There Is a Bird On Your Head!

As Mariflor and I have become accustomed to saying when things go well....

"YAAAAY for English class this week!"

When Omero, Ester, and I walked in the classroom on Monday afternoon, the kids started their greeting song in Creole followed by an exuberant "walcomb!" (welcome).

One day a week, I have a small group of students, either the older group of 10-13 year olds or the younger group of 6-9 year olds, and then Friday I have the whole class.  I never know which group I'll have the first day, so I come prepared with two lessons.

This week, the professor asked for us to teach the older group.  The kids were unaware of which group would learn English that day, so when the older ones learned it was them, you would have thought they won the lottery! Their side of the room exploded into jumping, clapping, and cheering!

Oh, how that warmed my heart!

We opened up with a game of Number Bingo with numbers up to 20.  I had purchased some cool "Super-estrella" stickers from the dollar spot at Target this summer and used these as the prize.  Like gold to these kids.

We played 5 rounds and the winners proudly displayed their stickers.  Then we counted up to 30 as we used our calendar of November, as well as discussed what "today is," "yesterday was," and "tomorrow will be" with the days of the week.  We also talked a little bit about the weather, but we have more work to do there.

Then, I decided to start something new.

One of my greatest passions is reading aloud to children.  To see their faces light up with anticipation with every turn of the page brings me joy.  I brought a few books from the states and flipped through some to see if any words we have learned in English class were used in the books I had.

I found one and it's a favorite of mine! This book is called There Is a Bird on Your Head! by Mo Willems.

Mo Willems' books are witty, surprising, silly, and full of expression.  Some pages only have pictures to tell the story, which helped my students understand even more.  I told them that there were words that they've learned and some that they haven't, but that I thought they'd enjoy it.

I wish I had taken a picture! The preteens all gathered as close as they could to see the pages.  With the first few sentences, I would translate in Spanish, but after awhile the students began translating!  What an encouragement to these kids! They especially chimed in when they saw the words "one," "two," "three," "thank you," "please," and "you are welcome" as these have all been in our recent vocabulary.

The laughter that filled the classroom was contagious.  They could read and understand a book in English! And just guess what they asked at the end of the book?

"Laurena, tu puedes traer un otro libro la proxima clase?!" Laurena, can you bring another book next class?!

"Claro que si!" Of course, yes!

I got to thinking... for some of these kids, this may be the first new, clean book they've ever seen.

For some, it may be the first book that has ever been read to them.

I first learned about Mo Willems' books during my undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland.  I didn't know then that I would be taking these books into a sweltering hot, dirty, dimly lit classroom of a Haitian village four years later...

It is amazing how faithful and how SO good God is.

I don't say this wearing a mask or with a false sense that everything is always hunky-dory.  Quite the opposite.  In fact, the past four years of my life of following the Lord have been four of THE hardest.  I would not chose to relive them, nor would I ever trade them for anything.

But God does not promise happiness or an easy life, He promises Himself and the joy of His Spirit.

I leave Redemption every time wondering if the kids will have food to eat that night, if they have loving parents to return home to,  and if they know and accept they have a Savior who loves them.  I also leave with the joy of the Lord, our strength through every season.

I only have one hour with the kids, twice a week, but that's 120 minutes I get to share the love the Lord has given me for these children.

I'm going to miss this class so much when I leave for the holidays! I told the older kids this week that I'd be leaving soon and that we wouldn't have English class till I return in January... one girl stayed behind to say with a pout, "Eso es demasiado tiempo!" That's too long!

I'll be back, though.  And no need to worry about the time I'll be gone when we still have class ahead of us! I can't wait to read the next book, I'm Invited to a Party!, on Friday.  They're going to love it!

We might just have a little fiesta ourselves!