As Orange group left, my translator and I took a seat on a bench and let out a deep sigh, we'd made it another day teaching the crazy class of 42 little 5-7 little boys and no one was injured miraculously enough and we'd all had fun! But the heat was raging inside the carport and I was so thankful to see pink group walking in through the gate; girls 8-10.
They stayed in line until they got close to my bench and then came at me shouting my name and covering me with kisses. As I sat on the bench laughing; I kissed those that I could and avoided one special little girl that always tried to lick my cheek; because if she succeeded I would squeal and that was hilarious to her. Once they were all kissed and my special girl tickled and kissed; I announced that we would be playing Duck, Duck Goose! This is their favorite game; everyday, throughout the duration of english camp, at least one of them would ask me if we were going to play it that day, as I've written before in a previous post I'd modified the original Duck, Duck, Goose! And they absolutely loved it! It also made the game last a little longer as well.
This group of girls were very closely knit. It seemed they all knew eachothers names, knew what each other liked and didn't liked, kept track of who had or hadn't run already and cheered for each other every single time and were the most obedient out of the four younger classes. I got to know a lot of them very well and three I knew previously from preschool. They tried to braid and string beads into my hair one day and almost succeeded, much to my surprise (I have very fine and thin hair) and one of the strands stayed in for a couple days.
One day, after we'd played all the games I had planned and were taking a water break, I looked at the clock to find we still had about 15 min. left; yes, we still had to drink water but that wasn't going to last more than 5 min. at most! When I told one of their jr. counselors she suggested we have them sing. My translator loves to sing and so once the girls were finished drinking from the clear little water bags he led them in 10,000 Reasons or as they call it here Bless the Lord.
As their angelic voices raised to God I closed my eyes; they sang the chorus in english then in kreyol and then in english again; I expected them to stop but then three voices continued strong singing the actual lyrics in Kreyol. I'd heard this song all over, in Haitian churches as we drove by on our way to our church, the preschoolers singing it, our staff as they worked, children just randomly singing it on the streets or next door and everytime it just filled my heart with hope, hope for this little island of roughly 10 million people. That when the sun comes up and it's a new day dawning that they would find peace and joy in singing His song again. And that whatever may pass and whatever lies before they would be singing when the evening comes. Life here is not easy, voodoo is a very dark cloud that hangs low over these people and it's my prayer that they would all come to know their Savior that they would know for a fact that He is rich in love and slow to anger that His name is great and His heart is kind and they would find and know ten thousand reasons to sing His praise and then that day comes and their strength is failing that they would go home to His arms and would sing His praise unending ten thousand years and then forevermore.
I love every single one of the kids I met this summer at English Camp. Though some were a little tougher than others I still love them and pray that what they heard about Jesus would sink in and they would all come to a saving knowledge of Him. That they saw Jesus shining through us and would have a hunger and a thirst to know more about Him.
Bless the Lord
Oh my soul, oh my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
Oh, my soul
I worship His holy name
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