June 2023

by Emily

It’s June. And as I sit to write this post, the first of 2023, I can’t help but wonder–how is it June already? It seems that the year started at an accelerated pace and hasn’t slowed down yet. As I mentioned in our newsletter, traveling during the holiday season and returning to Mauritius just a few days before going back to work was tough. While we were grateful to have had the opportunity to visit family and friends in the US, we returned exhausted after traveling, having COVID, and generally being displaced for a month. Then came the rush of starting a new school year followed by a significant number of random school closures due to heavy rains. In an effort to avoid forcing everyone back online, Lighthouse did its best to navigate these days with asynchronous learning, but of course, this did not relieve the pressure on teachers to cover necessary content with less class time or the strain on parents to again navigate childcare and home learning. The funny thing is that, despite it being a tiny island, Mauritius has many diverse micro-climates—meaning that it may be flooding in one part of the island while it is bright and sunny in another part of the island. After the fifth or sixth rain day, it became a running joke to try not to get sunburned on these “rain” days. In truth, the torrential rains did produce dangerous conditions and flash flooding in some areas; however, it was still frustrating to have schools closed for what—at times—appeared to be no reason. But this is what happens when a whole country is one school district. Luckily, the rain days stopped after Cyclone Freddy passed by Mauritius in late February, signaling an end to the hazardous weather season.

March brought us to the end of the first term and the official completion of one-third of the school year. We had our term break in April, during which we tried to relax a bit while also getting caught up on work. Some of you may remember that we took a family trip down south where we stayed at a small permaculture farm in a “camptainer.” It was a fun experience despite it being wet and rainy most of the time. We also explored the south coast of Mauritius which is much more rocky and rugged than the northern beaches we are accustomed to.

When we returned to school in late April, I had the privilege of FINALLY having an office space to work from in the new secondary school building. Some of you may remember that the new building was under construction last year and with it came the promise of two new counseling offices for me and the other counselor to use. But alas, even though the new classrooms were ready to be used at the beginning of the school year in January, the counseling offices had no paint, no furniture, no window privacy, and therefore, were not functional. It took the entire first term to negotiate getting these offices finished, but after almost two years of being a counseling nomad, I finally have a space to call my own. It is a tiny office with no exterior ventilation, but at least it’s a stable location. I have tried to outfit the office with a few accessories, including a pillow with two-sided sequins. If you brush the sequins one direction they show gold, and if you brush them the other direction, they show turquoise. The students seem to be drawn to this pillow, and they often stroke it or draw designs on it as they talk. On my first full day in the new office, I was amused to see what each student who came in the office would draw and leave for the next student. One student left a smiley face; another left a frown. Someone drew a person, and someone else drew a cat. This went on all day with the images changing from student to student. I also have a few pop-its and a large white board on the wall with dry erase markers in a basket. Students frequently play with the pop-its while they talk, and a few have grabbed a marker to illustrate on the board what they were thinking or feeling. I have another student who likes to take off his shoes and lie down on the rattan loveseat to make himself more comfortable while we talk. The beauty in this is that none of these students have felt the need to ask permission, and I have said nothing to them about their fidgeting or drawing because I know this means that they feel comfortable and safe in the space. I’m just grateful to finally have a designated space where students can feel free to relax, be themselves, and share whatever is on their minds.

The start of the second term also began the countdown to Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) in the secondary school. This, of course, is my biggest project for the year! MHAW occurred the week of May 15-19 in order to correspond with Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK and Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. The goal of MHAW is to engage with students around the topic of mental health in order to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage students to reach out for support if needed. This year, unlike last year, we were not given a designated day or afternoon reserved for mental health activities, so I had to be creative in thinking about how best to share important information, get students involved, and make an impact all with little time and even less money. I could not interfere with class time, so that left me with homeroom in the mornings, lunch, and break time.

With this in mind, my first step was to make a plan. I started by choosing a theme for each day of the week. Then, I made videos to be played during homeroom each day that addressed the day’s theme. On Monday, we discussed stress and anxiety. Tuesday, we addressed sadness and depression. Wednesday, during our weekly assembly in place of homeroom, we talked about suicide. Thursday, the topic was caring for others. And on Friday, the topic was caring for yourself. Teachers were also given a daily guide for the week with links to the videos and follow-up questions or activities for further discussion in homeroom. Then I turned my attention to how I could add activities to enhance these themes and get the students more engaged.

To build momentum in the weeks leading up to MHAW, I initiated some friendly competition by challenging each homeroom to create a classroom door display with any theme related to mental health. The winning homeroom got a bag of treats and points for their house. (You may remember that the students are divided into houses—Fidem, Amare, and Spero—like in Harry Potter.) There were some really great displays, and it was good to know that students were engaging in conversations about mental health while creating their designs, even before MHAW began.

Then, I added a few extra activities during the week to occur outside of homeroom. The biggest event was our Mental Health Carnival which took place on Tuesday during lunch. Lunch in the secondary school is divided into two 20-minute blocks. The first block is for lower secondary students (grades 7-9) to eat, and the second block is for upper secondary students (grades 10-13) to eat. When they are not eating lunch, students have free time for their other 20-minute block. There are roughly 220 students in the secondary school which meant that I had 20 minutes to do games for roughly 100 students in each block. I wanted there to be enough activities for everyone to participate, but not too much given the limited amount of time. So, I decided on six activities—emoji pong, calmdown challenge, anger balloons, prize wheel trivia, expression master, and flags of hope. I tried to keep it simple, but I still had to make most of the games myself, including the prize wheel.

And, of course, we needed candy—lots of candy to give as prizes for each of the activities. (I have worked with young people long enough to know that free food and candy are always good motivators!!) The final step was to offer one more incentive for participation…house points! House points were given to the house that completed the most activities during the carnival, so I created color-coded carnival tickets for each house. Students were required to have a ticket to play, and upon completion of each activity, the tickets were marked by the staff member hosting that activity.

To be honest, despite all of the planning and preparation, when it came time for the carnival I was scared—no terrified—that no one would participate. After all, this was NOT a mandatory event and it was competing with the students’ precious free time during which they usually like to hang out with friends or play football or volleyball. I was even more scared because the first group to have free time was upper secondary while lower secondary ate lunch. I fully expected that the older students might think the carnival was “lame” and might just avoid the event altogether. Nevertheless, we made sure to have everything setup and ready to go at 12:40 on the dot! We had games in the corridors, we had a tent setup in front of the main secondary building, and we had music pumping. I started the carnival working at the prize wheel, and it only took about 30 seconds for students to begin gathering and asking how to play. I told them they needed a ticket to play so they raced to get tickets, and before long, I had a line of students. But it wasn’t just me! All of the events soon had lines of students eager to play and get candy. In fact, the students were so involved that when it was time for the upper students to go to lunch, I had to shoo them away. Students pleaded with me, “Please miss! I didn’t get a turn, miss! Just one more minute, miss!”

“No, no, no!” I told them. “Time’s up! It’s time to give the lower students a chance to play.”

