Today, I stood out on the porch as the rains fell and watched all the kids outside with Nosa and John as they danced and played. There are moments here when I get these pictures of what heaven must look like...kids dancing in the rain with full joy on their faces with their Daddy. I love these little glimpses into heaven.
Evelyn is a joyful girl (on the left). She says that her favorite thing to do is laugh...and it's really true! She loves to laugh! Evelyn was challenging when I first arrived in that she was never confident of herself. She didn't believe that she could accomplish much of anything in school, so she wouldn't even try. Instead, she would copy off of other people. Today, she is confident--though sometimes she still doubts herself--happy, learning well, a hard worker and a joy to be around.
Mary is a ball of hyperactivity (second to the left). She will talk from the moment she wakes up until the time she goes to sleep, but I have to admit, she is pretty amazing! I love getting to teach her, despite all of the interruptions she tends to cause. And at the house, she pretty much has adopted me as her big sister. Every day, I hear "Auntie Autumn, a hug, a hug" and am squeezed so tightly I lose my breath. And though she is hyper, if I catch her in the right moment, she is beautifully teachable. Although her "little sister" attitude tends to get her in trouble with the other kids, she really is a joy and the house wouldn't be the same without our hyper girl.
Grace is definitely a teenager (second to the right). She goes through these crazy mood swings, but she is an awesome girl. My favorite part about Grace is her laugh. She laughs with her whole body and it is so awesome. Her legs come up, her hands fling out, and the laugh that comes from her body could shake the room. She is so helpful and loves to work in the kitchen. Her newest obsession is chewing gum--to the detriment of all listeners nearby! She chews that stuff with a vengence and I've had to threaten gum removal because of all the loud smacking. But, every day, she is begging for another piece, and who could say no with that big grin! She is a smart student too and really works hard at school.
Micheal has learned so much this year (on the right). As one of our 7 year olds, he is a pretty active little fellow! He's hard to keep up with...moving this way and that, playing ball one moment, playing swords the other. One of my favorite moments so far this year, though it probably wasn't that safe, was when Micheal and Miracle were caught at school "sword fighting" with machetes. All I heard was "FOOOOORRRR NARRRNIAAA" outside my window. When I looked out the window and saw what was going down...well, I had to keep my composure. I mean, in the States, you would never imagine such a scene...but mix up the cultures here and that is what you get! They're obsessed with Chronicles of Narnia. In any case, Micheal is our little mischievious guy. He's sneaky and therefore doesn't get in trouble probably as much as he should, but he's just so cute when he flashes that grin. I'm excited that I get to see him grow another year and see how much he'll continue to learn!
Well, as much as I thought I was going to write on each person today, my energy is gone and my work is calling my name, so I'll try to continue this blog tomorrow where you can get an update on another group of our kiddos here at City of Refuge. I love my Ghana family...what a pleasure to get to be a part of this life...despite all the struggles, it is such a joy and the work is so rewarding!
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