The Butterfly Effect - Day 1

     We started off Day 1 with singing, "It's a Beautiful Day!"  Then we had a nice visit with Joni Eareckson Tada, through DVD of course.  She shared her story with us and the day that her life took a traumatic turn.  She was a teenager and was at the lake and dove into shallow water.  She broke one of the vertebrae in her neck and has been paralyzed from the shoulders down ever since.  The recovery was challenging to say the least but her christian friends visited her and encouraged her to use the wheelchair and start enjoying life again.

     Joni shared about her "Wheels For the World" program and introduced us to some children, Jorge and Ai, that have been given a wheelchair through the program.  She showed us glimpses of Thailand and a variety of friends that use wheelchairs to get around.

    Joni shared with us from Luke 10:33,34 about the Good Samaritan and how we need to help those in need.  As Joni said, "Why should the good Samaritan have all of the fun?"  We can join in and help people too.  We can be Jesus' hands and feet in the world by serving others.

  We had a great time talking and sharing about friends that are unable to walk.  I asked the kids what they would not be able to do if their legs didn't work.  They said they would not be able to run, swim, walk, hopscotch, play, swing, do monkey bars, jump, go places, go to school, go to a friend's house, climb on a play scape, get up, and couldn't climb trees.  I can't wait until tomorrow when I tell and show them that they could do most of those activities!  We followed this discussion with a discussion on the things that we can do well and the things that we can't.  We all have strengths and challenges.

     At lunchtime the line leader enjoyed the first ride in the wheelchair.  Usually it takes my students several days before they are comfortable riding in the wheelchair but not this class,  the wall is already down and they are ready for a ride!

     We concluded the day by brainstorming and talking about how we are going to raise money for the wheelchair so that we can send it to Joni.  The kids all informed me that they are going to raise money for two wheelchairs this year!!  I love the ideas the kids came up with:  paint and sell rocks, give clothes away, lemonade stand, yard sale, paint pictures and sell them, make and sell cookies, make and sell birdseed cakes, sell purple lemonade,  pick up newspapers and trash cans for people, sell flowers, sell plants, sell raspberry lemonade and sell fabric creations.  What creative students I have!

     Just for fun, I asked them what I should do to raise money and those ideas were VERY creative!!  They said I could read books to children, pick up newspapers, make wigs, sell pictures, sell dry erase markers, bake cookies, help my mom do the lawn, sell snacks and give sick people a Popsicle.  Oh, how I love kids!!

     We hope you will join us again tomorrow!