I’m passionate about learning!
I’m also passionate about art, music, and food. So when all of these
things are combined….it makes for a wonderful time (at least in my
opinion).
Recently we had an event at
the Back2Back group house for the children of Bonfil. It was an art & culture night where they
learned about Italy, ate Italian food, and saw paintings & sculptures by
Michelangelo.
Before everything started, I was in the kitchen with a few of the girls from Bonfil and I had to get into the fridge
for something. When I opened the door the
girls stopped what they were doing and looked inside. Both of them had the same
expression on their faces and stood there and said….Wow! They were amazed by all the food that was in
the fridge. Sometimes I forget all the things I have….like food in the fridge
because it’s normal for me, but seeing their reaction I was reminded it’s not normal for them.
One of the main reasons we wanted to have a night of art & culture was to expand their world beyond where they live. Many of these kids don’t see much outside of their
immediate community. So we started the
night by giving the children a passport with their picture in it, and they were
given a stamp in their passport to get into the event.
For dinner we ate baked ziti with salad and
rolls while Italian music played in the background. This type of dinner was a
new experience for these children, so it was fun to explain what parmesan cheese
was and how to use it on the pasta.
After dinner our tutor in Bonfil (Itamar) talked about Italy and focused
on some fun facts about the country and where it is located. She then taught us about Michelangelo and
some of his famous paintings & sculptures.
We saw a picture of the Sistine Chapel, Pieta, and David.
 |
| Fun facts about Italy Baked ziti....yum! |
To top off the night we made copies of The Creation of Adam, where the hand of God is reaching out to
touch Adam’s finger. We taped the copies
to the tables….flipped the tables upside down, and asked the children to climb
under and start coloring. We did this to
help them understand how hard it might have been for Michelangelo to paint the
Sistine Chapel ceiling. At one point I couldn't stand it any longer, I just had to see what the children were doing
and why they were so quiet. So I crawled
under one of the tables and joined Danny & Ana. They both were so engaged in what they were
doing I just loved watching them.
 |
| Danny Danny & Julie Ana on the far right |
Under the table I had “a moment” where God’s Presence was so
obvious and completely overwhelming. He
loves these children so much! They are His
masterpiece. I began to think about what
it takes to create a masterpiece.
Typically, it doesn’t happen quickly. It took Michelangelo four years to
paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and 6 years to paint the altar. I thought of words that could describe what it
takes to make a masterpiece. Words like passion,
perseverance, patience, process, and beauty. The
process of change and transformed lives takes time. That night I looked at Ana and Danny realizing
that it may take years to see what God is doing in their lives, but along the
way I can see pieces of His masterpiece coming together to create something
beautiful.
 |
| Ana with Kristin Lakes (Renovia team from Indianapolis, IN) |
I also love seeing words of life being spoken to the children we
serve through the mission teams that come. It’s always a beautiful thing to see mission
team members speaking words of encouragement to the children, encouraging them
to try new things, to overcome fear….whispering to them that they matter, that
they are seen & heard. Here are some pictures I am so fortunate to see & experience.
.jpg)
