Rainbows and Bonfires
Day 20:
Today was a day spent entirely with the street boys. There were so many highs and lows, but overall it was a very meaningful day. We put on a soccer tournament for the boys, and even gave them team t-shirts. They had a blast playing their favorite game in an organized way. handing out t-shirts was stressful, but all went well- I was on thief patrol. I got to have a very extensive conversation with a boy who's name means "thank you". He told me about school, and I asked him about his living situation. He told me his mother died while giving birth to him, and his father died of a sickness four years ago. He asked me if I had my parents, and I told him I had both. He responded, "you are very lucky," and I hope I never forget that. He also told me he wants to be a doctor so he can help sick people. His father being sick and not receiving care motivated his future plans. We then fed the street boys lunch, but we ran out of food this time. That was for sure a low. Right after though, I made a new friend, and we were best buddies for the rest of the day. After the championship game all four competing teams all came together, and out-shouted each other in team cheers. It was amazing to see them so happy and even physically excited, They even ran down the street holding their new soccer balls and cheering. The street boys really are an extraordinary bunch.
Day 21: English went well today with the compassion kids. We worked on feelings: happy, sad. tired, etc. It took them a while to grasp the subject, but they finally got it at the end. For the afternoon activities we brought out bubbles and balloons. It was complete chaos; I even broke up a few fights. Overall I think they had a great time. It is amazing to watch these kids color, it's like they've never done it before. Some kids just stared at me when I handed them crayons. My favorite gift of the day was the card I received from the boy I talked with about his parents yesterday. He wrote out my name (spelled correctly) on the front and wrote "I love you" on the inside. My best buddy from yesterday gave me his silly band and a flower today. He is such a trouble maker but I love him anyway. It amazes me that the kids give me gifts despite having nothing of their own and fighting each other over everything- even a sticker.
Day 22: What a day! We went on a x-treme adventure by traveling up a mountain to see be-a-utiful Lake Wenchi. The hour long trek was up a rock/dirt road with cracks and holes every five feet. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster except in real life. It was such a fun ride; Jackie was scared to death. When we finally reached our destination we saw the most beautiful scenery one could imagine. I stood on one mountain looking at all the other mountains covered in clouds, and in the middle sits a perfectly still blue lake. It is officially one of my favorite sites.
The afternoon was devoted to compassion kids. Jackie and I created a lesson plan based around Noah's Ark, and the learning/activities went so well. It was so fun to help the kids make their animal masks, make animal sounds, and act out the story. I was also able to write a note in a book that will be given to my friend who made me the card. He calls me Murphy therefore I signed it- Your Friend, Murphy.
Today was a day spent entirely with the street boys. There were so many highs and lows, but overall it was a very meaningful day. We put on a soccer tournament for the boys, and even gave them team t-shirts. They had a blast playing their favorite game in an organized way. handing out t-shirts was stressful, but all went well- I was on thief patrol. I got to have a very extensive conversation with a boy who's name means "thank you". He told me about school, and I asked him about his living situation. He told me his mother died while giving birth to him, and his father died of a sickness four years ago. He asked me if I had my parents, and I told him I had both. He responded, "you are very lucky," and I hope I never forget that. He also told me he wants to be a doctor so he can help sick people. His father being sick and not receiving care motivated his future plans. We then fed the street boys lunch, but we ran out of food this time. That was for sure a low. Right after though, I made a new friend, and we were best buddies for the rest of the day. After the championship game all four competing teams all came together, and out-shouted each other in team cheers. It was amazing to see them so happy and even physically excited, They even ran down the street holding their new soccer balls and cheering. The street boys really are an extraordinary bunch.
Little did we know today was an African holiday. It is to celebrate children; kids go around singing in exchange for bread and money. They also have bonfires at night to celebrate, so, we had our own bonfire with our African family complete with a coffee ceremony. It was so much fun. We sang and danced around the fire; we had a group of kids join us as well, and we sat in a circle and just hung out, I even taught Gaytahun (one of our street boys) how to dance. It was breathtaking to realize I'm sitting with my friends in a little town in Ethiopia among tin houses celebrating an African holiday.
Day 22: What a day! We went on a x-treme adventure by traveling up a mountain to see be-a-utiful Lake Wenchi. The hour long trek was up a rock/dirt road with cracks and holes every five feet. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster except in real life. It was such a fun ride; Jackie was scared to death. When we finally reached our destination we saw the most beautiful scenery one could imagine. I stood on one mountain looking at all the other mountains covered in clouds, and in the middle sits a perfectly still blue lake. It is officially one of my favorite sites.
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