First, check out this awesome video that my teammate Stephanie made!
We spent about 10 days at an AIDS orphanage and at first we were really struggling to connect with the kids. They have daily chores, school, relationships with each other, and the only real way to get into their lives is to be invited in. At first we tried to force ourselves in by helping with chores and playing games with the orphans but we would get pushed away from chores (because guests don’t do any work) and games would only last a short time and afterwards the kids would wonder off.
The best way to get invited into someone’s life is through an emotional connection. Once that connection is established, you don’t have to force your way into that person’s day because they want you to be apart of it.
Typically emotional connections come through conversation and vulnerability with your life story. However, these kids don’t speak any English. So what did we do? We threw an all day party for them in effort to connect.
The party included a huge feast with beef (shhhh, don’t tell the Hindus), sweets, decorations and games. But the true culmination of the day’s festivities was a dance party, a dance party like none other.
This dance party and the dance party that spontaneously happened the next day were the 2 best dance parties I’ve ever been to. No drugs, alcohol, half-naked girls or even a nice speaker setup (although man was it loud). Nope, just a room full of orphans rejected by society, some picked up off the streets, all who have a disease that is killing them. And man did they get down, they lit up for those 2 hours of dancing and radiated joy.
A 4 year old, Mungesh, was particularly joyful that evening. He danced around the room screaming at the top of his lungs and insisted that I dance with him on my shoulders as much as I could physically handle. I danced so hard with that little guy riding high on my shoulders that sweat was pouring off my face. Usually I hate being that sweaty, or even sweaty at all. In fact going into this trip knowing that I would probably be sweaty most days for 11 months was something that I loathed. But that evening there was no place I would rather have been and I smiled bigger with every drop of sweat.
Their joy was contagious and I sensed that they had finally let us into their lives. The rest of our time there was so much different. They invited US to play games, to dance, and even to do a couple chores! And when we left, they teared up and I teared up. It almost felt criminal to become apart of their lives and then leave so soon. But I really do think we communicated a message to them. We told them that they are worthy, they are loved, and they are our equals in God’s eyes.
We leave for Nepal in a day for a mystery ministry where all 44 members of the squad will be together! In the mean time we have today and tomorrow for rest, which was much needed because we went for 3 weeks almost non-stop. Today I rented a moped in the city and got hopelessly lost for hours trying to get back to the hostel. Tomorrow I hope more adventures (my version of rest) are in store.
Pray that I will enjoy life and serve others but not forget that I am here to grow spiritually. To grow closer to God.
