Brandon and Gabriel

Gaby joined the Praise and Worship team at school playing the guitar. They practice an hour after school on Mondays. At his first day of practice he said it was a disaster. Hopefully during Chapel the Lord will take the lead and beautiful melodies will flow out of this Jr. High group. At least their hearts are willing! Brandon studied drums for a year, so he took his drum sticks undecided about what to do (join Praise and Worship or just wait outside for Gaby)…he decided to sit out and watch (or dream about) soccer practice. He also knows how to play guitar a little bit. He has been working with the sound system at church. And now, he’s kind of dreaming about playing the bass guitar. He’s at that age where he doesn’t quite know what he’s best at or what he looks best doing.
Both Brandon and Gabriel have been more enthused about school and raising their grades after a lecture on repeating the grade, but in a Spanish school. Three weeks into this semester have proven to be challenging, but I think they’re going to make it. Oscar will be taking a conversational English class at their school on Mondays and Wednesdays.
One great hurdle they jumped over is reading. They now enjoy reading English books. They aren’t into big novels, yet, but at least they have books in their hands and not game boys.
For English class, Brandon wrote a short, mystery story the other day. He got done with three pages, took the rough draft to school, brought it home and started rewriting it. I asked him why he was changing everything and he said that his teacher didn’t want anything bloody or gory. Thanks Mrs. Ortiz! This time it is a mystery about a gorilla lost from the zoo.
Brandon is studying 1 Corinthians 13…the Love Chapter. It does us all so much good to hear those verses being repeated over and over again. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs…WOW!