We’ve been working with our ministry for three weeks now and I would love to introduce you to the kids who have absolutely stolen my heart. From the minute we pull into the drive to get into the neighborhood, the kids run over the bridge to our bus and wait outside to greet us with a fun handshake that mi amigo, Douglas, taught all of us (and the rest of the kids caught on too).
Douglas is 5 years old and has a heart of gold. He’s pretty patient with us, as we’re still working on learning our Spanish, and is such a personable kid. When he’s not running around playing futbol or jumping on your back yelling “caballito!!”, he’s trying to show you something he loves (like the dope handshake he taught us all). He loves drawing or coloring in things we draw for him. I’ve seen the light of Jesus through that kid because of his respectfulness for us crazy gringas. His willingness to love on us inspires me every day to love on those I may barely know.
Mauricio is Douglas’s older brother. He’s 9 years old and is such a cool dude. The number of times I’ve asked him “Puedes enseñarme?” (Can you show me?) is crazy. From futbol tricks to jump rope games, this kid is just all joy. He thinks it’s crazy how almost all of the girls on my team have multiple tattoos, and I usually end up leaving every day with his name tattooed on my hand or arm (the kids have recently gotten into giving us marker tattoos throughout the day). He also is so incredibly smart; today he decided he was going to teach me the alphabet, so he made a worksheet and graded me and it was one of the cutest and most fun things ever. I can see the Lord working through him as he works to be patient with his younger brother and as he learns English and teaches us Spanish. His excitement for life inspires me to find joy in simple ways every day.
As we walk over the bridge and toward the church community center (a place Bella Flor has put together to feed the kids and let them have a place to all come together and play), we walk hand in hand with these kiddos. As we approach the cement building painted with sayings like “Dios esta aqui” or “Dios es amor”, we walk through the big red door into a room filled with a trampoline that takes up a quarter of the space, tables and benches with kids coloring or playing jenga, more kids playing futbol, others jumping rope; a room filled with love and laughter as a few adults and some of us help prepare lunch and the kids play while they wait. One of the first kids to run up to me is usually Kanjan (who spells his name Kenyell).
Kanjan is a spunky 7 year old boy who has really stolen my heart the past few days. I’ve been able to have conversations with him about his family and his life, and he’s just so energetic and excited to talk to me about himself and learn about my life as well. He’s asked me about my family, their ages, their birthdays, and more. Kanjan is around the age of most kindergarteners, but doesn’t really know how to write, so I’ve been working on teaching him how to write the alphabet. The scribbles in my journal of him writing his name, my name, drawing stick people, or playing tic-tac-toe will forever hold a place in my heart. I see Jesus in him through his compassion for others; his willingness to get to know me in a more personal way than most kindergarteners would. His patience as he learns to write and his compassion inspires me to seek Jesus and share Jesus through showing compassion towards others.
Before lunch, we usually take a big group of kids into the plaza a little farther down into the neighborhood. There’s a cement basketball/futbol court/field and a small playground that we’ll all hang out at. When we have a smaller number of kids, we usually all stay at the cement court. Sometimes I play with the kiddos and sometimes I hold Elias while Sandra plays.
Sandra is 15 years old and her little brother, Elias, is 1. She carries him around wherever she goes. I absolutely love babies, especially this little guy. He’s so sweet and gentle and Sandra is too. Sometimes I will hold him so that she can play soccer with everyone else or just hangout with her friends. Elias has fallen asleep while I was holding him twice and oh my goodness the joy it brings me to hold a sleeping baby. I absolutely adore Sandra and Elias, and the fruit of the spirit, gentleness, comes to mind when thinking about them. I can see the gentleness of Jesus through them both and it inspires me to be more aware of how I can be gentle with others in a Jesus-like way.
By the time we get back to the church community center, lunch is ready and the kids sit down to eat. Ester, Sujeli, and Samanta are usually there eating and welcome us with big hugs and smiles.
Ester, Sujeli, and Samanta are sisters who seem so close. They are always together and are always there for each other when one of them is upset. Ester is the oldest (about 11-12 years old) and cares so much for her younger sisters. Sujeli is about 9-10 years old and is such a spunky and crazy little girl. I absolutely love her; she always makes goofy faces and loves jumping rope or just running around. Samanta has really stolen my heart the past month. She is about 6 years old and is such a shy, loving little girl. She likes to color and draw pictures and also loves to play on the swings on the playground. She’s such a cuddler and loves to be held and hugged. She is very clingy, but only when you initiate a conversation with her or show her that you want to spend time with her. These girls have really shown me Christ’s love in so many ways. They are sisters, but have also chosen to be each others’ friends. These girls inspire me to grow closer with my community and remind me that your family can be your closest friends if you choose to let them in.
These are just a few of my amazing kiddos at my ministry, but each one has made such an important impact on my life. These kids have brought me up on hard days and reminded me of the many ways Christ makes himself evident. I’m really starting to understand why Jesus constantly wanted to let the little children go to him. They are so full of joy and hope and really do embody the characteristics of Christ without even realizing it.
Some of these kids remind me so much of my little cousins back home, and it’s made me really miss and appreciate my family back home. This post is for these kids, but also for my amazing cousins back home on 103rd. Love you Justin, Jessica, Amanda, Nolan, Adam, Luke, and Logan. I can’t wait to see and hug you all again.
