Survivor - Jamaica!

 

 

One of the main things Bruce and I will be doing here is working with the boys in the boys' house -- currently seven boys ages 8 - 14.  The "pod moms" are in charge of the boys, cooking for them, doing laundry, getting them up and ready for school, disciplining them.  They do a great job!  Our job is to come alongside the pod moms, supervising, playing, leading, and also disciplining.

As Maria sings in The Sound of Music, "A captain with seven children, what's so fearsome about that?"  She also sings, "They will look up to me and mind me."

I love The Sound of Music, but a more accurate statement regarding these children was made by one of the workers here who told Bruce, "They will mislead you."  This worker is a man of few words, but he speaks from experience.

On a recent Friday evening, the pod mom was called away because of an emergency, and Bruce and I filled in.  I later referred to the evening as a week's worth of hazing condensed into a few hours.  Very efficient, really.

Actually, six of the boys were quite cooperative.  The seventh boy had a few hours of out-of-control behavior which included such things as slamming doors, sneaking out, spraying the large can of Lysol and the like.  The good news was that neither Bruce nor I got hit with anything, and toward the end of the third hour, Bruce was able to take him outside and calm him down.  Meanwhile, the other boys finished watching their movie and I read to them as they fell asleep...a pretty good ending to the day.

Behavioral challenges pop up throughout each day, although usually not as drawn-out as that Friday evening.  These boys have suffered severe trauma in their young lives, and it's no surprise that they become angry and unpredictable.

The stunning, heartbreaking, humbling thing is that along with the extreme misbehavior come incidents of kindness, caring, thoughtfulness, and glimpses into the hearts of little boys who want to experience tenderness and love...the boy who made sure Bruce brought me a hot dog after the bonfire, the boy who found a pillow and blanket for Bruce for movie night, the boys who call out "Watch me!" while they zoom down the hill on their scooters.

After one rough episode, a boy told me, "This place will drive you crazy!"  I answered that it probably would but that it wouldn't drive us away. 

Our prayers:  that we will have the strength, wisdom, and fortitude to "outwit, outlast, outplay" during the difficult times and show these children God's unconditional love.  That we can discipline them fairly and show them God's grace.  That we know God's grace for ourselves as we make mistakes.  

Thank you for making these your prayers for us as well!