Veronica

Veronica is full of energy! She was the loudest child in the whole bunch that I worked with in Meanguera. She was 5 years old when I was working with her, so she must be about 6 now. At first, Veronica was somewhat of a challenge for me. She was very enthusiastic about everything which was wonderful. She was also very smart and understood everything before all of the other children and was ready to move on. She was also very demanding on our attention and I had my hands full trying to figure out how to keep her challenged without disrupting everyone else. I soon discovered that poor Veronica had had a very difficult life for such a young child. Her father spent most of his time drunk for the first few years of Veronica’s life. When Veronica was about 4, her father accepted Christ as his Savior and he is now one of the most dedicated, enthusiastic members of the church in Meanguera. He is truly a joy to be around, is an encouragement to those around him, and does not stop singing God’s praises for what He has done in his life. After I met him, I found out where Veronica’s expressive and enthusiastic personality came from! Sadly, Veronica’s mother has not opened her heart to the Lord and as you can imagine, a house divided can be somewhat difficult for a young child.

I realized that Veronica, like so many of the children I was working with, was hungry for extra love and attention. We had to be prepared to stop and listen to her when she arrived in the mornings; she always had a lot to say from overhearing the adults talk. Veronica never missed a thing! We also discovered that Veronica loved to sing and we would set her up to lead the singing with the children. We also had to keep her busy helping us with all of the activities. It made her feel important and it kept her sharp brain busy! She loved to color, but preferred to have one of us sitting by her side coloring along with her or she would get lonely. :) She always needed someone to chatter at. Veronica always paid extra attention to the Bible stories and a lot of the times she would recognize them from the stories her father taught her. She was a whiz a memorizing Bible verses and loved to do it! I often had to let her recite her Bible verse first because she would be about to burst when it was time to practice our verses.

Never missing a beat!

Once we learned best how to meet Veronica’s needs, we really began to enjoy her. She brought a lot of life to our group of children and she had a heart full of love. She was constantly giving out hugs. She would often break out into song in the middle of an activity or she would suddenly announce the latest news that she had overheard in the adult discussions the night before. She always kept us laughing with her interpretation of what she overheard and her expressive face when she told us. Now when I go back to El Salvador, Veronica is right by my side or in my lap, reciting her Bible verses from our classes and singing her favorite songs. What a treasure she has been to me!

One of my many hugs from Veronica. 

Veronica also has a little sister at home whom she loves dearly. J Veronica never missed an opportunity to tell me about her. Veronica is also very attached to her father. My prayer for Veronica is that she will continue to have an eagerness to learn and use her intelligence for God’s glory, that her eagerness to help will turn into a servant's heart as she grows, and that her mother will one day open her heart to the Lord. 

                                                          Veronica practicing "If You're Happy and You Know It."