The After School Tutoring Whirlwind

3:45-We arrive at Ruthie’s house to begin setting up for after school tutoring. Tables, chairs, and jars of pencils must be placed in the living room and extra bedroom.
3:50-Small hands bang on the front door of the apartment. “10 more minutes!” Ruthie yells.
4:00-The doors are opened and kids run inside, each getting a squirt of hand sanitizer before they get too far.
4:05-Kids from 3 to 12 years old work on homework. The little guys and anyone who finishes early draw on colored paper with crayons (at least that’s what they are supposed to do…however, it’s more common to see the kids running from room to room chasing each other, singing songs at the top of their lungs, or fighting over who gets to use the glitter glue.) Between 2 and 5 adults help with homework and try to keep the kids from destroying the house.
4:10-I begin dinner: 7 boxes of macaroni and cheese, 3 cans of roast beef, 3 cans of mixed veggies will be combined to make a hot meal for the kids.
4:20-Tino and Lizet help pass out fruit snacks and cups of juice.
4:45-We start encouraging kids to clean up and find a seat for dinner.
4:50-Dinner is served. The older kids help pass out bowls of food and refills of juice.
5:15-All the dirty bowls and forks are in the sink and the kids gather, sitting on the floor in the living room, to hear a Bible story.
5:30-Ms. Paula leads the children in some songs with hand motions about the love of God and how he knows each of us by name.
5:40-The kids work on an art project, today they are painting small piggy banks.
5:55-Everyone begins to clean up, gather homework, jackets, and art projects to take home.
6:00-"Goodbye!"  Some kids walk home, others get picked up by Mom.
6:05-Visit with Moms for a few minutes and help the stragglers get out the door.
6:10-We clean up the house.  Ian and Ruthie live here, so we put away the art supplies, vacuum, wipe off and put away the tables and chairs, load the dishwasher with all the dishes from dinner, and take out the trash.
6:30-The house looking respectable again, we head out the door, "See you tomorrow!"

Can we come to church with you?

"Can we come to church with you, Ruthie....pleeeaaassseee???"

Susan and Estray had been asking Ruthie the same question every day during after school tutoring for a couple of weeks.  Unfortunately, space in Ruthie's car had prohibited them from getting a ride.  With my vehicle now included in the carpool caravan, there would be enough space for the girls to come too.

After tutoring one day my roommates and I walked Susan and Estray home to meet their mother, Lila.  With Susan translating for us, we inquired if we could pick up the girls and take them to church on Sunday.  Smiles formed on the girls' faces as Lila responded affirmatively in Spanish.  Dark brown pigtails began flying in the air as the sisters clapped their hands and jumped up and down in excitement.

I am looking forward to getting to know Susan, Estray, and their parents better through this opportunity.  My prayer is that Jesus would become real in their hearts.  And that even at a young age (5th and 3rd grade), the girls would understand the truths of the gospel, and Christ would begin to transform their lives.

 

Susan, Estray, and me in front of Open Table Community Church

Multicultural Living

As I sit here writing, an invisible cloud of smells swirl around me. It all started 20 minutes ago when John, one of our missionary friends who lives across the hall, knocked on our door. He walked in followed by two Latino ladies, a Latino man carrying a box about the size of a microwave, and two young girls. They gathered in the living room and began taking bottles and jars out of the white box. John waved as he left us to work out communicating with our new visitors, who only spoke Spanish. Enriqueta came up to me, tilted my chin up, and sprayed a few squirts of something on my neck. Soon the sent of Vick’s Vapor Rub reached my nose. She explained it is good for a cold, helping to clear the nose and throat. Flora picked up a taller pink bottle of cream and squirted some in my hand. The peppermint lotion is extra moisturizing for cracked feet. Still rubbing the lotion in, my arm was gently turned, wrist out to receive a spray of “Floral Fresh,” while the other wrist got misted with “Sweet Sugar.” Enriqueta mixed a few drops from a small container with a dab of menthol scented cream from a blue jar then demonstrated rubbing the balm on both temples and the back of the neck. My roommates and I followed suit as she explained the ointment is for soothing muscle pains. Jill picked one bottle to buy as I began to play with the little girls. We found out they will be meeting John and his wife every Thursday afternoon for English classes, and they invited us to come practice our Spanish. Before leaving Flora wrote down their phone numbers and apartment numbers so we can stop by if we run out of lotion. The transaction made, all the bottles and jars went back into the box, and we said “Adios.” When the door shut the only thing left was the mingling scents floating through the air.

This is a given part of living in another culture. Things don't happen "the way they would back home." In our suburban, middle class culture, if someone wanted to sell something in your living room, they would set up a "Tupperware party." In our multicultural apartment complex, it is completely normal to drop in, selling whatever, spraying this and dabbing that on your prospective customers.