-cant-feel-your-fingers-gripping-the-steering-wheel-icing-sugar-dusted-snap-frozen-white-grass-kind-of-morning!

I'd received brilliant instructions on how to find the school and the street directory even had Mt barker in it so a grand start all round. As I pulled in to the car park to wait I watched the children arriving and reflected on how incredibly luck this country is. i could smell the smoke from the nearby homes with wood fires where children were preparing to rug up and walk with their mums or dads a few minutes to their school, arriving to a beautiful facility where there was heating as well as books and technology and art and music and such wonderful opportunities for their future.

The Grade 3 students made a fantastic assembly presentation regarding their recent camp to a 'wilderness'site at Mylor and the school principal engaged in negotiation with the student body regarding play areas in view of the very wet weather. A very small student raised his hand, engaging in a question with the principal, freely and fully expecting his question to be met with seriousness and consideration - which it was.

The presentation regarding the chimwemwe project was met with enthusiasm demonstrated by the childrens' spontaneous(and very successful)efforts to engage in the Chichewa language. Such great effort has been put into the shoe raising project- boxes have been built and painted, charts to monitor growth of the shoe numbers and a colourful display at the entrance to the school building to remind students and visitors of the endeavour.

Virginia and I will return after the collection period is completed, probably next term and hopefully to visit individual classes. Shoe Pal #2 is bearing shining witness to "the Power of One", working with wonderful staff to bring a dream true for little(and big) feet on the other side of the world.

Our heartfelt thanks to Lori, the staff and students at St Marks Luterhan School at Mt Barker.

wofetsa mowolowa manja, mowolowa manjanso adzakolola

Blessed in the hand that giveth