A few days ago was our last day of teaching English. We have taught at 6 different schools. Our last class of crazy 3rd and 4th graders consisted mainly of songs, games, and endless laughter. At one point, we even took a community “nap” because the tile floor was the coldest thing in the building.
Later in our class I was sitting with a bunch of the kids that had gotten “out” in a game of Simon Says. I had multiple girls sitting in my lap, others playing with my hair. One girl was examining the palm of my hand, and noticed a freckle. She immediately called all her friends over to take a look. They took turns touching my hand, rubbing it so see if it would come off. They were so fascinated by this little spot that made me different.
Then, another girl held her palm next to mine, and suddenly was even more amazed. She started tracing the creases of my palm, going back and forth from mine to hers. She saw our similarities. The freckle didn’t matter.
In that moment, God seemed to say, “this is how I see my children.” Our Father loves us so much. He sees us all the same, and our “blemishes” don’t make a difference to Him. Jesus loves each of these precious children as He loves me. My heart is broken for these kids that are growing up in a culture full of idolatry. I am thankful for the opportunity we had to share the Gospel at multiple schools. Light is breaking into this darkness.
As we said our goodbyes at our last school, I wanted so badly for my students to understand how much Jesus loves them. I would hug them, look them in their and say “Jesus loves you, okay?” Their brown, beady eyes would stare back at me, smile and say “okay,” showing me the sign language with their hand. In these moments, I choose to trust that God works in all situations and in all places. Please join me in prayer for these precious children.
I am currently procrastinating packing for Cambodia (we leave TOMORROW MORNING). Thailand has been the biggest, most unexpected adventure. I have felt so blessed by our ministry hosts, Pastor TJ and Joy. Here is a video recap of our second month here!
