Good Times

Last week I was able to visit one of our homes and be a part of an Easter celebration. We shared the true story of Easter, the girls danced for us, and we distributed gifts for the girls that a church in America had sent for them. I was elected to be the Easter bunny (a role that I wasn’t too sure of!). But I put on that costume and did a nice little celebration dance…and it was so fun. It was so good to be with these girls – to just be with them. And as I sat on the floor with those girls, and did my best to communicated with them between my faltering language skills and their knowledge of English everything within me screamed, “This is good.”

And then this week I had a similar experience. Normally I work from 9am-6pm. On Friday, it had been planned that I would be a part of leading a “group session” at another one of our aftercare homes at 5:30pm. Now this doesn’t seem like a huge deal – but getting anywhere here involves a lot of time traveling, so in the end I’d end up “working” quite late. When Emily heard I was going to do that, she was a bit concerned for me, and my time – and if I was “okay” with spending so much of my Friday night working. I understood where she was coming from. At the end of a week, who really wants to work “overtime” on a Friday?!? But in the end I was fine with the set up. It was the time that worked for the home, and for our staff. So it just made sense.

And it was such a blessing. This is a home that I hadn’t been able to visit yet, and I’m so thankful that I could finally visit this home that I’ve been hearing so much about! Its an oasis in the middle of chaos. Beautiful trees, flowers, birds singing – peace. I am so thankful for this place for girls to be taken care of. All sorts of girls in need. A place for them to receive an education, to be cared for. A safe place for girls to understand the love of God. To begin to know their potential, and their value. A place for these girls to be restored (by the grace of God).

I loved getting to know some of the girls who I’ve been hearing about. I loved meeting some of the girls’ whose stories I’ve been reading. I loved meeting some of the girls who are so loved and cared about and cared for by my co-workers.

And for me, the bottom line (that God has been showing me) – is that I am most alive when I am with these girls. As I lead a silly game, and begin getting to know the girls everything within me screams “This is good. You were made for this.” I don’t know all that this means. I was talking with my friend Beth recently – about how God seems to knit my heart so closely with women and children who are most broken – most wounded…how God connects our hearts in a way that just doesn’t make any sense at all. It was good to hear her words, and to talk with her about this journey I’m on of seeking the Lord, and how He would have me continue to invest myself in bringing hope and redemption to our broken world.

There’s a lot I don’t know (big surprise) – but what I do know is that on a Friday night…there aren’t many places I’d rather be than sitting in a circle with those girls…