Halloween!

We had a visit from a fantastic Life Group the week of Halloween that helped LOTS of kids get costumes ready for the upcoming festivities.  We had cats, dogs, and pirates running around all over the place!  The kids had so much fun and were grateful for something to wear to school like all the other kids would have.

The following Friday, we loaded up a big bunch and went to a nearby church for a Halloween Block Party.  Crown Heights Baptist Church is so gracious to open their doors to the community and offer a safe and fun place for about a gazillion kids.  So, the kids who came with us were just a few among the many who were having a great time.  But, unlike the others, it was the first encounter with Halloween for a good bunch of those we brought along.  I just can’t imagine what they are thinking!  They can’t understand us enough to really understand what’s going on.  So, I’m sure they wonder why we want to keep giving them candy and paint spiders on their faces and give them fluffy pink candy on a stick.  But, I’m also sure they loved every minute of it.

Thanks to everyone who helped prepare beforehand and who helped chaperone the night of the big event!

Celebrate Good Times, Come On

By now you’ve noticed I can’t resist cheesy titles to my posts.  Glad you’re still with me.  Can’t say I’d be so sacrificial myself.  

I just wanted to share the amount of excitement and anticipation I have leading up to tomorrow’s events.  The older kids from the Summer Program who were so great to help the younger kids all summer long are having their REWARD PARTY tomorrow afternoon!!!  They earned ‘clips’ all summer when they helped clean up, translate for younger kids, etc.  And, they don’t know it yet, but they’re going to be trading their clips for game tokens at Celebration Station.  Oh, yeah!  

I wanted to test the waters and make sure I wasn’t giving them a ‘lame’ prize for all their hard work, so I asked two kids of different ages what they thought of the idea and they were pretty excited.  Well, as excited as you CAN be for not knowing what in the world I was talking about.  But, a bunch of games in one location didn’t sound too shabby, I suppose. 

I CANNOT wait to see their faces when they walk in for the first time.  I know none of the kids have been to any place like it before.  And, as someone who takes a lot of things for granted, I am sure that this experience will help me appreciate how great it is to be a kid!  What a privilege it will be to see kids who’ve, until very recently, never been in a safe enough environment to just enjoy themselves do so with us tomorrow!

Summer Time!

Check out these pictures from the Summer Program!  The first week was SO fun, and we’re looking forward to more excitement, games, and learning.  Thanks to all the volunteers who are making it happen.  

Summer Program

This summer is going to be FULL of fun and education at Spero:Voice.  We’ll be organizing a summer program for the kids, giving them a place to gather and have fun together over the summer.  The best part is that it’s all education-based, so they’ll be playing games and doing activities that help them practice basic math and English skills to help them be more prepared for the upcoming school year!

If you want to be part of the fun, we could most definitely use your assistance!  The summer program will be running Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30a.m.-11:30p.m.  If you’re willing to volunteer one day/week from the 2nd week of June until the last week of July, please contact kim@thesperoproject.com.  Moms–you can bring your kids with you and they can participate with us!

Girls (and boy) Just Wanna Have Fun!

Language barrier=plan loosely!  In such a short time of Spero:Voice existing, that’s a lesson we’ve already learned a time or two!  And, so it was with our All-Girls Sleepover.  First, there was a good amount of flu-like illness going around, so we didn’t get to have some of the girls we’d hoped for.  But, we did have two of the sweetest young ladies you’ll ever meet join us–along with their little brother!  At first we couldn’t tell if he was just seeing them off, or if he was coming with us.  But, when he followed us to the car, we realized that our all-girl night needed to be tweaked just a bit to be a little more manly!  And, it appeared, that parents might be thinking we were coming back at 9:30p.m. instead of 9:30a.m. the next day.  With no way to assure ourselves that they understood we really would bring their kids back the next day, we opted to take them home that night.  So, it turned into an all-around party night.  Which, really, is just as great as a slumber party for the girls!

With a smaller crowd, we got to make some more personalized plans.  Which was great, because the kids that did get to come showed up with sandals and no coats.  It was COLD Friday night.  So, the volunteers decided to pool together and take the kids on a trip to Ross for coats and close-toed shoes.  Such a little sacrifice on our part made such a HUGE difference for them.  We pray they feel loved and cared for and protected by these gifts and that the Lord was making Himself obvious to their hearts through the generosity of those giving financially and emotionally that night.

Speaking of–our volunteers are already shaping up to be a pretty amazing group of people.  Three gals traveled down from OBU and were the perfect entertainment as they openly danced in the middle of shopping!  Their joy reflected Jesus to the girls, I am sure!  And, all the other volunteers gave so generously with such little hesitation.  Spero:Voice is truly blessed to have people willing to give.  We thank everyone involved on behalf of those you served!

Girls Only!

A week from tonight, there will be an abundance of nail polish and lotion that smells like various fruits filling up our girlie night!  Some of us lady volunteers are inviting some of the teenage girls from the refugee group to hang out with us for the night.  I’m really praying for some great relationships to begin there.  I mean, a relationship is destined for greatness if it starts over a Freddie Prince Jr. movie, right?…well, maybe I need to ask someone with some teenagers which movies are a little more up to date.

Cowboys, Princesses, and a Mouse or Two!

Thanks to Crown Heights Baptists Church who provided us a fantastic event to let some children experience last Friday.  Their Fall Festival was full of games, events, “hay rides,” and lots and lots of prizes!  Some of the kids participating have been in America for a while, so they were perhaps more prepared for what was in store.  But, a particular family of 6 came with us–a family who arrived in America from Burma 14 days before!  They were, I’m sure, a bit overwhelmed by the whirlwind of activity.  Here’s a cowboy hat, here’s a bandana, let us draw a mustache on your face, now try to throw the ball into the hole–if you can, candy for you!  Who knows how much they understood, but we all knew what a great time they had.  It was easy to tell by the smiles.  Oh, and the serious laughs on the moonbounce.