Think about a time that you were in a big city. Now think about the children who came up to you to sell you something or ask for food. Think about the baby who has learned to stick out his hand in supplication before he even learns to speak. Think about those who are so thin and dirty that you want to look away. Think about the neglected children of the prostitute who struggles to care for herself, let alone others, and whose profession continually results in pregnancy. Think about the daughter who is sexually assaulted by her own father. Think about the girl whose father is also her grandfather. Think about the boy who is beaten and threatened with death by his own father.
I recently read something in a book that has stuck in my mind. Mark 10:21, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him.” It’s the word beholding that is important in this verse.
The basic definition of the word “beholding” here means
to look at something in order to learn about it.
It evokes the idea of sincere and undivided attention
that encapsulates the object of attention into the mind
and complete consideration of the viewer.*
Pastor Dustin and Dawn saw the children in the Philippines. But they didn’t just notice the children. They beheld the children. Those children captured the hearts of Dustin and Dawn. They saw the kids’ needs and their potential. They wanted to do something about the situation. God continued to foster their desire to help the street kids and He paved the way for them to open a children’s home. The Philippine child services agency has thrown up obstacles to impede the home’s status as an orphanage, but Dustin and Dawn persevere. The children’s need is immediate. Instead of waiting on the official channels to bring children into an orphanage, they have become the legal guardians of 18 and brought them into a home.
Last month I had the privilege of living at Legacy Home and joining the family. I have worked with other orphanages on the race, but this was the first time it felt like a family. The kids call Dustin Daddy and run to meet him when he arrives home. They call Dawn Mom. They play equally with the couple’s 2 biological children. Everyone sits down for devotions after breakfast and after dinner. At bedtime everyone comes together to pray and give goodnight hugs. I loved every minute of it!
A couple weeks before my team arrived, 6 kids were brought home to join the family. Their mom is a prostitute and they each have different fathers. During the day the kids were put out on the street, where they begged for food and had to look out for each other. Their ages range from 14 down to 1 year old. When the kids arrived, the youngest had worms and ear infections. They all had sores and were dirty. Their limbs were thin from malnutrition. Their personalities were subdued and they eat as if they don’t know when their next meal is coming. By the end of our stay, the kids were like different kids. They had filled out. They were clean and healthy. The youngest was starting to walk around with assistance. They began talking more. They have the sweetest giggles and crave affection. And you know I was eager to give it!
Many of the other kids have similar stories. 2 brothers have been at the home for 2 years and are unrecognizable from the boys who arrived. It’s unreal what structure and a family can do for the soul.
Dustin and Dawn don’t just provide shelter and family, though. They teach the kids from the Bible, instilling values and offering hope of a relationship with God. My team watched them worship and pray in church as well as at home. On days off, when we went into the city, I found myself eager to return home to love on the kids.
Those kids I wrote about in the beginning of this post: those are the kids I fell in love with last month. Those are the kids for whom I now shed tears because I miss them so.
He took a little child whom he placed among them.
Taking the child in his arms, [Jesus] said to them,
“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name
welcomes me;
and whoever welcomes me
does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
-Mark 9:36-37-
Dustin and Dawn are the embodiment of these verses.
Welcoming the little children is what this Race is about. It’s not about the adventures of petting elephants, tigers, and cheetahs. It’s not about the adventure of ziplining or eating exotic food. It’s about loving on the least of these, no matter how hard it is to say goodbye for the 9th time.
*Hirsch, Alan and Lance Ford. Right Here, Right Now: Everyday Mission for Everday People. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011. Pg. 86-87.
