Hearing from me twice in one day -- I know, it's been a while since that's happened! Today was Day 3 in Sir Lowry's Pass. It was, by far, the best day I've had there so far. It was raining, so we didn't play outside. Instead, we did four stations with them in the classrooms. Instead of staying put at one station, we got to travel to each station with the same group of kids. Because it was raining, not a lot of kids were out today. This was actually great because we got so much one-on-one time with the kids. Also, Amber got to be in my group, and it was a lot of fun for us to connect with kids together.
The first station was DANCE!! I know, my favorite thing! We played a name game, did a little warm up, and put the music on. The kids LOVED it!! Instantly, I connected with a little girl named Lee-Kayla. She was so full of exuberance more than any child I have ever seen in my entire life. It warmed my heart watching her dance around with me and loving every minute of it! I lead a stretch after that, and then it was time to move to our next station.
The next station was "Reading and Eating." We gave the kids a snack and read books to them/worked on their reading. Lee-Kayla said her favorite part of school was reading books, and that was so great for me to hear. I love reading, and I am so passionate about helping children become better readers! It is so important. Her face lit up on each and every page. She was so animated and engaged, and that was really cool. Also, it warmed my heart to give the kids a snack, even if it was just something simple. You never know when these kids' next meal will be. It is so sad.
We read many books, and one of the books that I read to her was "The Little Train That Could." This book makes me think of my Granny and how she loved trains. If you've never read it...the moral of the story is that the train believed in herself that she could go over the mountain, even though she was weak...and she did! I find it directly metaphorical that when asked in class yesterday what my ultimate goal was for my personal week in the township, it was to help a child find hope for their future...and here I am, reading a child a book {that is already special to me for my own reason} about following her dreams and pursuing anything you put your mind to. It's a simple book -- the tiniest representation...but I hope one day Lee-Kayla will read another child that book and think about how I read it to her and helped her with her reading. It's a great little story.
Next we went to crafts! I was so impressed with Lee-Kayla's artistic ability. She did not need my help, but she gave me little jobs to do so that I was occupied! It was so cute! She was great at drawing, and she finished the craft faster than most of the other kids. She thoroughly enjoyed the lion mask that she made, and it was really sweet.
The fourth and final station was games. We taught them a few new games, and they caught on pretty quickly. They even taught us a game! Like I said in my earlier post, when I talked about learning some Afrikaans, it was great to have them directly teaching us something to emphasize that we did not come to their township to take over...rather, to build relationships. It was a good way to end the day, and the day ended way too fast! The only thing that would have made Day 3 more perfect would have been to visit Mama E and Lathum! I am excited for our visit tomorrow, though. Lathum says he wants to give me cornrows...HAHA! I will totally let him.
Lee-Kayla really taught me a lot today about the importance of making someone's day. She has a smile that I will never, ever forget. She embodies joy, and she personifies happiness. It was so precious when she was blowing me kisses and hugging me to say goodbye. She held my hand and wrapped her arm around me all day! Sweetest thing!
Tonight we are eating at the Woodland's Eatery, and I am so excited. It is supposed to be so yummy, and I'm starving. Actually, I caught myself saying "I'm starving" yesterday in the township and I felt horrible. No, I am not starving...THESE children are starving. We often forget that the word "starving" is a slang exaggeration. It makes you think about what else we might be saying that stems from someone who is actually suffering. Food for thought.
Coming back in a little bit to do my homework and go to sleep! It's going to be a great rest of the week in the township.
xoxo,
Anna
The first station was DANCE!! I know, my favorite thing! We played a name game, did a little warm up, and put the music on. The kids LOVED it!! Instantly, I connected with a little girl named Lee-Kayla. She was so full of exuberance more than any child I have ever seen in my entire life. It warmed my heart watching her dance around with me and loving every minute of it! I lead a stretch after that, and then it was time to move to our next station.
The next station was "Reading and Eating." We gave the kids a snack and read books to them/worked on their reading. Lee-Kayla said her favorite part of school was reading books, and that was so great for me to hear. I love reading, and I am so passionate about helping children become better readers! It is so important. Her face lit up on each and every page. She was so animated and engaged, and that was really cool. Also, it warmed my heart to give the kids a snack, even if it was just something simple. You never know when these kids' next meal will be. It is so sad.
We read many books, and one of the books that I read to her was "The Little Train That Could." This book makes me think of my Granny and how she loved trains. If you've never read it...the moral of the story is that the train believed in herself that she could go over the mountain, even though she was weak...and she did! I find it directly metaphorical that when asked in class yesterday what my ultimate goal was for my personal week in the township, it was to help a child find hope for their future...and here I am, reading a child a book {that is already special to me for my own reason} about following her dreams and pursuing anything you put your mind to. It's a simple book -- the tiniest representation...but I hope one day Lee-Kayla will read another child that book and think about how I read it to her and helped her with her reading. It's a great little story.
Next we went to crafts! I was so impressed with Lee-Kayla's artistic ability. She did not need my help, but she gave me little jobs to do so that I was occupied! It was so cute! She was great at drawing, and she finished the craft faster than most of the other kids. She thoroughly enjoyed the lion mask that she made, and it was really sweet.
The fourth and final station was games. We taught them a few new games, and they caught on pretty quickly. They even taught us a game! Like I said in my earlier post, when I talked about learning some Afrikaans, it was great to have them directly teaching us something to emphasize that we did not come to their township to take over...rather, to build relationships. It was a good way to end the day, and the day ended way too fast! The only thing that would have made Day 3 more perfect would have been to visit Mama E and Lathum! I am excited for our visit tomorrow, though. Lathum says he wants to give me cornrows...HAHA! I will totally let him.
Lee-Kayla really taught me a lot today about the importance of making someone's day. She has a smile that I will never, ever forget. She embodies joy, and she personifies happiness. It was so precious when she was blowing me kisses and hugging me to say goodbye. She held my hand and wrapped her arm around me all day! Sweetest thing!
Tonight we are eating at the Woodland's Eatery, and I am so excited. It is supposed to be so yummy, and I'm starving. Actually, I caught myself saying "I'm starving" yesterday in the township and I felt horrible. No, I am not starving...THESE children are starving. We often forget that the word "starving" is a slang exaggeration. It makes you think about what else we might be saying that stems from someone who is actually suffering. Food for thought.
Coming back in a little bit to do my homework and go to sleep! It's going to be a great rest of the week in the township.
xoxo,
Anna
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