Tuesday, September 28, 2010

There's Just Something So Beautiful About...


September 28, 2010

…Children worshiping God together. An old praise song held the words, “there’s just something so beautiful about that name… .” I would definitely agree but I also find there to be something very beautiful in children of all ages coming together to worship the Lord. Over the last 2 weeks during my times of being tía, I have had some opportunities to be with the children in worship. Every Friday evening the tíos bring the children together on the front porch for worship and then devotions, divided up by age groups. The worship team is usually comprised of various youth and then a tío. The other week I shared with the middle age group using the illustration of one of my favorite stories from Tales of the Kingdom, Princess Amanda and the Dragon. We talked about how little things can grow into big things and we quickly lose control of them and Jesus’ teaching on, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.
I have run into some moments where the children are singing praise songs at inopportune times. The other day I was trying to correct one of the youngest girls and talk with her about how she had treated another one of the girls. She decided that she preferred running up the stairs singing about how God is worthy as opposed to listening. So I then tried to explain to her how God is not pleased when we sing praises to Him and disobey at the same time. Eventually she settled down and we were able to get to the impending discussion.
With covering as a tía repeatedly (and a few days consecutively) over the past week, I have a renewed appreciation for the tíos here. Not only do they have to give very early wake-up calls (usually the first children get up around 3:30AM), but bed-time comes late for them as they wrap up their many responsibilities. Discipline is a large part of the day and so creativity, wisdom, and patience are all important characteristics for the tíos. And as I have been reading about, discipline is not just about correcting behavior, it is about getting to the heart and seeing what is there and helping to mold the heart to follow after God. The work of a tío never really finishes, even when they have their days off because like parents, they are praying for their children and most likely wondering how they are doing back at La Casa. I have been reminded of how important it is to cover the lives of the tíos with prayer because they are often under attack and things like tiredness or sickness greatly increase the difficulty of their work. I can definitely say that I am thankful for and admire their frontline work with the children.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Another Early Morning Post

September 24, 2010

It has been another early morning as I am here at La Casa overnight. One of the tios volunteered to go along on the morning trips to school for me so I thankfully do not have to be ready to leave the house at the same time as the children. I hope to be able to catch some sleep a little later this morning, but we will see.

Yesterday went much better with the three youngest girls than Monday. One of the girls still tried to manipulate my words and did not want to obey but she at least admitted to the disobedience which is a small step. And they all quieted down much quicker last night -- maybe because they have been getting up at 4:00AM to get ready for school instead of 5:00AM as they normally do. Two of them were very much tearing around the play area with the other children burning lots of energy late into the evening so I am sure that this helped them too.

I received some heavy news from Honduras yesterday. Two young men from the church that I attended there were kidnapped on Wednesday evening and though most kidnappings are for ransom and the people are released, Guillermo -- a young man who was turning twenty toda -- was killed and the other young man, Armando was wounded. Guillermo was one of the youth that I knew from the church because of his involvement out at camp and on a work team there. He was a young man passionate for the Lord, a leader in the youth goup and in worship teams. He was a young man with potential. It is hard to understand why he went home to be with the Lord but perhaps God wanted him before His throne to praise Him there. It may be that in his death, more lives will be touched than he could reach while he was living. I am not sure of the reasons for it all, but I do know that God is in control and that which Satan intended for evil, God can transform to be used for his glory. Please pray though for Guillermo's family, the church there in San Pedro Sula and the two other boys involved in the kidnapping who are recovering from their wounds. The burial service will take place this afternoon.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Being a Tia Again

September 21, 2010,
5:00AM really seems like too early an hour to begin a blog entry, but here I am. I was a tía last night at the girls’ home and it is now the hour for the three youngest girls to be getting ready for school. I must say that yesterday was not an easy day with them. I found my patience tried in many areas as I worked with them to finish their homework and study for an English exam. There were times when just one was acting up, but at other moments it was all three. I have been reading the book (off and on) Shepherding a Child’s Heart and I realize that I need to get further along in it to be able to work more on the heart issues than just the behavior issues that come up on a nearly moment by moment basis. It breaks my heart to see how mal-intentioned they can be at one moment but so loving at another.
Yesterday was just one of the first of many nights of being tía in this coming week. I am praying that God’s grace will be sufficient for me in this role because on my own, I do not have the strength nor patience. I have to remember where these girls have come from and give them extra grace. I am sure that God probably wants to do as much work in my heart as He does in theirs.
And apparently I will need to get them up at 4:30AM instead of 5:00AM on Friday so that they are ready in time to leave for school. Today they barely made it. Besides the life as a tía, my life has been busy in other areas. I have started the last part of my Life Coaching Training course and with that comes lots of work, but it is good to continue learning. Yesterday I began coaching one of the older girls here at the home as she is trying to discern her next step and what God is calling her to. Since the majority of our communication is in Spanish, it makes the coaching even more challenging.
This past Sunday I had a good day of rest and in a sense preparing for the week. I met up with some friends from another children’s home for lunch and a table game (something I love but rarely get around to playing here unless it is with the children). During a Skype call with my family I got to play Peek-a-Boo with my little nephew which was fun. Another random highlight of the day was having a green parrot fly by my kitchen window, squawking, while I washed dishes – and this at a 4th story level. I continue to be thankful for glimpses of God’s creation from my apartment though it is in the middle of the capital city.
I need to download some pictures from last week and the Independence Day parades of the children to post in another blog. And other than that I am off to get things done this morning so that I can go to bed early tonight.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Return of the Calm

September 13, 2010

I apologize for taking a while to update on how things have been since the last mention of the unrest here in El Salvador. On Thursday night the president gave a speech in which he declared there would be no dialogue with the gangs and if they caused disturbances, they would be arrested. Friday seems to have been a fairly calm day and by the weekend buses were back to their normal runs. Hopefully the gangs have gotten the message that their manipulation via fear will not be tolerated. The presence of the police and military has been increased all around the city in response to the threats and there have been quite a few arrests of gang members. And so we pray for peace.

