This morning was the “Day of the Children” celebration at God’s Child, so we threw a big party for the kids—Guatemalan style. There was music (Michael Jackson of course), ice cream, games, dancing, and, of course, piñatas. It was really a blast. I was with a group of first graders, so they were a little bit antsy and it was hard to focus their attention. After a while I gave up on the balloon relay race we were supposed to be conducting, and instead just started playing “who can keep the balloon in the air the longest”. None of them are used to cameras so of course having their picture taken and then getting to see the photo is also a very fun event. My favorite part of the day had to be when a group of teachers and kids got up and did a rendition (complete with costumes) of The Thriller.
These kids all come from very poor backgrounds, in fact the kids who’s house we built last spring also attend the school. A lot of them at one time have lived on the street, and over 10% of them have been rescued from child prostitution. Another large portion of them have dealt with sexual exploitation or forced labor situations in their own homes. All of them are very poor, or else they wouldn’t be in the program. So it was good to see smiles on all of their faces and to have a morning to celebrate who they are—kids. No matter what happened to them in the past, they’re all still kids, and today they got to act like it.
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