Each morning for me begins around 4am so that I have time to enjoy the solitude of the pre dawn; I want to spend my time to do this busy work on the computer so that when the precious time with the kids is available I won’t have to waste it. The mornings were warm at first, a toasty 70F - late June standards in Kansas Ctiy but without a lick of the humidity that is usually associated with that time of year. It’s funny how fast you acclimatize as now I feel the chill that the kids do as they wake from their slumber.
The kids awake at first bell at 6am, just enough time for a stretch and a hug before beginning morning prayers. What starts out as a hug between 2-3 kids quickly progressed to a group hug of about 20 kids all trying to warm themselves from each others body heat. The only sounds are the laughter and giggles and the chatter of teeth. It’s electric being a part of this intimacy with the kids…the only thing that broke the mood was one little boy who in typical 6 or 7 year old fashion – farted and all the kids ran away in laughter – Oh the joys of being a kid!
After prayer time which usually lasts for 30 minutes both morning and evening; there is a bit of play time before breakfast. This is a special time to interact with the kids before they get too excited during the day. I had a really cool exchange with a couple of the kids. You get to see and hug and just love up on them and while that is great you sometimes feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of them you wonder if you really make a difference: today my questions were answered.
I was sitting on the steps to a classroom with one of the boys and he was between my legs looking up at me - something that has happened dozens of times in my trips here – but today I just took his face in my hands and REALLY looked at him into his eyes. It was a magnetic connection that you could just feel the love of God flow through us as his eyes just opened wide and he just smiled…content in just knowing that he mattered to someone. I guess this is the main thing we can hope for here in our work and anywhere you go, that we mean something to someone. Thanks for all your prayers and comments.
No comments:
Post a Comment