Sharing a few thoughts…
1. I have come to the conclusion through all of these stories that the U.S. is filthy rich. Our level of poverty is very high in comparison to the levels I have seen in each country. For those Hunger Games fans, we are District 1. (See "The Real Hunger Games" blog for more connections.) Essentially, we are ridiculously blessed in the states.
2. For a couple of hours today, I had give or take 300 children copying me. It was rather entertaining to see them imitate everything I do. I was allowed to be super crazy, no probs. For those close to me, I was even told I was a good dancer. HA!
3. One girl in her interview with me wanted prayer for her mother. She wished that God would give her mother teeth because she didn't have any. Probably the funniest prayer request I have ever heard.
4. As much as I love this ministry, it keeps getting harder everyday.
I made two girls cry today. I sometimes feel like the Grinch who stole Christmas because I steal so much joy. I know it's really not me, but I still feel so sad for them. I'm going to share a few stories from today.
The last mother I spoke with had been separated from her husband for 5 years. I do not know the reason, but I know that she had to work to provide the finances. She worked at a 24-hour restaurant some ways away. Let me preface this next part by saying I waitressed for 4 years, and the longest day I had was 14 1/2 hours. I literally thought my body was going to fall into pieces right at work. I was exhausted and didn't want to work for days. This woman works 24-hour shifts. She works 24 hours on and gets 24 hours off, then right back to work. THAT'S CRAZY! She only gets the equivalent of less than $10 for each day as well. You have no idea how insane that is until you have worked in the food industry.
The first girl I made cry burst into tears at the beginning of her interview. Her baby brother had to be rushed to the hospital because his intestines were coming out of him. The doctor could find no reason for this and blamed it on a sibling stepping on the brother's stomach, which I could tell really hurt the little girl's feelings. I think her family thought it was her because she often takes care of the baby brother. Her mother is mentally ill and often chooses to live alone elsewhere. Although the mother never hurts them, she chooses to come home rarely. This little girl was 12 but looked 5 years younger. I am fairly certain she at one point was malnourished.
The second vat of tears came from a shy same-aged girl remembering a car accident the previous year. Her father had been driving drunk and ran into another car or tricycle. (Tricycles here are small motorized vehicles that have a side wagon attached to them. You definitely can fit 10 Filipinos on one.) She had a bump on her head that she never went to the doctor for. I'm praying that it wasn't a concussion. Her siblings all had cuts and bruises from the accident. Her father wasn't harmed at all, as you hear with many drunk driving stories. My assumption from this recent story is that her father is an alcoholic, only because it's a rampant thing here. Additionally, the boys at school tease this girl because they say she looks different than them. They say that she is darker than regular Filipinos, which actually isn't true. My heart breaks for this girl who cannot find rest at school or home.
Lastly, this little girl was extremely sad over her father's death. From what I understood, his death had happened quite a while ago, but she still had denial that he was gone.
Common prayers were for the children to finish their studies. Dropping out is quite common because the older children typically help the family with income. Another prayer was for families to stay together. In what I have seen so far, many families separate for various reasons, but the children suffer because of it. Lastly, many children don't just want families, they want happy families. To have a whole family is somewhat rare but to have a whole happy family is almost unheard of. It's amazing the things that have changed my perspective from just a few days. I am so blessed.
