 |
| CEI teachers saying goodbye to students |
Goodbye time tears
Nine months have passed already, since I’m here in Taiwan sharing Christ's love with kids from various
schools and townships of Yunlin County. So many cute faces have been surely
stocked in a corner of my brain. So many good memories have found a hiding
place somewhere in my heart. But what’s my favorite camp week enjoyable moment?
Friday morning goodbye time. Not because I’m glad that at last, the naughty kids
are leaving the CEI campus but because of how most of them purely and
naturally express their gratitude toward us for being there for them after
all, teaching and supporting them, playing games with them during English
classes and break times, loving them throughout the week no matter how good or
bad their behaviors might be sometimes.
Most of the time when the kids are in tears
during the closing ceremony, it’s neither because they are homesick (as some of
them are the first days of the camp) nor because they are so happy to leave CEI and return to their hometown, school or family that they burst into tears of
joy. For those of them who have such a feeling of joy do not cry; instead,
they have their faces lightened by a big smile, synonym of the great joy in
their heart: the joy of going back home…
I remember
George, a kid from last week’s camp, a very intelligent and lively boy. He was
so happy to go back home (because he was homesick, of course!), while his twin
sister, Jessica was in tears just like almost half of the kids in the
auditorium. That was as usual, just when we started singing the goodbye song
with them.
The tears in
the eyes of those kids are deep expressions of their unspoken gratitude toward
the CEI teachers. Their touching emotions expressed through silent crying is
nothing but a message: we are grateful, we love you, and we will definitely
miss you! What expression of love and gratefulness more beautiful than this do
we need to have from them to realize how much love we have sown in their
hearts within only five days?
Toy, my joy of
last camp
Toy is my “Coup
de Coeur” of this whole semester so far. Not because he was the best
student of last camp or of all the previous camps. Not because he has a good
English level, nor because he likes me. The reason why he touched my heart so
deeply is the contrary of all the above; he was far from being a good student,
his English level is very low, he has serious learning disabilities, he has a
sad family background; but over all those weaknesses he has, I found, in him a
real ray of sunshine.
His enthusiasm,
his determination, his willingness and his cute smile, have taken over his
weaknesses and led him to a successful camp completion. How touching it was to
see him during the traditional “Love sharing time” standing in front of us, eager
to share his impressions with others! How touching his emotive voice was,
hearing him sharing one thing he learned during the camp, one character improvement
he noticed from a home school classmate, and one character he would like to put
into practice when he will go back home! Toy was so touching that his home
school teacher couldn’t hold back her tears after his sharing.
Beyond the big
smile he offered me each time he saw me, beyond the fact that he kept waving at
me constantly with an innocent and cheerful face, the best gift Toy gave me the
last day during lunch time, was to invite me to come with my plate and join him
at his table: “Teacher Yar, Teacher Yar, come, sit…” he said to me showing me
the empty seat next to him. Which loving teacher could turn down such a loving
invitation from his student? His invitation was irresistible. And what was my
surprise and joy when I heard Toy trying his best to communicate with me as I
effectively joined him with my meal. And guess
how? Surprisingly, more than fifty percent of the words he spoke to me were in
English, using most of the English vocabularies we taught them throughout the
week! How happy I felt hearing him trying his best to have a conversation
with me in English!
I will rejoice
in the Lord
I’m grateful to
God for the miracle he keeps operating behind the scenes, in the life of Taiwan
children through VOICE Missions’ ministry. And like Habakkuk said in his last
prayer:
“Though the
fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the
olive fail, and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold, and
there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I
will take joy in the God of my salvation.” (Habakkuk 3:17-18)
This is to say
that though we cannot officially share the Gospel with the kids we teach here in
Taiwan, though we might not see flourishing now the fruit of Christ love we sow
in their life through the time we spend with them teaching them and playing
with them, yet we will rejoice in the Lord for using us as vessels to spread
his blessing over their lives.
Yes, I will
take joy in the God of my salvation, for He is the only one who can water the
seeds we sow in their hearts; He is the only one capable of working the best for
the salvation of Taiwan’s unreached people. All be to His glory!
_________________________________________________________________________________________
