As Priscilla and I have been teaching the children’s Sunday School class at church, and our team having visited the orphanage the other day, I have just been struck with how amazing kids are.
At the orphanage, where the children range in age from about 2 ½ to 11 years old, we encountered some of the most joyful kids that I have met in my life. They saw us coming up the road and were already calling out to us because we are “muzungus”, and when they found out we were coming to see them they started yelling, “Karibu!! Karibu!!”, which means “welcome”. As we sang songs with them and taught them actions and even did a Bible skit for them, I was just amazed the whole time as I saw the enthusiasm they had for what we were teaching them and as we played with them, but they were also very well-behaved and listened to what we said and to what their teachers and caretakers said. They were so full of joy and life! I can’t wait to go back there. I really want to sit down with the woman in charge and hear her story and hear more about these kids. Jesus is real to these kids, that’s for sure.
Sunday at church I was again struck by the amazing children as we had 20 students this week. They range in age from about 2-9 years old. The kids sit and pay attention as we teach, and they are learning a song in English and Swahili that we want them to perform in church next Sunday. They also get involved as we do games, crafts, songs, stories, and have a treat provided by the pastor at the end of class. It was this after-class snack time and the events that followed that really struck me on Sunday. As most children do, there were a bunch of kids who gathered around me and wanted to be the first to get their treats, and then there was a little boy who kind of pushed to the front and was holding the smaller kids hands higher in the air to make sure that I saw them and didn’t miss them! Then, during church I was sitting next to a woman with a child around 1 year old and as she was holding the baby, one of the smaller children from class – maybe around 4 – came up and gave this baby one of his treats just because he wanted to!
What makes these young kids so full of joy when they shouldn’t be, by our standards? What makes a little boy share his treat without being asked? How can we cultivate that in our own kids or the kids that we influence? Let me tell you it’s all about Jesus! When Jesus said, “Unless you become like little children you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:3), I believe this is what He was talking about.
Thank you so much for your prayers and support. We have just over 3 months left in this trip. If you haven’t yet been able to financially support me and you would like to just click on the link to the left. I still have over $2,000 left to raise to completely fund this mission trip. God is able and He will provide; I believe that with all my heart. Thank you again.
