We were able to break the ice and immediately we started jump roping and hanging out. The kids quickly warmed up and where enthralled with having new friends.
I was talking with the mom of the house that takes care of the 18 kids. She was an incredible woman of faith and love. She cared so much for these kids. Pouring out her life to them. Telling me there is still need for more homes with so many kids on the streets and in the slums. She continued to tell me she had lost her husband two years ago. She doesn’t always know where the money will come from to keep the kids feed and healthy, but God always provides. All she wanted was a well educated healthy happy life for these children and had the faith in God that it will happen. For the past 5 years God has provided for them every day.
There was one boy in the group that I got to hang out with. The mom told me she brought him in because he was being abused by his family. He was 9 years old. He was slow to engage and we were unable to talk to each other much because of the language barrier. But we quickly were racing, playing ball, shooting stones through a busted table like basketball and having fun.
In the end, as we were getting ready to leave they gave each one of us hats they had crocheted. A few of the girls where hanging onto our team-mates and crying for them to leave.
The following day was Sunday. We arrived at church with greetings from a few of the girls from the home. Wondering what or how they got there, we continued with the service. At the end, the boy came up to me and gave me a note and a hat (They had to make a hat for me because there was not enough, they asked me what color I wanted and told me to come back Monday). The note was from the mom and it said the kids requested to join us at church.
We found out they had walked an hour to come to church with us. Just to sit next to us, say hi, and be on their way back home. In such a short amount of time they had stolen our hearts and poured out so much unrelenting love. Imagine the impact if we’d be able to stay long term…
