I am trying to condense a million thoughts into one blog…here we go!
This month we stayed in Rumah Shalom, a foster home for girls. I befriended some awesome beauties; but, one I got along with well because we both burp a lot, are easy going, and LOVE to have any part of our body rubbed (we drool like dogs)…she is only 15 and her name is May Li, I love her so much!
This month was really tough, but was so wonderful. We were bucket bathing, sweating as we slept on plastic covered mattresses where we would pour water on ourselves to create temporary A/C when the fan hit us, ate fish curry…correction, they ate fish curry while I ate oatmeal and peanut butter bread or spicy ramen. Our diet consisted of carbs, curry, and fluorescent veggies. Ants became our friends. That wasn’t the really tough part though.
You ask if something has fish in it, sometimes they say no…and to your surprise you find this
What was tough was hearing these girl’s stories; how many weren’t wanted, how many have never experienced love. These girls care for each other; it is literally babies taking care of babies. Seven year olds do their own laundry, they study for hours, and they constantly are in fear of scoldings from Auntie (the house mom). The girls do not like where they live, are longing for love and attention, are waiting for a place to call home, and someone to call mother and father. They want to be wanted and to KNOW that they are secure and cared for.
Just hanging out in ALL of our bedroom
I had tough talks with girls who wanted to end their lives, who were cutting their wrists, who didn’t believe that they were beautiful or loved. It was so hard to leave this month, to leave these girls. We brought so much hope and I felt that as we left so did the love. But as I was praying for them God told me that we were not a solution for them. He is the solution, He has been working in their lives since they were born and He used us to bring HIS love to these girls. He used us to instill some hope in them and show them that there is someone out there who will love them unconditionally. He shook me and told me not to worry, that He took care of them before we met them and He will continue to take care of them. He brought us to them for a month, and I know he will bring more hope to that house!
The night before we left we prayed over all the girls and God showed up and we were all in tears
Love breaks down walls, it heals, it restores. It is so hard, but is always worth it. Love the unlovable. Bite your tongue. Keep patience. You will never regret loving, you will only regret withholding it.
