Last week (July 31 - August 5) my family and I took a HUGE step outside of our "box" and comfort zone and did what we were called to do. As we left for the missions trip to Savannah I was unsure that we would be able to do what was needed and almost felt intimidated. This was something that we had never done before and I was concerned that we would fall short and not be able to minister to the children like we should.
Monday came and we all went to the center to get everything set up for the week to follow and babysit for the ladies that were attending the Bible Study class that night. As we got to spend time with the few children that we had that night, we got to see a small glimpse of what was in store for us for the remainder of the week. As I sat and watched these precious children I saw kids that acted out, screaming for love and attention and immediately the feeling of intimidation was gone and replaced with the want and need to let these kids know that there is someone out there that cares for them and loves them.
Tuesday came and so did the children for their first day of VBS with us at the center. The other leaders in my group, along with myself, were advised of who we needed to pay attention to in our class; as they would be the ones that would be disruptive and cause the entire class to stray away from the subject that we were covering. There was one child that we were advised lived in her "world". Later in the week I got to spend some one on one time with this precious little girl and found out, that at times she may be in her own little world, but she is VERY knowledgeable about the stories of the Bible. She went through the stories of Jonah, Noah, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection....and all of this was done in great detail. It brought joy to my heart and put tears in my eyes as I realized that it may just be that she is misunderstood and not really living in her lil world, but that she is sitting there thinking and going over and over these stories in her mind. She completed amazed me at the knowledge that she had about the Bible. A six year old little girl told me things about the Bible that a lot of adults would not have known. She has touched my heart and I will forever keep her in my prayers.
There was another special child that I felt deeply for. We were told that he had issues because of things that were going on at home, but that if we got him close to us, he would be good. This child had serious reasons to not be there and every reason to act out or withdraw from us, but God gave this child peace while he was with us and he ran and played and participated in class with us. This child was loving and had a smile that could brighten up the room....all he wanted was your attention and to know that you cared. I just wanted to pick this child up, hold him in my arms and tell him that it's going to be ok that we love him and that God loves him more than he will ever know. The only thing that I could do was just hug him and hopefully show him that we do love him and care for him deeply. By the end of the week, he would look at me and smile and tell me that he loved me too.
Even though I started the week with a weary, uneasy feeling....the end of the week brought sorrow to my heart, knowing that I was having to leave these kids and go back to home that was safe and knew that I had food to eat. The kids there live in very uncertain conditions, where they aren't guaranteed their next meal and a lot of the times don't feel loved. I pray that God places His comforting hands on those kids and lets them know that He is always there with them. Even during trying and unstable times where they may feel completely alone and lost, He is there.
God bless all of the kids at the Savannah Baptist Center and those who lead them....
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