Robert and I had a lot of fun last week watching the great progress that CATCH! volunteers have made over the summer reading to children and creating relationships with them.

Monday night -we went out and watched more kids then even we knew were in the neighborhood gather for games, cupcakes and juice. We played lots of games and had a lot of laughs.

Koelsch Elementary gave us books last year. We handed part of them out that night. As I left I turned to see the whole field filled with children sitting in groups on the grass flipping through the pages. Even the elders of the community, who had been given books for their families, sat at the table flipping through the pages talking about the books. It was great to see.

I had almost reached our car when I felt a little hand tuck itself into mine. I looked down to see a small child. He looked up at me and said "Why won't you let the people come any more on Monday nights?" It was a bittersweet question but I knew then that the kids had been caught by CATCH!

The next morning I was at the Langauge Academy when a mother and a group of children came in. Some of the kids had been at the party the night before and started talking about it. They were laughing and having fun remembering it. The mother asked what we were talking about. I told her about the Summer Reading Program. She then... and this I couldn't believe... started selling me on the neighborhood she lives in and telling me who was there and why it is so important that we do reading there. Fortunately this neighborhood is on my list for next year.

Tuesday Night- We again had a great time watching kids play games and again more children came out of the woodwork. This neighborhood has a lot of the new families that Robert & I are currently working to put into school. They had just met us in the past two weeks so it was fun to see them venture out and come bravely to the party. We were able to hand out at least fifty books that night.

At this party the question came "What are we going to do next? What do you guys have planned?" As we left this neighborhood, a group of mothers who have often sat together on the outskirts of the reading caught up with Robert & I and thanked us. We want to pass the thanks on to the volunteers of CATCH! You guys did a great job- showing up regularly and getting to know the kids. THANKS!

Wednesday Night- This neighborhood is our newest neighborhood. We were only able to put one team in it this summer but what a great team they were. It was made up of a natural teacher, a high school young lady who we put in school when she was a refugee six years ago and her blessed mother who came and helped out. Again lots of children came and enjoyed the games and snacks.

This is a neighborhood that we don't know very well yet so we had to rely on our volunteers who know the neighborhood and the kids better then we. It was a blessing to see the kids run up the them and interact.

One of the kids from one of our other neighborhoods ran up to me when she saw me and said "You guys are here too?! Cool! I'm gonna' move here so I can still see you guys. All my cousins are here." It is all about relationships.

I watched Robert as he sat, arm around a Burundian man, one of his friends. They were having a long conversation in French. They laughed and they talked and they enjoyed each other. When we left I asked what they had been talking about. Robert said that one of the main things was summer reading. The man was requesting that we plan to have the reading time more then one time a week and talking about why it is so important to the kids. The parents love this!

Thursday Night (Party One) was quite a night. We had two parties that night. The first party was with a small neighborhood. When we rolled into the neighborhood I overheard two volunteers having a conversation about where the third one was. They pointed to the van so we all knew she was in the area. Just as we were wondering we saw her. She was coming down the road with one (perhaps) two children hanging from her back, children beside her, children walking backwards in front of her and children following. We had found our missing volunteer. She delivered them to the hill and off we went. Robert played games with the kids, red rover, red light green light and finally freeze tag and then a tired bunch sat on the hill to listen to a book. CATCH! volunteers handed out cupcakes and juice to many kids and then we passed out books. These books were different books as one of the vounteers had been given them. She has about 400!!! We will be passing out books for a long time! YAY!

I watched one child. She would be given a book- run to a nearby rock. Sit and read the book quickly and then bring it back timidly at first- bravely later as she was greeted happily. A volunteer would trade her books and she would repeat the action. She did this several times until finally someone understood what she was doing and happily pulled a small stack of books out for her to take home and read at her leisure.

Another young boy- eyes wide- pleading- asked if he could have more then one book. I ask you- if someone wants to read more then one book should they be turned away? I think not! He too was presented with a small stack of books and told to take them home. The smile was worth so much!!


Thursday Night (Party Two) The Weisel family pulled into the second neighborhood at about 8:30. We were a tired crew but were so looking forward to this last party. In this neighborhood early on the idea had come up of showing a movie outside for the last night. When we got there a makeshift screen comprised of a sheet had been put up. A table with electronic gadgets was in place and the screen was lit and ready to show a movie. I put the blanket that we have been carrying in our car this summer for just such a purpose, down on the grass and plopped down. Robert went over to check on volunteers and my children were immediately lost in a sea of children, favorite friends. As I watched I saw more volunteers come into the neighborhood (this neighborhood was full of readers this year- a team on every night here).

Two volunteers were carrying bags of candy and passing them out to other people sitting on blankets or in chairs. Two other volunteers brought in laundry baskets full of neatly bagged popcorn.

I felt like I was literally in heaven. Or at least the place I pray for all of the time. On blankets all around me were Americans (who lived in the neighborhood or were volunteering), Bhutanese, Burmese, Burundians, Iraqis, Iranians, Sudanese, Mexican, Congolese, the few Armenians (Robert had company that night) and others I am certain to have forgotten. Turkish men gathered together watching the movie and chatting. Turkish women on the sidewalk, mothers and fathers, families sitting together. My favorite blankets of all were the ones that contained Turkish boys laughing next to African children who had lifted handfuls of popcorn up to their mouth but had gotten so involved in the action on the screen they had forgotten to get the popcorn all of the way to they mouths.

Then there was the little girl. One of our volunteers had joined me on our blanket. My husband was with the guys, my boys with their pals and our daughter had stayed with me. A little girl who spoke no English but had a great smile had joined her. My daughter leaned on my arm. The little girl smiled at me and my friend. We smiled back. The little girl moved closer to us. Then in between us and by the time we had gotten well into the movie she was happily wedged onto the lap of my friend, smiling away.

It was a great week. I have said we were blessed this summer with great volunteers and hopefully now you can see even better why it is that I think so. They love the kids that are so important to us.


For those of you who love stats

5 neighborhoods
4 nights a wk (at most)
27 volunteers
4000 reads. That means that the numbers reported to me by volunteers means that children often the same kids came to reading in the neighborhoods and we had 2000 contacts. That is good anyway you count it!!

Please don’t forget we are still in need of school supplies. School starts on Monday August 25^th for most of our kids!

Here is a link to our supply list http://www.catchlife.net/get-involved.html

If it would be more convenient we can purchase the supplies for you. Check out the “MAKE A DONATION” button.

THANKS CATCH! VOLUNTEERS!!!