This scene was repeated at the end of the next 20-minute block, only this time it was the lower secondary students pleading, “Please miss!” But alas, it was time for class, and we had to send them on their way. It was a wild 40-minutes, but within the next class period, our pop-up carnival disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. By the end of the day, I was exhausted, but also my heart was full. I had fully prepared myself to be disappointed and to feel like all of the work and preparation had been in vain. But in the end, we collected 117 tickets, and students completed more than 300 individual activities. Instead of feeling defeated, I felt happily overwhelmed by the students’ energy and participation, and I was so grateful to my fellow staff and student helpers who made it possible.

To see a short video that a colleague made of the carnival, click here.

With the carnival behind me, it was time to move on to Wednesday morning’s secondary school assembly. As I mentioned, I had pre-recorded a video on the topic of suicide and the students in charge of assembly that week had added a brief skit and a message to share with the students about suicide. It was a somber presentation, which I knew it would be. But I didn’t want to leave students on such a serious note, so I worked with our house coordinator in advance to arrange one final house competition to close the assembly. And what better way to lift the mood than to have a dance off!! The idea was that student representatives from each homeroom would compete in various rounds for their house. As you might imagine, this quickly turned into total chaos as 200 students crowded around the stage to watch the brave volunteers show off their dance moves. When all of the student rounds had finished, we surprisingly ended up with a tie among all three houses. So there was only one logical solution to break the tie—a teacher dance off! Luckily, there were three brave teachers willing to represent their houses on stage and break the tie. In the end, a great time was had by all, and I thought my fellow staff member summed up assembly perfectly by telling the students, “Sometimes life is hard. And it’s important to recognize and talk about the hard stuff. But sometimes life is good. And it’s important to have fun and enjoy the good things too.” I couldn’t have asked for a better final message than this.

With Thursday came another initiative to encourage student engagement. The video topic for Thursday was “caring for others.” So, at the conclusion of the video, students were to use the remainder of homeroom to complete Shout Out cards. A shout out is when you acknowledge a person in order to thank them or praise something that you appreciate or admire about them. The students were encouraged to think about sending this Shout Out to someone who is not their best friend or who they may not normally talk to. The cards were collected at the end of homeroom and then distributed to the recipients at the end of the day. When it came time to distribute the cards, the students looked on with anticipation as I went from class to class to see if they would get a Shout Out. When they did, a subtle smile would cross their face as they read the note and then silently slid it under a book or a paper so no one else would see it. (And don’t worry, I read all of the cards to make sure only positive messages were being sent. I was quite impressed with the kindness and encouragement the students showed to one another in these messages.) Because staff mental health is also important, I mirrored this exercise with staff by starting a chat group where staff had 48 hours to post Shout Outs about other staff members. I was afraid that maybe no one would participate, but after I got the ball rolling, it just flowed naturally from there. It was beautiful to see staff members sharing genuine appreciation for other staff members and lifting each other up.

Although it had been a great week, by Friday I was exhausted. But there was still one final activity in honor of MHAW. Friday was “Wear Green Day.” Green is the color of mental health awareness, so students were promised a special treat if they wore green to school on Friday in support of MHAW. In this case, the special treats were popsicles, or as they are called here, ice lollies. At morning break, a green line quickly formed because everyone wanted a popsicle. I had to turn several students away who weren’t wearing green, but some of the boys decided to be clever and go switch shirts with their friends. Although technically this was cheating, I couldn’t help but smile at their ingenuity and determination, so I gave them popsicles anyway. Many of the staff wore green (and got popsicles) to support the cause as well.

Also on Friday morning, after the video message about caring for yourself, the students were asked to complete a mental health survey. This is the second year we have done this survey, and the purpose is to gather information about the general well-being of our student body while also identifying students who may need more targeted intervention. I wish I could say that the number of students experiencing suicidal thoughts, self-harming, and other types of serious concerns has lessened, but as the student body continues to grow, so do these concerns. Although it has felt a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with all of these student needs, the survey results just underscore for me the importance of having events like MHAW. Many students struggle with very difficult circumstances, and there are many days that I feel like I’m just putting bandaids on broken limbs, not making any difference against a mountain of concerns. But this is why I need MHAW too. It reminds me that there is joy among the sorrow and hope among the despair. Some days the sorrow is great, but as they say in Kreole, “Ti Pa, Ti Pa.” Little by little, or step by step, we press on knowing that even the tiniest step toward healing and hope is worth it.

May your life be filled with peace, love, and gratitude until next time…

November 2022

by Emily

The more time passes the faster it seems to go. This has never felt more true than over the past few months, and now we find ourselves hurtling toward our return visit to the US in less than three weeks! In many ways, it is hard to believe we have been gone from the US for over two years, and I find myself caught somewhere between expecting things to be exactly the same and expecting everything to be completely different. Afterall, life has taught me on more than one occasion that once gone, we can never really return home again. Or as Nelson Mandela said, “There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.” Nonetheless, we are excited to return and reconnect with so many who we have missed over the past few years.

Here, the busyness of life and school continues and has even intensified as we finish the 2022 school year. Some of the biggest highlights of the end of the year at Lighthouse happen at camps! And just a few weeks ago, I was privileged enough to go with the Grade 10 students on a week-long camp in the south of Mauritius. We stayed at the a Catholic retreat center by the ocean called Senlis-sur-Mer in Raimbel. Despite there being a little mischief and little sleep, the week was a lot of fun and very transformative for many students.

The week started with a full-day hike in Black River Gorges National Park. To start the hike, students were immediately divided into three teams, which would be their small groups for the week. We had two groups of boys and only one group of girls while having two female chaperones and only one male chaperone for the week, so I was in charge one of the boys’ teams who later named themselves the Kingsmen. (Don’t worry, some other male staff came for parts of the week as well.) It was a great day for hiking and a great exercise in patience for my team of energetic boys who wanted to run down the mountain but were forced to slow their pace in order to stay with the larger group. At the end of the hike there was a river with a spot deep enough to jump off the rocks and swim, which was a perfect reward after a long hike.

Throughout camp there were various games and team challenges, but some of the highlights included a beach cookoff and night games! For the beach cookoff, each team was given a box of ingredients. The boxes had many similar ingredients, but some teams had the advantage of special ingredients based on their team’s performance in earlier challenges. With the ingredients provided, each team had to create a three-course meal—appetizer, main course, and dessert—cooked over a campfire on the beach. Technically, there were supposed to be time limits on how long the teams had to prepare each course, but let’s just say, we had to make a few adjustments. So, three or four hours later, each team had successfully produced three courses which they presented to the judges (me and the other staff) for tasting. I should add that this was their dinner as well, so they also had to eat what they cooked. It was really amazing to see the creativity and cooking talents of many of the students. And it was also hilarious to watch them try to build campfires, which was the first major delay in the process. Note for next year, maybe we should teach them how to build fires before expecting them to build fires!!

Nevertheless, each team won at least one round. The winning appetizer was a fried potato ball with cheese in it. There is a Mauritian name for this, but I can’t remember it. The winning main dish was a cheesy pasta with chicken sausages, and the winning dessert was an apple crumble, which only barely beat out a tart with caramelized pineapple. All in all, I think the students really enjoyed this challenge and the opportunity to show their skills. The teams were also responsible for cooking various other meals in the kitchen throughout the week, and I think they quickly learned that planning, prepping, and cooking a meal for roughly 30 people is not so easy. We only had one minor mishap when some of the boys on my team covered a plastic try with aluminum foil and put it in the over to roast garlic bread. Needless to say, it took quite a bit of scraping and elbow grease to remove the melted plastic from the bottom of the over. So another note for next year, explicitly tell students that plastic cannot go into the oven!

