Bible club! Less Bible, more Crazy!

Well, yesterday was the first day of Bible Club. I haven't come up with a fun name yet, so this will have to do for now.

I had a plan! I bought fun things! I had a yummy snack! I had 4 kiddos coming!

Then real life kicked in.

One boy canceled. He has CP and spends most of his day in bed. I visited the family last week, and the mom was excited to let him go. Grandma seemed hesitant, but willing. Then the mom called my friend (who had introduced them to me) and said he couldn't go. Grandma didn't want him to go, and if mom sent him, grandma wouldn't care for him during the day anymore. Well grandma does all the care for him, and mom just pays for the diapers, etc. Doesn't take much interest in him. So she didn't want to lose her babysitter!

I think grandma is just scared. This is a new concept, and she has no idea what my intentions are. I am sad, as I think it would be so good for him. I'm praying they change their mind later on.

Keena, the lady working with me, and I went to pick up the other 3 kids from the next town over, Tactic. We picked up Geovani first. He is 14 and has Down's Syndrome. I had met him, his mother and 2 sisters the day before, but the mom only spoke Pokomchi, and the sisters didn't translate. They just told me that he could go. So as we were picking him up, Keena was able to talk with her in Pokomchi, and answer her questions. I think the mom felt better after that.

Next we picked up Joshua, who I wrote about previously. On Monday, his mom Alma, took me to meet another woman who has a son with Down's Syndrome. She knew what I was doing, and had spoken with her husband. She then proceeded to tell me that she and her husband had heard stories when they were younger about children who had been taken to programs run by North Americans, then the children were never seen again. This kind of mentality is pervasive in the more remote villages, and with the uneducated. There is a lot of fear in this culture, and stories like this run rampant.

Alma assured her that I had been attending her church for a while, and she knew that I wasn't going to steal her child. She agreed to have little Wilmer come and said she would bring him down to Alma's house for me to pick him up. To get to their house required a long drive up the mountain on a one lane road, then about a 10-15 minute hike farther up the hill. I couldn't do that with other kids waiting in the car, so she agreed to bring him down.

Not surprisingly, he wasn't there. I had arrived about 20 minutes late, so didn't wait for him any longer.

The  car ride was very subdued. They didn't know where we were going, but they were happy anyway. :)

Once we arrived at my house, it was instant chaos. I didn't feel in control of anything for at least the first hour! Hindsight being what it is, I should have just let them get to know the place, and play. I did let them play for a bit, but I was excited to get onto the program part!

This picture is so blissfully deceptive! It looks like both boys are so interested, and I think Geovani (on the left) really was. But I was just trying to keep Joshua still while I read a Bible story. I got to where "and God made the light" and then gave up.

 Geovani colouring in his booklet. I lovingly printed them out, cut them and stapled them thinking it would be such a fun activity! Not so much.

Another deceptive picture. Joshua spent most of the time throwing the crayons on the floor, and trying to run away. He hasn't been disciplined much at home, and so he struggled a little at my house. :)

Music was a big hit. For a bit anyway. Joshua was listening to a music player, and Geovani was playing the xylophone. 

Geovani loved to kick the big exercise ball around, and played a bit with the toys. 

Joshua climbed in this box, and played there for a very long time! He would close the flaps, then open them, then close them, then open them. He also did a LOT of running! He preferred to crawl when he got here, but I was persistent with him, and after a few times of picking him up to walk, he didn't try to crawl again. He was tired by the end of the day, and kept falling. But it didn't deter him from walking, so I was happy. :)

I wasn't able to take any more pictures, as they kept us busy! I think it was a good thing we only had 2 kids! There was a lot of one on one work. 

We had a snack that Joshua proceeded to throw on the floor. We played outside with the ball and the wagon. And Joshua had a lesson in not throwing toys everywhere. 

All in all, I enjoyed it. But I sure was tired after dropping them off! 

We made it! Celebratory Snickers. :)

Tomorrow the same 2 boys will come in the afternoon. I've changed my plan a little. I'm going to let them get used to the place first, and not try too many programs yet. The house is new, and overwhelming. They need to get to know the place first, and get to know us, and learn to listen, before I start anything else. At least I know a little more about what to expect tomorrow! 

Keena didn't even know what Down's Syndrome was. I explained it to her before we picked up the kids. She enjoyed the day, as her big expectation was that they would cry the whole time they were away from their family! And since they didn't, she was good to go! 

I look forward to eventually adding more kids, but I think I'll just stick with these 2 for now! :)