Crowns for Queens and Kings

Every week the children learn a new letter and subsequently their craft usually starts with that letter (N for nest, necklace, night) and throughout the week as we talk to them, we point out different things that start with the letter of the week. This past week was Q, which Shelley wanted to be creative with and I personally think she succeeded, We decorated large letter Q with squares like a Quilt, we did a duck craft because ducks say "Quack" and in games we ran Quickly or had to be Quiet, the kids loved it!

Thursday we made crowns we pointed out that Queens as well as kings, princesses and princes all wear crowns. We had them decorate their crowns by gluing on different shapes, sequins and who doesn't love glitter?

Our youngest class was the hardest as well as the largest; to keep them from tearing their crowns we had them color as we worked with individual ones letting them choose which ones and where they wanted them to go. 

The next class we placed the glue and they placed and pressed each piece down, glitter though usually winds up more on them than their craft so we helped with that part. But it's pretty adorable, don't you think?

Lots of laughs and smiles going around

The oldest class did everything but the glitter as well and they were very creative! Some of them took crayons and colored in the triangles or made their own patterns, others made patterns using their sequins.

And Rochelle wrote on her's; made me smile when I read her crown.

As Kanaval is next week and there is no school the crowns the children wore really got me thinking. I have never experienced Kanaval or knew it happened in Haiti (know theres one in Rio at some point during the year) so when I first heard about it I though "Oh fun!" but the images my brain had started to build were quickly shattered as I was informed more about Kanaval. 

It's hard for me. 

There are things that go on that I know happen everywhere... but not to these precious kids! We received some news about a couple of the children that attend Maranatha's home lives and it was hard. Half of me didn't want to believe it, not in a way where I was ignorant but it just didn't seem real. One of the children particularly is attached to me and always smiling and happy. It was as if I was being told this in a dream and I was going to wake up and there would be that relief of "just a dream" and life would resume. The other half couldn't wrap my head around it; physically I felt the weight of this information but my emotions couldn't process what I'd been told. And then I saw this child and I can't even write about it at this time.

Kanaval is a scary time; I'm still getting information from it as it draws closer but I ask that this weekend and next week you pray for the country of Haiti. People go "crazy" during Kanaval, as one person put it very nicely, "like Mardi Gras... but much much worse I think" and I want to just bring all the children and their families here, where I know they will be safe to an extent. But prayer is a powerful wall of protection and God does not just live here at Maranatha but He is with each child and their families.

During Kanaval people dress up and several of the kids came back today wearing their crowns and a couple of them came with glitter, make-up and one little girl was dressed completely in a pink: leotard, shrug, leggings and her pink crown from the day before which was rather adorable but other, older children were seen on the street  by the directors as they drove through the city this morning that were dressed.... less appropriately. It hurts knowing..... knowing everything. It makes me angry. Children should not be treated this way; they are children. I'm so frustrated typing this I can't put the words I want together but I hope you grasp a piece of what I'm trying to convey.

Continuing on; seeing the children with their crowns (especially Rochelle's) I was reminded why we're here and what we are trying to do. God's filled me with this love for children. Since I was eight I've wanted to provide a good home, food, education and love for every child and it's hard knowing that we have these children here for such a short time. But, talking with a wonderful wonderful Haitian brother who has a HUGE heart for his country, he reminded me that we are setting the foundation for them, to have everything that we provide for them at Maranatha right at the start is huge and no we don't know what is going to happen to these kids but we can and will plant seeds, and water  them for as long as they are in our care. Every single child is a prince and princess of the King and it is my prayer that they will grow to be Kings and Queens in His eternal Kingdom because they are dear to Him and are so very loved.

Mèsi Jesus!