Being a parent...

What does it take to be a parent?  I've only got some ideas. But I had a taste of some beautiful, image-bearing parenting last week.

I went to visit a dance class with Artes Muy Especiales (Very Special Arts), which offers classes in dance, art, and music to mentally or physically disabled children and adults.  Some of the gals had Down syndrome, and with others I was unsure of their diagnosis but they struggled notably with coordination and their processing time was much longer.  During their 2-hour dance class, their mothers waited in the next room.
I started to chat with the mothers, my goal being some quality trust-building, since we are organizing an art camp for their children in November. Naturally the conversation turned to the high needs of their daughters. One woman commented on the 2-hour routine of the morning - getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth... If she helped her daughter it was a mere 30 minutes, but if she patiently waited for her daughter to prepare herself for the day, it was an ordeal that lasted all morning.
Another mother told me that her daughter's doctor had given them a very bleak prognosis- never walk, never talk, incapable of independence. However, as a teenager, she was learning basic classroom skills, how to dress and care for herself, and dancing flamenco!

Another woman drives into the city from Antigua each week for her daughter's classes. She has the dream of opening an arts school in Antigua for disabled children. She says there is lots of culture and art to the city, but nothing available for her daughter. She has seen the progress in confidence and intelligence that her daughter has made while taking classes with AME.  I witnessed her ability to learn the choreography of a dance with a patient, loving teacher.
Then I shared something from my heart. This is where I thank God for the proficiency he has granted me in Spanish. I encouraged these mothers to keep bringing their daughters to classes. I encouraged them to keep being patient, even when it's hard. I encouraged them to keep being the grand mothers that they are. I acknowledged that I can't possibly enter into their circumstances, but that I could admire their strong, beautiful love.
With the mothers in tears and me resisting the urge to do the same, it was a precious moment.. and I keep praying that God supplies them daily with the strength to love their daughters.. regardless of the added challenges! 
It also makes me marvel at the great God we serve... he never gets worn out, and I know I require a lot of patience! And there are a lot of us!

Well, See you soon to those of you in Michigan and Ontario, can't wait to catch up a bit.
Blessings from Guate!
Kim <><