Jamaica Blog - Day Two

Our team traveled to one grade school today to do our devotional skits and then after a brief stop at the Super Market headed over to Robin's Nest Orphanage where we spent the rest of our day.This video has some highlights of our day as well as a special focus as Matt explains in the beginning, enjoy.

One totally interesting thing i cannot get out of my head is what happened today at Robin's Nest. If you'd like to just skip to the video then please go ahead; this is mostly a personal comment on something our group encountered. We went to Robin's Nest expecting it to be like it had before; we would see the kids and hug them, and hold them, and play with them. Let them sit on our lap, give them a high five, just love on them right? Well as soon as we got to Robins Nest the owner spoke (Michelle)with us about a new approach they had recently begun. They had grouped all of the kids into "pods" with parents, or people who work full time at the orphanage. Maybe, four or five kids per pod, and these pods were the groups the kids were in the entire time they were at the orphanage. They told us that under no circumstance we were to hug or hold the kids. If they needed anything; discipline, love, anything, we were supposed to tell them to go to their mom/dad. Even the workers at the orphanage only dealt with the kids in their pod. At first this seems a little harsh; why can't we love on the kids? We won't hurt them? Or will we.

Michelle explained that the behavior problems kids from the orphanage have are in a large way due to their inability to attach and trust in a relationship if they ever get adopted. Think about it; as a child, you had no parents, but every week you had a new set of kids come in from a foreign country and love you. That's great, except then every week they left and for the most part you never saw them, ever. The next week another group came, and the same thing happens; you get close then they pull away. How is someone who grows up like that supposed to love, supposed to learn to trust? Michelle told us the idea behind the Pod parents is that they learn how to focus their love, how to focus their trust, and then once they are adopted to transfer that trust over to their parent. It made our whole group stop and think, and really see our motives. Is it really us being selfish wanting to love on the kids? No, but then again, honestly, our desire to attach to them in an emotionally deep way is probably is not the best thing for them. They do need consistent love, consistent attention, and consistent discipline; but from the same person. The revolutionary approach to being an orphanage Robin's Nest is taking was something very incredible to witness. It was something that made all of us stop and think, and see those who are pursuing something past the status quo to offer the best for these kids.

Well, that's all we got as a team. We'd like to say hi to all of our family and friends and once again THANK you for praying for us; your love and support is totally apprecitated.

Oh yes, and the fridge is freshly stocked FULL of Ting.