This morning, I got to observe a Cámara Gessel, which is the closed-circuit interview in which children testify about the abuse they have suffered or witnessed. It's not terribly different from what one might imagine: There is a room in which the psychologist and the child sit, and then on the other side of a one-way mirror sit the defense and prosecuting attorneys, a judge, the alleged perpetrator, and in this case, me. I had previously been denied entry a number of times, so it was even more exciting to be there. The case in question was quite interesting, and while I cannot divulge any details, hearing this child's story once again reiterated the necessity of our work here.
This afternoon, we had our first monthly boys' group. We've been hosting a group for adolescent girls for some time, so it was nice to interact with the little dudes for once. They are, predictably, hilarious and a little rambunctious, which I find highly entertaining. We decided to split them into two groups: middle schoolers and the little ones, you know, for a little crowd control. I stayed with the little guys, and they were just so sweet!
Once we all came back together, I noticed that one kid had begun to cry; one of my fellow interns sat with him, while I talked with his little brother. These two are very new clients and are such sweet, well-mannered kids. As they were all leaving, the older of the two went out of his way to shake hands with the male group leader. I mean, seriously! First of all, to see a child with such a sweet spirit and great manners, and then to know what he has been through. Needless to say, I will probably have a good cry later. It probably sounds cliche, but moments like these remind me of how we are called to sow peace right where we are and to love those right around us. (I needed that reminder.)
Other Points of Interest
- I had dinner with two excellent ladies last night- Melissa, a fellow intern & Lorena, a friend from Bible study. I'm very thankful for their friendship.
- As of yesterday, I leave Guatemala in 8 weeks. Let's not talk about it.
- TGIF! - Looking forward to a relaxing yet productive weekend.
- My iPhone is on a trip to the U.S. right now. (It will have been Stateside more than me over the past year.)
No comments:
Post a Comment