At Kids Club we have been reading stories as a group for the first 10 minutes of library time. The lesson for the day was intended to challenge the students to identify with the setting and characters of the story. We read a book about a family from a ranch in Texas, returning to Mexico for Christmas. At one point in the book a reference was made to the bull and plow family members in Mexico had purchased with the money the characters in the United States had sent down. I stopped and asked the students if their parents had ever sent money home to El Salvador, Honduras or Guatemala for family members to pay for something they needed. All of the children nodded their heads in unison to communicate that this certainly was an activity with which they were familiar.
One little girl raised her hand with excitement. I called on her and she chimed in with a smile on her face, “When my mom and I were still in Honduras, my dad would send us money. My mom sometimes paid for us to go to see a cascada (waterfall). Then she would tell me to throw a coin in the water and make a wish.” Her face lit up as she reported, “My wish came true!” I inquired, “And what was your wish?” She happily replied,”For my mom and I to go to the United States to be with my dad again.” My heart warmed as I commented, “Yes, sweetie, you did get your wish!”
That day little Estefany certainly connected with the story and in through her sharing she made a connection to my heart.