Update

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last wrote and I can honestly say that life is beginning to seem more and more "normal" everyday. I'm not sure if anything's really changed or if I'm just finally getting use to the Ghanaian lifestyle and last minute changes that are a part of every day.

Things at school continue to be interesting as I train and work with the teachers. However, I've started tutoring one 3rd grade boy after school and that has been a real blessing and an encouragement to me. I'm also planning on starting some math clubs after school to give struggling students some extra practice and support. Please pray that those go well!

Today I had my first opportunity to go to the street ministry downtown which is where many of the children who now live at the home lived before coming here. Many of them have one, or in some cases even both, of their parents still living, but their parents were living on the streets, or under the veranda of this train station, and couldn't afford to clothe, feed, and educate them. Every Sunday afternoon, some of ECM's staff go down to the train station to share a Bible lesson, songs, and a meal with the many children gathered there. It was crazy to see the vast multitude of children there without any parents. Many of their mothers spend their days out on the streets selling items-- leaving their young children to fend for themselves.

Because many of the children at Haven of Hope came from here, they still have family around that area, so we asked Felicia (the Ghanaian woman who leads the street ministry) to contact some of the parents of the children to let them know that we'd be bringing their children this afternoon. When I went around yesterday to tell the children (about 10 of them) who'd be going today, you'd think they just won the lottery! They were singing, jumping up and down, and their smiles were a mile wide. One of the boys told me on the way there today that he didn't remember the last time he saw his mother. She came to visit him at the home about 6 or 7 years ago, but he said he hasn't seen her since then. The parents are free to visit at any time and many of them only live an hour away, yet very few come to visit. They've even been told they'd be reimbursed for transporation costs, which is about 75 cents. It blows my mind!

So, we pulled up to the train station and were immediately swarmed with beautiful faces of children wanting to be loved. We waited patiently for the parents to come, and I was so excited to see them reunite. After the excitement of yesterday's news that they could come, I was shocked by what I saw. One of the little girls just sat in the van as her father was at the window and her mother stood back about 10 feet away. Finally, we asked her to come out and she did, but there were no big hugs, smiles, or even words exchanged. It broke my heart. There were a couple of more reunions like this; then there were a few that did seem happy to see their children. I can't imagine what it must be like to have someone else tell you all about your child and how they're doing.

Finally, it was the situation of the third group of children that really broke me down...the children who had gotten their hopes up only to wait and wait and wait and have no one come to see them. The little boy I mentioned earlier who hadn't seen his mother since he was about 2 was one of them. I just wanted to give them a big ol' squeeze and let them know that they are loved beyond measure. It really did break my heart. I was glad to have had the opportunity to go today, because I think it will allow me to understand the kids a little bit better-- knowing where they came from and trying to understand (in just a small way) some of the emotions that they face everyday because of their past. I just pray that God will use me to be an encouragement to these children who feel abandoned and unimportant. May they truly receive and believe the message that God made them uniquely for a purpose and that He loves them very much...and that we do too!

Hope you are all doing well and enjoying the cool, crisp, fresh fall air (in the States) or the lower humidity level in HK! (I think you sent it all over here! :)) If this tells you anything, usually I lay on top of all my covers at night, because it's so warm, but this week I woke up a couple of nights and was cold and put my sheet on. It was 81 degrees! :) Yikes...how will I ever again face the snow???