Women of Compassion & Springdale Community Church
Today was the second day at the Malnutrition Center. When
we initially arrived the children were so sweet and joyful. I was amazed at how
well behaved and genuinely happy they were to have the “gringos” around. I
ended up switching to the Squirrels group which consists of the older, more
active girls. Their energy brought so much joy to me. I was shocked. Here I
was trying to serve them and make them happy, and yet I believe they blessed me much more than I could have ever blessed them….It was crazy! These kids touched
my heart in ways I wish I could explain. Their smiles are powerful and their
laughter is contagious.
Nonetheless, with such joy, there were also serious moments
of pain. A specific child has been in the Center
for a few weeks now, and he does a very good job at being sweet. Today, though,
I saw such a deep sadness for his sister who had just been placed in the Chicks
group. He wept and kept saying, “I miss my mama!”, “Where is my mama?". I had a
loss for words. His pain was real. All I could do was sit there and hold him.
The language barrier did not help, but for once I felt so incapable of helping him, that
I knew all I could do was pray. I wanted to show him that his pain was
my pain and that he wouldn't be alone in sadness.
I am not trying to damper the day you are having or make you
feel bad. I’m just trying to share with you the struggles I have seen at
the Center these past few days. As stated previously, these kids
are joyful most of the time, but they are still children. Just like kids in the States, who have ups and downs, laughter and tears, the kids at the Center experience the same realities.
I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4, “For
everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:….a time
to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” There were definitely many moments where we
laughed, moments where we cried, moments of mourning, and plenty of dancing. And
as our team gathered at the end of the day to share stories we were constantly
laughing.
Honestly, it’s really hard for me to try to type all of the
wonderful things I've seen. The only way to sum it up is to say - you have
to experience it for yourself! You have got to see these children and how they
live. They are beautiful. Trust me when I say this: they will steal a piece of your
heart and you won’t be able to take it home with you.
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