Lessons with Dion

When I first found out that we were going to an orphanage in Belize I though that we would be spending each day helping out around the home with cleaning and caring for the kids. We did that for about the first day and then we started in on what they really wanted and needed help with. Tutoring.

We divided up the kids by grade and gave each volunteer a grade to work with. We each have one younger student in either grades one or two to work with as well. I was given grade 7 and one little boy in second grade named Dion (pronounced Dee-on).

I went to talk to his teacher about what he had for homework and how I could help him, yet all she said was that Dion was on a different level. I wasn't sure what that meant, but I knew I would find out later that day at our first tutoring session. I found him outside playing and I told him to come inside so we could work on homework, and he just shook his head and hid in the slide. I persisted in vain and an older boy finally had to come over and get him out. He of course got in trouble and finally sat beside me with his backpack on. I asked him if he had any homework but he wouldn't respond or even look at me, so I opened it up to find it completely empty. There wasn't even a stray piece of lint in that bag. I then told him that I would make up homework for him to do because he hadn't showed me his. I wrote down a simple math problem, but he still didn't even look at this. Seeing that I was getting nowhere fast, I asked a friend to get a book so that I could read with him. She brought one back and I began to read it to him, asking where things were in the pictures and letting him turn the pages. This got him a little involved and he actually began pointing to things and turning the pages. I was very excited at this small feat. I asked for another book and he enjoyed that one too, so I asked him if he wanted to read another one and if he wanted to grab a book. He nodded and then ran off, coming back a few minutes later, arms brimming with books! We read a few more until I had to help others with homework. That was how my first day went with Dion.

Dion

The next day was pretty close to the same. We read a few books and called it a day. Please note that he had still not spoken to me the first or second day at all. I believe it was the third day when I actually heard his mouse like voice answer me about a book that we were reading. Each day we make progress. He talks to me a bit more, and is now sitting on my lap and even jumping up on me to give me a hug when I see him. He is a very thin and quiet little boy, and smiles shyly every time you point him out and say his name. Each time I praise him on his work he hides his face and shakes his head, covering up the huge grin that is stretched across his thin face.

It has definitely been a struggle working with Dion. He doesn't always respond or do the work right away when I ask him to, but usually after much kind persistence, he works and does more than I ask. It is also hard to be with Dion because the other kids tease him and pick on him so much. It is painful to see happen. Not that we don't make them stop or reprimand them for their unkind behavior, but we know that it has gone on for a long time and still happens when we are not around. It is also hard to see the scars on his little body, wondering what happened to him that led him to this home. But I couldn't be more happy that I am working with Dion. He is teaching me many things, the first being patience, but also kindness, tenderness, and understanding. He reinforces the lesson that you can never be unkind to people because you don't know what has happened in their life to lead them to be the person they are today. He has taught me to accept before understanding a situation fully and to love unconditionally.

A School Story

Last Monday we began something new for the King's Children's home... And something quite new for ourselves. We started a preschool for the children who are too young to go to school yet. We knew that the kids who haven't had any schooling were let to run around all day long, doing just as they pleased. This made us a bit nervous because we were not sure how they would handle sitting down every morning and learning. But we also knew that this is just what the kids needed, because it will give them a much needed boost for when they start their real school one day. So we plowed forward.

We decided to have the preschool start at 9 am and end at 11 am. Just a mere two hours to let the kids start to feel structure and get a taste of what real school would be like. It would also only be Monday through Thursday, giving both us and the kids Friday off. We decided to let two teachers trade out with the other two teachers every other day, with one teacher remaining all throughout the week. I was excited about this opportunity (as my major is Elementary Education), so I volunteered to stay every day.

