Today we spent the day with special needs kids and adults. It got me thinking about the term "special needs" which I've never really given much thought. Yes these kids have special needs, but they also have special gifts! They dance without inhibition and give the very best hugs and love and care for each other so deeply. They are joyous and their smiles and laughter are contagious. And today, if not every day, their special gifts far out weighed their special needs.
Our first stop of the day was San Martin, where the adult special needs kids live. We started by going into the houses of a few of the boys who were too sick or for some other reason unable to leave and join us for the upcoming dance party (a San Martin favorite). We found three men sharing a twin sized bed (yes, you read that right), all squished and contorted and snuggled up because it was the only bed in the room that wasn't broken. How humbling is that? We prayed and sang and sang and prayed and thanked God for their lives and begged and begged that he shower his love on them. And knowing my God, I can bet that he has and he will and will continue to for forever and ever. Next up = dance party! Oh how they love love love to dance. Screams and squeals of excitement were heard all around when we turned the music on. It did my heart so much good to see those happy singing faces! As I come back each year, they stay happy. Not once have we gone to San Martin and been met with anything less than a glimpse of the joy and love and complete and utter happiness that heaven holds! It was a morning filled with laughter and face painting and manicures (my girl Sandra did a pretty stellar job on mine if I do say so myself) and hugs and kisses and treat bags and all around goodness. And that, my friends, is San Martin: Happiest Place on Earth.
In the afternoon we went to Tin Marín, the children's museum in San Salvador with the special needs kids from Guirolla. These kids are just awesome. They are so sweet and well behaved and were so so excited for the museum. We broke into small groups, a few Americans with a translator and 4-5 kids and got going. First of all, this museum is amazing. You have a tour guide of sorts that takes you around to all the attractions and does a stellar job explaining things and interacting with the kids and they just ate it up. They loved answering all her questions and participating in all the hands on activities and you could just see their little brains soaking everything up. We walked through a volcano and painted a car and become television broadcasters and made bubbles the size of people and shopped at the grocery store and the market and went inside a real life airplane! All in an afternoon and they just loved it. And all the while the kids who could walk were pushing the ones in the wheelchairs and taking care of each other and honestly just being lovely. That's the only word I can think to use. My groups last stop was the planetarium and you lay on the carpet and look up at the stars and when they turned off the lights one of the girls snuggled up and laid right on top of me and we just hugged and looked at stars and life was good. God is good and oh how thankful I am that he gave me a day full of special needs and special gifts.
No comments:
Post a Comment