Cindy

Isn't she beautiful?  Cindy will be 10 in July.  She has lived here at Casa for 4 1/2 years.  She was only five years old when she came to live here.  She came kicking, and screaming and biting and hitting and everything else you can think of.  And it did not matter who she screamed at or hit or bit or kicked.  There was no discrimination.  She had reasons not to trust anyone and biting, kicking, screaming, and hitting was her safety mechanism.  When a child acts like that, you don't know if you will ever make a difference.

All of the children need a lot of love and a lot of prayer, but some need more than others.  We pray without ceasing over this one.

We have seen so much change in Cindy.  May God alone be praised for that.

Most Saturday mornings I do devo and breakfast.  First thing this morning, even before devo, I was in the boys' room and heard the most awful racket coming from the girls' room.  I dashed in there.  Cindy and Sisi were going at it for all it was worth.  The girls told me that Sisi was hitting Maryuri, Cindy's little sister.  And Cindy was defending Maryuri.  Someone recently described Cindy as "I might be little, but I am loud and I am might and no one steps one me."  An accurate description.  "And no one steps on my little sister either."
Sisi and Cindy were pulling hair and hitting.  I grabbed one of Cindy's arms and she grabbed a handful of Sisi hair with the other hand.  I was pulling on both girls and finally got them separated.  Fire was coming from Cindy's eyes and she would have hit me just as easily as she had been hitting Sisi.  Sisi was saying it wasn't me, it wasn't me.  Well, I could see better than that. 

I removed Sisi from the room.  I gently took Cindy by the hand and led her out of the room.  I said Cindy, I love you and I love the way you try to protect your sister.  Sisi was very wrong for hitting Maryuri and you did not make that right by fighting.  When someone hits Maryuri you come get an adult.  Do not hit that person.  That is wrong.  And now you are in trouble, too.  Cindy stood there and listened to me and said she understood. I saw the fire leave her eyes and a much softer expression began to replace that angry look. I told her to go to the wall until I told her she could leave.  She went to the wall, without argument.  She stood there until I told her to leave.  I would have never imagined we would see the day that would happen. 

God is good.  All the time.  Love and prayer is making a difference in that one.

Terri