Once Upon A Time….there lived many beautiful children.

So, I´m writing a bit on my Praksis at the Asyl Mottak. These past few months, I´ve been teaching art and dance to the children living there. They have a «Barnhage» where the children can come in the morning and play. The kids call me «Teacher.» What a beautiful name!
Instead of just giving general information, I´d thought I´d tell about some of the children I have come to know who have impacted me. Hopefully, it will give you a better picture on what it´s like at the Asyl Mottak and what I´ve been doing there. I haven´t just been an art teacher but a mediator, peacekeeper and friend. Words to describe my time there: challenging.fullfilling.tiring.joyful.poured out.filled up. Hopefully, these descriptions will help you feel like you know these precious children like I´ve come to know them.

Roni: a six year old from Eritrea. Bright, bold, funny. (Think the main character from Slumdog Millionaire when he was a boy.) He was charasmatic, always making the other kids laugh and look up to him. It took me a little while to gain his trust but once I had it, he was a loyal little buddy. He always insisted on washing the paint brushes and moving chairs for me, saying «Teacher, Let me do. I strong.» (showing me his little guns.) His best friend, Mikiyas was from Ethiopia. He couldn´t speak English very well so Roni translated for him. Then Roni was transferred suddenly (his family found out the night before that they were to be moved to another Mottak up in Tromsø.) The next day in Barnhage, everyone could feel the hole left by him and no one knew how to deal with it. Some kids broke into fights and were over agressive. Others burst into tears for no reason. All I could do was hold them while they cried. Mikiyas didn´t want to play with anyone else. He just wanted to be left alone. I think the hardest part was none of us got to say goodbye. Slowly we were able to move on but it took time. I miss my little buddy. This was the first transfer but not the last. The others got easier.

Mohammed: a three year old from Afghanistan. He was the first prayer request I saw answered. It was my first week on Praksis and I had never even met him before. I was playing a game on the floor with some of the other children. I turned around and Mohammed was coming at with his fist up like he was going to hit me. He had the meanest look on his face and was growling. I thought for sure he was going to punch me in my face because he was so close, but at the last minute, he turned and walked away. The whole morning, Mohammed shouted, was rude, and hit his mother (who was trying to paint.) I prayed that the Holy Spirit would take away his spirit of aggression and give him a spirit of peace. The very next time I was up there, I saw Mohammed again and it was like seeing a completely different boy. He was calm and so sweet. He listened and was nice and was a happy little boy. He is now my best friend up there. He calls me «Kitchen» instead of «Teacher» because that´s how he thinks you say it and his hero is Spiderman.

Mohammed´s mother: I can´t pronounce her name but she is a sweet young woman who has Mohammed and also a sweet, chubby baby. She always comes in with Mohammed and sits down to paint. She loves the arts and is very creative but has no education. She is the first adult I have ever met who can´t read or write.

Kjokhlo: an energetic six year old from Uzbekistan. Such a little girl in so many beautiful ways. She loved to giggle and paint and play with dolls. She felt things so deeply. When she was happy, she was really happy. When she was sad, she was really sad. Kjokhlo was the one who cried in my arms after Roni was transferred. She has since been transferred herself to another place. I didn´t get to say goodbye.

Khodor: a quiet four year old from Lebanon. He was born with a muscular disorder and has to stay in a wheelchair. That doesn´t stop him from painting, and although he doesn´t have much strength, he is determined to paint and do art. He is very independent and loves painting! His mother always comes with him and so faithfully stays by his side, gently helping him when he´s tired or can´t do something. She is such a beautiful example of love, patience, and faithfulness. She is muslim.

Meron: a five year old boy from Eritrea. He is rambunctious and really good at getting into trouble. He gives really good hugs, though. His mom is dying from cancer and the doctors don´t expect her to last much longer. She is the only family Meron has here, so the Asyl Mottak is trying to find a place for him to stay if something happens. I believe God is a big God and can heal Meron´s mom from this cancer. I believe Meron needs a mom to grow up with and his mom needs to see her son grow up. I had a window of opportunity to pray for her a couple weeks ago, and I took it. It was a short, simple prayer. But it was from my heart. I´ve now given responsibility to God for what happens next. Only He has the power to heal her.

Samah: an eight year old from Sudan. She just transferred to the Asyl Mottak two weeks ago. The first time she came to the Barnhage, she didn´t say one word. She can´t speak English or Norwegian and was too shy to speak her own language. She immediately wanted to paint and experimented mixing different colors. She´s very creative and her artwork is very delicate with flowers and glitter. She has since warmed up and talks to us in her own language.

I hope I´ve painted a picture for you so you can «see» just a few of these precious children I have had the privilege to meet. Their stuggles, joys, and excitement for life. That they´re just like children anywhere else in the world and that God LOVES them.

This is «Kitchen» signing out. (: