Mary wrote this after the Halloween Party last Thursday:
On the 30th we went out to Totus Park for our annual Halloween party there. The weather wasn’t too cold or too windy, and we had a great time planned. The kids showed up right away and were so excited. We forgot our bouncy balls and jump ropes; but even so, the children were happy to be with us, to run around, hug, talk, and make crafts. I had a child in my lap every moment of the afternoon, but they didn’t fight over it, they shared me!
The paradox of our children’s ministry at Totus Park is seeing the joy and hearing the heartache. Sometimes the child’s heart is not aching when they tell me what’s going on in their lives, but mine feels like it will break. We smiled, and laughed, and shared, and hugged on one another that afternoon. Some of the kids even brought up their sweet memories of the years of ministry and the past summer of short term teams. We had a snack together and tried to listen to Chris tell the story of the pumpkin patch parable (about how Jesus can take the yucky stuff out of us, put a smile on our face and a light inside). During the afternoon I heard about tough times in many of the homes around. I saw Greg at home, he’s been sick, he’d had a seizure on his front steps and still had a big knot on his forehead from falling. His dog, Bigfoot, whom we've known for over five years, can’t walk anymore from being beaten by someone one night recently. I saw one family of children who had returned from Seattle only to settle back into Totus where there are now 11 people and a few addicts in that home. I worked with two little girls who will have to go into winter in their house which has most of the windows broken out.
I can’t have the joy without the heartache and I can’t have the heartache without the privilege of loving and praying for these dear children. Pray with me that the Lord is drawing many, many of these precious children to Himself.
