The Wed before we left was a full day. We sent our hosts out to dinner, (no team had ever done that in the ten yrs they have been hosts) and then we planned a movie/pizza night with the kids. We approached our host at lunch and told them they had to go. We made the reservation and they were expected at the restaurant. The beautiful wife got dolled up and they both left with smiles as we started rounding the kids up for pizza and a movie.
The kids loved the pizza and the Greatest Showman, it was a great success. The next day the kids blared the soundtrack any time music was playing and our host smiles could not be wiped off their faces. Spending time with this beautiful family and all the kids was our ministry the whole month. Living with them, playing, teaching, singing, listening and just loving on them. Talk about my happy place! This month I was in my element. But per usual pieces of my heart were starting to break off. Preparing for the coming goodbye was a taboo subject. Even the Wed before with our big party the kids would get teary eyed just thinking about Fri. None of us wanted it to come.
Well, like all things, time rolled and Friday came. For our last day, our hosts simply repeated their original request please pray with/for our kids. Prayer is a powerful tools in the hand of a believer and had been a major topic over the last few weeks. My team leader, Katie, paired each of us off with 3 kids to spend about a half an hour in prayer. We were then going to come back together and watch the pictures and videos celebrating our month together and give our goodbyes.
I got paired with the 3 older girls. All month I had been praying about finding a time to spend with them and nothing had worked out. They were so busy helping prepare food, clean after meals, clean in general, and help with the other children. They worked hard and did so with such grace and joy. I was so excited to get to spend more time with them and to really pray over their hearts and futures before I left. We gathered up our stuff and went to their room to pray.
I opened up and when I say God was in this space it is an understatement. The first girl shared about what was going on in her family and life, we prayed and a few tears were shed. Then the second girl shared and now I was crying and by the third one, we were all crying in prayer as they shared their stories with me. One of the girls even said that her friends would not believe it, she never cries and is always ‘happy.’ I explained to them that we can have joy and we can honor God in the hard things but that it doesn’t make us a bad Christian to admit that something is hard. Their lives and situations are hard but they are doing amazing jobs of living in joy and walking in humility the path God has for them.
It is always humbling when someone lets you into their pain and their life. They simply told me that because I had been so open with them, (earlier that week I had cried thru sharing my testimony with all the kids) that they felt they could share with me. Getting to pray over the pain and worries of their hearts and for their families was amazing. Being able to bring light into the dark places in their hearts and speak freedom is one of the biggest desires of my heart. When children trust you it is a special thing and being able to speak truth is powerful. It is why I loved my job at home and it is one of the many things I am blessed to do on this race. Children are more precious then gold or fine things. Spending my life for the sake of theirs is not a sacrifice. No child should have to face such pain and being allowed into that space is not a light matter.
People are hurting in this world. Everyone you come in contact with has a story. Everyone has things in their past that shape who they are. Thank you for being a part of my story. Whether your praying for me, have supported me financially or simply just took the time to read what I had to say, you matter.
