Whatever grievances you may have against one another.
Forgive as The Lord forgave you. & over all these virtues
put on love,
which binds them together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-15
Getting to spend this time with the kids is so precious – & the more we get to know them the more we learn about their family and where they live. It continuously blows me away how these kids that we met, with big smiles and excited soccer feet, can come from really hard home/family situations.
I was sitting with a beautiful little girl & another girl that seemed to be around my age named Ashly. After some broken conversation between English & Spanish Ashly toled me how she was 16 years old. Later on I learned that Ashly was the little girls mother – the little girl was 6. I could tell she was an amazing mom by how bright this little girl was. However, it is strange sitting next to a girl who is 2 years younger but has been a mom for 6 years already. That’s when you have to kinda’ forget what society tells you and just love them as Jesus would.
A boy was sitting on the side lines one day. So we started conversation with him. He pointed to his leg. He had a big scrape that seemed to be there a for a while & was getting infected.
Talking to a boy who has the most amazing personality. Later on in the conversation we learned that his dad had committed suicide and he stands there fatherless.
We watched on of the boys being slapped by his grandmother after the game one day. We also watched how his friend and protecter stood over him taking the slaps for him.
Our field is surrounded by small houses of different shades of blues, grays and reds. Non-decomposing trash marks the boarders. Skinny dogs stand as the guards. Dust flies up with every step of that old and broken shoe. Never before have I been so thankful for a space this beautiful. Here is where we teach the kids virtues of respect. We can show them motherly/fatherly love. We can give them a time to rest.
Be wise in the way you act towards outsiders;
make the most of every opportunity.
Let your conversation be always full of grace,
seasoned with salt.
Colossians 4:5-6
