“What’s my name?”
That’s the question I heard as I
was leaving the Children’s Home the other day.
It was asked by a 9- year old girl who I had talked to and played with
the night before. Her name is Alexandra,
by the way. And as I correctly answered
her question, her face lit up. She was
important enough for someone to remember her name.
Can you
imagine the life of an orphan? As I’ve
spent time at the Children’s home, it often breaks my heart to witness their
lives. Don’t get me wrong. The organization we’re working with does an
amazing job here. And the women who work
at the Children’s home are awesome. But
the truth is that just like any other orphanage, the ratio of workers to kids
is just not ideal. 1 to 15 might be
great for a school classroom where kids spend a few hours every day. But for every hour of their lives? It’s just not possible for them to receive
enough love. The life of an orphan. Most have already been abandoned by their
parents and family, and then on top of that, they live lives where they, just
due to circumstances of an orphanage, might be ignored at times. Yeah, missionaries come sometimes and love on
them, but then those people who gave them such hope leave after a week or so
and are never heard from again.
Yeah, it’s
heartbreaking. But it’s not without
hope. God can use us to bring love. Even though we are only here for a month, we
can and do bring love to them. Every
time we play with them, their faces light up.
Every time we hold them or hug them, joy fills their hearts. And every time we remember their names,
meaning comes back to their lives.
Because they are important and loved.
Pray that these children will feel God’s love
Alexandra,
you are loved. And so is every other
child at the Children’s home.
