These kids - they never stop. Even when they get a break from school they don't spend their days playing in pools or going to the movies. They help their moms by running errands and cleaning the houses. They help their fathers by raising ducks and farming. And when we show up, they are all smiles. They don't act resentful or like their lives are lacking anything. It's just how it is for them. You can't miss what you don't know I suppose.
There was one little boy that really stood out to me today.
Let me introduce you to Sameh.
Sameh isn't doing too well in school, and he was very embarrassed about it. It broke my heart to see this sweet little 9 year old boy think that we would be upset with him because school isn't his thing. His older sister had just dropped out of school - right before her senior year. We assured him that it was okay if school wasn't his thing, and we diverted our conversation to something he was good at - drawing. He didn't have any to show us, but said that he liked drawing anything and everything. You could see the light return to his eyes, and we showered him with encouragement.
His grandmother has a bad knee and a bad back, and I immediately recognized that standing would not be easy for he, so I assured her that we would be more than happy to sit on the ground with her to pray and take a picture with the family. After the prayer, I moved next to her for the picture, and as soon as I sat next to her, she reached out and grabbed my hand. Our translator, Neveen, was speaking with Chris and Sameh, but this did not stop the grandmother from speaking to me in Arabic and it was clear that she was thanking me for being considerate of her pains. After the picture was snapped, she pulled me in for a hug and started crying. Through her tears she kept talking and pointing at her knee and back. I patted her back and told her I understood pain that could not be seen.
It was in this moment that I felt God more strongly than I had the whole trip. Here I was speaking English to a woman that spoke none and she was speaking Arabic to me even though I know 8 words - none of which she was using - and we understood each other. I grabbed her hand and bowed my head and prayed over this woman like I've never prayed over anyone before.
There was no shame, no embarrassment, just two women wrapped in the embrace of the Lord. We hugged, and she kissed my hand at least 30 times.
Here she was, living in a mud hut, and she was loving on me like she'd known me for years. For a picture taken on the ground and a prayer said in the midst of pain.
It's important to note that when we go on these home visits, we are given the nicest seat in the home. It would be culturally insensitive to refuse, so there were many times that women in their 70s and older sat on the ground while we sat on benches and beds. For me to offer to join her on the ground was amazing for her.
For me, it was simply following the lead of Jesus. He washed his disciples' feet. He calls us to be servants.
Today, this woman gave me the opportunity to serve in a way I never had before.
And it was incredible.
Sameh still needs a sponsor. Sponsoring Sameh for only $30/month provides Sameh and his
family with food, medical care, discipleship training, and hope. Most
sponsored children and their families survive on $1-2 per day, barely
enough to provide one meal a day for most of the family. It will take pressure off of Sameh to help provide, and hopefully allow more time for him to draw and just be a kid.
Much Love,
*L*
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