One of the best days on the race so far has been in Swaziland when we found a huge bag of brand new underwear in the team house. There were all different kinds that had been brought for the U.S. In the bag we found Batman, Hello Kitty, Spiderman, Littlest Pet Shop, Transformers, all the coolest panties that all the coolest kids in the U.S. were most likely sporting.
We decided to take them to a few of the care points we went to and hand them out the children.
Now, trust me, this decision was not without warrant….A week prior I was at a care point and a child around 5 or 6 was approaching with a little boy clinging to it’s back. The 5 year old set the little boy down and went to play with the other children. The baby began to cry and after much hesitation on my part, I picked the boy up. He was not wearing any underwear or a diaper and I am not going to lie, I didn’t want to get peed on. I said a quick prayer and went in for the kill and tried to comfort the little boy as best as I could. White faces are sometimes a little unsettling to children in the middle of nowhere Africa.
The next week we decided they needed underwear and since we found the supply we brought it. The children sat through their lesson and colored on the coloring sheets and then formed lines in front of us to receive a new pair of underwear. For many of these children I am sure it was the first brand new piece of clothing they have ever received.
The majority of the children have their hair buzzed because it is hot and I am guessing it is easier to deal with. Lining them up by gender was quite a surprise…..
Me: “Oh sweetie, you are in the wrong line, you go over there to Philip to get boy underwear.”
And the “boy” drops their pants, only to find out it is in fact a girl! Surprise!
The children didn’t know what to do with the cool designs on the front of their underwear they were showing everyone. I watched them in delight as something so simple made them so happy. I was reminded so many times that we are God’s children and when we are delighted in Him, He is also so delighted in us. I imagined God smiling down on His children that morning. The Swazi children who were ecstatic about their new Hello Kitty underwear and the group of 6 of us doing His will in Swaziland by bringing the joy of the Lord to them.
