Bits & Pieces

May 15, 2010

Once again I sit down to actually write a blog entry and cannot remember all of the ideas that I had floating around in my head from the week. It has been a good week, with some long days. Today I spent part of the day at the school where the majority of the children attend. They were having a day of Intramural competitions and I went to support them and also help out with selling whatever the parents of each class were assigned to cover. I did not have to do much selling, so that was nice. At the end of the afternoon I was on my way out, when I noticed some people playing volleyball. I went over and joined and soon there were 4-6 children from La Casa de Mi Padre playing. After a little while, the heavens let loose with a very brief but very wonderful rain shower. These past few days have been intensely hot. So much so that I do not want to do much of anything.

Yesterday evening I stayed late at the home to bake a mango dessert for the children and staff today and I realized that the kitchen is not a good place to be on a hot day. A couple of the older guys helped me to peel and cut the mangos and it proved to be a good time to chat about movies and music (which of course I know very little about) but I was able to share why I like some movies (and the analogies they contain) and why I do not like the majority of the others. I am looking forward to cooking with each group of girls in the coming weeks.

This past week I was much more intentional in my reading with one of the young girls, Elba. I received some good ideas from a good friend who is an Elementary Education teacher and feel better equipped to tackle helping her in her reading comprehension. I love to read, and I am excited to help a child find that joy too or if nothing else, at least learn to understand what she is reading.

I was more directly involved in the majority of the groups this week in both the guys' and girls' home. Some went well, others did not. The medium to young age boys were a bit out of control and unfocused and so even though the activity that I had for them was active, it did not work. I am praying for some good ideas for next week. My time with the oldest group of girls' though went really well and I was encouraged that I am getting to know them better and developing more trust with them. So overall it has been a good week. Oh and on top of it all, I have been having some good conversations with a girl from Spain who is not a Christian and who feels like her life is fine without God. I am praying that God will give me wisdom in what to share and say and that above all, she will experience God for herself so that there will be no room for doubting not only His existence, but also her need for Him. Tomorrow I get to go hiking with her and probably another Christian girl so I am hoping that the day lends itself to some good conversations.