The night games were also a big hit at camp, mostly because they involved glow sticks and running around in the dark. One game involved distributing several hundred glow sticks (imported from the US) across the large back lawn of the retreat center. Each team was given a bucket and had to collect as many glow sticks as possible. The team with the most glow sticks in their bucket at the end of the game won. BUT, there was a catch. The catch was that each staff member had a pool noodle with which they could whack students. If a student was hit by a noodle, they had to surrender their glow sticks and do ten jumping jacks before continuing the game. So if you remember the mischief I mentioned earlier, well, let’s just say the staff enjoyed this game as much as the students. There were other night games and more day games, and fun was had by all.

By far the most special part of camp for me was small group time. We had daily devotions and also had the opportunity to share personal stories of struggle and triumph. I was touched by my group of 14 to 16-year old boys as they shared their stories. Many shed tears as they talked about personal challenges, and I was proud of the way the group members rallied around each other to provide support, hope, and encouragement. I was also grateful to witness the transformation of many students over the course of the week. There were some who verbalized an awareness of the ways in which they had drifted from their values and who showed an earnest desire to reconnect with their faith or families. Another young man who earlier this year was suicidal and so down on himself that he couldn’t even make eye contact thrived during camp week as his various talents and personal character shined among his classmates. To see him smiling and confident was amazing!

The final day of camp ended with a morning trip to Roche Qui Pleure, a rock cliff by the ocean where the waves break directly against the rocks. It was a beautiful setting for our final reflection time. The theme for the week was ‘surrender,’ so we asked the students to consider what it was that they felt they needed to surrender in order to be more the person they wanted or felt called to be. Each student was given a rock and asked to write what they needed to surrender on the rock. After some time holding the rock in quiet reflection, the students were encouraged to throw their rocks into the ocean as a symbolic surrendering of whatever they were struggling with. Several students found this activity meaningful, and as we walked back toward the bus, a student (we will call her Samantha) stopped me and ask how she could actually let go of what she wrote on her rock. This led to a longer discussion about fear and letting go—and as fate would have it, Samantha’s ability to overcome her fear would soon be tested.

Our last stop before heading back to school was a Nepalese bridge at La Vallée des Couleurs. The Nepalese bridge is a single plank width bridge that is 350 meters long and suspended roughly 80 to 100 meters above the forest canopy. It is the type of activity that goes against every survival instinct in the body, despite being strapped to a safety harness. As we approached the bridge, it was clear that Samantha was feeling anxious. She hung back to the end of the line as her eager peers rushed at the opportunity. I waited with her and assured her that I would go last and be right behind her. She stepped up for her turn, but only got about 6 or 8 feet out onto the bridge when she froze. I talked to her and told her that I was coming. I got on the bridge and walked up behind her, stifling my own fear, and assured her that I was there. “One foot in front of the other,” I said. “You can do this.”

At that moment, it started to rain, and despite my best efforts, she wasn’t moving. She wanted to go back, so I asked the guide if it would be okay if she waited at the beginning for us to come back around and pick her up. Honestly, I was afraid that if I tried to force her, she might have a panic attack in the middle of the bridge, and I wasn’t sure I was prepared to manage that and my own anxiety. The guide said this would be fine, so we went back to the start. I told her that we would come back to get her and turned around to return to the bridge. “You’re still going?” she asked. I said yes and went on, knowing that this was likely causing her to question her own decision to stay behind, but once on the bridge, I didn’t look back as I focused my own mind on putting one foot in front of the other.

When I reached the other side, the others in the group asked where Samantha was, and I told them that she had decided not to do it. We were all disappointed but turned to go. As we were about to drive away, one of the guides came running over and said that Samantha was on the bridge and was coming. The others needed to go to the next activity, but I stayed behind and waited. Sure enough, at the starting end of the bridge I saw Samantha. A guide was walking backward in front of her and helping her along. Little by little, step by step, she made it all the way across the bridge. When she reached the other side, I cheered, she smiled, and we celebrated her victory. She was beaming as she shared her accomplishment with the rest of the group and said with pride, “I surrendered my fear!” Indeed she did. And what a glorious finish to camp it was!

There are still more camps to come, including the Grade 11 camp that Aaron will be chaperoning during the last week of school. And of course, we have a senior banquet, graduation, final grades, and end-of-the-year celebrations still to come before the last day of school on November 25^th. It will be a crazy rush, but also a great achievement to finish our second full year at Lighthouse. Time does fly, but if we stop to pay attention, there are some pretty good things that happen along the way!

More camp photos:

With peace, love, and gratitude until 2023…

July 2022

by Emily

Phew! What a busy time it has been! June and July were packed full of exciting events in both the primary and secondary schools and culminated with the completion of Term 2 (of 3) of the 2022 academic year. As we round the final bend for this school year, we have had to say goodbye to several friends and colleagues who are moving on to other countries or other career endeavors, including the now former Head of Primary, a beloved music teacher, and a wonderful teaching assistant who was in Kyler’s class last year and Eden’s class this year. While it is always sad to say goodbye, we are grateful for each person we have come to know here and the time that we have shared with them.

One of the highlights of the past month was watching our children perform during their music evenings. Ezra’s class performed on June 29, and Eden and Kyler’s classes performed on July 27. For the music evenings, each grade performed several songs that they had learned in music class throughout the term, and it was a joy to see their joy in making music. One of the songs performed by Ezra’s class was “Good Job” by Alicia Keys, a beautiful song written for the frontline workers during the COVID pandemic. Ezra was fortunate enough to have a small solo part during this song, and we are constantly amazed at her bravery and confidence as she grows in her love of singing. Kyler’s class performed several songs including “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars and the classic “I’ve got the Joy, Joy, Joy.” As a result, we can often hear him in the shower or from his room upstairs belting out with wild abandon, “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, WHERE?!, down in my heart, WHERE?!” Although he doesn’t share his older sister’s focus and dedication when it comes to singing, he loves music and luckily has not yet learned to be shy about singing as loudly as he can. Eden, on the other hand, remains the most reserved of the three, and nervously stood halfway behind her classmates during much of her class’s performance. Nonetheless, she smiled when we clapped and gave her thumbs up at the end, so I think she enjoyed herself, and I am glad that she had to opportunity to feel proud of herself for even standing on the stage.

Another highlight of this term was Sports Day! Sports day is much like what we might call field day in the US, but it is focused on track and field events, which here they call athletics. The secondary school had their sports day on July 8 followed by the primary school sports day on July 22. Both sports days were held at a local stadium, which meant transporting students, teachers, and equipment to and from the stadium on these days, which was no small task!

