today we had 3 prayers said in our school :) they were all after school - one blessing over the staff dinner and two at a community meeting this evening.
the meeting was about ethnic violence/prejudice/ the kid who got beat up (who is recovering well, by the way). his sister (who is also from liberia) was there and stood up at the end. she has been here for 4 years (as opposed to the rest of her family who has been here for 7 weeks). everyone had been making all kinds of recommendations about what measures to take to prevent other incidents like this.
she took the mic and told the crowd fervently that all these things were great, but she doesn't understand why there is not religion in our schools. her comments went something like this (in a very thick accent), "i don't know much about the laws here in america, but i do know that there will be no change until people's hearts are changed. people - children - who have the fear of God in them do not commit crimes like this. if people knew the power of Jesus Christ they would treat others with love and respect. religion should be taught in our schools because it is the most important thing that a student could ever learn ... " for about 5 minutes. it was awesome.
and so emotional to think about what she's been through - and the force and the hurt and the forgiveness and love in her voice was so sincere, so absolutely real - and *that* is where her heart is, already, breaking for this country and for our kids and not just for their situations, but for their hearts.
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