The Lost Boy

July 2 

So today was day 1 for classes with the girls. Jen did a good job with the Healing class. The girls were a bit hesitant to participate, but I can’t blame them. It’s not easy having to talk about their past. Having to remember such things is painful, but as Jen told them, learning to talk about it is part of the healing process.

In the afternoon, Evelin taught the parenting and self-esteem classes. As for me, I spent most of the day preparing for my class with the high school kids tomorrow. It’s a lot of material, but I guess we will just have to wait and see how things go tomorrow and we can go from there. I was a bit unsure at first as far as knowing what approach to take with this material because the lessons come from a perspective that assumes its audience/readers are already Christians, and I doubt that’s the case for most of the kids we will be teaching. I’ve been pretty slow going through the first unit, but I trust that God will guide me and grant me His wisdom. I’m actually kind of excited, a little nervous, but it’ll be another learning experience.

The girls and I decorated Easter eggs at around 4:30. Yes, you heard me…Easter eggs in July…haha! Reason being they were intended for Easter, but by the time the package with all the materials arrived easter was already over. Regardless though, they thought that was pretty neat. They had never done anything like that before. The girls kept asking me if they could eat the eggs, but we were going to use them to make egg salad sandwiches for the high school class tomorrow.

Not long after, Papi Lee called Evelin to the gate and I went with her. There was a lady with her son and a young girl who was about 14 and the girl had a 16 day old baby in her arms. Long story short, we were told that the girl had run away from home and she was looking for someone to take her baby. So Gracie and Evelin took them to the government office in Talanga to get things straightened out. I don’t know all the details but the girl and her baby are staying here for the night. We’ll find out more in the morning. Evelin had to stay in the other room with the girl just to make sure she doesn’t try to escape in the middle of the night or so she doesn’t try to do anything to hard the baby.

            
             I got to put Diego in bed tonight. I changed his “fresh” diaper and his clothes, but as I was laying him down he quickly got up and headed for the patio outside. He stood with his face to my bed room door and he had the saddest look on his face. I picked him up and just held him. After a while I took him back to his room and rocked him to sleep. While I was singing to him I was thinking about how much he must miss his mother. He’s only about 2, but you can tell he knows what’s going on. He knows his mommy left him, and it doesn’t help that none of the girls really like him either and they are not as affectionate with him as they are with the other babies. I admit he can be a little annoying at times, even I got a little annoyed with him today, but all kids are at some point…He’s just craving for affection. He doesn’t feel like he belongs to anyone. He’s like the lost boy of the group. I’m glad he is here and he’s not in a place where he could be abused or neglected, but I do hope and pray that God finds him a loving family that he can call his own someday.