To encourage community and comradery, students at Lighthouse are assigned to one of three houses upon admission. The names of the houses—Fidem, Spero, and Amare—come from 1 Corinthians 13:13 and translate to faith, hope, and love. For sports day, students were encouraged to dress in their house colors (red, blue, or yellow) and earned points for their houses by winning or participating in various events. This friendly competition added an extra element of excitement as students created their own banners, cheers, and flags to support their teams. The secondary students were particularly enthusiastic about representing their houses and showed their enthusiasm with body paint, matching t-shirts, and accessories. In the end, Spero (our house) won the day for the secondary sports day, while Amare won for the primary sports day. Even with this focus on house spirit, individual students were still recognized and cheered for their performance in their respective age and gender divisions. Our own children finished well in several events, including Ezra getting 1^st in the 80 meter, 2^nd in javelin, and 2^nd in long jump; Kyler getting 3^rd in the 60 meter, 3^rd in 200 meter, and 1^st in shotput; and Eden getting 1^st in the 200 meter and 1^st in long jump. For any of you who missed the sports day videos posted on Facebook, click on the links and photos below to have a look!

Lighthouse Primary Sports Day – click to view video

Lighthouse Secondary Sports Day – click to view video

The event this term that was the most exciting—and labor-intensive—for me was Mental Health Awareness Day on July22…which I stretched a bit into Mental Health Awareness Week.  Some months back, I suggested that we do something with the secondary students to recognize World Mental Health Day in October. However, because the upper secondary students (grades 11-13) will no longer be on campus in October due to exams, we decided to have our own mental health day in July. The goals for Mental Health Awareness Day were to educate students about mental health, to promote the importance of caring for one’s mental health, and to reduce the stigma often associated with mental health concerns. The last goal was particularly important because as I have continued working with students here, it has become increasingly apparent that there is a huge cultural stigma in Mauritius around mental health, and even acknowledging any type of mental or emotional difficulty is avoided.  Although the bulk of the activities for Mental Health Awareness Day happened on Friday, homeroom lessons throughout the week were geared toward discussing and educating students about mental health, and during the mid-week assembly a special colleague shared her own story. There was also a fun house challenge during assembly to “stomp out” stigma. The week also included an art contest and a poetry slam competition in which students were encouraged to demonstrate the week’s theme of “Express Yourself.” The poetry slam competition was preceded by a poetry slam workshop presented by the Mauritian poetry slam champion, Lafleur Malade.

On the actual Mental Health Awareness Day, we set up various stations for students to learn more about and reflect on their own mental health in fun and creative ways. This is what took the bulk of the planning and preparation, but thankfully I have wonderful colleagues who helped organize everything so that it could all run smoothly. Even still, in the evenings leading up to Mental Health Awareness Day, I was washing rocks, partitioning 25kg (55 lbs) of rice, sorting balloons, counting chalk, and cutting paper leaves—among other things, to ensure that we had everything we needed and were properly organized to make this event a success for roughly 200 secondary students. In the end, I think fun was had by all, and I got reports from group leaders and colleagues about important questions and thought-provoking discussions that would not have happened without creating the space and opportunity for these conversations to occur. The day ended with displays of the artwork that students had created as well as the poetry slam finals. It was awesome to see so many students engaged and cheering each other on as the poets shared their personal thoughts and feelings.

Aside from the encouragement of seeing students openly engaging in discussions about mental health, the week also brought to light a number of challenges that students are facing. As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we gave students a mental health questionnaire to screen for various types of mental health concerns and to provide the option of reaching out for support. There were a number of students who were identified as having serious thoughts or actions related to suicide and others who identified struggling daily with feelings of hopelessness, loneliness, overwhelm, or depression. Some students included comments such as, “I feel like I’m suffocating,” “It’s hard to accept myself,” “My family doesn’t like me,” or “I don’t know what to do.” Many of these students explicitly asked for help, and I have begun—with the help of the other school counselor, to sort through these responses and make sure that we reach out to every one of these students. We have also begun and will continue to make contact with students who expressed high levels of distress to offer further support. The idea of following up individually with each student in need can feel daunting. But the good news is that we have already connected with many of them, and I believe that it’s worth doing everything we can to ensure that students know that they are seen, heard, and loved just the way they are and to offer help and hope wherever possible.

It’s been a good couple of months. Nonetheless, we are grateful to have a few weeks off now to enjoy a bit of respite and renewal before heading back in for our final term. We hope that you all are also able to find rest and renewal for your body, mind, and soul.

Other news:

In other news, we also celebrated Kyler’s 7^th birthday in July. He had an iron man cake, his favorite foods, a new snorkel mask, and lots of lego time!

With peace, love, and gratitude from Mauritius…

May 2022

In this blog post, we decided to explore the children’s views on our lives in Mauritius by asking them a series of questions. As you will read, their responses are deep and insightful and will definitely let you know that life on a far away tropical island is, well, completely normal and uninspiring. (Lol!)

Question 1: What do you like about school?

Eden: That I have friends. That I have teachers to learn.

Kyler: There’s a doggie, and I like petting Caramel and playing with friends. [Note: Caramel is a dog that hangs around school. No idea who she belongs to, but the kids have named her Caramel and pet her every day. She is also fat from all the food scraps.]

Ezra: I like that there are lots of friends to play with. The teachers are nice. There’s a giant jungle gym. The food is good.

Question 2: What is the best part of Lighthouse School?

Eden: Fantastic Friday! On Fantastic Friday we play on the playground, and sometimes we do stuff different like go on a treasure hunt like we did for pirate day.

Kyler: Going to Daddy’s classroom and playing football [aka-soccer]. I like having daddy’s classroom where I go to school.

Ezra: Art, music, playtime, and numeracy, literacy, and IPC, and friends. [Note: Numeracy is math, Literacy is reading and writing, and IPC is a combination of history, geography, and science. So basically all the subjects.]

[Note: Eden and Kyler’s classes have both been learning about islands and compass directions, so the teachers arranged a treasure hunt on campus. They got to dress like pirates and use maps to find a hidden treasure!]

Question 3: What are you learning this year?

Eden: About islands. I learned about pirates and that some pirates are bad and steal stuff. I learned to write with full stops [aka-periods] and finger spaces, and I know how to draw in the lines. I learned how to read.

Kyler: About “ie” words like lie and spies. I forget what else.

Ezra: Myths and legends, measurement and reading a 24-hour clock, multiplication, map and coordinates, about lines in art, and preparing to sing for a music evening in music class.

Question 4: What would you tell someone who was coming to Lighthouse for the first time?

Eden: It’s fun.

Kyler: The playground is up high, and I would show them.

Ezra: That it is a nice school, and it’s a Christian school

Question 5: What is your favorite thing to do outside of school?

Eden: Play games and video game, watch movies with popcorn, go to the beach, play with friends, riding scooters.

Kyler: Go to the Casela, go ride cars and scooters, play with the puppies at home, go to the beach, go to other people’s houses, watch Sonic the movie. [Note: Casela is a nature/safari park, and riding cars means little electric cars that you can rent for children to drive at a local mall.]

Ezra: Casela, gymnastics, McDonalds, the cinema, the beach, having play dates

Question 6: What is the strangest thing about Mauritius?

Eden: It’s so tiny.

Kyler: When we went to a hike we saw race cars. That was weird. The seven colored earth.

Ezra: That you can rarely see cats, and that there are a lot of stray dogs. Tiny roads.

[Note: When we went out for a recent hike, we stumbled across a bunch of race cars and drivers parked by the hiking site. We had no idea what was going on, but turns out we stumbled upon the Mauritius Motor Racing Club’s championship race at La Pipe. We didn’t actually get to see the race, but when we left, they had to let us out of the police barricade that separated the cars/drivers from the public access. We came before the barricade was up with no clue. The seven colored earth is a tourist attraction that Kyler has only seen in photos…so…I guess that’s strange too?]

