Life as a volunteer

Leesa Fletcher kicks off our series of features on volunteers with her story about her experiences so far as a dean at Maxwell Adventist Academy, Kenya.

G’day, my name is Leesa Fletcher. I’m from Sydney, Australia. Almost a year ago I found myself on a plane, flying to a small school named “Maxwell Adventist Academy,” which is located near Nairobi, Kenya. I’m here for the school year of 2004–05 as the “Assistant Girls Dean.” I had never intended to come here, especially since I wanted to finish my college course. I figured I would be much wiser by the time I got my degree. Once I graduated with my friends, then I would be fully prepared to give my time to volunteer service (or so I thought). God had other plans. He needed to teach me a few things.

This couldn’t wait until graduation. Through some providential circumstances and helpful sponsors from Avondale College, I was able to purchase a ticket, and before I knew it, I was flying further from the “Land down-under” than I had ever been. Getting used to Maxwell was a huge challenge. It wasn’t just because of my weird accent. I was going through major culture shock (or some sort of shock—whatever it was, I was shocked!).

To make matters worse my room-mate hadn’t arrived because she was sick, and then the main dean took maternity leave. In what seemed like no time I was feeling totally alone and very clueless (sucked in!). I also received a lot of criticism. I spent many nights crying alone in my house. Why had God called me here when I was doing such a bad job? However, that hard time of learning and adjustment did pass. Through it I learned to rely more on God than my feelings.

Every experience here, good and bad, has taught me something. What a privilege it is to look after my 50 “daughters” in the dorm at Maxwell! We have been through hard and scary times together. There have been panic attacks, emergency hospital visits, homesickness and depression.

One night a student heard evil spirits “coming for her.” We spent many hours praying with that student. Even though I couldn’t see it, I know that God’s angels were guarding us.

We have also shared good times together! What other place in the world would you and your friends camp with lions, or see the sunrise from the top of Mount Kenya? I am constantly inspired by how much zest the students here have for life. They never seem to run out of energy, even with constant studying (which is more than I ever did, even at college). There is always something happening, such as a basketball game, a surprise party or a waterfight (the favourite campus activity). I feel energised hanging out with these wonderful teens.

Not only do I enjoy the students’ presence in my life, but I feel God’s presence with me constantly. For example, the student missionaries here take weekly town trips. Before leaving campus we pray for God’s protection. One town trip we were late getting back, and we had to drive along a dark road in our old van, which was making strange sounds. I had visions of being robbed, or worse, with our vehicle broken down in that dark place. Eventually we made it back to Maxwell and parked the van without incident, but guess what? The next morning, as soon as the van was started, the power steering literally fell out! Hello!

I’m basically clueless about mechanical things but from what I know, if that part of the van had failed while driving, we would certainly have had to stop. This was not the only time that God preserved us while driving in the dangerous Nairobi traffic. Often the brakes of the school vehicle have squealed as we avoided near-collision by only a second. I can’t credit these events to circumstance. I know that God sent his angels to ride with us on that dark night, and on every turn of the pothole-filled roads.

One sunny afternoon I walked along the road inside Maxwell’s front gate and asked God what His will was for my life. Where was I to go from here? As I admired the distant mountains surrounding the campus, the impression I received in my heart was simply this: “I want you right here. This is My will.”

It seems that sometimes it is impossible to look forward to an uncertain future. You may feel like giving up, but God wants you. He wants you right here. I may have spent nights crying and wondering what I was doing here; how could God possibly use me? But God shone through my showers of tears with a rainbow of joy.