Since a lot of the children have relatives over there, we try not to dwell on the negative. It's a scary process, so instead we send letters and cards to loved ones.
His mother said it would be wonderful to know we were honoring Mike and thinking of him.
I was devastated. I had time to formulate a plan on how to make something positive out of this tragedy.
We are trying to build peacemakers one child at a time.
We let him know we were thinking of him and praying for him. The kids wrote very uplifting notes, drew pictures and prayed for his safe return.
I've seen them grow together as a group, cooperatively helping one another. They have learned how to empathize with others and interact with peers from other grades.
The group has a dual purpose to be supportive of those who are far away from home and in a scary and dangerous place, and to pray and spread the message of peace in our community.