Picture Day at Adonai

The afternoon first grade class is getting ready for their official photograph. The girl on the end is a mainstreamed 12 year old with a tender heart.


What a tiring, but FUN day we had yesterday! It was Picture Day at school! The students came all dressed up in their special occation uniforms with green ribbons and ties and shiny shoes. The girls had their hair combed beautifully and some little girls even had bright pink lipstick! Nancy and I had a great laugh at the boys, though. When we knocked on Professora Emilia's door (6th grade) to call them out for their pictures, the boys swarmed Emilia begging her to let them go to the bathroom first. They tore off down the hall and disappeared into the boys' room. The girls, in the meantime, casually sauntered over to where we were set up for the group photo. Nancy and I cracked up as the boys came out of the bathroom one by one with their hair nice and slicked down! They cared more about their looks than the girls!

The sixth grade class with their slicked down hair.

We were also quite entertained by the reactions of the students when it was their turn for individual photos. The giddiness in the clowns stopped and a look of panic and apprehension came over their faces. Some of the normally timid ones had no problem posing and pretending to be models. There was laughing and joking and a true felling of excitement with each of the classes.

This Coke truck decided to pull up and unload JUST as we were ready to snap pictures of the first graders! It wasn't exactly the background Nancy was hoping for!

The onlookers at recess time wanted to see what Nancy was doing.

Nancy was the photographer (always referred to as a semi-professional, and for good reason!) She was busy finding the perfect lighting and the perfect background. And did she ever! My job was to call up the children in their class order. Most children have at least four names, sometimes five. It wasn't easy to first of all figure out which name was their first name, much less figure out how to pronouce some of them! I was laughed at quite a bit, but the students were still helpful with the weird pronunciations.

Each student has a story behind them. As we were looking through the pictures today, Karen was telling me some of the sad stories. One child had a brother deep into drugs and satanic practices and last year he was found dead in their home. The death was set up as a suicide, but homicide is greatly suspected. One child's parent didn't want him, so she left the family and went to Spain. One child's parents are drug addicts and have been accused of abusing the children. One child misses school due to suspected malnutrition. One child was deserted by her parents and lives with her grandmother. The stories go on and on....

At the end of the day, Nancy and I were exhausted, but happy. It was a long and tiring day, but these kids are sooooo cute, you can't help but fall in love with them. Picture Day is over, but Nancy's gift for capturing those beautiful faces God created will bless many families for years to come!