Thursday, July 24, 2014

The Kids at IEM

These are pictures of the kids at the Children's Home. There are currently 50 boys and 50 girls ages 5-12. Three men take care of the boys and two women are in charge of the girls. While we were there, we held a 5-day VBS in the evenings. It was a TON of fun!

The kids only speak Malayalam, so either Varghese or Reji translated for us. Each night we started with the kids singing us a song. Then we sang Jesus Loves Me in English and taught them the motions. I told the story, followed by a craft, a game, and ending with review and prayer with Chris. And we had gifts for them just before we left. We learned the first night that the next time we’ll buy all the same toy to avoid any conflicts… :o)

The room we met in was the boys’ sleeping room. Every night they put out their beds and every morning they stack them against the walls again. The girls’ room was on the other side of the back wall. All their backpacks are on the table in the back all ready for school in the morning…

The first night we told the story of Moses, made bookmarks and played a game with the globe balls from Rick…

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The globe games were great fun!

When we arrived on the second night, the power was out and the kids were just sitting in the dark singing a song. Just as we walked in the door, the power went back on and all the kids burst into applause when we walked in the door! :o) Night two was the story of Daniel, a glow stick craft (Jesus is the light of the world), and a globe ball relay…

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After we all got our necklaces made we turned out all the lights…

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It was great hearing them when they looked around and saw one another!

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We played a game of Simon Says, which is challenging with a translator… ;o)

The Wordless Book was the lesson for day three. It went much better than I expected! The kids knew all the colors in English and remembered what they all meant for their bracelets. They liked them so much that they would show them to me every time I saw them…

As a bonus we were able to give our extra bracelets and the Wordless Book I had made out of felt to one of the pastors we met who is involved in Child Evangelism Fellowship in India!

children 65children 67Helping tie bracelets for the boys. The girls tied them on for one another. I guess boys don’t do that??? ;o)

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Every morning the kids get up at 5:30am. They clean up the sleeping room, take baths, eat breakfast, have Bible lesson, do chores, and head to school around 9am…

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The next night, Varghese went home to his family for a few days and Reji came in to translate for our story about Noah. One of the boys requested the story and I just couldn’t say no. So I quickly wrote up the story, modified half our fish crafts and we added a fun and lively dental hygiene lesson from Dr Rick! It was a very good night!

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Singing Jesus Loves Me

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children 26children 25children 30 children 27 children 28 children 29   The boys made some pretty fancy arks!

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The kids loved taking “photos” and getting to see them!

children 78Praying with Pastor Chris

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Learning that you can’t brush your teeth with your eyes. LOL

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Everyone got a new toothbrush!

The kids don’t get home until about 4:30 or 5 in the afternoon. They have tea, take another bath, do homework, have dinner, more homework and head to bed around 9:30! They have a very full day!!!

children 79children 80children 81children 83 children 82Getting home from school

Then before we knew it, it was the last day of VBS. :o(  For the final day we told stories about Jesus and fish (the calling of the disciples to be fishers of men and the feeding of the 5000), made fish and gave the kids their balloon balls that the ladies at our church made for them. I’m glad to have had help blowing up all those balloons! They LOVED them!!!

children 38That’s only half the balls! 

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A whole school of fish!

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children 54 children 52 children 53The kids held their balls on their heads while waiting for their next instructions.

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Final review with Pastor Chris

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Us and the gang!

It was really hard to say goodbye to these guys! We had thought these kids were orphans but they are not. Most merely have parents that are simply too poor to care for them. After they turn 12, they have to leave the Children’s Home and then IEM supports them financially to live at home. A few are abandoned. Some have heartbreaking stories. Like the two girls who were hated by their father who wanted boys and tried to kill one of the girls by placing burning coals on the back of her head. They were eventually found by one of the wardens begging in the street. Joshua and Moses were left waiting while the other children were all picked up by family or friends for summer vacation and had to spend their holiday with a warden’s family.

more children 01These three kids have a happier story. The boy and girl on the ends are 11-year-old twins and their 10-year-old brother is in the middle. Their parents are missionaries in northern India and they are living here at the home while they attend school. They are very talented, well-behaved children who hope to be in the ministry someday and love English classes in school!

Kids at the home are available for sponsorship through IEM and are always in need of your prayers!

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