mama linda

sorry for the long delay in communication. my weeks go by so fast here! there's so much to tell that sometimes i get overwhelmed and give up trying all together. but this afternoon i have the computer and some time to myself which is a recipe for successful blog writing.

a lot has happened over the past few weeks. the weather has finally started to cool down and the trees are changing color. i've found a park to go running in which overlooks a river and is enclosed by all kinds of deciduous trees. some mornings the leaves fall like snow. i can't really explain how happy autumn makes me. it's my favorite time of year....and autumn on the east coast definitely doesn't disappoint.

i'm settling into my work sites and getting to know the kids and staff people better. a lot of the newness has started to wear off. not everything the kids do is adorable to me anymore. it's funny though because as the novelty wears off, i sense myself coming to a deeper love for each of these children. i am beginning to see the underlying needs of each child as an individual and as a product of the brokenness in our neighborhoods.

a couple of weeks ago we had an ice cream party at camp and i took some pictures. tymira and sierra (c-c) are two of my favorite kids at camp. they're in second grade and go to the same school. i see them around my neighborhood a lot. have i mentioned yet how everyone in my house calls me "mama linda"? i suppose it's because i'm the oldest and i've have a strong maternal instinct. plus, i'm kinda bossy (in a kind and loving way). anyway, the other day at the park c-c and tymira and i were playing and on our way back to camp they were both hugging on me and tymira said, "you're like my mommy at camp. i'm gonna call you mama linda!" so it's offical....everywhere i go i'm mama linda.

tymira and c-c at the ice cream party

another one of my favorite kids is david. david is seven and he is one of the only english speaking people in his family. he has one of the sweetest spirits of anyone i've ever met. he is the kind of person who seems to have been born genuinely kind and giving. he has the softest voice and rolls all his r's even when he's speaking english. he is such a hard worker and loves to get all of his homework done every day. one day i was talking to some of the kids about getting their homework done and i made them all pinkie swear that they'd work their hardest to get it done. when i got to david, he grabbed my pinkie with his whole hand and had the hugest grin on his face. apparently he'd never learned about pinkie swearing before. i tried to show him that we had to link pinkies but every time i stuck out my pinkie he'd grab it with his whole hand and giggle.

sweet david

alex, also a favorite (i'm not picky, okay?) is in third grade. i work with him every day, one on one, to get his homework done. he has a hard time in school and a hard time concentrating. we work SO hard each day to get his work done. he has a difficulty writing sentences and spelling words. the amazing thing about alex is that he will keep plugging away even though school doesn't come easily to him. he never gets frustrated or down on himself.

alex the heartbreaker

hopefully I'll get the chance to write again soon. there's more i'd love to share. until then, please pray for my kids and the people of wilmington.