Thankful Thursday: Kenia and Jose :)

Jose and Kenia

Hello everyone! How's this week been for you? I've been in Yakima, WA going to different seminars that have been pretty wonderful. I have loved the change of pace and the opportunity to be back in the classroom atmosphere again :) I'll give you updates on all that I learned in the upcoming days, but now it's time for Thankful Thursday! I am headed to Portland for the weekend, spending some time with my mom, my dad, stepmom and little bros (check out this post to read more about these kiddos), my cousins and my grandma. Since I won't be coming home for Thanksgiving, I'll be having a pre-Thanksgiving celebration this weekend. This being said, my Thankful Thursday post will actually be able to be read on Thursday, rather than posted late Thursday night!

Before I move onto Thankful Thursday, let me say, Happy Veterans' Day and thank you to all who have served and all who are currently serving and to all those families who serve along with their loved ones. I so appreciate all that you do and the sacrifice that you have given and give to our country.

summer 2009

Have you guessed by my title who I am thankful for this week? KENIA AND JOSE! These two kiddos hold such a huge place in my heart!! They are two of the sweetest, funniest, sassiest kids that I know. I just love them! I worked at El Centro two summers ago and that is where I met these kids (and a bunch of other wonderful ones!). Kenia and Jose are brother and sister and are about a year and a half apart. They are two peas in a pod, and totally enjoy hanging out together and spending time with each other. Though El Centro is an afterschool program, it also provides the opportunity for members of the Gettysburg community to be paired up with children from El Centro and form a mentor-mentee relationship.  Knowing that Kenia and Jose (now 12 and 11) had a little brother and a sister on the way, I felt that these two could use some extra lovin' and attention. I talked to my boyfriend about the idea of becoming their mentors and he was all for it. In the summer of 2009, we became their mentors and man, how that has changed my world! The love I have for them is comparable to that of my brothers. I simply love to see them and spend time with them. It has also been wonderful to have the opportunity to get more involved in the Gettysburg community, outside of the college.

Halloween 2009 (cleopatra and a ninja)

Spending time with Kenia and Jose has totally opened up my eyes to so many things and has made me have so much respect for these two and all the kids at El Centro. El Centro serves a low income sector of Gettysburg, which currently is mostly Hispanic. Kenia and Jose were both born in Mexico and moved here at a young age. Their parents are wonderful and loving, though busy and stressed with the immigrant life. Kenia often acts as a translator and carries an enormous amount of responsibility. Jose is super smily and is so open about how he is feeling. The two of them together make my heart melt.

rock climbing-- fall 2009

Over the course of this last year, John and Jose and Kenia and I spent a lot of really great time together. Every week John and I made it a point to spend a couple hours with these two. It was often the highlight of both of our weeks. Kenia and Jose are two of the people I miss most from Gettysburg. And, if God has it in His plans for me to be back on the east coast in the future, these two will get some frequent visits from me!

graduation--May 2010

The way these two have enriched my life (and John's too!) has been incredible. I am so thankful for who they are and how they have opened my eyes to their realities and the burdens they carry at such a young age. Kids offer such incredible perspectives on life and what really matters, and Kenia and Jose are no exception. I pray for them regularly and so long for them to have the future that their parents desired for them when they moved to the US. God has totally blessed me with Kenia and Jose and the time we have spent together. I love them dearly.

how cute are they?? can you tell we have fun together?--summer 2010

Do you have any special kiddos in your life who have totally opened your eyes?
Happy Thursday!

--kate