We gathered and invited all the boys we could find in the slum to come play soccer with us.
The boys are dirty and hungry, yet really full of joy.
They pile 11 of themselves into a 5 seat row on the bus, laughing at how poor my Nepali is, while singing “Despacito” by Justin Bieber.
We get off the bus and they lead the way. I’m running down the dusty stone streets, with boys hands locked in mine. We’re running, and skipping, and counting from 1 to 10 out loud- screaming once we reach 10.
It’s the little things that make these kids happy.
We reach the “soccer field” which is really just an empty piece of land, surrounded by Nepali homes and rolling mountains. We break up into teams, and start to play.
Our energy levels are high, and the boys are running around the field. We’re laughing as I accidentally score on my own team.
More of my team arrives with pots of food, rice and potato curry, a warm meal for the boys. We sit in a large circle to eat together. We share a Nepali Prayer with our heads bowed, and eat with our hands, with full hearts.
I now have friends on my left and on my right, calling me “best friend Jelly.” (I’m commonly referred to as Jelly here in Nepal, Zahli is a little too tricky I guess.)
The sun is setting. The sky is orange. You can see the snowy mountain peaks through the polluted air.
Joy is here.
Love is here.
Christ is here.
