My adventurous husband is packing up for 6 days in a village 8 hours from here. I’m so excited that Hj gets this opportunity to go share the Gospel in the remoter parts of the island. The kids and I will stay here at the YWAM base. So far, I’m keeping my tears under control, but we will all miss him like crazy!
Hj and Jessie did art therapy with the kids from the orphanage. The kids each drew their heart on a paper, and then colored it in with different colors. Each color represented an emotion; for example, yellow = happy. They chose how much of their heart is happy, or which percentage to color yellow. After they were done, some of them presented their hearts and talked about the different emotions they were feeling.
Another day they sent the kids outdoors to find something in nature that represents a part of who they are, and then everyone shared what they chose and why.
Jessie spent a long while praying individually with the girls. They are really amazing kids! We have seen a little glimpse of their hearts and it has impacted us so much. They are grateful for the family God has given them, even though many of them have suffered great loss and sadness. No bitterness can grow in a thankful heart.
Hj also taught on personalities and identity to the local YWAM staff. They did the My-Briggs test, which is no small feat when every word needs to be translated. Besides the Europeans, there is one other introvert. Aha! Everything makes sense now.
Hj is a very engaging teacher, and got his students to draw a picture together on the whiteboard….. without talking. A great exercise for a roomful of extroverts, wouldn’t you say?
They divided into two groups, and had to illustrate the perfect vacation. Pictured below are the P’s (Perceiving): they like to keep their plans loose and casual. The J’s (Judging), on the other hand, had a well-organized, step by step plan for their vacation. It’s a very revealing exercise to do in a group, and I had fun watching them draw. Two people did most of the drawing on this one, even though there are 5 in the group. One person waited until their time was almost up, and then just added details.
During Ramadan, we visited a huge mosque. In case you wondered, I’m pretty sure we were the only white people for days. A little wrinkly man who spoke English told us everything we wanted to know (and more) about the mosque and its history, but all I understood was “Willem Alexander.” Anyway, we were whispering prayers and uttering declarations under our breaths. It was sobering to be there, even wrapped up in Hello Kitty.
The slum kids are back from holiday, so Hj and the rest of the team have gone there a few times. The kids like learning new songs and games.
Meanwhile, our kids are starved for attention. (haha) Actually, they are loving it here and thriving. They quickly adapted to all the new people and developed some special friendships here at the base. I am so thankful for young people who take time to invest in our kids and teach them new things. Adam and Ellie bring lots of joy!