It has been my absolute joy to be the
English teacher for the backyard school for the last 4 months. We have truly
gotten up to some crazy things in the last 4 months and I have grown to love
these three kids with all my heart.
Let me introduce you to our stars
This is Adam –
He is the provider of jokes and made up
songs. Without fail he will ask for ‘appo’ (apple) for snack time and request
‘fola’ (toilet) right in the middle of said snack time. His favorite color is
‘oran-gee’ (orange) and his favorite tasks are ‘cut-cut’ (coloring and then
cutting out his picture) and ‘yellow’(lego). His facial expressions are
priceless and his generosity is unmatched. He has improved leaps and bounds in
the time I have been here, growing in confidence in writing, coloring, cutting
and communicating in English. Adam is loyal and relentless in his affections
for you. I have seen him persevere in difficult situations and hold his head
high when he is down. His beautiful spirit is not one that hits you in the face
but one that creeps up on you unexpectedly, before you know it you are in
love!! He is full of joyful chatter, funny faces and cuddles. Adventure will
always be before him as his character is one of curiosity and determination. He is going to great things – I have no doubt!
This is Enya –
Don’t
let her delicate demeanor fool you, this girl has got GRIT! She loves a good
giggle and will ALWAYS prefer rough-and-tumble play over cuddle time. Her
ability to concentrate for hours floors me and I know will serve her well in
the future. She has a peacemaker’s spirit and is always giving up her toys to
stop arguments between the boys. Oh boys!
Enya’s favorite color, like many girls
her age, is pink. Whilst she enjoys coloring and drawing, her preferred activity is building with Lego.
Enya provides us with many golden moments of physical comedy, as her
eagerness causes her to be a little clumsy at times but this well-humored little
girl is ALWAYS able to laugh it off, catching us all up in giggles too. This
beautiful little one has picked up lots of useful English words such as ‘yellow
leaf’, ‘red leaf’, ‘green leaf’, ‘tree’, ‘table’ and ‘chair’! She is able to count
up to 30 and works really hard to pronounce words correctly, usually succeeding
in three or four tries. She will be such a precious addition to any family.
This is Hudson –
If I was to describe this little one in one
word it would be ‘cheeky’...oh, and ‘monkey’. Hudson has a calling for mischief
and with the large dose of cuteness that has been given to him, he is able
to achieve most of his mischievous goals using cuteness to defeat his
opposition –namely me. Hudson is also the most loving and joyful little boy I know. He is quick to love, cuddle and kiss. He wins the hearts of all who meet him
and gets us all caught up in his cheeky plans. His favorite color is ‘purpo’
(purple) and he has a disdain for oranges, though tangerines are okay! He LOVES
playing on the swing outside and enjoys being swung to dizzying heights. He has
taught me the Chinese words for ‘faster’ ‘higher’ and ‘more’! Hudson also enjoys
being chased around on the little cars and is able to persuade nearly all he
approaches that this would be a fun game for them too! His view on the world
encourages me to see the fun in everything and to get others to experience it
too. Hudson deserves all the best things and all the love in the world as he
exudes love to all who met him.
I have received much more than I could have
ever imagined from these little ones. Their passion and determination for life
has moved and humbled me. I have been so privilege to have been let in on their
jokes and their thoughts, to have shared in their happiness and their sadness. Each day as I say goodbye and my heart breaks as Adam asks me if I am coming
back, I am reminded that there is One who never says goodbye and is always with them. That there is a heavenly Father who is always near to
them, who knows them much deeper than any foster mum, nanny, staff worker or
volunteer. He knows their thoughts before they think them, their mischievous
plans before they execute them, their need for security and protection. He
knows and he provides them with what they need in abundance. His faithfulness to
these three has been so clearly demonstrated to me in my short time here. He is
the one who fights their corner and makes impossible things possible.
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This post was written by Anna, volunteer Backyard School teacher from England.
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