Jesus loves the Little Children

DAY 3 at EDEN’s (Wed)

What an amazing day today!  I woke up extra early to spend extra time with God.  Last night and this morning he just held me and spoke truth to me over  all of the lies that satan had been throwing my way the last two days.  I am blessed that HE broke me, so that HE could fill me with Him. 

 At the orphanage today we played with some of the kids and waited for the rest to get back from school.  Lisa, Brooklyn and I folded laundry.  My heart broke with each piece I folded.  Each piece contained holes and stains.  And not just little holes.  The clothes that we were folding for these precious children were clothes that the rest of us would not have even taken to Goodwill or tried to sell at a yard sale.  No, they would have been clothes that belonged in the garbage.  I want to do something about it!  Surely we could do a Fundraiser back home to buy new clothes for these sweet children. 

 We did our music with them and then split to do games and crafts.  I LOVE how God orchestrates our activities and am thankful for a team that is so willing to “adjust” and be flexible! 

When we were outside playing with the kids I noticed a fairly large group of kids standing at the gate of the orphanage with looks of longing on their sweet, filthy faces.  These were the village kids.  In this area, the kids in the orphanage are the “haves” and the kids in the village are the “have nots.”  Two of the boys I have been playing with everyday from the village have worn the same thing every day we have been there, and I have a feeling that is there only outfit.  It is tattered, smelly, and stained.

"Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”- Mark 10:14  

 I walked over to love on them.  Some of them were scared and started walking away.  I got our my camera and said “do you want to see this?”  They quickly came to me to see my camera.  I asked them if they wanted me to take their picture and show it to them.  The older ones said “ya” and spoke Swahili to the younger ones.  After I took their picture I showed it to them, then I told them, “Did you know that every one of you is beautiful and God loves you so much!  You are here for a purpose!”  I know God is crazy about each of the kids.  God, redeem them, bring them to YOU and give them an eternal perspective in all things so that they may spread Your love!  I went around the group asking ages, that if you were 4 or 5 years old, raise your hand and so on.  Most were nine or ten.  The oldest was Esther, and she is 13.  Then she asked me how old I am.  I told her 29 years old.  Her jaw dropped and she put her hand over her mouth and giggled.  I started laughing with her and I asked her how old she thought I was.  She said thirteen ;)))  She thought we were the same age!!  I gave her a big hug and we laughed.  I told her I had to get a picture with her so I could remember our laughter together.

After our sweet laughter, I looked down at the precious feet of these children.  I could see their toes poking out of holes and when I looked at the bottom of their show, most of it was missing.  I fought back tears for these precious children of God.  Brooklyn came out with some suckers and when we were giving them to them, they pushed each other to get to the front.  I am sure this is  not a regular thing and I wonder if that was the only thing they would eat for today.

At 3:30pm we left to go back to where we were staying.  We ate and then prepared for our Devo time.  I was scheduled to give my testimony.  I was already so emotional from the day and was already in tears.  Gwen and I lead music... "Healing is in Your Hands", "Forever Reign" and "New Song we Sing".  We talked about the day and then I got up to give my testimony.  I had to leave so much out due to time, but as I was reading it, like always, God reminded me of His sovereignty, His grace, His love for a sinner like me.  How blessed I am that not only did He save me, but He changed me!!!  I was blessed by everyone after coming up to me and affirming me.  God is good all the time!

Then melanie got up to give her Devo.  It was amazing how what she spoke of perfectly went with my testimony- you would think there might be a divine intervention here or something!  Go God!  She spoke of God's redemtion and coined the phrase "Not free baggage, but baggage free."  We talked out leaving our "baggage" here in Africa- because it is not like we could come around the corner and pick it back up.

THANK YOU, Jesus for who You are and what You have done!  Help our team to shine Your love and Your light everywhere we go!  May we bring You glory and praise in all we do!