Question 7: What is the thing you like most about living in Mauritius?

Eden: That we have upstairs and downstairs [in our house].

Kyler: We get to go to Casela, and we see Ms. Sunitha and Ms. Opaline [his teachers]. And we get to learn about kindness.

Ezra: Dogs. McDonalds. That there’s a nice school called Lighthouse.

Question 8: Is there anything you miss about the US?

Eden: Yes. All my toys and that I miss Pepper and Mr. Kitty [our pets]. I miss the top bunk.

Kyler: Yes, my friends. Our house and our neighbors. Going to the zoo.

Ezra: Lunchables, school, friends. Cheerios that don’t taste horrible.

Question 9: What is your favorite thing about Mauritius?

Eden: That we have parents that let us go to school to learn. I am thankful I have parents because some other people don’t.

Kyler: Going to school

Ezra: Beaches, friends, birthday parties with friends, and having puppies

Question 10: What is your favorite Mauritian food?

Eden: Samoussas

Kyler: Samoussas

Ezra: Not-spicy roti and samoussas, and mine frite too!

Question 11: What do you think is different about Mauritius than the US?

Eden: That there’s not Carowinds.

Kyler: It’s a smaller place, and it has tiny roads.

Ezra: They don’t have a lot of toy stores, and they have different foods.

Question 12: Anything else that you would like people to know?

Eden: I like that there are a bunch of dogs because some are friendly and we make friends with them.

Kyler: I like eating pizza and mac and cheese and spaghetti, and I like sleeping. Mommy and Daddy are the best parents ever.

Ezra: You should come to Mauritius!

And there you have it folks! The pensive reflections of our children. Notice that even in asking about what is strange or different about living in Mauritius, no one mentioned different languages, odd-looking Hindu idols, friends from all over the world, different clothing and cultures, being surrounded by an ocean, or even the eternal summer weather. To them, this is all just part of everyday life. We hope some of these responses brought a smile to your face, just like they did ours!

Other news and updates…

The government recently starting offering the Pfizer covid vaccine for children ages 5-11. As such, our children were all able to get their first does of the vaccine and are due for a second dose in July.

A few weeks before our last term break in April, someone dumped a pair puppies at the school. They were receiving minimal feeding and care, but it was heartbreaking to see them so skinny and penned up (to keep them out of classrooms). We were concerned about what would happen to them over the four week school holiday, so we decided to take them home and foster them during the break. They needed medical treatment and proper feeding and grooming, but now they are doing much better! We hope to find a new permanent home for them soon.

Ezra recently had the opportunity to join Emily in singing at Community Baptist Church. She loves to sing and did a great job. We are so proud of her!

The home church that we attend at Mr. Ashley’s house is also growing and several people were baptized in the month of April. We also had a fun celebration of Easter with the home church on Lighthouse’s campus.

March 2022

By Emily

Next month will mark a year and a half since we arrived in Mauritius. So much has happened in the last year and half, but as always with the passage of time, it’s hard to believe it’s been that long and that we are almost halfway through our initial three-year commitment at Lighthouse. Last year at this time, things looked a lot different as we were in the beginning of what ended up being a three-month, nationwide lockdown. This year, we are on the verge of completing our first trimester of school, which has been fully in-person with the exception of the first two weeks. Although covid is still present and has led to rolling absences of both students and staff, all in all it has been both exciting and gratifying to have all of the students back on campus. The past few months have been full, but they have allowed us to learn, laugh, and grow in relationship with students and co-workers in a way that was not always possible during the 2021 school year.

Some of the most gratifying experiences for me have been seeing students smiling and enjoying each other’s company as they play together during free time or during any of the many school-sponsored events, such as a sports, clubs, camps, Pi day (in honor of March 14th…3.14), and National Day (in honor of Mauritius’s independence). By the end of any given school day, students are often covered in sweat, dirt, or mud from the various activities and excursions on and around campus. Don’t get me wrong, students complete academic learning as well. But this unique mix of academics and experiential learning contributes to making Lighthouse such an unusual place. Students learn not only how to succeed academically but also how to explore and engage relationally and physically with the people and the world around them.

I admit that on paper this sounds too good to be true. I will also admit that sometimes things don’t always live up to these ideals. That said, I can attest that when I talk with students one on one, again and again they say that they like Lighthouse because of all the fun activities. They also talk about liking the green campus with the space and opportunity to be outside. And for some, especially those who come from difficult home situations, they say that Lighthouse is a safe haven. They talk about being able to just relax and be happy with their friends in a way that they can’t be at home. They talk about feeling cared for and supported by individual staff members and peers in a way that they don’t always experience in their personal lives. They talk about how nice the teachers are.

As a counselor, I have spoken with many secondary students, and I can assure you that there are many students who are carrying heavy personal burdens. These burdens are the things they don’t talk about—the things you don’t see behind their smiles. Although I am generally good at drawing professional boundaries that allow me to sit with people who are hurting without becoming overwhelmed myself, sometimes I am still overcome by the magnitude of it all. A few weeks ago was one of those weeks. I found myself coming home mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausted in the evenings, and in the mornings, I just prayed for the strength to hold whatever was shared with me that day. Despite it becoming overwhelming at times, I am grateful for the trust that these young people are willing to place in me as more and more of them have started to seek me out voluntarily for support. Within the past week, I had one young man admit that he hasn’t told anyone else about his struggles while another young man said that I was only the second person he had told. Often these same students avoid eye contact when they pass me on campus, but every now and then I catch a glance in my direction or a slight nod as I walk by. Other students have gotten more used to my presence on campus and openly greet me or smile and wave when they see me.

When I reflect back on where I was at the beginning of 2021—struggling to find purpose and not knowing what I was doing here, it is amazing to see how things have changed. As I have mentioned before, I think the confinement period last year was important because it reminded me to focus on our family and to assure that my own children were receiving the care that they needed as they adjusted to a new school in a new place. This year, I feel like the doors have been opened for me to focus on serving others by using my gifts and talents to care for those outside of my immediate family. And with this renewed sense of purpose has come renewed energy. Even during the times of overwhelm, I take rest in knowing that this work is bigger than myself. I take time to recharge and refocus knowing that the students who have come to trust in me count on me to be a safe and stable presence in their lives. This sense of purpose keeps me focused and determined to keep going and keep giving in whatever way I can.  

Who knows what the next few months or the next year will bring, but for today I am grateful just to be here and to have the opportunity to help students on their journeys. Before we came, we were asked during our TeachBeyond orientation to pick a verse or verses that had meaning for us related to our call to serve in this way. I chose Isaiah 61:1-3, with the most meaningful part for me being, “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted” (NIV). If nothing else happens here, I pray that I have been or will be able to bind up at least a few of the brokenhearted people I will encounter during our service. I know I won’t be able to help everyone, and I won’t get it right every time. Nevertheless, I press on, confident in my path and purpose, and thankful for every day and every opportunity to connect.

Other news and updates…

On February 7th, students finally had their first day of in-person schooling for 2022 after a cyclone delay. Our favorite students wore their uniforms proudly, including the youngest who was in uniform for the first time.

