One day, a girl came home from another terrible, awful day. She complained to her father about her life and how things were so hard for her. She said, "Father, I do not know how I am going to make it. I just feel like giving up. I'm tired of fighting and struggling. It seems as though every time one of my problems is solved, a new one comes along and things just get worse! I just can't take it anymore."
Without saying a word, the father took her to the kitchen and filled three pots with water and placed them each on high heat to boil. In one pot of boiling water, he placed carrots. In the second, he placed eggs, and in the last pot, he placed coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
The daughter impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. Twenty minutes later, he turned off the burners, strained the water from the carrots and placed them in a bowl. He lifted the eggs out and placed them in another bowl. Then he ladled the steaming coffee into a bowl.
Turning to her he asked, "Which one do you want to be?" She stared at him like he was crazy and said, "huh!?" He brought her closer and asked her again while he explained: "The carrots, you see, are now soft and mushy. Are you the carrot that started out strong and hard long ago, but with the pain and adversity of your life struggles, did you become soft and lose your strength?" She was silent, so he continued...
"Are you the egg that started out soft inside, but after the pain of death, abuse, rejection, poor health and/or adversity, have you become hardened? Your outer shell might look the same, but have you become hard-boiled and toughened in your spirit and your heart?" The girl started looking at him with a different expression...
He continued, "Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean that was in the boiling water didn't let the boiling water change it, rather IT changed the hot water instead. It gave the water flavor and aroma, turning it into something good and provided that for others as well." ...
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This story is how we ended our day. This story was told to us by one of the transition home children. One of many that has already finished High School and is currently in her second year of studying to become an Elementary School teacher. If you knew where she comes from...you would be astounded.
As you know from our blog yesterday, we just broke ground on the new boys Transition Home. This story she told us, in and of itself, represents to us exactly why we are dedicating ourselves to this Foundation. They not only save these children from terrible circumstances...ones that hopefully you've never had to experience, but they, more importantly, teach the children about hope, healing, forgiveness and a future, much better than what they've previously experienced.
Earlier in the day before this story was told, we were all out on the farm together... Playing games, laughing, eating, and sharing quality time together with the kids. If we wouldn't have known better, we could have taken a step back and thought these were all "normal" kids... coming from "normal" situations, "normal" experiences...but that's far from the truth.
Today was Father's Day in El Salvador and all the kids had off of school and we had a picnic, but guess how many Father's were at our play day with the kids? The answer is 6...Bryan, Ralph and Wayne, from our group, the pastor, and 2 foster Dads from the farm that take on the huge responsibilities of these children that their own parents didn't.
Needless to say though, we had an absolutely fabulous day... basketball, water games, bracelet making, dream catchers, duck tape flowers, wallets and bows, a cook out with cake, a trip to one of the transition homes and a night out in the town with the children eating pupusas and drinking Fresca. Today was also a day, however, that we were reminded why we're here, how good most of us have it back home, and how important it is to give back in any way that you can no matter what circumstances you come from. The experience we've had here together has already been like absolutely no other...and we're only halfway done!
Our Day on the Farm:
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