First of all, I have a confession to make. I'm in love with Africa and with African children. Over the past two months, God has really been breaking my heart and changing my perspective. Not only had I put Him in a box, but I had also unknowingly put His creation in a box. I first felt this love brewing last month at Mama Catherine's when hanging out with the precious children at Neema. I felt it again on our safari through Masai Mara while driving by zebras, lions, giraffes, elephants and tons of other animals. I felt it while my parents visited during the parent trip as we met the 100 year old grandma, Margaret. And I felt it today more than ever while holding the Ugandan children in the village.
Usually I am the last person to pick up a child, especially if they have a snotty nose and no pants, but something drew me to these precious babies today. I couldn't help but pick them up, snuggle them and wipe their snotty noses (with their shirts– not mine.. Haven't gotten that far yet! Haha). As I held the one baby, he started crying and as I comforted him he snuggled up on my shoulder, held tightly and calmed down. I didn't want to let him go. Ever! Now I'm not saying that I will be returning to America with a million little children in my pack, but I will admit: I now love babies. I would absolutely love to adopt a little African baby (or two) someday.
It's so funny to look back and see the various ways I've grown and changed over the last 9 months. If someone would have described today to me back then and told me I would love it, I would not have believed them. Holding adorable African babies and reconstructing a mud hut with wet mud/animal poop by throwing the mud at the walls is FUN!! Who would have thought?!
Another heartwarming part of the day was meeting, jaja (the grandmother who lives in the hut). She was so grateful God had sent us to fix her house. She shook each of our hands multiple times as she fell on the ground with thankfulness in front of us. Thinking about that encounter, I realized that so many times I have just gone into "ministry mode" on the Race- praying for people, doing manual labor, teaching, etc. I had failed to realize that in many cases, WE were the answer to someone's prayers. I put myself in jaja's shoes for a moment. Her mud hut was crumbling and could have fallen down and flooded during the rain. Thankfully, God in his divine providence allowed us to bless her through our labor.
I never again want to take what I'm doing for granted or take what others do for me for granted. Today easily could have come and gone as another day helping out someone in need. Thank you God that it was so much more. Thank you God that you gave me the capacity to see and know and feel through jaja's eyes. It is my prayer that as we serve others in the name of Jesus, He will allow us to see through the lens of those we are serving and to do it all as we are serving Jesus himself.
