Outsiders Making Progress

Our children had a great time singing in church this past Sunday!  We need to follow up on the story to share the good news.  Like so many things we've gone through here, it seems like we have to hit a low before we come back up to what we're aiming for.  This week there was a delay before the children could start practicing (imagine that), which was the perfect opportunity for La Maestra to play some fluffy time-busting games with the group, like "duck duck goose," "ring around the rosy," and a version of "simon says."  The fact that the choir children loved to join in these games and that our children were comfortable to play them was just the perfect medicine for our kid's inhibitions.  All the participation in the games seemed to really break the ice and allow our kids to feel a part of the group without clinging to mom.  So then they had a great practice together and got into to the dance steps.

The next day A Delight woke up and said she was so excited to go to church to sing with the choir.  There was a slight hesitation when we walked in to church, about whether our kids would go sit in the children's section so as to be ready with them.  But Smile On just barreled on up to the front pew like this is what he always does, and A Delight took the hand of our guard's young son, so as to help him get a seat in the crowded child-sized pews.  When the time came to sing A Delight was right on doing the steps and words with the row of girls her age, and Smile On got so into it that he felt he needed to help several of the smaller boys get into the right position.  Then he did his dance steps with such fervor (not really paying attention to much else) that many of the older men were in stitches at the beginning.  Not that laughs are the point of the children's choir, but in the end it was clear that it was a good experience of community for our kids and we heard from many adults that they really appreciated our children's efforts to be part of the community in their own way.  Praise God for making a way!  And like so many firsts, we pray it continues.

--El Padre