Need some prayer (lots actually)

Rough day today. Not by my account but just from a few in our group it was a sad, discouraging, and difficult day with not much hope for the next few days.

A few girls from our group went to Diamonds which is a FEMA trailer home park with about 400 permanent trailers with who knows how many occupying each one. The living conditions in general in Diamonds are pretty lousy as well. The 'homes' sit about 10 feet away from each other and there is no grass to be found. Most of the kids run around barefooted on gravel roads.

So the reason that Emergency Community (EC) volunteers go to Diamonds on a daily basis during the school week is to hang out with the kids and build relationships with them. I think it might be similar to an after school program. Basically interaction is the most important thing we can do for these kids.

(I think I may be getting off track a bit but I'm trying to remember where I was going with that...) From what I've heard (I haven't actually been to Diamonds) the kids seem similar to the one's that we work with back home at Inskip with the Good News Clubs. Only much much worse. These kids have not only been through perhaps the most traumatizing experience for them ever, I almost 100% positive their home lives are on the fritz as well. We were told at the orientation for the EC that the other thing that was very important for the groups interacting with the kids was consistency in what volunteers worked with the kids. Hence me not getting a chance to go to the Diamonds because I didn't go the first day. So I may not get a chance but after today I don't really want to go.

Anyway, about four or five of our girls went with a couple of the regular EC volunteers to the Diamonds, this being their second trip down there. I didn't hear too much about the first trip but I did hear that the kids were a rowdy bunch of misbehaved, cussing, and troubled kids. Today they had a really rough day with all the kids there. Besides the general cussing and hitting that the kids do directly to the volunteers a lot of the girls were actually fearful for their own safety and even their lives. The kids enjoy throwing rocks at anything and everything, including the volunteers. Our people came back with multiple horror stories and most, if not all, were mad and very depressed and discouraged about the whole day.

At our 'tribal counsel' meeting tonight we spent a good portion of the hour to two hours or so just listening to the girls tell us about what happened. My heart really went out to them and the kids because I can relate in a lot of ways.

Anyone out there reading this...we would greatly appreciate prayers for these kids and our volunteers that, thankfully, have not lost spirit or faith in what they are doing and will go back again tomorrow for a longer period of time with the kids. They've got a better game plan this time maybe but I can tell that a lot of them are still nervous and frustrated about the situation. We need a lot of prayer!!!

In other news, tomorrow I'm looking forward to possibly going back to a sweet old ladies house that I went to on Tuesday to do some tilling of the soil in her garden beds. We weren't able to finish the job because of a lack of tools and because Miss Helen is very talkative and enjoys a good conversation which mainly consists of her talking while we listen attentively nodding and smiling and laughing at her antics. I love her!! She's absolutely fabulous and if I were to use one word to describe her and all the other people, the residents, that I have had contact with is RESILIENT. One doesn't realize what that word truly means until you see it put into action. It's amazing down here. I wish you all could have this experience. I wish that I could stay longer than 5 days. Miss and love you all!! see you very soon.