Prayers for my students

I am white, middle class, college educated. I always have money in the bank and food in my fridge. I have never been physically harmed, mentally abused, unloved. It seems that I have a fairly average life, and I assume that most reading this can identify. But God has dropped me inside of an urban elementary school in New Orleans, where average includes nothing that I am or have.

My student's stories break my heart. Each and every student has so much going on in their lives. I am writing this blog so that you too can be burdened with them, pray for them, and be moved to transform this city. For the sake of each student's privacy, I will only use the first letter of their name to tell their story.

J. is mischievous and angry. When asked to quiet down or sit in his seat (simple requests), he throws around his skinny, eight year old body- arms flailing-on to the ground or into the corner. This week has been especially difficult. He tells me he is stupid. He tells me he hates himself. We just found out that his father's hospice has moved him into the next, more severe, status. He's too sick for J. to come and visit anymore. J.'s mother is out of the picture due to drugs, and so he lives with his grandmother. Please pray for J. He needs to know the peace of Jesus Christ in his life.

W. is incredibly intelligent. He is usually well behaved but over the past month, has just not been himself. We contacted his mother to see if something at home has changed. She let us know his father is in jail again. Please pray for W.

H. is the class clown. And he is legitimately funny! I have a hard time not laughing, but try my best to not encourage the inappropriate timing of his jokes. H.'s father passed away unexpectedly on Mardi Gras day this year. He has 2 sisters both elementary age as well. He just hasn't been the same since his father died. Today some kids made fun of a poem he wrote for his mom, and he was just so angry. I have never seen a child with so much anger about something so simple. Please pray for H.

A. is a difficult little girl to get along with. I feel bad saying it, but it's true. Her mother has told her teacher that she cannot stand to look at her daughter, because she looks so much like her father. The teacher has told me that because of her mother's disgust for her own daughter, A.'s siblings have essentially been taking care of her. A. is very mean to the other children, but it is all just a repeating of what she is told at home. Please pray for A.

Ar. has asked me to be her mother. Ar. told me that her mother wants to put her up for adoption, and that I could be her white step mom. I told her that I couldn't be her step mom, but I could be her friend and I could be her teacher. She told me that she knew I would say that, but that she would love me like a mom anyways. Please pray for Ar.

Please pray for all my students, but these especially. Pray for New Orleans and the brokenness that is here.