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.