and poop are these things! Today, I was challenged with slobber and snot. I hope puke and poop aren't tomorrow!!
We spent the afternoon at our community to again check on progress and continue building relationships with the people. We are making progress on all fronts. In fact, while I'm traveling next week with our hosts and 2 other interns, the remaining 3 interns will be cleaning and repainting their school. God is opening doors!! Once again, most of the interns played with the children today. We brought 5 jump ropes and a soccer ball. Everything was a hit. The children were much more up close and personal than they were yesterday. In fact, a team of 6-7 occupied most of my afternoon. We took many more photos, some of which are attached. Interestingly, the children took liberties that sky-rocketed out of my comfort zone. I was challenged in many ways. Let me be honest with you---I trust your grace. It truly takes the love of Jesus to meet children in their poverty, to meet anyone in their poverty. It is not clean. There is sickness, poor health, filth, excrement, and generally lots of the aforementioned things I would rather not be around (slobber, snot, puke, and poop). Love has to be intentional. It has to be a choice and In cases like this, sacrifice must abound. Please don't think I didn't hesitate with these babies because I did. I don't want to touch the dirty things. It took great effort to see past the grime and into the hearts of these children. I'm not sure how I managed to fool them for they didn't leave me alone for a moment. And when we piled into the Kia to depart for the day, the team of children that led me all over their community pounded their good-byes on my window. Their was sadness in their eyes as we pulled away and they waved until I could see them no more.
Despite their dirty hands that always found their way into mine, despite the snot on their faces that they wiped on mine when they kissed my cheek, despite the occasional drool they wiped with their hands and then on my clothes, I cannot deny the sorrow I felt as we drove away. "When you come again?" Tomorrow?" "The next day?" They took me to their homes with great pride. Their homes were like lean-to shelters made of sticks and some of stone. They consisted of 1 room with 2 beds, a shrine, an urn of water, and possibly a fire pit. There is great honor in bringing a guest to their home. I pray they did not see the hurt on my face as I looked on their meager belongings. They were so excited to share what they had. I was honored to be the guest of these small children.
I held on to my disgust of slobber and snot in order to keep the tears at bay. They pour freely now, perhaps because I feel exhausted. I hope you enjoy these photos--they took many of them. It was worth the slobber and snot.
I love the smile you have brought to your children's faces.
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