Also in February, we celebrated Eden’s 6th birthday! It is amazing to see her learning and growing into her own person, and we had fun celebrating her birthday with a unicorn cake, of course!

November 2021

By Emily

November 26^th was the last day of school for the 2021 academic year. This year consisted of 8 weeks of in-person learning, 14 weeks of online learning, and 14 weeks of hybrid learning. Class schedules changed five times throughout the year, meaning that (with a family of five) we juggled at least 25 different schedules over the past 11 months. Individually, I have been a parent, teacher, chauffeur, homemaker, counselor, friend, wife, and colleague, among other things. It has been a year like no other and has required an extreme amount of adaptability, resilience, and fortitude.

All of this has made me so thankful that we have spent the last year at Lighthouse. Through it all—COVID, confinement, staff changes, student concerns…everything—I have witnessed a community of individuals who never stopped giving and loving no matter the stress or challenges they were facing. This has been true of our children’s primary teachers who have loved and welcomed our children in such an amazing way that despite moving to a foreign country and starting a new school our children are thriving, happy, and LOVE school. This has been true of the secondary teachers who, despite having to constantly adapt and carry the burden of extra classes when coworkers were ill or in self-isolation due to COVID, stayed positive and kept going. This has been true of the administration who have had to navigate government directives that sometimes changed without warning while managing an enormous load of student and staff concerns. This has also been true of the students at Lighthouse who have continued to care for each other and approach each new day with excitement and perseverance despite the circumstances. Indeed, Lighthouse is a special place.

When we began this journey, our vision and mission was simple—to follow Jesus’ command to love one another (John 13:34) and to do that in a global context using the gifts and talents that God has given us. While I can’t speak to how well we have accomplished our goal—as the saying goes, “You’ll have to ask my neighbor”—I can say that I am grateful to be part of a community that seems to share the same vision and mission. Loving others is at the core of what Lighthouse is all about. From the way the staff interacts with students to the way that students (and staff) are encouraged to interact with each other, the goal is always to show love and to use our gifts to serve others both at the school and in the larger community.

This love has been especially evident to me as I have served on the student care team for the past several months. We have negotiated many difficult situations and student concerns, but the discussion always comes back to one question: how can we best serve this student? And even more so, how can we serve them in the most loving way with fairness and grace? I’ll be honest; this is not an easy question. And often we don’t all agree on the best course of action. But we listen to one another, offer different perspectives, and do our best to make the decision that will best serve each individual student.

My role in these decisions is often to meet with a student individually to assess for any mental, emotional, and personal challenges that may be getting in the way of their academic success. In a nutshell, my job is to get to know them and to advocate for them when needed. Sometimes these encounters lead to ongoing meetings to help support a student through whatever challenges they may be facing, and sometimes they are just one-time meetings. Out of roughly 190 secondary students, I met with 31 this year or roughly 16% of the student body. Most of those students (over 75%) were Mauritian. While that may not sound like much, I count it as a great success, especially given that I didn’t start until July and was only able to be on campus one or two days a week.

One of the joys of my role has been checking in with new students who often transfer from government schools and who tell me that Lighthouse is “amazing” and “the best school I’ve ever been to.” A student who was leaving Lighthouse also told me that “everything” about Lighthouse was good and that there were “too many” good things to name them all. To me, this is a testament to the loving community that Lighthouse is intentional about creating—an environment that these students do not experience in government schools. A similar sentiment was shared by a secondary teacher who left Lighthouse upon receiving a position at a government school only to ask to return in 2022. Despite higher pay and the promise of tenure and government benefits at the government school, this teacher said that there is no place like Lighthouse and that his heart remained here. Another Mauritian teacher commented that this teacher will be told that he is crazy to leave the safety of a government position but that people just don’t understand Lighthouse if they have never experienced it. This is a special place.

Another reason that I am grateful to be serving in my role as a mental health counselor at Lighthouse is because the more I learn about mental health care in Mauritius, the more I see the challenges that exist. First, mental health is still highly stigmatized in Mauritius, perhaps due to a culture that often does not discuss problems openly. I have seen this time and time again especially among male students who tend to say that everything is fine despite the fact that they are failing or that something tragic has happened in their life. The argument I hear is that they would rather just focus on the good things. While this may not be a bad philosophy per se, it does get in the way of them being honest with themselves about what they are really experiencing. When I questioned one student in particular about why Mauritians seem to deny being affected by things, he answered plainly, “Because we don’t want help.” The irony is that as our discussion continued, this student actually asked to continue meeting with me because he recognized that there might be some benefit in addressing his concerns. But he is not alone in having difficulty receiving or asking for help. There seems to be a sense of shame associated with needing help, which is why I always try to give students a choice about whether to continue meeting with me because my goal is never to force or shame anyone into addressing anything.

Another challenge to mental health care in Mauritius is that there is very little regulation of the practice of psychotherapy. Even though government entities exist on paper to regulate the practice, the reality is that many people practice as psychotherapists in Mauritius without having received the proper training and supervision required by most international standards. At best, this can result in care that is costly but unhelpful to the individual seeking support. At worst, it can be dangerous or even deadly if certain warning signs or diagnoses are missed or ignored. I have met with a few students who see or have seen therapists in the community, and more than one has commented that I was more helpful than their community therapist. While I am glad to be helpful, it also makes me concerned about the services they are receiving in the community. All this is to say, there is a genuine need here for mental health support.

The school year ended online again (thanks Delta variant), but Lighthouse was still able to hold various graduation and recognition ceremonies outdoors with limited attendees. First, Eden and her peers in the Reception class had a ceremony to mark the end of their preschool year and their promotion to Grade 1 where they start wearing uniforms and are officially in the primary school.

Then, Lighthouse also held a special ceremony for two students with learning differences who have completed their studies through the first ever alternative program at Lighthouse. These students, Kaushav and Shekeena, had the opportunity to not only learn academically but also to learn practical skills that can help them with future employment. They assisted the kitchen, administrative, and grounds staff at Lighthouse; they learned carpentry and painting skills in the woodshop; and they completed internships at a local store to learn retail skills. Both of these students have been at Lighthouse for many, many years. During that time, Kaushav has struggled with a blood disorder that requires him to get weekly transfusions, and Shekeena’s father passed away. Through it all, Lighthouse has loved and supported them. When Kaushav was a baby, his mother never would have imagined her son standing in front of a group of people and giving a speech in English. She also shared that Kaushav loves Lighthouse so much that he would cry everyday during confinement because he just wanted to go to school. Both Kaushav and Shekeena’s mothers spoke about their gratitude to Lighthouse for all of the care their families have received. I witnessed this care firsthand not only from staff, but from students.

While doing a class program about test anxiety in September, I inadvertently called on Kaushav to read aloud to the class. I had never met him before, but I soon realized who he was. Before I could intervene, the student next to him read and whispered the words to Kaushav without missing a beat. Kaushav repeated the words out loud to the class, and we moved on. It was impressive how Kaushav’s classmate stepped in to help without hesitation. But what was most impressive about this situation was that no one—and I mean, no one—in the class smiled, laughed, or even made a sideways look. It was as if everyone understood that we take care of each other, and that was it. When I saw Kaushav later, he gave me a big smile and waved. I couldn’t help but think that my “mistake” was not really a mistake at all because it helped him feel included and let him know that I saw him and valued him as part of the class just like everyone else.

