Pakistan - Pasrur School

On our way to Pasrur PEB School, about a three hour drive from Lahore on what one of our group members said was the worst road she had ever been on!  It was rough enough the PEB staff wouldn't let any of us sit in the back of the van!  The countryside was beautiful - and interesting.  Almost all of the farming and work is still done by hand - brick making, oxen plowing fields, harvesting by hand.  We even saw two men on scafolding building a brick wall almost two stories up, with a third man throwing bricks up to them one at a time!

About two hours in, it was tea time, so of course we pulled off on the side of the road, and the PEB staff (the men only!) set up the tea service and served us all.  We took pictures of them serving and cleaning up so we could show their wives they really are capable of housework!

When we got to Pasrur school, we discovered why Ed Morgan didn't want to miss this school.  The entire school turned out for our arrival (that part was normal), and started yelling "Ed Morgan!"  Who knew we had such a celebrity in our midst?  Ed's Iowa congregation had adopted this school and had given a significant amount of money to rehab the school and build the girls boarding house. 

This school is a model of what can happen with the other PEB schools with the right investment.  Even then, we saw classes meeting in the hallways because they are still short on classrooms.

Each class we visited welcomed us warmly, and gave us homemade cards.   Most said something like "welcome."  One said "we welcome you with zest and zeal!"  That was fun.  A sobering one from one girl just said "do not foregt us."  Looking at the kids it is easy to forget that utter proverty most come from and the sacrifices their parents have had to make so their children could attend a good school.  Without the help of churches like the Iowa City church and others, many of these kids would not have much of a future.  Let us not forget them.

Sue Coller
~Rooted in God
~Open to Grace
~Filled with Joy!