In the months leading up to our trip, I found myself purging our house of things we did not need. If it was in very good shape, and I believed it could be useful in Lesotho, it went into our Lesotho pile. If not, it was given to St. Vincent De Paul.

I spent one afternoon purging, pens, pencils and markers. How did we ever accumulate so many? I swear they must multiply like rabbits when we are not looking! I filled 2 – 1 gallon size zip lock bags with our excess, and put them in our Lesotho pile. I told my friend Eileen about this and her eyes lit up. She works in the school system and has a closet of school supplies she has accumulated from every good sale she has ever come across. She promised to go through her closet and bring me some things. She brought me over 4 grocery size bags filled to the top with school supplies.

When I wrote to Stephanie, the Peace Corp volunteer at the St. Camillus Center and told her we had school supplies to bring, she responded, “The children will be so excited. These items are not available in Lesotho, and if even if they were, most Besotho children would not be able to afford them.” Not even available? Pencils, pens, glue, lined paper are not even available?!!!

I separated the supplies into 2 piles, one for the St. Camillus Center and one for Mary’s school. When we arrived at Mary’s home and were preparing for our visit to her school, I took out the supplies we had to share. Mary quickly made 4 piles: a pile for her school, one for Sammy”s preschool, one for her Church and one for another school. She wanted to be sure that as many children and teachers benefited from this gift as possible. When I brought out our gifts for the St. Camillus Center, the same thing happened. Rathabile created 3 piles: one for the Center, one for the preschool and one for the elementary school.

I was amazed. Instead of hoarding these supplies that were so hard to come by in their country, they each wanted to share them so that many children would benefit. I stood in awe, humbled by their generosity.