Big Hearts - Emily

As Lena mentioned earlier, I am volunteering at the YMWA for special education. Our first day we got a tour of the facilities, and met some of the teachers. The students arrived the next day, so we got to jump right into helping out at the school. A bit overwhelmed, I tried to take in the experience as a new person in an unfamiliar place. Even though I know just a few words of Arabic, the students were not shy about trying to talk to me. One student in particular caught my attention right away. She's a tiny girl, but she has the biggest eyes and the brightest smile. It didn't matter that we spoke completely different languages, she was so excited to share whatever she was doing with me. Everytime I think about her, I smile. For such a small girl, she has the biggest heart. She isn't able to do many of the things other kids her age can do, but that doesn't stop her from giving it her all. If she is struggling with something, she doesn't give up, she just keeps trying until she gets it right. Coming to a new country with only a few familiar faces has been quite challenging. But seeing such friendliness from people that I can barely communicate with has definitely made things easier. When I see the students succeeding in activities that seem very challenging, it reminds me that we all have challenges we face everyday. Sometimes they seem too overwhelming for me to handle, but with a positive attitude and the help from God's Spirit, we can overcome any obstacle that comes our way!