By far the most exciting ceremony of the year was the graduation of Grade 13 students who will now go on to university or job training. The reason this was so special is because the class of 2021 is the first graduating class from Lighthouse Primary and Secondary School. As I have shared before, the school was founded in 2009 and has grown exponentially, adding more grades as the students moved up. There were eight graduates, two of whom have been at Lighthouse since Grade 1. Although COVID restrictions limited the number of attendees, the children and I were able to watch the ceremony live streamed online. The focus of the ceremony was less about academic achievements and more about the sense of community that the students have experienced at Lighthouse and the character that they have developed. The highest award given was in honor of a student who has demonstrated Lighthouse’s core values of grace, resilience, care, integrity, curiosity, and citizenship and who sought to serve God and the community in a practical way. Indeed, it was a very special occasion at a very special place, and at the close of the ceremony, I couldn’t help but feel honored to be part of such an awesome community. (To watch clips from the ceremony, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgBqjtRaZTM )

This year, 2021, has definitely been like no other. But despite the ups and downs, I can say with confidence that I have no doubt that this is the place we were meant to be during this time. It has been a reminder that when we live with purpose, peace will follow.  

Other happenings:

Primary Science Fair

In October, Ezra participated in the science fair at the primary school. Her experiment was to learn which type of chocolate melts the fastest. There were so many entries that the original venue for the fair had to be expanded, but everyone did a great job and Ezra had a blast!

Field Trip

Also in October, Ezra’s class went on a field trip to the local science center, and I was invited to go along as a chaperone. Ezra was super excited for me to go with her, and her classmates seemed equally as excited. As we moved through the exhibits, students kept running up to me saying, “Miss, look at this!” and “Miss, what is that!?” Their welcome and excitement to interact with me was heartwarming. It reminded me of our first visit to Lighthouse and how the students didn’t seem to know a stranger.

Divali

November 4^th was Divali, the Hindu festival of light. This being our second Divali in Mauritius, we were prepared for the strings of lights and fireworks, but we were especially grateful this year to receive Divali treats from our Hindu neighbors. Aaron received a few from students last year, but to receive this traditional gift from our neighbors was especially meaningful because it signified that they see us as part of their community and wanted to share their celebration with us. We hope to return their kindness by sharing Christmas treats with them this year.

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving celebration was smaller this year and a few days late since we had school and graduation on Thanksgiving Day. But we still enjoyed our “feast,” as the children called it, and took turns sharing what we were thankful for. What a blessing this year has been!

Farewell for 2021. We hope 2022 is filled with peace, love, and gratitude for all of you!

October 2021

By Aaron

At the end of each year, Lighthouse students go on a multi-day camping trip. The excursion is both eagerly anticipated and somewhat angst-inspiring for students. Students buzz with excitement at the prospect of a change of scenery and a break from academics. Some enthusiastically discuss the possibilities while others quietly worry about being away from the comforts of home and facing the unknown.

The camps are done by grade, and each grade, accompanied by a group of teachers, does something a little different than the others. My homeroom class, Grade 10, stayed in a Catholic center on the beach in Riambel, a small town in the south of Mauritius. There were no tents – everyone slept in dormitories, so our trip qualified more as a retreat than as camping. All the same, the experience turned out to be exactly what the group needed.

Grade 10

Each grade-level at Lighthouse consists of one or two “classes.” The students in each class spend the majority of their days together and each develops its own pervading outlook, group dynamics, and energy. My homeroom class, Grade 10, which I share with the talented and kind Ms. Emma (who teaches math), has more than its fair share of brilliant and dedicated artists, academics, athletes, and leaders. In fact, when it comes to leadership, despite being one of the smaller classes, Grade 10 has had the highest number of students apply for and gain school leadership positions. However, they are also the most reserved and least transparent group in the school. They are a class of islands, unique and wonderful but also standing alone.

Friendships in Grade 10 are usually limited to pairs or trios, and many are candid about having no close connections at all with the other young people they spend most of their waking hours with. Most have spent years together, but familiarity has not bred comradery. Of course, feeling alone at fifteen is a common, if not universal, right of adolescence. But the depth to which it defines this group is unique. With this observation in mind, my fellow chaperones and I looked forward to this year’s camp trip as an opportunity to build relationships with and among the students of this fragmented class.

The Trip

During the three days of the trip, only the first day went mostly as planned. The vans dropped us at the top of Black River Gorges where the temperature was easily ten degrees cooler than at the school. Drizzle and a strong, steady wind chilled our exposed limbs as we began the six-mile trek down the mountain.

Sunshine and exercise soon warmed us up as we walked, jogged, and climbed our way down. During our hike we were greeted by an abundance of scenic overlooks (including one from the top of a waterfall). Near the end of the hike, sweaty and tired, the students were excited to find a river to jump into.

That night after settling into the dorms and eating dinner, we kindled a fire on the beach and made smores. Since we didn’t have any matches, we had to light some kindling on the stove in the kitchen, put it in a pot, and run the pot to the beach to start the fire. We also had to ward off one student from using his spray deodorant to help fuel the blaze.

On day two, we were supposed to go to Roche Qui Pleure, a landmark on the southern coast where the waves pummel the rocky cliffs and shores. We were to take public transport to the location, but it happened that no buses ran the route from the retreat center to the cliffs. So, several campers familiar with the area suggested a local waterfall instead. After a cursory Google search of the site, off we went on foot.

The images on Google did not prepare me for the actual size of the waterfall. Water crashed over dark geometric columns of stone down into a bottomless pool. One by one, daring students took turns plunging off of the rocks and splashing down into the pool. For a few, it took almost the whole visit and the encouragement of their peers to finally work up the courage to jump.

The third and final day we deviated from the menu and treated the students to bacon, eggs, and pancakes for breakfast. This broke the rules a little, but the students loved it.

After breakfast, having packed our belongings and cleaned, swept, and mopped the dormitories, we mounted ourselves and our things onto the waiting bus. We were scheduled for yet another test of our courage. We were supposed to cross a 1100-foot Nepalese rope bridge in Valee Des Couleurs. However, instead of testing our mettle, we ended up testing our adaptability.

The bus roared down streets, pop music blaring, as riders talked, slept, and played games. After some time, Ms. Emma noticed that we were taking a rather indirect route to the rope bridge. However, it wasn’t until we were half-way up the island that we asked the driver where he was taking us.

“To the school,” he replied matter of factly.

“What? No. Pull over!” we demanded. There had been an error (it was later confirmed to us that the driver had been at fault). It being too late in the day and us being too far away to make it to the rope bridge and back to school on time; we would have to continue to the school and wait there.

Up to that point, the trip had been a resounding success, and my fellow teachers, Ms. Emma and Ms. Anais, and I were determined to end on a high note. So, we decided on an alternative activity: McDonalds. It was an incredibly popular decision.

Small victories

The great thing about these camps is the small but real differences they can make in the lives of students.

The trip brought the individual islands of Grade 10 closer together so that loose acquaintances were strengthened into genuine friendships. I watched as pairs who never talked at school chatted during free time or laughed over a game of cards. Student groupings mixed, changed, and grew.

