Crocodile Tears

Strangers with unfamiliar faces producing unfamiliar sounds.
Other strangers understanding and interpreting the gibberish and instantly
Responding with laughs, body movements, and more gibberish.
Teachers saying words and kids obeying.
Trying to echo their movements, follow their steps, and stay calm.

Why is it daytime when it is supposed to be twilight?
Why are we eating animals that my culture does not allow?
What are these symbols on my paper?
How do they mean these unknown sounds?
And, how in the world do these people read left to right?
Why did the teacher speak that language that I don't understand?
Why was it only at me when I left the room with a red woman stick figure?
Why did she point to the other room with a blue man stick figure?

Overwhelmed.
Unable to communicate that feeling.
Incapable of accurate expression.
Sniffles.
Watery eyes.
Crocodile tears.

This is my attempt to summarize the first two days my new student from the Middle East's experienced here in my class.  Pray for him to feel safe, to make friends quickly, to learn English, and to learn about the Messiah.  Most of his first day was filled with tears, but I did see many more smiles today!  I saw first hand, the universal remedy for culture shock to an eight year old boy: SOCCER.