Everyone has heard the saying “you can’t judge a book by its cover” We tend to do the same thing when it comes to meeting new people. When I first started to teach at Project Pag-asa I was struggling because Lilly would not open up to me. When I started my one on one tutoring and Beth told me Lily would be one of the students I would spend time with I thought, "How is that going to work ...she won't even talk to me?" I learned later on that she was struggling with me as well. Turns out she was having trouble getting used to my English. Beth is British and her house parents are from Germany. So, I sound a little funny to her. But not too long ago, I saw Lilly make a 180 degree change. She went from barely talking to me to not leaving side. She was joking with me, leaning on me, asking questions. She kept saying “Teacher Leah," and before I could say yes to her she would shout, "NO... Just kidding." I did nothing different from one day to the next. I think that was the key. When I did not force it and just followed God's command to love and be a light for her, she finally felt able to trust me more. I plan to just give her time from now on and step forward whenever she is ready.
I wish every student would be willing to rely on me as much as she does but I will thank God for blessing me as I teach her.