The 2 week countdown

So I will start with yesterday because I forgot to blog yesterday.

Woke up, typical day, had breakfast and did devos. I even planned a little lesson with Bena and Dorcas. Sandrine is in the hospital getting her braces on her legs, and getting her legs straighter. SO I was going to take the individual time with the younger girls and really buckle down and start really focusing on their alphabet. So far with them I have done alphabet puzzles, colors, read them books, but haven't physically had them write letters. I had planned on doing that. I packed little booklets for them to write in and color pictures according to the letter. Until I was walking to the children's home and noticed, because I walk by the children's school to and from home, that it was locked. HMM? Guess my plans are changing. I walked in to the compound and all the children were there. I have noticed here it is better not to plan activities and be more of a "go with the flow" type person.

So I just played with all of them. Did a small small lesson with Bena and Dorcas. Then a lesson with mom. I brought nail polish and painted all the girls nails. I talked with Bridgette and Congoline, which I have really been enjoying their company because they are some what close to my age. While I was talking with them, shooting the breeze, I heard drumming and all the kids singing. Of course I was drawn to that. So for almost an hour they were drumming on drums, tables, and books, while the girls and small boys were dancing and singing. Being silly and just having fun entertaining themselves. How often in America can children entertain them selves for over an hour straight. It was just amazing. Times like that really makes me appreciate my time here, and makes me realize how much I am really going to miss these kids.
So today is Tuesday. I went and did about the same thing. Instead of teaching the little ones I did a longer lesson with Ma. We are working on sight words and just repetition of the alphabets sounds and what words begin with what letter. Yesterday I read to her from her Bible, which is her ultimate goal to read. I just want her to have hope that it is possible for her to read despite her age.
What else did we do? I helped Norbert paint on the outside wall by the entrance door "Beware of wild dogs" because Samson the children's home German Shepherd is quite viscous to anyone he doesn't know. I touched up the girls finger nails. We did coloring and chalk. It was fun we did outlines of their bodies so it looks like a bunch of chalk body outlines from crime scenes all over the front drive way. No singing and dancing. But they do a jump rope type game that is sort of a mix with the game simon, where you follow what was done before you. So lets say the girl in front jumps and lands both of her feet on the stretchy string and the girl behind has to follow her motions. Its really fun to watch and they do it all the time.

                                                                                                                                                   I will try it one of these days but they jump so high I would never make it!!
I am just enjoying that they are off school and I get to spend alot of time with them before I go back. I am also happy the mural is over, I feel like it took time away from me and the kids. I know my main goal here was just loving on them and being like a big sister type figure to them if they would let me. I really feel like they have accepted me there and all the kids are more warming up to me. I remember in the beginning they would just stare! and now they ask me questions and joke with me, and dance and sing and show off. They are my all time favorite part of this experience.

I know alot of what I have been looking for here is for God to show me what I would like to do as a profession and I already had an inkling by enjoying working with the youth back home, loving my siblings like crazy, but now I know I want to work with kids. And the only thing I can think of that I would get to do that every day is a teacher. I looked up education majors at UCF cocoa last night and I think that I am going to pursue that in the Fall. We shall see, everything seems to be subject to change in my life, so that is not a promise but that is more where I am leaning at this moment. Well I am starving so I am going to eat lunch. Talk later...