Following the camp, my co-chaperones and I received an email from the parent of one of our campers, a kind-hearted young lady who was new to the school this year and who had been quietly struggling to adapt. The parent expressed how, on returning from the trip, her daughter felt like she had finally found her place and that she now had a small group of friends and a sense of belonging.

Another young lady described to me how this experience helped her find connections with classmates she had shared class space with for years but had, until that point, never gotten to know. At one point, when she felt overwhelmed; she was surprised at how her classmates rallied to support her.

The camp also inspired boldness. A shy, sarcastic young man who normally spent most of his time in front of a screen distinguished himself by engaging in every activity without fear or hesitation. He was one of the first to jump from Rochester Falls. After the camp, his mother emailed to share that this young man had thoroughly enjoyed the experience and that he had come home with a bit more maturity than when he left.

There were others who, for personal or medical reasons, had never been away from their families overnight. Each one did well and returned home much more secure in their independence. These and many other small victories and moments of growth are what make camp special.

For me, this time with students was a refreshing chance to engage with them outside of the framework of academics, and to take a moment to enjoy them as young people apart from the classroom. It was also gratifying to witness how a change of scenery, some time together, and the chance to challenge themselves germinated the seeds of camaraderie, boldness, and maturity that will continue to shape them as the they become adults.

September 30, 2021

By Emily

As I write this, it has been thirteen weeks since I started at Lighthouse. It is amazing how quickly the time flies and how much has happened since then. I continue to meet with students one or two days a week to provide mental and emotional support, some for ongoing sessions and some for single check-ins. For every student that I mark off my list, it seems that there are at least two more in need of follow-up or support. While it can feel a bit overwhelming, I remain grateful for the opportunity to be there to help and to do the work I love. I have worked particularly closely with several of the upper secondary students in grades 11 and 12 as they begin their transitions to adulthood and prepare to face significant decisions about their futures. In this, there has been some sense of urgency as the grade 11-13 students are no longer on campus after September 30^th. The reason for their early departure from campus is what is known as “study leave” or the period during which students are studying and sitting for Cambridge International exams. The whole system is foreign—literally—to us as Americans, but essentially, in the Cambridge system students do not get credit for just completing secondary (or high) school. In grade 11, they must pass IGCSE exams in each subject to earn the basic credentials needed to show secondary-level competency, similar to a high school diploma, which is required for most jobs. Then in grades 12 and 13, students must pass advanced exams in specific subject areas in order to be considered for university. As you might imagine, this means that there is a lot of emphasis, and stress, related to these exams.

In order to help students manage some of their exam stress, the other school counselor, Ms. Hilary, and I prepared a classroom presentation about exam prep and test anxiety to share with the grades 11, 12, and 13 students. We began with an icebreaker activity in which students shared anonymously their worries and fears related to exams. The activity allowed students to recognize that they are not alone in their worries and helped normalize some of their feelings. It also helped demonstrate the magnitude of the pressure that many of the students feel, not only about passing exams but also about not wanting to disappoint their parents or let anyone down. Then, Ms. Hilary presented some exam taking tips specific to the Cambridge exams and provided encouragement as they “finish the race.” Lastly, I shared various calming strategies with the students that they can use to help manage their anxious thoughts and feelings during the exams. The students were engaged and receptive to the information and several commented that it was helpful to know that they are not alone in feeling stressed and anxious.

While I have been busy helping upper students prepare mentally and emotionally for exams, Aaron has been helping them prepare academically while managing hybrid learning with his lower secondary students. Aaron has been particularly encouraged lately by the level of engagement that his grade 9 students have shown in regard to the class novels they have been reading. Since the Cambridge exams are heavy on writing, literature and reading are not something that the students have had much exposure to historically. But as Aaron says, strong readers make strong writers, so it has been one of his goals to incorporate more reading into the English curriculum whenever possible. Thus, this recent engagement by students in the class novels and their willingness to read and discuss the texts have been especially fulfilling for Aaron. A highlight came when a student who had previously been uninvested in the class got into a debate with his peers about a novel and was using the text to cite his various points and counterpoints. Aaron just stood back and let them debate, marveling in a moment that seemed highly unlikely at the beginning of the year.

There have also been opportunities recently to engage with the students in more fun ways. One opportunity came a few weeks ago when Aaron participated in a staff versus students football (aka-soccer) match after school. Our kids and I watched from the sidelines along with a group secondary students who made up the cheering section. It was a great experience for all involved—although I think most of the staff were a little sore the next day! All in all we have enjoyed learning, growing, and interacting with the students and staff at Lighthouse as we do our best to serve God personally and professionally here in Mauritius.

Other news:

Sharing at Mr. Ashley’s Church

Our friend and neighbor, Mr. Ashley, recently asked Aaron if he would share the message one week at Ashley’s home church. Aaron chose to share about Paul and Silas from Acts 16:19-34. Aaron reflected on how it was Paul and Silas’ choice to put someone else above themselves that ultimately led to a change in the story and saved the jailer’s life—not the miraculous earthquake by God. In other words, they could have just walked away, but it was their ability to step away from focusing on themselves that made all the difference. There was an unusually small group in attendance the night Aaron shared, but it was a poignant lesson for everyone nonetheless.

Puppy Farewells

As most of you know, we have been fostering puppies since June. But the time has come to send them to their permanent homes. Bean, the male puppy, left two weeks ago, and this weekend Pumpkin, the female, will be relocated to her new home. It has been emotional to say goodbye to the puppies, but we made sure that we had a going away party before Bean left (complete with puppy party hats) and have shared lots of cuddles and love. It will be especially difficult to say goodbye to Pumpkin because she has been with us since she was a week old and is essentially our baby, but we know this is best as we won’t be able to care for her long-term. And they will be staying in the same neighborhood so we may even get to visit them every now and then.

Snake!

For those of you who aren’t on Facebook, we had an uninvited guest in the house recently. It was mid-morning, and I walked to the kitchen sink to wash my hands when I saw a SNAKE right there on the kitchen counter! Needless to say, I screamed and jumped back. Ezra was having an online class meeting at the dining table nearby, so I knew I needed to get it out of the house. Despite feeling panicky and shaking I managed to direct it to the floor and force it out the door with a broom. Apparently, it was an Indian wolf snake, which is nonvenomous, but still scary enough. The Mauritians claim this is very rare, so hopefully it won’t be back!

The Tallest Peak in Mauritius

We have made several hiking trips over the past few months, including one to the iconic Le Mourne. We were only able to go about halfway up Le Mourne before the trail became too dangerous for children, but it was still a fun and educational trip as we discussed with the kids the tragic story of why the mountain is called Le Mourne and the history of slavery in Mauritius (and America). It’s a story worth googling if you are interested. At a slavery memorial (pictured below) near the public beach at Le Mourne, there is a quote by Richard Sedley Assonne inscribed on a circle that reads, “There were hundreds of them, but my people, the maroons, chose the kiss of death over the chains of slavery.”

Despite not making it to the top of Le Mourne, we did make it to the top of the highest peak in Mauritius, Piton de la Petite Riviere Noire. It was a 14km hike through deep mud that took 5 hours round trip, but it was worth it. Despite being a little afraid of the steep final ascent, the kids did great. We made it and enjoyed the views with our picnic lunch at the top.

With peace, love, and gratitude from Mauritius!