Our second day of ministry we went to a community called Diez (10) de Augusto. As we walked over to our ministry location kids started coming out of the woodwork to gather on the benches there. When we started there were 50 kids, sitting calmly, by the end there were 72! We played games, sang a songs, did a bible skit, and talked about Jesus! After the activities were finished some of the children wanted to talk to one of the ladies working with us – and they told her some intense stuff. These were children, the oldest one was about 13. Some of the children told her about how family members (fathers and older brothers) are alcoholics. Not only that but when they drink they hit the children. At then end of the night when they shared that with us, I was livid and felt like I could throw up. Later I talked to Jim (our translator/other team member for the month) and he said that there aren’t really any systems in the more rural areas to help children who are abused. VOMIT!
One of the girls caught my attention as she was carrying around her younger sister. I had a chance to talk with her, in broken Spanish, and learned that she was only 10 years old and the oldest of 8 children. Basically, she is never able to just be a child, she is always caring for at least one of her siblings and she does it in love. Eventually she let Rachael hold her sister so that she could go play. It made us smile to watch her run, laugh, and play with the other girls who were there. Though it was for a short time, it was a blessing she might not have received otherwise.
