Random memories

Just thinking of some of my favorite memories of Tambo. I remember getting up early in the mornings to study for tests - more the year I graduated if I am remembering correctly. Sometimes I would take my notes and walk up and down the roadway that lead into Tambo, which ran behind the dorms. But I found a place to study that I loved. Admittedly, I was scared every time I went there but I loved it. I would go up the road leading to the Pista, and breaking away onto the stoney ground above the river. I would walk over to the stones futherest from the roadway and sit down on the rocks. I carried a flashlight to guide my path and for studying my notes, once seated. I would arrive while it was still dark (Don't know how I ever got away with leaving the dorm so early in the morning - usually about 4:30 on test mornings) I would a be really scared of meeting up with a snake. Amazingly never thought about mountain cats. HA! Only worried about snake and scorpions. After a careful look around I would sit down and begin to study. But, the clear cool air, the velvety night, and brillient display of stars and then sky beginning to lighten up behind the mountians across the river, and finally the very rim of the sun rising above the hills, were a constant enticement away from the studying I was there to do. The studying must have worked some because I did graduate, but never since have I experienced such magical mornings. The Lord was good cuz if I had ever had any trouble no one knew where I was.

During those years at Tambo I often would leave the school grounds to sit up up in the tree house I'd found in the first year, or sitting on a tree limb or purched on the hillside up behind the dorms to have may quiet time. One of the major hurtles of my life after leaving Tambo was being in a lifestyle that did not offer an outdoor getaway for having devotions. For awhile it seemed I could not feel the presence of the Lord til I looked at the real issue which was missing this great outdoor life I'd been able to enjoy during my Tambo years.

Another major issue was the daily chapel hour before breakfast. I'm having a blank moment here. It was before breakfast wasn't it? If anyone reads this and they find errors please let me know. But, having a dad who was quite a dynamic speaker I found it initially hard to listen to the speakers who gave the devotion and chapel messages. It seems all of them just talked quietly, like a teaching session and the sermons felt like ithey weren't that important. But I came to understand I was defrauding the Lord if I just switched off and began to be attentive (most of the time). I'm sure I learned a lot of things about the Lord and my Christian walk there but it's funny the things that have shaped my way of living my life.

I cannot throw trash on the ground, as I walk or drive in a car or visit a picnic sight. One day one of the teachers spoke on the subject of defacing desks and the landscape with our trash. Then we had to walk the whole school property and clean it. I will admit, I now will throw things like apple cores or banana peels out the window but I cannot throw even a gum paper wrapper out and I want to yell at people I see carelessly trashing the landscape.

I remember Mr. Medgzar (sp) talking about honesty, even to taking of paper clips from a work place (I'm not as honest in this regard as I could be, but always I hear his message in my mind.) He also spoke passionately of how the Lord miraculiously healed Charlotte of a severe overbite - and since I thought she was one of the most beautiful girls I knew, this deeply pleased me - that the Lord heard the deep cry of her father's heart and brought her such evident healing.

I've talked much about the spiritual aspect of my time at Tambo. I Praise the Lord that in His plan I got to go there. I know many of the teachers felt I was a rebel - and I would be lying to say ther was NO rebellion in me but one of the things that happened to me was there was the peer pressure of the other students who did not accept ungodly behaviour or talk. I came to Tambo at 15, from a place where the other young people I knew in the church and at school had become increasing careless in their lives, and I, in an efforto be accepted at school began to talk and act in a way that made me ashamed but I wanted to be accepted so badly I ignored my heart. So my 'friends' and I encouraged each other in our very ungodly talk and actions. When I went to Tambo I quickly found out my talk shocked the other girls at school so I withdrew inside myself for awhile but slowly what I was seeing and hearing at Tambo birthed a deepening desire inmy heart to love and serve the Lord . I came to repentance, and found a renewed life in the Lord. People who remember me may find that somewhat hard to believe, but I tell you assuredly, it was because the Lord lead me to Tambo, and because of the encouragement and teaching there that I developed a deep love for the Lord.