How a Circle is Changing Lives

It has been a couple of months since I have written an update that is specific to the after-school program that I am working in, so I wanted to let you all know how it is going.

There are some serious differences between now and when I first got here. The team of people that run this program just didn’t have the time or experience to make the changes that they wanted to. But now everyone seems happier about how things are going.

One of the biggest changes is in the behavior of the kids. When I started here they solved their problems by hitting and kicking each other. If you were to come to our program today you would see that the kids rarely hit each other in an aggressive way. They are far more likely to have an adult get involved when things get serious.

We got a late donation of Christmas bags that we got to give to the kids this month.

We are also paying far closer attention to the individual studies of the students. We recently got their third quarter grades and have developed additional education plans for the kids who are behind and at risk of being held back a year.

The kids are also learning to love God in new ways. We spend a lot of time praying and talking to the kids about prayer. For me it has been very important that the kids do not feel that God is distant or unapproachable. I want them to know that God sees them and cares about them. One of my favourite workshops we do is simply called “the circle.” It is a time to sit down with a smaller group of kids and to listen to them talk. It is the same three questions every time: What is something you have done well recently? What is a problem you have in your life right now? What can you do to fix it? At the end we have time for the kids to pray quietly and ask God to help them with their problems, and then we pray for each other.

This simple format works to improve their lives in so many ways! They learn that their teachers are here to listen to them and that their opinions and stories matter. They learn that the other kids have problems too. Sometimes a kid will share something like, “my dad comes home drunk and beats my mom.” And then another kid will echo that. And before long the majority have discovered that they have the same problem and there is a sense of unity that comes from it that is truly unique. The kids learn that they are not victims, but individuals with the power to make their lives better, and the lives of people around them. If their problem involves something with their parents then we talk about what sort of parent they want to be when they get older. The kids work at offering solutions to each other and the teachers are simply there to facilitate the conversation.

The most powerful thing for me has been seeing how prayer has been what they are learning to fall back on. One boy, Kevin, has shared with us that his parents get into very violent fights in the evenings when he is in bed. The other day he said, “I am so glad that I learned to pray. I just pray and pray when they fight like that.” The solution he offers to other kids during the circle is always to pray. "Oh, you don’t have friends at school? You should pray about that!"

Kevin

We have been going through the Bible chronologically. With the morning kids I have a half hour class every day and we are currently in 1 Samuel. In the afternoon we have a 15 minute class every day and we are in Joshua. Please be praying that God would continue to give us wisdom as we share with the kids from the Bible. I strongly feel that this is the most important part of our day.

As for me, I have been doing very well. I have an amazing group of friends and have started insect collecting again, which is really fun to do in Ecuador.

Please be in prayer about the following things:
1. Every aspect of our after school program. But specifically for the daily lives and salvation of our kids.
2. My health. Last month I had a very long spell of sickness after sickness. I have lost 30 pounds since I moved here in August. Please pray that the Lord would keep me healthy and strong.
3. My financial situation. I am so thankful for the people who have been so faithful in supporting me and the work I am doing here, and now my church is also supporting me. But come July I will be moving to full-time staff and this means that my budget will increase (insurance changes, savings account, ministry funds, etc). I am in need of more supporters! And I am asking you (yes YOU who is reading this right now) to prayerfully consider supporting this work at $50, $100, or $150 a  month. Simply visit the website below and change the donation from “General” to “Robbie Murdoch.” All donations are tax deductible.
https://www.canadahelps.org/services/wa/dnm/en/#/page/6825

Thank you all for your invested interest in this work. Our God is so so good, and he is doing great things!