This past weekend was my busy one with teaching Sunday School and also a Saturday Family Visit day. Both went well. This morning we did a family visit to one of the girl's family who lives and works on a coffee farm. It is a beautiful place to go but difficult to see the situation in which many of the family members find themselves. Hopefully they were encouraged by our vist and we are praying that they can make good decisions about what to do in the future.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Birthdays





I wanted to post a few recent pictures from the birthday celebrations/outings of the two 2 year old boys -- Ricardo and Emmanuel. Ricardo has of late been scared over everything so nearing the pinata, the turtle in the mall, and maybe even his birthday cake was a stretch for him. Today I did not capture it on video but he was singing Happy Birthday (In Spanish of course) and dancing -- very adorable. Enjoy!

Yielding Control Through One's Fear

September 9, 2010

Fear... it is something I hate but also something that I have yet to overcome in many areas. Today I am seeing how fear reigns in El Salvador in so many ways. I have gleaned a few more facts of what has been going on with the gangs and the buses not running (for 72 hours). This week the government issued a new law making it illegal to be a part of a gang. A person can now be arrested just for being a part of a gang, even if they have never committed a known crime. In response to this ruling, the two dominant gangs in El Salvador (the MS and 18 -- who are stark enemies) have come together and announced that they would not permit buses to circulate for 72 hours. They also warned people to stay off of the roads after 6:30PM. Last night the traffic in the evening passing outside my apartment was much less than usual and I did not hear cars in the morning until almost 5:00AM. Tonight I notice that there are a few more cars still on the road, daring to defy the gangs decrees.

Many people have not been able to get to work because of the lack of transportation. Others have walked for miles and for hours. I saw on the internet today that one man decided to ride bike to work since there were no buses and the police stopped him and either fined or arrested him because he was not wearing a helmet. I never even knew that was a law here. It is not a law for motorcycles so I am not sure why bicycles would be any different. (Actually I am not sure about the motorcycles either but if it is a law to wear a helmet, it often is not enforced.) The police and army are supposedly out on the streets trying to maintain control and ensure the safety of the mini-buses that are still running. Army trucks were also used to transport people along bus routes that had been closed down.

At La Casa de Mi Padre all of the staff left early these past 2 days to ensure that we made it home in good time. In some ways I feel as if I am giving into fear and giving the gangs power by following their commands, but I am not going to risk driving around the city when it is not necessary. Last night I skipped going to Bible Study (if it was even happening). I did hear on the radio that some churches were holding their regular services tonight. I was rather glad to hear that because it means that people are living their life and not giving in to fear.

Hopefully tomorrow the halt on the buses and the curfew threats will be over and the government will have control over the gangs. I am not sure that the solution will be so easy though and so I continue to pray for peace. For many who lived through the war in El Salvador in the 80's, the curfew is bringing flashbacks of life back then. To be wise and prudent but to not be controlled by fear, that is the challenge on hand. I think of the Psalms and the reminder that the Lord alone is my rock and my salvation, of whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life... That is what we must remember.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

The Reality of Gangs


September 7, 2010

Today the reality of the gang activity here in El Salvador is hitting home. I do not understand all of the details as to the why (perhaps because bus drivers are not paying their "rent" or extortion price), but apparently the gangs are upset. So they have stopped all buses, threatening to burn them or destroy them if they run their regular routes through the city or around the country. In a separate incident, the police just found 10.2 million dollars in barrels that comes from narcotrafficking.

I had no idea what was going on with the halt of transportation until I got to work since I have my own car. I soon discovered though that the tios who were to begin their shift today had not arrived, nor the driver.

I ended up spending most of the morning with Ricardo, playing, singing, and coloring. The housemom had taken Emmanuel with her so there was only one little boy to take care of. When I heard that the tia Loida might not make it in because there was no transportation, I began to consider what life could be like the rest of the day and night as I cared for the two 2 year-old boys and Salvi who is four and has autism. I will confess that I was relieved when Loida arrived at lunch-time.

From the sounds of it (though we are trying to confirm whether it is just a rumor or not), the gangs are also imposing a nationwide curfew. During the war in El Salvador there were curfews and no one could safely be out on the streets after 5:00PM. I pray that the curfews are not that extreme today. The events of today are reminding me that this is a country still torn by violence and corruption. Please be in prayer for El Salvador -- for the government and for the people.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

What is the Most Contagious Thing in the World?

September 2, 2010,

According to a children's book that I read the other month with some of the children here,it is not the yawn, sneeze or common cold but the smile that is most contagious. This morning I experienced that during my run. I was on my second lap around a park and passed an older gentlemen who I thought said "morning" the first time I passed him even as I said "Buenos dias!". This time his "morning!!!" (perhaps preceded by "good" but I could not make it out) was very clear. He declared the greeting with one of the biggest smiles I have seen in a long time and with an enthusiasm that may have come from his pride in speaking English to me. I smiled back and returned the greeting. As I continued to run, I could not help smiling as I thought about the joy on his face. I found that I wanted to share this smile with others today and so I hope that as I spend the night in La Casa as a tia for th girls, I want to share a contagious smile that transforms the faces and lives of those around me. May we all be contagious with the smile and love of Christ today!