Prayer Run

PRAYER RUN!! What a wonderful morning! The boys were raring to go long before the group from the church arrived to help us with supervision. We made a change in our route after talking a little. We chose a way that would put the kids on the main road a lot less. Safety is a good thing. So we walked to the plaza in Sipe Sipe, circled around, and then went the long way home. It was quite a walk!! The older boys had been saying all morning (loudly and frequently) that it was a bad idea to take the little boys with us because they wouldn’t be able to go that far. When the little ones arrived back at the Center, they were beaming with pride, every single one of them having walked the entire way! I stayed back with the older boys at the Center until the younger boys had a loooong head start, and then we ran all of the way to the plaza. Or they did anyway. I was totally left in the dust! Throughout the walk, the older boys would find shady spots and wait while the group went far ahead, and then they would run to catch up. If we had given them the okay (and had a supervisor who could keep up) I am certain they would have run the entire route at full speed! Two of my highlights were watching Ervin and Simon, brothers, walk the entire way with their arms around each other’s shoulders, and watching Luis give a piggy back ride to a tired friend. I am so thankful I was here to take part in this.

There was a semi-dark spot in the afternoon. We were all in the dorm to watch a movie, when one boy started fighting with another. When I took him out of the room, all vengeance was turned upon me. Rather than try to dodge him, which could be perceived by him as a type of game, I decided only to give physical redirections, and take a good deal of his anger. I’m a little bruised for it, but I am glad I made this decision. After his energy was spent, he began to cry and clearly felt terrible about what had happened. I don’t think he has the tiniest bit of control over his anger at this point. After a good cry, we went for a walk together. He listened attentively as I explained that I loved him even when he is angry and how much I hated what had just happened. He had a huge smile as I told him how proud I was of him for the changes I have seen in him in the past 3 years, and nodded as I explained that, because I love him, I want to help him change some more things in his life so that he can have a great life as he grows up. A little later, he saw me writing in my journal and was insistent that I include in my day that he and I had gone for a walk. I’ve been plotting all evening different activities that I can do with him to help him get control of his anger and am excited to get started on these!