“Miss! Miss! Zumba is at 6 tonight. I promise. Are you coming?”
This questions was asked regularly by a few children who lived at the orphanage next door to our volunteer house. The answer was, of course, YES! Ever since the first mention of Zumba, the kids saw our eyes light up with the possibility of a new form of exercise. They knew they had us hooked. They saw their chance. So every Wednesday and Thursday night they told us they do free Zumba at 6:00 at the orphanage.
Sometimes we went over at 6 and they told us it was at 7 instead.
Sometimes we went at 7 and they told us they weren’t having it anymore.
We were already over there though. We had no plans, so we stayed. We got to hang out with these amazing kids. They are street kids who have no home. Most children at the orphanage we learned were not even “orphans”. They have a mother or a father who will come visit them occasionally. They were taken out of their home because of alcoholism or abuse and neglect. Some don’t know if they have parents because they were found on the street when they were little and no one has ever claimed them. All of them have huge dreams. Dreams of finishing school, college, becoming doctors, lawyers, farmers, and police officers. They want to see the United States. They want to visit Africa. It was so cool to hear their dreams and encourage them in that. They want to make is world a better place. They are going to.
When we would leave at night they would say, Zumba is tomorrow. Come then; the cycle continued.
Short story: we spent a month in Juticalpa Honduras and never once did we do Zumba.
I believe there is no Zumba at the orphanage. It is just a way they could get us over there. They are so sneaky.
But instead of Zumba we were able to build relationships with these kids. We held a bible study on Sunday nights for the older girls. We talked about how much God loves their hearts.
We helped Alberto with his homework. We painted fingernails and toenails. We played soccer with them and we lost. We watched “Karate Kid” on Disney channel. I spun Walter and David around and around until I got sick. I played the same game of keep away with Genesis for 20 minutes because her eyes light up when someone pays attention to her. I was addicted to the laughter of these kids. There was something magical in it. I loved their questions, stories, and arguments.
I will never regret the nights I was at Hogar De Ninos. I may not have replied to those emails and maybe I didn’t get that blog written out. These kids rank my emails, they are more important than wifi. I am learning that people should always be priority, regardless of circumstance.
These sneaky dream chasers will forever be in my heart. I love you.
