In the mornings we leave the second story of our sweet little apartment and make the short walk to the church where Compassion holds daily classes for children.
These are the faces that run to greet me every morning.
While Jess, Amanda and Morgan teach English class to the older ones, Jessica, Amber and I teach art to the little ones. Today they learned to draw Noah’s Arc. Who could’ve imagined the joy of having countless little children pull on your hand begging you to draw a “giraffa” in their arc. Everything is more precious in a foreign language.
And I love trying to speak to them. Little by little my highschool Spanish is returning.
Children have such grace. There is no wrong word I can say that a big, ready smile won’t fix. They pick up on genuine love and it’s all they seem to care about.
After art class, we go down into the kitchen where we help peel boiled eggs, and cook plantains and yucca roots. When we serve the children breakfast, I love just watching them eat. They are all so kind to each other- the older ones helping the little ones, making sure they get enough.
And the Dominican women in the kitchen have become our dear friends.
When I asked one how long she has “worked” here, she said she only “helps” when she can.
But she is here every day.
Tears welled in her eyes when she was expressing to me how dear Jesus is to her… It makes perfect sense.
Today she brought us homemade banana bread.
At 12:00 we pull ourselves away from games with the children and return to our apartment for a two-hour break until the afternoon children arrive at 2:00.
The afternoon is crazy. There is about twice as many children, three times as much energy and thus four times the amount of help needed.
I love it.
I’m especially fond of these girls that come in the afternoon. Yesterday they all wrote me love notes and made me bracelets. They all know my name and always want to hold my hand.
At 5:00 they try to follow us home and beg us to let them come over and play.
I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding place to serve.
In the evenings while there is still light we explore the town, making friends with the Dominicans who sit out on their porches sipping coffee and greeting those that pass by. We found a park that if we sit in the gazebo at the right time we can get a few bars of internet. So that is where I am right now… learning patience while begging the painfully slow WiFI to upload a few pictures and emails.
Tonight we will walk back through town as the sun goes down behind the mountains. We will make rice and beans together for dinner, share precious moments from the day, lift the day up in prayer, affirm each other in our strengths, share wisdom, and perhaps take a cold bucket shower if the water ever comes back on.
Life is gentler here.
The heartbeat is slower, but more powerful I think.
There is time to ponder and time to just be.
And everything is about relationships.
I think I have a lot to learn from these people.
