Last month in Namibia our ministry was working with a YWAM ministry called Beautiful Kidz. Beautiful Kidz is located on the outskirts of the capital city of Windhoek. They have a variety of programs for kids from low-income families including: a preschool, after school homework help and classes in English, mathematics, computers, art, and youth and kids clubs. Every day from Monday to Friday we spent the entire day at Beautiful Kidz playing with the kids, washing dishes, cooking, cleaning, assisting in after school classes and with youth and kids clubs, and going on home visits.
One Saturday, for our day off, we went to the mall. This mall rivals any mall in America: it has many stores boasting high price designer clothes, jewelry, and electronics. It also happens to have free Wi-Fi, so I mostly go and sit at a coffee shop, because it is the one time a week I have the chance to talk to my family and friends. It should be fun—going to the mall with my team, window shopping, getting sweets and delicious coffee. That day it wasn’t fun—in fact it left me in tears.
This warrants some explanation. Why would the mall leave me in tears? Because I was thinking about the kids that we get to work with everyday Monday through Friday at Beautiful Kidz. I thought about the preschool girl that looks like she is barely two years old because she is so malnourished. I thought about the kids that cry when they leave preschool because they don’t feel safe or loved at home. I thought about the twin boys that jump into our arms the second they see us and cry if we have to put them down because it may be the only affection they get that day. I thought about the kids that hit or punch each other at age 3 or 4 because they don’t know any different. I thought about the kids that go to the street corner with their parents as they spend the day drinking. I thought about the kids who live in a shack with 30 other people and who don’t have a roof that protects them from the rain.
One prayer that I have had since the beginning of the race is for God to allow me to see people through His eyes. He has answered this prayer each and every month of the race. But one thing I have learned is to be affected by what I am seeing, to mourn things that should be mourned, but to lay all of it back at the feet of Jesus. He doesn’t want me to be carrying burdens that aren’t mine to carry. In Matthew 11:30 Jesus says “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” He taught me that when my heart breaks for these children to turn to Him for comfort and peace. It is still a work in progress, but I am learning everyday to turn to Jesus for rest and to give back to him the pain I have seen around the world.
