As I lie here awake, with my head resting on a child-size beanbag and the rest of my body resting on the tile floor below. I have time throughout the night to reflect on the wonders of the past month. It has been such a blessing to be able to pour love into the children we’ve worked with. To play with them, to feed them, to encourage their learning, and to provide love in their lives. Each day, we would wake up and packnowledge up our mattresses, since we slept in the room where the children learned each day.
Every day we would work with the children and occasionally we would support other projects as well. These ranged from building cement blocks for their driveway, helping the youth group with their car wash, putting together a mural for the church, playing soccer with locals and just sharing our ministry with the church who hosted us for the month. One final project was building bed frames for congregation members who lack beds for their children. As we completed this, the only thing lacking were mattresses to provide comfort while they slept.
Yesterday, I watched with joy as we gave away the beds we had built along with a couple extra mattresses we had… and the one I’d been sleeping on for the last three weeks. Then I saw the little boy climb into his new bed with a smile. We waved goodbye to the family as we left their two-room house that is the size of a typical American living room. The boys waved hurriedly and then rushed inside.
So, as I lie awake for the next few nights, I will relish the opportunity that I have been blessed with. An opportunity to not only fulfill some children’s dreams, but give them space for more.
