Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Heartfelt Lines


As an "adult" it's no big deal to receive a mere scribble here or there, but remembering my childhood days when a big-sister figure gave me a small scribble it made me feel loved, special, and happy. Sometimes when we grow up we tend to forget how we felt as a child, but coming here God has made me realize how to serve Him by my scribbles. I had forgotten how much children love to be gifted drawings.

Before coming here I had a big grey cloud hanging over my head, "God, how can I serve you? I'm not good with kids, I'm not good at including myself in group activities.

What would I say to the students?

What if they hate me because I'm an ENGLISH-TEACHER."

To be honest I'm more afraid of those kids than they are of me. *laugh*

It was during one of the classes that I was teaching where I had to draw little characters on the board. After the class a female student came up to me, "Teacher, did you draw this?" "Yes." I replied, "Can you draw this little girl for me? Please?" After class during break time I drew it for her, and after a few minutes I had a stampede of students grabbing at me for a drawing. It may felt like scribbling to me, but it was a bigger deal for them. Seeing their faces beaming with delight as they read their names on the drawings too. Once child was so homesick he cried everyday and in all the classes. I didn't know what I should say but I felt that drawing was what I was called to do for him. After one of his character classes I gave it to him. He didn't smile, he stared at it for a while, looked up at me with eyes full of understanding and said, "Thank you teacher." After that he never cried. That was the moment I felt that these "scribbles" can do something great in these students' lives.

Taking this hobby of mine further, on Saturdays I go with my leader to a place called Joy House. It's a traditional Taiwanese home that hosts children from that area to come play games, do crafts, and listen to Bible Stories. My leader and I have started to teach the children that come to the House how to draw, we just finished our first drawing class but I felt that it went really well.

I maybe able to communicate with my tudents & the Joy House children with Mandarin, but communication by words really isn't my thing. I find that God can find different ways for me to communicate with these children to make them feel special, and that is through drawing. At first I felt that my drawings were just black lines on a white piece of paper, but God turns them into heartfelt "You Are Special" for the children here in Taiwan.


~Rebecca Thornton

Rebecca was born in Taichung, Taiwan but relocated to Texas at the age of 6. 
This is her first time serving under VOICE Missions. She enjoys raising pet chickens, drawing, cosplaying, anime & manga.