Next, we had to come up with a daily schedule. We decided to have just about the same thing every day, so that the kids will feel the structure of school and will be comfortable with this new arrangement. We start off every day with a memory verse, that we usually add motions to to make it more exciting. Next we have a Bible story, followed by prayer. Motion songs follow this, including some of the kids favorites which are: If You're Happy and You Know It, Let Us Come Together, Peace Like a River, and Who Has Come to Preschool. The last song is the most exciting for them because in the song each child is named and pointed at, which of course brings smiles and embarrassed, but happy, looks. Most of the other songs they are still trying to learn, so we are just leading them while they stare at us wide eyed and with mouths agape. Next comes the day and the weather outside, and then a story, which of course is always read with much enthusiasm as to keep the students' attention. After that comes working with numbers, and then working with letters, another story in there, and we finish with an art project.

The preschool has been going fairly well, so far. We have had some rough patches where no one wants to sit still and participate, or we can't find them, or they won't come out from under the table. But for the most part, it goes along pretty smoothly. They seem to be very excited to learn and to get individualized attention, which they may not always get.

Some special points of interest that have happened in the preschool so far are as follows. One little boy, who we thought for the longest time to be named "Urban" is actually named "Erwin." This posed a problem because we had been telling him that his name is "Urban" and that his name starts with the letter "U." Now when we go through our alphabet book, he stops at the letter "U" and says that his name starts with that letter. We feel terrible about that one. A fun thing for the kids is when we break out letter tiles and have them find the letters "A" and "B." They really enjoy that and are getting really good at it too. It is definitely exciting to see them learning more, and to come in every day wide eyed and bushy tailed. I feel like we are definitely needed here for that reason. To give the kids a jump start on education and to show them some attention and affection. It has definitely been a learning process for us so far, but it has also definitely been a blessing.

Here are two visitor students; Quincy and Karalee. A brother and sister who came for the day.

Quincy, Karalee, Emmerson, and Jason coloring for art.

Miss Rachael removing a sticker from Erwin's (not Urban's) head.

Quincy, Erwin, Miss Kelsi, Karalee, and Emmerson listening to a lesson.

Miss Karli enthusiastically reading a Dr. Seuss book.

All the kids sorting through letter tiles to find "A" and "B."

First Week

To the airport at 3 in the morning. Flying for four hours over the continental United States and landing in Texas. Rushing to catch the connecting flight and then flying two hours to Belize. I look out my window as we are approaching. Pillars of fluffy white clouds spread as far as the eye can see. We descend, and as we emerge from them, all one can see is green. Lush jungle coats the land. There is untouched wild everywhere. We land and step off the plane into a new world of heat and humidity. 

We take a truck from Belize City to the capital of Belmopan, driving fast along a simple road that winds through the jungle. We arrive at night to a new home that is being built where bugs are calling their night songs and where the rain pours harder than I ever knew could.

It is a strange new place we have come to. One that I hadn’t imagined. A place where rain pours as water would flow from fire hydrants. Where poisonous snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, and other critters roam and where fireflies light up the green grass at night. Where howlers monkeys scream in the night, and where jaguars prowl in the deep jungle. Where there is not city and then some jungle, but jungle and then some town. This is the place I now call home.

It has been an interesting and exciting experience so far. We have traveled on the public buses by ourselves, shopped in the local markets, and walked around our new town of Belmopan. We have seen many exotic birds, a spider monkey, and even a caged jaguar. We have begun to integrate ourselves into our new lives of helping at the King’s Children’s Home. I have held and comforted babies, fed them, and sang them to sleep. I have raced around with the younger children, and teased the older ones, just trying to get to know everyone. We have been loved on since the moment we arrived. Each precious child wanting to get his or her turn of attention and affection. We have seen the tattered home where about 70 children live. We have seen the humble beds they sleep in and the few possessions we own. We have seen the joy and the struggle on the faces of those children who have so much less than one could imagine. 

This time here in Belize has definitely been eye opening, and we haven’t even been here two full weeks. It has been incredible to see the life of people who are far poorer in our eyes, yet who are far richer in the time they have and can spend with those they love. It has been a tough adjustment going from the fast passed life in the states, to the slow and steady life style here in Belize. It is definitely worth it though. Prayers are continually appreciated as we start a preschool and a tutoring program after school. Thank you for your time and support. I love and miss you all.

Blessings.