Don’t you hate it when you put your foot in your mouth? Or
when you speak, without having all the facts and knowledge about a situation?
Well, that’s what I just did. I wrote the blog “A Mommy To Many” out of
ignorance and I need to set it strait.
In that blog, I wrote of how the boys love it here and would
never want to leave. But I also wrote that Kedesh was lacking a mom, which
discredits the work the Lord has done, as a mother figure is so important. Had
I only waited a few days, I would have seen that the mother these kids need is
here… And her name is Heather.
Heather came here for the first time on a short-term trip
when she was only18 years old. She fell in love with the boys here, listened to
the calling God put on her heart, and returned years later for good. Heather is
known as Aunt Heather because she doesn’t have gray hair and therefore hasn’t
reached “mom” status, but she is more of a mom to these kids than they could
have ever dreampt of.
Heather loves the boys so well. She loves them with
affection, yet keeps an amount of necessary distance due to the abusive
situations from which many have come. She plays with them, yet draws a very
distinct line in the sand so that she retains their respect. She encourages
them, but doesn’t cause them to be reliant upon her for approval, helping them
to be independent. Heather perfectly loves them, much like the way the Father
loves us. She is always present for them, yet gives them space to make their
own decisions. She is full of mercy, grace, and compassion. She looks out for
their best interest and protects them from the things that can harm them.
I have learned so much from observing Heather. Initially, I
didn’t notice the work that Heather was doing here because my idea of a mom was
based upon American culture, which is FAR different from what is needed here.
These boys don’t need someone to hold them and tell them they are special; They
need someone to show them how to love others properly, someone who will demand their
respect, and someone to lead then to the Lord. That is what a mother in
Mozambique should be.
We Americans have no idea what these boys have been through.
Imagine the worst, and that is what has happened to a number of these boys. I
have learned so much about this culture in the past couple of weeks, and I see
that it is necessary to change my American thinking if I am going to do this
one day. My desire and my heart to be a mommy to many has not changed, but I
have seen that I would have to change my way of thinking… And I would need to
be more like Heather.
Thank you for your work here at Kedesh, Heather. These boys
are blessed to have such a great mommy.
