In Guachupita, there are dozens and
dozens of children. Part of our ministry assignment was to choose two
children that really stand out to us and really pour out love and
attention to them. So far, I have only been able to choose one that I
love any more than the others because they are all simply adorable.
Muneco has a pure joy that I have only
ever seen in two other people: Veronica and Rhyer. Any of you who
know either of them…you know exactly what I am talking about, and
those of you who don’t, ask me and I would love to tell you how much
they mean to me! Well, back to Muneco. This little guy is four years
old. He lives in Guachupita with his mother and three older brothers.
They all live in a one room shack that does not have running water,
electricity, or a bathroom (they don’t even have an outhouse or
latrine). Muneco has one shirt and two pairs of shorts. His mother
prays everyday for enough money to feed her four children and
herself.
The joy that this little boy has…he
has just been through so much in his little life, but he always has a
smile on his face. His biggest source of entertainment is running
around the streets with his big brothers. He loves playing with us
“Americanos.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me around Guachupita
yesterday to meet everyone in his family. While I was sitting in his
house talking with his mom, he crawled in my lap and fell asleep. She
told me that she has hope when she looks at Muneco, because she sees
a little boy that never lets anything get him down, even though he
doesn’t have enough food to eat.
A lot of children in Guachupita fight
with each other constantly because that is what they see at home.
They look out for themselves, sometimes their brothers and sisters.
This kid is different. I watched him help a child who fell down. I
watched him share a piece of bread with his neighbor who did not have
any. His heart is full of love, and I am impressed, because that is
not taught by his environment.
He smiles despite the hopelessness of
his situation. He smiles when he is hungry. He smiles when he is
dirty. Muneco smiles when it just doesn’t make sense to feel joy. And
I see God through him.
Please pray for him, his mother, and
his three brothers. Pray that they get enough food everyday. Pray
that the children are able to break the cycle of poverty that they
were born into. Most importantly, pray that little Muneco never loses
the pure joy that he displays everyday.
Pictures are soon to come!
