Written June 4,2013
How is it possible that three little words can change the whole mood of my day? Yesterday was a really hard day for me. Every day this week there is a birthday of someone I love back home, thus making me extremely homesick. So yesterday I was wallowing in the fact that I was missing Mikayla’s birthday, that I had just missed my nephew Omari’s 4th birthday, and that I was about to miss Emily, Kelly, and Kimmy’s birthdays. Plus the things I was seeing around me left my heart shattered and tears in my eyes. We had most of the afternoon off to plan our English lessons for the rest of the week, so when we were done and I had unsuccessfully tried to sleep off my homesickness I turned to my journal to vent. I wrote out a short prayer:
“Lord, my heart is breaking for what I am seeing this month so far. I know your heart must also be breaking for your babies. Give me your eyes to see the ones I need to love on most, the ones who need special attention. Lord, please give us the words to share your word and some of our language with them. Thank you for what you have planned with them this month. I know you have it under control. “
A little while later we headed back to the orphanage for dinner. After we ate our fill of rice, meat, and the most delicious vegetables I have eaten in months (!!), we hung around for a little while just to play with the kids. I was talking to a small group of them, asking the basic questions of name, age, grade in school. When they dispersed, one little boy marched right up to me, Spiderman ball and hand, and said
“Play with me.”
It was more of a command than a request, but before I could even fully process his words I was outside throwing the ball back and forth with him. The giggles began immediately, mainly at my inability to hit the ball anywhere near him. Soon I began to ask him the basics.
Name: Cheat
Age:12
Grade: 5
Soon our laughter had filled all of the darkness that I was walking around with earlier that day. His laugh rivals mine in terms of loudness and depth it comes from the belly. We were meant to be friends! And I cannot forget to mention that he was wearing a Lightning McQueen shirt, another little hint from God that He had planned this moment just for me and that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. We hit that ball around for probably 30 minutes before it was time for me to leave. Before I left I turned and gave him a hug and told him I would see him tomorrow.
So there it is, less than 24 hours at our ministry this month and I have already found one of my kids. I’m sure there will be more, but for now it is just me and Cheat. And I couldn’t be happier
PS: Happy Birthday to Omari, Mikayla, Emily, Kelly, and Kimmy!! Wish I could be there to celebrate with all of you! Love you so much!
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My final finanacial deadline is coming up on July 1!!!! God has been so faithful in providing over $13,000 , I have no doubt he will provide the $1,644 I have still have left to raise. If you would like to help me get fully funded please click on the "support me" tab on the left hand side of the blog. Thank you so much for all your support so far! This really has been the trip of a lifetime and I couldn't have done it without you.
