I have tried to start a blog about Children's Garden of the Philippines numerous times now, but I don't even know where to start. I have never fallen in love with a place the way I fell in love with CG. Even now when I think about it, my heart sinks and my eyes tear up because I'm not there anymore. CG is incredible so I will try to share a few of my favorite moments. (I loved every moment there so picking a few is hard…)
We did a lot of ministry with a community under a bridge in Marikina. The kids would run up and just climb all over you as soon as you got there. One morning Joe and I went with one of the CG staff members, Nordeth, to be there with another group as they led a Christmas party for the community. As soon as we got there, these kids just lit up. It was merely minutes before they were in our arms. I don't know why that moment sticks in my head so clearly, but it just seemed so orchestrated by God.
One of the older boys is so passionate about worship and he is a really talented guitar player. I loved spending time sitting with him and playing music or just listening to him play. He taught me songs in tagalong and I helped him with worship songs that he wanted to learn. There is something so cool about just sitting with someone and investing time through music. I loved that time. I am so thankful that this ministry gave us the liberty to have so much time to invest with the kids one on one.
Though all of the boys stole my heart, there was one that stole my heart so much. He is a tough kid and fighting is almost an instinct to him. It took a lot of just spending time with him to get him to open up. I would sit with him while he played video games or watch him play basketball. I would say good morning to him every morning and ask him how his day was each day. I would help him with the dishes and sit with him when he played guitar. I would shower him with compliments and love and though it took almost the entire time we were there, he finally started to show some love back. The day before we left we took all of the boys to the arcade. He came up to me before we left and put his arm around me and gave my arm one single squeeze. This is a kid that does NOT hug if he can help it. I didn't need to have that hug to know that showering him with love was exactly what God wanted me to do all month, but I am so thankful that he chose to love back.
One night after devotion, the boys were singing for Ate Sharon for her birthday and Joe was recording it as she was in the states for the month. As I watched them, I just kept tearing up. I knew that I was completely in love with CG and every single one of the boys there. They were all singing with so much joy and so much love and I so clearly felt God tell me, "You will be back here." It was scary at first to feel that call but with each and every day I trusted more and more that if that's God's plan then I will follow gladly.
Our last night at CG, we watched Despicable Me with the boys. I have never so clearly felt God's presence through laughter as I did that night. You have never heard 14 boys filled with so much joy from a movie. They were laughing the whole time and every time that they laughed, it filled me up with the same joy that they had. They were laughing SO HARD and it was amazing. I will never forget that night, their smiles, or the sounds of their laughs.
I guess the lesson learned here is that the more love you pour out, the more God pours back into you. I spent the whole month loving on these kids without condition. I poured and poured and never felt empty or drained. I loved more than I ever thought possible and from each of those boys I felt so much love in return. God is doing awesome things in their hearts and their lives and I sincerely pray that He brings me back once or twice or however many times He wants. I love CG. My heart is with those boys.
