His name is Grasshopper. He loves Jesus. He has the best laugh. His joy is contagious. He wants to be a teacher when he grows up. His favorite subject is math, and he has worked really hard at trying to make me love it too. He is sixteen years old, and has seen more than I ever will.
I met Grasshopper on one of my first few days in Swaziland. I was sitting by the care point’s playground, talking to some of my teammates. I noticed him looking at me, so I waved. He got a huge grin on his face and ran over. He asked us our names and he told us that Americans usually call him Grasshopper. We asked him about school, and he told us he loved it. He told us he wants to be a math teacher when he grows up, but not for the high school students, because in his words, “all they do is smoke”.
From that day on, he came almost everyday to see me. If he didn’t see me outside in my usual spots, he would start asking people to come into the team house and find me. Sometimes we play games or draw, sometimes he wants me to pray for him, but usually he just wants to talk. At first, our conversations were never really serious. But slowly, he started telling me more and more about his life. And once he did, my heart broke for him.
One night, he pointed to the right and told me his mom lives that way. Then, he pointed to the left and told me he lives that way with his Gogo (grandmother) and his cousins. I asked him if he gets to visit his mom a lot, and he said no. I asked him why he didn’t live with his mom, and he said, “Because she doesn’t want me”. For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. Finally, I told him I didn’t think that was true, that I was sure she loved him. He got a confused look on his face and said, “No, she doesn’t”. And then it hit me. That is normal here. It was a fact I knew, but had never really accepted as true. He went on to tell me that they have no food or water. He said their house is empty. He told me he was embarrassed that he had to wear the same shirt everyday. I tried to reassure him that there is nothing wrong with wearing the same shirt, and pointed out that I wear the same shirt a lot. He thought that was funny.
I’m sure it hurts him that he is separated from his mother and has little, but I could tell that he understood it was a part of life here. A few days later, I got the incredible opportunity to meet his Gogo. She just happened to walk by the team house one night, and a lot of us were standing outside. She shook our hands and was so sweet. Looking at her, I could tell the years hadn’t been kind to her. She can’t see very well, She walked very slowly, and little bent over. But she had the sweetest smile. She talked to us about her grandkids, and then pointed behind us. Running up, was Grasshopper. I was so excited I got to meet the woman he had told me so much about.
I have been praying for Grasshopper and his family. That they would continue to lean into the Lord. That he would be a light in his community. That God would bless him. And then a few days later, God answered my prayers in the form of a puma shirt and pants. He came one night and said, “look Taylor, labels”. He pointed to the puma on his shirt and pants, and we had a big celebration about his new clothes. I don’t know about you, but I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe God blessed that sweet boy in the form of new clothes and converse sneakers.
I rejoice in knowing that I serve a good God. He listens to us. He desires us. He wants to bless us. We just have to give Him the opportunity and the room to work. I could have tried to get Grasshopper some new clothes, but then that wouldn’t of left room for God to answer my prayer of blessing him. That’s a lesson God has been trying to teach me. I struggled this month with feeling like I wasn’t doing enough, or that I wasn’t making an impact. I picture God chuckling while I was working through those emotions. Of course I can’t do it all. I’m only human. But he is so much bigger. He has so much power, and I am learning to trust in that power. My responsibility is not to meet the people of Swaziland’s every need. My job is to love on them, and point them in the direction of who can. Once I realized this, I think God stopped laughing at me, and said “It’s about time”.
