“Meeeesss Karena,” I hear him shout from across the field while running to give me an afternoon hug. It’s difficult to believe that Hermes was directing profanities my way only a few hours ago at school when I told him he couldn’t kick his friends during P.E. He easily forgets these angry moments and will often tell me, “La quiero.” It is impossible not to love these kids, despite how challenging the school day can be.
The first year of a new BECA school offers unique challenges and rewards. The children from the hogar, Amigos de Jesus, certainly don’t have it easy here, and although their needs of clothing, food, shelter, and love are met in the home, they still face a constant battle to overcome the past and present difficulties. They sleep in a room with several other classmates and often don’t get enough sleep, as evidenced by the naps some attempt to take during class. These kids crave touch and attention and unfortunately don’t always know the best ways to ask for it.
Living only a couple hundred feet away from the kids you teach (in addition to about 100 more) might seem a little overwhelming, and sometimes it is. When we can hear the reggaeton blasting from their dorms at 5:30am or they let their pet chickens wander onto our property, I wish we lived a little farther away. But when I want to drop off a homework packet, invite a few kids over for cookies, or join the prayer circle every evening at 8pm, I’m very grateful for our proximity to the hogar. Without my nightly dose of post-prayer circle hugs, I’m not quite sure how I would survive!
