Two Steps Forward/Two Steps Back

Well, update since Tuesday. My kids have spiraled down. All except MarcKendy, who has been such a sweet and studious child these past few days. Oline got sent back to a little kid classroom for the day for having an attitude and being super disrespectful. My Richard had quite the day today. He got sent to go pick up trash outside the school in the morning for being rude and inappropriate in class. He continued to be super defiant while walking back home and so during elective time, he had to pick up two bags of trash from the street outside the school. It was embarrassing as neighbors watched him and classmates walked by and made fun of him. We went back inside the school to discuss what he could do differently so he wouldn't be in trouble. Long story short, we spent the next two hours with him writing sentences and I added more sentences to write each time he was yelling out and being obnoxious and yelling things in Creole that I didn't understand. He put papers in his mouth and started spitting it out on the floor that our janitor was cleaning. He then had the job of helping clean the room. I had enough as the Principal and I were waiting all this misbehavior out. We finally told him that Fritz, our orphanage manager, wanted to see him when he returned home. Our janitor, Andy, remarked, "OOOH, you're going to see Fritz? See you in heaven Richard. See you in heaven." Haha, everyone knows not to mess with Fritz. When we brought him home, we could feel the tension in the room already. Fritz handled it and I'll find out tomorrow what happened.

I feel like Richard needs a daddy to show him how to be a godly, respectful Haitian man. I, being a Filipino American woman, am unqualified to do that. During the time we spent after school, I gave Richard the chance to tell me what he would need to change so he wouldn't be getting in trouble all the time. He stubbornly stood their quietly so I wrote down what I thought should change. I put "I (Richard) will be more respectful and obey at school." I asked him if he agreed. He said, "I don't believe someone can change." I asked why. He said, "Only God can change someone." I said I agreed but that it depended on him to choose to obey or disobey and allow God to grow him in obedience and love. He said, "No, only God can." I seriously think this kid thinks that God has to do something major to make him a good...which I agree...but there also has to be a willing heart. God can change hearts, but is that heart stoney, thorny, or good? We're learning Luke 8 about the Parable of the Sower right now, so I've been thinking about that a lot.