Walking to my first bus on Mondays, I cannot help but have "A case of the Mondays," :-) But by the time I reach Gisimba and I hear the class shouting, "Good morning teacher! How are YOU?!?!" all those blues just disappear and my spirit is immediately at the will of those adorable kids! :-) Aline is one of my sweethearts and she waits for me to finish what I am working on to walk outside with her at their recess time. All she has to do is just look up and smile at me and I am sucked in! This particular Monday, after their recess time, the other teachers wanted me to teach the Little Tea Pot song to their classes. As I finished with the 3 and 4 year olds, I found my class in the toy room up on the hill. As I entered, I found all these five year olds, already sweating from running in the HOT sun at recess, with their shirts off and tied around their waists, working on some teacher-led aerobics!! LOL I suppose there is no reason why P.E. wouldnt't be part of their curriculum here, too! There was the teacher, standing in front of the class, leading them through various exercises: raising their arms to reach the sky, touching their toes; standing with arms stretched wide and fanning down to the opposite toe, all while counting "1-2-3-4,1-2-3-4," and on and on!!! It was all I could do not to laugh out loud by the pure joy I felt at seeing how much fun they were having....
Tuesday Sara and Jordan joined me at Gisimba. Apparently all teachers were off for a teacher appreciation celebration day at the National Stadium. So although my nursery school was cancelled, the orphanage was as open as ever, so off to work we went. It was so nice to have a couple of new faces there with me to help provide more attention to other kids. As we walked through the gate that morning, my sweet four-year old Laurene just ran right over to me and gave me a huge hug! That girl has the most addicting laughter! You really cannot help but feel like laughing, too, when she is with you. I often do the horsey-ride chat with her sitting on my knees, and everytime I get to the, "whoooaaaa horsey dead" part and drop her towards the ground, she just throws her head back and the sweetest "hahahaha" comes floating right out of her. Gosh, I must find a way to get that on video! She is incredibly sweet - and what a great welcome for my friends :-) We had Jordan helping Kharim with math while Sara and I kept ourselves occupied by reading and coloring and playing with the kids.
On Wednesday, a day after the break, I walked into class and the few regular trouble-makers that I still just adore got up to come give me a high-five and do this fist-bump, chest hit, peace sign that I started with them :-) Then Billy, one adorable trouble-maker, grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it! He looked up at me with this smile that I cannot forget! :-) It makes my nose tingle just remembering... even the bads kids can be incredibly sweet when they really want to :-) Although toay he was stealing stickers from the teacher's drawer! LOL Kids will be kids!
That day I was asked to teach the kids the difference between a street, a road and an alley. Although a street and road seem about the same to me, they really wanted to differenciate between the paved and non-paved. So, the teacher decided that taking the kids outside and pointing out the paved street, versus the dirt road, and the people-only alleyways was the best way to highlight the differences. I think this was just one of those things you had to be there to see, but it was so nice for me to see the students really respect the rules for once, as they were told to be quiet and walk with arms crossed as they made their way to the side of the road. Buses and motobikes, a policeman and delivery trucks were going by and Aline and others kept shouting out what they were seeing...to see how proud they are of themselves to show us that they know what is there just warms me. So special they are! Then at recess I somehow got the "ooh eee ooh ah-ah, ching chang, walla walla bing bang" song in my head and started singing with the kids....so much rediculous fun.... :-)
I have been realizing more and more these days that I really have developed such a connection with some of the kids there. It would be rediculous for me to think that since I don't know all 140-some names of everyone at Gisimba that I somehow have failed. I realized as I tried to introduce the kids to my friends that I really did know more than I tend to give myself credit for. Coming to a place like this, as much as you try not to have specific expectations, you cannot help but judge your time and wonder if you really are doing what you wanted to accomplish. It is crazy how I think many times that these kids do more to nuture my soul with love than I do for theirs.....but hey, love does make the world go round, so in many ways, I suppose it doesn't really matter so much. What I do know is that as my final weeks are counting down, I have been filled with some mixed emotions. With just a few weeks left, I find myself missing them already, wondering what impression will be left on them when I leave. I have tried really hard to show them as much love as I can, and to nurture their gentle souls to help them simply believe in themselves, whether through coloring or playing car games or reading....I do know that I have forever been changed by them...
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ah sis this entry totally made me laugh until your last paragraph. Then the tears came a rolling... I think you have left a great impression on them and both you and the children will gain something positive from this experience. I am glad you were able to make this adventure happen, but I can definitely see a lot more to come in the future. Don't use up your time missing them quite yet... Enjoy what time you have left with them. Love you sis!
ReplyDeleteDitto to what Candyce said. :-) I can't imagine the impact your time with them has had on you, but don't doubt the impact you have had on them. The quality time that these children have had with you, to teach them, to play with them, to encourage them, will be something that no one can take away from them.
ReplyDeleteBtw, you will have fun with the horsey song with Luke. :-) Although I'm sure his laugh can't compare with the little girl's, it is pretty contagious! I love you sis! It was good to chat with you today, even if it was a short time. Try to call you soon!
Tracie: We are proud of you for the great job that you have been doing with those children. We are sure God will reward you for the love that you had share with them. God Bless you, Ana Maria and Roberto.
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