"Let Charlie pray."
Last Tuesday, we got two new boys that came back with some of our kids. The older one, Bpa, is ten, and the younger one, Charlie, is seven. They've been adjusting really well.
Bpa is such a sweetheart. He's always looking for ways to help and smiles so big when he gets hugged. He always offers to do things to be helpful, and when you let him, he beams with pride. I'm so excited to see how he grows and learns about God.
Charlie is a little man that falls asleep everywhere. He follows the older boys around, tapping them so they don't forget he's there. They talk about how they want to help him to be good.
The other night when I was putting them to bed, I was about to pray, and one of the boys said, "Let Charlie pray." I looked over at Charlie to ask him if he wanted to, and Paet was quick to offer his help. They bowed their heads and prayed in Hmong. When I opened my eyes, I saw the biggest smile spread across Charlie's face.
Paet is stepping into his role as big brother and taking it very seriously. He's older than quite a few of the boys, but this is definitely a different situation. He seems to see Charlie as his little brother to take care of, and it's so sweet to watch.
New kids coming is so second nature to everyone now. They just slip into daily life as if they've always been here. But it never comes without heartache.
Sometimes there will be tears that no one can explain because they miss what's familiar, but they don't know how to put it into words. There are times when we'll spend hours talking a kid through something or just praying for them. There are misunderstandings and hurts that have to be talked through.
But even with all of the seemingly bad stuff, you see so much good. The kids start to open up and accept love. The personalities start to emerge and smiles cover their faces more than before. You start to see who they really are and how much potential they have.
It's equal parts hurt and joy all mixed up in one little ball, and somehow God uses it all for good.
He shows them that He loves them no matter their past, and He slowly teaches them how to accept that love and show it to the people around them.
He turns those pains into experiences that they grow from instead of things that pull them down. They're able to relate to each other and find common ground it would otherwise be impossible.
And while He's doing that, He's teaching us how to learn from them. They do more for our salvation than we could ever do for theirs.
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