Today, Nan and Kristen worked with the kids on a reading and application lesson. First they read "the Hungry, Hungry, Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The interesting thing was the book they read was an autographed copy! They made caterpillars and butterflies. The second book was Rainbow Fish. They created fish paintings out of paper plates, crayon, and water colors. The amazing thing is that most of the kids and some of the adults did not know about metamorphosis. The fish were hung in the Creative Art Center on the rope "nets" below the blue "water" that was designed to represent the lake and many of the kid's pasts.
Ron worked with several kids today with the sand tray. This is a play therapy technique that allows the participant to use sand and the objects in the sand in order to discuss things with the therapist. Even though several have been rescued for a while, there were many that were new, and had only been at Touch A Life for a few months. Being able to talk about their rescue and their forced labor is a good step towards healing.
These kids love to play. Without the distraction of electronic devices, they spend much of their time making up games, and playing football (soccer), checkers, or anything else they can think up! It was fun teaching them some games from America. They loved playing Duck, Duck, Goose... except they called it "Aborouni" in the pot. Aborouni is the Twi word for white or foreigner. Twi is the language that they speak besides English. Football (Soccer) is huge in Ghana. It is the sport of choice, and the Ghanaian National Team does very well.
The kids call me Dad or "Pa-Barry". Both are signs of respect. Dad is used in many ways in the culture. First, to represent someone of authority, but also, that is what they called their Masters on the lake. That bothered me a little bit. These kids have been through so much. Hearing their stories makes me want to cry. That seems to be easier for me the older that I get! How could someone allow their child to go into forced labor? Come to find out, many of their parents see it as an apprenticeship. Learning a trade that they will be able to use throughout their lifetime. But at 10 with no food, not drink, sleeping on concrete floors. It definitely is an atrocity that Touch A Life is trying to alleviate.
That evening Ron spoke about Metamorphosis, and how the caterpillar creates a cocoon to transform itself into a butterfly. This is a good example of how God can take use, change us, allows us to use the experiences that we go through in order to become a beautiful butterfly, or child of HIS. We all have those experiences that allow us to be surrounded by a cocoon. Some are worse than others. But God can use those experiences for us to grow, and to become more beautiful. Eventually we can use those experiences to tell others about God's love and how He leads us through the "valley of the shadow of death". He is right there by our side, and pulls us through so that we become a better person: stronger, faithful, loving, and willing to serve him. Psalms 23:4
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