Splash 6 Ends

Bethany and I just finished up at one of the easiest houses we have had. It is so much fun over there that I went over on my day off to hang out with those kids and play Risk. Yes everyone, once and a while the kids at a house like what I like and are fun to be around! One kid even played soccer!

I lost the first round of Risk to a kid who played all the time in Juvenile Detention (Juvey). Come on, he had hours of practice! The second round I teamed up with my friend Charles, a house parent, and we beat three of the kids. Our armies fought for the fate of Middle Earth in classic Lord of the Rings style. It was quite fun.

While we were at the house we got a check-in. A check-in is a new kid who has been taken from another home. Check-ins are not usually very happy kids. The new guy lasted for only a couple hours before deciding to run away while we were at the mall. His exit cue was, “I have to go to the bathroom.” Five minutes later he was gone and Wal-Mart security was not very helpful in this situation. One of the other kids in the house had predicted he would run, so he was very pleased when it turned out he was correct.

I tried roller blading at a skate park this respite. In a recent Reinhold shopping splurge Bethany and I purchased roller blades. Roller blading is something we both are quite bad at. The kids we work with are very good at skate boarding. When we decided to go to a skate park I was quite nervous about my performance. I rolled over to the edge of a large concrete bowl and watched the children flying around doing tricks. All of them were very talented skaters. I did not want to wimp out because I wanted the kids at the house to see it is more important to try and fail then to not try at all. So I forced myself to drop into the bowl. My knees were inflexible, my balance was poor and my body slapped against the concrete. I picked up my head to see a scruffy young man take his cigarette out of his mouth long enough to say, “That guy is going to kill himself.” I dared to try this routine twice more with a little less embarrassment each time. But I am hopeful and excited about our roller blades and the kids had a great time. Somehow I think I actually gained respect through this ordeal as well.

I got to talk to two of the boys about their spiritual life and what God was doing. One of the boys said he “I really want to know God” and the other said, “God has answered all my prayers since I left Juvey.” I was reminded of Paul saying, “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.” Philippians 3:8. I was challenged to keep making my relationship with God and my knowledge of His personality my chief aim. My hunger for God and my relationship with Him will affect those around me, even the broken children in foster care.

Sadly we will not be working at that house anymore because we are needed elsewhere.

Praises: God showed us fruit of His work and our efforts. He also allowed relationships to be built through fun times. Praise God for the way He uses the children to teach us!

Prayers: Pray for the child who ran away and for another child who is working very hard to be reunited with his family.