The Life of a Missionary Teacher in Africa

September 15, 2020

Our kids are always eager to get to school with Ashley and Caroline who make learning fun for the five to three-year old children at our baby home in Africa. 

Ashley Berlin, from Casper, Wyoming has been directing our school program for four years. May I just say she is an incredibly dedicated, resourceful and talented teacher. 

Her classroom is filled with learning and life and happy students going from one project to the next, like the cute drawings below. 

Her students who go on to regular schools in Arusha are always top students in their classrooms. Ashley’s class day starts with bible stories, songs and prayer. Our “Littles” are praying in school below, well some of them are!

Last year we completed the Neema school building on campus with two classrooms, library/music room, office and bathrooms. The building is located behind the baby home on the front corner as you pull into our drive at Neema Village.

The windows in the classrooms open to view beautiful Mt. Meru, the fifth tallest mountain in all of Africa. I would be tempted to just sit and stare out the window! 

And the students are off to a good start this school year. 

The big kids have music and drum classes with Caroline. The two-year olds come later at ten in the mornings for music and they love singing with Caroline, too.

When Ashley has time she loves to hold the little babies at Neema

She also does toy time in the evening for the big kids.

We know this is a ministry of love and sacrifice for Ashley. She misses her family and church in Casper. At Neema she loves to take the big kids like Nengai to church.

For a young woman there are few prospects for marriage and family here and right now with Covid scaring off all our volunteers there are no young people here for her to pal around with, just us old folks. 

Sacrifice comes in many different forms today but I am confident that if you asked Ashley if her work was a sacrifice you would hear a resounding, “No Way!” .