My heart has been broken for two little boys who have adopted us as their guardian angels.
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Once a week we go into a Muslim village to play with the children. Sometimes we do house visits, but mainly to just show love to these children. Many of these children are sent out during the day to collect trash that may be good for selling for money. Sometimes these children are the only source of income for their families, so hard to imagine-worse to see live. Some of the things we have experienced in this community are not unlike other communities we have been in, but maybe just not as hidden.
As many in Asia say, "same, same, but different."
Many children in these families in this village are abused and neglected. When we show up the children flock to us for many reasons; because we are white, because the parents see us as a day care, but mainly because we express love in a non-violent way-we express true LOVE.
One day we had a surprise at our gate named Tia, a sweet 8 year old little boy who just wanted some lovin'. We tried to take him home on our way down to the river that night but he wouldn't part from us, so he joined us for the evening. We fed him and sent him on the road home with popcorn and coke; and happy. The next day he returned with his cousin?/friend Dara. These boys are virtually inseparable.
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Day One. I went to take out the trash and heard a voice on the other side of the gate, when I looked down I saw a shadow right there. I got our host and soon were informed that there were three teenagers from down the street who stopped because a little boy was crying outside our gate; Dara. It turns out (after being with us the entire day and being sent home) he ran back here last night after being beat by his father. I picked the boy up and quickly realized he had peed his pants, more than likely out of fright. Zac and Jakobus took him home and made sure he was safe for the night.
Day Two. We had both boys with us for a good part of the day. Night was falling and so again our guys took them home-we have to be cautious in doing this because we are foreigners, more so we are white, and the alcohol and gambling lead to fights at night. During dinner my teammate Megan thought she heard crying, they were both out there this time, and Tia was the one crying. They said they didn't want to go home and they got chased by dogs on their way back here. We took them home, again.
Day three one of our translators asked Dara if he would like us to find him an orphanage, he said "yes," she then said he would never see his father or family or this village again, with a smile he said "yes, he wants that." These kids, as do many, just want love. They want the pure love, like that of our Father.
To be continued……
