“He will defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy.”             Psalm 72:4

          Betikara is beginning to feel the woes of adolescence.  We have eleven children in their teenage years right now, and we are discovering that we are having to change tactics in dealing with these blooming young adults.  Robert tops the list.

          At eighteen years old he’s the oldest lamb.  Just this week, he received his Malagasy identification card, announcing to the world that he is now an adult. Actually though, Robert is announcing it a lot louder and harder than the Malagasy government.
          Suddenly, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with the other children.  He used to be such a good helper and example for them.  He could be counted on to gather them up and occupy them while adults took care of other business.  He comforted hurts, he wiped noses, he listened to their problems, but now he doesn’t even want to eat meals with them. 
          “I’m an adult now,”  he exclaims almost daily, “I don’t belong with the little kids!”  Doesn’t he sound just like a teenager?  He wants his freedom.  He wants his space.  He wants to go when he wants to go and do what he wants to do.  It’s not so easy any longer to make suggestions to him.  In short, he’s a typical teenager.
          He used to come out of nowhere and greet me every time I walked in the door.  Now, he seems to come reluctantly.  I’ve become the enemy, one of the adults who reminds him constantly, that he will be an adult when he is getting a paycheck and living on his own, and in the meantime, he has to abide by the rules.  He is not an adult yet. 
          He seldom looks me in the eye anymore, and when I shake his hand I feel him pull away quickly.  He doesn’t want to listen.  He thinks he knows better.  He’s putting up those teenage walls, but just when he frustrates me to the max,  it’s then as a typical teenager, he turns around and does something that makes me want to hug him.  He surprises me with how much he has grown both physically and socially, but especially spiritually. 
         That’s why I was very surprised to walk into the center one day to find him sitting next to Irma (Betikara volunteer) learning to embroider.  Irma doesn’t think she does much for the kids, but I call that a miracle!  You could have blown me over; Robert learning to embroider.  He traced a basic design, but he planned the colors himself, and he added the touch of some very special words, God Bless You.  I almost couldn’t believe my eyes, Betikara’s teenager of teenagers embroidering!  Imagine!
          Well, that oh-so-frustrating teenager of teenagers nearly did cause me to faint the next week when he handed me that finished embroidered pillowslip.  I thought he wanted me to look at it.  I opened it up and spread it smooth to look.  I duly praised the workmanship and his artistic ability.  I was impressed, very impressed, and I told him so.  I folded the pillowslip back up and handed it back to him.
          “No,” he said, “I’m not keeping it.  I want you to send it to Leecia (Leecia is Robert’s sponsor).  It’s for her birthday.”
          I wanted to grab him and hug him.  I had to bite my tongue and tighten my arm muscles to force myself to be still and not embarrass him.  Instead, I got real close and looked him right in the eye in order to force him to look me in the eye.  Quickly, I winked at him, and slapped him on the back. 
          “Nice work, Robert,” I said without too much emotion (because teenagers hate all that mushiness), “That was a really nice thing for you to do.  It shows me that you really are growing up.  Leecia will love it.”
          I walked off quickly so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes.  He wouldn’t understand that the tears were an overflowing of the joy that was in my heart, and anyway, he wouldn’t appreciate all that old woman silliness.  They are growing up, these Betikara lambs that God has trusted to our care.  They can be extremely frustrating, but the very next moment they can touch my heart in a way that causes it to thump with that “old woman emotion”. 

An Apology and a Report
          My intentions were sincere.  I planned to get out individual child progress reports, but this old woman has too much on her plate just now and the only way she can get to the progress reports is to do it between midnight and 5:00 am.  I am sorry.
          The Betikara lambs received report cards and class rankings recently.  Here are the results of the class rankings for April 2004:
 

          We are not jumping for joy over these results.  If they placed in the upper half of their class we are satisfied, but they must also receive a pass.  Only half of the lambs received a pass.  Please pray for all the lambs as we strive to help them make the grade.  Thank you.

  Indiana Church of Christ 
  225 East Pike Rd. 
  Indiana, PA  15701 

“He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.” 
                           Proverbs 19:17