School...

Let's see, where do I start....
This week has been an interesting one. This is my (Cami's) second week teaching in the school, and every day this week has been a new record for the amount of discipline that has been handed out in my classroom. Thus far, today has, by a long shot, been the worst. A boy was caught cheating, then cussed out the TA, then refused to do what he was told or go where he was supposed to go. Then, another boy got caught trying to steal markers from the classroom so that he could go sniff them latter. On top of that, my pencil holders full of pens and pencils disappeared today. Rough day.

Interestingly enough I found out today as well that one of the boys in the program (a 15 year old with a 2 month old son) has a hit out on his life, and had a rival gang member threaten to kill him at this upcoming Saturday's church outreach. As this guy, "John" we'll call him, was telling me about his gang and how proud he was to be part of it I couldn't help but feel really sad for him. This is his life. Not only that, but he is proud to be a gang member. This isn't a kid that wouldn't fit in anywhere else either, he's an intelligent, handsome, friendly guy that's quick to befriend others and be the mature one in the group. Breaks my heart.

Pray that, in His infinite mercy, God would grant me the wisdom to respond to kids that cheat. It was difficult not to fly off the handle with that boy today, something about cheating makes me feel taken advantage of...
Also, that I would have words to say in conversations about gangs that would show these kids the love and acceptance of Christ in a way that doesn't turn them off, or perpetuate the perception of Christ as a weeny and Christianity for suckers.