Update on William John and nursing school graduation

You may remember William John from my experience at the Mennonite Church about three weeks ago.  It’s okay if you don’t; I didn’t.  Or at least I didn’t recognize him. 

I went to the Zappa Kindergarten, where oddly enough they do photocopying, to copy my survey.  Yes, it is finally printed and ready to go!  While there, one of the others waiting starts talking to me, and asks if I remember him.  Oh crap!  This is one of my most feared questions.  I have met so many people in this town and the villages and have done a good job at remembering my committee members’ and village chairmen’s names, but there are just too many to remember everyone.  My answer? “Of course! How’s everything going?” Phew, crisis briefly avoided.  We discuss my project, Roche and the health center, as well as his nursing school regimen, and he mentions religion and Jesus a few times (all the while I’m trying to figure out how I know him and more importantly his name).  His knowledge about RHC doesn’t narrow too much down, but nursing school does and the religious references even more so.  Finally, I ask him, “now, remind me your first name again?” (This is an okay question because many here go by their last name) His answer: “William.”  Ding, ding, ding!  Light bulb has gone off!  I’m sitting next to William John, the kind soul that translated and explained the Mennonite Church service and fundraiser to James and me.  It was great.  I knew exactly who he was now, and he had no clue that anything was ever wrong.  He went on talking for another HOUR (it evidently takes forever to make 50 copies of a 13 page survey – that’s 650 pages), explaining his educational background, how he’s graduating in three weeks, and that he is printing off his final project report.  Their final project involves picking a family in a village, observing them, noting all health problems, and then assessing the causes and cures for these problems.  They must then educate the family on how they can treat and prevent these problems in the future.  It’s a very cool application of their learning.  Nursing school here has just as much of a focus on counseling and education as the actual medical knowledge, which is a nice addition.  I then make the mistake of asking where he did his project.  He misunderstood and thought I asked where his project paper was.  This prompts him to get his paper and page by page, word by word, read me his report.  AAAHH!  This is including title page, table of contents, acknowledgements, abbreviation pages, everything! Luckily, by page 12, my copying is done and so we must end this wonderful moment.  It was good to see him, and I have now seared into my head what he looks like.  Maybe, I’ll get to witness a nursing school graduation here…we will see.