On things that make me sad…

I think some of the Spanish words I’ve used the most since I’ve been here are these… “No pelea!” which means “Don’t fight!”.  It is constantly coming out of my mouth along with “No grita”, “Don’t scream”.

The sad thing is that for some of these kids fighting is survival.  Its as easy as that.  Its what they know and its how the make it from one day to the next.  It’s the only example that has been set for them.

Carolina and Vilma were doing a puzzle today.  Two 12 year old girls struggling to finish a 24 piece puzzle.  All the sudden they are punching each other.  And its no surprise.  I’m fairly confident these girls have never been in school a day in their lives.  They do whatever they want all day long with no authority figure present.  They don’t play educational games or have someone read them stories.  They most likely get beaten instead of lovingly disciplined.  They have probably seen violence inside of their homes and within their families.  They get picked on by the other kids in the community because their clothes show their poverty.  So they fight back in the only way they know how.

And it makes me sad.  And it makes me want them to know a different way to live life.  I want them to know hope and joy and peace instead of survival.  I want them to know grace and mercy and kindness instead of fighting.  So we pray for them to know God who can show them all of those things and who can change their hearts to know a different reality than the one that confronts them everyday. 

And until then we will lovingly discipline and teach them that there is a different way to interact.  And we’ll love on them give them hugs and watch them play soccer and show them that someone cares.  And we’ll keep saying… “don’t fight” until we’re blue in the face :)