“Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.” ??Matthew? ?18:4-5
If you had a chance to talk with me before I left for this Mission trip you would probably have heard me talk about my excitement about working with kids. It was something I wanted more then anything. Just the chance to bring smiles to their faces, show them love in anyway I could and make them feel how truly important they were was all I could think about. I was so blessed to find out that 2 days out of the week we would spend doing just this. We spent our Wednesday and Saturday afternoons at two different locations ministering to the local kids, playing with them, reading them bible stories while acting them out in makeshift skits, and teaching/learning songs in English and French. These kids grew a relationship with us. After the first week when we would show up they would all start chanting “The White people are Here!” In French which just reminded us how welcomed and wanted we were here. They found the biggest enjoyment out of the littlest things like making funny faces, making secret handshakes, dancing with them, or just taking turns picking them up and turning them into little airplanes. And even though it was our mission to change their lives, They had just as much of an impact on ours. They show you what true appreciation and gratitude is. They lived in buildings that you might not trust keeping your lawn equipment in and they were grateful just to have a roof over their heads. Their clothes ether didn’t fit, were dirty and ripped or they didn’t have any and they had zero care for how they looked. What they used for toys would make your cringe and they never complained once. They were just happy to have what they have. Which was less then most probably have in their junk drawer.. The children we would minister to would live in villages under power lines where its actually illegal for them to live there. There are puddles of dirty water, trash, rotten food and dead animals where malaria thrives. Just getting a simple birth certificate is all they need to attend school yet most don’t even have that. The women we worked with not only teaches the children but explains the importance to the parents about getting one and even helps with the process. This is why supporting missions like these are so important. It breaks my heart to think the only reason some of these kids will never have a chance is due to a simple piece of paper that confirms their birth..
If you have never been to a village like this I urge you to make a point in doing so. Not only will it open your eyes to the reality of what others go through or how they live, but it just may spark the fire in you to do something about it as well.
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”” ??Matthew? ?19:14
