Haha... just really want to thank God for such a wonderful time at HopeTots on Sunday...
But well, details, details! Some snapshots...
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Reached at 845 am. The children started coming in. Wasn't really sure how to start talking with them, so just hung around two little boys. I commented to one of the teachers, "Wah, they very quiet leh." She said, "They'll start warming up after the games."
Well, one of them was very quiet, the other one was more boisterious. I can't remember their names haha... so I'll call the more boisterious one "Boi". :)
So, Boi was playing with some colourful plastic balls by himself. Errm! How do I relate to him? Hmm... not sure... aha! maybe I can try juggling in front of him... wah, my juggling really ... it's two balls, and it's more like tossing from one hand to another, one at a time. Lame, right? :P
But thank God, Boi was really amused and started trying to imitate me. Whee! So we started playing a bit more, and I took a basket and got him to try chucking the balls into the basket. Basket + ball = basketball, geddit? ;)
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And then, another little boy came up to me, and with big innocent eyes, shyly asked me:
"Excuse me, do I call you Teacher or Daddy?"
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Then, it was time for the ice-breakers. We introduced ourselves in a way that only 3-5yrs can appreciate... for example, if you want them to remember your name is Hannah, you shake your hands and say, "HAND-nah! Get it?"
No prizes for guessing how they got the kids to remember my name...
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After some games, we had toilet break. So I was tasked to bring nine little boys to the toilet. How we got them to go to the loo in a reasonably civilised manner was like this: "Boys/Girls, put your hands on the person in front of you...."
One of the little boys looked up at me and said, "'Cher...", and pointed at the boy behind him.
"Yes?"
"He holding my shoulder too tight."
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Praise and worship was very energetic, enthusiastic and exhilarating!
And very exhausting.
I didn't know that these little kids could keep jumping and jumping!!! (Maybe it has something to do with momentum = mass * velocity...)
One reason why it's so physically exhausting is that these songs are action songs, and not just your normal action songs... they are FULL-body action songs. You don't just shake your hands or your legs... you have to shake your body, shake your head, and shake whatever else God gave them to shake. And I thought head-bangers were crazy...
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Then during the Bible lesson, we roleplayed the ancient Bible characters Isaac, Jacob and Esau. During the scene where Esau went hunting for game, one of the little boys asked me:
"Esau go where?"
"Oh, he went hunting to get food."
"Oh..." Then he looked at me again and asked me,
"So, Esau use big-big gun?"
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And, near the end of the lesson, one of the little boys came up to me and hugged my leg to get my attention.
"Yes?"
*some indistinguishable mumuring*
"Sorry?"
*yet some more indistinguishable mumuring*
"Hah? Sorry can't hear you..."
*STILL yet some more indistinguishable mumuring*
(This kid's really patient with me.)
Then one of the sisters came up next to me and said, "I think he wants to go to the toilet."
"Oh okay..... *sudden burst of realization* Eh? TOILET???"
*scramble to bring the kid outside*
Tried to put the kid's shoes on.
"Hey, your shoes are very small... you must get a new pair..."
*more pushing and squeezing*
After a few more minutes...
Finally! That was difficult...
Then Guey Ming, one of the teachers in charge, looks down at his shoe and tells me,
"You put the left shoe on his right foot."
o_O'...
Guey Ming then adds helpfully, "Hurry up. I think he can't hold very long."
o_O'''...
After I get the shoes done correctly, the little kid runs off really really fast to the loo.
Thank God he got there in time!
*turns around*
"Hey! Don't dig your nose AFTER you've used the toilet!!!"
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Wow... thank God so much for this precious time with the children... it really is everything I've imagined it to be... and more!!!
Haha.. yes, the children are REALLY cute...
Yes, as Peter joked, the kids really did jump on me...
Yes, it really is such a joy working with them...
Yes, carrying them is such a wonder...
God... no wonder You love children... when the disciples tried to stop some little children from interrupting You, You ticked them off, saying, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these!"
Wow... when I had finished my first ever HopeTots2 session, I couldn't help beaming... felt like Moses after he'd met God - complete with glowing face... :)
Looking forwards to sharing life more with them!
PS: For more details, and if you love kids and you're in Hope Church, feel free to take a look at this: HopeKids Website
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