A group of preschoolers tried to sneak up on me outside of my window. |
I've now officially been working with Nueva Esperanza for over a month. It has been a very full time with getting child sponsorship packets ready and welcoming students in for another school year (since their schools started February 1), and there are days when I just feel exhausted. We even had a team in from Tennessee last week! Things are starting to feel more normal as I'm finding my community and creating routines for myself.
This week I've started to interact more with the students who come to the ministry. In the mornings I'm still working in the office with child sponsorship responsibilities. In the afternoons, I get to tutor one kindergartner a day and then work with students who have made bad choices. I love having the opportunity to get to spend more time talking with and getting to know the kids, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy.
Alison is my first kindergartner who I started tutoring! |
Even though it's been so difficult at times, I am so thankful for these opportunities. Every time I've needed help in communicating my ideas or trying to teach something to a kindergartner, someone has been there to help me. Fany, one of the wonderful staff members at Nueva Esperanza, has helped me to handle some behavior cases with such grace and love. She seems to always understand what I'm attempting to say, even if my verb conjugations are totally off. I have been so thankful this week to have her help me and take control when I literally can't think of words to say.
Typical recess time |
This is Oscar. He is 73 and still works at the ministry. He's great. |
These kids are wonderful. The ones who are viewed as "troublemakers" still come up and hug me the day after I've made them missed their favorite class to write an apology letter to the kid they hit during soccer. Please be praying that God would be working in their hearts and in the lives of their family members. Please pray for their protection. Please pray that they would see Christ's love so that they can begin to better imitate Him. There are so many bad influences surrounding these kids in their families, neighborhoods, and schools. If they are able to start being image bearers of Christ now, how much brighter will they shine in all the darkness that surrounds them?