Life

White eyes peering out of dark faces.

Hands reaching up to clutch at mine.

Voices at our door, asking,

"Wata, Ms. Can I have some wata?"

Shouts of happy children at play,

The basketball thumping. 

Or walking down the road, chatting together.

Good days.

When they are excited to learn and work hard in school.

Bad days.

When the test score comes back a failure,

Or their attitudes turn sour.

And normal days.

Their laughter sounding from our classroom.

There's Josiah, head bent over his work.

Struggling to comprehend.

And so excited when he only has 2 mistakes to correct.

Selena, body jiggling as she laughs,

Her face split in a big grin.

Shachri, smart, working hard, but often in a rush.

Teja, intellegent, a reader, currently reading Pilgrim's Progress.

Anton, his face alight with a goofy grin.

When you get them all laughing, it's sure to be hard to get them stopped. 

Chapel in the mornings, their voices blended in beautiful enthusiasm. 

Or sometimes, sullenly singing because they must.

But it's good.

And we're beginning to find the rythm.

Besides school, there's always opportunities to find another way to serve,

To make friends,

To give hope.

Sharing the hope He gives,

To those in the darkness around.