I started my Wednesday morning like we do every week in Nepal, by going to an empty field to meet some street kids. We walked onto that empty field, set up some goal posts and waited. Little by little, the boys began to arrive. The older ones played soccer, while the younger ones just wanted to play with us. I was playing frisbee with a group of these little guys just laughing and enjoying myself.
As frisbee turned into tickle fights and piggyback rides one little boy caught my eye. His name was Ningmar and in my opinion he is one of the most amazing boys in the world. As I tickled him, spun him, and gave him piggy back rides and hugs and kisses, something happened in my heart and I began to love him.
I didn’t just love him in that churchy love everybody kind of way, I began to love him as if he were my own child. I wanted to take him home with me and bathe him, something he hasn’t done in a while. I wanted to cook him a big meal and buy him new clothes and give him a safe place to sleep at night. For the first time in my life I began to understand how adoptive parents feel as they meet their child for the first time. You just want to give them the world and are scared of letting them down.
It is because of that moment that I am coming to a deeper understanding of how my heavenly father loves me. He saw me dirty running around in the streets without the things I needed most. He looked at me with love and offered me the world. But I was too content in the dirt and hunger to understand what he meant. I couldn’t fathom any other life. He scooped me up in his arms, took me home, and bathed me in the blood of Christ until I was spotless. He gave me the best food and wrapped his protective arm around me.
Although I didn’t get to adopt him , I did get to serve him a hot meal. I also noticed he has some infected wounds so Amanda and I cracked out the first aid kits and we were able to clean them for him.
As the end of the day was approaching I realized why I was drawn to him. This boy reminded me so much of my community group leader’s sons. He was the exact same age and had the same mannerisms as her oldest and was the exact same height as her youngest. As I put all of this together my heart broke even more. As I held this boy and sang to him and told him I loved him I realized her son could have been this boy.
I can never look at these boys the same way. They are not just those kids you see in commercials, they are not a problem that need fixing, or a hungry mouth to feed and send away, they are beautiful humans that are so smart and funny and have such potential and they need Jesus.
I am so glad that our contact didn’t just do this for us. It is a program they do every week. So every week Ningmar and the other boys will be given food and love and have the gospel shared with them. I am blessed to have been a part of this and I can’t wait to see what God has for me next in Nepal.
