A Good Challenge

It's been a long and exhausting past few days! My job this week-teaching school! While many of our kids attend private schools and are gone all day, we also have a lot of kids stay home because they are not able to function well enough to go to school. So, we have a few teachers come to the home and do educational activities with them during the daytime. Our teachers have to take this week off to take exams, so Rebekah and I have been put in charge to teach school to our kids that stay home for this week. This is hard work! It's one thing to try and entertain kids all day but it's another thing to try and entertain 30 kids with severe autism and are all begging for your one-on-one attention. Rebekah and I have been challenged in our patience as multiple kids are constantly tugging on us for our attention and often end up resorting to bad behavior in order to get our attention. A few will hit and grab my face in order to get my attention, it's a never ending battle that I feel like they are constantly fighting. So, prayer is what is getting me through the day and the reminder that love is patient and kind. However, we have had fun singing songs, dancing, coloring, doing puzzles, and playing water games out in the courtyard. I have also been able to spend time with kids I feel I havent been able to spend much time with thus far and have enjoyed that time getting to know them better. Never the less, I am absoloutly exhausted at the end of the day and sleep quite well at night. On our lunch break, Rebekah and I were talking about the challenges of our day and she said something that really stuck with me. She said "Anything in life that's worthwhile is going to be hard." I think that's really true because while I know teaching these kids is hard, I know that they need it and it's a blessing for me to be able to be apart of their lives this way.

There are two little boys here at SCH that I want to share with you-mostly because they are two that have stolen my heart since day 1. Ezra, is a little boy who has Cerebral Palsy and has the sweetest smile you have ever seen. I like to come into his room at least once a day and say hi, even if for a moment, because that smile of his has the ability to make my day a whole lot better. When I have time, I like to take him up to the office and blow bubbles and bang around on the tambourine. To see the excitement in his eyes is priceless. Then there's Cedar, he's a blind baby, with one eye missing. When I first met Cedar, he would always be sleeping. This guy loves his sleep! But for the past few days, I have been able to catch him when he's awake and he is a little bundle of joy! He loves to dance-which looks like lying on his back with his hands and legs in the air, waving them back and forth really fast. He does this with a big smile on his face and his raspy little giggle. Cedar and I have had some good times playing with the music instruments, being tickled, and snuggling when he's tired. These guys have captivated me and I find that I can't stay away from them when I'm at the home. I love how God puts the most random people on your heart like that, I don't know how they became so iresistible to me, but I like to think it's for good reason.

Many aspects of working in this childrens home remind me of the past 2 summers I spent working at a camp in Canada for underpriviledged children. It's hard work, but it is entirely rewarding at the same time. You fall in love with kids the second you meet them and feel a sting in your heart when you think about saying goodbye. This never ceases to amaze and astound me. There's nothing like loving a perfect stranger so much that it hurts and knowing that it's completely not of myself and entirely of Jesus. If there is one thing in life that has shown me the heart of God the most are kids like these. I am thankful for the joy and presence of God these kids bring into to my life. There's really nothing like it.

                                

                                                             Ezra

                                                       Cedar